When I read the synopsis of this story, I was all too eager to find out what exactly was going on.
Our story starts off with a plane crash. Kristin awoke in a plane full of water. Where was she and what happened? A body floats by her and she’s confused as to what is happening. A voice rings out and a hand reaches for her. It’s her boss. He was so thankful that someone else survived. Unfortunately, one of her teammates wasn’t so lucky, but how many others made it?

They quickly take an assessment and discover many of them did survive and began checking the plane for whatever luggage and essentials they could use to survive. While they were doing that, they realized there was a huge house or some type of structure in the middle of the island they landed upon. What luck, right?

While Kristen and her team headed up to the abandoned house, it was soon discovered that the house seemed to come alive. How did this house get here? Who built it and what was it used for? Once the team figures out how to get inside, the house appeared to have a mind of its own. Some doors would open by themselves. Some of those doors could be opened by people. The house was fully stocked with food as if it knew they would be arriving there. But how could that be? They were in a random plane crash. How could they have possibly known they’d end up on this deserted island with a huge glass house in the center? Hmm?

Kristin knew something wasn’t quite right and when members of her team began to go missing, she was positive they had a serious situation on their hands. And that, readers, is where our story takes off. So, this story may sound interesting and even exciting, but unfortunately, it was lost on me. I couldn’t grasp this story no matter how much I tried. I think the disconnect for me came by the way the characters interacted and were setup. The dialogue between the characters didn’t quite mesh with the actions that were taking place. Normally, I’m not the type of reader who gets squeamish or bothered by profanity, but I found the use of it with some of the characters just totally unnecessary and uncalled for. I’m thinking why would anyone talk like that to one another on a very simple question someone may have asked?

The story had some interesting elements by way of electronics and science, but that’s where it ended for me. I couldn’t get into this story the way I would have liked, and I honestly can’t blame the author for this because her writing style was decent, but I think I got lost with the idea of what I thought this story was going to be and it turned out to be something else which was a bit disappointing.

I loved every bit of this hot, unsettling., twisting and turning near-future scifi thriller. There are so many layers to this story and it had me hooked from the first page to the last.

This was such an interesting read. It was something completely different than I thought it was. It was mega disturbing on a few different levels. The plot twists really made me confused but it was a good payoff I think.

An absolutely engaging near future tech thriller. I was pleasantly surprised by this book. The characters are interesting and there was a surprisingly good plot twist that I didn’t see coming. Highly recommended for all readers!

Glass Houses is a unique and gripping sci-fi thriller with a futuristic twist. When a group of tech employees and their eccentric billionaire boss crash land on a mysterious island with an eerie smart house, a sinister mystery begins to unfold as the survivors start disappearing one by one. The dual timeline kept me captivated as Kristen, the intriguing protagonist, navigates the cutting-edge tech world and tries to stay alive on the island. Thought-provoking and suspenseful, this story provides a chilling glimpse into a future where technology has eroded privacy. A wild, atmospheric ride for fans of Black Mirror and techno-thrillers.

Thank you to Tor and Netgalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of Glass Houses by Madeline Ashby.
This was a very smart thriller set in the not too distant future. It’s centered around a group of tech developers and the billionaire owner of the tech company they work for. Their autopiloted plane makes an emergency landing on a mysterious island that happens to have a huge monstrosity of a house that is very hi tech. Kristin or Kiki as her boss calls her is our protagonist and she has had a traumatic past, Kristen has a very dark and dry wit which I really liked although she’s not an especially likeable character. Her coworkers start dying mysteriously on the island and her boss is spiraling. The timeline goes back and forth between when Kristin first started working for the company and them being stranded on the island. I really enjoyed this thriller but it left me wanting a little more. I was very intrigued by Kristin and wanted more of her back story. I’m giving 4 stars because it definitely kept me interested but would’ve loved a little more character development and a little less tech talk (the latter because most of the tech stuff was over my head) I would certainly recommend this book if you like fast paced, tech thrillers.

When the employees of a start-up specializing in an innovative emotion-mapping-AI-algorithm crash on a deserted island, they discover a mysterious AI-driven house and start to suspect something sinister is going on as the remaining employees start to disappear one by one.

This was an excellent sci-fi/techno thriller that very much reminded me of Black Mirror. The concept was very unique and it definitely made me think; all the what-if sinister technology speculation was really fun if you just accept the premise of the book and roll with it. The story was told in two timelines--the current predicament on the island as well as the past that revealed more of Kristin's (the "chief emotional officer" aka HR) character and past. Sumter's character (the CEO of the tech start-up) is clearly an amalgamation of the "tech boy billionaire" but not overly or distractingly recognizable as any real-life person, in my opinion. The action was a little slow to get going, but overall the plot kept me turning the pages and I felt like I read it very quickly.

Although the story itself was entertaining and a not-so-classic "whodoneit," I really struggled with connecting with the characters. I personally did not feel that many were very likeable. I typically need a strong connection to a character to truly enjoy the book so with that I give this three stars.

Overall, I enjoyed this book. It's unique premise captured me from the start - sci-fi, AI, futuristic, thriller.

The back-and-forth from before the plane crash, to what was happening on the island was a little clunky and didn't seem to fit in some places. It is best to go in without any expectations, because it's not really a whodunnit, rather a why-dunnit. There are plenty of plot-twists and surprises, regardless. Some plot points were confusing or seemed misplaced, but it didn't ruin the story overall.

In the end, Glass Houses was a fun, wild ride with moments of suspense that had me up late, needing to know what happens next.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor publishing for provding me a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

First off, this story really took me by surprise. The way each chapter builds the tension of the mystery had me unable to put this down. Any fans of the series Lost, and the movie Glass Onion will probably enjoy this book.

The setting for Glass Houses is in the future, where the need and use of technology is integrated heavily into our daily life.
Bloody masterpiece
The story follows a group of team members on a return flight from the successful sale of their A.I that maps human emotions and turns it into currency. The plane crashes onto a deserted island claiming the lives of several people, and stranding the others. Among the survivors is the eccentric billionaire and founder, Sumpter, and Kristen, his chief emotional officer. The survivors find only a mysterious black house, that is fully stocked, as if it had been awaiting people. The mystery deepens when one by one the surviving team members start disappearing.

The story is split between dual timelines, before the plane crash, and after the plane. We navigate through this futuristic world, and the mystery of the island with Kristen. With her title as Chief Emotional Officer, we get an intimate look at the company she works with and the people she works alongside.

This book delves into a lot of heavy things like PTSD, navigating a male dominated industry as a woman, and how the advancement of technology has destroyed a person’s right to privacy.

Honestly, the tech advancements described in this story feel close at hand, and it’s almost upsetting how close our world is to resembling this fictional one.

The pacing of Glass Houses is so well done. I honestly cannot get over how engaging everything with this story is, and how hooked you are into the mystery.

If you’re a fan of science fiction thrillers, and mysterious, then I highly recommend this story !

What a ride! I loved it. There are two POVs - before and present. I cannot even decide which I loved more. They both captured me immediately and did not let go. I could not turn the pages fast enough, but there were enough new technologies / futuristic things that had me stopping frequently to try and picture in my head. The characters were fantastic! Always a bit vague, never showing their true selves, adding to my unease and unsure feeling the whole time reading. Who do you root for, who can you trust, when is the author springing the trap?! You never know!

The atmosphere - just perfect. It was thrilling futuristic horror and the only type I want to read from now on. I yelled out loud so many times, but then was smiling so my partner was so confused. This is UNLIKE anything I have ever read and I absolutely loved it and this will stick with me certainly forever. Now I bet the audiobook would be even more fabulous....

This is so not my usual type of read but I was looking for upcoming books for our library and then I ended up really enjoying it. it is quite a dark look actually at technology and explores some really interesting themes about women and tech and it was quite foreboding at times but also fun to read. The characters and interesting and the writing is easy to read and sharp. I really liked how it incorporated flashbacks. Will be recommending this and adding to our library.

In the near future, an autonomous airplane crashes on a deserted Pacific island. Several people die in the crash, but several also survive, including the CEO of Wuv, a software company that purports to be able to evaluate emotions using contact lenses and other smart devices. The survivors find a house that will only open for men. Everything within the house will only open for men. What is this place? Kristen is the "chief emotional officer" of Wuv, who was hired to hold the hand of the CEO, Sumter. Being a woman in tech has always been an issue and it has not gotten any better, except Kristen has been working on that. It becomes clear there is more going on than meets the eye and Kristen's boss is right in the middle of it all. A very interesting take on women in tech and what might happen in the future.

A group of employees and their CEO celebrating the sale of emotion tracking AI algorithm, crash onto a not-quite-deserted tropical island.

For those who do survive, they come across a beautifully stocked private palace. The house however has more secrets than anyone might have guessed


This book is for fans of Black Mirror, and I think that it was delivered. However, my biggest complaint was that these people all survived this plane crash, but there’s really no explanation really into what happened with the plane. Why did they go down. But the people who survived just carried on like nothing had happened. I would be a mental mess; on the verge of a breakdown, you can guarantee that. The characters were detached and showed sociopath tendencies. Kristen was a great character and full of depth. It was interesting to see the flashes to the past so I could get to know her more. Really added a lot of understanding.

This book is most certainly a twisted read and one that will make you wonder, and keep you guessing until the last minute.

Glass Houses is a mystery that explores the darker parts of technology and human behaviour. When a start-up team for an AI emotion mapping algorithm are involved in a plane crash, they land on a deserted island, with only a handful of the passengers surviving. On the island, they find an abandoned house with all the latest technology installed but remain unable to contact the outer world. One by one, they start to go missing, and the house they are using as a refuge feels less and less safe by the day.

This book took me a while to really get into. But by the time I was halfway through, I was hooked! Initially, I struggled with the switching between past and present chapters as I didn’t feel I could fully understand either timeline as I didn’t feel I had a deep enough understanding of them. However, as I read on, the events became clearer and I was able to enjoy Glass Houses more. The timelines were woven together well and the book ended in a fantastic crescendo.

"It's always more comforting to believe in conspiracy than chaos." – Glass Houses by Madeline Ashby

⭐⭐⭐/5

⚠️ cw: death, fire injury, sexual content, sexual assault, medical content, toxic relationship, domestic abuse

In the near future, social media dominates people's lives, tech companies pop up like mushrooms, AI is everywhere, and misogyny is still a thing. We follow Kristin as she ends up stranded on a deserted island with her coworkers after their company won an award for their emotion-mapping AI technology. It soon turns out the island is not as deserted as they think, as they take shelter in a mysterious black box-shaped house. Soon, people start going missing, and Kristin starts to form a theory.

I was drawn to the book by its premise and cover, as I had never heard of the author before. The writing flows easily and it's witty, funny, and packed with some great one-liners. The chapters about the stranding are separated by flashbacks to the past, starting from when Kristin joined the company.

This could have easily been a 4⭐ for me, given the concept and execution, if it wasn't for the fact that I spent a big chunk of the book being confused at what was going on and who was speaking. This is probably partly my fault, as it took me a while to finish this and I kept reading it before bed, but it's also due to the fact that there are a lot of names, a lot of time jumps, and very few reminders of who's who.

The ending, while interesting, also felt a bit too far-fetched for me, and not sufficiently signposted, which ended up taking me out at the point in the book when I should have been the most invested.

Overall, if you want something that explores the role of social media in our lives and of minority groups in tech in a way that is both funny and serious, and don't mind doing a bit of legwork creating your own list of characters, then you will probably like this one! Maybe there's still time to add a dramatis personae?

A near future suspense thriller with a start-up tech company crashing on a deserted island just after their millions-making acquisition. What has really gotten them there? Who is the bad guy in this situation? Flashbacks and a unreliable narrator keep you guessing until the end = I really enjoyed this one!

I wanted to love this book so much, I really did. Everything about it appealed to me because I just love sci-fi thrillers, but this fell flat for me and I was ultimately disappointed with it.

I was confused A LOT and it made me feel like this book was too smart for me. It felt like there were things I was supposed to already know and understand without ever having been explained to me. Several times I went backwards to reread something because I assumed that I had missed important information, but there was nothing there to erase my confusion. I also didn't particularly care for any of the characters, I couldn't relate to them and there wasn't anything that endeared them to me. I wish more of the world had been explored further, we are never told when exactly in the future this is set and it seemed like the reader is just expected to understand more about the state of the world than is ever explained and that was frustrating for me. Had more background been given and more time dedicated to world building and less time given to somewhat unnecessary flashbacks, I think the book would've felt more cohesive.

All that said, I did enjoy the story and I was committed enough to finish so that I could figure out what was going on. I thought that the commentary on data selling, privacy and currency all related to our dependency on technology was startlingly relevant, but the twist at the end seemed to come out of nowhere and ultimately seemed unnecessary to the story - it felt added purely as a way to add a layer of shock.

While this one might not have been a hit for me, I do think a lot of people will enjoy it, especially if you enjoy smart, snappy sci-fi with intelligent and relatable social commentary.

I tried to get into this one, but I really struggled with the dialogue in the beginning. I am still really thankful to Tor Books, Madeline Ashby, and Netgalley for granting me advanced digital access to this one before August 13, 2024.

I don't think I'm smart enough for ths book. Seriously. Glass Houses is such a sharp, pointed novel, and I have no doubt Ashby has genius level intelligence.

At the beginning of Glass Houses, a private plane crashes on a deserted island, and the survivors, all part of an AI tech start-up, discover (and enter) a beautiful home. Then people start dying. Kristen, the main character, is a badass, which has helped her progress in her career as a woman in tech, and we follow her story closely in the present as well as in chapters that flashback to her past.

This novel is a thriller, a mystery, a romance, and speculative fiction all rolled into one. Ashby explores heavy themes with finesse: power, gender, good/evil, the role of technology, love. The plot is suspenseful. The characters are gritty. The prose is divine. It's a bit crass, a bit convoluted, and a bit confusing, but again, I think that's just because I'm not smart enough for it.