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avisreadsandreads's review against another edition
challenging
dark
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
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? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug use, Medical content, Medical trauma, and Addiction
Moderate: Bullying, Injury/Injury detail, Chronic illness, and Ableism
jhbandcats's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
sad
tense
fast-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? Yes
5.0
A complex tale of family and love and trust tied up with worrisome technology and medical devices. There are four well-written characters, each distinctive - there’s a mom who works in politics, a mom who’s a teacher, an older son who joins the military, and a younger sister who has epilepsy.
As the book opens, the Pilot is beginning to be embraced as a device to boost attention and concentration. The book tracks the family as they each relate to the Pilot. One loves it, one hates it, one can’t have it for health reasons, and one has no interest in it. Each viewpoint is explored, showing the eagerness to try something new and cool, the desire for something beneficial, and the fear of the unknown and relatively untested product that’s literally changing the brain.
There’s classroom bullying, job discrimination, corporate skullduggery, and dogged protest tactics and investigations. It’s thought provoking and clever, really worth reading.
As the book opens, the Pilot is beginning to be embraced as a device to boost attention and concentration. The book tracks the family as they each relate to the Pilot. One loves it, one hates it, one can’t have it for health reasons, and one has no interest in it. Each viewpoint is explored, showing the eagerness to try something new and cool, the desire for something beneficial, and the fear of the unknown and relatively untested product that’s literally changing the brain.
There’s classroom bullying, job discrimination, corporate skullduggery, and dogged protest tactics and investigations. It’s thought provoking and clever, really worth reading.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Drug use, Gaslighting, Medical content, and Classism
lex_y's review
challenging
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Medical trauma, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Classism, Chronic illness, Drug use, and Bullying
Minor: Blood
anxiousnachos's review
3.5
3.5 stars. I had been craving scifi and picked this book out of my TBR jar. It’s a very Black Mirror, watch tech tear a family apart across many years kind of story. I thought the start and ending were both fabulous, tense and well paced. The middle section felt a little bogged down and repetitive, I feel it could have been cut back a bit? The family relationship dynamic was really wonderful, you get to see 4 POVs in this, the two moms, the brother and sister, and I thought this was just a really wonderful perspective to actually see from, to see the impact of events from each individual in a family.
Another stand out was the rep: the disability rep!! Two main characters have disabilities, one has epilepsy, one has a sensory processing disorder. Two of the main characters are sapphic and there’s a trans side character too. Wonderful to see all of this, I was particularly impressed with the way disability was explored as the central idea within the novel, how the brain tech affects the main characters, either by causing their disability in the case of David, or by resulting in the social exclusion of Sophie because she can’t get the tech due to her epilepsy. It was very interesting, and felt like a more family-driven Black Mirror but finishing it, and writing this review several days after I finish, I already kind of feel like I’ve forgotten it?
Content warnings: epilepsy, ableism, ableist slurs, war, military, sensory processing disorder, bullying, drug use, addiction, amputation
Another stand out was the rep: the disability rep!! Two main characters have disabilities, one has epilepsy, one has a sensory processing disorder. Two of the main characters are sapphic and there’s a trans side character too. Wonderful to see all of this, I was particularly impressed with the way disability was explored as the central idea within the novel, how the brain tech affects the main characters, either by causing their disability in the case of David, or by resulting in the social exclusion of Sophie because she can’t get the tech due to her epilepsy. It was very interesting, and felt like a more family-driven Black Mirror but finishing it, and writing this review several days after I finish, I already kind of feel like I’ve forgotten it?
Content warnings: epilepsy, ableism, ableist slurs, war, military, sensory processing disorder, bullying, drug use, addiction, amputation
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Bullying, Chronic illness, Drug use, War, and Medical trauma
fatalisticshrug's review
dark
informative
reflective
tense
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
4.0
There’s a new device that helps you multitask and be more efficient. Do you get it, not knowing if there are any side effects? Do you wait, risking to get left behind along with the people who can’t get it due to health issues? What if your children want one? What if it turns out it might not be right for everyone?
Great book, but also hard for me to read at times because the description of the malfunctioning device sounds so similar to how my migraine brain works sometimes.
Great book, but also hard for me to read at times because the description of the malfunctioning device sounds so similar to how my migraine brain works sometimes.
Science fiction, but easy to imagine we’re only a few years away from something like this. Haunting.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical content
Moderate: Drug abuse, Addiction, Bullying, Chronic illness, Medical trauma, and Mental illness
rorikae's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
'We Are Satellites' by Sarah Pinsker is a thought provoking novel about the impact of technology and who it leaves behind.
The story centers on a family of four in the near future as a technology that unlocks the brain's potential is becoming more and more powerful. Val is a teacher and Julie works for a politician. Their son David decides that he wants a Pilot, a brain implant that unlocks the brain's ability to function. But David's sister Sophie, who suffers from seizures, will never be able to have a Pilot. When Julie decides to get a Pilot because of her job, the family begins to feel the influence that the technology has on their family. As David and Sophie grow up and their lives move in different directions, the influence of the Pilot on the world and their family continues to increase.
Pinsker has created a family drama that taps into much larger questions about new technologies and their impact on society. By boiling this down to a single family's tale, she is able to create moving characters that feel like real people and project the reality of technology's toll. So often new tech is lauded and people don't consider its consequences, especially for those that can never utilize these advancements.
I think the strongest part of this story is the characters. They are the heart of what is happening and as the reader comes to care for them, they begin to investigate the greater questions that Pinsker is asking. I think this would be a great book club novel because there are so many different aspects to discuss and apply to our current world. This is the first book of Pinsker's that I have read but I will definitely be picking up more in the future.
The story centers on a family of four in the near future as a technology that unlocks the brain's potential is becoming more and more powerful. Val is a teacher and Julie works for a politician. Their son David decides that he wants a Pilot, a brain implant that unlocks the brain's ability to function. But David's sister Sophie, who suffers from seizures, will never be able to have a Pilot. When Julie decides to get a Pilot because of her job, the family begins to feel the influence that the technology has on their family. As David and Sophie grow up and their lives move in different directions, the influence of the Pilot on the world and their family continues to increase.
Pinsker has created a family drama that taps into much larger questions about new technologies and their impact on society. By boiling this down to a single family's tale, she is able to create moving characters that feel like real people and project the reality of technology's toll. So often new tech is lauded and people don't consider its consequences, especially for those that can never utilize these advancements.
I think the strongest part of this story is the characters. They are the heart of what is happening and as the reader comes to care for them, they begin to investigate the greater questions that Pinsker is asking. I think this would be a great book club novel because there are so many different aspects to discuss and apply to our current world. This is the first book of Pinsker's that I have read but I will definitely be picking up more in the future.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Ableism, Addiction, Bullying, Drug use, Grief, Medical content, Medical trauma, and Mental illness
girlonbooks's review
dark
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
🔊🔊🔊🔊 (four stars as rated in all the noise in your mind that never ever stops)
When Val and Julie’s son David comes home from school asking for a Pilot, a new brain implant that improves brain function, they reluctantly agree. The doctors all assure them it’s safe and, with the new technology becoming commonplace, more kids at David’s school have them than do not. But with the many benefits of the Pilot come downsides as well. What of Sophie, David’s younger sister who has epilepsy and whose brain can not support the technology? What of Val who simply isn’t interested in getting one? Who is really behind the almost overnight success of this life changing science? And how do you fight back against something once it’s everywhere?
When Val and Julie’s son David comes home from school asking for a Pilot, a new brain implant that improves brain function, they reluctantly agree. The doctors all assure them it’s safe and, with the new technology becoming commonplace, more kids at David’s school have them than do not. But with the many benefits of the Pilot come downsides as well. What of Sophie, David’s younger sister who has epilepsy and whose brain can not support the technology? What of Val who simply isn’t interested in getting one? Who is really behind the almost overnight success of this life changing science? And how do you fight back against something once it’s everywhere?
“We know Pilots don’t make anybody smarter. They don’t teach good study skills. They aren’t a replacement for teachers or books. If a kid is in tenth grade and reading on a third-grade level, he’s not going to magically start comprehending quantum physics or To the Lighthouse just because he has a Pilot . It’s a superficial fix. A bandage for a paper cut on a finger when there’s a sucking chest wound, too.”
This is my first Sarah Pinsker novel and it exceeded all of my expectations! The story is one part speculative sci-fi, one part family drama, and one part conspiracy! But what I really, really loved about this novel was how quickly it moved. Everything I knew about the story going into it literally occurs within the first 10 pages! The book just takes off and sustains this fast, engrossing pace throughout. I loved that especially considering the technical nature of the subject matter which could have become very easily bogged down.
The arcs of the four main characters were really lovely to read. I appreciate the way this family is illustrated for us and loved getting to see them grow and change. I want to say that Sophie was my favorite character, but when I think about it I don’t know that I could choose between them. They each make mistakes, but we are gifted so much insight into why they all chose to do what they do. And I really enjoyed that.
✨ Rep in this book: Queer MC’s, Neurodivergent MC
✨ Content warnings for this book: thoughts of suicide, drug use, addiction, mentions of war and battle, PTSD, medical stuff, gas-lighting
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Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical content and Medical trauma
Moderate: Ableism, Bullying, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Violence
ayana's review
challenging
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
We Are Satellites by Sarah Pinsker follows a LGBTQIA diverse and Ability diverse suburban family as they reach milestones in the shadow of a brain-enhancing implant named Pilot. Much of the novel is a commentary on American capitalism, how technology furthers the gap between the haves and the have-nots, and what it means to be human in a synthetically simulated society. Although hard science fiction themes (the Pilot may be scientifically possible) underline the plot, the narrative centers on the family mentioned above: Julie, her wife Val, and their two kids David and Sophie. Because of choice or biology, each family member has a individual connection to Pilot, which causes each character to make very different life choices over ten years. We Are Satellites challenges readers to envision a dysfunctional, yet loving family inhabit a very realistic near future as they cope first with Sophie’s disability, divided ideologies next, then David’s mental illness caused by technical difficulties. If you enjoy complex characters living ordinary lives in a theoretically fantastic world, give this book a look.
If you liked the leisurely paced and thought-provoking novel The Circle by Dave Eggers, or the bittersweet book about an unhappy family Tell the Machine Goodnight by Katie Williams, you will like We Are Satellites.
If you liked the leisurely paced and thought-provoking novel The Circle by Dave Eggers, or the bittersweet book about an unhappy family Tell the Machine Goodnight by Katie Williams, you will like We Are Satellites.
I received an ARC from NetGalley for an honest review.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Mental illness, Drug use, and Drug abuse
Minor: Ableism and Bullying
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