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Loneliness & Company
A timely, beautifully observed debut novel set in near-future New York about a young woman who finds herself tangled in a secret government project combatting loneliness.
Lee knows she's the best. A professor favourite and fellowship winner, there's no doubt she'll land one of the coveted jobs at a Big Five corporation. So when, upon graduating, Lee is instead assigned to an unknown company in the dead city of New York, her life goals are completely upended.
In this new role, Lee's task is to gather enough research to train an AI how to be a friend. She begins online and by studying the social circle of her clueless, outgoing roommate Veronika. But when the company reveals it's part of a classified government mission to solve loneliness -- an emotion erased from society's lexicon decades ago -- Lee's determination to prove herself kicks into overdrive, and she begins chasing bolder and more dangerous experiences to provide data for the AI.
How far will Lee go to teach the algorithm? As the mysterious affliction spreads, Lee must decide what she's willing to give up for success and, along the way, learn what it means to be a true friend.
Loneliness & Company is an enchanting, gorgeously written novel about finding meaning and connection in a world beset by isolation.
Lee knows she's the best. A professor favourite and fellowship winner, there's no doubt she'll land one of the coveted jobs at a Big Five corporation. So when, upon graduating, Lee is instead assigned to an unknown company in the dead city of New York, her life goals are completely upended.
In this new role, Lee's task is to gather enough research to train an AI how to be a friend. She begins online and by studying the social circle of her clueless, outgoing roommate Veronika. But when the company reveals it's part of a classified government mission to solve loneliness -- an emotion erased from society's lexicon decades ago -- Lee's determination to prove herself kicks into overdrive, and she begins chasing bolder and more dangerous experiences to provide data for the AI.
How far will Lee go to teach the algorithm? As the mysterious affliction spreads, Lee must decide what she's willing to give up for success and, along the way, learn what it means to be a true friend.
Loneliness & Company is an enchanting, gorgeously written novel about finding meaning and connection in a world beset by isolation.
288 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 7, 2024
72 people are currently reading
18406 people want to read
About the author
Charlee Dyroff
1 book88 followersCharlee Dyroff is a writer from Boulder, Colorado. Her work has appeared in Guernica, Slate, Lapham’s Quarterly, the Southwest Review, and more. One of her essays was selected for The Best American Food Writing of 2019. Her debut novel, LONELINESS & COMPANY, will be published in 2024.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 264 reviews
June 12, 2024
they already found the cure for loneliness. it's called "Reading + An Active Imagination"
...anyway.
like many things, this had a lot of great ideas and fell flat on the execution. it never really works for me when the first 200+ pages of a book are exposition and then the climax hits with 40 pages to go, and this was left feeling sloppy and rushed. this book felt like it had the concept it wanted, and the ending it knew it wanted to get to, and then it just kind of rambled in between.
reading the epilogue and finding our protagonist transformed, with none of the development it would have taken to get there, felt frustrating. also i just don't know why this book felt like it needed a love triangle, or why the roommate had to be constantly eating and made fun of for that, or (and maybe it's just me) why this had to do that sci-fi thing where you just capitalize common phrases to indicate they have taken on some sort of dystopian brand.
oh well.
bottom line: this was really promising, and i really enjoyed moments of it, but its last page and its middle pages threw me off.
(thanks to the publisher for the e-arc)
...anyway.
like many things, this had a lot of great ideas and fell flat on the execution. it never really works for me when the first 200+ pages of a book are exposition and then the climax hits with 40 pages to go, and this was left feeling sloppy and rushed. this book felt like it had the concept it wanted, and the ending it knew it wanted to get to, and then it just kind of rambled in between.
reading the epilogue and finding our protagonist transformed, with none of the development it would have taken to get there, felt frustrating. also i just don't know why this book felt like it needed a love triangle, or why the roommate had to be constantly eating and made fun of for that, or (and maybe it's just me) why this had to do that sci-fi thing where you just capitalize common phrases to indicate they have taken on some sort of dystopian brand.
oh well.
bottom line: this was really promising, and i really enjoyed moments of it, but its last page and its middle pages threw me off.
(thanks to the publisher for the e-arc)
September 6, 2025
I suppose this could be considered science fiction – it’s set in the not-too-distant future, a future in which people who can’t hack it in the glittery universe of Columbus, Ohio move to New York City, where rents are low. But this didn’t feel all that Sci-Fi to me. What it most reminded me of was Flowers for Algernon, that heartbreaking story of a character being manipulated by forces he couldn’t understand and pushed out of his own understanding of his life. The story arc was different, the lessons perhaps on parallel tracks but not the same, but the feeling of this isn’t going to end well felt very familiar.
This is Dyroff’s first novel and it’s a doozy. No dainty little coming-of-age or campus novel for her; instead, she’s grappling with some of the most important questions we, as a species, should be asking ourselves right now. The shadowy forces who develop and manage the technology that intrudes into our lives in so many ways would like a technical solution to the problem of loneliness, without ever actually acknowledging that such an emotion exists. When this book was released, in 2023, we probably thought we had a few more years before this became a real issue, but here we are. Next to climate change, this should be our deepest fear.
A little patience is required. I dragged through the first half of this book before realizing I could think of at least five different directions it might take. I was tantalized with clues and suddenly I couldn’t turn pages fast enough. Dyroff couldn’t possibly answer all the questions raised here and luckily is smart enough not to try. But a couple of the more important ones, like the fate of the main character, were resolved satisfactorily. (If you want to nitpick, the last ten pages plus the epilogue could have been pared down to a paragraph or two.)
Our main character proves herself to be a tough little nugget, overcoming her fears and isolated upbringing to experience all that NYC had to offer. But even a badass gal like her has one thing she absolutely cannot handle:
This is Dyroff’s first novel and it’s a doozy. No dainty little coming-of-age or campus novel for her; instead, she’s grappling with some of the most important questions we, as a species, should be asking ourselves right now. The shadowy forces who develop and manage the technology that intrudes into our lives in so many ways would like a technical solution to the problem of loneliness, without ever actually acknowledging that such an emotion exists. When this book was released, in 2023, we probably thought we had a few more years before this became a real issue, but here we are. Next to climate change, this should be our deepest fear.
A little patience is required. I dragged through the first half of this book before realizing I could think of at least five different directions it might take. I was tantalized with clues and suddenly I couldn’t turn pages fast enough. Dyroff couldn’t possibly answer all the questions raised here and luckily is smart enough not to try. But a couple of the more important ones, like the fate of the main character, were resolved satisfactorily. (If you want to nitpick, the last ten pages plus the epilogue could have been pared down to a paragraph or two.)
Our main character proves herself to be a tough little nugget, overcoming her fears and isolated upbringing to experience all that NYC had to offer. But even a badass gal like her has one thing she absolutely cannot handle:
Veronika takes a bite of her sandwich, and a dab of mayonnaise clings to the side of her cheek; I stand up so fast my chair makes a loud scraping noise on the floor.Rats? Gutter junkies? Garbage? All part of the landscape. But that...stuff is horrorshow.
“What? What is it?”
“You have some of the stuff on your face?” I say, doing everything I can to avoid looking at it.
“Mayo?” she said, breaking into a devious smile, not making any sort of movement to wipe it off. “Lee, are you afraid of mayo?”
“No. That’s weird.”
She takes another bite and makes sure to smudge an even bigger blob of the white stuff on her cheek. I step further back into the hallway.
June 2, 2024
there is a soft tenderness to this book and raw sense of calm and purpose that I found compelling and relatable. the way relationships are explored - both with one’s self, with friends, and romantically all felt purposeful and exciting to read. and the amount we start to rely on our online friends and then the shock of meeting them for the first time was so real for this early-to-mid 2000s tumblr era girly
May 4, 2024
4.5/5 - AI speculative fiction is becoming more and more popular and this was the first one that I absolutely loved. This book has so much depth to it. It’s tender and relatable and the speculative aspects were well thought out and intriguing. I was surprised at how attached I grew to the characters, and absolutely loved where the plot took me.
May 13, 2024
Cool concept I guess but the whole world just wasn’t built enough for me to really believe in it.
I found myself skimming paragraphs because the inner monologue of the main character Lee was discussing something she had already observed and commented on in the previous paragraph.
Why did Janet have random chapters from her POV woven in? It didn’t add anything to the story except the fact that other people in this world besides Lee feel loneliness, which of course they do, because we are all human.
The whole moral of the story is AI = bad or new technology = bad. Pretty cold take.
They also make NYC a dystopian abandoned city because flooding apparently made all the big companies flee, but the author runs around the city and uses the subway just fine? Why would the flooding problem just go away?
Also, Lee is picked to work on the project because she doesn’t have loneliness. Doesn’t everyone have loneliness in their life that ebbs and flows? Isn’t that the whole point of the book? So how would Lee have a baseline of 0% loneliness?
Does this make sense? Idk. I thought the narrative was okay and occasionally I liked the authors observations. It was a quick read but just wasn’t it for me.
I found myself skimming paragraphs because the inner monologue of the main character Lee was discussing something she had already observed and commented on in the previous paragraph.
Why did Janet have random chapters from her POV woven in? It didn’t add anything to the story except the fact that other people in this world besides Lee feel loneliness, which of course they do, because we are all human.
The whole moral of the story is AI = bad or new technology = bad. Pretty cold take.
They also make NYC a dystopian abandoned city because flooding apparently made all the big companies flee, but the author runs around the city and uses the subway just fine? Why would the flooding problem just go away?
Also, Lee is picked to work on the project because she doesn’t have loneliness. Doesn’t everyone have loneliness in their life that ebbs and flows? Isn’t that the whole point of the book? So how would Lee have a baseline of 0% loneliness?
Does this make sense? Idk. I thought the narrative was okay and occasionally I liked the authors observations. It was a quick read but just wasn’t it for me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 22, 2024
4.25 / A very dear novel about a type-A woman living in a future world who is assigned to do research in order to build an AI friend to solve the problem of loneliness (a foreign concept in this society). Lee must research topics such as "food," "love," and "friendship" by way of experience, and she begins to question if she understands them herself. I did feel a bit unsettled in the world, there were both very familiar and futuristic elements and I could've used more grounding.
July 11, 2025
3 stars Thank you to Bloomsbury Publishing for this book in exchange for a non-biased review.
I really wanted to like this book more than I actually did. I don't read a lot of dystopia and/or futuristic novels, but when I do I tend to like them. I thought this one started off well, but then it seemed to get stale and there was even a section that seemed very scattered and did not have a lot of connection to the story.
As stated in the synopsis, this book is "set in near future New York about a young woman who finds herself tangled in a secret government project combating loneliness." Which is a very good summary. You follow Lee as she works to define loneliness, a feeling that is no longer identified or accepted in society, but is needed for an AI project named Vicky, who is supposed to interact with humans as though human itself.
For a debut novel this one isn't bad. I would read future books by Dyroff.
I really wanted to like this book more than I actually did. I don't read a lot of dystopia and/or futuristic novels, but when I do I tend to like them. I thought this one started off well, but then it seemed to get stale and there was even a section that seemed very scattered and did not have a lot of connection to the story.
As stated in the synopsis, this book is "set in near future New York about a young woman who finds herself tangled in a secret government project combating loneliness." Which is a very good summary. You follow Lee as she works to define loneliness, a feeling that is no longer identified or accepted in society, but is needed for an AI project named Vicky, who is supposed to interact with humans as though human itself.
For a debut novel this one isn't bad. I would read future books by Dyroff.
May 6, 2024
“It’s an interesting theory, really. If you don’t name something, can you identify it? If you never learn an emotion, can you feel it?”
I initially chose this debut book because it sounded unique in its speculative AI premise. While it does fall into that category, I’d be tempted to classify it as a modern literary fiction coming-of-age story. Either way, I was pleasantly surprised at how much depth and relatability I found in its pages!
Throughout the book, the author explores what it means to be alive in a tech-driven world. We dive into the importance of connection, the causes of loneliness, and several big “what ifs” when it comes to AI and social-emotional well-being.
I think that some readers may question how detached and almost clinical the protagonist sounds through much of the book, but I feel that this voice was perfect for who the character was. While the plots were completely different, this book gave me Jonathan Abernathy You Are Kind (another 5 star book for me) vibes. Both books have protagonists who aren’t always the most easy to get along with, who make decisions you probably wouldn’t make, and yet you hope for the best as they fumble through experiences they don’t feel comfortable with for the sake of their company’s goals. Both books also have characters who battle loneliness and anxiety, speculative worlds where corporations profit off people and the people end up suffering, and social commentary on the state of society and technology.
The book is very quotable, and I found myself highlighting many sections where characters reflect on their experiences and what they mean in the scope of human existence and connection.
“I was here. The same phrase I keep seeing. I think about the word “here.” It’s another one of those slippery concepts. Iridescent, shape-shifting, like loneliness.”
This is definitely a book I’ll be pondering for some time, and I’m so glad I read it! Thanks to Netgalley and Bloomsbury for the advanced copy!
September 9, 2025
gave me the shivers. a very good exploration into the future of friendship AIs and the futility of trying to replicate the human consciousness. hopefully this novel continues to be science fiction for a long time. human connection cannot and should not be manufactured!
April 26, 2024
Fell a little flat for me. I liked the concept but wanted to learn more about the world. Didn’t really care for the protagonist. Would pick up more by this author in the future though!
Thank you to the publisher for sending me this!! I greatly appreciate it.
Thank you to the publisher for sending me this!! I greatly appreciate it.
February 26, 2025
Lee, who is socially awkward to the point of agony, gradually becomes comfortable interacting with humans in real life. It's touching and funny as she navigates things like friendship, getting drinks or coffee and even dating. But the book takes a dark turn as Lee's drive for perfection and her assignment to "experience life" for the AI spin out of control.
I really loved the book's portrayal of the future, in which NYC is a dead city. The future portrayed here is just a tad more digitized than our current time. Instead of cooking, people order food and it is delivered instantly (not just meals, but like if you want a cookie it's delivered instantly), purchase clothing by tapping the glass display windows at empty stores, and eat at restaurants by tapping on screens and having food shot out at them by machines. When Lee discovers a "primitive" restaurant that is actually staffed by humans and has menus, she is drawn to the place over and over again and starts to discover the magic of real life interaction.
I really loved the book's portrayal of the future, in which NYC is a dead city. The future portrayed here is just a tad more digitized than our current time. Instead of cooking, people order food and it is delivered instantly (not just meals, but like if you want a cookie it's delivered instantly), purchase clothing by tapping the glass display windows at empty stores, and eat at restaurants by tapping on screens and having food shot out at them by machines. When Lee discovers a "primitive" restaurant that is actually staffed by humans and has menus, she is drawn to the place over and over again and starts to discover the magic of real life interaction.
April 30, 2024
As a chronic intellectualizer who talks endlessly about how my dream job would be to just simply own a traveling library or a coffee shop but feels the call too deeply to do something “important” I resonated a little too strongly with Lee and then the end sucker punched me in the gut. The fact that this is a debut is wild and I can’t wait to see where this writer goes. Normally present tense gets on my nerves and sometimes it did here, but overall this was a lovely story with lovely characters and a VERY timely story to tell.
May 8, 2024
I really enjoyed the premise (and the execution!) of Loneliness & Company. In it, we meet Lee, who is used to being at the top of everything. She works hard, because she's been told her whole life that it's the key to everything. So when she finds herself getting a job not at one of the prestigious companies she'd hoped (and assumed) for, but some unknown entity, to say she's chagrined would be an understatement. But since she is always committed to hard work and getting the job done, she grudgingly accepts her position and jumps in. What is the job, you ask? Gathering data to develop an AI to help lonely folks. Only... no one has heard of "loneliness". It simply is not a concept people in this society know. Sure, it requires a bit of suspension of disbelief, but it is quite worth doing.
But... it is something they experience, even if they don't have a word for the feeling. And it is very interesting to watch Lee, who has never really considered her need for people and community, to discover that maybe life is better with friends. There is a bit of a mystery undertone too, and I think I might have expected a bit more from it? In fairness, I thought that Loneliness & Company had all kinds of dark, seedy secrets that it just.... didn't. I was too suspicious of the book, if that is a thing that is possible. I don't have any idea if the book wanted me to think this or if I made it all up, so go ahead and place the blame on me here.
What I did absolutely adore was Lee figuring out who she was, what she wanted from life, and that there is a whole big world out there that doesn't just involve working oneself to death. And the adventures she goes on during her journey were wonderfully entertaining! I thought the book's messages were strong, I really enjoyed the characters and story, and ended up being quite satisfied, even though it did not quite go in the direction I expected.
Bottom Line: Doesn't matter what we call a feeling, it can eat away at us regardless. This society is about to figure that out the hard way.
You can find the full review and all the fancy and/or randomness that accompanies it at It Starts at Midnight
But... it is something they experience, even if they don't have a word for the feeling. And it is very interesting to watch Lee, who has never really considered her need for people and community, to discover that maybe life is better with friends. There is a bit of a mystery undertone too, and I think I might have expected a bit more from it? In fairness, I thought that Loneliness & Company had all kinds of dark, seedy secrets that it just.... didn't. I was too suspicious of the book, if that is a thing that is possible. I don't have any idea if the book wanted me to think this or if I made it all up, so go ahead and place the blame on me here.
What I did absolutely adore was Lee figuring out who she was, what she wanted from life, and that there is a whole big world out there that doesn't just involve working oneself to death. And the adventures she goes on during her journey were wonderfully entertaining! I thought the book's messages were strong, I really enjoyed the characters and story, and ended up being quite satisfied, even though it did not quite go in the direction I expected.
Bottom Line: Doesn't matter what we call a feeling, it can eat away at us regardless. This society is about to figure that out the hard way.
You can find the full review and all the fancy and/or randomness that accompanies it at It Starts at Midnight
February 5, 2025
This book was so up my alley which hyped it up too much in my mind and left me disappointed.
I’ve been loving what I’ve been calling “diet sci-fi” (mostly lit fic with speculative and often techy elements). I loved the premise of this book enough to purchase request it from my library after only hearing about it once, but unfortunately the execution was lacking.
I liked our odd main character Lee, but hated the act 3 character development and the seemingly haphazard epilogue. I was also hoping for a deeper look into Lee’s relationships considering this book was about human connection. I have similar feelings to this book as I did to Annie Bot, but I enjoyed Annie Bot more.
Despite my disappointments, I can see Dyroff is a talented writer, and one I think I’ll keep my eye on just in case.
3?? 3.25?? 3.5? stars
I’ve been loving what I’ve been calling “diet sci-fi” (mostly lit fic with speculative and often techy elements). I loved the premise of this book enough to purchase request it from my library after only hearing about it once, but unfortunately the execution was lacking.
I liked our odd main character Lee, but hated the act 3 character development and the seemingly haphazard epilogue. I was also hoping for a deeper look into Lee’s relationships considering this book was about human connection. I have similar feelings to this book as I did to Annie Bot, but I enjoyed Annie Bot more.
Despite my disappointments, I can see Dyroff is a talented writer, and one I think I’ll keep my eye on just in case.
3?? 3.25?? 3.5? stars
January 19, 2025
This was an interesting concept that was unfortunately bogged down entirely too much by exposition. Too much to the point where the main climax of the book was compressed into the last 30 pages or so, which didn’t hit nearly as hard. This unfortunately fits into the book that exists category for me.
May 15, 2024
This feels like get another outsider’s take on the inside of tech companies, which are far more sophisticated and complex than these worlds build. The research is already outdated, and the lack of emotion to the characters just doesn’t work for me. This book could’ve been good but it’s just fine.
December 17, 2024
I should have given up when I realized this book was not my vibe but I suffered through for absolutely no reason. For my ego.
May 6, 2024
Thank you to Bloomsbury for an ARC of Loneliness & Company in exchange for an honest review.
Loneliness & Company occurs in the not-so-distant future. Lee has worked incredibly hard to secure one of the best jobs in the country, but when she finishes school, she is assigned to a small unknown company. She takes the chance, and begins working on a mysterious project, one in which an AI is created to cure loneliness, an emotion that simply doesn’t exist anymore. Lee collects data online, but then starts venturing out, and taking part in things she normally wouldn’t all for the sake of research.
It is hard to believe this is a debut. Lee and Janet, and all the other characters jumped off the page. They felt totally real, and I was drawn to them all for different reasons. Lee and Veronika were my favourites, and I loved their banter and personalities.
This novel truly excelled at highlighting some major issues that we see every day. Our obsession with technologies and communicating at a distance is making the world a lonelier place. I even feel a little guilty posting a comment like this to Bookstagram, as it fits into this concept a little too well for my liking. It also showcased how obsessed we are with work and productivity and how easily it can take over social and family life.
Witnessing Lee’s spiral as her research intensifies elicits an emotional reaction. And a relatable one. I think most people can agree that they have done desperate things to fit in and find themselves.
I loved this book, and I think it’s an important one to read but still manages to fit into that beach read category!
Loneliness & Company is available May 07, 2024!!
Loneliness & Company occurs in the not-so-distant future. Lee has worked incredibly hard to secure one of the best jobs in the country, but when she finishes school, she is assigned to a small unknown company. She takes the chance, and begins working on a mysterious project, one in which an AI is created to cure loneliness, an emotion that simply doesn’t exist anymore. Lee collects data online, but then starts venturing out, and taking part in things she normally wouldn’t all for the sake of research.
It is hard to believe this is a debut. Lee and Janet, and all the other characters jumped off the page. They felt totally real, and I was drawn to them all for different reasons. Lee and Veronika were my favourites, and I loved their banter and personalities.
This novel truly excelled at highlighting some major issues that we see every day. Our obsession with technologies and communicating at a distance is making the world a lonelier place. I even feel a little guilty posting a comment like this to Bookstagram, as it fits into this concept a little too well for my liking. It also showcased how obsessed we are with work and productivity and how easily it can take over social and family life.
Witnessing Lee’s spiral as her research intensifies elicits an emotional reaction. And a relatable one. I think most people can agree that they have done desperate things to fit in and find themselves.
I loved this book, and I think it’s an important one to read but still manages to fit into that beach read category!
Loneliness & Company is available May 07, 2024!!
May 28, 2024
AI has always freaked me out a little bit, but I’ve been enjoying the speculative fiction genre lately and was excited to give Loneliness & Company a read! I think I was expecting this book to be waaaay darker than it actually was, but still enjoyed it nonetheless! The last 1/3 especially flew by.
January 7, 2025
this has some really good quotes on loneliness, and I liked the ending as I thought i was gonna be able to predict it and then it changed!! lowkey I feel like im proving this books point of how when you don’t feel lonely you can’t understand how it feels. also love that it’s set in the future and the fun futuristic things that happen
September 13, 2025
"and isn't that the most helpless thing? to be overcome by feelings you don't want? Ones you can't control?"
I really enjoyed way relationships and themes of human connection are explored, both with Lee herself, with her friends, and even romantically. It all felt very realistic and relatable.
I also really enjoyed the premise of this book. I really enjoyed the message that the human connection is unique. It's not something that can be taught or researched. It's something that needs to be experienced to understand.
The book itself is also so fast paced l read this in two days. I really enjoyed the writing style and whenever Charlee blesses us with a new book I'll 100% be purchasing!! 🤍
thankyou @bloomsburysus for a free copy!
I really enjoyed way relationships and themes of human connection are explored, both with Lee herself, with her friends, and even romantically. It all felt very realistic and relatable.
I also really enjoyed the premise of this book. I really enjoyed the message that the human connection is unique. It's not something that can be taught or researched. It's something that needs to be experienced to understand.
The book itself is also so fast paced l read this in two days. I really enjoyed the writing style and whenever Charlee blesses us with a new book I'll 100% be purchasing!! 🤍
thankyou @bloomsburysus for a free copy!
February 23, 2025
so much wasted potential
Admittedly the premise of this book had me hooked. Unfortunately what should have been an exploration into loneliness and the human condition with a flair of how artificial intelligence could form connections with humans became a ho-hum story of an unlikeable 20 something year old (Our protagonist Lee) in New York experiencing what every other 20 year old that moves to New York experiences. Seriously it took you 80% of the book to learn your other coworkers names?
It’s never explained why she’s good at collecting data for the AI experiment other than we are told by her bosses that she collects good data which is perplexing to me because she never really does anything out of the ordinary (her data collection activity comprises of going to diners, going for runs in the city, going on dates, interactions with her roommate etc.)
The biggest sin this book commits is that Lee actually never interacts with the AI that the company she works for created. The book also mentions that the government banned and removed loneliness a few years back but no additional context is given and it would have been really cool to explore what actually removing a human emotion from a whole nation actually means.
I feel the author wanted to write a “girl in the big city” novel but needed to wrap it in something relevant and topical for it to get published.
Admittedly the premise of this book had me hooked. Unfortunately what should have been an exploration into loneliness and the human condition with a flair of how artificial intelligence could form connections with humans became a ho-hum story of an unlikeable 20 something year old (Our protagonist Lee) in New York experiencing what every other 20 year old that moves to New York experiences. Seriously it took you 80% of the book to learn your other coworkers names?
It’s never explained why she’s good at collecting data for the AI experiment other than we are told by her bosses that she collects good data which is perplexing to me because she never really does anything out of the ordinary (her data collection activity comprises of going to diners, going for runs in the city, going on dates, interactions with her roommate etc.)
The biggest sin this book commits is that Lee actually never interacts with the AI that the company she works for created. The book also mentions that the government banned and removed loneliness a few years back but no additional context is given and it would have been really cool to explore what actually removing a human emotion from a whole nation actually means.
I feel the author wanted to write a “girl in the big city” novel but needed to wrap it in something relevant and topical for it to get published.
July 5, 2024
Interesting premise (very Severance-esque - BOTH versions of Severance lol) but not well executed in my opinion. Also hated the prose
November 22, 2024
I think I really liked this book.
Edit as of Nov 2024: Yes, I did really like this book. 4.5 stars.
Edit as of Nov 2024: Yes, I did really like this book. 4.5 stars.
June 29, 2025
Wow, how timely is this book! In a world where AI is very quickly developing, I found reading this book so interesting, almost like taking a peek into what the future could have for us (but also hoping we stick to out humanity because how society developed in this book with technology does not sound all that great!).
This book provided a great commentary about emotions and the importance of feeling them, independence and understanding that the path less traveled is not always a bad path to take, albeit may be a bit uncomfortable, and well... loneliness! Lee's character development was quite the whirlwind; there were certainly points throughout the story that made me question her and made me want to scream at her that life is not all about doing things just for recognition, advancement, etc. But, I had to realize that is the whole point of this book! She needed to realize herself through these experiences that she thought she was doing just for work, when really she was doing it for herself. To learn about her own insecurities and hopes to then pursue a better, more fulfilling life. Setting the plot aside and to be transparent, I wasn't the biggest fan of the pacing of the book. The first two parts of the book were a bit rough to get through, I found myself getting bored and putting the book down a lot. That was until I got to Part 3 of the book though! It picked up a ton by that point and really crescendoed in those final few chapters. I wish there was a bit more falling action, that seemed to go by pretty fast but, all in all, the book still tied together nicely by the epilogue!
I really enjoyed how introspective yet honest this book was, I can't wait to read more from Ms. Dyroff!
This book provided a great commentary about emotions and the importance of feeling them, independence and understanding that the path less traveled is not always a bad path to take, albeit may be a bit uncomfortable, and well... loneliness! Lee's character development was quite the whirlwind; there were certainly points throughout the story that made me question her and made me want to scream at her that life is not all about doing things just for recognition, advancement, etc. But, I had to realize that is the whole point of this book! She needed to realize herself through these experiences that she thought she was doing just for work, when really she was doing it for herself. To learn about her own insecurities and hopes to then pursue a better, more fulfilling life. Setting the plot aside and to be transparent, I wasn't the biggest fan of the pacing of the book. The first two parts of the book were a bit rough to get through, I found myself getting bored and putting the book down a lot. That was until I got to Part 3 of the book though! It picked up a ton by that point and really crescendoed in those final few chapters. I wish there was a bit more falling action, that seemed to go by pretty fast but, all in all, the book still tied together nicely by the epilogue!
I really enjoyed how introspective yet honest this book was, I can't wait to read more from Ms. Dyroff!
October 11, 2025
A thought-provoking and quietly chilling debut.
The story follows Lee, a young overachiever assigned to a company developing an AI designed to understand humans. its ultimate goal: to create a perfect AI companion. One that could replace human relationships, serve as your best friend, and maybe even solve the problem of loneliness altogether.
In this world, though, people don’t even realize they’re lonely. The term itself has been erased from the emotional vocabulary. Life is lived through screens—why go to a diner when a robot can deliver your food? Why talk to people in person when you can reach them instantly online?
As the story unfolds, the company’s hunger for data becomes increasingly unsettling. The more Lee ventures into the real world to help the AI “learn” humanity, the more she starts to feel human herself—but at what cost? She’s exhausted, unraveling, and dangerously close to breaking. What makes it all the more unnerving is how close this world feels to our own.
I couldn’t stop thinking about how much of our own lives are mediated by technology—how I wake up and check my Garmin to see what my body battery says, how much data our phones and apps quietly collect and sell, and how blurred the line between real and artificial has become.
I could go on forever, but this was such a stunning debut. Even when I put it down, I kept wanting to come back.
At the end of the day, the message is simple but powerful: nothing will ever replace human connection—real people, real conversations. Nothing will ever replace the feeling of being alive, being here.
Thank you to Bloomsbury Books for the gifted copy!
The story follows Lee, a young overachiever assigned to a company developing an AI designed to understand humans. its ultimate goal: to create a perfect AI companion. One that could replace human relationships, serve as your best friend, and maybe even solve the problem of loneliness altogether.
In this world, though, people don’t even realize they’re lonely. The term itself has been erased from the emotional vocabulary. Life is lived through screens—why go to a diner when a robot can deliver your food? Why talk to people in person when you can reach them instantly online?
As the story unfolds, the company’s hunger for data becomes increasingly unsettling. The more Lee ventures into the real world to help the AI “learn” humanity, the more she starts to feel human herself—but at what cost? She’s exhausted, unraveling, and dangerously close to breaking. What makes it all the more unnerving is how close this world feels to our own.
I couldn’t stop thinking about how much of our own lives are mediated by technology—how I wake up and check my Garmin to see what my body battery says, how much data our phones and apps quietly collect and sell, and how blurred the line between real and artificial has become.
I could go on forever, but this was such a stunning debut. Even when I put it down, I kept wanting to come back.
At the end of the day, the message is simple but powerful: nothing will ever replace human connection—real people, real conversations. Nothing will ever replace the feeling of being alive, being here.
Thank you to Bloomsbury Books for the gifted copy!
June 30, 2024
In a future U.S., the Government forms a number of competing project groups tasked with solving Loneliness by creating a functional AI friend.
Lee, a strange, intelligent young woman is selected to participate. Lee has been so obsessed with becoming a data/tech prodigy that she’s missed living; she lacks social skills, knowledge, and even awareness that she is lonely. That is why she’s selected, as much as for her brilliance. She has co-workers she refers to as cat-eyes, lanky guy, and wire rims, seeming not knowing their names.
The project gathers immense data on human interaction in the attempt to create this AI. Lee’s weirdness makes her a central figure in the data collection. She’s tasked with having as much human interaction as possible to help develop Vicky, the AI friend.
You can guess how this turns out. This novel isn’t bad, but the message is maybe too obvious.
Lee, a strange, intelligent young woman is selected to participate. Lee has been so obsessed with becoming a data/tech prodigy that she’s missed living; she lacks social skills, knowledge, and even awareness that she is lonely. That is why she’s selected, as much as for her brilliance. She has co-workers she refers to as cat-eyes, lanky guy, and wire rims, seeming not knowing their names.
The project gathers immense data on human interaction in the attempt to create this AI. Lee’s weirdness makes her a central figure in the data collection. She’s tasked with having as much human interaction as possible to help develop Vicky, the AI friend.
You can guess how this turns out. This novel isn’t bad, but the message is maybe too obvious.
February 7, 2025
I read this as part of Silicon Valley Reads 2025. Was quite surprised this was her debut novel as there was so much to the like about the book how could it be her first? I will definitely look for a next one. I found the way the “world building” details emerged naturally through the storytelling perfect, just emerging as if you could feel and see it (and extrapolate from today). There was no need to try to over explain “the tech” as it would distract from the story and date the book in the future. The way minor characters or events could play a part in the impact beyond the time spent was good, nothing was just “stuck in”. I attended an “author talk” at a library as an event within Silicon Valley Reads and it was interesting to hear about where she first got the idea to write it, how the story/structure/characters evolved through the drafts, which was a great addition to reading the book itself.
I would definitely recommend.
I would definitely recommend.
July 21, 2024
For context, I read mostly non-fiction, and when I read fiction I am looking for an entertaining and gently thought-provoking story. As I have been reading about AI and friendship lately, but needed something a little lighter to read while on vacation, I was instantly drawn to Loneliness & Company. It didn't disappoint!
I related to the main character, appreciated her drive and her disappointment both, and just wanted to tag along with her as she started going all-out gathering lived experiences. I also felt at ease in the kind of futuristic backdrop that did not require me to fully suspend disbelief, a hint dystopian but not a whole lot more than today. I had the satisfaction of foretelling where the story was headed, and then being surprised anyway because it wasn't exactly what I thought. And who doesn't like toast and chocolate sauce in a diner?
If I end up reading only one novel this year, I'll be happy that it was this one.
I related to the main character, appreciated her drive and her disappointment both, and just wanted to tag along with her as she started going all-out gathering lived experiences. I also felt at ease in the kind of futuristic backdrop that did not require me to fully suspend disbelief, a hint dystopian but not a whole lot more than today. I had the satisfaction of foretelling where the story was headed, and then being surprised anyway because it wasn't exactly what I thought. And who doesn't like toast and chocolate sauce in a diner?
If I end up reading only one novel this year, I'll be happy that it was this one.
August 4, 2024
Not mad I read it but I was underwhelmed. I liked the idea of a near-future dystopian setting where technology makes life easier but also makes it harder to connect, and musing on whether AI/tech is the answer to that. But mostly I felt bad for the overachieving protagonist who wants so badly to be validated, important and worthy, but has little life experience and no framework for processing emotions.
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