February 23, 2021
NetGalley
St Martin’s Press
Fiction, arc, digital
ISBN: 9781250272904
240 pages
3/12/21-3/20/21
I received a complimentary digital copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review.
In this futuristic setting in Paris, Clarissa Katsef is in search for a new home after leaving her husband, Francois Antoine after a long marriage. She is a writer and acclaimed author of a book called The Topography of Intimacy in which she shares her views on the lives of authors based on their living space. “It’s about writers and the link between their work, their homes, their intimacy, and their suicides, particularly Virginia Woolf and Romain Gary. It’s a novel, not an essay.” Her daughter Jordan doesn't seem to understand why her mother has suddenly decided to leave Francois who happens to be her mother's second husband. Clarissa loves and cherishes her time with her ambitious 15 year old granddaughter, Adriana whenever she can.
The story begins to raise curiosity when in search of a flat, Clarissa encounters someone who recommends she apply for housing in a special building run by CASA for artists. Although the interview process seems extremely personal, she continues as the rent is reasonable and they seem to offer some amenities not typical in most flats. Clarissa is excited to learn she has been selected to live in this building amongst other like minded people. She does find some of the "rules" regarding her living situation odd and increasingly demanding but endures questioning her own personal choices. It seems the place is "outfitted" with a virtual assistant who has been programmed specifically for Clarissa with the ability to read and respond to her texts and emails. It almost feels like a dream come true to have such convenience and safety as even the building screens visitors before allowing entrance.
Life begins to become freaky when Clarissa finds she cannot sleep and begins to feel like she is being watched all the time. She begins to question her own sanity when bizarre events occur and even her cat seems spooked. This is a cautionary tale about the convenience and dangerous of artificial intelligence and how much control others could have over you with too much information.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3837451284
https://www.bookbub.com/reviews/4123086503
https://www.edelweiss.plus/?sku=1250767946&g=4400
https://www.instagram.com/p/CLwst4BgROg/?igshid=1uedgnsjpxcz3
No comments:
Post a Comment