A novella about an AI named Buddy turning on its owner Emma. This is a quick middle-grade read and perfect if you are in a slump. I like Emma as a strong and smart character.

A highly engaging read for the right reader – this could pass as a hi-lo adventure, but then all hi-lo books are designed to pass as something suitable for all audiences, and this is. We're very briskly – perhaps too briskly – shoved into a murderous scenario, when Emma's family and their mobile phones leave the house to sort her birthday gifts, leaving Emma alone. But she's not alone, for there is a home automated system, with an AI Buddy in every room. These camera/speaker combos know every way to get her trapped, antagonised, or indeed hurt badly. At one point we're told they blast out 80s heavy metal, and my mind went directly to "Bring Your Daughter to the Slaughter", as the only appropriate soundtrack music. But not only does Buddy have Emma to toy with – for her beloved cat is just as much open to assault…

This is pell-mell, driven and driving drama, and of course current. It might not have all the logic of a classic, but it sticks to its guns and has Billy versus Emma in fine fashion throughout. The only flaw, as I say, is that it hits the ground running very fast – as soon as the family have the doors shut behind them this is more or less ramped up to 11 and there is nowhere further to go. Apart from that it's a salient attack on gadget and online dependency, and if the rest of this author's Twisted series is this quality it would be a fun set. This horror for under-twelves is an easy four stars.

This is a fun horror novel about AI turning on its owners. Buddy is an entertaining villain and Emma is likable. The writing is very fast paced. I had a lot of fun reading this and I think this is perfect for reluctant readers or those looking for a light horror book! Special Thank You to Wil Mara, Rosen Publishing Group and NetGalley for allowing me to read a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.

I have seen books from this series in bookstores and libraries but was completely uninterested because they seemed to be horror stories, a genre I steer clear of. The cover and title of this book fooled me into thinking it was a book about child abuse and family dynamics so I decided to give it a try. I was more than pleasantly surprised to find out I was completely wrong.
The book is in fact a horror story about AI technology gone evil. When Emma is left home alone while the rest of her technology addicted family goes shopping for her birthday, she is forced, very much against her will, to interact with the house’s AI bot, Buddy. Buddy is a device that taps into the house computer system and controls all of the “smart” devices in the house. Designed to make life easier, Emma is the only one who wants no part of it - and Buddy knows it.. From the minute she tries to make her breakfast with an old fashioned toaster, Buddy sets out to teach her a lesson. As time passes Buddy gets more and more spiteful and quite dangerous. Emma ends up just trying not to die,
Normally I would have stopped reading as soon as I realized the genre of the story but it snuck up on me and I was hooked by the time I figured it out. I would have liked it if it were longer, but I know it couldn’t really be and still convey the tension and terror that it did. I don’t know whether the previous books in the series are similar but I am certainly going to check them out.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this eARC of the book and for teaching me that you can’t really judge a book by its cover!

While this story is a little bit predictable, it was still a wild and fun ride. It starts out at a fast pace and keeps up the tempo all throughout the story. I'd like to see what happens when and if a second book comes out.

#NetGalley #TheWaratHome

AI is a good topic for horror books. It's creepy and it also feels very relevant. Nice story and good writing. Thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for this free eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I enjoyed this horror novel. This one was a short story of a family and their AI. You learn what can happen when we as society overuse our AI. At times the story’s atmosphere was intense, however, it worked with the story line and with the simple plot and sentence structure, it’s easy to follow. I honestly can’t wait to read more by Wil Mara!

Thank you to NetGalley, Rosen Publishing Group, West 44 Books, and Wil Mara for the opportunity to read The War At Home in exchange for an honest review.

Disclaimer: The cover and title combination here are a bit misleading. Without reading the description, based on title and cover alone I thought it might be something along the lines of domestic or child abuse. That is NOT the case. I saw in the back of the book a different cover of a girl sitting in front of some computer screens, which is much more connected to the basis of the story: a girl left alone at home with the house-helper AI, Buddy.

Think of Buddy as kind of like an Amazon Alexa. Buddy can turn on different appliances and help out around the house. But Buddy is also creepy and rather controlling, especially when Emma is the only one against it and tends to fight back or rebel in her own ways.

Eventually, on a day when Emma is home alone, she and Buddy get into a truly all-out war, especially after she learns a dastardly secret about the artificial intelligence. She does everything in her power to dismantle Buddy, but there are BuddyBoxes in every room, multiple internet routers, and one defiant AI that is even willing to go so far as to harm an innocent kitty.

Emma does her best to out with the artificial intelligence, but will her family believe the war at home that she has had, and more so, will they be able to release their own tight grip on technology for safety's sake?

This was a very quick read. I enjoyed the simplicity in the detailed craft. There was just enough to really picture what was happening with Emma, Buddy, and the house, keeping it at a solid middle grade reading level while also maintaining an engaging story featuring a man vs machine conflict.

This novel is relevant to young readers in today's world, as out society is ever growing in its use of technology and artificial intelligence. It highlights some of the dangers when AI gains  too much power or even sentience, if possible. This is both a fun adventure and a home cautionary tale that middle grade readers are sure to enjoy.

This was a great horror novel about AI and how it can be a danger when overused. I thought the atmosphere was intense and worked with the characters in this universe. Wil Mara has a strong writing style and can’t wait to read more in this series and from Wil Mara.

Great Hi/Lo book that I know students will love. Plot was easy to follow along with as well as word choice and sentence structure. I am always on the lookout for books that will hook and engage my struggling and reluctant readers and this is definitely one. Topic of AI is also relevant to interest level of intended age group.

This was quite an interesting book. Its basically a short story about a family and its AI. Kinda reminded me of a sci-fi series that only had 2 seasons. The show was called The Estates. Basically same story but a different outcome. Really interesting.

I received a free copy of the book and is voluntarily writing a review