I think I enjoyed the idea of this book more than the book itself. It starts off compellingly enough - with the introduction of synthetic humans (ie: AI robots) into a small British old folks home. They care for the residents far more thoroughly than the previous, human carers, and soon even those on the brink of death (or maybe even a bit past it!) are healthier than they've been in years! But obviously everything is not roses, and there are downsides to this newfound youthfulness in the residents.

I enjoyed the different points of view in this novel. I think for the most part, the author did an excellent job of portraying Winifred's world views and how they differed from Margaret and John's perspectives. I did feel that John's sections didn't really add much to the story once Winifred is introduced, so those sections didn't do much for me.

While I did appreciate what the author was going for here, the book got a bit too philosophical for my tastes in the middle. Things sort of drag on for a while with a back and forth on the experiences of being human, before suddenly coming to a rather clichéd climax.

This is a well-written book that's light on the sci-fi and heavy on the existential ideas of what it means to be a human being. Not a bad thing at all, just not quite what I was expecting and not entirely my bag.

A really interesting high concept novel about AI and what it means to be alive. Think of this book as the movie Cocoon for the A.I generation. It's good to see elderly people getting a central place in a novel.
This book was crowdfunded and unfortunately at times you can see why. It's full of great ideas but at times can got lost in political postulating and poor writing. It could have done with a good editor to cut bits out and make some hard choices. For that I deduct a star. It's still well worth a read. You just need to persevere through the weaker bits.

This book gave me Humans vibes (the Channel 4 show) and I loved it. I think I would've enjoyed it more if there was more of a sci-fi element but that's just my personal preference

I read this a while ago and never reviewed it. I cannot recall details but I know I enjoyed it a lot, particularly during the first two thirds. As explanations came, I did not find all of them believable, but overall it is a well written book and a specially thoughtful one that I recommend.

Wow this was like The Humans (Matt Haig) meets I-Robot (Isaac Asimov) with a little bit of Flowers for Algernon (Daniel Keyes) thrown in.

This is a very modern British take on a potential not-too-distant future involving synthetic humans and their role in society as carers for the elderly.

I am always a little worried going into an AI based sci-fi novel that the "science" will overtake the plot and drag the prose down. Even as a scientist myself, I struggle to enjoy it when it gets too heavy. While this book does have scientific aspects, it is well balanced with the poetry of the prose and actually creates a wonderful contrast between the point of view of the synthetic human and the point of view of the natural humans.

A major theme of the novel is the nature of humankind. What makes a person a person? A question that has haunted mankind for all time. It also addresses the important themes of aging, death, loss and life. It's a beautiful book with some hints of something a little darker.

Honestly, I loved this. I couldn't put it down. In the last third of the book things do begin to escalate pretty quickly and by the end we are left with a lot of questions and a lot to think about - in the best way possible.

Thank you very much to Netgalley and the Publisher for supplying me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review

The bookstore I work at chose this for our book club and it was a huge hit. We sold probably 50+ copies in the months leading up to and weeks subsequent to the meeting. For many, it was an introduction to fantasy and magical realism that kept them intrigued due to its questions on mortality, philosophy, and morality. For others, it was a different look at the concept of artificial life.

We Care For You appeals to readers from every genre and will keep you glued to the pages until the very end.

A creepy masterpiece!
This book is unique in a genre that loves to scare us with what might happen to technology in the future.
Yes, it deals with a common trope, that of robots and AI perhaps going beyond their limits, but it is gripping because it switches between the robots POV and the other, human characteristics. I really enjoyed the writing in the chapters of Winifred, the Helper, because they were written in a stilting style that really evoked the logical and process driven system of an AI. secondly, the author focuses on the elderly, which is always different and nice to read, as most books can't help but stick to young, vibrant, sexy characters. To read about the elderly, the demented, and the wisdom of the aged was captivating.
Recommended.

More than being a SF or dystopia novel, this is about the psychological implications of humans trying to accept AI/Robots and nanobots in their everyday lives, caring for their loved ones and about these “synthetic human beings” trying to comprehend what makes a human being, what feelings are and what are they worth, and how they can simulate them, to ease acceptance and integration.

I very much liked that we get to be in a synthetic human being ’s mind and know their logical thoughts, making it easier for us to see the other side of the coin. There are some attempts at humor from the robots, quite well done, and there is lots of analysis on human behaviour and conventions.

There are also lots of mentions about social implications of elderly people left in the care of the underpaid and overworked homecare establishments’ workers. The voice of some of this elders, are especially genuine and deep. The ending was predictable, but it didn't ruin the enjoyment I took from all those analysis of feelings and social behaviour and the psychological touch of the novel. 3.5★ rounded up.

Melanie's Thoughts

I wasn't entirely sure what I was expecting when I requested We Care for You by Paul Kitcatt from NetGalley. I was immediately drawn to the cover which didn't really do the contents justice. Inside is a reflection on life, love and the quest for knowledge.

The first few chapters were very poignant for me. The elderly Margaret, who is slowly fading away in a nursing home, who can't feed herself and who doesn't recognise her son John reminded me of my own Mom. There were so many similarities between this character and my own Mom that I found it a challenging read at the start. However, when Winnifred the Helper comes into the story all similarities faded away

The owners of Evergreen Care Home, the nursing home in which Margaret lives, believe they have solved the problems of an aging population. They introduce synthetic humans to take over roles normally carried out by humans with the aim of improving the quality of life of their charges. Winnifred and her fellow Helpers look and act completely human - they look like humans, they sound like humans and they almost act like humans. The perfect workforce for manual tasks as they don't need to sleep, take breaks or get paid. Evergreen Care Home has turned into a veritable old aged utopia with the introduction of the Helpers. Every resident now has a dedicated Helper to take care of them and ensure they have the best life possible. Life takes a big change when nanobots are introduced into the elderly residents, curing their illness and handicaps, returning them to healthy active lives.

At first, Margaret feels that she has woken from a hazy dream as she comes out of the fugue of dementia. Winnifred has brought so much to her life. She now recognises her son John and can laugh and play with her grandchildren but it almost seems too good to be true. Winnifred looks human and acts human but isn't really....she isn't really alive. She wants to be though and Margaret and the other patients in the care home may provide the one thing that they need the most.

It's not until the very final chapters when this tale turns a bit more sinister and the ending was chilling indeed. Kitcatt combined a very personal story and layered on a bit of Bladerunner combined with Star Trek's The Borg. This is Kitcatt's first novel and I really enjoyed it even though it made me quite sad in parts. I will look forward to reading more from this author.

I enjoyed this book, although it was quite slow to start off. The idea of human-like robots is very chilling.

4.5 stars. I was hoping this would be sinister and it was! And it also raises many questions.
Firstly there is the commentary on how we care (or rather don’t care) for our elderly in the West. They are often forgotten, neglected and placed in nursing homes. My own mum is well into old age and it made me feel quite uncomfortable thinking about her future, and indeed my own.
Then there are the questions of what happens when the technology can do more and be more than humans? What does being alive mean?
‘ information isn’t knowledge, isn’t wisdom?’
What are the implications of technology capable of healing, repairing, regenerating the human body? Is it desirable to have a longer life if you outlive everyone you ever knew or loved?
A thought provoking read.
Many thanks to Netgalley for an arc of this book. All opinions are my own.

I always have high expectations for any novel which includes robotic evolution and artificial intelligence and this novel met them. An intelligent and compassionate narrative which explore the AI landscape deftly. I think it would make a fascinating novel for a Book Club discussion. Is it a dystopic story? Can logic dictate care? Does the removal of emotion make care better or worse? Definitely a wealth of material for a riveting debate.

This book was perfection with a beautiful cover.

The author considers a world where the first convincing androids have been created and are now responsible for caring for the elderly in care homes –the idea of an intelligent and (synthetically) compassionate being that will look after our most vulnerable members of society without losing patience, getting bored or fed up with the rubbish working conditions lit up my imagination.

The book doesn’t explore this idea to any terrifying extremes, which makes it all the more meaningful in my mind. Obviously it’s not going to be altogether wholesome in content otherwise there wouldn’t be a story but it’s very thoughtful rather than catastrophising. It’s written from the perspectives of Margaret, an elderly lady who was dying with dementia, Winifred the synthetic being assigned to her care and Margaret’s son, John. The writing style is warm and compelling, you come to understand the characters even if you don’t agree with all of them.


There’s some quality sci-fi ponderings over what this situation would mean for mankind, once synthetic humans are accepted into society to do all the jobs that people don’t want to do, perfect for readers who are either new to or not fond of sci-fi as a genre. This is a story about people understanding each other rather than hardcore science and robots.

This was an incredibly thought provoking novel, sometimes bordering on scathing in its treatment of how we approach death, aging and the care of our elderly. More importantly it was a reflection on what it means to be human and what it means to be humane. I am an absolute sucker for any book that handles that theme even moderately well and it was excellently depicted here. Margaret and Winifred are amazing characters. In fact Winifred’s perspective gathers a more human sophistication as the book goes on and she starts questioning her own reality. At times it becomes truly chilling. This was really very clever. An incredibly ambitious novel that delivers and then some.

I hoped to like this book more, and I still love the ideas and the bottom line. The way it explored what it is being human, as opposed to not being able to comprehend being human. And also, the dilemma of creating an artificial creature whose mind is based in logic, and so is completely backwards to our own - and to what drives us. It can only eventually lead to disaster.

However, apart from maybe several last pages, this book is not dystopian. It's also a little bit sluggish, and it's mostly full of philosophising about human nature and the mind's connection to the rest of the cognizant world. All important and fitting topics, but... also, kind of boring to read about. That is possibly it's quite mechanically executed - understandable as well, cause most of it is told through the perspective of an android. But it does make for some pretty dull reading, unfortunately. You will like this book if you're looking for some musings on the meaning of life, consciousness and what drives human beings, or a study on human virtues. But you won't, if you want anything to happen in the book. Cause it literally doesn't.

I thank Unbound for the free copy of this book that I received in exchange to my honest review. And I'd also like to me ton that it's really cool how this book was funded! Apparently, crowdfunding a book is now thing. You can find out more at unbound.com

This is ambitious book is not only a gripping story about what happens to an old lady in a care home, but it is also a discussion about what it means to be human. Kitcatt isn’t afraid to hold up the pace of his unsettling story to provide detailed conversations between Margaret and Winifred, which have stayed with me since I finished reading the book. I’m not sure if I agree with the conclusions he comes to, but they are certainly food for thought and I do thoroughly agree with the prevalent view throughout the book that the life experience gained by the elderly is essentially thrown away in our modern society. This is in sharp contrast to almost every other culture throughout history, where the wisdom of the aged is valued and held in high regard. Although the conclusions that Winifred come to are somewhat worrying…

Any niggles? Well, I do have one. I’m still scratching my head as to why Kitcatt has set the book in 2022, given the sophistication and real-life appearance of the robot. That is only four years away and I simply don’t believe we are anywhere near producing an artificial being with that sophistication and complexity to be rolled out and fully interact with a very fragile human being in the manner described in the book. To be honest, when I saw the date I nearly didn’t continue, being rather nerdy about this sort of thing. While I’m aware, great strides have been made in the field of AI and robotics. I simply don’t believe we are within touching distance of the likes of Winifred and her hub.

However, the writing is sufficiently good and the book has been produced to a high standard with solid formatting, so I decided to proceed and give the author a pass on the unrealistic timeline. Other than that, this is an engrossing read with some important things to say about what we value as a society and a species, and though I thought I knew exactly what the ending would be, that final twist did leave me with a shiver up my spine. All in all, this is a memorable and unsettling read, recommended for anyone who enjoys near future science fiction relating to our current society.
8/10

Kitcatt’s writing is not just dry, it is ham-fisted. His best scenes require a lot of allowances by readers to not come off as bromidic and even then you realize what your are reading is exceptionally unoriginal. An author need not be original to be successful, yet Kitcatt demonstrates his prose is more suited to forgettable newspaper editorials that skim the surface of science but inflate anxieties.

The story revolves around Margaret, an 87-year-old lady, who resides in a nursing home. The nursing home gets new owners and things really start to change. John, Margaret's son agrees to her receiving care from her new helper Winifred who is, in fact, a robot. Margaret hasn't been able to see properly for the last 7 years and spends most of her time sitting curled up in a chair in her room. She also suffers from dementia.

The story centres around the introduction of the new helpers in the Nursing home and Margaret's relationship with Winifred.

When nanobots are introduced into the elderly patients in the home things really start to change. Margaret wakes up one morning and can see clearly. Her memory has returned and within days she is up and about admiring the garden.

The changes in all the patients are astonishing and reporters and journalists are camped outside trying to get the story.

I don't want to give anything away about how the story unfolds, but I will say this was a really enjoyable read. The writing was flawless and I loved reading Winifred's POV. It was interesting to read from the point of view of a robot and it was really well done. The book although science fiction does touch on some real subjects, namely the mistreatment of the elderly in care homes. It also makes you think of how important old people are and how often they can be forgotten. They hold so much knowledge and many are extremely lonely. The author makes you think.

I would recommend this book to anyone looking for an enjoyable read with well-developed characters, flawless writing, and a great storyline.

We Care for You is one of the best pieces of speculative fiction I have read. It is beautiful and thought provoking. It gives you a new appreciation of individuals we commonly ignore - the very old. There isn't “action” in the traditional sense. Instead, the novel meanders, exploring what it means to be human through various perspectives - Margaret, an elderly woman revitalized, Winifred, an artificial human who cares for Margaret, and Margaret’s son, John. Everything changes when the Helpers come to Margaret’s care home. Men and women suffering from dementia and other ills are suddenly revitalized, able to do the things they were once able to do - in particular communicate. It is a joyous event that is shadowed by the other uses helpers might be put to. It’s a fascinating read.

We Care for You is a wonderful book that shows just how compelling speculative fiction can be. Not everyone will appreciate the novel’s slow pace and meditative nature, but those who are interested are in for a treat.

5 / 5

I received a copy of We Care for You from the publisher and Netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review.

--Crittermom

Creepy and interesting. Margaret is in a care home, and she's not far from dead - she is blind, has dementia, and although the care staff tend to her needs, she's well past recovering. Or is she? Enter Winifred and her creators, who are here to take over her care and restore her body! Sudenly Margaret is back in the land of the living, and feeling forty years younger!
I enjoyed this (mainly) believable story, though wish Margaret had had a little more fun.