Perhaps it might seem like a good idea to have programmes and devices that by means of continuous prompts and reminders slow down the mental decline of the elderly, and people in general, with dementia and Alzheimer's disease. It is true that some studies suggest that continuous repetition and reminders may help, but the novel makes quite a fuss. First of all it puts programming geniuses in the field, but in the end the bulk of the work is done by a huge call centre in India, plus the entanglement with politics and the decidedly disturbed personalities of practically all the protagonists make the plot rather confusing. It's a pity, because such an interesting cue should have been handled differently.

Too scifi and code heavy for my taste. I felt like I was confused for most of the book and it took all my strength to pick it back up after putting it down,

What a whirlwind! I went in expecting a sci-fi novel looking at the implications of using AI to improve the lives of those suffering from mental degradation. What I got was a socio-political commentary on the current economic climate in the US. It’s still an enjoyable novel, just not quite what I was expecting based on the summary or reviews.

Copy received from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

this was a interesting read, I liked the use of scifi and the science aspect. The characters were great and I really enjoyed the plot.

I really wanted to like this book better than I did as the premise sounds so relevant! But I had trouble following all the technology in this dystopian novel (my fault; I'm old) and there were so many characters that it tended to be confusing. I still love the idea: technology that helps those with dementia (and their loved ones) but the "brainwashing" element was scary as well (once again, so relevant in this weird time)! I love John Hunt publishing as they have given me so many titles that I didn't think I'd love but were quirky and so very interesting! This one is totally worth your reading time if you are good with tech jargon and politically minded; just not my cup of tea!

Charlie sanders, who works as a data analyst for a company whose product is supposed to help aging people suffering from dementia. “Smart” devices, connected to people who help you navigate through the world, provide guidance on what a person is supposed to do based on their history. The only problem is the glitch in the devices that perform a sort of brainwashing to the people who use them. Behind it all is an algorithm that is supposed to predict how people will think, act, and react. The story brings out lots of ideas that are basic to our lives and nature. How about free will? Do we get to choose what to do or are we told what to do? There is a lot in this book, and the story around which it is loosely fashioned makes it more palatable and easier to understand. The author definitely hit on something by inputting his ideas and thoughts into a story-like framework to bring them to more people. I did find some of it a bit overwhelming, but managed to get through, nevertheless. This book is an interesting way to learn more about the subject and perhaps enjoy doing so. I received this form NetGalley to read and review.

Gray Matters is based in a near future, alternative earth, very similar to our own timeline. The internet has evolved into "The Loop" which uses algorithms to show people what it thinks they want/need to see,, no more searching for answers, they just appear. It's similar to the way your Facebook feed shows you what it thinks you want to read, but on a much larger scale.

Based in both the United States and India, the company Gray Matters has found a way to use technology and tele-assistants to prolong the independence of people living with dementia. Told from the viewpoint of a number of different people including the CEO, one of her employees and his father, and one of the Indian tele-assistancts, the book explores both the good and bad of this rapidly evolving technology. As a female computer programmer myself, it was refreshing to read about a technology CEO and programmer who was also female. There are tiny smatterings of code written into the book, but you don't need to understand them to enjoy the book.

Politics is also heavily featured, and the book considers how technology and people can be used to influence elections and policy writing, for good and for bad. It's very believable and a good warning of what could happen as technology continues to advance in our own world. It certainly makes you stop and think.

I highly reccommend this book,






Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC.

I really like the concept of this book but, unfortunately the technology jargon was too much for me. I didn't really understand what the loop was and couldn't really follow it. Only managed 20% of the book.

It liked the idea behind this story, but not being a "tech kind of person" found all the jargon just to confusing and annoying

Gray Matters is described as being set in a dystopian near future , with a central premise that links modern technology and the fight against dementia and Alzheimer's. I was intrigued by the idea so requested an ARC of the book. Unfortunately I decided to DNF at 25% as I could find no compelling reason to continue. Apart from one rather irascible elderly man none of the characters felt real or believable and there was a lack of clarity about the technological aspects of the story. There were some political aspects that I found interesting but not enough to make me continue reading the book. I am sure there are others out there who will enjoy it, but it was not for me.
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.

I went into this book thinking I would get a whole ton of dystopian tech with an insight of its impact on society, with a whole senior population having a lot of importance through the story. Well. I kind of got the opposite of that.

First of all, I didn't understand the concept of the Loop too much. So I didn't think too much about it, and thought to keep going and see how it goes later on. Well... It remained blurry for me, and the tremendous amount of politics involved did discourage me a lot to finish the book. So, no, I didn't finish the book entirely. I read thoroughly until approximately 30% and after fighting myself to keep on reading even though I wasn't too sure what was going on and giving myself a headache, I kind of dropped it. I still flew through some pages until the end to see a little how the rest of the book was built, but it only seemed to worsen.

I honestly think the huge political aspect of the book scared me and discouraged me to finish. However, the writing really isn't bad, and although I didn't get into the story at all, I can admit it's not because it's a bad book.

Since I haven't read everything, I won't say much about the characters. They simply didn't make an impression on me, besides Charlie's dad, who's one of the testing subjects for all the technology his son's company is developping. The old man was super sassy, grumpy, and was extremely funny to me. He's the only one who didn't think too much about anything and I loved that spirit.

Overall, it's a somewhat serious-ish book, and it deals with dystopia in a very hard and adult way that I definitely wasn't ready for. I don't think it's a bad book, I merely think it is not for me. I didn't feel invested in either the plot or the characters, but it must be a matter of personal taste.

Chips that make decisions, learn and control- it seems that is the holy grail of programmers of hardware and software. Sometimes the hard ware is a human. Hmmm, while the intent may ( or may not) be good, the proof is always in the pudding.

A sophisticated project with ostensibly good intentions for aging humans goes awry and the true character of the players is revealed. It isn't always desirable to make things better, go faster or more smoothly, something can get lost in the process.
This book is a little dystopian at the outset, but does come back to humanity towards the end.

Gray Matters is a dystopian novel set in a world not too different from ours. It focuses around a company inventing software and devices used to help people experiencing the mental decline of dementia and is set against a changing political landscape. In this world, The Loop is an internet which can almost think for itself and anticipates what people may do, providing nudges and sharing information freely. The story focuses on Alice, the eccentric CEO of the company Gray Matters along with her colleagues Charlie, Jack and Sailee. Each character has their own motivations for wanting the company and its products to succeed and as the story develops, Alice becomes increasingly paranoid of the other members of her staff and their ambitions. Alongside one another, each of the characters is also dealing with their own separate personal struggle and secrets and there are references to alcoholism throughout.

I found this book interesting and also quite concerning that our world could end up in a similar situation, as we become more reliant upon technology and readily share more and more information about ourselves online. I thought that the author portrayed Barry’s confusion and emotions as his mental abilities declined well, and I could sense how desperate Charlie was to help him to slow down its progression. I enjoyed seeing how each of these characters interacted with one another and could understand Alice’s paranoia over her company as everybody seemed to be hiding something, thought not necessarily for reasons you expected. However, I did feel that the ending was rushed, which was a shame as I feel that the “glitches” and what happened immediately afterwards could have been further explored.

Overall, this book was different to any dystopian story I have read before due to the political current throughout. I was compelled to find out what would happen, even when I suspected the worst and I think the similarities between our current world and that in the book made this even more relevant and worrying for our future.