Glass Houses

by Madeline Ashby

A group of employees and their CEO, celebrating the sale of their remarkable emotion-mapping-AI-alogorithm, crash onto a not-quite-deserted tropical island. Luckily, those who survived have found a beautiful, fully stocked private palace, with all the latest technological updates (though one without connection to the outside world). The house, however, has more secrets than anyone might have guessed, and a much darker reason for having been built and left behind.

Genres: Thriller, Science Fiction, Mystery, Fiction, Mystery Thriller, Adult, Horror

288 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 13, 2024

About the author

Madeline Ashby is a science fiction writer and strategic foresight consultant living in Toronto. She has been writing fiction since she was about thirteen years old. (Before that, she recited all her stories aloud, with funny voices and everything.) Her fiction has appeared in Nature, Tesseracts, Escape Pod, FLURB, the Shine Anthology, and elsewhere. Her non-fiction has appeared at BoingBoing.net, io9.com, Tor.com, Online Fandom, and WorldChanging. She is a member of the Cecil Street Irregulars, one of Toronto's oldest genre writers' workshops. She holds a M.A. in Interdisciplinary Studies (her thesis was on anime, fan culture, and cyborg theory) and a M.Des. in strategic foresight & innovation (her project was on the future of border security). Currently, she is represented by Monica Pacheco of Anne McDermid & Associates.

Reviews

[Nilufer Ozmekik · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay my bookish friends, we have a little tough sci fi thriller to discuss: I both liked and also disliked at the same time which is making things complicated to form a fair verdict.

Firstly the book is far too intelligent that made me feel not capable enough to understand the whole scientific terminology that discussed in pages (that’s why after reading this book, I gave my approval to my husband wear his “I’m with this stupid shirt” that with an arrow pointing someone stands next to him: which is absolutely “me”) The idea of emotion-mapping-AI algorithm turning human emotions into currency is not comprehensible subject for me as a person who has even problems to fully understand the mechanics of crypto currency.

I also had really hard time to connect with Kristen Mara: the eerie heroine who is too intelligent, detached, showing sociopathic tendencies who didn’t give me anything to hold on for empathizing her and her painful, tragic childhood.

But I cannot deny, the plot line with reminiscences of Glass Onion, Lost and And Then There Were None are perfectly executed, describing ten people: a part of innovative tech company who lurched emotion-mapping-AI- algorithm survive from plane crash, finding themselves in a tropical island where a bizarre black box shaped house awaiting them to stay till somebody notices their acceptances. But just like Christie’s famous book each of them starts dying with unknown reasons that might be supernatural identities threatened the islanders or a secret psychopath targets them and this person can be one of them.

Yes the plot line of the book is intriguing which is told by the present time in island and flashbacks putting a light how Kristen, a soul survivor of a fire that has taken her family’s life, sued to the firm that created the malfunctioning fire and won it that put her in the spotlight of media stalkers. Kristen is hired as “chief emotional manager” by eccentric boyish billionaire, CEO Sumter who insists they’re two pieces of pod with similar pasts they end to sue the companies which are responsible to kill both of their parents.

We see blossoming relationship of Kristen with mysterious Antonin who keeps questioning the piling death around Kristen and we learn more about company related suicides that may lead to something more sinister.

When we return back to the present, we start questioning what’s going on in the island, why their automated piloted place did crash, who is the owner of fully-stocked black box shaped mansion on the island where none of the women can open the fridges or any drawers. Is one of them having a very dangerous secret agenda to hunt them one by one or is this another test created by Sumter and Mason?

Well, I’m rounding up 3.5 stars to 4 because of the unique definitions and original inventions in this book even though all those characters are highly irritating that I didn’t care they live or die! But as a fantasy and speculative science fiction this book stands tall from its rivals. The execution and pacing is great. That’s why I raised my grade!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group for sharing this smart sci-fi novel’s digital reviewer copy with me in exchange of my honest thoughts.

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[Linzie (suspenseisthrillingme) · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a deliciously dark book! From the offset, Glass Houses won me over with its near-future speculative twists. With two compelling timelines and a creepy, creepy setting, I was pulled deeply into this thought-provoking premise. But it was the Black Mirror vibe that was married cleverly with And Then There Were None that won me over hook, line, and sinker. After all, there’s nothing I love more than a well-written locked room murder mystery novel.

The characters were a mix of those I loved to hate and a protagonist who had me cheering her on from the sidelines. While some were decidedly more flat than others, they each furthered the plot so as to keep me thoroughly intrigued. But the twists were what kept my fingers firmly flying. Perhaps thanks to the finely layered storyline, I didn’t anticipate nary a one. And I don’t know about you, but I simply love when a dawning realization makes you utterly giddy.

There was one piece that didn’t quite work for me, though. Heavily peppered with dense tech speak which went well over my head, I found myself sometimes having to parse sentences in an effort to follow what was being said. Was it important? Or could I skim a description? Ultimately, it took longer to read as I seriously had to slow down in order to try and comprehend.

Nevertheless, I had a blast reading this intoxicating look at a future I pray we never encounter. From its scathing look at what it sometimes means to be a woman in tech to the potential downsides of everything from AI to crypto, there was no end to the well-founded critiques. At the same time, this was every bit of a riveting thriller. With a soaring pace and a hard-hitting, palpable fear, I was fully invested from the first page until the last. And while it might’ve been more sci-fi than I was expecting, it just didn’t matter as I gobbled it up in just a matter of hours. So come one, come all… You need to read this book. Dark and twisted, it was simply sublime. Rating of 4.5 stars.

SYNOPSIS:

A group of employees and their CEO, celebrating the sale of their remarkable emotion-mapping-AI-algorithm, crash onto a not-quite-deserted tropical island.

Luckily, those who survived have found a beautiful, fully-stocked private palace, with all the latest technological updates (though one without connection to the outside world). The house, however, has more secrets than anyone might have guessed, and a much darker reason for having been built and left behind.

Kristen, the hyper-competent "chief emotional manager" (a position created by her eccentric, boyish billionaire boss, Sumter) is trying to keep her colleagues stable throughout this new challenge, but staying sane seems to be as much of a challenge as staying alive.

Being a woman in tech has always meant having to be smarter than anyone expects—and Kristen's knack for out-of-the-box problem-solving and quick thinking has gotten her to the top of her field. But will a killer instinct be enough to survive the island?

Thank you to Madeline Ashby and story Publishing for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.

PUB DATE: August 13, 2024

Trigger warning: plane crash, misogyny, sexual harassment, mention of: house fire, suicide

[megs_bookrack · Rating 3 out of 5]

**2.5-stars rounded up**

I'm not having the best reading luck lately. I'm feeling let down a lot. Am I being punished for something?

I need this trend to turn around soon, because it's seriously putting me in a mood.



I've been putting off reviewing this for a while. I needed to cool my jets a bit before I tore off on some salty rant review, going up one side of this and down the other. That helps no one. So, let's take a deep breath, and get into it.

The synopsis for Glass Houses had me anticipating a gripping, freaky, intense, near-future Mystery-Thriller involving a palatial house on a deserted island.

Instead what I got was a slow-moving character study of messed up people. Sure, a small portion is set on an island, but that certainly didn't feel like the focus.



The very start was giving the first scene from the first season of Lost. I thought to myself, this is exciting, this is intriguing. Then as it began to play out further, I thought, wait a minute is...

I won't fill in that blank, but that happened by page 19, and I was correct. There was another thing later 'revealed' that I knew early on as well. I wasn't trying to figure anything out. I never do that, but these things were just so glaringly obvious, I wonder were they supposed to feel like reveals?

Then in other ways, where I wish it could have been expanded upon, we were kept in the dark. We did get little tidbits of the greater world here and there, but it was never clear enough to understand, or provide a sense of place.



I feel like a nice mixed media element scattered throughout, that could've let us know how the world got to this point would've been fun. I mean obviously it's the near future, but why is everything soooo different?

By the middle, it had really slowed down. We weren't seeing as much of everyone running around like chickens with their heads cut off, which I guess could've been entertaining if we didn't have these huge sections from the past taking us right out of that present feeling of chaos.



At the end of the day, NGL, I didn't enjoy this. Some of the concepts involving future tech and AI were interesting, but I hated the way the story was told.

There was too much focus on the backstory of Kristin and not enough on the present setting of the deserted island. I feel like I was sold something that I didn't end up getting.

I wasn't given suspense, nor intrigue, AND was barely given any time on the deserted island that I was promised. I am rounding up to 3-stars to be nice.



With this being said, just because this didn't work for me, does not mean it won't work for you. I wouldn't really go by the synopsis though to judge whether or not you would enjoy it, as personally, I feel it's a bit mismarketed.

I think this would work best for Literary Fiction fans, who enjoy dark stories with light SF-elements. Character-driven Readers may also have success with this.



Thank you to the publisher, Tor, for providing me with a copy to read and review.

I'm not sure if I will read from this author again, probably not, but I'm glad I gave this one a shot, even if it wasn't necessarily my cup of tea.

[Darla · Rating 3 out of 5]

The execution did not match my anticipation. How weird is it that I also read a book called House of Glass this month?

This book is very different. A dystopian future that I would not like to live in. An app called Wuv has been developed to capture your emotions in real time and share them with everyone. The vision is to avoid the need for therapy and other time-consuming constructs (like voting) in our current world.

Kristen Howard is at times a sympathetic heroine. Her boss Sumter is the stereotypical evil genius masquerading as a tech bro. The plane crash on a deserted island is devastating and confusing for the team on board. And what is the deal with that huge black monolith in the center of the island? The house made of glass?

For many this will be a compelling page-turner. The tone of the book was quite crass and there were too many references to the use of porn and demeaning references to body parts. This was not a good match for me. If you loved The Handmaid’s Tale and other similar titles and are looking for a distinctive Canadian author -- give this one a try. My mind needs something light and fluffy after this read.

Thank you to Tor and Edelweiss+ for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.

[Melki · Rating 3 out of 5]

You basically had me at "a plane holding tech employees and their CEO crashes on a deserted island."

Boy howdy! I was hoping for a nasty Yellowjackets vibe, with characters turning on one another as the food runs out, and the dirty little secrets are finally revealed.

And, it started out that way. There was the lingering question of was the plane crash really an accident or some sort of bizarre team-building exercise? (Not to sound like click-bait, but you won't believe the answer.)

The author does generate a good build up of suspense, but everything kind of fell apart at the end. I had mondo trouble caring about ANY of the characters as I never got to know them before they started getting knocked off.

Probably the most fun I had was picturing this jerk as CEO Sumter.


Thanks to NetGalley and Tor Books for the ARC.

[Rachel (TheShadesofOrange) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars
I really enjoyed the vN trilogy by this author so I was eager to check out her newest release. This one was more of a sci fi thriller, heavy on the suspense aspects. It was a fun page turner that was easy to fly through. I wish it had been more focused on the sci fi elements because they fell into the background. An enjoyable read, but not as memorable as I would have liked.

Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from publisher.

[Heather · Rating 1 out of 5]

I received an eARC of this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

This book was so cringy. The premise was interesting: a plane crash on a deserted-island and a creepy AI-house. I was expecting a super dark take on Smart House. Instead, this book is giving the dollar store knock off brand of the tv show Lost. This book was set in the future or an alternate reality? No real clarity there. The characters were awful. The dialogue was cringy. The book jumped from past to present in a jarring way. I literally did not care about what was happening in the past or the present. This book felt like it was written to check off boxes. Talk about the patriarchy (check), make the world literally not built for women (check), make a reference to something sexual in almost every chapter at least once (check). The first sign this book was not going to be for me occurred at the 6% mark

"Kristen follows his gaze, up and up and up, into the glittering cum-smear arcing high above them that is the Milky Way."

I have literally read monster smut that was less jarring then that sentence in the middle of a horror/thriller. I just want to know why the Milky Way needed to be described like that out of no where in chapter three of the most boring thriller I've ever attempted to read. It felt like this book was much like its characters, trying too hard to seem smart and funny. I finally DNF'd this book at 51%.

[Gali]

"Glass Houses" by Madeline Ashby is a dark thriller set in the near future, teeming with advanced technology, both real and imagined. As a fan of such books, I was eager to delve into its pages.

The story follows a group of start-up team members led by their eccentric billionaire boss, CEO Sumter. They embark on a trip to celebrate the sale of their emotion-mapping AI algorithm but find themselves stranded on a deserted tropical island after their autonomous airplane crashes. Among the ten survivors are Sumter and his right-hand assistant, Kristen, who holds the position of 'chief emotional officer. On the island, they stumble upon an AI-driven mansion filled with secrets and advanced technology. While grappling with their situation and attempting to enter the house, Kristen does her best to keep tensions low and people safe.

I thoroughly enjoyed the mystery, reminiscent of Agatha Christie's "And Then There Were None," the "Big Brother" vibes, and the array of fascinating technology depicted in the story. Understanding the tech isn't necessary to enjoy the book; being a sci-fi enthusiast, I had no issue with it. The title aptly captures the essence of the book and "Glass House Effect," and the cleverly imagined dark plot keeps you on the edge of your seat as tension mounts.

The narrative unfolds through dual timelines, before and after the crash, narrated in the third person from Kristen's perspective. We come to know Kristen and several other characters intimately, although the more I learned about her, the less I found her likable. Indeed, most characters are rather unlikable, yet this didn't hinder my enjoyment of the tale or my curiosity about their survival chances.

The book delves into the depths of the human psyche, exploring themes such as PTSD, obsession, gender dynamics in male-dominated industries, the erosion of privacy in the age of social media, and the ramifications of broadcasting one's life to the world. I don't have a smart home system in my home, and after reading this book I won't get one...

My only grievances with the book were the occasional unrealistic behaviors of the survivors, the petty quarrels, and a few awkward descriptions and imagery (such as those concerning bandages) that neither made sense nor added to the story; The book is better off without them. Nevertheless, I found the book enjoyable and rate it 4 out of 5 stars. I recommend it to fans of the genre seeking an original albeit dark read.

* Thank you NetGalley and (publisher) for the opportunity to read this arc. All opinions are my own.

* Review in my blog: https://galibookish.blogspot.com/2024...

[Jessica Woodbury · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars. I like the concept here but there's something about Ashby's execution that just doesn't click for me. Everything felt a little vague, slightly out of focus. I could never quite get my bearings.

Let's also correct the record: this is not a whodunnit. Or a picked off one by one book. There's always one very clear explanation, the most obvious answer, and there aren't any real red herrings or list of suspects. The book gives just the slightest attention to most of these characters anyway. Instead it's a book where you're pretty sure you know who is behind what's happening, it's just not clear WHAT is actually happening.

The book is at its best when we're in that WHAT is actually happening mode. But we aren't in it very often. The balance of flashbacks to present was off, mostly in service of final act twists which didn't do much to add to the story. By the end I felt like we had less than we started with, which is never great.

[♡Heather✩Brown♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

✨B O O K • F E A T U R E✨

Glass Houses // Releases: August 13, 2024

#ad I received a gifted advance copy of this book - many thanks to @madashby + @tornightfire #partner

I absolutely loved this book. Honestly, I can't decide what I loved more: the book itself or Kristen's character. Both were equally amazing.

This book has made me want to read more science-fiction books like this one. It was such a fun journey, and the tech elements were fascinating. I feel smarter after reading it. Haha. But seriously, the concepts in this book are incredible.

The story centers around a plane with no pilot that should fly itself. Instead, the pilotless plane crashes and a group of coworkers from a tech startup crash-land on an island. They see nothing around them until they find a black, all-glass house, only problem is is that it has no doors. They need to get inside because the house contains everything they need to survive. But why did they crash here in the first place?

As things go wrong, the stranded group starts to turn on each other, unsure of who to trust. Was the crash an accident or a deliberate plan?

The narrative unfolds in dual timelines: the present and the past. The chapters set in the past always provide hints relevant to the present.

I can't wait to read more from this author. Great read.

#glasshouses #TorNightfire #sci-fi #thriller #bookrecommendations #bookstagram #readmorebooks #alwaysreading #bookhoarder #bookstack #readabook #bookworms #bookrecommendation #bookaesthetic #bookshelves #readabook #readmore #suspense #books #bookworm #igbooks #bibliophile #booksbooksbooks

[AndiReads · Rating 5 out of 5]

This phenomenol novel is crreepy, grippy, thrilling and all too scary. I almost can't believe what I read!

I picked it up because of the summary - A group of employees and their CEO, celebrating the sale of their remarkable emotion-mapping-AI-algorithm, crash onto a not-quite-deserted tropical island.

I thought it might be fun, a little thrilling but it was absolutely and incredibly mind-blowingly scary. Kristen is our heroine and her backstory is incredibly interesting and unique. It may be why. Sumter, a very Elon-Musky, billionaire baffoonish man has hired her as his right -hand-woman. They work well together and her skill set allows her to continue to lead the team after a devastating plane crash and massive loss of life.

When they find a hotel, a mansion, or a palace filled with all of the food they need, Kristen knows there has to be more to the story. While she flashes back to her history, and her very limited life outside of the company we begin to get a better picture of who Kristen really is and what she might be able to do in this scenario

If you like Hitchcock, Highsmith, Vacations-gone-wrong or speculative fiction then this is a MAJOR GEM for you. I might just read it again now, but with the light left on.
#tor #madelineashby #glasshouse

[Morgan · Rating 2 out of 5]

What on earth did I just read 😂

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

ARC for review. To be published August 13, 2024.

Wuv (maybe the worst name ever), an AI algorithm for emotions has been sold for big bucks and the team, including billionaire CEO Sumter, is on a trip to celebrate. Unfortunately there is a plane crash into an island. The good news is this island has a fully stocked, deserted mansion, filled with tech updates. The house also has some secrets.

Kristen, the “chief emotional officer” (previously known as HR, and really Sumter’s right hand) is trying to keep everyone going, and that includes keeping everyone alive. And that’s going to take everything she’s got.

Well, first you have to get over the ridiculous premise, and then supposedly smart people keep doing stupid things. But it wasn’t a terrible book and I kept turning the pages.

[Elle · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 stars. The first half was better than the second half. I would rate the first half 3 stars and the second half 2 stars. The story started to get a bit ridiculous and I also didn’t like the “before” chapters of this book. I felt like the end of this book came out of nowhere and didn’t make any sense. This had potential.

[Ali · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unhinged! canadiana/scifi/futuristic/feminist novel. I couldn’t stop reading - this book really has it all, despite the fact that it’s barely 250 pages.

[Stacey Kade]

Loved this!

[Kara Babcock · Rating 3 out of 5]

The comps given for this one are Severance, The White Lotus, and Black Mirror, and I have to agree: Glass Houses is a science-fiction thriller very much of its time. Madeline Ashby

Kristen’s childhood was spent as a subject of livestreaming by her parents—until they died in a house fire that left her badly burned. Now grown, Kristen is working for a tech startup pioneering “emotional currency” based on the blockchain. When a plane carrying her, her bosses, and some of her colleagues crashes on a remote island with a mysterious and implacable smart home on it, Kristen has the wherewithal to keep the survivors on task. Yet as the survivors start to go missing or turn up dead one by one, and the smart home acts strangely, it becomes clear that there is a killer among them.

Ashby structures the story into two interwoven chronologies, past and present. The flashback chapters are arguably more interesting. They provide an important window into Kristen’s life, with Ashby carefully curating the details she wants to feed you as she shapes your expectations and perceptions of Kristen and her coworkers. The chapters on the island are less fulfilling simply because it is hard for Ashby to accomplish much within each without moving the story too far along. As such, each island chapter is basically “a weird and bad thing happened and now we are slightly more freaked out than before” until the climax and all hell breaks loose. The flashback chapters, in contrast, offer a richer range of emotional depth.

Although nominally near future in its setting, Glass Houses could very well be fifteen minutes into the future. Everything that is science fiction is only barely—novel medical treatments, autonomous vehicles, etc. I could easily see a cryptobro announcing an emotional currency next week. At its core, of course, this is a novel that interrogates and undermines the techno-utopianism pioneered by the effective altruists whom Ashby deconstructs with Sumter, a self-proclaimed affective altruist. Sumter works precisely because he isn’t a parody. He isn’t a thinly veiled analogue of Elon, Mark, or any of the usual suspects—yet certainly he has traits similar to all of them.

Ashby does a delicate dance throughout the novel around sexism in tech. She’s always acknowledging it, from Kristen’s interview to her participation at conferences to her day-to-day microaggressions from Sumter, Mason, et al. At the same time, Ashby lays down patter to distract you from these elements. Nevertheless, I think it is clear that Glass Houses is ultimately a book about misogyny. Sumter at his Muskest is obsessed with making babies on Mars, a ludicrous and puerile fantasy that has nevertheless been adopted by so many real rich white men (who of course would neither be carrying nor caring for these children). Although Sumter is far from the only villain in this piece (this is a novel where everyone is a shitty person), he is the least sympathetic villain, and I think that says something. It also says something about Ashby’s writing, and her ability to thread the needle of Kristen’s viewpoint, that she still manages to make you sympathize with Sumter ever so slightly: like so many of his real-world ilk, he is a boy broken by masculinity into something resembling a monster of a man.

Alas, I wish Glass House’s critique of Big Tech was as trenchant as its feminist criticism. Mostly it’s just quips, and while Ashby’s prose is lithe and densely packed with information, there’s little actual substance. Much like Coupland’s jPod , this book feels more like an artistic riff on the absurdity of Big Tech than an actual critique of it. I don’t know if that is a bad thing per se, but it made the book on a whole less memorable and interesting for me.

In contrast, I found Ashby’s insistence on checking her Canadianness throughout the book to be very endearing!

As much as I love the feminist themes here, Glass Houses is ultimately a very short and paper-thin thriller. It was a fine distraction for me, and I think there are other readers out there who will get a lot more from it.

Originally posted on Kara.Reviews.

[Oleksandr Zholud · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a mystery/thriller with SF elements. I read it as a part of the monthly reading for January 2025 at SFF Hot from Printers: New Releases group. This is my first book by the author.

The story starts with survivors of a crashed private plane. The protagonist-narrator is Canadian woman Kristen (Kiki) Howard, the Chief Emotional Manager of a startup that created emotion-based crypto-currency. She finds herself on a shore, bloodied and as she goes to the water to wash herself, she finds the first corpse, a man from her company. Soon, Kristen finds other survivors, which include a bunch of programmers as well as CEO Sumter and his best friend and co-founder Mason. It turns out that most passengers passed away before the robot-piloted plane crashed.

The survivors are on an exotic island, and there is an enigmatic closed mansion as if waiting for them. They, after some issues, get inside, just to find out that there are water, food and electricity, but no connection to the outside world. And this is only the first strangeness of many.

Meanwhile, readers get more backstory, both of Kristen and the project she is involved with. She is an orphan, whose parents tragically died in a fire, and she got life-threatening burns. Her new skin is a composite of grafts and right after the fire she was a minor media celebrity, when she sued a company for malfeasance to cover her medical bills. Sumter, also an orphan, is interested in her…

The story is fine, but not what I’ve expected, for I hoped for much more SF and even if it is definitely a near future, it is a backstage.

[Steph · Rating 3 out of 5]

3⭐️ TL;DR Review - interesting idea but the writing style wasn’t my fav and there were too many unanswered questions and plot holes. It’s a quick read and I liked the dark tone.

Long rambling thoughts, spoilers at the bottom after the ❌s!

I had mixed thoughts on this one. I loved the idea and the dark tone on the island, but the writing felt a bit distant and I had a hard time connecting to the story and characters. I had empathy for the MC’s childhood trauma but I she was very cold and kinda sociopathic. The other characters ranged from horrible to not great to forgettable.

There are a lot of similes and metaphors, sometimes several in a paragraph which felt overwhelming. There‘a also a lot of descriptive writing and often felt clunky and disjointed. Examples - ttwo people fighting sounds ‘like jerking off’ (girl what???) or a ‘darkness that falls faster than propofol’ or a hot humid day ‘felt like being kissed by a boy who didn’t know how’. They just didn’t work and often took me out of the story instead of enhancing it.

I loved the dark tone and ominous feel of the island but the atmospheric vibes kept getting interrupted by long flashback chapters which included a romantic aspect that I could have done without (or at least a LOT less) and a ton of tech talk that went over my head. The dystopian world felt interesting but I wanted to know more about it. Having all these flashback chapters it was a missed opportunity - the door was opened to explore the world vs just the remote island of the present, and instead it was a drawn out meh flashback plot with just some vague references about the world building.

I truly cannot explain what the unfortunately named Wuv company actually did. Even after finishing the book I have zero idea what use emotional currency would be and why it was important. I was left with a lot of questions by the end of the book too, not in an open ended story kind of way, but in a but wait what at about xyz kinda way.



❌❌ Spoilers Below ❌❌



Here’s some of the questions I was left with after I finished reading. Obviously these are spoilery, so stop scrolling if you don’t want to know about some of what happens.

?s
-What was the point of her being a serial killer? You can understand why the parents deaths happened by her reasoning but the other men didn’t add anything to the story and made her seem like a sociopath. But then the next scene she would be emotional which doesn’t really add up to a sociopath. It was just very random.

-Why would dude fake his death just to escape to Mars using a tech he didn’t know if it would work. What is the point of that?

-Let’s go even further on the Mars discussion- how were they getting there? Did he have a hidden space ship that I missed? Also, he planned on repopulating using a few frozen embryos- but how? There is no Dr or even a scientist, also only one woman left alive to even try to carry them to term… were we supposed to take this seriously or was this to show the ravings of a mad man? It just made so little sense when you think about it.

-If his plan was to take everyone to Mars, why wait so long with them pretending to find a way to escape? And if he intended to just kill them, why bring their dead bodies to Mars instead of leaving them with the plane wreckage? It just didn’t add up at all by the end.

-If Anton worked for his grandfather, who was the one buying Wuv, and he knew boss planned something for the plane crash, would that mean his grandfather did too? Meaning the whole faking his death thing was pointless? Also all this super tech exists and yet he could still trick them pretending a distant cousin was him? Like DNA testing isn’t more advanced than that?

-Why was the house coded to only work for men? No explanation is given ever other than some ideas Kristen has of what might have been.

-What was the point of the dude masterbating while she gave a tech talk? Did she hallucinate a woman next to him or not? And if so why? After this happens Mason asks if she did it to ruin the company which also makes no sense. Why would that ruin the company? Make it make sense, explain these things if you include them instead of randomly adding them in and never mention it or tie it back to anythjng again.

- Anton comes to rescue her bc her message finally sends to him when she gets access to the house wifi. But if he knew something would happen on the plane, couldn’t he have just simply tracked it, found where it was and planned to come check on her? It was weird that he knew enough to warn her ahead of time but they didn’t think to plan out what to do when she decided to still go along with the company trip.

[Jordyn Roesler | Sorry, Booked Solid · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book had a really intriguing premise, following a group of tech coworkers stranded after a private plane crash. When they came upon the glass house, I was fully invested in finding out the mystery of the house and whether the characters would survive. I have to say I was way LESS interested in all of the flashback chapters, where we found out more about the business these characters were involved in and all of their professional and personal relationships. I kept wanting the book to get back to the survival chapters in present-day, but the flashback chapters really took over the majority of the story. Then when we finally get to the action in present-day.... wow. I was not prepared for the sharp left turn and while I can respect a book trying to do something different... this one was just not it for me. I left with very little that I can say I enjoyed about the book, other than the very beginning. I guess I would recommend it to readers very open to strange, sci-fi type twists and are interested in reading a LOT about this fictional company's futuristic invention and (morally gray/offensive) business practices. I wouldn't be against trying this author again in the future, but I think I'll have to do a little more research into the plot and where the story goes before I dive in!

[Alix · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book so much. It felt like it was written just for me and I just want to read it all over again. Set in the near future, this thriller seamlessly blends elements of science fiction, particularly with its depiction of futuristic technology. The story follows a group of co-workers who mysteriously crash on a seemingly deserted island, with only a hideous glass house in sight. The narrative alternates between the present and flashbacks to the past, both of which are equally gripping.

In the past timeline, we follow our main character, Kristen, as she begins working at a start-up. Kristen is a complex and fascinating character-clever, analytical, and shaped by traumatic experiences. I was particularly drawn to her relationship with Anton, which was portrayed with depth and emotion. The romance was touching and added another layer to the story.

I’m generally not a fan of dual timelines but they were well-executed here, with each timeline enhancing the other. I was fully invested in both the present-day mystery and Kristen's past. The author also weaves in glimpses of a world dominated by technology, where the effects of climate devastation are evident. Overall, I enjoyed every page of this book. It masterfully combines sci-fi, thriller, and romance into a compelling narrative that has depth. Despite the many elements, everything came together seamlessly in the end.

[Roxana · Rating 2 out of 5]

An intriguing premise bogged down by its own ideas. A distinct lack of focus, excessively lengthy past timeline chapters, some jarringly weird writing choices, and the feeling that we’re taking a constant series of sharp turns but never going in one direction for very long - I couldn’t figure out what kind of book this wanted to be or had ended up being, and was frankly disappointed with the messy result.

Thank you to the publisher for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Kristen Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Do you think someone could have hacked the plane?"
"What, like our bring here is the result of some sadistic plot to strand us on a desert island, where we slowly die of thirst begging forgiveness for developing the world's first emotional currency?"

Oooh boy, this was an exciting read! This is a near future dystopian sci-fi read with a locked room mystery happening. 10 people, stranded on an island after surviving a plane crash, find the lone house - and it is literally locked up tight. Until it isn't. And slowly, people start to die. One team member even claims the island tried to eat them right before they die. Eventually, the true purpose of the house is made clear, and it's a doozy!

This tale gives you dual timelines with only one POV. Even with all the tech jargon, I still found it easy to understand. While some of the characters aren't exactly lovable, I did find myself rooting for a couple. There is also a romance subplot, told in flashbacks, that also gives you more insight into motives.

"When you trust someone, or even if you just admire them, you don't want to think I'll of them. You want to believe the world works the way you think it works. You want to believe there are rules. Standards... but no one wants women to admit the scandals. They might discover how common, how truly banal the evil moments in their lives are."

[Ellen · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5/5
This book is a blueprint for what Elon Musk is going to do. I would’ve liked more background on how the world had gotten to this point. Quick entertaining thriller.

[Corrine · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book threw me for a loop. A mix of lost, scream, and You vibes. I couldn’t put this book down.

[Devan Wiebe · Rating 2 out of 5]

Prompted exceptional book club discussion.

I gave it an extra star for it making me physically uncomfortable.

[Dr. Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Couldn’t put this down. I like the style of telling the story in both the past and the present. Murder mystery set on a remote island after a plane of a tech start up crashes!! Won this in a Goodreads giveaway 🌟

[Emily Mcgee · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novel is a well-written exploration of what it means and costs to be a woman in tech.

There are a great deal of sci-fi books that market themselves as being for fans of "Black Mirror" but honestly this is one of the few I think are deserving of the comparison.

There is a balance between the spectacular technology and the more mundane, recognizable things about tech corporations.

The protagonist is well written and strikes intrigue that kept me avidly reading.

Overall I would highly recommend to any sci-fi or thriller fans.

[Sheryle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Glass Houses, set in the near future, had all the makings of a great mystery. It started with the crash of an autonomous airplane onto a deserted island and the survivors finding their way into a large glass mansion. There are two timelines, one during the time on the island and one for the time before the flight. However, there was a lot of technology in this book. Most of this tech made little to no sense to me and I have no idea if it is even real. Not understanding any of the tech and the amount of it was a major drawback, but if you can skip over those parts it was an interesting story.

My copy of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My thanks to the the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review it.

[Mitchell Friedman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Appalling. And I'm appalled that I liked this. This was horrifying. Horrifying when it was believable. Horrifying when it wasn't. We are in one pov character all the way through. And I feel dirty. And I want other people to read this so I can ask line-by-line - is that real? Or is that ridiculous? This is a tech-bro Lost world slasher flick. It is not going to be for everyone. I didn't see this coming.