Reviews

The Unseen World by Liz Moore is an adult fiction book which begins in the 1980s when Ada the protagonist is a 12 years old. Ada is being raised by her single father, David. Her father is raising her unconventionally so Ada does not attend formal school but instead is taught by her father and accompanies him every day to work in his lab at a Boston university.
David’s work involves early programming and main frame computers. He has little trust in people except for his daughter and his team in the lab. Early on in the book it is revealed that David is in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease, a fact he keeps from everyone except his co-worker and neighbor Liston.
The first third of the book deals with Ada finding out about her father’s illness and the resulting impact upon her life. The book then moves forward to give you a glimpse in Ada’s life in 2006 and then moves back to the 1980s, then 1930s, 1950s which helps deliver David’s back story.
The story is very much about decisions people make and their impact on those around them. It has emotion, mystery and conflict. I found the story and the characters very complex and believable. I really enjoyed this book and felt very involved with the characters. Moore’s story blends actual historical events into the story which further invests you in the characters and their motivations. The book is beautifully written and I can recommend this book for those who like a well plotted story with strong characters.

jenhurst's review against another edition

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3.0

This was a little long and I felt like the story of super smart dad with awkward genius daughter has been done a lot. It didn’t really bring anything new. But I liked the general story, writing and intrigue. It was a little slow for my liking, but I think I’d really enjoy this as a movie.

cmcclure9's review

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slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No

4.0

macandgeese's review against another edition

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emotional reflective sad medium-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

5.0

stuckinafictionaluniverse's review against another edition

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3.0

3.5 stars?
I would prefer to have a spoiler-filled discussion of this rather than a review, because there is so much to talk about with this book. Excuse the long review.

3 stars usually means that I enjoyed the book, but that it lacked something that would make it great. The other option is indifference. Neither is the case for The unseen world, I have no idea how to rate it. The book captivated me and brought out unexpected emotions. At the same time, I found several flaws that bothered me and kept me from falling in love with this story. The unseen world is for a very specific type of reader. One who does not mind slow novels. One who enjoys the journey and clues of a drawn-out mystery more than the answers themselves. One who can keep up with multiple plotlines. Liz Moore covers a lot of ground here - terminal illness, artificial intelligence, US history and family relationships.

This story follows child prodigy Ada and her reclusive father David. David works at a lab that is gaining attention for developing artificial intelligence in the 80's. Ada is essently David's assistant; gifted in mathematics and problem-solving, she is up to par with the adult scientists at the lab. Soon her father's brilliant mind starts deteriorating from Alzheimer's, and it turns out that David has kept many secrets about both his research and personal life. How does a child deal with lifechanging information when the only person who could give her answers is rapidly becoming a blank canvas?

First of all, I have to applaud Liz Moore. The author has figured out the answer to a tricky question: How to write a story with adult themes from a child's perspective? The answer: child prodigy! Ada's voice is very mature, and I did not question this since she was homeschooled by a scientist and is depicted as wise beyond her years. Further, this father-daughter relationship was definitely the highlight of the book, as it is unlike anything I've read before. David cares deeply for Ada, but seems burdened by his parental role.

“Once, she asked him to leave her a note when he was going out; though he agreed to, he had looked at her with an expression she interpreted as disappointment. That she was not more self-reliant; that she needed him in this way. Ada did not ask again.”

Ada refers to her father by his first name, they work together in the lab and he quizzes her on knowledge that most 12-year-olds won't learn for years. David treats Ada as an adult and is amazed by her abilities.

“She adopted many of David’s habits. They were alike: everyone said it. And that he understood her—more than anyone else in the world ever understood her—seemed to her like an incredible stroke of luck. “You are more machine than human, Ada,” he said at times. And it was the truth, not an insult. And it was calming to her to be so understood. And, sometimes, she felt it was why he loved her.”
It is rare to come across a close father-daughter connection in fiction, and I think it was beautifully and delicately portrayed. I really appreciated it. My interest in the other plotlines wavered back and forth, but I always kept reading for David and Ada.

Now I'll explain why although I enjoyed this book, I would hesitate to recommend it without caution. Don't take it lightly when I say that this is a slow read. The reader is fed ~~crumbs~~ clues piece by piece, just enough to move the mystery forward. I considered putting the book down on more than one occasion, but my attachment to the characters glued me to the pages. The hints we receive about David's past life are few and far in between up until the big reveal, which was frankly anti-climactic.

I think the main reason for the slow pacing is that it tries to cover so many topics. It seemed like the 450 pages were not enough for what the author tried to explore. The theme of early artifical intelligence was certainly original, but it came across as a sidetrack to the mysterious background of the Sibelius family, tracing from the 1930's until 2009. The book even brings up at dark part of US history from the 50's that I had never heard of, which I'll tag as a spoiler as it is a rather big reveal in the book.

Spoiler

The Lavender scare - the moral panic and homophobia that led to many government employees losing their jobs. They were seen as untrustworthy because of their perceived sexuality and a threat to the country's national security.

The story is heavy with information - not regarding science but rather with multiple storylines and themes that I think ultimately came across as halfhearted and a bit confusing. The writing reinforces this feeling of overachievement, when Moore presents descriptive details to evoke emotion, but I experienced that this took away attention from what was happening in the scene.

And yet, The unseen world lingered in my mind to the point where I read a chapter during breakfast, on my study breaks and whenever I had spare time. Each time it took a good few minutes for my interest to pick up so I could get back into the story. Once I was there, I was hooked. Moore writes fantastic relationships and explores many different angles of a story, but the plot traded quality for ambition.

eliannamentzer's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful mysterious sad medium-paced

Loveable characters? Yes

4.75

Content Warnings

alisha247's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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