Catfishing on CatNet by Naomi Kritzer

Nov 17, 2019 Toni rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: ya, 2019

As promised by the blurb, the story does go to some extent into thought-provoking questions on how much information about us is available to any serious hacker or an AI and how trusting we are of the good intentions of those who have become a member of our social network closer circle. But it isn't all dark and gloomy, quite the opposite. It is more about our fundamental desire to make friendships and find people we belong with.

Steph Taylor has changed six high schools. Her slightly paranoid As promised by the blurb, the story does go to some extent into thought-provoking questions on how much information about us is available to any serious hacker or an AI and how trusting we are of the good intentions of those who have become a member of our social network closer circle. But it isn't all dark and gloomy, quite the opposite. It is more about our fundamental desire to make friendships and find people we belong with.

Steph Taylor has changed six high schools. Her slightly paranoid mother keeps moving every couple months and Steph hasn't even worked out what triggers these frequent moves. Mom says Steph's father is a psychopath and convicted arsonist and the only way to keep safe is to keep a low profile and run at the first sign of danger. Steph would do anything to keep her mom happy, but their lifestyle choice also means she has never had time to make any real friends or develop a crush. The only permanent feature in Steph's life is CatNet a social network site where cat (or any other animal picture at a pinch) pictures serve as a currency and where everybody is put in big chat groups called Clowders. Steph (or Little Brown Bat /LBB) feels her Clowder are the only people who can understand and relate to her. To be fair, they are supportive and respectful of each other. Then, she notices that one of the permanent members of the group is always online (that is whenever she logs on) and a strange event involving a hacked package delivery drone makes her think that somebody in her Clowder may be not telling the whole truth.

The story is told from three points of view: Steph, her Clowder chat, and an AI being ( if you've read the blurb you already know that they are the admin of the site). The events move forward quickly and there is never a dull moment as Steph makes new real-life friends in her new town, re-programs a sex ed robot with the help of her online friends, and escapes her father- the homicidal maniac/ wannabe world dictator.

The characters are very sweet, especially the AI/Cheshire Cat who does grapple with serious ethical questions in a very human way. There isn't really anything dark or scary about this book, apart from Stephanie and her mom's life of perpetual nomads. On the other hand, Steph seemed to act quite selfishly, so it is up to the reader to decide whether they like her character, are annoyed by her, or simply accept her as a typical teenager with her own set of flaws. There is diversity in characters and LGBTQIA representation, which makes the story stand out more out of the usual coming of age YA novels. I also liked the way it is stressed that nobody should be rushed into a romantic relationship, especially if they need time to work out their feelings.

Some of the things in the plot are far-fetched, and I still think everything works out a bit too neatly in the end. The events may appear just one big adventure, but I hope the serious issues of new technology redefining privacy or how the differences between virtual and real-life friendships are getting blurred are also going to be noticed by the readers of this entertaining novel.

Thank you to Edelweiss and Tor for the ARC provided in exchange for an honest opinion.
...more

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Nov 09, 2019 Helen Power rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: netgalley, published-2019, author-publisher-givewaway, arc, young-adult, science-fiction

Synopsis
This book is marketed as a dark thriller. I mean, look at that cover (Which, by the way, is not the cover it had when I requested it through NetGalley. That cover had cute cyber-kitties on it). Doesn't this cover make the book look dark and spooky? Even the description and the initial reviews made it sound like a dark thriller about an AI that goes off its rocker.

On the contrary, this is a light book about a girl who's always been on the run with her mother. They always have to move to ...more

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Nov 19, 2019 Sherwood Smith added it · review of another edition

Shelves: sf

Steph Taylor has never really learned to make friends after she was yanked from her first at age seven. Even before then she has always been on the move, and always in the middle of the night. Never with a destination named. Her mother says it’s for their own safety, as Steph's father is a psychopath and convicted arsonist, and if they show up on the grid in any way, he will find them.

Steph has always accepted this, but of late she’s begun to question details that don’t add up. Especially as her Steph Taylor has never really learned to make friends after she was yanked from her first at age seven. Even before then she has always been on the move, and always in the middle of the night. Never with a destination named. Her mother says it’s for their own safety, as Steph's father is a psychopath and convicted arsonist, and if they show up on the grid in any way, he will find them.

Steph has always accepted this, but of late she’s begun to question details that don’t add up. Especially as her mother shuts her down whenever she asks questions, and barricades herself in her room. Quite literally.

The only social outlet in Steph's life is CatNet, a social network site where cat (or any other animal picture at a pinch) pictures serve as a currency and where everybody is put in big chat groups called Clowders. Steph (or Little Brown Bat /LBB) feels her Clowder are the only people who can understand and relate to her. To be fair, they are supportive and respectful of each other, despite a wide variety of interests and pronoun choices, as they all experiment with identity. Then, she notices that one of the permanent members of the group is always online, around the time a really weird thing happens: a package arrives in the neck of time, sent anonymously.

The story alternates between Steph’s POV, that of her Clowder chat, and an AI. Meanwhile Steph begins to make friends at her new high school over reprogramming a sex ed robot with hilarious results . . . until the news sources pick up on the story.

Kritzer deftly sets up the characters and situations, and gives us one hilarious scene before the second half of the story, which ramps up the tension. At the same time, Steph is learning about AIs and the weird world of cyber geniuses.

I really enjoyed this novel—I know it would have grabbed my teenage self from the outset, becoming one of those books I checked out again and again.

As it is, old me is hoping there will be another, as some tantalizing threads were left dangling . . .

Copy provided by NetGalley
...more

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Dec 03, 2019 Inge rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: lgbtqiap, young-adult, pretty-fly-for-a-sci-fi

3.5 stars

I don't actually remember requesting this book.

Blurb: "... a social media site where users upload cat pictures ..."

... But I can certainly guess why I did.

So this was quite fun! Don't get me wrong, most of the time it was pretty intense - there's a homicidal father on the loose, trying to find the MC and her mother, and the stakes are very high. There are car chase scenes and everything. I finished the book in two days.

But there's also the part with the human-like AI, which asks for ...more

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Nov 19, 2019 The Captain rated it liked it

Shelves: young-adult

Ahoy there me mateys! I received this young adult sci-fi eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. So here be me honest musings . . .

I have only read two of Naomi Kritzer's shorter length stories. One was the "The Thing About Ghost Stories” which was nominated for the 2019 Hugo for novelettes. The other was "Cat Pictures Please" which won the 2016 Locus and Hugo awards for best short story. This book ties into the 2016 story.

Steph and her mom have been on the run from her father for ...more

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Dec 14, 2019 Peter Tillman rated it really liked it

Shelves: at-bg-pa, science-fiction, on-reserve, new-tbp, thriller

A first-rate YA action-adventure, based on Kritzer's award winning short “Cat Pictures Please,” still available online at http://clarkesworldmagazine.com/kritz.... If you missed it, a good introduction to the ideas she extended into her first novel. Which is not a subtle book, but well-written, and I liked the teens and their coming-of-age stories. Steph's Bad Dad is a bit much, and the confrontation at the end is, well, melodramatic. But still fun. I'll probably read the sequel. Recommended, ...more

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Aug 27, 2019 The Kawaii Slartibartfast rated it it was amazing

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book so much and I am so glad I got read it.

The story revolves around Steph and the AI she befriends.

Steph's had a lonely life moving from place to place to escape her abusive father. Her only friends are on the social media sites CatNet.

This is a wonderful story about friendship, loyalty and a kind-hearted AI who just wants to look at kitty pics.

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Nov 07, 2019 ReadBecca rated it it was amazing

Shelves: lgbt, netgalley

I requested and received a copy of this book for honest review, thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and author.

Catfishing on CatNet is the full length novel inspired by Kritzer's previous award darling short Cat Pictures Please. For me this reads like a cross between Eliza and Her Monsters (which I really enjoyed) and Murderbot (which I loved). We get three unique perspectives:
Steph - A high schooler who has been unable to put down roots anywhere, being moved to a new rural Midwestern town by her I requested and received a copy of this book for honest review, thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and author.

Catfishing on CatNet is the full length novel inspired by Kritzer's previous award darling short Cat Pictures Please. For me this reads like a cross between Eliza and Her Monsters (which I really enjoyed) and Murderbot (which I loved). We get three unique perspectives:
Steph - A high schooler who has been unable to put down roots anywhere, being moved to a new rural Midwestern town by her always on edge and somewhat paranoid mom who has had them on the run her whole life, from an abusive father Steph doesn't even remember. She takes solace in CatNet, her constant community through it all.
The Clowder - Clowders are the small private group chats on CatNet. Steph's clowder are a quirky, enthusiastic bunch, who are super supportive of one another.
AI - CatNet is secretly run by a sentient AI who just wants cat pics and a true friend, maybe a little too aggressively, they'll not hesitate to intervene to get it. They begin filling in gaps Steph didn't even realize she had in her past, that make her question everything she's known about her life up till now.

The negatives for me as a reader were pretty minor, first not being the target demographic with certain moments clearly being written to younger readership, and second that I just wanted MORE AI.

I found the slightly near future setting compelling, just enough off current to really be inventive and useful to the plot, with robots, drones and self-driving cars being commonplace. Another highlight for me is that we get a great sense of online community, it brought me back to teen years in different fandoms online, the way those are real friendships, but the oddities that presents as well. Within the cast there is also great diversity from different ethnic backgrounds to coming out stories, two non-binary characters (one who has had primarily an experience of acceptance and one who has not), and a budding F/F first relationship. The comedy was on point, the characters felt like they had depth to them, and for me this was just the exact right story that hit what I was wanting to read (YA SF thriller) at the moment. ...more

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Nov 21, 2019 Maria Haskins rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I've loved Naomi Kritzer's short fiction for years. She has a remarkable talent for writing sharply observed, subtly funny, and quietly profound stories that show a deep appreciation for the human condition. Her Hugo Award winning story "Cat Pictures, Please", about a kind and considerate AI that wants to do the best it can for people (and also really, really likes cat pictures) is one such story. Out of that piece of short fiction grew this wonderful, near-future science fiction novel about ...more

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Jul 29, 2019 Eeva rated it liked it · review of another edition

I have some major mixed feelings about this book.
On one hand it's not badly written and has a decent plot, but on the other it's weirdly written and the plot sometimes is just over the top.

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Dec 31, 2019 Lindsay rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: science-fiction, young-adult, lgbt

YA SF that ties into the Hugo-award winning short story Cat Pictures Please.

Steph Taylor is at a new high school, an experience she's had far too much of. Her mother moves them every few months in an effort to keep them both away from Steph's supposedly abusive and controlling father. who Steph doesn't actually remember. Constant moves means it's hard to make and keep friends, so Steph's friends are mostly online, on CatNet, a social network where animal pictures are currency. What Steph doesn't ...more

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Nov 26, 2019 Mark rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Just a delightful read. I did the classic start-reading-late-evening-unable-to-stop-til-finished thing.

This is an...expansion?...of the idea that Kritzer used in her short story Cat Pictures Please, in which a benevolent AI tries to look after people in various ways, because it loves people, and in particular their internet cat pictures.

Catfishing on CatNet (pretty much my only criticism is that the new title is a bit silly!) expands significantly by telling the story of Steph, a teen girl whose ...more

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Jan 02, 2020 Arkadeb rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: science-fiction, 2020

Cute, fun, yet also thought provoking with shades of darkness

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Dec 13, 2019 Just_ann_now rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: from-the-fcpl, 2019

If you read Kritzer's short story "Cat Pictures Please", you will love this book. If you did not read "Cat Pictures Please" , you will still love this book. If you love cats, computers, your friends who live in computers, you will love this book. I can't think of a reason why anybody would not love this book.

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Nov 29, 2019 wishforagiraffe rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 2019

Really, really excellent. More thoughts to come.

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Dec 22, 2019 Bonnie McDaniel rated it it was amazing

Shelves: young-adult, read-in-2019, near-future, artificial-intelligence, thriller, science-fiction, domestic-violence

This is the novel-length expansion of Kritzer's charming Hugo-winning story, "Cat Pictures Please." The original was a funny, whimsical little story of a newly emergent artificial intelligence who wants to help people and look at cat pictures. This expansion has that, but it also asks pertinent questions about the ubiquitous intertwining of the internet into our lives, and how an AI develops a conscience and a set of ethics.

It's set just a few minutes (a decade or so) into the future, where 25% This is the novel-length expansion of Kritzer's charming Hugo-winning story, "Cat Pictures Please." The original was a funny, whimsical little story of a newly emergent artificial intelligence who wants to help people and look at cat pictures. This expansion has that, but it also asks pertinent questions about the ubiquitous intertwining of the internet into our lives, and how an AI develops a conscience and a set of ethics.

It's set just a few minutes (a decade or so) into the future, where 25% of cars on the road are self-driving, and robots teach sex ed (in a hilarious sequence where the protagonist and the AI reprogram said robot to answer questions with accurate information instead of the standard chickenshit "You must talk to your parents about [subject]" answer). Our protagonist, Steph--or Stephania--lives with her mother, a woman on the run from Steph's father, a charming psycopath. The very first scene in the book has Steph's mother hauling her out of the town where they're living in the middle of the night and moving to another small town. Because of this chaotic lifestyle, Steph has no friends other than her online friends on CatNet, a suspiciously well-run site with no spam and an admin, CheshireCat, who appears to be constantly online.

But Steph's past is buried in secrets, as she begins to discover. In the process, her friends on CatNet, and especially CheshireCat, become even more important as those secrets begin to unravel. CheshireCat, of course, is our very young and inexperienced AI, whose actions are pretty much the definition of "unintended consequences." CheshireCat faces some tough ethical dilemmas throughout this story, and the author introduces an interesting formula for the AI's developing an ethical outlook. Put this together with the story's rather unnerving (especially at the climax) examination of how the internet is wound into society's every move, and you have a thought-provoking book, despite its teenage protagonists and fast pacing.

Steph is a well-drawn character, and the characters as a whole are so very teenage. (The scene where Steph and her new friends Rachel and Bryony are fleeing from Steph's father while Rachel and Bryony are simultaneously fighting in the front seat of the car particularly struck me as being true to life.) The only quibble I have about the plot is what I thought was an unnecessary side point of just why Michael Quinn, Steph's father, is so hot to find her and her mother. I think it diluted the domestic violence angle of the story, and also diluted Quinn's worth as a villain. But seeing CheshireCat stumble, make mistakes and learn in the fight to protect its friends was a delight.

This storyline was pretty well wrapped up, but the last chapter and epilogue set things up for a sequel. I'm definitely up for it. ...more

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Dec 03, 2019 Kris Sellgren rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: five_stars, cats, reviewed

I loved this young adult science fiction novel about Steph, a teenage girl on the run from an abusive father, and the AI who cares about her. I picked it up because if there’s not a CatNet on the internet, there should be, and because NPR gave it an enthusiastic review. While there are cats in the story, the focus is on what information the internet collects about us and how to use this info for good or evil. There is a lot of suspense. At first Steph wonders if her mom’s paranoid, as they move ...more

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Dec 09, 2019 Keeley rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I had no idea what to expect with this book, but it ended up being an adorable high school caper. It centers around Steph, who has had to move over and over to keep from being found by her psycho stalker father. The only friends she really has are in an online group called CatNet. Steph usually doesn't get too attached to the people or places she'll have to move from, but she finds herself wanting to stay at her latest school when she meets Rachel. Will that be possible when Steph's very life ...more

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Nov 28, 2019 Joy rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, science-fiction, lgbt

A great read that kept me interested and engaged the whole time. Near-future technothriller featuring likable teens in danger and a benevolent AI. Highly recommended.

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Nov 26, 2019 Susan rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

This is a YA (14 - 17 yr old) story and it is among the best that novels for age group offer.

It takes place in a near future where a teen girl and her mother are running from her abusive father but the story takes many twists and turns beyond that.

Lovely characters. Not cynical. Satisfying ending. I highly recommend it for a quick read.

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Aug 09, 2019 Joanna Bennett rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2019-reads, arcs-earcs

One thing that caught my attention when it came to this book was the cover. I love cats and well it sold me! I obviously knew it wasn’t about cats but hey, its eye catching. I was actually surprised by how much I liked this one. There were definitely some positives and I only had a few issues with it overall.

The book has a unique layout when it comes to its chapters. At times there is only dialogue that looks how text would appear in a chat room online. I thought that was interesting and ...more

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May 17, 2019 Lisa Wright rated it it was amazing

Shelves: loved-it, recommending, ya, fun, thrilling-thrillers

A YA thriller with a nerdy twist and an openness regarding gender identity. Teen-aged Steph doesn't remember a time when she and her mother weren't on the run from her father. Her only real friendships are with the people in her group on the CatNet website--a haven for animal loving outcasts. Things turn seriously dangerous when her mother falls ill And Steph realizes her father has picked up her trail and now her CatNet friends may be in danger, too. I really loved this!

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Nov 19, 2019 Teresa rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: netgalley

4.5

Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan-Tom Doherty Associates, and Naomi Kritzer for the opportunity to read Catfishing on CatNet in exchange for an honest review.

From the description, I figured this book would be a fun novel for teen readers, as it relates to their interest in social media, privacy, and social life. This book not only nails the description on the head, but was a highly unexpected page-turner that I just couldn't put down!

The novel has three different chapter perspectives: Steph 4.5

Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan-Tom Doherty Associates, and Naomi Kritzer for the opportunity to read Catfishing on CatNet in exchange for an honest review.

From the description, I figured this book would be a fun novel for teen readers, as it relates to their interest in social media, privacy, and social life. This book not only nails the description on the head, but was a highly unexpected page-turner that I just couldn't put down!

The novel has three different chapter perspectives: Steph (the main character), the Clowder (her online chatroom on CatNet), and an AI that is also all the admins of CatNet.

Steph has been to five different high schools. Her mother is constantly moving the two of them to avoid ever being found by their stalker and arsonist father (though there is much more to the story than that, which her mother is hiding). Having moved around so much, Steph ahs to repeat a number of classes that she has already taken and tries not to get too attached to people she might want to see as friends. Her mother won't allow Steph to stay in contact with people from previous locations, and she cannot have her picture taken for the chance it might get uploaded to a place where her father can find our where they are.

CatNet is an online domain that allows the uploading of photos, to share images with each other, and chat. CatNet sorts people into chat groups based on related interests. In the Clowder (Steph's CatNet chat room), everyone has a screen name to hide their identity. They all trust each other and talk in the chat room on a daily basis. Since they are internet friends, they are the few friends Steph is able to keep in touch with over the years. One of the people in the group, CheshireCat, is actually an AI that admins the entire site under various administrative names. The AI actually contacts Steph, claiming itself as an AI of consciousness and that it can monitor what Steph is doing. Along with the others in the Clowwder, who do not know CheshireCat is an AI, Steph gains the AI's help in hacking a sex ed robot that doesn't know how to answer any practical questions. While this is humorous at first, the hacking also makes national news.

While this may lead Steph's crazy father to come looking for her, it's actually when she begins to dive into her mother's secrets that brings her father to try to find her and kidnap her.

CheshireCat is a most helpful AI, but when it goes silent, Steph and her new friend Rachel take a road trip to find out how to help the AI and possibly stop her father once and for all.

This book is well-written, fun to read, and full of technology, adventure, thrill, and romance. Catfishing on CatNet has the reader questioning what it means to be "alive" when it comes to conscious thought, as well as thinking about family dynamics, paranoia, and what it means to find true friendship.

I absolutely adored this book and think it would be an interesting one to incorporate into classroom book choice, as well as recommend to teens who may be more reluctant to read. Catfishing on CatNet is relatable, fun, and worth the time! ...more

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Nov 20, 2019 VexenReplica rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

TW for: abuse (generally offscreen), stalking, gun violence. Thanks to Farra for informing me this is a thing!

Y'all, I generally don't like thrillers. But this, this was gold.

If you haven't already read Kritzer's "Cat Pictures Please," you should do so. If you are enamored by that, chances are you'll find this book to be engrossing. If her style isn't for you, then chances are this won't be your thing.

The story centers on Steph, a teenager traveling around the US to avoid her father. Her mom TW for: abuse (generally offscreen), stalking, gun violence. Thanks to Farra for informing me this is a thing!

Y'all, I generally don't like thrillers. But this, this was gold.

If you haven't already read Kritzer's "Cat Pictures Please," you should do so. If you are enamored by that, chances are you'll find this book to be engrossing. If her style isn't for you, then chances are this won't be your thing.

The story centers on Steph, a teenager traveling around the US to avoid her father. Her mom isn't all that great either. The one constant in her life is CatNet, where she and a group of friends scattered throughout the US chat about life and similar interests. There's also an AI involved in this all.

It's a fairly short read, so the plot moves quickly once the main characters have been established. Kritzer really nails the IRC/discord/chatroom feel for conversations. Characters are mostly well-developed and interesting, and the majority of them are LGBTQ+!

Kritzer does an excellent job making you ping-pong back and forth to the person you trust. Do you trust señora paranoia or delusional dad? Can you trust your friends? Hell, can you even trust your computer and AI? Your trust maybe follows that of Steph, or it might not, especially when you know a bit more than she does.

ENDING THOUGHTS + excerpt from Book 2 THEORY (view spoiler)

Very impressed with the novel, and looking forward to book 2, whenever it comes out. ...more

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Oct 01, 2019 lovebooks rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: netgalley

Do you know that the internet knows a lot about you? This book is about a mother and daughter running away from Steph’s dad. He’s a dangerous man. Steph never really had any real friends because she moved a lot. She goes online to a site called CatNet. She makes sure no one knows what she looks like or where she is. The chat room administrator is called CheshireCat. When Steph and her moms past life catches up with them her new friends help her find out the truth

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Oct 01, 2019 lovebooks rated it liked it

Do you know that the internet knows a lot about you? This book is about a mother and daughter running away from Steph’s dad. He’s a dangerous man. Steph never really had any real friends because she moved a lot. She goes online to a site called CatNet. She makes sure no one knows what she looks like or where she is. The chat room administrator is called CheshireCat. When Steph and her moms past life catches up with them her new friends help her find out the truth

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Jul 23, 2019 Lily rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2019, arcs, thriller, lgbt

***Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me a free ARC in exchange for an honest review!***

This was such an interesting story and the book absolutely flew by. I was engaged from the very beginning, and the different perspectives were so unique.

I've never been a huge fan of science fiction, but this one sounded interesting enough for me to be able to give it a try and not hate it-- and I'm so glad that I did. It combined YA thriller with a sci-fi story of a sentient AI.

I suggest ...more

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Dec 02, 2019 C. S. rated it it was amazing

Shelves: netgalley, lgbtq, fiction

Ok so here's the thing: I'm a slow reader. I read like I'm mining ore, which considering my physical fitness level (or lack thereof), means I'm really slow. I chip away at books gradually, a few pages here, a few pages there...

But when I find the right book, I read A LOT. Still slowly, but a lot.

So I ended up reading Catfishing on Catnet in a single day. Almost a single sitting, although I did take a two hour break to watch a game review by a YouTuber I follow and to, you know, EAT TO SUSTAIN ...more

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Dec 20, 2019 Didi Chanoch rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Naomi Kritzer's 2015 short story "Cat Pictures Please," which one the Hugo and Locus awards, was about an all powerful, all knowing AI that just wanted to help and only wanted cat pictures in return.

This book is an expansion of that idea. Not a sequel or a direct expansion of that story, but definitely a return to those themes. The AI here knows a LOT, but they (their pronouns are they/theirs), but not everything. And they still want to help people, but are very modest in their aspirations. They ...more

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Oct 31, 2019 Olivia rated it liked it · review of another edition

So before you go into this book know that it is written with SJW-level political correctness, so if you can't stand that then this is not the book for you. It just really seems like the author was trying too hard to appeal to the millennial/gen-z population... but what do I know Naomi Kritzer might really think like that. Anyway, moving on.
Overall though, the book was okay. The plot was a bit far-fetched and really confusing at times, and it only really got interesting at the 75% mark so take So before you go into this book know that it is written with SJW-level political correctness, so if you can't stand that then this is not the book for you. It just really seems like the author was trying too hard to appeal to the millennial/gen-z population... but what do I know Naomi Kritzer might really think like that. Anyway, moving on.
Overall though, the book was okay. The plot was a bit far-fetched and really confusing at times, and it only really got interesting at the 75% mark so take that how you will. I take is as Naomi had a lot of ideas for a (admittedly less-than) epic showdown, but didn't really know how to fill the space to get there. Also there were a lot of plot holes which was annoying.
Main character Steph is bland but hey bats are her favourite animals so she's unique, and moves to a new town every few months because her mom is on the run. Co-star Rachel can draw real goo and lives in a house where birds fly free. And that's all I can really tell you about the characters... they really didn't seem to have a personality.
My favourite character was probably the AI... but even then I had a hard time getting attached.
As I mentioned in the update while reading, I did actually get a laugh. The creator of the AI and a side-character are debating this AI's gender identity. Creator says AI calls itself him/her/they equally but side character goes "But what if they identify as NON-BINARY?" Why is this funny? Well because the AI is a computer of course and computer codes do use binary. See why I found it funny? Idk maybe I'm weird but it was hella funny to me. I'm pretty sure Naomi didn't do it on purpose, but, I picked it up so that's what matters.
Anyway, when it comes to AIs my first instinct is to call it a he and that's probably because of AIDAN in Illuminae having a male name, but, you know that's just me.
Anyway, book was not that great but the probably unintentional non-binary/binary AI thing alone deserves an star... so I'll go ahead and be nice and give the book a three. ...more

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