Please note this is a review of the original book that was to be published in November 2017, and some things may have changed in the April 2018 release.

Picture a road trip - sunny days, hair blowing in the wind, happy times of solid friendship and sing-a-longs to feel-good music. Autonomous is not that road trip. Instead, Autonomous is an examination of the true nature of humanity, where buried secrets are laid bare and the harsh truths of reality are posed against the speculation of how technology might evolve and how it might reflect those truths.

When William wins a state-of-the-art car in a competition, he plans to take his three best friends on an epic road trip. But while discovering the extent of the car's abilities, from being completely self driving to apparent mind reading, everything William had planed for the road trip begins to fall apart. Instead of making fantastic memories with his friends, their relationships are tested and things get far more dangerous then they could have imagined.

I was totally excited by the premise of Autonomous. It takes the humble road trip to the next level. How cool to win a car that can basically read your mind and take you where you really want to go - and in serious style, too. But things get serious pretty quickly. This wasn't the sort of book I really enjoyed reading, too gritty for my tastes, yet it integrates such important, realistic themes and speculates on a future that seems all too possible. I totally understood Christina's skepticism and wariness of Autonomous. I was rooting for her to hack the car and find its true, nefarious purpose hidden under its disguise of butt-conforming seats and luggage-hiding floors. Yet it is the four main characters who are the focus of this book, who go on the real journey of discovery.

The journey may not have been nice, and the secrets revealed take them to the very edge - drugs, violence, the dangers of internet communication, hacking, dangerous secrets. The chapters rotate between four perspectives, William and his three road trip companions. I did find the book quite long and perhaps the four perspectives added to this, but it does help the reader experience everything through each character's eyes, allowing for the secrets to slowly unfold.

Autonomous is a interesting investigation into technology-meets-humanity, and how they each can reflect the true nature of the other.

The publishers provided an advanced readers copy of this book for reviewing purposes. All opinions are my own.

Find more reviews, reading age guides, content advisory, and recommendations on my blog, Madison's Library.

After winning a contest which just about killed him, William has the opportunity to to take an all-expenses paid cross country road trip in Autonomous, a luxurious futuristic driverless car that knows where you want to go before you do. Better yet, he even gets to take three friends along for the ride. For William this will be the perfect last hurrah before he and his friends go their separate ways after high school graduation. Autonomous, though, has much greater capabilities than even they realize - it can sync with its passengers by downloading all of their social media and digital history. All of that information has been used to program their customized itinerary on the way to their final destination, but it will also reveal things that they all would prefer stay hidden. #WorthIt

Based on the description of Andy Marino's Autonomous, this was going to be a funny road trip book featuring a great group of friends with plenty of action and thrills. It's also rated as appropriate for ages 14+. I've never read the author's work before, so I didn't know exactly what to expect in terms of style but the description really caught my attention. In the end, though, this is one of those where I completely preferred the idea presented in the description to the actual execution of the story. I was very close to DNF'ing it, but I powered my way through hoping that it would improve - unfortunately it never really did.

First things first, this is not appropriate for 14 year olds, unless your 14 year old is very mature for their age. Based on the content - cursing, drugs, drinking, sex, self-harm, and suicide, etc. - this is definitely for older teens. Usually, I don't really discuss this aspect in these terms, but that was at the top of the NetGalley description, so I must mention just how surprised I was at the content. Second, I was expecting to laugh or at least chuckle once during my reading experience, but it isn't funny - at all. I don't know if I missed something, but I didn't come away from this book thinking it's a funny road trip novel at all. I'd say it actually borders up against horror/ thriller more. Maybe I've read and watched too much about technology and/ or vehicles gone bad (Christine, The Car, Maximum Overdrive, and 2001: A Space Odyssey among others). The more I read, the less I would have been disappointed if the story had gone that route with Autonomous (aka Otto) - too bad that aspect was never really explored although there are a handful of moments.

Third, in regards to the cast of characters, I was expecting to love getting to know this group of friends, but that didn't happen. I didn't like anyone and they all grated on my nerves throughout. Christina is the only halfway decent character out of everyone in the novel (everyone else is just irritating or flat). Her character definitely deserved much better than she got in this story. I bet I was inadvertently grinding my teeth down while reading about the rest of our cast. The prevalent social media stuff was also exasperating - and that's coming from someone who tweets, blogs, pins, and the like regularly. I usually like seeing a bit of that kind of thing in YA contemporary (which this also brushes up against) because that can make it feel very current and now. Maybe, though, my irritation is connected to the characters who push it the most (ie: not Christina) or because it just feels too forced in this case - at least it does touch on some of the more creepy aspects of social media when it comes to the driverless car itself but not nearly enough.

Finally, I was really let down by Autonomous by Andy Marino - it was one of those reading experiences where I actually preferred concept to the final product. Christina, the use of social media, the driverless car, the elements of horror/ thriller, the official description - there's so much potential, but it just stalled out for me. I nearly gave up on this novel, but I kept going in hopes that it would eventually improve. I doubt this story will age well, and I expect it will date quickly. It's going for #relatable, but it never hits the mark. Reader beware: Ages 16+ are recommended.

I was going into this book with quite high expectations, because lately I found myself enjoying these types of books where technology is one of the main focuses in the story, but sadly it did disappoint me.
I completely despise the characters. At first I didn’t mind them that much, though I wasn’t a huge fan of them, but later as I continue reading the book, there were some interactions and scenes between them that just didn’t make sense to me, and the way they develop and the things they did just made me dislike them even more.
The thing about the car is practically the same. I enjoyed at first how the car had its own personality, but from the middle of the book to the end it became more and more annoying.
I love, like I said before, the technology aspect of the book, because despite finding the story a bit lacking in certain things, that was actually quite cool.

I did not mean to request this book, it happened by accident, and since I have yet to find a take back request button I received a copy and felt obligated to read it. I was ever so glad I did. Maybe it's because I had absolutely no expectations from this book that I enjoyed it.

Here's the thing, for me, this read like a quasi-horror story. And what does all good horror have? Archetypes. So yes, the characters were not the best people or the most fleshed out of all characters but they did their jobs well. Otto creepily had the most character growth and it was fantastic. This book was horrific, it had teenage sex, drinking, swearing, all the bad things mentioned in other reviews, but the satirical point was made, this is a YA novel after all. It also had great things, creepy warnings of our future world, how the internet is still dangerous and scary and social media should not be as out of control as it is, and Otto. I loved Otto.

This book was thrilling, it was engrossing, it was hilarious in a satirical way not a laugh out loud way, and it was chillingly creepy.

Autonomous the most advanced driverless car in the world. It knows what you want to do and where you want to go before you yourself know. It links up data about you from your online presence and scrupulous monitoring to predict your desires.

And William Mackler, teenage boy and "adrenaline junkie," has won the competition to own Autonomous and take himself and three friends on the road trip of a lifetime to see their favorite band before they separate after graduation.

But Autonomous isn't everything it seems and its overwhelming knowledge might just be the downfall of William and his friends.

To some people, 3 stars might be a little generous. Although I didn't really like the book as much as expected, I still think the message Marino wanted us to learn from this novel was portrayed.

The teens in this book do a lot of dumb things. They drink underage. Some do drugs. Some meddle with questionable characters. Some make bad life choices in general (but who am I to judge?).

I didn't really like any of their characters. They were all important to the novel and have a certain level of complexities, but it doesn't mean that I liked them. They were generally annoying and fought over the pettiest things.

William is the main main character who doesn't have very much character besides the fact that the summary says he's an "adrenaline junkie" which I interpreted as "dunce with no regards for his personal health." There's not very much substance to him and I didn't connect well with him.

Christina, however, was the one character I connected really well with. She's an introvert and she feels isolated from her peers as William is her best friend and next-door neighbor, and he's the limit of her companions. She's also a germaphobe and great with technology (although she dives into the Dark Web). I could see the complexities in her character with her feeling of being the fourth wheel and how she's a tad paranoid (and justifiably so) about Autonomous.

Melissa is pretty, preppy, and popular. She's trying to build her social media presence through YouTube videos and Twitter as she designs & makes clothing. I found her character interesting as she's very ambitious to a fault and it adds another layer to the traditional "Queen Bee." I found this somewhat relatable, though not as much as Christina. She see Autonomous as a chance for her to boost her following with #AutonomousRoadTrip

Daniel is the final main character & our resident drug addict. There's not much to him except the aforementioned hidden drug abuse aspect & his desire to please Melissa. I couldn't relate to him very well, either.

I found that I connected to the female characters much better than the male; whether this may be because I am a female or because the males were just written as dumb jocks, I don't know. But the characters had their faults, which is better than them being perfect role models.

The plot was somewhat engaging. I found that a few scenes seemed unnecessary to the central idea of the novel, but it followed the winning of Autonomous to the road trip, while unveiling secrets along the way.

I could predict many of the plot twists and where the plot would go in general which took away some of the entertainment value, but it wasn't dull or dragging as they make a lot of bad decisions that would be very Twitter-worthy (everyone loves watching videos of people doing dumb things) but I didn't care very much for the plot or the characters.

The emotional attachment to this novel was slim to none as I found them and their decisions irritating.
I think it would have been much more enjoyable to read if there was more drama with Autonomous, aka Otto, the driverless car. The premise of the novel was in this omniscient driverless car, but it wasn't featured as much as I would have wanted to see.

I found the prose unexceptional, but the premise was very interesting. Driverless cars are becoming more and more popular & talked about in the news.

Although I found this novel lacking in execution and other areas, it doesn't mean it won't be a book you'll enjoy. The fact that I didn't DNF this novel should prove that it is an interesting read--just not a very meaningful one.

We read all sorts of questionable literature--from Twilight to The Selection. Just because the execution is mediocre will not stop people from enjoying the story.

I would not recommend this to anyone looking for a meaningful read, but if you're a fan of drama and a little suspense, Autonomous might be the book for you.

P.S. my review will go live on my blog on September 24th, 2017

An interesting premise, but I was a little bored throughout. I think if the characters were more likeable I would have enjoyed this more.

Interesting idea. More than being a story about William, we get a glimpse into all of the characters thoughts. I would say this book is more dark than funny and it feels a but clunky and drawn out.

Marino, Andy Autonomous, 368 pages. Freeform (Disney), 2018. $18. Language: R (100+ swears, 40+ ‘f’); Mature Content: PG-13 (teen alcohol and drug use); Violence: PG-13 (fights and danger)

William has led a sub-interesting life up until the day he wins the world’s first autonomous car and becomes an instant celebrity. For his first voyage, a trip across the country to the Moonshadow Festival in Arizona, he has invited his best friend, Daniel, stud basketball player; Melissa, Daniel’s social media obsessed girlfriend; and Christina, his reclusive, computer genius neighbor. While William likes them all, they really know nothing about each other. Otto, as William names the car, supposedly has everything within it that they need, plus Otto supposedly is smart enough to know what they want even before they do. As the trip progresses, not only do the kids learn more than they want to know about each other, but Otto is also learning things they never wanted it to know and is changing in new, frightening ways.

While Marino’s story about technology run amok has some great points to make, it's too bad his idea of authentic teenage life includes the constant use of the ‘f’ word, rampant drug use, and overt sexuality. Instead of letting the story spin out, it just feels like he’s trying to be hip. The story would be plenty compelling, even fascinating, without the heavy-handed swearing. This reminds me of when Microsoft unleashed its A.I. Tay on Twitter and within 48 hours it became a racist, genocidal hate spewer. Watching the final scenes spin out was a riveting, agonizing trainwreck that left me breathless. I wish I could recommend this.

HS - NOT RECOMMENDED. Cindy, Library Teacher

So the description made this book sound very intriguing but it was very different than I expected. I feel like this could have been an amazing and terrifying story but it just fell flat. There really was not enough action for me to enjoy it. I also wish it would have been told in first person. Each chapter seemed to change characters, which would have been fine if it said the character's name under the chapter number and was told in first person. But it was told in third person with each chapter somewhat dedicated to a different character that didn't seem necessary. Some of the computer talk is confusing and I found myself just skimming over those sections. As I read it, I found myself disappointed in the way the story was told. When the prologue had so much action and excitement, I hoped the rest of the book would be as good but it wasn't.

I still don't know quite how to feel about this one. It was wholly predictable without any real twists or turns and read like it could have been written about the AI that was shut down after it learn to be a complete jerk from the Internet. I was saddened that none of the kids in the book came out really changing or learning anything in the end, other than a lot of self-discovery. That being said, it was compelling enough to finish the book. That's about all I can really say other than I won't be reading it again and I don't see any situation where is recommend it to anyone.

It took me a while to get into this book, it just wasn't a good fit for me. I do think it will appeal to some of my students though based on the subject matter. I will be recommending it to some of my readers who enjoy this style and type of writing.

I wanted to like this book - the description that was put out made it sound really exciting and different from anything that is already out there.
With that being said - the story line moved along at a good pace - and the idea was there, but it could have been presented in a better fashion I think.
The characters were tough to like. I expected this to be more of a feel-good, happy last hurrah but it ended up really pushing on drugs, pills, drinking and talking about suicide and cutting. I feel like even the age of 14+ that this is recommended for might still be a little too young...17+ would be more sufficient.
I did enjoy the technology incorporation, however.

I was really disappointed with this book. What I thought would be a fun, thrill ride with secrets and a group of friends getting together for a last trip, was a triggering novel of underage kids swearing, drinking, doing drugs and pills, cutting and suicide are talked about as if they are being glorified, and personality-less characters that I disliked a lot.

Right from the start, I thought the synopsis of this book was very intriguing. Technology in the future is often represented in movies and books, and the path the story will take depends on the creator’s interpretation of whether it will be beneficial or not. Most of the times, AIs (Artificial Intelligence) take a dark turn in such adaptations, and it was no different in the book Autonomous by Andy Marino.

The story follows four teenagers after one of them, William, wins a driverless car in a contest. They go on a road trip, but what they don’t know is that the car knows more about them than they’d like, and the way it will use that information will take a surprising turn.

Well, this was definitely an interesting read. Seeing how Otto (aka the Autonomous car) evolved by being around the four characters was almost scary. And the way it thought it was using the secrets of the characters to help them was insane. I like how they were on a road trip, so their surroundings affected the story and made it more entertaining. The beginning of the book was a bit slow, but it picked up the pace as soon as the teens left in the Driverless car.

Although the idea for the story sounded really cool, it was not developed to its full potential. There were quite a few scenes that made little sense and were irrelevant to the story, like the part where they play the game with those other people. It was also really hard to picture certain things, especially the car. The descriptions could have definitely been better to help the reader visualize things. I also didn’t understand how Otto made the characters see things, particularly Christina.

I also wish the characters were different. They were all unlikeable and not really interesting; except William, who was the nicest one, but appeared to have the least “screen time” than any of the other characters, even though the synopsis made it sound like he was the protagonist. They were all really messed up too. Their issues were weirdly developed and were kind of too dark for the 14+ recommended age. I wish their secrets were a little more different because there were so many possibilities for Otto to use them against them. However, the author did do a good job at times where he would give redeeming qualities to the characters and you would almost begin to like them, but then you would realize that their negative traits overpowered the good ones.

So sadly, I wouldn’t recommend this book unless the description really makes you want to read it. This novel will be published on November 14, 2017. Thank you Freeform (Disney Book Group) for sending me this book for review.

After winning a contest, William Mackler wins a driverless car, Autonomous and embarks on a road trip of a lifetime with three friends. This is more than a car, a car who had access to every detail of William's life. A machine that know more about him than himself.
I was attracted to this book by the concept. A nod to the rise and prevalence of our now ever increasing use of digital media and power of social media. Young adults on a journey to find themselves. However the book was ruined for me by the very unlikeable characters. I was hoping that the car developing its only personality would carry the book but that became increasingly unlikeable too.
Just not for me but hey, the book is targeted for the YA market, maybe they'll get it more than me. Odd that this type of book is under the Disney banner.
I received an ARC from NetGalley for an honest review.

This is being marketed as “funny” and to 14+

First up – there is NOTHING “funny” in this book and it’s BEYOND inappropriate for a 14 yr old. Note to Marketing Team: you need to rethink that.

Up front I’ll tell you I went in with the idea that this being a book from the Disney Group it was going to be a certain kind of book; the kind I could safely recommend to the parents I know for their teens and to my local library to consider adding.

At this point it has become more of one I wouldn’t let my teen read until he was older and I would tell any other adult to check it out for themselves to decide if they think their son/daughter is capable of handling the material.

To say I was surprised this came from Disney is a HUGE understatement. Honestly if it wasn’t being promoted by them and didn’t have a cover that made you think of the outline of the Magic Kingdom that goes before all their movies I might not have such a huge problem with it. I just think that the combo is going to make people, like I did, think the material is suitable for a wider range of audience than it actually is.

1) There’s TONS of cussing that starts off right away so you could get drunk making a drinking game out of it before you’re even 1/3 of the way through the book.

2) Speaking of drinking: LOTS of underage drinking, as in these kids aren’t even in college yet and they’re playing drinking games like Never have I ever.

3) Sex between ‘consenting’ teenagers and mutual agreement to “take each other’s virginity”.

4) Cocaine being used like it’s no big deal because Sherlock Holmes & Freud used it per this book. Pills and Shrooms galore.

5) A trip into a drug den AKA Meth Lab run by near dead brainless druggies who have a gun and are the poster boys for the Anti-Gun movement – way to go to give those people more ammunition in their cause to rid the world of weapons.

6) Cutting and suicide issues are brought up but never addressed in a healthy way.

It felt like the author was using these 4 teenagers and a driverless car to work out some deep seated issues as it’s just one long therapy inducing journey.

There is the fun of what a driverless car could be like, lots of social media interaction and the consequences of having such a dependent society on it. Pseudo warnings of the overreach of technology into our lives.

I can see teenagers getting into this but that may not be a good thing.

This wasn’t fun.

It should have been. Secrets, lies, and an over the top dream-car that can take you anywhere and do almost anything.

But, oh…I found myself stuck on a road trip from hell some young adults I simply didn’t like.

This is less a near-future tech thriller than it is a coming-of-age as our rather unlikeable characters discover truths about each other and themselves.

Our car becomes a bit of a character itself, which I kind of liked – but it turned out that I soon found our car more annoying than our human characters.

I still liked the tech. I liked the idea of what our future might hold – dangers and all. But the book simply wasn’t fun and the thrills were not so thrilling.

I loved the idea behind AUTONOMOUS and I was imagining a sort of Stephen King-esque type of story where technology turns on its users. I know that storyline isn't entirely new, but there is a reason why booksland movies such as iRobot sell ... it works.

With autonomous cars already a reality, although just barely, I expected more from this book. Instead, a story that starts out promising turns just plain weird.

There are terrific sections of this book, such as the scene in Nashville and the romance between next-door-neighbors but too many scenes come across as silly - not funny, just silly such as the scene inside the car with the emojis.

All in all it has some promise. Hopefully, before it is officially released it will undergo a round of serious editing. It lacks cohesion. Many scenes felt lime they were written for no reason other than to add length.

I rated this book as 3 out of 5 Stars based on those parts of the story that made sense and because I so believe it has potential.

The publisher will probably get quite a few sales when it first comes out since it is (as far as I am aware) the first book of this theme since the Google Driverless Car was introduced to the public, however, once reviews start being posted I am afraid that sales will drop off dramatically.

Hopefully, with a smart copy editor and definitely a proof-reader, this story will undergo a rewrite before publication.

ARC copy for review....Very much for YA demography with the language, trends and social habits (ex. liberal mentions of the social media hashtags, the protagonists going to massive music festival etc) but felt "fleeting" because of "now" trend name dropping, like this story is going to go out of fashion with time. Although I did liken the technology involved especially the driver-less car tech and very much in the social media age, that kind of technology could be very incorporated with social media-internet tech. At the same time, likened the flip side...what could possibly go wrong with driver-less tech etc.