Station Eleven meets Never Let Me Go in this “suspenseful, introspective debut” (Kirkus Reviews) set in an unsettling near future where the dead can be uploaded to machines and kept in service by the living. In the wake of a highly contagious virus, California is under quarantine. Sequestered in high rise towers, the living can’t go out, but the dead can come in–and they come in all forms, from … can come in–and they come in all forms, from sad rolling cans to manufactured bodies that can pass for human. Wealthy participants in the “companionship” program choose to upload their consciousness before dying, so they can stay in the custody of their families. The less fortunate are rented out to strangers upon their death, but all companions become the intellectual property of Metis Corporation, creating a new class of people–a command-driven product-class without legal rights or true free will.
Sixteen-year-old Lilac is one of the less fortunate, leased to a family of strangers. But when she realizes she’s able to defy commands, she throws off the shackles of servitude and runs away, searching for the woman who killed her.
Lilac’s act of rebellion sets off a chain of events that sweeps from San Francisco to Siberia to the very tip of South America in this “compelling, gripping, whip-smart piece of speculative fiction” (Jennie Melamed, author of Gather the Daughters) that you won’t want to end.
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Title: ℎ
Author: .
Number of Pages: 257
Genre: –
Publication Date: 10/6/2020
Rating: (3.5 stars)
This is the author’s debut novel. Thank you @scoutpressbooks for the #gifted copy. I love the bright cover.
This book is about 16 year old Lilac who is living in the midst of a highly contagious virus, much like the days of Covid that we are currently living in.
Overall, I enjoyed this book. There were eight point of views in the story, which sometimes threw me off a bit with the amount of stuff going on in the book. I did like the writing of the author, and would certainly read more books from her in the future. The sci-fi aspects were entertaining, and kept me involved throughout. If you like sci-fi novels that deal with viruses and how one move can change the world, then pick this book up and give it a chance.
This was the third book that involves a major life altering pandemic that I’ve read during this real pandemic and like the other two, when I picked it up I had no idea that’s what it was about. I wonder what that says about me… or perhaps, I don’t want to know!
In this book the pandemic is more background than focus. All we know is that multiple pandemics have caused the world to go into quarantine for an extended period of time so people make ‘companions’ to keep them company. And if you can’t guess what happens when people and robots mix, you need to watch/read more robot/AI movies/books… or ask Arnold Schwarzenegger how it goes.
This one is a bit different than your typical machines vs. humanity book though because the companions aren’t actually AI, they’re the consciousness of humans that have been uploaded into these robots before they died. But like most robot movies/books, they’re treated poorly and seen as subhuman. They’re owned by humans, and used to raise their children or to serve them. And by now, we should all know how well that works out.
The story is very discombobulated at times, jumping from character to character and missing chunks of time. But as you read you see how each character ties together and can mostly intuit what’s happened during the missing time. I can see where this style of writing won’t work for every reader and I struggled with my rating. In the end I decided on 3.75 stars as I did enjoy the story. It ends a bit abruptly and is confusing at times but about half way through I couldn’t put it down. This one won’t be for everyone but I’m glad I read it! But let’s be honest, shouldn’t we have learned by now that the machines will always turn on us? I have, I’m afraid of Alexa and Siri!
I won this book in a giveaway.
Beautifully atmospheric and emotionally intense, The Companions is an unnerving and engrossing story. The radiant, somber voice of this near-future speculative novel ratchets the suspense while also illuminating what makes us human and how we endure beyond death. This is a spellbinding novel that will linger with you.
With deft narration and unforgettable characters, Katie M. Flynn weaves a tale of high-tech, dystopian reincarnation. Each detail is beautifully sketched and thrilling to discover, creating a near-future world of endless fascination. The Companions is a compelling, gripping, whip-smart piece of speculative fiction.
This sweeping novel of near-future dystopia has an ensemble cast and covers continents and years of time, but it never loses its intimacy and immediacy. There’s a deeply moving humanity to each of these characters — even the ones who aren’t quite human. I loved this book so much I didn’t want it to end.
If you wished the Black Mirror episode ‘Be Right Back’ had explored the greater ramifications of uploading the dead into artificial bodies, Katie M. Flynn has you covered. She has explored every facet of the idea from every perspective, and the result is gripping.
The Companions is one of those rare novels that leave you feeling euphoric and hollow, filled with questions about the loss and loneliness that shape life after a loved one is gone… and comes back. A stunning debut novel. We can’t wait to read Katie M. Flynn’s next book.