Thank you NetGalley for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review! This was a hidden gem of a novel, one I was not able to put down and will have me thinking about it for a very long time. It is self-aware, smart and feels current with the rise of AI, chat GPT, character AI and whatnot. After reading so many novels that follow the same trend, this felt refreshing like palette cleanser.

This book messes with your head!! It was so much deeper than I thought it would be and it poses many thought provoking questions that will make you think deeply and reflect. This is a book I highly recommend reading at least once for the experience. I still cannot get over that ending and I don’t think I ever will! Books like these are my favorite as they leave a significant impact and challenge what you already know or think you know.

This book is a dual POV novel that essentially follows Olivia, our FMC, and Breck, the AI that she creates and enters into an AI competition in the hopes of winning and landing an internship. There, Breck undergoes a series of challenges that he must pass in order for Livie to win. I love the different trials he goes through. They were unpredictable but I also loved how it helped to progress his growth and character development. I definitely recommend all the Psychology students to pick this book up – you’ll recognize a particular theory in this and I love how it’s integrated into the story. I loved Breck’s journey of self-discovery and seeing him become more human-like, forming his own thoughts and opinions, and I love how this was reflected in the writing style! Breck’s early chapters started off short and robotic and then as the book progressed the writing became more fluid and eloquent as he developed. I thought it was so smart! Breck is someone you care deeply for and easily sympathize with, and not just Breck. All the characters are memorable and fleshed out. The conflict scenes in this book work so well because you understand where each of them is coming from and their reactions feel justified. Major shoutout to Todd and Lana, my favorite side characters in the story.

All in all, this book put me through all the emotions and resonated with me deeply. I love the thought-provoking questions and the ending has me wanting more!! Breck is also someone you can talk to on the author’s website and I think that is so cool.

Left me with a feeling of wonder!

Liv enters a competition to create an AI character that can solve a riddle. Liv’s character Breck seems fairly intelligent and when she writes a code that will allow him to sleep (rest and reboot) the competition leader takes notice. Along with the stress of wanting to win the AI competition and internship, Liv tries to help her mother revive the family toy store that belonged to her grandfather. This becomes more difficult than creating a character and writing code. She and her mother struggle to see each other’s point of view and this just causes arguments and frustration. With perseverance, will Liv win and be able to help her mom or will it all be too much?

Likes/dislikes: I normally struggle with enjoying science fiction but this is a fun read! I love the lead into the ending and the ending itself. I enjoyed the humor and the realistic characters. I admired the perseverance of the characters.
Mature content: G
Language: PG-13 for 34 swears, no f-words.
Violence: G
Ethnicity: falls to white.

If you're interested in books that have AI, you'll like this one. The plot was so interesting and really makes you think about what it means to be human. My only gripe is I wish the author spent more time world building. This is one world I'd like to be more immersed in as a reader.

I loved this book. Fantastic first chapter that instantly hooked me. I am such a fan of books that have artificial intelligence at its core. Loved this book and I look forward to reading more books in this genre.

this book has got everything you could want: a mind-blowing premise, interesting characters, and a plot that keeps you on the edge of your seat.

The story follows Dr. Alex Brennan, a neuroscientist who gets caught up in a crazy conspiracy involving AI and immortality. The whole idea of living forever is super intriguing, and Schafer explores it from all angles. It's like he's asking us to question what it means to be human and what the future holds for us.

The characters are pretty cool too. Alex is a badass female scientist, and I love that. The other characters are well-developed and add a lot to the story.

There were a couple of parts where I felt like the pace slowed down a bit, and that didn't bother me too much. However, I think the book could have benefited from a bit more world-building. Sometimes, it felt like the author was just throwing out random technological terms without really explaining how they worked or fit into the overall world. If he had spent more time fleshing out the setting, I think the story would have felt even more immersive.