Scan barcode
A review by mariahaskins
Catfishing on CatNet by Naomi Kritzer
5.0
I've loved Naomi Kritzer's short fiction for years. She has a remarkable talent for writing sharply observed, subtly funny, and quietly profound stories that show a deep appreciation for the human condition. Her Hugo Award winning story "Cat Pictures, Please", about a kind and considerate AI that wants to do the best it can for people (and also really, really likes cat pictures) is one such story. Out of that piece of short fiction grew this wonderful, near-future science fiction novel about that same helpful AI, and the young people that meet on CatNet, the social media community the AI is now running.
One of those young people is Steph, who has been moving around the US with her mom for years in order to get away from her dad. I love this whole book, and I especially love the way it depicts social media and online interactions as both a source of belonging, community, and friendship; and as a potential source of trouble and danger. I also love how it is set in a future that is close enough to our own present day to seem very familiar, yet also includes several believable technological advancements (self driving cars, robot teachers, and - of course - a sentient AI) to feel futuristic.
The friendships and (tentative) romance between the young characters is beautifully captured, and so is Steph's troubled life as a teen who has always been on the move with few chances to really feel at home anywhere. There's a suspenseful undercurrent in the story from the start that involves Steph's dad and the reason why her mom first ran away from him, and the last third of the book ramps up the tension until the final chapters become a flat-out fantastic, riveting thrill-ride. The ending also very neatly sets up a sequel (can't wait for that!).
I'd recommend this book for both YA readers and adults.
One of those young people is Steph, who has been moving around the US with her mom for years in order to get away from her dad. I love this whole book, and I especially love the way it depicts social media and online interactions as both a source of belonging, community, and friendship; and as a potential source of trouble and danger. I also love how it is set in a future that is close enough to our own present day to seem very familiar, yet also includes several believable technological advancements (self driving cars, robot teachers, and - of course - a sentient AI) to feel futuristic.
The friendships and (tentative) romance between the young characters is beautifully captured, and so is Steph's troubled life as a teen who has always been on the move with few chances to really feel at home anywhere. There's a suspenseful undercurrent in the story from the start that involves Steph's dad and the reason why her mom first ran away from him, and the last third of the book ramps up the tension until the final chapters become a flat-out fantastic, riveting thrill-ride. The ending also very neatly sets up a sequel (can't wait for that!).
I'd recommend this book for both YA readers and adults.