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A review by ladygetslit
Addict by Matt Doyle
5.0
Read my full review on my blog, The Story Salve
Actual Rating: 4.5 stars.
*Full Disclosure: I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review. This in no way influences my opinion of the book.*
Addict is a cyberpunk/crime noir novel that follows Cassie Tam as she attempts to solve the mystery surrounding Eddie Redwood’s apparent drug overdose. Along the way, she has to confront her ex-girlfriend, Charlie, and comes to realize her growing feelings for her client, Lori, a Tech Shifter who uses an animal exoskeleton to role play as stress relief.
what I liked:
* Cassie as the protagonist: she’s slightly snarky & super independent; she’s not afraid of bending the law when she needs to, but she works for the good of her clients in a society where the police aren’t trustworthy
* unique world-building: there’s enough info to give you a sense of the society, but it’s not just a huge info-dump in the beginning & it doesn’t detract from the action of the story
* futuristic concepts that echo our reality: the idea of people who are addicted to virtual reality hits pretty close to home & gives the story an eerie quality that works really well
* Tech Shifting as a metaphor: through her growing relationship with her client, Lori, Cassie learns to reconsider her preconceptions of Tech Shifters, people who use an exoskeleton to transform into an animal or hybrid. Tech Shifting could be seen as the futuristic role playing that is sometimes mocked by non-nerds, and the story reminds us to not be so harsh with our judgements before we really know people.
* queerness & an f/f romance that takes a backseat to the action: Cassie’s flirtation with Lori acts as comic relief rather than detracting from the main storyline. This isn’t a story about being queer, which I also loved.
* the crime plot mixed with the cyberpunk world really kept me guessing
*setup for a longer series: Cassie is such a great character & the world she lives in has a lot of potential for more stories in the future; at the same time, Addict could easily be read as a standalone.
My only issue was the ending. After the mystery is resolved, the story focuses on the romantic tension between Cassie and Lori. I enjoyed this element, but I wanted more of Cassie’s family backstory earlier in the story, rather than having it finally exposed at the end.
Overall: definitely recommended, particularly for sci-fi readers.
Despite the fact that this is outside my normal genre, I really got into the story. There was plenty of world-building that added to the story rather than distracting from it. Addict is a nice escapist type read, but one that also makes you consider aspects of the real world in a new way. I really admired Cassie’s personality and look forward to hopefully reading more of her stories in the future.
Actual Rating: 4.5 stars.
*Full Disclosure: I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review. This in no way influences my opinion of the book.*
Addict is a cyberpunk/crime noir novel that follows Cassie Tam as she attempts to solve the mystery surrounding Eddie Redwood’s apparent drug overdose. Along the way, she has to confront her ex-girlfriend, Charlie, and comes to realize her growing feelings for her client, Lori, a Tech Shifter who uses an animal exoskeleton to role play as stress relief.
what I liked:
* Cassie as the protagonist: she’s slightly snarky & super independent; she’s not afraid of bending the law when she needs to, but she works for the good of her clients in a society where the police aren’t trustworthy
* unique world-building: there’s enough info to give you a sense of the society, but it’s not just a huge info-dump in the beginning & it doesn’t detract from the action of the story
* futuristic concepts that echo our reality: the idea of people who are addicted to virtual reality hits pretty close to home & gives the story an eerie quality that works really well
* Tech Shifting as a metaphor: through her growing relationship with her client, Lori, Cassie learns to reconsider her preconceptions of Tech Shifters, people who use an exoskeleton to transform into an animal or hybrid. Tech Shifting could be seen as the futuristic role playing that is sometimes mocked by non-nerds, and the story reminds us to not be so harsh with our judgements before we really know people.
* queerness & an f/f romance that takes a backseat to the action: Cassie’s flirtation with Lori acts as comic relief rather than detracting from the main storyline. This isn’t a story about being queer, which I also loved.
* the crime plot mixed with the cyberpunk world really kept me guessing
*setup for a longer series: Cassie is such a great character & the world she lives in has a lot of potential for more stories in the future; at the same time, Addict could easily be read as a standalone.
My only issue was the ending. After the mystery is resolved, the story focuses on the romantic tension between Cassie and Lori. I enjoyed this element, but I wanted more of Cassie’s family backstory earlier in the story, rather than having it finally exposed at the end.
Overall: definitely recommended, particularly for sci-fi readers.
Despite the fact that this is outside my normal genre, I really got into the story. There was plenty of world-building that added to the story rather than distracting from it. Addict is a nice escapist type read, but one that also makes you consider aspects of the real world in a new way. I really admired Cassie’s personality and look forward to hopefully reading more of her stories in the future.