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hank's review
3.0
2.5 stars rounded up because I think it will appeal to some readers.
Boring, not-science fiction, family drama type of story. There are so many dull real life types of family stories out there that Pinsker assumed, correctly, that she had to throw something else in. What she threw in was a very lightly discussed "sci-fi" element that essentially gives anyone who has it an advantage. The separation of society could have been discussed much better and much more in depth but it wasn't, we just got the whole "I am alienating my son/daughter oh woe is me"
There is a reason I reads science fiction instead of generic fiction, I don't like false advertising but even without that, the book wasn't very entertaining.
Boring, not-science fiction, family drama type of story. There are so many dull real life types of family stories out there that Pinsker assumed, correctly, that she had to throw something else in. What she threw in was a very lightly discussed "sci-fi" element that essentially gives anyone who has it an advantage. The separation of society could have been discussed much better and much more in depth but it wasn't, we just got the whole "I am alienating my son/daughter oh woe is me"
There is a reason I reads science fiction instead of generic fiction, I don't like false advertising but even without that, the book wasn't very entertaining.
rebeccalcohen's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-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? It's complicated
4.0
fangirl76's review
5.0
This is a thought-provoking novel or multiple levels. How far do you let the technology go? I enjoyed watching the characters shift and grow. I see myself reflecting on bits of the book for quite some time.
whami's review
4.0
I enjoyed the story of this book very much, but the writing felt weak. The dialogue was often presented as just cold back-and-forth. There was emotion in what was being said, just not in how it was written.
beniceorleaf's review
3.0
Fully fine. Interesting but a little slow and the climax is pretty minimal.
meghank73's review
3.0
Could be a third shorter. Really delves into the repercussions this sort of technology could cause which I enjoyed, but the parents are so dumb at times it made it less enjoyable.
sasha_is_reading's review
hopeful
fast-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? It's complicated
3.75
booksonthecouch's review
3.0
If you could have a simple procedure to implant a device that would significantly improve your attention and ability to multitask, would you? What if so many people did that society started to shift in a way that made it almost necessary? In We Are Satellites, a piece of technology, called a Pilot, does just that. The novel centers on one family who all have different experiences with the pilot: Mothers Val and Julie, their son, David, and daughter, Sophie. David comes home from school begging for a pilot, and eventually his mothers agree. Julie finds that as society adopts Pilots, it becomes increasingly difficult for her to do her job without one. Val holds out in solidarity with Sophie, who, due to her epilepsy, is ineligible. The story follows the family as the device becomes ubiquitous, and an anti-pilot movement rises.
To offer a comparison, not having a Pilot in this story becomes akin to what it's like these days to not have a smartphone.
This is exactly the kind of sci-fi I love the best. This is near-future with almost zero world-building, just a dystopian look at the role of a piece of fictional technology. As a result, this reads like an episode of Black Mirror.
As a human with ADHD, We Are Satellites had me seriously considering what I would do if technology like this existed. It sounds like taking all of the good things about ADHD (broad scope of focus, noticing peripheral stimuli and patterns quickly, and hyperfocus), and utilizing them with the capacity to multi-task and focus effectively. It always helps in books like these when the technology is an easy sell, and I can definitely see how the Pilot gained traction in our hustle-culture world.
Also worth mentioning, this book is just chock full of casual queerness in the best way possible. This family has two mothers, there are nonbinary and trans side characters, and Pinsker never stops to point it out or make it the focus. Add to that that this is a casually queer book that's NOT centrally focused on romance, and that earns it even more points.
I was behind on reviews and ended up snagging the audiobook version of this from my library, and I would strongly advise that people able to do so choose to read this in print. I found that the narration fell a bit flat and made some of the characters a bit more difficult to differentiate.
To offer a comparison, not having a Pilot in this story becomes akin to what it's like these days to not have a smartphone.
This is exactly the kind of sci-fi I love the best. This is near-future with almost zero world-building, just a dystopian look at the role of a piece of fictional technology. As a result, this reads like an episode of Black Mirror.
As a human with ADHD, We Are Satellites had me seriously considering what I would do if technology like this existed. It sounds like taking all of the good things about ADHD (broad scope of focus, noticing peripheral stimuli and patterns quickly, and hyperfocus), and utilizing them with the capacity to multi-task and focus effectively. It always helps in books like these when the technology is an easy sell, and I can definitely see how the Pilot gained traction in our hustle-culture world.
Also worth mentioning, this book is just chock full of casual queerness in the best way possible. This family has two mothers, there are nonbinary and trans side characters, and Pinsker never stops to point it out or make it the focus. Add to that that this is a casually queer book that's NOT centrally focused on romance, and that earns it even more points.
I was behind on reviews and ended up snagging the audiobook version of this from my library, and I would strongly advise that people able to do so choose to read this in print. I found that the narration fell a bit flat and made some of the characters a bit more difficult to differentiate.
brandy_reads's review
2.0
Thank you @netgalley and @berkleypub for the complimentary copy.
So I went into this expecting lots of sci-fi and was sorely disappointed. Everything is told from Julie, Val, David, and Sophie’s POV’s. Because of this, the view of what is happening outside of their family is very narrow with most of the focus on the family dynamics. The implications of the pilots on society are covered, but not in much depth. The characters aren’t well developed and I could not connect with them at all. You’re often told how they feel but I never actually felt it. You know what I mean? During the emotional moments I felt nothing. Not for me unfortunately.
So I went into this expecting lots of sci-fi and was sorely disappointed. Everything is told from Julie, Val, David, and Sophie’s POV’s. Because of this, the view of what is happening outside of their family is very narrow with most of the focus on the family dynamics. The implications of the pilots on society are covered, but not in much depth. The characters aren’t well developed and I could not connect with them at all. You’re often told how they feel but I never actually felt it. You know what I mean? During the emotional moments I felt nothing. Not for me unfortunately.
realityczar's review
4.0
Slow start but it picks up, and Sophie is a great character. There are a lot of nuanced portrayals in this book, along with some scenes that come in like a hammer on the head to make what could be a subtle point. Overall, I really liked it, though, and it raises interesting questions about technology and political power (though it manages not to really squarely address any of them.)