Whoever You Are, Honey: A Novel
by Olivia Gatwood
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In Santa Cruz, every house is as flawless as the people inside. Not so for Mitty and her elderly roommate Bethel. For ten years, Mitty has found refuge in their quiet existence after a traumatic relationship that marked her adolescence. Now, they're the oddball pair in the dilapidated bungalow -- the last vestiges of a town taken over by the tech elite. And when a new couple moves in next door, all four of them are about to be irrevocably changed. Because in Silicon Valley, nothing is show more off-limits, and what was once considered dystopia is now just reality. Sebastian is a software engineer working on artificial intelligence, and Lena is his suspiciously perfect girlfriend, so dreamy there's no way she's human. Or is she? Just like Mitty, Lena has her own secrets, suspicions about her oddly spotty memory and the way Sebastian closely controls their life together. As an all-consuming friendship verges into mutual obsession, Mitty is desperate to figure out who -- or what -- Lena really is. And as Lena starts to ask questions about Mitty's past, she is reminded of a part of herself she has yet to face: something anxious, something broken, something real. And in this salt-blasted town, friendship will bleed into obsession, minds and bodies will betray, and the past will come back with a howl and a bite. show lessTags
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A strange, slow trickle of uncertainty as these two women meet and start looking for answers in their lives. I knew this was somehow AI involved, but that is very up to the reader I think. I enjoyed reading it with that knowledge and picking up bits of strange behavior or clues dropped by the boyfriend. The writing here is some of my favorite, just enough odd description to keep me excited for the next page.
Whoever You Are, Honey by Olivia Gatwood is a measured character study that explores the relationships between women. This is a recommended debut novel that flirts with being a thriller and science fiction dystopian.
After some incident when she was eighteen, Mitty left Arizona for to stay with an old friend of her mother's, Bethel in her dilapidated oceanfront home in Santa Cruz. She hasn't been home since. Mitty is now in her late twenties while Bethel is in her late seventies. A new couple has just moved into the house next door, Lena and Sebastian. Sebastian is a renowned tech founder and Lena is his perfect girlfriend. Mitty observed the couple after they moved in and soon she and Lena meet and begin to spend time together, forming show more a friendship.
The narrative revolves around Mitty and Lena, their friendship and the secrets they both have. Mitty is hiding a secret and is hesitant to make friends because of it. Lena is uncomfortable with her uneven memory and the control Sebastian has over her. The plot is rather slow paced, basic, and Lena's secret is very predictable early on. I kept reading because the quality of the writing is excellent. I was expecting the pace, tension and action to increase and wanted to know Mitty's secret.
Whoever You Are, Honey would have benefited from more action, progression in the plot and the inclusion of more science fiction elements to build up tension while keeping the poetic language. What we have is beautiful, lyrical language about loneliness, friendship, memories, and seeking perfection. The inclusion of AI is very basic has been done before and with much more intensity, credibility, and caution. This wasn't a good fit for me. Thanks to Dial Press for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley . My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.
http://www.shetreadssoftly.com/2024/06/whoever-you-are-honey.html show less
After some incident when she was eighteen, Mitty left Arizona for to stay with an old friend of her mother's, Bethel in her dilapidated oceanfront home in Santa Cruz. She hasn't been home since. Mitty is now in her late twenties while Bethel is in her late seventies. A new couple has just moved into the house next door, Lena and Sebastian. Sebastian is a renowned tech founder and Lena is his perfect girlfriend. Mitty observed the couple after they moved in and soon she and Lena meet and begin to spend time together, forming show more a friendship.
The narrative revolves around Mitty and Lena, their friendship and the secrets they both have. Mitty is hiding a secret and is hesitant to make friends because of it. Lena is uncomfortable with her uneven memory and the control Sebastian has over her. The plot is rather slow paced, basic, and Lena's secret is very predictable early on. I kept reading because the quality of the writing is excellent. I was expecting the pace, tension and action to increase and wanted to know Mitty's secret.
Whoever You Are, Honey would have benefited from more action, progression in the plot and the inclusion of more science fiction elements to build up tension while keeping the poetic language. What we have is beautiful, lyrical language about loneliness, friendship, memories, and seeking perfection. The inclusion of AI is very basic has been done before and with much more intensity, credibility, and caution. This wasn't a good fit for me. Thanks to Dial Press for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley . My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.
http://www.shetreadssoftly.com/2024/06/whoever-you-are-honey.html show less
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