Holos

by Danielle Paige, Bex Glendining (Illustrator)

From New York Times bestselling author Danielle Paige (Dorothy Must Die, The Ravens, Stealing Snow) comes a fast-paced tech-noir thriller about digital ghosts, memories, and what it means to be human.

Talia’s work is on the cutting edge of history, creating holographic copies of people after their deaths for the top-secret HOLOS project. But when her sister Penelope is killed, Talia must secretly revive Penelope using the program’s technology in order to solve her murder.

This beautiful fiction book includes illustrations by Bex Glendining (Black Wakanda Forever, Buffy the Vampire Slayer).

Genres: Science Fiction, Young Adult, Mystery, Fiction

196 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 22, 2023

About the author

Danielle lives in NY. Before turning to YA, she worked in television & was nominated for several Daytime Emmy's. Dorothy Must Die is her first novel.

Reviews

[MissBecka Gee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reread August 2025:
I enjoyed this even more the second time round!
Bit creepy how some of this is kinda happening now with AI.

Original Review October 2023:
If you have known me for more than 7 minutes, chances are, I have recommended a Danielle Paige book. Or at the very least gushed about how much I adore her.
It should come as no surprise that I bought her most recent release, and then stuck it on a shelf till I had a day off to give it my full attention.
I did not expect to start and finish this in less than 5 hours and feel fully sated.
Well done Lady Paige, well done indeed!
This is a sci-fi thriller which is not her normal genre, but hell if she didn't knock it outta the park.
Such a cool idea and an even better execution.
I've no idea why more people are not talking about this one.

[Kira · Rating 4 out of 5]

Science fiction is always such a fun genre but this book was extra thrilling because it was published in 2021 but some of its technology is actually happening now! I thoroughly enjoyed the drama of the book and the mind bending science it presented. I loved the enduring closeness of Talia and Penelope, sisters caring for each other is always a favorite of mine.

[Lindsey Sanford · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an interesting concept—and something we are terrifyingly seeing in current day—but I think the concept was maybe TOO big for such a short story.

Everything felt a little rushed, and some stuff under-explained.

[Laurie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Danielle Paige is an amazing writer. However, this one gave me pause. If you don't think about the "science" too much it might work for you.

[Marisa ZK Todd · Rating 3 out of 5]

an easy read. fun but it didn’t really flow…

[Adan Mendez · Rating 2 out of 5]

Read it in one sitting while stuck on a train, found it in a used book store and the premise sounded pretty solid and that’s the best thing about this book; its premise. The world building was non existent and the characters were unrealistic, most of their actions were a simulacrum of what a person would do or act and the childhood trauma was only told to us but we never really saw the disassociation and conflict these characters would experience. Felt more like their actions were forced solely for the plot to move forward. Pen and Talia were not unique and at times if felt like they were the same person, other than their different corks they could have been the same character with same hive mind way of thinking. The biggest let down was the holograms themselves, the question if they should exist was never explored and rather preached to us that it was a truth we should applaud. I found this book in the SciFi section amongst the greats like Asimov and Heinlen so I gave it a chance but I quickly learned it was YA garbage; exploring romantic relationships than deeper meaning of the subject matter. Would not recommend unless you expecting to read YA, good luck.

[Jacqueline Firkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fast, fun read with a compelling premise and lots of juicy plot twists. A high powered political family with a few secrets they're desperate to keep. A scientist pushing the bounds of ethical research for deeply personal reasons. An avid fan who might be more than just a fan. Two worlds--one real and one virtual, with a few too many leaks between the two. A ghost in the machine. And in the middle of it all, two sisters who dreamed of being goddesses, but are forced to learn the price of creating and controlling a world. I'm thrilled I got an early peek at this one. It'll keep you turning pages, and the gorgeous illustrations are a fantastic bonus.

[Charlie Blanchard · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good story, but it was missing some polish. some of the key points were muddy even at the end of the book.