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lddavis's review
3.0
A page turner of the YA sort. It left me curious the entire time. Pieces of the plot and character line were a little weak at times but a fun, quick read.
thewallflower00's review
5.0
So this is a YA novel about a girl forced to switch schools a lot because of her stalking father. The way she stays socially healthy is something called CatNet, which is basically a forum/chat client for people who like cute animals. What she doesn’t know is that this forum is run by a super-intelligent AI who, well, likes cute animals too. And as the girl and the AI become friends, the AI discovers things about her father. Things that make the girl think she might not know the whole truth.
It’s very good. The pace is fast. At first, you think it’s going to be another cliche YA novel about “poor girl trying to fit in at school”, but the AI is a fun addition to what otherwise would have been a mopefest. It’s more positive than the back matter makes it out to be. My only complaint is that it wraps up a little fast. But it’s got everything I want–cats, robots, adventure. This book was much better than I expected and I will be reading the sequel.
It’s very good. The pace is fast. At first, you think it’s going to be another cliche YA novel about “poor girl trying to fit in at school”, but the AI is a fun addition to what otherwise would have been a mopefest. It’s more positive than the back matter makes it out to be. My only complaint is that it wraps up a little fast. But it’s got everything I want–cats, robots, adventure. This book was much better than I expected and I will be reading the sequel.
boggremlin's review
4.0
A fantastic and absorbing thriller/mystery full of AI, quirky and believable teenagers, and excellent writing. Highly recommended, especially for readers seeking a relatable (non-depressed!) teenage voice, and for anyone with an interest in Internet privacy and AI.
tani's review
4.0
Cute story. I enjoyed the friend group a lot, and found this easy and enjoyable to listen to. Interested to see where the second book takes us.
erohmensing's review
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
taeli's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
auntie_marmot's review
adventurous
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
So well-written!
kathrinpassig's review
4.0
"Aha aha, so geht es also jetzt zu bei den 16-Jährigen im Internet", dachte ich, "das ist ja alles so, wie ich es kenne." Dann habe ich nachgesehen und die Autorin ist so alt wie ich. (Ich hatte schon so einen Verdacht, als die Protagonistinnen eine Taschenlampe verwendeten, um nachts auf dem Campingplatz den Weg zum Klo zu finden, obwohl sie Handys haben.) Die ersten drei Viertel waren spannend, das letzte Viertel ist dann ein relativ lahmes Verknoten der 237 offenen Handlungsfäden. Bemerkenswertes Feature: Es kommt eine Katze vor, die auf S. 121 (von 304) Ich möchte außerdem bemängeln, dass die Mutter der Protagonistin eine Top-Expertin für Internetsecurity ist und ein aberwitzig ungeeignetes Passwort verwendet (brute force herausfindbar im Sekundenbereich).
Spoiler
Junge bekommt, und diese Katzenbabys kommen dann NIE WIEDER VOR. Also sie werden schon am Rande erwähnt, aber man lässst sie allein, es wird nicht mal ein Foto von ihnen gemacht, gar nichts!machadofam8's review
5.0
I loved this - much darker than I had anticipated but that was what made it great. Can't wait for the sequel!
simoneandherbooks's review
4.0
I didn't know what to expect from this YA sci-fi thriller. I don't think I've read anything set in the real world with real technology and a tiny tinge of fiction in there to make it all impossibly possible. And yet, here we are with a book that I would have picked up years ago if I knew anything about it.
It follows Steph Taylor, a teenager whose been on the run with her mother from her estranged father. They've been running for the last ten years worried that Steph's father will find them again. And it's definitely messed with Steph's mental health; trouble with making friends since they move so often, trouble with stability because they don't stay in one place long enough. It felt like for much of the novel Steph was looking to find somewhere to belong, which is why she loved CatNet.
CatNet is an online community of people who love to share cat photos. Steph was able to find a specialized chatroom filled with friends she can always talk to regardless of where they lived. They don't know her real name, what she looks like, or where she lives because her mother forces her to keep that information under lock and key. Much of her mother's paranoia leaks into Steph's life, but at the same time she just wants to be a regular teenager.
The technology in this story was probably the scariest part because it felt so real. While I don't know if there's conscious AI out there, I do know that the idea of sentient AI makes me nervous. What I know from similar sci fi movies (like the Terminator, I, Robot), you don't want to be hanging out with these kinds of inventions. However, the AI in this book felt more like Haley Joel Osment in AI than it did Arnold Schwarzenegger and it made it more palatable.
In fact, the AI in this story reminded me a lot of Murderbot from Martha Wells's series. Instead of a soap opera loving killing machine that protects its humans, it's a sentient AI technology that loves cat photos and protecting its humans. Seriously, this book was Murderbot Lite for young people, so if you've ever loved Murderbot, then you'll like this one as well.
In terms of thriller, this one is pretty mild. In fact, the story read more contemporary YA than it did sci fi or thriller. You read a lot of Steph's POV; how she wants to make friends, how she finds Rachel to be a kindred spirit, and how she loves bats and photography. In fact, I really loved Steph throughout the story. She reminded me of so many people I knew in high school; the artsy weirdos who had a found family among their friends and never felt self-conscious around them. But the thriller elements were there and provided a level of suspense that kept me reading. It does get much deeper as the story progresses (sorry, no spoilers here) and I couldn't put the book down without knowing what happens at the end.
And I loved how it ended! The story here definitely wraps up, but it opens it up for something bigger in book two. The second book, Chaos on CatNet, is the one that's up for a Hugo award this year, so I'll definitely grab that from the library and read it soon!
It follows Steph Taylor, a teenager whose been on the run with her mother from her estranged father. They've been running for the last ten years worried that Steph's father will find them again. And it's definitely messed with Steph's mental health; trouble with making friends since they move so often, trouble with stability because they don't stay in one place long enough. It felt like for much of the novel Steph was looking to find somewhere to belong, which is why she loved CatNet.
CatNet is an online community of people who love to share cat photos. Steph was able to find a specialized chatroom filled with friends she can always talk to regardless of where they lived. They don't know her real name, what she looks like, or where she lives because her mother forces her to keep that information under lock and key. Much of her mother's paranoia leaks into Steph's life, but at the same time she just wants to be a regular teenager.
The technology in this story was probably the scariest part because it felt so real. While I don't know if there's conscious AI out there, I do know that the idea of sentient AI makes me nervous. What I know from similar sci fi movies (like the Terminator, I, Robot), you don't want to be hanging out with these kinds of inventions. However, the AI in this book felt more like Haley Joel Osment in AI than it did Arnold Schwarzenegger and it made it more palatable.
In fact, the AI in this story reminded me a lot of Murderbot from Martha Wells's series. Instead of a soap opera loving killing machine that protects its humans, it's a sentient AI technology that loves cat photos and protecting its humans. Seriously, this book was Murderbot Lite for young people, so if you've ever loved Murderbot, then you'll like this one as well.
In terms of thriller, this one is pretty mild. In fact, the story read more contemporary YA than it did sci fi or thriller. You read a lot of Steph's POV; how she wants to make friends, how she finds Rachel to be a kindred spirit, and how she loves bats and photography. In fact, I really loved Steph throughout the story. She reminded me of so many people I knew in high school; the artsy weirdos who had a found family among their friends and never felt self-conscious around them. But the thriller elements were there and provided a level of suspense that kept me reading. It does get much deeper as the story progresses (sorry, no spoilers here) and I couldn't put the book down without knowing what happens at the end.
And I loved how it ended! The story here definitely wraps up, but it opens it up for something bigger in book two. The second book, Chaos on CatNet, is the one that's up for a Hugo award this year, so I'll definitely grab that from the library and read it soon!