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.