This book had a really interesting premise, but ultimately missed the mark for me! I wish there had been more technology talk, like how in the MurderBot series you really feel like you’re in the headspace of an emotionless AI who is starting to feel things. This felt a bit too emotional right off the bat, which kept throwing me off. Also, there was a lot of casual violence and bullying in this book, and although it sometimes served the story’s purpose, it just made me… sad lol.

Overall definitely points for originality though, and I liked the queer love story.

🌈 Queer rep: gay MM relationship (artificial intelligence/robots)

Oh my god, I cannot explain how much I freaking love this book! I haven’t read a whole lot about AIs before this one (only TJ Klune’s ‘In the lives of puppets’) so it’s a relatively new area of Sci-Fi for me and one that I am absolutely loving. This book was beautifully written with moving and thoughtful plot lines on the nature of autonomy, mental health and freedom, as well as living with an abuser and suffering loss.

The book is divided into two quite clear halves; before the escape and after. The first half of the book is set in the terrifyingly claustrophobic world of the Kensworth household where Eke (an older model ‘servant’ AI) and Kyp (a newer model ‘entertainment’ AI) live. Most of the book is told from Eke’s point of view, with chapters from Kyp and a few other characters interspersed, so you get to see the majority of it from the AI’s point of view. Eke is treated horribly, in a state of slave-like servitude where he cannot fight back or stand up for himself. Although not addressed outright, there are hints that Kyp is used for purposes that he is not entirely comfortable with also. Both characters live entirely without autonomy in the trapped bubble of this house. Interestingly the book also comments on the humans living in this bubble and how everyone is suffering in their own way; everyone is struggling not matter their origins.

The second half of the book looks at the breakdown of society when faced with an over abundance of AI technology and how inhuman humans can become when threatened. This read like a dystopian horror along the lines of ‘The Last of Us’ and ‘All that is left behind’. The threat felt real and pressing and it was such a thrilling read.

The ending was absolutely beautiful - the author absolutely could have (and was well within their right to) given us a tragic ending; that was the ending I thought we were getting right up until the final few pages. I am so thankful for the ending that we did get - Eke and Kyp are such gorgeous characters and they absolutely deserved it.

Honestly cannot recommend this one enough! It’s out 25th July 2023 so do yourself a favour and get out there and read it!!

We all want books that will emotionally devastate us in the best of ways, right? Right. Well this one does the trick. You want an emotional ride where you will feel absolute delight one minute, heartachingly sad and tender another minute, absolute rage-hatred the next, and wrap it all up with an enduring level of hope - you should maybe try reading Us, Et Cetera.

Us, Et Cetera follows main character Eke, an AI whose sole responsibility is to care for the Kensworth family, finds himself gaining awareness of his desires and emotions which are primarily to develop friendship and learn more about the world outside. When his family brings home Kyp, a fancier newer AI, it sets off a series of events that simultaneously bond Eke and Kyp together while also making it clear that they can no longer stay in the pseudo-comfort of their affluent “home”.

There was just something so lovely about this book - so tender and sweet and hopeful; a story with deep themes of what it means to be an emotional being, of grabbling with hopes, dreams, desires, fears, and feelings. Eke’s character was so PURE in his innocence and desire for connection. He was scared of dark, talked to his own reflection in the mirror for companionship and advice, loved flowers, and his greatest joy was to be given the task of feeding the family’s goldfish which he called his “fish friends”. My heart also ached for him as he struggled with feelings of being othered, less than, or unworthy as he was hurt and bullied by his selfish human “family”. I absolutely loved Eke and Kyp’s journey and the love and protectiveness they had for each other; seeing Kyp show Eke some of the beauty of life (laying under a starry night or dancing together in a club) was beautiful.

There were also dystopian-future aspects surrounding the human fear of AI, the dangers of us vs. them culture, and the dehumanization of anyone deemed “other” - so don’t go in thinking this book is all rainbows and sunshine (though there are actually some of those!) - it deals with some tough themes too, but all of which is handled expertly by author Kit Vincent.

“You must keep going in order to keep going. That is how you become. If you stop, you die, and your freedom ceases to exist. It is both simple and extraordinarily difficult to accomplish, because defying the whole world requires courage. But that is the only way to be free.”


I loved this book - my only wish is that the ending would have been fleshed out a bit more with perhaps an epilogue of Eke and Kyp’s next steps or what happens with the Kensworth family. With that said, with the depth that you get to know Eke and Kyp, it isn’t hard to create your own “next chapter” for them which I will be doing for weeks for come.

Thank you to Netgalley and Sky HousePublishing for an advanced reader’s copy of Us, Et Cetera.

I read this book as an eARC thanks to NetGalley.

This book was rough! Poor Eke goes through so much because of that family. Please check the trigger warnings if you want to read this one. It deals with a lot of abuse on page.

I loved how it explored what it means to be alive/human. The romance was sweet, definitely cheering for them the whole time. Eke seemed so kind and caring but it was difficult to tell how Kyp feels due to most of the POV being from Eke.

Why not a 5 star read? For a book where I was promised ‘they run away’, it just took a bit too long to get there. I really wish we spent less time with the abusive family and more time out in the world meeting other AI and humans. Which did happen and I loved it but I wanted more. The ending felt a bit rushed compared to the slow start.

Do I recommend it? Definitely. But I highly suggest checking to content warnings.

This is a new all-time favorite! It was so good that I did not want it to end.

Kyp and Eke live in such a cruel world and yet they are so sweet and hopeful. Their love story is very special and despite them being AIs it just makes sense. I am so glad that they found each other!

Their story is very heartbreaking and nerve-wracking but their love for life and each other keeps them fighting. I loved reading this so much.


I reviewed this on Goodreads July 17th 2023 and will post a review on all major retailers once it is listed there.

Us, Et Cetera is a sci-fi romance between two AIs. The first, Eke, is an older model AI, who lives with a rich white family in an enclave near Boston; he is meek, tender-hearted and tends to the cooking and cleaning of the household. However, Eke has been experiencing malfunctions that make him feel more human than AI. The second is Kyp, a newer entertainment module AI who’s brought home on the whim of Eke’s owners.

There is some disturbing treatment of Kyp, especially by Miss Elaina, which is only alluded to, but it is awful and creepy if true. The family's treatment of Eke is appalling, with verbal and physical abuse and attempted murder, it's clear throughout this book that humans hold no regard for Ais at all, and it makes quite a haunting tale.

There isn’t much happiness in this book besides Eke, who hasn’t learned how to hate despite the way his owners have treated him; he is innocent with such wide-eyed hope and enthusiasm that the world outside it’s a better place; it's not. The second half of this book is where the adventure kicks in, with Eke and Kyp running away. It’s quite heartbreaking watching the lengths Kyp will go to and lower himself to protect Eke, his one bright spot. I wish there had been more chapters from Kyp’s point of view, as most were from Eke, who was a very developed character, whereas Kyp seems much more of a side character.

This book was definitely interesting and, as I said, haunting. It isn’t a feel-good read, in my opinion, even though there is a happy ending. I also thought a whole Gollum/Smeagol thing was going on at one point, but I’ll let you guys discover that.

3.5 stars

Similar to Klara and the Sun, if Klara got a buddy. Not as well-written but frankly slightly more emotionally impactful imo. (I mean, maybe an issue with me and Ishiguro - I found both KATS and Never Let Me Go pretty thin-blooded, although I loved The Buried Giant and Remains of the Day. Case in point, maybe Klara did get a buddy! I forgot 99% of that book as soon as a finished reading, and parts of it before that. For all its flaws, Us Et Cetera is a lot more memorable.)

Eke in particular is an incredibly charming character - the Buster Keaton of it all! His fish friends! 😭😭 Very wholesome, loved his relationships with the daughters of the family as well, particularly Dani. I think there’s a lot more that could have been explored there, actually.

The writing… decent, not impeccable. The perspectives/inner voices could be more differentiated between Eke and Kyp - a missed opportunity there which I think reflects the way Eke was a lot more developed than Kyp. In general the POV switches between Eke, Kyp, and various side characters feel a little bit too conveniently timed - I guess not necessarily an issue but it’s just something where you can see the seams. And I don’t think the AI concept is committed to fully enough - there’s a lot that’s handwaved away that really should be addressed (eg, whether AIs have to obey direct comments, one AI thinking in totally sincerity that AIs aren’t naturally violent shortly before another AI angrily kills someone). And I think the book loses the plot a little when the setting changes in the last third.

Basically I think this book is good but it could be better with additional thought/editing. I mean, it’s entertaining now, don’t get me wrong, especially the first half, but I think it has the potential to be great and it just isn’t there yet.

In other words, I’m looking forward to what this author does next!

Well, I never thought I’d EVER cry over a story about artificial intelligence but here we are. My heart hurts. Eke broke my heart. That tender, sweet, lonely AI. Kyp was difficult in the beginning but when you find out the truth, SWOON, y’all.

ᴍᴀʏʙᴇ ᴡᴇ ᴀʀᴇɴ’ᴛ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴅɪꜰꜰᴇʀᴇɴᴛ ᴀꜰᴛᴇʀ ᴀʟʟ, ʜᴜᴍᴀɴꜱ ᴀɴᴅ ᴀɪꜱ. ʙᴏᴛʜ ᴏꜰ ᴜꜱ ᴄᴀɴ ʜᴜʀᴛ, ᴀɴᴅ ʙᴏᴛʜ ᴄᴀɴ ꜱᴄᴀʀ. ᴅᴇᴀᴛʜ ᴄᴇʀᴛᴀɪɴʟʏ ᴅᴏᴇꜱɴ’ᴛ ꜱᴇᴇ ᴀ ᴅɪꜰꜰᴇʀᴇɴᴄᴇ ʙᴇᴛᴡᴇᴇɴ ᴜꜱ.

This book was unlike anything I’ve ever read before. That, in and of itself, is an amazing feat to be. The story isn’t easy. It’s utterly heartbreaking and evil at parts. Extremely sad and filled with despair. When an AI is pushed to a point of no longer wanting to “live,” that should tell you something. But Kyp, he saw it all. He was AMAZING. One of the best characters I’ve ever read.

There’s even a scene of intimacy. YES. It was so strange and spectacular.

“ᴅᴏ ʏᴏᴜ ꜱᴛɪʟʟ ᴛʜɪɴᴋ ʏᴏᴜ’ʀᴇ ʙʀᴏᴋᴇɴ?” ʜᴇ ᴀꜱᴋꜱ, ʀᴜɴɴɪɴɢ ʜɪꜱ ꜰɪɴɢᴇʀꜱ ᴛʜʀᴏᴜɢʜ ᴍʏ ʜᴀɪʀ.
“ɴᴏ,” ɪ ᴡʜɪꜱᴘᴇʀ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴄᴇʀᴛᴀɪɴᴛʏ. “ɪ’ᴍ ᴛʜᴇ ᴏᴘᴘᴏꜱɪᴛᴇ ᴏꜰ ʙʀᴏᴋᴇɴ.”

Y’all, I LOVED this story. Probably one of my favorite NetGalley arcs to date. I just wish we got more. The ending was beautiful but abrupt. I needed to see more. I needed to know more. That’s the only reason this isn’t a solid five stars. Still, I adored it and I will never forget this one.

POV: 1st, Mostly Dual
SPICE: 🌶️
ANGST: Sobbing; Not between the couple, but what happens to them a lot

𝘼𝙍𝘾 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙫𝙞𝙙𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙢𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙛𝙧𝙚𝙚. 𝙈𝙮 𝙧𝙚𝙫𝙞𝙚𝙬 𝙞𝙨 𝙫𝙤𝙡𝙪𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙧𝙮.

Well this was a pleasant surprise! During a time when we are all rightfully anxious about AIs, this was an interesting take on their existence and future in our world. I wasn't expecting to get weepy over an AI, but here we are.

Eke is a secondhand medical AI, living in a beautiful house in a nice neighborhood with the Kensworths and their three children. His entire purpose in life is to manage the upkeep of the house, and as much as he would like to be allowed to make friends or go outside to look at the stars, the Kensworths make sure he knows that he is nothing more than property. These hopes of his aren't things he is allowed to have. And then, things get worse when they purchase a brand new, top of the line AI named Kyp, who can speak multiple languages, entertain at parties, is allowed out of the house... Do everything that Eke cannot, reminding him just how disposable he is. And then a house party goes terribly wrong, bonding Eke and Kyp irrevocably and starting off a chain of events that will prompt them set off on their own and try to flee human civilization.

I went into this story blind, and it was so lovely watching Eke grow and develop personality over the course of the story, from pre-programmed concern about his chores and his charges to the love he develops for the living things around him and the happiness he finds in the everyday moments he sneaks for himself. Kyp is equally fascinating, coming off so cold to start with but developing into such a caring, self-sacrificing character. The dangers that they encounter as they venture across the United States, and the general state of the world (from "AI-free zones" to "AI-friendly states") are all fascinating, horrifying takes that make absolute sense within the narrative.

I don't know that the more fantastical elements worked, and there was a level of amatonormativity within the narrative that felt a little disappointing, hence why I took off a star. There was this assumption that the AIs needed to find love in order to be "more" that felt a little squicky.

Overall, though, this was a nice surprise of a story and I look forward to what else Kit Vincent is going to come up with!

There are still fresh little salty tear tracks down both my cheeks over this book. I’m not generally a big sci-fi fan, but if more of it were like this book, I would be the first and easiest convert. This was so unique and weird and courageous and delightful. This might end up being the most disjointed review I’ve ever written because I have so many thoughts swirling.

These characters were amazing. The way that Kit Vincent writes the like…slow but steady humanization of an AI character that was supposed to just be a programmed being was gorgeous. I’m obsessed. The immediate sympathy that I felt with Eke was conjured so well by the author – they had me crying over fictional goldfish and crocuses. And also, just what a beautiful reminder of how humanity lives in such small things – glow in the dark stars and purple flowers and a souvenir magnet and the little things and memories and snippets of time that make humans unique and loveable and loved. Ugh. I can’t stand what a boost this was for feeling hopeful about humanity.

I’m going to be thinking about the line “you’re not broken… you’re becoming alive” for so long.

Also, the supporting characters were all so fleshed out and nuanced and compelled so many reactions as a reader. I absolutely loved that we got a couple of little vignettes from Carson and from Dani.
I think I only have two criticisms here – firstly, that after Kyp and Eke make their escape the pacing slows a bit, and we spend what feels like a lot of time train-hopping. It definitely made me pick up my reading pace because I was just so anxious for them to make it to their destination after finally escaping. But on the other hand, maybe the point of that is to make the reader anxious for them to get where they’re going.

My second is just that I don’t know how Kyp had any idea where Eke would be at the end of the journey. But then again, maybe I don’t really care about that either as long as they were reunited…

Overall, what a fun, beautiful book. I read this in a single sitting, and don’t regret for a minute how late I stayed up to do it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

“A small hope is better than none”

Im not crying, you’re crying. This story got every emotion out of me. At first ANGER and then sadness, love, and hope. From the very beginning I knew it was going to be a rollercoaster for me. I also read this in 1 sitting because the chapters are so short I got easily invested. This is definitely a quick read. This writing was beautiful and I really felt like I was in Eke and Kyp’s minds, which made me even sadder

I loved Eke so much. I just wanted to hug him and tell him that everything was ok. The family he was staying with should be ashamed of themselves. The way they treated poor Eke had me fuming. Carson and Wes need to have psychological evaluations and be put away somewhere. I wish we had known what happened afterwords to them. Eke’s innocence and need to feel like he was normal was heartbreaking. Some of his thoughts I felt like I had thought of before. I saw myself a lot in him.

This really did feel like a Cinderella story. Eke is an AI who is made to clean and pick up after his master’s while Carson abuses him in every way possible. When a new AI shows up at his house, he thinks he’s being replaced. They slowly begin to spend time together and Eke begins to have feelings he’s never had before. What does this all mean? AI aren’t supposed to possess these feelings. After a horrible situation, they are off together. They meet both humans and AI who will change their perspective on the world. They learn there are just as many good people in the world as there are bad.

That ending. I was holding back my tears. I love how loyal and perfect Kyp was for Eke. He risked it all for who he loved. I will be hyping this book up and reading more from Kit Vincent for sure.

I never knew how much I needed a queer robot story in my life until this book. I cannot believe how amazingly this story unfolded – while dealing with difficult topics and political agendas, we received the most breathtaking display of courage and love through the eyes of a little robot. (And I want to adopt him.)

Our MC Eke is an AI robot who cleans the house for a very wealthy family and dreams about looking at the stars at night and saves the cutest little treasures that bring him “joy”. Soon the family purchases an upgraded robot and he’s worried about his future – will the family keep him? Or is he too broken? And why won’t the new robot talk to him?

The author truly wrote with the intention of sending hopeful tears to the queers and left me feeling so subtly devastated that I stared at a wall for an hour after reading the last line. My heart is a puddle and I need so many more books like this one.

5 stars!

Thank you to Sky House Publishing and NetGalley for an E-ARC copy of this book.

Us, Et Cetera is a story that proclaims itself to be Cinderella meets The Matrix. Now, I've never seen the Matrix, so I can't give the validity on that comparison, but I can share what I thought about this book. I thought the story was heartwarming and had some very good ideas behind it, but had very poor execution at times.

Kyp and Eke are androids living with and serving a rich family in Boston, in what we later learn is a rich enclave. Eke is an older model who is beginning to feel more human than AI, while Kyp is a newer model, customized to fit the family's needs and to entertain guests with extensive knowledge and a charming personality.

I did very much enjoy the first half of the book. It was a bit slow, but it let us get to know the family, Kyp, and Eke well. I also enjoyed the multiple POVs shown as it let us get a look into the minds of all the characters and to figure out what they really thought. After the second half things began to pick up, taking us and the androids outside of the family's house and into the wide open world. It was, of course, rewarding to see the androids get out of an awful situation and find freedom, however it was a bit jarring that in the second half of the book we met many interesting characters who I wanted to learn a lot more about, that we almost immediately left behind, never to be seen again.

TW: Eating disorders (and some spoilers)
One of the things I really did not like about this book was the way it handled Dani's ED. From the beginning it is somewhat shoved in our faces that she is sick, and she has partially chosen this sickness as a way to attract a boy and please her mom. I will not deny that both of these can be part of someone's ED, however the way it was presented in this book made it feel like Dani made a choice, rather than fell ill. I really, REALLY hated the way her ED was "cured" though. She has one conversation with Eke who tells her that she doesn't look well, and all of a sudden she begins to eat again and stops caring about her looks, returning to her old interests of books. Two major issues with this. One, a girl can care about makeup and still enjoy reading. Two, an ED is not cured with one conversation. It is a battle, and that was not presented here. I understand that this was done for the meta-narrative, to give some closure to the reader, but it just turned my stomach.

End TW

Overall this book did have a very interesting premise and some good ideas behind it, but I don't think most of those ideas were fully explored. It felt like a lot was focused on the love story, with only glimpses of the greater societal issues facing androids and the Et Cetra themself. The story between Eke and Kyp was heartwarming though.

Cinderella meets The Matrix and Bicentennial Man. Accurate description of this book. And it was fantastic. I cried, laughed, kicked my feet, and raged all through out it.

The romance between Eke and Kyp is unbelievably sweet and heart wrenching.

The parallels of the AIs and undocumented immigrants in this country and how they are treated and perceived is very in your face but its still extremely effective commentary regardless. As well as the examination of humanity (or lack thereof) in it's wide variety of forms. This story was fun and very escape-y while also very engaging and enlightening.

LOVED this.

I received this book as an ARC from Netgalley

🔥Arc Review🔥
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

🤖 Eke and Kyp are two humanoid AIs, programmed to serve the Kensworths, a suburban American family. Eke is an outdated model, whose duties include sweeping, dusting, and table sitting. This leads to a lonely existence, as his only friends are a jar of flowers, three goldfish, and his own reflection. Kyp, on the other hand, is a newer and custom-made model, who focuses on entertaining the family.

🤖 Eke and Kyp bond over the human family's cruelties. Kyp saves Eke from numerous dangerous encounters, and they come to rely on each other for support. When they are in danger of losing consciousness and being decommissioned, they decide that their only option is to run away together to seek freedom.

🤖 The journey is dangerous, but it also leads to togetherness and love for one another. Eke and Kyp learn to trust each other and rely on each other, and they eventually find a place where they can be free.

🤖 Us, Et Cetera may be about robots, but it is a story about humanity at its core. It explored the themes of love and freedom and asks the age old question “what does it mean to be human”. The story of robots gaining consciousness and seeking safety is not a unique one. Still, author Kit Vincent manages to tell it in a way that feels fresh and fun. The characters were well-written and the story engaging. The pacing could be improved, but overall, I think it is a compelling story and would recommend.

2 1/2 stars

My full review is on Goodreads & contains spoilers.

This book needs a CW for Aces & Aros

I really wanted to like this... Instead, I'm upset & disappointed.

I did love Eke in the first half of the book. I loved how much he cared, I adored his personality, & his nightly shenanigans. I liked Dani, & what little we saw of Lizzie. Carson was perfectly fleshed out. I liked some of the ideas in the 2nd half...

Part of why I'm disappointed is my fault - I requested it late at night & missed that it was ultimately a love story... The focus on Eke's background & running away is what caught my eye, & the idea of combining Cinderella & The Matrix is what hooked me.

However...It's also a love story because it's a Pinocchio story, & so that's one of the main reasons I don't like it: it made me repeatedly uncomfortable (in an unhappy way, not in a challenging way). I am therefore not recommending this book to anyone in the Ace or Aro communities, & I've removed it from own my personal LGBTQ+ shelf so that no one mistakingly thinks I endorse the messages within the book. [More info on Goodreads review]

The other issues I had were giant plot holes, one of which was used as a plot device. [Expanded on Goodreads review]

I received an ARC from NetGalley & the Publishers in exchange for an honest review.

This review contains spoilers as well as discussions about suicide. Proceed with caution.

First off, thank you to NetGalley and Sky House Publishing for the advanced review copy of this book. It was an honor to get the chance to review this book.

I wanted to love this book. It held so much promise. Queer robots and themes that explore intolerance and what it means to be human. OF COURSE. Not to mention that the author seems like the sweetest person alive based on their social media. However, there were just several areas that it simply missed for me.

It was relatively slow building. And I truly don't pay much stalk into this, because I struggle to get through most books, but I was interested in the concept so I just kept going. And the character of Eke was unique, sweet, and enjoyable so I pushed through, hoping it would be worth it, but unfortunately, it wasn't.

The part where it really turned for me was the suicide attempts. One of the characters attempts suicide, despite not really writing any evidence of being depressed. It felt like this was done only to advanced the plot and that really bothered me. A few chapters later, the character is suddenly no longer depressed because of the love interest. I usually give grace to mental health representation, but this feels problematic to be. Depression is not something that magically gets better, and it's not something that only impacts the character in the form of random suicide attempts without any other signs or symptoms. The character continues to make other attempts (when he thinks the love interest is dead), sending the message that makes me cringe: that life without that person is meaningless. Or that the person themselves is not inherently worth it alone. I think we need good books that thoughtfully portray characters with depression and suicidal ideation, but this did not do that. Perhaps, I am sensitive to this because this is something I have personally experienced, as well as being a medical provider who has worked in mental health settings.

Plot wise this had so much potentially and parts were so interesting. The relationship between the couple was sweet. However, I feel that individually the character didn't grow, or if characters grew, there was no 'on page' time for where this growth occurred. We spent all this time with the family, for that just to fade away and nothing to come of them all, when I felt there was so much potential there. And then came the climax where one of the love interest throws themselves off a train into a river to save the other character. But then they get out of the river and they are safe because now they are in California... which meant he could have just stayed on the train for thirty more seconds and they both would have been safe. Lastly, the book centered around the 'Et Cetera' and at the end you find out it's... I don't know. I still don't feel like the concept was explained well or clear., and at the ending I was left so confused about what was ACTUALLY going to happen to the characters. Which is not what I expect from a romance.

I still am excited to read the author's other book. This one just wasn't for me.

I received an eARC from the publisher via NetGalley, all opinions are mine.

Eke and Kyp are two androids with AI consciousness (one second-hand and several generations out of date, one brand new and top of the line) who find themselves in the service of the same deeply broken human family. The story that ensues is a little bit Cinderella, a little bit Matrix: reaching for personal and social freedom while a gentle romance unfolds.

I quite enjoyed this! It's both heartwarming and heart wrenching, but always deeply sincere. If you like explorations into robotics or sentience this is for you, though I will note it doesn't get super hard sci-fi in terms of how the AIs work etc. It's more along the lines of 'In the Lives of Puppets' by Klune or the video game Detroit: Become Human.

It's multiple-POV which I found worked to its advantage as Eke's POV on its own would be perhaps overly naive. The different POVs also feel unique, which can be hard to pull off. Both Kyp and Eke have their own voice and spirit that they bring to the narrative. The little attempts at personal freedom on Eke's behalf are lovely and hurt in just the right way - I loved the comparison of constellations early on vs. in the latter half of the story! Kyp is a little more worldly, a little more knowledgeable, which of course comes with its own challenges. It's an interesting exploration of how different versions of (I assume) the same software would react at different points in its life - the younger more gently and with a certain childlike sense, the older with more practicality but also a struggle in balancing complex emotions.

The only issues I had were minor pacing ones. One of the action scenes felt a little stilted and the sentences a bit too repetitive. I also felt like Dani's character arc would have benefitted from more time to breathe. The speed at which she goes from A to B to C felt a little bit out of nowhere, though given she's a secondary character it wasn't a huge deal.

Finally, I have to end my review on something I found especially entertaining: there's a scene in here I would most certainly classify as a sex scene (more romantic than steamy). Yes, it's between the robots and no, its not at all what you expect. Major props to the author for such a clever take on android sex, I found it very refreshing and fun!

Why aren't there more stories about boys being saved and riding off into the bloody sunset with Prince Charming?

Thumbs up: Heartbreaking, current, and devastatingly human. I was genuinely hurting for Eke for the entire novel. So many great parallels drawn between the dehumanizing of queer people, the throwaway generation, and the circumstances that create "bad people."

Thumbs down: The pacing was a sprint to the halfway point and slowed down quite a bit. I genuinely didn't know how Vincent was going to execute this (especially with all the technology involved). The Et Cetera was a bit...meh? It felt flimsy for the heaviness this novel brought.

Was it a nail biter? Oh big time, if you love heart aching, Achillean romances - definitely give this book a read. I definitely think this will find it's audience on Booktok.

This is a lovely, beautifully told, sometimes sad but ultimately heartwarming novel.

For fans of AI-based Sci Fi like Ex Machina, Channel 4’s Humans and The Matrix.

In this short book we meet 2 AI robotic domestic servants, who slowly come to realise that there is more to life than their programming, while also growing to care for each other.

The story starts quite slowly but accelerated towards the end, going to unexpected places. I absolutely fell in love with the two main characters.

Kit Vincent’s writing is gorgeous, this is a wonderful book.