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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
qteabeans's review
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
The writing was a little off for me at times and I don't think the ending was as punchy as it could have been. The concept was solid and it was a quick read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug abuse and Drug use
Moderate: Ableism
Minor: War, Death, and Child death
Amputation, train accidentjhbandcats'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
altlovesbooks's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
I refuse to categorize this as sci-fi. This is a family drama with the barest hint of a sci-fi element, like the La Croix of genres. I probably should have put this book down as soon as I could tell where things were (or were not) heading, but I wanted to finish it so I could feel justified in leaving an actual rating.
The book follows Val and Julie, and their two kids Sophie and David. Society has begun adopting neural implants called Pilots that augment human attention, allegedly letting them multitask better and be more productive. A rift quickly opens up between the "haves" (people with Pilots) and the "have nots" (people without). David is the first person in the family to get a Pilot, followed soon by Julie. Val is staunchly anti-Pilot, and Sophie can't get one for medical reasons. We watch this small family grow up, grow apart, and grow into different aspects of Pilot life--Sophie becomes an activist, David becomes involved in the military (and then washes out with PTSD-like symptoms), and Julie and Val become increasingly irritated with the other's stance on family.
And then....the book ends.There's some weak mystery about whether the company behind Pilots is up to something shady, but that never goes anywhere. Interspersed with this family's drama are attempts by the author to push a certain narrative. Social media is bad, screen time is bad, military members are knuckle dragging cavemen and college is superior in all ways, ride share programs steal your information and aren't to be trusted, the list goes on and on. It comes off super preachy and not at all organically integrated into the non-story the author is trying to tell.
I was super disappointed with this book, and think the premise and summary is misleading. The sci-fi element (the Pilot implants) is barely used beyond being the catalyst for drama, and I was incredibly disappointed at being given a family drama I wasn't signing up for.
The book follows Val and Julie, and their two kids Sophie and David. Society has begun adopting neural implants called Pilots that augment human attention, allegedly letting them multitask better and be more productive. A rift quickly opens up between the "haves" (people with Pilots) and the "have nots" (people without). David is the first person in the family to get a Pilot, followed soon by Julie. Val is staunchly anti-Pilot, and Sophie can't get one for medical reasons. We watch this small family grow up, grow apart, and grow into different aspects of Pilot life--Sophie becomes an activist, David becomes involved in the military (and then washes out with PTSD-like symptoms), and Julie and Val become increasingly irritated with the other's stance on family.
And then....the book ends.
I was super disappointed with this book, and think the premise and summary is misleading. The sci-fi element (the Pilot implants) is barely used beyond being the catalyst for drama, and I was incredibly disappointed at being given a family drama I wasn't signing up for.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Drug use
kristenelle's review
reflective
slow-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
3.0
I'm so unsure how to rate this one. The concept of the technology that this story is about is really cool and also really prescient. I like how a family of four was used to show a wide range of experiences with the tech. The storytelling is very personal and slice of life. The writing is excellent. However, the pacing was often excruciatingly slow and at times the story went very dark (I was getting triggered). I spent a lot of this book feeling bored or triggered, but I really liked the ending and it won me over. The characters are really human and lovable. The situation is worth considering. Very much a mixed bag for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gaslighting and Medical trauma
Moderate: Ableism, Chronic illness, and Drug use
Minor: Injury/Injury detail
Job terminationrorikae'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
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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