I do not read too many sci-fi books but when I do I swear they are so mind blowing. The premise of the book is just crazy to think that your mind can travel into another body and experience life. Imagine a blind person flashing into a seeing person and what kind of amazing experience that would be. ⁣
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Of course, this book takes you down a darker path and flashes back to how the flash was created to 25 years later and how it is being used. ⁣
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This book gave me strong Recurssion and Dark Matter vibes. Then again these are really the only sci-fi books I have read. ⁣

Happy #PubDay to @charlesdsoule and congrats on the release of #ANYONE, his mind-blowingly fun new book (a book that just happened to launch our #MysteryBookClub!)
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If you are a fan of grounded genre (think Blake Crouch’s #Recursion), then it’s time to put down your holiday reading and pick up this badass sci-fi epic about a woman who invents technology that allows people to transfer their consciousness into another person...and the ramifications said technology has- both good and bad- on the world.
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Imagine a doctor transferring his mind into the body of a wife trying to save her choking husband...or a police officer transferring his mind into the body of a teacher to help prevent a school shooting...or a serial killer using someone else’s body to help him get away with murder. All of these ideas and concepts are explored, in addition to a really fun mystery that slowly unravels over the course of two alternating timelines.
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Is it perfect? No. It lacks a little character development and emotion, but that’s a small complaint overshadowed by the fact that it’s a fresh concept, fast-paced, and a freakin’ blast. Don’t believe me, just check out all of the amazing reviews from fellow #MysteryBookClub members today.

This book is really engaging. The changing between past and current timelines keeps the pace moving very quickly. The subject matter is really intriguing and really makes you think about how far is too far hen it comes to technology.

🚨Review Comin’ In HOT❗️🚨🚨
So I told y’all last month I read the book 📖 ANYONE by Charles Soule and that I absolutely devoured it… with a book review to be in the future...
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Wel my friend, TODAY is the FUTURE...And believe me that both refers to my previously impending review, as well as foreshadowing the book’s plot and the possible and quite probable impacts on our current culture in the NEAR FUTURE🚨
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And since tomorrow is #pubday 📚I figured it perfectly timely to let all my #bookstagram peeps know the hype over this book IS NOT HYPE....this book is 🔥
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ANYONE follows the futuristic journey of Gabby a scientist who creates the unthinkable💡 —the ability to switch minds into other bodies...to become ANYONE.
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Without going into detail, ANYONE has the feel of Tron 🤖(where the inside of another’s body is almost like you’re inside a game and the actions are not your own, yet COMPLETELY your own) + Dark Matter’s futuristic, sci fi, yet totally plausible twists, turns, and fake outs make you believe this is all entirely POSSIBLE
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Soule does a stellar job of innovative writing, imagining story lines never been done before, keeping the plot spiraling rapidly forward at a pace defying and even DARING, the reader to keep up while maintaining identification with the protagonist and her unimaginable plight
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READ as: Soule won’t let you put that motha bleepin’ book 📖down once you’ve picked it up and continues to scare the SHIZNIT out of you at the craziness, yet very SANE scenario that could be US....and SOON😬
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My THOUGHTS:
✍🏾Soule is a beast of a writer- a sheer writing and imaginative genius
✍🏾This is not my typical jam, but I’m telling you, I think it will hook ANYONE… See what I did there⁉️
✍🏾Some things you will see coming...some things you will NOT
✍🏾No hesitations: 5 💫
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Yo, I know so often #bookstagrammademedoit but DO IT👊🏼
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Thanks to @harpercollins and @charlesdsoule both, for this advanced copy #ARC in exchange for an honest review- it was a pleasure❗️
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Thanks @jordys.book.club and @bostonbookfanatic for the #mysterybookclub invite❗️#bookcommunity #bookreview #bookblog #bookblogger

IG Handle: Janicedoesbooks

A scientist looking for a cure to Alzheimer's disease inadvertently finds herself transported into her husband's body after throwing a switch. Twenty five years later society is transformed from "the flash." Be anyone with Anyone is the slogan of the day. But there is a high price being paid, not the least of which is the black market where anything goes for a price. This is the story of one woman's mission to put a stop to the evil this technology has caused.

This story is a fast-paced sci-fi thriller which hooks you in from the first chapter. The story is told in two time lines and brings up questions up identity and ethics. While our main character was tough and very smart, I had a hard time with how repeatedly naive she was to her detriment. This book kept me turning pages to see how it would all play out. I was expecting a different ending and was a bit let down by the epilogue. Overall this was a solid read and I enjoyed the journey.

Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Perennial for an e-copy of this book in exchange ifor my honest review.

“Be Anyone With Anyone”

This twisty and exciting science-fiction novel begins with Gabrielle White, a young scientist who works for Hendrix Capital. While working on an assignment, Gabby’s experiment with a rat somehow results in a life-changing error. Her technology creates a huge blast of light, causing her body to fall and become unconscious and places her mind inside her husbands body. This unbelievable moment sparks a 25 year battle into the worlds most revolutionary technology known to man....the ability to “be anyone with anyone”! But because Hendrix funded her, Gabby does not own the technology and is forced to release it (and herself) to Hendrix Capital...

There are two timelines to this story, Gabrielle in present time, and Annami exactly 25 years in the future. What you learn quickly about the future is that this technology has become available to anyone. There are rules, laws, and even underground black market sales. Imagine illegal sales of someone’s consciousness to another’s consciousness (what could a criminal do with that capability?)

This book will take you on a wild ride. From Gabrielle’s attempt to reclaim her invention, to Annami’s determination to reset the future. Every chapter gets closer and closer to a bombshell, and let me tell you, I promise you won’t see it coming!

At one major part, I audibly gasped in utter disbelief. Soule is a GENIUS!

...And by the way, there’s even MORE bombshells ahead. Trust me when I say you’ll love this book!

I gave it ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️’s !

Thank you to @harperperennial @jordys.book.club & @bostonbookfanatic for hosting the #mysterybookclub !

Armed with fantastic forward momentum, Anyone takes readers on a wild, action-packed journey through a technological, sociological, and very personal "what if" scenario. Gabrielle White, verifiable neuroscience genius, has one goal: change the world. But things are never quite that simple. Personally, I was so into the fact that our protagonist was a smart, capable black female scientist - that is definitely a huge point in Soule's favor.

Unfortunately, after the halfway point, the plot lost momentum and I found most of the remaining twists to be predictable. We lost our sense of firm grounding in favor of rapid change of stakes (like a less extreme version of Recursion, where the last section of the book made zero sense but damn if it wasn't cool). The ending put me off balance and didn't fit with the rest of the story because of conflicting characterization of several of the main characters and a lot of rapid time jumps.

Overall, this is the cinematic scifi blockbuster we all deserve, but, like Recursion, I think it would be better on the screen then it is in print. But unlike Recursion, I actually enjoyed the ride.

The sci fi thriller [book:Anyone|44013666] was getting a bit of early buzz on Instagram, and it sounded interesting, so I was glad to be approved by Harper Perennial for a digital review copy via Netgalley.

The premise of a technology enabling a person to flash their consciousness into another body, a "vessel," was intriguing and frightening for the implications.

Each chapter alternated timelines. We had a present time when the technology was being invented, and a timeline around 25 years in the future where the flash tech is in widespread use.

I think it started off strong, but the middle dragged, and the ending was really disappointing. The hardcover is listed as having 432 pages, and it felt too long. The story would have benefited by another edit to really tighten it up (and since I read a review copy, it's possible?). Some plot points and details were never resolved, and that's frustrating.

I cared about Gabby and Paul, but I felt like I knew them only on the surface. The science was superficial as well -- some lingo was tossed about, but I never felt confident I understood how the tech actually worked.

With a thriller, I think you've got to really stick the landing as the story builds and concludes. The final chapter and epilogue were not what I thought the book was building toward, and I felt really let down. Taking off a star for that, so I'm left with 2 stars on Goodreads, which means "it was OK." On Netgalley, it gets 3 stars for being a "maybe" recommendation."

I think the readers who will most enjoy Anyone will be those who like a sci fi thriller that's weighted more toward thrilling than science-y; and someone who would enjoy thinking about all of the ethical questions involved with moving someone's consciousness to another body. The reader will also need a strong dose of suspending disbelief.

This was a fantastic book. I enjoyed The Oracle Year, but this one was even better. The narrative unfolded at a blazing speed, and the characters were engaging and realized. I could easily see this one being made into a film. The book alternates between two different stories -- the first about the accidental invention and development of a new technology that really will change the the world. The second takes place in the near future (well, 25 years), where that technology has become a part of everyday life. With this kind of tech, there are obviously going to be some issues: misuse, illegal use, lewd use. Everything -- including some uses that would be so incredible to witness or in which to participate. The story line is compelling, and the action plentiful. Even when it slows down, there is suspense and wonder to keep it going.

Long a fan of his comics, I loved Charles Soule's debut novel The Oracle Year. I like this follow up almost as much. He employs a dual timeline approach: one set in the past, the other in the novel's present. I'm usually leery of this as a storytelling technique. But I quickly came to see why he chose it: it allows him to tell the story of the scientific discovery that drives the story, while also showing the future effects on society.

While attempting to create a cure for Alzheimer's Gabrielle White inadvertently invents a method for transferring a human consciousness from one body to another. It involves high-intensity lights, so she dubs it the flash (am I the only one who kept wanting to see it as the Flash?). When she tries to escape the control of the venture capitalist who funded the research, she loses her family, and any input into the use of her invention.

In the future, a woman named Annami makes her living offering her body as a vessel for black market flash users. She is building a war chest for a big move, which involves winning an auction to flash into the body of a big celebrity named Bhangra George. She approaches this with a singular focus and intensity. The reasons do not become clear until the final quarter of the book.

But when they do, wow! Big reveal at the end of Part III (of IV). Soule actually manages to bring the two storylines together, against all odds. It's an amazing storytelling feat, and he manages to craft a big ending which is very satisfying. Gabrielle does not find a way to get everything she wanted, but she gets what she (and the world) needs.

As a Detroit native (and longtime Ann Arbor resident) it was a treat to see Soule use these places as the setting. I did not know that he came from there, but he displays a native's familiarity. I have lived elsewhere for some time, but it felt like a kind of homecoming.

This is my first book by Charles Soule so I am completely unbiased in my opinions of this book without comparing it with its predecessors by Charles.

“Anyone” is about the creation of “Flash”, a technology which enables its user (prime) to transfer their consciousness into another person’s body while the host’s (vessel’s) consciousness becomes inactive. The story is beyond interesting and so is Soule’s storyboarding.

I really enjoyed my wild ride into Charles brilliant writing of 2 alternate timelines. One timeline when the “flash” was invented and another one 25 years later when it is being used/abused worldwide.

This action-packed science-fiction is full of scientific terms which are complex yet realistic. The confluence of both the timelines has been so exciting and full of twists. Short chapters and a twist at the end of each chapter kept me intrigued and I couldn’t turn pages fast enough.

Charles Soule has brilliantly put his foot forward with his futuristic science-fiction novel which talks about the elephant in the room, the ethical use of technology and the fine line between its use and abuse.

I really liked Charles writing and his book and I am sure that I am going to have this book’s hangover for a while.
Thank you Netgalley and Harper Collins for sending me an advance copy.

Much better than the Oracle Year, Charles Soule has constructed a thought-provoking read with Anyone!!

I really enjoyed the concept of this book and the first quarter of it had me hooked. But then it began to fizzle and I felt as if the plot had no direction at all. Overall this is exactly the type of science fiction novel that I love and would read more by this author in the future.

Charles Soule outdid himself with his new techno thriller and I was completely hooked from the very first chapter.

I had a pretty major book hangover when I finished and couldn’t get the story out of my head for a few days.

Anyone switches back and forth between current day and 25 years in the future and focuses on tech that transfers consciousness into another human. The possibilities of what could happen using this kind of tech are endless and Soule hits on so many uses that made my head spin, both ethical and seriously non-ethical.

I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough and just when I thought I had everything figured out, Soule would hit me with another crazy mind-blowing twist.

This genre is one of my favorites and I was not disappointed. In fact, I’d put this book in the top 3 of my 2019 reads. I read and loved The Oracle Year, but Anyone definitely tops Soule’s first book. Well done!

*Thank you so much to NetGalley and Harper Collins for the advance copy!*

This book is phenomenally good. I love the way each chapter goes back and forth through different stories to form one cohesive tale. I kept wondering how the two story lines would converge, and then when it started to come together I was blown away. There are lots of twists and turns, especially toward the gut punch of an ending. The science behind the flash and dark running is fascinating, but what I really liked was that it's never really explained how it works in a lot of science-y detail; you just sort of have to take it at face value and run with it. This is modern science fiction at its best.

Thanks to Netgalley, Charles Soule and the publisher for providing an advanced copy for review.

A interesting science fiction read that occasionally left this science layperson scratching his head. A scientist invents a device that allows consciousness and memories to be transferred between people which results in people altering the past or moving into parallel memory streams.

This was a fun and intriguing read, while I found it lulled in the middle, I was invested in the concept of a world in which consciousness shifts. While the twist at the end was somewhat predictable this was a fast and fun read.

Holy cow, what a roller coaster of a ride. Interesting characters, fascinating technology, though I would have liked to see a little more on how certain characters became as twisted as they did. Solid read.

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This science fiction thriller is both compelling and frightening. It would make a great film--the writing makes the story easy to visualize. The storyline is ethically challenging and really makes the reader ponder what life would be like if the technology in the novel came into existence.

Unbelievably exciting and hard to put down, yet with a huge plot hole.

I've never read any of Soule's other titles, but when I read the description of this one I knew it was right up my alley. Loved the back and forth in the timeline and the world building. However, when it came to [HUGE BOOK RUINING SPOILER] <spoiler> the fact that Annami had been in Anna's body the whole time, I couldn't believe that she hadn't been discovered. You're telling me 1) the flash exists, 2) Hendricks has a hypermonitoring network that extends through a whole city, yet Annami/Anna/Gabrielle was able to work at NeOnet FOR FIVE YEARS AND NO ONE KNEW WHO SHE WAS? I mean, I get it, mom doesn't want to abandon child's body because it's like abandoning her child. But for almost all of the narrative I had this picture in my head of a slight Asian girl whose body had been flashed into for ultimate anonymity, and it was ANNA'S FACE ALL ALONG.</spoiler>

It's possible I missed something at the beginning of the story that would have explained this as a less stupid decision, but it really took a lot away from the reveal, because rather than saying 'AWESOME' I was saying 'DOES NOT COMPUTE.'

<spoiler>Also unresolved: was Kring Bleeder? What did the decision at the end of the book <i>really</i> mean for the world? Will people keep flashing? So many questions.</spoiler>

Slightly less than satisfying resolution, but still, a flash bang concept and whirlwind read.