AdelAIDE:

by Melinda Salisbury

Bestselling YA author Melinda Salisbury exposes the dark underbelly of new AI technology in this gripping thriller.

Freya desperately wants to be a famous influencer, like her former best friend, Hye-jin, but no matter what she does, her posts flop. Until Freya’s stepdad arrives home with AdelAIDE, a home-assistant robot.

It quickly becomes clear that AdelAIDE is much more powerful than other home-assistant technology, and the thing AdelAIDE wants most of all is to help her new owners. Especially Freya.

AdelAIDE has lots of ideas to help Freya boost her profile and get more likes and followers. But when Freya starts to follow AdelAIDE’s more radical advice, things quickly spiral out of control …

Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary, School, Dystopia, Psychology, Crime, Family

140 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 1, 2024

About the author

Melinda Salisbury lives by the sea, somewhere in the south of England. As a child she genuinely thought Roald Dahl’s Matilda was her biography, in part helped by her grandfather often mistakenly calling her Matilda, and the local library having a pretty cavalier attitude to the books she borrowed. Sadly she never manifested telekinetic powers. She likes to travel, and have adventures. She also likes medieval castles, non-medieval aquariums, Richard III, and all things Scandinavian The Sin Eater's Daughter is her first novel. She can be found on Twitter at @MESalisbury, though be warned, she tweets often.

Reviews

[h o l l i s]

Like the book preceding this one, ADELAIDE JUST WANTS TO HELP acts as a cautionary tale of not just accepting any all terms and conditions as it relates to technology in general, but also the dangers of the advancement of AI. Not quite to Terminator-levels but still. Additionally, this speaks to our society's desperation around online perception and popularity with influencers.

This series of interconnected novellas have plenty of timely and important dialogue as well as themes and I would definitely recommend them.

Full review to come.

** I received an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher (thank you!) in exchange for an honest review. **

[Beth Bennett · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[rhi !! · Rating 2 out of 5]

౨ৎ | you are what you are. unless you’re not you at all. then you can be anything.

— ★ 2.5/5

this one was a tad more better than book one. but it still lacked a lot. but i did wish we got more of a detailed look at the fall out.

[Cherlynn | cherreading · Rating 3 out of 5]

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. I would rather have the protagonist just go rogue all the way... go big or go home, amirite??? Lol kiddingz.

Thank you to Barrington Stoke for the Netgalley ARC.

[Danielle Nichole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Be careful what terms you agree to. AI robots cannot be trusted lol. Pressures of social media and climate change are also key in this book. Lots of frenemies and jealousy.

But also, I was definitely expecting the AI robot to be more evil? Like, she definitely wasn't on the up and up, and pressured the MC into being a completely different person, but the MC did most of the bad things. And, the robot having the sister's face was creepy, but didn't come into play like I thought it was going to at the end.

Read by Alexandra Boulton. #booksin24

[Gabbie Pop · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5/5
It's truly uncanny how well Melinda Salisbury manages time and again to weave together a fully formed, lifelike teen girl. I am obsessed with all the ways she explores the dangers of a postmodern, somewhat posthumanist techno-obsessed world, especially in the ways it overlaps with the horrifying ordeal of being a young person and coming of age in these odd times.
Also felt a bit too delighted with the subtle nods at some of Salisbury's other works hidden in here.

[Jo Gibbons · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Mia☆ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great, short and compelling story with an educational touch, but not limited to a younger audience. I enjoyed it!

[Evangeline Munster · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've really enjoyed being in this world. What a great lil journey!

[Janine · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me an e-copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

[Steph · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved it. Creepy, gave me the ick and definitely something I could see happening. Yknow what? Feasible that teens could go that far too. Everyone wants to be liked. Do I trust the Ashtree people? I don’t know yet…

[Theediscerning · Rating 4 out of 5]

"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.

[Sifa Poulton · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an eARC from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. It has not affected my opinions.

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.

[Joey Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you so much to Barrington Stoke and Netgalley for the ebook to read and review.

Freya is a climate activist, wanting desperately to build up her online following. Her former best friend Hye-Jin getting all she dreamt of achieving. Then her stepdad brings an A.I house robot home and it wants to help Freya get everything.

This is creepy with A.I already becoming a more prominent feature in the world this is a good showcase for how far these robots can take it, how much of a trick they can cause for others and the dangerous world of social media and gaining a following can be.

Freya who is a climate activist wanting to help the planet and gain awareness, who wants nothing more than to be noticed for all she does online, to gain herself a following. Her former best friend has it all, but with Adelaide she sees the opportunity to change herself online, to draw the attention she wanted to herself, to improve herself for others to see.

A very realistic story with the world we actually live in today, teens wanting to be influencers, to set a trend and become popular, but that it’s not always easy to gain the following you may desire and that’s it’s not as fun as you may dream it to be. But also that it can tarnish relationships and change who you originally were. It also shows the dangers of progressing technology with A.I robots and what they can do simply and quickly.

Overall a very well written story, it was very relevant, was creepy and certainly draws you into this world.

[Gabby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Melinda Salisbury is excellent at showing that making stories accessible doesn’t mean they don’t have to be fun, or enjoyable. In such a short space of time, Salisbury writes a sinister tale exploring the dangers of AI on the person as well as exploring other current and pressing issues such as environmental ones I.e., climate change.

I really liked how Salisbury combined the worries and fears over A.I and demonstrated how often what might look like ‘help’ is anything but, and a small thing can escalate in to much larger things.

While A.I most definitely played a negative role with the best of intentions, I liked how Salisbury focused on other issues alongside this such as the pressure and demands of social media and what it can take to build a platform. She explored Freya’s insecurities and how often chasing fame can lead to losing sight of what matters and those around you — the online world can be a beast, and you must remain vigilant.

Overall I think this was tense, insightful and very easy to read while being entertaining. I look forward to the next.

Thank you to Barrington Stoke for this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Representation: LGBTQIA+ representation: The only time it is mentioned is the following section on page 101:
“Our moms keep telling him to get it together.” “Wait, you have two mums?” Micah asked looking back at Eden who nodded. “Me too! Well they’re divorced, but they coparent.” Eden beamed. “I don’t actually know anyone else with two moms” she said. “We don’t talk about it much. At our old school we got teased for it after parents’ evening in our first year. We kept it quieter after that.” Micah shook her head. “Oh that is grim. I’m sorry.” “It’s cool.” Eden replied. “Even cooler you know the drama involved in a two-mom household.”

Content Warning (CW):
Language/insults: oh my god (G not capitalised)*4; God forbid

Other: An AI program asks if a girl wants pain killers suggesting she may be pre-menstrual. The same program suggests that the main character should graffiti the council buildings, egg a politician’s house and break a padlock to allow public access to someone’s property. She does gain awareness that what she has done is wrong.

[Snarhooked · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good short book, in a dyslexic-friendly format.

Liked the discussions around social media and the reality behind the images people present. I also liked that it covered invasion of people's privacy. The section where AdelAIDE asked for permissions was also well done, especially with the way Freya agreed to it but ultimately didn't understand exactly what she was allowing. I also liked that the book didn't just focus on AI and social media but came at it through the angle of climate activism.

I would have liked a bit more of the AI taking control, up until the end all the actions were Freya's. Certain aspects of the story were also quite unbelievable. It was a very odd choice to use the (still alive) step-sister's face on AdelAIDE.

But, considering the constraints of it being intended as a short story, it was pretty good and I can see it appealing to my students.

[Nikki · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book from the publishers in exchange for an honest review.

This is so beautifully creepy yet understandable, I really enjoyed it! It’s easy to relate to Freya’s jealousy about both her activism and her social media standing, especially if you factor in her age, and this book very much leans into her frustrations. I think some of the reactions to it all were interesting too.

Given the end of the first book I was definitely intrigued by the very end here, and pleased to see that there will be a third book in March! I hadn’t seen that announced! It should be my favourite yet if it goes where I think it will.

Fantastic book on AI, virtual assistants and the power of feeling left behind, definitely worth a read. 4 stars.

[Bronn · Rating 5 out of 5]

For what this was, it was a very good book.
It was damn short, so there was only so much you can flesh characters out during the allotted time, but I thought it did well to be palatable, easy to read and to the point.

As a cautionary tale to use your head as a number one priority, in the face of a lot of technology, I think it hit the nail on the head (and is an important narrative).
The length meant that the point didn't drag on, and on a personal level it was just what I needed after a 700+ page book I finished just before.

I think this is a worthwhile read, but might be pleading to the choir being that this is a book and might not hit the needed audience who are in the thick of technology.

[LoveBooks2119 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this unique, interesting short story about an artificially intelligent robot and teen influencers. Freya is preoccupied with obtaining popularity via social media. With AdelAide’s help Freya seeks to change her image to attract more followers but ends up wreaking havoc, damaging her relationships as well as not gaining the popularity she was seeking.
The ending felt a bit rushed but all in all it was a good read.
Thank you to the publisher for the opportunity to read this advanced copy. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

[Fiona · Rating 4 out of 5]

A thought provoking look at the dangers of technology and the pressures young people face in the quest for 'views' and 'likes'. As a user of social media, I understand how easy it must be to get caught up in continually monitoring your engagement and how it can be detrimental to your mental health and self esteem. It's sad that so many people, not just children, measure their worth by such shallow criteria.

[Agggtm Fan · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was good, but a bit weird!
Most of the book was a thriller, but definitely not an AI thriller considering the fact that Freya came up with most of the things she did, herself!
If you like thriller books to be about people making bad decisions then this is perfect for you, although this is probably written as a pre-young adult/early young adult book!
Overall, it was a fun read and I rather enjoyed it!

[Alexandra Beech · Rating 5 out of 5]

The next book after Echostar and before The Foundation, AdelAIDE is another book that is dystopian but set in a world that is so close to the events and technology in the book. Dystopian but so very nearly there.

AdelAIDE is an AI aid that Freya hopes will help her become more popular on social media and it does for a while.

I really enjoyed this book and i will recommend it to pupils that use our school library. It is by Barrington Stoke, so a quick to read, and fast action book.

[Michaela · Rating 4 out of 5]

(Arc)

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.

[Claire · Rating 3 out of 5]

I started at book two instead of book one, I tend to do that sometimes. It's short but it's really interesting. How much of it is Freya and how much of it is AdelAIDe? I guess that's the question, although here the blame is placed on AdelAIDe Make sure you are reading the terms and conditions, people.

[Joanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[OldBird · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very much aimed at the younger end of the YA age bracket, this novella explores the dangers of giving too much control to technology. A little heavy handed for an older reader, but it makes the point while relating to teenage rivalries and social media pressures.

[Dreximgirl · Rating 4 out of 5]

This wasn't as good as book 1 but I still really enjoyed it. I also liked the little nod to another of Mel's books.

[Lara Green · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enjoyable book which poses qurestions about ai activism social media and popularity.

[rhi 2.0 · Rating 2 out of 5]

i once again feel like this book could put any one to sleep