I confess that this is not really the story I would normally go for... I'm not really that big of a futuristic sci-fi fan, but I've had the work of Michael Grothaus recommended to me more than once and I decided to just jump in and think about the consequences later. The Japan setting was an added bonus, because it's not a destination I get to visit often in my books... And I'm definitely glad that I decided to give Beautiful Shining People a go now. It's such an unique and captivating story!

The Japanese setting was definitely one of the highlights for me. The descriptions of this futuristic Japan are simply heavenly, and they truly brought this new-but-old world come alive for me. There are so many references to Japanese culture and customs, while also taking in account that Beautiful Shining People takes place decades in the future. The descriptions of the futuristic angle are fascinating, with a focus on AI, robots and life in the future in general. While I'm not usually that into robots and AI, I really enjoyed how it was incorporated into the story here.

I do have to say that it took me a little while to get a proper feel for this story. The beginning was just a little too quirky for me, and I wasn't sure what to make of the story initially. Once I got a proper feel for what was going on, things did improve drastically, and especially the second half of the story hit the mark for me. I started to love this story more and more as time passed, and those final chapters are on fire. There were definitely a couple of twists I never saw coming, and while certain parts of the plot were a tad slow and a little too descriptive, as a whole I liked how everything was mapped out.

One of the reasons this story works so well has everything to do with its main characters. We see the world through the eyes of seventeen-year-old John, who is an American tech genius flown to Japan to sign a deal that will change his life. While in parts he did come over as a bit immature, it's is easy to like his flawed character and development. The key lies with the fact that the cast is basically a bunch of misfits thrown together, and the unlikely bond with the sumo Goeido and waitress Neotnia really take the story to the next level. All characters have a hidden dept and secrets, and I enjoyed seeing them develop over time. The dog Inu is such a cute addition, and I loved what he added to the plot as well.

As a whole, it is nearly impossible to place Beautiful Shining People in a nice little genre box. Sure, it is futuristic sci-fi with a focus on AI and robots. Sure, it is definitely speculative fiction as well. But it is also romance with both some steam and an almost doomed/forbidden vibe... And maybe even a touch of family drama and mystery thrown in to spice things up. In short, it is a fantastic mash-up of different genres and elements, and a story you won't soon forget with a cast of characters that will win over your heart long before that final page.

✨Book Review ✨

Beautiful, shining people - Michael Grothaus

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I’m currently sat in a chokehold from this book. I feel like it has grabbed my insides and squeezed. This is an exception to the usual genres I would read, and at first I was a little sceptical about the robots, technology and AI talk but I’m glad I stuck it out.

Set in a dystopian Japan, this story is the very essence of the meaning of life. What actually is a human’s purpose? A young, American coding expert is travelling to Japan to make a life-changing deal with Sony. On a chance encounter, he enters a cafe where he meets a young Japanese waitress, a sumo wrestler and a dog with a perfectly spherical head. What he didn’t know, however, that this chance encounter would take him on a journey of friendship, trust and sacrifice. But with this, he’d also realise things about himself, and humanity as a whole, that he needed to hear.

This was such a thought-provoking read. The idea that we, humans, can create such powerful, destructive technological forces has stuck with me. It was a mesmerising story that almost shows the reader a glimpse of what could be in both a lovely and terrifying way.

The characters John (the computer whizz) and Neotnia (the waitress) were two extremely loveable characters. Neotnia is desperate to find the father that abandoned her and will stop at nothing to do this. John, having slowly developed feelings for this girl, will do anything to help her. The relationship between these two was so incredibly selfless it almost made me reconsider the relationships I have with those around me.

The plot itself was rather like a chase that was laced with mystery. Genre-wise, the book fits quite clearly in a sci-fi genre but it is so much more than that. The world didn’t seem unrealistic to me and there was so much mystery and YA intertwined that I actually grew to love their strange, futuristic world!

And then the last few scenes - heartbreak. They were drowning in melancholy but showed me the true purpose and meaning of life. This is the reason why we exist and what the very essence of being a person is.

Overall, this was a highly thought-provoking, emotional and powerful read. The futuristic “could be” weaved into this story allowed for a brilliant read. This is my first time reading a book written by Michael Grothaus and most definitely will not be my last.

Thank you to Independent Publishers Group, Orenda Books, and NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Beautiful Shining People by Michael Grothausen takes place in a futuristic Tokyo against the backdrop of a world where AI and quantum computing are more prevalent in everyday life. This story follows John, a teenager who travels to Tokyo and stumbles upon a café where he meets Neotnia, a waitress who accompanies him on an adventure across Japan that will invite them to revisit Japan’s past and challenge both their life perspectives and the boundaries of technology.

Set in the future, John, a young tech genius, finds his world turned upside down after meeting Neotnia at a Tokyo cafe. Neotnia is a waitress with a hidden secret. One that will change how John views life in the city known for its robots and self-driving cars. Will it change the way he views himself as well?

This novel is reminiscent of Murakami, with all its descriptive settings and ambiance. I loved the characters and all their quirks and even enjoyed the slow pace, as the writing was so beautiful and unique to the story.

I highly recommend! It wasn’t a quick read, but it kept me engaged throughout the whole book.

The publisher provided ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Such a fantastic book. Wish it had been a little longer. A very talented writer who I look forward to reading more by. This reminded me of Murakami. The characters are remarkable and rememberable. The plot is extremely interesting and new. The prose is brilliant. Everything a book could hope to be.

Although the premise was interesting, this book wasn't for me. The writing was good, even beautiful, but for me it reached a point in which it made it impossible to continuing reading without being bored with the constant descriptions. I also felt the characters where too flat and I didn't really care about them, so that also made it quite insufferable to make it to the end of the book

I was so happily surprised by this book! The beginning was giving me a Murakami vibe, and I wasn’t expecting much of a plot, but I really liked where it ended up. I thought the characters were great and the plot had a great speed: slower at the beginning then began picking up as the characters worked towards a solution to the main conflict. I enjoyed the writing a lot, though in general I need authors to do more than say that a shadow of sadness crossed someone’s face because even though I can picture it, that is such an unrealistic thing to expect someone to be constantly noticing, but that’s rather picky of me. The narrator John was really likable and smart, but the whole thing with his scheduled surgery and later incision threw me a little, especially because it was never explained or made relevant at the end. I did think the ending was a little rushed and the explanations of the “why” of it all were that usual scientist monologue explaining all type thing and I would have preferred something a little more dynamic. But, that being said, the ending scene was awesome and was a great way to tie up the book.

My favorite part of the book had to be the setting, which was this futuristic Japan where the world superpowers are at war and technology is super dominant. There wasn’t any huge explanation of how exactly things were or had got there, but we got enough context clues to keep me satiated. It seemed like the only big differences day to day were the constant presence of robots and phones that fold out into computers, and I would have loved to see more of the setting and what new technology the characters took use of every day.

This book was incredible. I couldn’t bear put it down the entire time reading it.

This book raises so many questions; what does it mean to be human? Who are we to each other? What is real? Has technology gone too far?

John and Neotnia and Goeido are such layered and intriguing characters, they all have their own pasts and stories, and they all force themselves into your heart.

Thank you to NetGalley for this E-Arc in return for a review!
This was one of the best books I’ve read in a while and I am so glad I got gifted this Arc.

Unfortunately, I had to DNF this one, The atmosphere and setting were interesting, but there was mostly telling and not a lot of showing. The characters felt one-dimensional. I found the writing to be lackluster; I requested this book because it is shelved as literary fiction, but it was very much written as genre fiction (sci-fi).

first of all, i just want to thank netgalley, micheal grothaus and his publisher for allowing me to read this book. i read it in a couple of hours and really enjoyed it. john is such a wonderful character and through his POV i was able to see the world in such a fantastic way. i also found him slightly relatable with his interactions and behaviours - he was very awkward and honest which i loved to see.

i was not expecting neotnia’s bombshell whatsoever. it took me by surprise, it it really intrigued me. the book was both a dystopia and utopia to me with all the technological advances, AI and the dangers that come with it. i do have to admit, i found it to be a bit slow at points, but it always managed to drag me back into the story pretty quickly. i haven’t read many books set in tokyo and i absolutely loved this and thought it was PERFECT for this novel,

this novel is a story of trust and friendship while making you question what ‘normal’ really is. i will definitely be picking this book up when it releases and i will read more of grothaus’s work.