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Silicon Hearts
The youngest and brightest of the tech world are invited to work for one of the most prestigious companies in Silicon Valley, but when they discover that only a precious few will be offered full-time jobs, reckless ambition and cut-throat competition eclipse their burgeoning friendships and romances.
Beekor Industries is the biggest tech company in the world. They have transformed the way society interacts with hologram technology, from mobile phones to public transportation to smart apparel. Every developer, coder, hacker, software architect, and engineer dreams of counting themself among the geniuses at Beekor.
Small-town twenty-one-year-old Camila Diaz has always dreamed of working in the tech world, but never even imagined she’d walk the hallowed halls of Beekor Industries, let alone be in the running to join the company she’s idolized her entire life. When she’s accepted to Beekor’s renowned Accelerator Program as a page, Cam knows everything is on the line. The six-month program brings recent college grads to the Beekor campus to live and work for the esteemed company in the hope of earning a coveted job offer.
Upon arrival at Beekor, reality quickly settles in as Cam discovers that the four other pages she is competing against—and living with—are each more impressive than the next. The well-connected and effervescent Avery, the chic and brilliant Sofia, the thoughtful and gifted James, and the enigmatic and way-too-charming Marcus make up this year’s page class and prove to be formidable opponents. Driven by stiff competition and the chance for a life in Silicon Valley, they’ll soon learn that they need each other more than they know, finding friendship—as well as a little romance—along the way.
Beekor Industries is the biggest tech company in the world. They have transformed the way society interacts with hologram technology, from mobile phones to public transportation to smart apparel. Every developer, coder, hacker, software architect, and engineer dreams of counting themself among the geniuses at Beekor.
Small-town twenty-one-year-old Camila Diaz has always dreamed of working in the tech world, but never even imagined she’d walk the hallowed halls of Beekor Industries, let alone be in the running to join the company she’s idolized her entire life. When she’s accepted to Beekor’s renowned Accelerator Program as a page, Cam knows everything is on the line. The six-month program brings recent college grads to the Beekor campus to live and work for the esteemed company in the hope of earning a coveted job offer.
Upon arrival at Beekor, reality quickly settles in as Cam discovers that the four other pages she is competing against—and living with—are each more impressive than the next. The well-connected and effervescent Avery, the chic and brilliant Sofia, the thoughtful and gifted James, and the enigmatic and way-too-charming Marcus make up this year’s page class and prove to be formidable opponents. Driven by stiff competition and the chance for a life in Silicon Valley, they’ll soon learn that they need each other more than they know, finding friendship—as well as a little romance—along the way.
- GenresRomanceYoung Adult
352 pages, Paperback
Published August 8, 2023
6 people are currently reading
7687 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 53 reviews
February 14, 2024
3 stars for plot, 1 star for writing style.
best way to describe this book is that it's a cs major's and startup founder's wet dream, two groups i feel too familiar with. it was insane to me that they were letting this newgrad PM for all these teams w/o even teaching her agile until she messed up badly bc she was scarily incompetent, which is coincidentally how i feel about my upcoming job!
if i didn't know PM or tech at all, most of the tech plots would honestly bore me (and they still sometimes did). also, the romance plots (which i am normally a fan of) felt very forced and juvenile. bc no way 5 kids get picked out of thousands of applicants for an elite program and (spoiler) by the end of it 4 of them are dating?? no separation of church and state at all! end of the day, very cheesy feel good book that is the fantasy of every tech bro who wants to make his own silicon valley startup.
best way to describe this book is that it's a cs major's and startup founder's wet dream, two groups i feel too familiar with. it was insane to me that they were letting this newgrad PM for all these teams w/o even teaching her agile until she messed up badly bc she was scarily incompetent, which is coincidentally how i feel about my upcoming job!
if i didn't know PM or tech at all, most of the tech plots would honestly bore me (and they still sometimes did). also, the romance plots (which i am normally a fan of) felt very forced and juvenile. bc no way 5 kids get picked out of thousands of applicants for an elite program and (spoiler) by the end of it 4 of them are dating?? no separation of church and state at all! end of the day, very cheesy feel good book that is the fantasy of every tech bro who wants to make his own silicon valley startup.
January 30, 2024
Yawn, eyeroll, cheesy as heck, predictable. As an SF native in tech, I did like how it reminded me of my prestigious internship during Silicon Valley’s Golden Age. Definitely sounds like the author lived it herself. Similar elements, but some of the story is just so unrealistic. It annoyed the heck out of me that the author couldn’t decide how old the pages are, because the way she described their behaviors and wardrobe literally sounded like they were in high school, or toddlers running around a startup. I seriously couldn’t stand Cam’s stupid purses “…and a purse shaped like a hamburger/wine bottle/takeout box/etc.” like girl, you couldn’t have made Cam a little more sophisticated and not dressed up like she’s going to Chuck E Cheese?? Cam/Marcus literally did not belong together (she’s like a baby, inexperienced freshman who somehow landed the hot jock senior) and Avery/Sofia did NOT make sense. I think this book was written by ChatGPT to be honest lol
December 11, 2023
Felt a little bit like a knock-off of the Circle. The romance subplot was wayyyyy to cheesy and overall just not what I expected from the book. Also ending was predictable. Literally from page 4, you knew what the end would be-- not ideal. But whatevs, chill book to read in between studying for finals (ahhhhhhhh).
August 4, 2023
3 stars means that I liked it but wasn't in love with it-- I won this book in a good reads giveaway (I'm grateful for the opportunity!). I feel like these were the stronger points: world building, humor and general writing style is easy to get into. I do feel like there wasn't much character development and the romance felt like it was trying too hard to make a barely present character the main love interest (Sorry Marcus, the biggest personality point was that you like fun socks). Overall it was a fine read but not a repeater for me. I feel like this probably suited for borderline YA/New Adult fiction and wasn't totally it for me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 22, 2024
This is rapidly turning into a comfort read book for me. I liked the writing style, the women in tech themes, the ‘newbie tinkerer learning how to actually get things done and even do project management’ theme, and the San Francisco allusions. I’ve read it twice, and enjoyed it both times, similar to Sourdough, because while I recalled the arc of the story, the details were fresh and did not disappoint.
May 13, 2024
Absolutley not.
July 3, 2023
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book.
I'm a female electrical engineer so the technical aspects of this book were appealing. However, the female main character was initially so naive I wanted to jump into my kindle and shake some sense into her. Fortunately, she did show some growth and maturity by the end of the book. Overall, this book was just "okay' for me.
I'm a female electrical engineer so the technical aspects of this book were appealing. However, the female main character was initially so naive I wanted to jump into my kindle and shake some sense into her. Fortunately, she did show some growth and maturity by the end of the book. Overall, this book was just "okay' for me.
January 19, 2024
The blurb in the front of my book states: "The youngest and brightest of the tech world are invited to work for one of the most prestigious companies in Silicon Valley, but when they discover that only a precious few will be offered full-time jobs, reckless ambition and cutthroat competition eclipse their burgeoning friendships and romances".
This is the opposite of the way the book unfolds. I never felt like competition between the main cast was ever that big of a focal point. Rather, the cast escapes most of the competitiveness, instead becoming friends and supporters of each other.
While the book clearly paid love to iconic San Francisco sights and featured a diverse cast, I didn't love the main character that we have our story narrated through, Cam. Cam is 21 years old and has the exact naivety when it comes to the corporate world that people starting their careers typically have. But, rather than it having an endearing effect, I felt more annoyed by her blissful narration. Indeed, as other reviewers have suggested, the book feels more like an elevated YA novel rather than a true adult novel.
Cam and the four other main characters are accepted into the prestigious Accelerator Program (internship) at fictional FAANG-company Beekor. What I found really hard to believe is that a tech company like this would hire interns and then set them to work doing super high-profile work without oversight. This is what Cam does. She is hired for her tech skills and plopped into the product-influencer team where she is basically ramped as a product manager.
In her first month, she makes this huge bungle of overpromising things and the product development teams chew her out in the most inappropriate ways. Where is her manager? Where is her mentor? Why are these grown adults SO angry at an intern who has no experience? Cam does do the right thing by taking ownership, but I then found it more strange that she is later promoted to be team lead (after actually being successful) and no one has any problem with it. Who does she report to (she doesn't ever mention a manager)? Are her existing teammates who are experienced product managers not incredibly angry that she bypassed them to become their manager at just 4 months experience? The vibes are really off at this place, but I don't think the authors intended for that to be weird. They seem to want you to focus on how afraid everyone is of the founder/CEO.
The authors use a lot of corporate speak in the story. If you know, you'll constantly pick up on it. Lots of lingo and talk about product development, KPIs, user acquisition, the works. Sometimes I think the authors forgot who their narrator is because at one point, very early on, Cam describes her own experience as "drinking from the fire hose". Now, I've only heard this at work before and I don't think an intern would use that description unless they were parroting it from somewhere. It didn't feel like something Cam would say; I found it difficult to have the narrator slip into it so early on.
The other annoying choice the authors made is the descriptions of clothing. You will know what every single piece of clothing every person in every scene is wearing. There are multiple paragraphs detailing looks for people. I don't ever recall having read a book that described clothing so much and it made the narrative unnecessarily choppy.
Lastly, the book takes place in an alternate reality in the near future where holographic tech exists. This was a cool choice! To add some character to the world, the authors make reference to MiTube and TicTak which I thought was cute (I love it when brand names are distorted as a joke). But then the Salesforce Tower still exists! So YouTube and TikTok don't exist in the same form, but Salesforce does? That made me laugh - not sure if it was an oversight or if Marc Benioff is moonlighting as R.K. Moravec.
Overall, I could definitely relate to the tech-corporate world with its love of swag, spending money lavishly, and corpo-speak but some of the details didn't make sense to me. I may be far too jaded from corporate America to appreciate the narrator's naivety, so perhaps I'm not the intended audience.
This is the opposite of the way the book unfolds. I never felt like competition between the main cast was ever that big of a focal point. Rather, the cast escapes most of the competitiveness, instead becoming friends and supporters of each other.
While the book clearly paid love to iconic San Francisco sights and featured a diverse cast, I didn't love the main character that we have our story narrated through, Cam. Cam is 21 years old and has the exact naivety when it comes to the corporate world that people starting their careers typically have. But, rather than it having an endearing effect, I felt more annoyed by her blissful narration. Indeed, as other reviewers have suggested, the book feels more like an elevated YA novel rather than a true adult novel.
Cam and the four other main characters are accepted into the prestigious Accelerator Program (internship) at fictional FAANG-company Beekor. What I found really hard to believe is that a tech company like this would hire interns and then set them to work doing super high-profile work without oversight. This is what Cam does. She is hired for her tech skills and plopped into the product-influencer team where she is basically ramped as a product manager.
In her first month, she makes this huge bungle of overpromising things and the product development teams chew her out in the most inappropriate ways. Where is her manager? Where is her mentor? Why are these grown adults SO angry at an intern who has no experience? Cam does do the right thing by taking ownership, but I then found it more strange that she is later promoted to be team lead (after actually being successful) and no one has any problem with it. Who does she report to (she doesn't ever mention a manager)? Are her existing teammates who are experienced product managers not incredibly angry that she bypassed them to become their manager at just 4 months experience? The vibes are really off at this place, but I don't think the authors intended for that to be weird. They seem to want you to focus on how afraid everyone is of the founder/CEO.
The authors use a lot of corporate speak in the story. If you know, you'll constantly pick up on it. Lots of lingo and talk about product development, KPIs, user acquisition, the works. Sometimes I think the authors forgot who their narrator is because at one point, very early on, Cam describes her own experience as "drinking from the fire hose". Now, I've only heard this at work before and I don't think an intern would use that description unless they were parroting it from somewhere. It didn't feel like something Cam would say; I found it difficult to have the narrator slip into it so early on.
The other annoying choice the authors made is the descriptions of clothing. You will know what every single piece of clothing every person in every scene is wearing. There are multiple paragraphs detailing looks for people. I don't ever recall having read a book that described clothing so much and it made the narrative unnecessarily choppy.
Lastly, the book takes place in an alternate reality in the near future where holographic tech exists. This was a cool choice! To add some character to the world, the authors make reference to MiTube and TicTak which I thought was cute (I love it when brand names are distorted as a joke). But then the Salesforce Tower still exists! So YouTube and TikTok don't exist in the same form, but Salesforce does? That made me laugh - not sure if it was an oversight or if Marc Benioff is moonlighting as R.K. Moravec.
Overall, I could definitely relate to the tech-corporate world with its love of swag, spending money lavishly, and corpo-speak but some of the details didn't make sense to me. I may be far too jaded from corporate America to appreciate the narrator's naivety, so perhaps I'm not the intended audience.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 13, 2023
I hadn’t really realised when picking up this book that it was a Young Adult mixed with quite a lot of romance. From the blurb, I had thought it would be more focussed on the technology side and competition between the new recruits of a giant tech firm.
Don’t get me wrong, it’s a very readable book, and I was able to finish it quite quickly. However, if you are expecting a deeper story, perhaps look elsewhere as this is a bit of a shallow read. Main character Cam is smart; she is from a poor background and wants to use her gifts to bring technology to the wider world. She wins a scholarship to an internship at tech giant Beekor and competes to earn her spot on the wider team. We should be with Cam from the outset, particularly as all of the book is written from her point of view, but to be honest I found her naïve to the point of irritating. Some of the mistakes she makes feel incredibly unrealistic and I also don’t understand why her tech team didn’t mentor her properly, instead letting her run wild with her first ever project and run all of them into the ground to keep up with her. A very expensive way to teach her a lesson.
The characters all felt a little stereotypical - there’s quiet kid James who hates socialising and just wants to work on his headphones project – he later hooks up with the goth girl from IT. There’s they/them Avery, an outlandish extrovert who’s all about networking, knows absolutely everyone and whose main priority is giving Cam a fashion makeover. There’s Sofia - a smart women with hardly any personality other than liking one film. There’s Marcus, the love interest who Cam seems to love from looks alone as he’s too busy focussing on his career to actually say anything to her. He then inexplicably introduces her to his parents after a few dates and she gets upset when something is revealed about him that she didn’t know but most of us had guessed half a book before. Then there’s Lee, the co-founder of the company, I really thought there was going to be an interesting side-plot and twist about Lee which would expose a darker under-current about Beekor, but nothing is really revealed.
The overall story is about family and that is quite cute - it could have easily been edited down by getting rid of some of the repetitive scenes of them all going out though. The main romance scene was also incredibly cringe-worthy.
Overall Silicon Hearts is a Young Adult Romance book with an incredibly irritating main character and a predictable plot that’s been done many times before. Thank you to NetGalley & Hyperion Avenue for the chance to read the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
For more of my reviews check out www.kindig.co.uk
Don’t get me wrong, it’s a very readable book, and I was able to finish it quite quickly. However, if you are expecting a deeper story, perhaps look elsewhere as this is a bit of a shallow read. Main character Cam is smart; she is from a poor background and wants to use her gifts to bring technology to the wider world. She wins a scholarship to an internship at tech giant Beekor and competes to earn her spot on the wider team. We should be with Cam from the outset, particularly as all of the book is written from her point of view, but to be honest I found her naïve to the point of irritating. Some of the mistakes she makes feel incredibly unrealistic and I also don’t understand why her tech team didn’t mentor her properly, instead letting her run wild with her first ever project and run all of them into the ground to keep up with her. A very expensive way to teach her a lesson.
The characters all felt a little stereotypical - there’s quiet kid James who hates socialising and just wants to work on his headphones project – he later hooks up with the goth girl from IT. There’s they/them Avery, an outlandish extrovert who’s all about networking, knows absolutely everyone and whose main priority is giving Cam a fashion makeover. There’s Sofia - a smart women with hardly any personality other than liking one film. There’s Marcus, the love interest who Cam seems to love from looks alone as he’s too busy focussing on his career to actually say anything to her. He then inexplicably introduces her to his parents after a few dates and she gets upset when something is revealed about him that she didn’t know but most of us had guessed half a book before. Then there’s Lee, the co-founder of the company, I really thought there was going to be an interesting side-plot and twist about Lee which would expose a darker under-current about Beekor, but nothing is really revealed.
The overall story is about family and that is quite cute - it could have easily been edited down by getting rid of some of the repetitive scenes of them all going out though. The main romance scene was also incredibly cringe-worthy.
Overall Silicon Hearts is a Young Adult Romance book with an incredibly irritating main character and a predictable plot that’s been done many times before. Thank you to NetGalley & Hyperion Avenue for the chance to read the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
For more of my reviews check out www.kindig.co.uk
July 17, 2023
“Talent, skill, work ethic, those are all important. But they mean nothing if you don’t have connections to people who can give you resources.”
Futuristic, Technology-Based, and Outlandish – this book will teach you something about love, friendship, alliances, teamwork, fashion, competition, politics, nepotism, and change!
Silicon Hearts by Robin Miyashita and R. K. Moravec follows five “Pages” at Beekor Industries in Silicon Valley, where they are competing to get a full-time offer from the biggest tech company in the world. As the months go on, the Pages all become friends while working on very different projects within the company, the food is perfect, and the company owner, Wyatt, seems too seamless for his own good. But people get undermined and pushed to the side, ideas get stolen, things aren’t exactly what they seem . . . and of course, it only fits that hearts may get broken.
I loved the vast array of characters that made up the Page Household! Avery was a hoot, and Sofia, James, and Marcus all played their parts to balance out this book. The novel centered around Cam, and though she was very naïve – coming from a small town and having the least amount of resources or money growing up – her passion for her project and vulnerabilities will make you love her. (“We are all always becoming, evolving. As the bird grows, she must molt.”)
Tacky Tourist Time was hysterical and a terrific idea (even if you have lived where you have forever) and the team plot lines along with those of changing the world for the better was a great undertone throughout the novel. “You’re only as strong as your team.”
I feel like Beekor was a mix of Apple and Google, and while I’m not a technology nerd, in the beginning I felt like I was in the movie The Internship. Saying this, with all of the futuristic vehicles and products, I think this book would make for an amazing movie! While I was lost on some of the terms, I feel like the authors toned it down enough to make it understandable, and about connections, to keep me turning the pages. I had no idea holographic teleconferencing could be a thing – and I’m excited that this may be the way for our future.
While this novel was not what I was expecting, and some of it was too dragged out and in my opinion – too long – the overall theme, characters, and plot lines all added up. I think readers will be intrigued by this novel and love getting a glimpse into the tech world. I give this 3.8 stars rounded up to 4.
Thank you so much to NetGalley for this fun, different read! All opinions are my own!
“We should look more into fixing what we have than always chasing what is new and shiny.”
Futuristic, Technology-Based, and Outlandish – this book will teach you something about love, friendship, alliances, teamwork, fashion, competition, politics, nepotism, and change!
Silicon Hearts by Robin Miyashita and R. K. Moravec follows five “Pages” at Beekor Industries in Silicon Valley, where they are competing to get a full-time offer from the biggest tech company in the world. As the months go on, the Pages all become friends while working on very different projects within the company, the food is perfect, and the company owner, Wyatt, seems too seamless for his own good. But people get undermined and pushed to the side, ideas get stolen, things aren’t exactly what they seem . . . and of course, it only fits that hearts may get broken.
I loved the vast array of characters that made up the Page Household! Avery was a hoot, and Sofia, James, and Marcus all played their parts to balance out this book. The novel centered around Cam, and though she was very naïve – coming from a small town and having the least amount of resources or money growing up – her passion for her project and vulnerabilities will make you love her. (“We are all always becoming, evolving. As the bird grows, she must molt.”)
Tacky Tourist Time was hysterical and a terrific idea (even if you have lived where you have forever) and the team plot lines along with those of changing the world for the better was a great undertone throughout the novel. “You’re only as strong as your team.”
I feel like Beekor was a mix of Apple and Google, and while I’m not a technology nerd, in the beginning I felt like I was in the movie The Internship. Saying this, with all of the futuristic vehicles and products, I think this book would make for an amazing movie! While I was lost on some of the terms, I feel like the authors toned it down enough to make it understandable, and about connections, to keep me turning the pages. I had no idea holographic teleconferencing could be a thing – and I’m excited that this may be the way for our future.
While this novel was not what I was expecting, and some of it was too dragged out and in my opinion – too long – the overall theme, characters, and plot lines all added up. I think readers will be intrigued by this novel and love getting a glimpse into the tech world. I give this 3.8 stars rounded up to 4.
Thank you so much to NetGalley for this fun, different read! All opinions are my own!
“We should look more into fixing what we have than always chasing what is new and shiny.”
August 9, 2023
4 It’s Not What She Expected Stars!!
When I read the blurb for this book, written by two new to me authors, I was intrigued because I thought I was going to get the inside track on what it’s like to work for a ginormous tech giant. And while we do get into the nitty gritty of what it's like to be an intern the tech world, there’s more to this story than that.
Cam is a girl that’s been accepted into a program at Beekor Industries and she quickly realizes that if she wants a future at Beekor she needs to beat out the other Pages in this program and it’s not going to be easy either!
What makes this story so interesting is that not only are these 5 competing against each other, they’re also roommates which adds a new level of intrigue to this story. As the story moves along we get to know each of the Pages and every single one of them is different in their own peculiar ways. There’s a naivety to Cam that at times I found a little irritating, but it didn’t deter me from enjoying this story.
I found myself chuckling at some of the Tacky Tourist Time moments as well as seeing Cam’s growth throughout the story. She’s basically thrown to the wolves at one point, which I didn’t really agree with, but she perseveres, even at the potential expense of her project.
Overall this was a good read and I’m looking forward to seeing what the author has next for us.
When I read the blurb for this book, written by two new to me authors, I was intrigued because I thought I was going to get the inside track on what it’s like to work for a ginormous tech giant. And while we do get into the nitty gritty of what it's like to be an intern the tech world, there’s more to this story than that.
Cam is a girl that’s been accepted into a program at Beekor Industries and she quickly realizes that if she wants a future at Beekor she needs to beat out the other Pages in this program and it’s not going to be easy either!
What makes this story so interesting is that not only are these 5 competing against each other, they’re also roommates which adds a new level of intrigue to this story. As the story moves along we get to know each of the Pages and every single one of them is different in their own peculiar ways. There’s a naivety to Cam that at times I found a little irritating, but it didn’t deter me from enjoying this story.
I found myself chuckling at some of the Tacky Tourist Time moments as well as seeing Cam’s growth throughout the story. She’s basically thrown to the wolves at one point, which I didn’t really agree with, but she perseveres, even at the potential expense of her project.
Overall this was a good read and I’m looking forward to seeing what the author has next for us.
July 4, 2023
Book review of Silicon Hearts by Robin Miyashita
I gave this one 4 stars. It was different than I usually read, but it was a cute, quick read.
Thank you @netgalley for this early release. This is set in a futuristic time, and that's not usually my cup of tea, but I thought this was a good story.
Camilia "Cam" Diaz is from a small town, and she is chosen to be in Beekor's Accelerator Program as a page. There are 4 other pages in the program with her and they will all be living in the same house. Each has their own expertise, Avery is the well connected one, Sofia is the beautiful and brilliant one, James is the nerdy but mechanically gifted one, and Marcus is just the drop dead gorgeous, charming one! As they all get to know each other and form friendships, the sparks fly between Cam and Marcus. The competition among them to be top of the class is exhausting, but they find a way to be friends.
As they all come together to work on Cam's project to help people from backgrounds like her, you see the setting for a few love connections.
Great cast of quirky characters you will love. Cam is awesome!
Grab this one that is out August 8, 2023.
#netgally
#siliconhearts
#robinmiyashita
#crazybooknerd
#bookstagram
I gave this one 4 stars. It was different than I usually read, but it was a cute, quick read.
Thank you @netgalley for this early release. This is set in a futuristic time, and that's not usually my cup of tea, but I thought this was a good story.
Camilia "Cam" Diaz is from a small town, and she is chosen to be in Beekor's Accelerator Program as a page. There are 4 other pages in the program with her and they will all be living in the same house. Each has their own expertise, Avery is the well connected one, Sofia is the beautiful and brilliant one, James is the nerdy but mechanically gifted one, and Marcus is just the drop dead gorgeous, charming one! As they all get to know each other and form friendships, the sparks fly between Cam and Marcus. The competition among them to be top of the class is exhausting, but they find a way to be friends.
As they all come together to work on Cam's project to help people from backgrounds like her, you see the setting for a few love connections.
Great cast of quirky characters you will love. Cam is awesome!
Grab this one that is out August 8, 2023.
#netgally
#siliconhearts
#robinmiyashita
#crazybooknerd
#bookstagram
August 12, 2023
I really wish I'd liked this one more, but the plot is super obvious and it didn't really offer anything new or much of a twist to distinguish itself. It's not bad, but it's also not something I'd go out of my way to recommend.
Cam is a tech genius from a poor background who gets the chance of a lifetime when her hard work earns her a spot on the internship program at the biggest tech company in the world, Beekor Industries. There, she gets to meet other young geniuses as passionate as she is to change the world and work with the best equipment and the best people possible. But things aren't as rosy as Cam wants to believe and she'll have to decide if the easy and safe choice is better than following her passion.
I will say that it does have a good overall message, and the friendships and connections were fun to follow. However, the romance feels shoehorned into what could have stood by itself as a story of passion, greed, and forging your own path. I mean, Cam and Marcus barely spend any time together, and he's not honest for most of it. It just doesn't feel like an integral part of the story.
Thank you to NetGalley and Hyperion Avenue for the read!
Cam is a tech genius from a poor background who gets the chance of a lifetime when her hard work earns her a spot on the internship program at the biggest tech company in the world, Beekor Industries. There, she gets to meet other young geniuses as passionate as she is to change the world and work with the best equipment and the best people possible. But things aren't as rosy as Cam wants to believe and she'll have to decide if the easy and safe choice is better than following her passion.
I will say that it does have a good overall message, and the friendships and connections were fun to follow. However, the romance feels shoehorned into what could have stood by itself as a story of passion, greed, and forging your own path. I mean, Cam and Marcus barely spend any time together, and he's not honest for most of it. It just doesn't feel like an integral part of the story.
Thank you to NetGalley and Hyperion Avenue for the read!
July 5, 2023
For some reason I kept waiting for this book to be like many others where Silicon Valley is full of evil, terrible people who are plotting some sinister way to exploit the main characters. I think I hadn't fully read that it was a romance story.
So while there was a little evil-ness, it was mostly a story about five kids who win an opportunity to participate at a special program hosted by a big tech company (that smelled a lot like a combination of Apple and Google). As someone who works at one of these companies, I laughed at some of what was true and some of what was clearly exaggerated but all in the spirit of fun.
The writers are both from the industry so there's nothing here that was egregiously ridiculous except maybe that they couldn't predict the 2023 slow down of tech.
I enjoyed each of the five characters. They weren't super complex but they also weren't cartoons. They just weren't deeply developed but it didn't bother me. This was a fun, entertaining read.
with gratitude to netgalley and Hyperion Avenue for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
So while there was a little evil-ness, it was mostly a story about five kids who win an opportunity to participate at a special program hosted by a big tech company (that smelled a lot like a combination of Apple and Google). As someone who works at one of these companies, I laughed at some of what was true and some of what was clearly exaggerated but all in the spirit of fun.
The writers are both from the industry so there's nothing here that was egregiously ridiculous except maybe that they couldn't predict the 2023 slow down of tech.
I enjoyed each of the five characters. They weren't super complex but they also weren't cartoons. They just weren't deeply developed but it didn't bother me. This was a fun, entertaining read.
with gratitude to netgalley and Hyperion Avenue for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
December 31, 2023
maybe i’m the problem. maybe i set my expectations too high for this book. but i was really looking forward to reading this one. and then i had to put it down multiple times. like just rage quit the book.
i thoroughly disliked the overuse of dramatic punctuation. you do not need to end every sentence with an exclamation point. call me a pessimist, but i’ve never been a fan of the stupid punctuation that is a glorified upside down lower case i. it does not need to be present. chill. like just chill. it makes the book sound like it was written by a second grader.
for a plot like this to work, i need to fall in love with the characters, but they felt like strangers. yeah sure these people exist but you didn’t do anything to make me love them. shame.
let’s set the record straight this should not be in the romance section. this is fiction through and through. i wish the romance subplot wasn’t even there. i hated marcus and you want me to want him to get the girl!?!?! please.
overall disappointing. sad. depressed. womp fricken womp.
i thoroughly disliked the overuse of dramatic punctuation. you do not need to end every sentence with an exclamation point. call me a pessimist, but i’ve never been a fan of the stupid punctuation that is a glorified upside down lower case i. it does not need to be present. chill. like just chill. it makes the book sound like it was written by a second grader.
for a plot like this to work, i need to fall in love with the characters, but they felt like strangers. yeah sure these people exist but you didn’t do anything to make me love them. shame.
let’s set the record straight this should not be in the romance section. this is fiction through and through. i wish the romance subplot wasn’t even there. i hated marcus and you want me to want him to get the girl!?!?! please.
overall disappointing. sad. depressed. womp fricken womp.
August 8, 2023
This is a great near future book. Not quite sure if it would be considered science fiction, though it is technology heavy. Cam is one of five people chosen to be in the new group for the Beekor Accelerator Program. She wants to work on refining an attachment she created to provide holographic capabilities for old cell phones for people who cannot afford a Beekor phone, but is disappointed to learn that is not what she has been assigned to work on. Thanks to growing up in a poor community, she quickly discovers that she is at a disadvantage compared to the other four people and has much to learn. Due to her tenacity and love of building hardware, Cam excels and makes new friends. I would give this book 4.5 stars.
September 4, 2023
Silicon Hearts is a cute book, very charming and entertaining. It is more of a workplace read than a romantic comedy, which is what the cover implies, although it has elements of those things. Set in the Bay Area of the near future, Cam has won a prestigious fellowship as one of 5 pages at a fictional tech company. Unlike the others, Cam comes from an underprivileged background. She is technically brilliant, and scrappy, but is not well prepared for the business and marketing elements of her new role or her cutthroat colleagues. There are some elements of the book that aren't very believable (like does this huge company really have such bad lawyers?) but other elements are really fun, especially the pages who live in a house together and find ways to connect.
June 24, 2023
Silicon Hearts is a story about young up and comers in the tech world who were chosen to work at Beekor, a prestigious tech firm in Silicon Valley. The five individuals chosen are competing for three million dollars and full-time positions. They learn many lessons along the way as they navigate work, competition, and relationships and end up discovering what is really important in the end. This was an enjoyable story that had a lot of technological details in it. I liked the characters and the storyline. It did feel like it was written for younger adults. Thank you to NetGalley and Hyperion Avenue for the ARC.
July 23, 2023
I enjoyed the developing friendships between Cam and the other pages. The relationship between Cam and Marcus was interesting and also mysterious. As a non-technical person, the in-depth descriptions of technology were overwhelming at times and didn't move the story along. If I were a technical computer person, I am sure it would have been more exciting and meaningful. Despite the above comment, the story was made enjoyable by the colorful characters and the dialogue. This book also probably means more to someone who is familiar with the California area and the activities within the San Francisco area rather than someone from another part of the country. Having said that, it was an enjoyable read and I would recommend it.
I received a copy as a Goodreads Giveaway winner.
I received a copy as a Goodreads Giveaway winner.
August 6, 2023
Disclosure: I received a free ARC of this book.
A sweet book with realistic characters, which also means they're all quite flawed (and will occasionally get on your nerves), but ultimately lovable. The stakes are pretty low (until the story is nearly over) and the book often feels like a slice of life story. I do appreciate the fact it's clear the authors did a lot of research to get all the details in the book accurate.
Biggest issue is that I didn't really like Marcus as the love interest. He put me off more than his charisma and allure could make up for. I kept hoping that James would become the love interest.
A sweet book with realistic characters, which also means they're all quite flawed (and will occasionally get on your nerves), but ultimately lovable. The stakes are pretty low (until the story is nearly over) and the book often feels like a slice of life story. I do appreciate the fact it's clear the authors did a lot of research to get all the details in the book accurate.
Biggest issue is that I didn't really like Marcus as the love interest. He put me off more than his charisma and allure could make up for. I kept hoping that James would become the love interest.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 1, 2023
This book was great! The characters were extremely likable and the story itself was very fun to read! While I was reading, I thought at times the pacing seemed a little off, but it became a non-issue pretty quickly as I fell in love with the characters. Overall I really enjoyed this book, and I thought the ending, although abrupt in my opinion, was extremely well-written and satisfying!
(Thanks to Hyperion for sending me this book as part of a goodreads giveaway, I’m so grateful for the opportunity to read this wonderful book early!)
(Thanks to Hyperion for sending me this book as part of a goodreads giveaway, I’m so grateful for the opportunity to read this wonderful book early!)
July 5, 2023
Quirky, cute, and uniquely written, "Silicon Hearts" transports readers into the tech industry and the ever-expanding world of artificial intelligence. Despite the presence of technical jargon, the novel develops its characters, each with their own distinct struggles and motivations. I found myself deeply invested in their journeys, eagerly rooting for them on every page. Plus, the blossoming love story between friends and the main characters added an extra layer of charm. This book is a great blend of technology, emotion, and friendship that left me with a satisfied heart.
Thanks to NetGalley, Hyperion Avenue, and Robin Miyashita for allowing me access to this book. All opinions are my own.
Thanks to NetGalley, Hyperion Avenue, and Robin Miyashita for allowing me access to this book. All opinions are my own.
August 9, 2023
I won a free ARC of Silicon Hearts in a Goodreads giveaway.
I really liked this book. It’s set in the near future. 5 young adults win an opportunity to work at a thriving tech company. Against the backdrop of corporate greed and corruption these 5 people learn to work together (using each persons unique skill set) to create something that will benefit people from EVERY walk of life. Not just the affluent which is what the company they are working for cater to. There is also some romance involved.
I really liked this book. It’s set in the near future. 5 young adults win an opportunity to work at a thriving tech company. Against the backdrop of corporate greed and corruption these 5 people learn to work together (using each persons unique skill set) to create something that will benefit people from EVERY walk of life. Not just the affluent which is what the company they are working for cater to. There is also some romance involved.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 11, 2023
The best I can describe this book is “meh.” Cam is a college graduate and chosen for one of 5 coveted “page” positions for the fictional technology company Beekor (which seems to be modeled on Apple). The goal is to gain experience and then a job at the company afterward. I loved the detailed descriptions of the places they went to and the quirky characters. The romance between Cam and Marcus was a bit of a bust. Besides being in awe of his looks, there didn’t seem to be any romance.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
August 22, 2023
Thank you to Hyperion Avenue and NetGalley for the ARC of this book. The concept of the novel made me want to read it but it then morphed into a very typical plot. You could see some major plot points coming from miles away which lowered my enjoyment of the book. I did, however, enjoy the ending and how Cam sticks it to "the man" for her product. I began skimming to see how everything would fall into place but I don't need to reread this one. It felt mid to me but sometimes that is what you want. 3 stars.
August 25, 2023
Living in the Silicon Valley, I was intrigued by the premise of the novel. I was thinking cutthroat business decisions rather than 'Pages' trying to win a monetary reward and a spot in one of the biggest tech employers in the world, Beeker. The Pages have to out do their housemates with their inventions and presentation, all the while living together and trying to get along. Reality for some, but not my favorite read this year. More of a YA novel.
Three stars since it was readable, although not something I'd re-read.
Three stars since it was readable, although not something I'd re-read.
December 6, 2023
The set up here was great and there were some very diverse and interesting characters. The concept of putting these five pages in one house for six months as they competed for their dream job, but were also young adults living together opened the door to so much potential. I just did not connect with any of them. They developed on the paper but didn’t come to life. Of the five pages, the main character may have been my least favorite. One too many meltdowns, I give her friends credit for sticking by her. The ending was predictable but satisfying.
January 7, 2024
It had so much potential. I liked that the main character was female, loved that it dealt with feeling like a diversity hire EVEN THOUGH she was just as talented, if not more so, than the next person.
The writing, though, had some problems. The gal was a doofus and not consistent with the character that had been developed for her. All the characters felt flat. They didn't become someone new - and if they did change, they changed suddenly. I was pulled out of the story so many times by something unbelievable somebody said. The sex scenes were so cringe. It felt like a DCOM.
The writing, though, had some problems. The gal was a doofus and not consistent with the character that had been developed for her. All the characters felt flat. They didn't become someone new - and if they did change, they changed suddenly. I was pulled out of the story so many times by something unbelievable somebody said. The sex scenes were so cringe. It felt like a DCOM.
August 4, 2023
Even though this is considered New Adult and the main characters are college graduates embarking on their careers, this has a very YA vibe. I really struggled to connect with the story. Cam is a likeable MC and I wanted to see her succeed, but I also wasn't all that invested in the story and found myself skimming a lot of the pages. Yes, there's a romance but it's more about Cam finding her place in the world.
August 8, 2023
This was an interesting read. I struggled with the tech lingo that was very heavy in the beginning of the book. I know it's set in Silicon Valley, but it's also supposed to be for regular people to read as well as techies. I like the characters and the premise. Definitely had to keep in mind that this is more for young adults and it made the reading a little easier.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for advanced copy, and I give my review freely
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for advanced copy, and I give my review freely
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