A review by anomieus
rekt by Alex Gonzalez

challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

3.5/5⭐, rounded up

Pretty cagey, wild stuff in this novel that leads a grief-stricken young man down a road into the sinister, horrific corners of the dark web and all the depravity it contains. But soon Sammy stumbles into an impossible world of video footage of deaths that should not be, and he is drawn deeper into a perverse and merciless world of individuals who place bets on death. As Sammy tries to work out what’s real he must become a monster himself.

“You’re not a good person. Maybe you were at some point. I think you probably were. But you were shown a dark corner of the earth and you immediately turned rotten.”

As Sammy investigates the seemingly impossible footage looking for answers and retribution, he throws in with a couple of others who are also on the hunt for those responsible.

“They’re AI-backed algorithms, but you gotta remember that humans make algorithms, right? Humans make AI too, it doesn’t just come out of the sky.”

The novel starts off strongly with an intriguing plot and a dark premise. The writing was powerful and conveyed the dread, grief, and self-abhorrence of Sammy, whose traumas just keep piling up. The plot did lose momentum for me just after halfway through, where it slowed considerably, before it picked back up just for the ending, which culminates in an interesting, but somewhat ambiguous conclusion.

My thanks to NetGalley for the advance review copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily.