Loved this book! Could have been a black mirror episode. An original story, looking forward to reading more from this author

Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

I absolutely loved Fever Dream and so was really excited to read this next novel from SS. There is an uneasy feeling throughout this dystopian story, each chapter jumping from one location to the next. I felt connected to each character, each one relatable and subtly brought to life. The idea of the Kentuki becoming a wide spread obsession is allegorical with what is happening today with social media. The writing is beautifully pared back, leaving the reader to immerse themselves in this chilling story. It will leave you thinking about it long after you've finished. Highly recommended with shades of Black Mirror and Joanne Russ.

This was an interesting read! Told from quite a few perspectives, which I like. It also really fits with this story because it shows us the diffrent ways people handle their kentuki. We see how obsessive we can get with technology and it really made me think how i would handle something like this.

I liked the premise of the book & thought I would really enjoy the book.
The use the 'toys' linked to webcams as a way of discussing loneliness was interesting to me.

I started reading the book and thought the writing was good but it just didn't move quickly enough for me. I put it down and just haven't had any motivation to pick it back up again.

I can't say there was anything particularly wrong with it but guess I just wasn't invested in the characters.

I have loved all of Samanta Schweblin's books to date and this is no exception.
Following a series of interconnected lives and they battle with new technology and the changes it has on their lives.
This was a brilliant read with so many lessons.
It would be a brilliant pick for a book club.

The world has adopted a new gadget; kentukis come in different animal guises – panda, rabbit, mole, crow, dragon, owl – and customers can choose to either purchase an animal and be watched or purchase a serial number and become a voyeur. The watcher and the watched can’t communicate directly. Those being viewed don’t know who’s watching them and the voyeurs can only see what’s shown to them. Through the kentukis, Schweblin explores the effects of surveillance culture, focusing on the way we choose to watch and be watched by documenting our lives on social media platforms. While all of the stories show the invasive nature of current technology, Schweblin avoids blanket condemnation, choosing to consider how it can open up the world, save and change lives. The question is in how much power we allow others to have and what the trade-off for that power might involve. Thought-provoking and compelling.

Little Eyes by Samantha Schweblin was pure sorcery. Hands down, one of the best books of 2020 (So far). Meet kentukis. Cuddly plush toys that are a superior version of the Tamagotchi pets (if you don’t know what they are, you are too young). Here, you can buy a pet—crow, panda etc—and this pet has a screen which a ‘dweller’ stranger, somewhere in the world, can access to view and find voyeuristic pleasure in your life. The ‘keepers’ own the physical pet. The dwellers can control the movements of the pets and their squeals. They both can chat, if they like, but also lie. The matching between the keeper and dweller is completely random with no bars on age, or geography.

As I was reading, I kept thinking whether this would ever be a reality (why ever?). But when we live in an Instagram world where we find joy in showcasing the best parts of our life to strangers, the world of Little Eyes does not seem as bizarre. These connections reveal the beauty and ugliness of humans. I did want more by the end of the book—I was hoping for a connected reveal between all characters—but also I was intoxicated by the voyeuristic pleasure from these stranger-duos presented as vignettes. People save lives, a boy sees snow for the first time, an old woman becomes protective of a younger woman, pranks are planned and some get a little naughty on camera.

Thanks to @Netgalley and @oneworldpublications for the arc.

Little Eyes was longlisted for the Man Booker 2020 and I can see why! It’s such a good read but very different. Slightly creepy but a story that I could altogether see existing, it gives you lots of food for thought, when it comes to technology and how open we are with our privacy in today’s society.

The novel surrounds the latest craze, the Kentuki. A cute, adorable, toy where the owner is the ‘keeper’ and the ‘dweller’ is the person who controls the movement of the toy through an online connection. Basically think of big brother but more one to one.

Once a Kentuki is bought and a connection set up, it is free to move around your house and watch your every move. Throughout the novel, the keepers often as not, start to treat their Kentuki like a pet. Not knowing who the dwellers are, they allow the Kentuki more and more access to their lives.

The novel follows the paths of different keepers/ dwellers and how they become consumed with their Kentukis. Of course, as with everything, not everyone is using these toys for the nicest of reasons.

The author creates a brilliant example, through the different chapters in the novel, of how people accept and trust easily. A father who buys his son a Kentuki, is inherently trustful and becomes obsessed with the toy himself, only to realise at the end, that the Kentuki is being controlled by someone with very different intentions.
However when used in the right way, the Kentuki opens up cultures and places for ‘dwellers’ to experience first hand, giving them an insight into worlds they may never experience.

I loved this book. Such a great concept for a story and if you like a story with a bit more grit to it, this one is for you. In today’s world, a toy like a Kentuki is only around the corner and this novel, gives an insight into how something so cute, can potentially be used for terrible things.

Didn't quite finish due to lack of time and expiry....

Excellent book of stories following both sides of an interactive 'toy' becoming ubiquitous as a presence in homes, telling of different tales, uses, lives and emotions both of the owners and operators. Stories of the interconnectivity of the world, and of people on different continents, positive, supportive, adventurous, manipulative and dangerous.

On the surface this can be seen as the possibilities and dangers of technology becoming widespread, though it works more as a reflection on the lives of different characters in varied situations, cultures and environments, as a study of human nature.

Excellent book, will be getting to read again and complete, as well as the author's previous work.

I have to be honest here: Little Eyes was a cover pick. Those cute, fuzzy pandas were just too hard to resist. Unfortunately however (or perhaps, fortunately for the marketing team in this case), the phrase do-not-judge-a-book-by-its-cover has never been more apt. That is because Samanta Schewblin's novel is about the compulsivity that comes with new technology; how we are so quick to jump in without realising the true consequences behind our impulsivity. We want fame, to be known, even to be watched, but we don't understand that plight's repercussions.
I do not know what I thought I was getting, but it was not this (miles from it, in fact). And, though I remain put out by the fact that I did not like this novel enough to put a copy of it on my shelves, I couldn't help but become fascinated by questions that it brought up after I finished reading it. Like, is Schweblin's concept of technology so different from the kind of panoptic attention people gain from reality television shows? Those cameras film all the time, span the world, put you in the living rooms of people you have never met - and, unlike me and the girls sitting down with some cocktails and a cheeky episode of Love Island, some of those people do not come to screen with good intentions.
People gain power from watching (we have seen that even in the last few months with the case of Caroline Flack) and, though everything seems cheery on the outside, we still have no idea how much power that watching holds.

Little Eyes - Samanta Schweblin
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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Little Eyes is a translated novel about Kentukis. These are cute little creatures, not quite toys, not quite phones, not quite robots. Kentukis contain cameras which allow access into other peoples lives. They connect random people without really connecting them.
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There are several characters around the world that the novel follows, each using their kentuki and connection in their own way.
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Initially I found this hard to get into. I found myself questioning the concept but it didn’t take long for me to suspend my disbelief as the oddness made this addictive. The short chapters switch between each character and occasional contextualising vignette meant I had to keep reading to find out how each story unfolded.
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I found this fascinating, exploring how people interact with technology and how that interaction can change them as well as how they see themselves and others both good and bad. -
The concept of invasive and voyeuristic technology isn’t new but there is something about this that makes it different in both a marvellous and horrifying way. Yet again another dystopian sci-if novel I recommend to Black Mirror fans!

Little Eyes is an odd little book. There's a new craze - kentukis - little computerised pets that are controlled by an unknown stranger, potentially anywhere in the world. The kentukis have cameras in their eyes and microphones in their ears. Kentukis are expensive, regardless of whether you are the keeper or the remote dweller. You sign up, switch them on and get matched up with a one time only connection to the random dweller. If the kentuki runs out of charge, the connection is irrevocably lost.

The novel is basically a collection of short stories - some of which are recurring and some are short one-offs. We come to each situation from the point of view either of a keeper or a dweller, then we may (or may not) get to know more about the other partner in the relationship. The kentukis witness intimate moments, moments of crisis, crimes and boredom. And the built in peril of needing to return to the charging mat is exploited to the maximum, over and over again.

The stories unfold all over the globe; they explore the limits of the concept in different ways. But the stories are really not that engrossing. The characters don't develop much, there is no overarching quest, there is no connection between stories. There are occasional moments of suspense, at which point the narrative chops away to another story. The momentum is lost.

The basic concept also never really convinces. Why would someone want to open their lives to someone they never know? Why would someone want to spend hours watching people watching TV? How do the numbers of dwellers and keepers match so perfectly? Why would anyone be so invested in something that typically lasts only a few days?

The idea must be worth something, and there is some entertainment in some of the stories. But there is something missing. The analogies to social media and privacy concerns are not fully explored. There just isn't enough to carry the idea, good though it might be. Perhaps a generous three stars for the concept, but it would be nice to see an idea carried through a real novel.

I really enjoyed this novel and have already recommended it to friends who like something a little different. The concept of the Kentukes was strong and I thought the author did an excellent job of portraying all the possible ethical, moral and physical dilemmas that the technology may create.

This was a brilliantly sinister little book! Don't let the cute cover fool you! And that's the case with the 'pets' that are in the homes of people, as is akin to the technology we all have in our homes nowadays, and the role they play in our daily lives and the dependence and impact they have on those people who have them, or who are the dwellers controlling the toys from their computers far away. It makes you want to switch off all devices in your home pronto!!

The story follows a number of different characters, each with a link to these toys, whose popularity is sweeping the world. You can choose to be a 'keeper', somebody who buys a 'kentuki', which comes in many guises, and you log on, charge them up and wait for a 'dweller' to connect with you and then you're being watched! You have a virtual pet! If you choose to be a dweller, then you get to watch through the eyes of your kentuki and see how someone else lives, many thousands of miles away - notice their routines, be there to comfort them.....

What I loved about this was the variety of characters used and how they each interacted with their toys, both in front of the camera and behind it. It showed how easily we can connect with people around the world - it shows the loneliness behind so many people that they crave a connection with someone or something, that they're willing to use technology in this way. There's that initial excitement of having this new piece of tech, followed by the fear it can impose on the user.

It is used by the young and old and it was fascinating to see how different generations dealt with the role of the Kentuki. And how that also changed whether they were an owner or a dweller. Not sure I'd want to choose either role, but if I had to then I'd probably be a dweller! Watching over the life of someone else, rather than them seeing all I do!!

I found it to be such a fabulously, intriguing read, and definitely of the times. It will make you look at those smart devices we surround ourselves with in a completely different way, just knowing that they could be watching you! Aarrggghh!! Be afraid!! Highly recommended!!

I was eagerly anticipating reading this book, however I was disappointed.

It reads more as a first draft as opposed to a completed novel, with a random assortment of characters with very little development - and as such - I never formed an attachment to any of them. There was some interesting potential plotlines which, if expanded, could have taken the story from a 2* to a 5* rating but for some odd reason this never happened.

Clever concept but very little in the way of plot and a lacklustre ending.

Thanks to NetGalley and Oneworld Publications for the ARC.

First off this book gave me the most bizarre dreams while I was reading it. It's creepy and unsettling how close to reality this could be.

A very clever concept which looked at the strengths and flaws of human interactions with each other. I enjoyed seeing how people could use their connections to benefit or manipulate.

This was a very well written and well paced book that kept me hooked however I have to admit to finding the ending a little lacking and it did leave me wanting a little bit more.

Absolutely amazing cover that it so so eye catching and suitably creepy!

In Little Eyes, we meet a globetrotting cast of characters who are consumed by the technology of Schweblin's 'kentukis'. Whether 'dwellers' or 'the watched', they come to favour making decisions based on their digital lives instead of their own physical realities. The unravelling is inevitable, but what form will it take? I was absolutely enthralled by the creeping sense of dread throughout and I read it in less than 24 hours.

I looked at this book and thought I'd have to suspend my disbelief considering that I'm the type to put a little sticky tape over my laptop's webcam like some paranoid weirdo. Would anyone really knowingly allow a stranger to watch them through a webcam? Some people, sure. But could this furry little camera turn into a worldwide phenomenon to the extent that your neighbours, kids, grandparents, priests, doctors, etc., could keep or dwell in one and it would be perfectly normal????

Samantha Schweblin convinced me that yes, it could absolutely be possible. Even I started thinking about getting one (after making sure my little sticky tape was still perfectly in place, of course). Still deciding between crows, dragons, and pandas!

I really enjoyed exploring all the different types of people and their personal reasons for getting involved in the world of kentukis. I liked how the author explored the dark side of such technology through perversion and blackmail, but also the lightness of it - people seeking connections, companionship and chasing their form of escapism. Or just pure curiosity, I myself was a sceptic until I gave it a chance out of pure inquisitiveness! And of course, the perfect touch of realism was adding characters who were able to turn a profit in creative ways, just like they do with any other form of technology. I had no trouble believing this concept by the end.


Definitely one to keep an eye on, thank you to NetGalley and Oneworld Publications for this ARC!!

A meditation on the extent to which we are all connected.

Kentuki fever has taken over the world. Kentukis are lovable furry electronic toys operated by a dweller who connects to a global server and views, through an onboard camera the activities of their keeper.

Schweblin layers a variety of narratives to build an intriguing comment on how much personal information we make public, our fascination with other people’s lives, and the pitfalls and the joys of connecting with people electronically.

Don’t expect a repeat of her earlier published work. This doesn't have the surreal horror of Fever Dream, nor the weirdness of A Mouthful of Birds. What it does do, and do convincingly, is to address issues of which we are all familiar. It is accessible rather than innovative. Not so much thought-provoking as recognisable.

An engaging read which should connect with a greater audience than hitherto enjoyed by Schweblin. And that has to be a good thing.

My thanks to NetGalley and OneWorld Publications for the ARC.