A review by sharonleavy
Little Eyes by Samanta Schweblin

adventurous dark funny mysterious reflective fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? N/A
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

4.25

 
Every time I catch sight of this book cover I sing it to the tune of Fleetwood Mac's 'Little Lies' (what a song).

The little eyes in question here come in the form of interactive animal toys called Kentuki. Costing upwards of $270, of COURSE every kid wants one. And not just kids - adults really like them too, finding that they provide companionship. 

In some cases they're providing a lot more than companionship - inside every Kentuki dwells a real human being somewhere else on the planet, connected via a camera network that allows them to see every single thing through the Kentuki's eyes. 

Remember that conspiracy theory that Furbies were spies? Very that, only MUCH creepier. Think Black Mirror. I liked it. 

We meet several different characters throughout the book - some are dwellers, while others prefer to be owners. It is, of course, biting social commentary - we all have smart tech of some sort, are we really aware of where our data is going? Or who might be peeking in? People from affluent areas choose to be matched to someone in a war-torn country - "people were willing to shell out a fortune just so they could spend a few hours a day living in poverty". 

There were a couple of different story arcs happening at once, but I think my favourite was Marvin, a teenager who had lost his mother and was dwelling inside a Dragon Kentuki.