True Life in Uncanny Valley by Deb Caletti is a compelling novel about self-discovery, family, and the blurred lines between reality and technology. Eleanor, the relatable protagonist, grapples with secrets about her father, Hugo, a tech genius, while stepping into her role as a nanny for her half-brother. The novel beautifully explores parent-child dynamics and the emotional power of found families. Caletti’s commentary on artificial intelligence adds a thought-provoking layer, making this a timely and heartwarming story about identity, truth, and the connections we choose.

True Life in Uncanny Valley took a little bit for me to be on board. The beginning dragged a bit, but I think it also helped to highlight the humdrum of Eleanor's life- not feeling like she fits in with her mom and sister, not knowing/having a relationship with her life, and lacking in self confidence. Eleanor's story is relatable- wanting to fit in, wanting to know someone, wanting to do the right thing- but not sure how, and even wanting to be (like) someone else. I found myself sad more for the relationship she had with her mom and sister than the one she lacked with her father. The story wasn't predictable, which is a nice change from a lot of stories out there. I do wish there was more to the ending, but I also hope there is a sequel to this book to show how Eleanor's relationship with her brother and Aurora grow, in addition to her friendships, and, hopefully, the dynamic with her mom and sister change and she can feel like she belongs.

Deb Caletti did a great job of showing how real... and creepy AI can become. I'd love to say it was futuristic, but with all the advancements being made and the interest society seems to have with pushing the boundaries. I also highlighted some of the passages in the book, as they struck and stuck with me.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

Gripping and thought-provoking young adult novel that delves into the complexities of identity and family secrets. The story follows Eleanor, a girl who has always watched her famous father, Hugo Harrison, from afar. When she gets the chance to work as a nanny for her half-brother, she steps into a world of wealth and deception, determined to uncover the truth about her father and herself.

Caletti’s writing is both engaging and insightful, capturing the emotional turmoil and curiosity of a girl caught between two worlds. The characters are richly developed, with Eleanor’s journey of self-discovery being particularly compelling. The plot is full of twists and turns, keeping readers hooked as Eleanor navigates a maze of lies and hidden truths.

If you enjoy stories that explore the intersection of technology, family dynamics, and personal growth, “True Life in Uncanny Valley” is a must-read.

i'm so glad to see deb caletti back writing more ya books this was such a fun book! i loved the plot and characters so much! definitely gonna add this to my collection

Eleanor has been growing up with her mom and sister because her mom had them in an on-and-off affair with someone who, over the years, became this tech genius, founder of the company that offered the society several very much loved apps - social media and AI-powered stuff, lately. Eleanor is sixteen and so eager to get to know her father that she literally spends hours in a car parked across the road spying on his luxurious house. When it turns out that the family is looking for a summer nanny, she can't miss this chance to get to know her father's family.

This is a great book that raises many questions that were previously in the domain of sci-fi - but, seriously, between today's tech and the one imagined in the book there's such a small leap that I can't even call that a fantastic premise. What is real and how do we know it? (Curated social media representations, I am looking at you! - brought to a level of absurd here) What is human and don't we lose that precious humanity in striving to overcome its imperfections? (But if we are coming deeply traumatized by (narcissistic, I guess) people who reared us in childhood - do we really need that imperfectly human aspect in our lives?) And the nature of art as that human, human thing.

Eleanor is also a fan of Golden-Age comics, strives to be a comics artist herself and has an interesting critical take on her favorite superhero comics from the 1940s, Miss Fury (which I assumed, while reading, to be an invented one for the sake of this story, but a brief search proved me wrong). And that introduces a whole bunch of additional big issues to tackle: how character arcs from our favorite books can be a guiding light for us on our way but we ultimately need to break off and find an own path both in our "character dynamics" and in what we bring in to the world as creators. There's additional intertextual play: every chapter has a kind of a graphic epigraph from the Miss Fury comics, and it seems even more valuable now that I know this intertext wasn't invented for the sake of this story. Eleanor and her friends also have a book club, so some additional intertexts for the topics of interest are also quite seamlessly introduced into the story that way.

What I also really liked about this book is that it is not falling into the pitfall of many (even totally not bad otherwise) YA books that tend to overcompensate by the end of the story for what it dared to disturb in the reader. This one does not end with all dreams fulfilled and all troubles solved, which would seriously deprive the heroine of a growing-up point.

The only thing that didn't like as much is the narrator's tone in the introductory chapters and then in the very end again. I guess everyone has one of those friends who just never shut up and make simple stories they are trying to retell unbearable by going on endless tangents that seem relevant to them but you have no idea why the story derailed into this tangent again, so you are both interested to learn what actually happened to your friend in that main story and extremely annoyed by the tangents, so you have to remind them what the main story was and that you still don't know how that turned out... well, this is how Eleanor's tone in the introductory chapters felt, except for lack of the possibility to re-rail the story onto the main track by the reminder. But! I actually didn't notice this after ~25% that much, so if the first part still interests you enough, just know it will become less annoying soon and you can follow the heroine's collision course with the reality.

4,5 stars, highly recommend.

I received a free eARC of this book through NetGalley; the review above is my honest and independent opinion of it.

"True Life in Uncanny Valley" by Deb Caletti is a wild ride through the blurred lines of identity, family secrets, and the disorienting world of tech elitism. Caletti weaves a story that feels like Black Mirror meets The Parent Trap, with Eleanor caught in the middle of a twisted game of deception. I couldn't put it down—not just because of the suspense, but because Eleanor's journey hits so close to home for anyone who's ever felt like an outsider in their own life. The way Caletti explores the idea of identity in an era where everything can be curated, edited, and faked is chilling and deeply resonant. It's a sharp, thought-provoking read that makes you question not just the characters, but yourself. Perfect for anyone who loves a story with layers of intrigue, a dash of romance, and a whole lot of emotional depth.

⭐⭐⭐

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children’s for sending me an ARC in return for an honest review.

"True Life in Uncanny Valley" by Deb Caletti follows Eleanor Diamond who spies on her famous yet absent father Hugo Harrison and ends up nannying for her half brother in order to try and get to know her father better. But, when she spends the summer with the Harrisons it turns out there are secrets that the 'perfect' family is hiding.

All of the characters Caletti wrote felt so real. My favorite parts of the novel had to be when Eleanor was interacting with her friend group. They were such a fun and cozy bunch that just loved and supported each other no matter what. Eleanor was written in a way where she could feel grateful for the opportunity to get to know her father more but also feel bad that her sister and mother don’t get the same chance. The experience of going through multiple and sometimes even conflicting emotions at the same time is such a universal feeling but sometimes isn’t portrayed as well. Caletti did a wonderful job of portraying real people for not just her main characters but the supporting characters as well.

The only downfall of this novel I think was the plot. It was extremely character dominant so when the focus moved more to the plot it felt rushed and a little bit boring. Especially with the ending, it was so rushed and seemed to come out of left field that I didn’t feel satisfied.

I think "True Life in Uncanny Valley" is perfect for teens that might feel a little out of place and looking for a small part of the world that will accept them as they are.

I really liked the concept of AI and robots, but this book almost felt like two different stories. The first part was us getting to know Eleanor and her dysfunctional family including her elusive and famous father (think Elon Musk). The second part was a mystery involving her stepmother, little half-brother, a robot, and her dad. I actually think I liked the second half better because of the intrigue. This is definitely a quirky, yet thoughtful, book.

The book shows Eleanor who wants to know about her father. She used her spying by working as a nanny for her father’s young son. Eleanor has to lie her way while working as a nanny. This book is also showing how Eleanor can learn more about her father’s inventions, secrets, and other things. Thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for giving me an opportunity to read this book and do a review.

It was a middle grade book. The writing was super easy to get into. And the plot was very clear. Overall I gave it a 4 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read this in exchange for an honest review.

A very fun YA read about the downsides of AI and a girl longing for her estranged father. Had some romance, some laughs, some mystery - a little of everything!

This book was a very interesting, engaging and heavy At times. I found the main character to be very relatable. I was intrigued the whole time to find out what would happen next. I did not expect the ending, so that’s always a good thing.

Rating: 4/5 starts
Spicy Level: 0
Genre: YA

Eleanor and her older sister are being raised by her mother. She's always known that her famous, genius father, Hugo Harrison, abandoned she and her sister after having an affair and then leaving their mother. Her mother harbors a great deal of resentment towards him and has never shied away from letting her daughters know about how he has abandoned them and betrayed their family.

Despite this, Eleanor has always had a natural curiosity about learning more about her father. She latches onto an opportunity to unbeknownst to her father and his new wife, become a live-in summer nanny to their young son; her half brother. After moving in with the family, Eleanor finally is able to get insight on life with her father, stepfather and half-brother. It brings her up close and personal on some exciting and disturbing aspects of their lives that has her questioning fake from reality.

Overall, I found the book very interesting. The beginning dragged until around Chapter 7, when Eleanor moved in with her father. So if you're struggling at the beginning, I would suggest forging on. It gets better. There were some unresolved details mentioned several times within the book that were never explained like Eleanor's rash and pool sensitivity. I felt like this was a missed opportunity. I also wish we could delve deeper or reach some type of resolution in Eleanor, her mother, and her sister's relationship. The ending was a surprise, but not in a "unsuspected twist" kinda way. It was in a "Wait! That's the last page?" kinda way.

I would like to see more by this author because there are some passages and quotes that I actually highlighted and I think will stick with me. I actually would like her to have a Book 2 of this book so I can see how Eleanor's relationships develop and grow.

So much happens in this book about self-discovery, secrets, family, robots, and romance. Eleanor ends up being a nanny for her father (who ditched her mom when she and her sister were little and doesn’t know who she is) and his new wife. Eleanor doesn’t tell her mom she’s working for her dad. What happens when her mom finds out what she’s been doing? Did her dad know all this time who Eleanor was? So many surprises at the end.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

Thank you for allowing me to read this book!

Just wanted to start off by saying that I think the idea of this book is great for teens! The beginning was fun and cute, brings out the best in the book. There were some things that felt were dragging or just made me lose interest.
Overall all, the book was great! It’s a book for a good summer read and definitely something more for teens than adults!

First of all, thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for access to this preview copy of True Life in Uncanny Valley. This one was a lot to take in. I enjoyed virtually all of the book, especially the found family and the idea of not quite fitting with the family you're born into. I wish some resolution had come regarding some threads like the idea of Eleanor having rashes in the pool.

Overall, I have positive feelings about the meat of this book. I'll recommend it to my students who enjoy found family stories, fish out of water stories, and stick it to the man stories. However, there were parts that felt a bit repetitive for me, and I struggled with how much Eleanor faulted people for being imperfect, though that could have been me bringing too much of my adult perspective to the reading. Teens will likely resonate with that struggle more than a 43-year-old mother of two.

The author has created anentertaining, well written and yet thought-provoking YA novel. Highly recommended; I'd love a sequel!

Caletti is so good at creating entertaining and yet thought-provoking YA literature. Highly recommended; I'd love a sequel!

*Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an e-galley in exchange for an honest review.