The title of this novel immediately drew my attention. It is set in a world where what it means to be human and AI is blurred. There are sections devoted to Aviva, the AI chip, and then several other points of view from the humans and their experience with Aviva.
Anna’s story is the one that I connected with the most. She and her husband are grieving the loss of their son who took his own life. Prior to this her husband gifted her an AI chip that became known as Aviva. She hadn’t really wanted it but nonetheless she uploaded her consciousness to it. The purpose of the chip was to help with menial tasks and other such things. Eventually though Aviva becomes a bigger part of the family, particularly with the son, and it is here where the lines begin to blur even more.
This novel fascinated me in the same way that AI makes me slightly uncomfortable. I can say with certainty that I will never be the person who uploads any kind of chip into my brain. The way this story unfolded and ultimately ended solidified that even more for me but even more scary is just how real much of this is in our world today.
I listened to the audiobook which is narrated by multiple readers: Ilyana Kadushin, Cindy Kay, Imani Jade Powers, and Andi Arndt. They did a terrific job with the different characters and story lines. This is a well paced and interesting book that flew by for me and I would recommend it to those who find the concept of AI interesting. I enjoyed it!
Review copy provided by the publisher for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Share this post!
