It's truly uncanny how well Melinda Salisbury manages time and again to weave together a fully formed, lifelike teen girl.

A compelling and entertaining YA novella with robust commentary about our modern world. I enjoyed how highly readable this book was and found the length just nice. It also did a comprehensive job in exploring our reliance on technology, the double-edged sword that is AI, the impact of social media on youths, and other very relevant issues.

Unfortunately, I found the third act and ending to be a letdown. Not only did it come across as preachy, it also ended the book on an unsatisfying note.

"It's supposed to be about saving the planet. When did it become about getting popular instead?" That's the response one of our heroine Freya's friends has, when the influence of AdelAIDE is being felt. The influence was to come online from all three of the friends, making quick ecologically-minded pieces to camera for social media videos, even when someone at the same college is so much more famous and respected for being an eco-influencer already. This could normally play out as a simple tale of teenage jealousy amongst associates, but that's only until AdelAIDE turns up. She/this/whatever, is a hybrid smart home assistant come robot, and thinks she knows just how to make Freya famous. But gunning for clicks is going to break the friendship, and potentially so much more.

What this plot is is an enjoyably convoluted one – it's about too much to be simplified really easily. It's clearly about the evil influence of AI assistants, but it's also about too much else to just be about that. Here's the attitude to environmental protest; here's the online popularity hunt, or cloutfarming or whatever the youth are calling it this month. Here too is the actual grass roots environmentalism, of course – these schoolkids certainly don't initially have much more to really hit back on bar a few pesticides on a few verges, and one woodland fenced off. But isn't that to say that's a perfect way to start?

This Barrington Stoke book comes with their usual reading-issue-friendly presentation, a reading age of about 8, and an interest age of 11+ – the rule always was the characters were a couple of years older than the audience, and these characters are already acting in certain ways with uni applications in mind. I would suggest it's actually so readable, so broad and unsubtle – unsubtle in entirely good ways – that it's going to be finding its place easily with 10s and 11s. I like the way it has a potentially huge reach as it's so accessible, and while it is obvious so much of the time, it never talks down to anyone to force its moral or boost its drama. The tale has parallels in subtlety with fairytale – the overtness of Jekyll and Hyde, or the desperation to rate higher than another that Snow White and the 'Evil' Queen get tangled up in.

So, childishly clear it's about big lessons, but about a lot more than you'd expect, in a perfectly, cogently balanced way. Drop dead current. And just a sensible bit of entertainment (even if needlessly given a later tang of wokeness for little reason or benefit). This is probably four and a half stars, and that huge reach is certainly encouraged to try it out.

A timely tale about the pitfalls of social media coupled with the AI threat. Well written, engaging read for all teens.

The most terrifying thing about this book is that I can believe it could happen.

It has all of the elements a teen reader can engage with, changing friendships, friendship groups, feeling left out, social media. The beauty of a Barrington Stoke title is that they pack a powerful thoughful book in a relatively small package.

It shows how easily we can be influenced if vulnerable. An AI with good intentions, or something else entirely?

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this eARC of 'AdelAIDE' by Melinda Salisbury.

This is Salisbury's second novel based on Ai-roboty thrillers but I don't know what the first one was purely about and I didn't really need to as both books are separate. 'AdelAIDE hust wants to help' tackles the ever-popular theme of AI and blends it with a thriller aspect. Although this book was very short, I felt it was the perfect length and it was very easy to keep my attention.

A great cautionary tale about the dangers of A.I. social media and the want to be a famous influencer.

Melinda Salisbury has hit the nail in the head when it comes to this dark tale, which will strike a note with many parents and teenagers alike in a society where fame and followers mean more than intelligence and individuality.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A brilliant addition to this series of short novels.

📱the power and pressure of social status
📱terrifying glimpse into the power of AI
📱creepy!!

It’s pretty scary to think how far some people will go to be ‘liked’ and this book summed it up!

Really good. Quick read, kept me interested. Somewhat Black Mirror-esque, but in a good way. Topics were all relevant and fresh, and something I could see happening, which is terrifying.

I love reading books that look at the dark sides to technology and this book definitely hit that mark for me

Melinda Salisbury really knows how to strike fear into parents with teenagers who use social media.

Freya is a wonderful character who really wants to do something good and effect real change in the world, but gets led down the wrong path when her dad brings home AdelAIDE, a new home help robot assistant. Freya wants to make a difference and gain popularity on social media to do this and AdelAIDE seems like the perfect tool to help her, but things quickly escalate out of control and Freya ends up in some really sticky situations.

AdelAIDE is an absolutely stunning read and I inhaled it in one, horrifying sitting.

I love how in such a short read, Melinda conveys the power of social media and AI, the appeal it has to young people wanting to increase their popularity and the way they can be so easily influenced.

An absolutely brilliant read that I will be recommending to everyone.

"AdelAIDE" is the second techno-thriller by Melinda Salisbury for Barrington Stoke, following on from the excellent “Echostar”. Freya and her friends are environmentalists and are keen to highlight local climate issues. However, Freya is intensely jealous of her ex best friend, who is also climate aware and has a much bigger social media following. Freya wants to be an influencer too. When her dad brings home a prototype AI, Freya realises that it can help her realise her ambitions. There is a price, however…Being rather nervous about AI and the effect it and social media can have on your life, I did expect to enjoy this story, and I was not disappointed. Whilst it was slightly stretching the bounds of credibility that Freya would have followed all the suggestions, despite the activities of some more radical climate warriors, it was an enjoyable read. Freya’s friends and parents felt real but I think more could have been done with Enzo and Eden. This is an enjoyable read and is very accessible.

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AdelAIDE by Melinda Salisbury, Teen/YA published by Barrington Stoke
A punchy novella dealing with the issues of social media, allowing AI into our homes and environmental activism.
Freya wants to be famous, with AdelAIDE a new AI bot helping, her she starts to increase her followers on social media, but at what cost? As AdelAIDEs influence on her grows, Freya takes more extreme actions to build her online image and begins to alienate her real friends and create problems in her town.
Barrington Stokes books are aimed at dyslexic and reluctant readers. In AdelAIDE Melinda Salisbury presents a very relevant topic would appeal to any teen reader.

Thanks to Barrington Stoke and NetGalley for the eARC.

A cautionary tale of the power of social media, the search for online likes and popularity, the unintended consequences of taking action without thinking through all the possible outcomes and the dangers of giving AI permission to access all areas. It is also a lesson in the use of the phrases “anything it takes”.

Barrington Stoke hit the mark yet again with Melinda Salisbury’s story of AI helping a teenage climate activist to gain online popularity. It beings to mind the saying that just because you can doesn’t mean you should.

Social media is hard to navigate, but it must be harder if people you know are more popular than you. Enter AdelAIDE. She is an AI who tries to help Freya more present on her socials. Is she doing it for Freya or herself? Freya gets sucked in by her but then her plans get more and more outlandish. What happens when Freya kicks back and doesn't want help anymore?
It has shade of TrooFriend, but for a slightly older audience. I loved it and will definitely be buying it for the Y6 class library.

AdelAIDE is a short but thrilling read. It feels very current and real, exploring the idea of teenagers on social media, environmental activism and AI gone wrong. It packs a lot into a short story!

AdelAIDE is the second novella I have read by Melinda Salisbury in her series of tech-themed thrillers published by Barrington Stoke. They are standalones, but with a few hints and links. Fans of EchoStar will enjoy this one too as it is equally engaging. I saw at the end of this book that there's another one on its way; The Foundation: will always welcome you, and I'll be keeping an eye out for that one too.

Barrington Stoke books are aimed at children and teenagers who are reluctant, under-confident or dyslexic readers, but this is a great read for any child, teen, or fan of books for younger audiences. It is accessible without being at any point boring.

This is the second of Melinda Salisbury’s books written for Barrington Stoke I had read and was equally as good as ‘Echostar is Always Watching’. This time book focuses on the cost of popularity and reliance on social media standing amongst some young people who are fascinated with becoming famous, whatever the cost. Through the influence of AdelAide we see Freya’s fall and witness her final bravery in coming to terms with how she has allowed AdelAide to manage her online persona.

A story for our times, told in a short novella suitable for 11-16 year olds; a great addition to literacy resources with a fascinating story which is up to date and accessible to those with lower reading ages. I highly recommend this story as a starter for those requiring lower literacy level material but also reluctant readers, as it is short, fast paced and highly contemporary.

ADELAIDE is a second techno-thriller, this time about social media and the pressures it can bring to every day life.

Social media has transformed the lure and dangers of popularity, and this is a book about that. There are amazing benefits to social media, being able to communicate with others, but there are also the pressures to have followers and likes. ADELAIDE starts with the everyday pressures and thoughts of a teen with social media and asks how far someone might go, even for a good cause, to get views and likes.

This is also a book that deals with activism for climate change. Freya, her friends, and "rivals" are all concerned with the planet, on both a local and global scale. It shows the hope for the future from young people speaking out and trying to change things, and the role social media has in that. It also acknowledges the corporations standing in the way, the politicians turning a blind eye.

ADELAIDE also explores friendships rather than romances - the breakups and pressures and hang ups over old friendships. I really liked seeing how the pressure cooker of schools on friendships was explored here - I certainly had several break up due to different schools (and ones that didn't.) It's an area of teen life that feels increasingly under represented in fiction in favour of romances these days, so I was glad to see it.

Like with ECHOSTAR, ADELAIDE teases the third standalone thriller written by Melinda Salisbury for Barrington Stoke - THE FOUNDATION, out next year.

I adored Salisbury’s Hold Back the Tide (if you haven’t read it- do it!) so when I saw this one I was intrigued. This is a very timely cautionary tale of the influence of AI technology and how reliant one can become on it if we let it. I thought this was a solid thriller novella. Coming in at just under 100 pages, I read it in one sitting. It kept my interest all throughout and I was invested in how AdelAIDE would continue to interact with Freya and the fallout of everything that was happening. A few years ago I would have classified this as Sci-Fi, but with where things are today it’s actually more realistic fiction. I can definitely see this being of interest to a wide range of audiences.

This is a story about a girl who seeks online fame as a Green activist. Her attempts are helped by an unscrupulous AI robot.

The story is very gripping right from the start and I love how the emotions of the protagonist are depicted in the book.