Halfway

by Michael Honnah, Imeldha Eloni, Patricia Allison (Narrator)

Leading the field of artificial intelligence, Halfway, a subsidiary of Soul-Tech, provides customers with the opportunity to digitally upload their minds so that in the eventuality of their death, loved ones will be able to communicate with an AI simulation and gain closure. But at what cost?

A year after her brother Mark’s death, Florence is still consumed by grief. And though her parents encourage her not to dwell on the past, Florence decides to visit Halfway and speak to the simulation of Mark that was created not long before his passing. But instead of putting her mind at ease, speaking with the replica of her brother only unleashes destabilizing questions and opens old wounds. Why are Mark’s uploaded memories different from Florence’s? Why are the circumstances surrounding Mark’s death becoming less clear? And what does Halfway have to hide?

Genres: Audiobook, Fiction, Science Fiction, Mystery, Family

Audiobook

Published April 18, 2024

Reviews

[Quanita · Rating 5 out of 5]

A creepy short that will have you taking a second look at AI. You can preload your "soul" into a database and when you die friends and family can chat with you. Of course there is an exceptionally large fee for this. This leads to murder. Whoops, I meant multiple murders. Only 3 1/2 hours, you can do this in one sitting.

[Emily Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a good listen!!!! I cannot believe it ended like that!

[Vedran Mavrović · Rating 4 out of 5]

Started the story in one direction, finished in another.
Amazing narration, crispy sound effects.
However, I did expect something else/more from this, because of the blurb. At least more then a typical SF thriller whoose ideas were covered in 80’ SF novels. :)
But great listen. And it’s short. So don’t miss it out. Expecially because it has an amazing cast.

[Kaitlynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Mona · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was an Audible Original, so it was audio only. Overproduced, overacted, and not terribly original or compelling. Although I did like the main character, Florence. She had moxie.

[Laurie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Audible
Interesting concept but the sound was so uneven and had so much background that I was sometimes lost.

[Trisha Benda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Over-produced. Scale it back Audible.

[David Mills · Rating 3 out of 5]

Favorite Quote = “Hello Florence. You hungry?”

[Charlene · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a weird short thriller. Very weird and also annoying. The majority of the characters worked my last nerve. The sound was too uneven and I didn’t care for the music at the beginning of each chapter. The last chapter shocked me but changed my rating from 1 star to 2 stars.

[Reids_Reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hated the ending. Great listen.

[Sunny · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5
Excellent voice acting but corny plot.
Oliver was a walking red flag from the moment he started appearing in the plot🫥🚩🚩🚩

[Abizer · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not so terrible that I had to bail out, but by the time I got to the end I was simultaneously glad it was over and also annoyed at the ambiguous ending.

It was a freebie from Audible so. I lost nothing but the 4 odd hours of listening, and it was background sounds while doing housework, and I couldn't be bothered to find something else to listen to.

There was, to my mind, a very shallow analysis of ethics of mind cloning. And the only group shown to be standing against the technology were presented in their mass meetings as a cross between a far right echo chamber and flat-earthers.

Normally - I quite like the high production values in dramatisations, but it was wasted with this. Lenny Henry's performance, while creditable, might as well have been phoned in, but he's a good enough performer to carry it off.

Trying to make the narrative contemporary by interspersing it with vapid television and podcast interviews was about as far as it went.

The "funniest" part of this was when Oliver prepares for his date with Florence by rehearsing with his AI girlfriend which is intercut with the actual date. That should tell you what you all you need to know about how entertaining I found this.

It's a shame, Some of the freebies Audible have been providing are great in both production values and story (Their recent 1984 for example), but sometimes a squib like this gets thrown in as well.

Can you tell that I'm disappointed with the way this ended without any serious resolution?

[R · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a weird one. Based on the premise, I thought that it was going to be a classic discussion of things like "What makes a human real?" and "Can robots have souls?" Instead this is an extremely unsatisfying mystery story that lacks any real resolution. It also relies heavily on implied visual elements that are damn near impossible to follow because there is no narration. It's all dialogue and sound effects, which cannot take the place of a narrator telling you what's going on during things like a fight or when someone is running through a building without saying anything.

To give a quick idea of what I mean by the ending being unsatisfying, our story starts with the main character - Florence - going to visit Halfway, a company that offers experiences with AI-driven robots who take on the appearance(?) and memories of a loved one so that you can talk to them and process your grief. Florence is meeting with her brother - Mark - and chapter one ends with her informing his robot recreation that she doesn't think that he's actually dead because she got a brief phone call from him a month ago. This sounds like a really cool premise, but it's more frustrating than intriguing because Florence has no idea how to actually investigate the issue. She has no resources and no knowledge, so she's just fumbling in the dark as best she can, more lucking her way into the plot than actually solving anything and that's through no fault of her own. To make matters worse, by the end of the book, it's still unclear what happened to Mark. We know more, but I have no idea if he's dead or alive or how Florence even got the phone call that kicked everything off.

I'm not even totally sure how the book ended because so much of the story's ending was told via sound effects. It was less like listening to an audio drama and more like watching a TV show with your eyes closed. Even though this is both short and free on audible, I still can't recommend it to anyone because of the poorly executed plot, difficult-to-follow visual elements, and a lot of other world building issue that I won't get into because of spoilers.

[Shannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Halfway" is a thought-provoking exploration of grief and artificial intelligence. The story follows Florence, who, a year after her brother Mark’s death, visits Halfway, a subsidiary of Soul-Tech, to communicate with his AI simulation. Rather than providing closure, the encounter raises unsettling questions about memory and the circumstances surrounding Mark’s death.

The ensemble of narrators enriches the narrative, but I found the plot somewhat predictable. The premise of digitally uploading minds is both intriguing and frightening, as it feels like a technology that could become real. This raises ethical concerns that the book addresses effectively.

Overall, "Halfway" is an engaging read that prompts reflection on the complexities of grief and the potential consequences of advanced AI, serving as a cautionary tale about the intersection of technology and humanity.

[Tehteh · Rating 3 out of 5]

British literature is in a scary place right now. Dystopia is fully back over there. Now it's not vampires or zombies, it's AI.
This book is set in the future in London, I believe, where someone has used AI to create a therapy of sorts where loved ones can talk to the AI souls of their dead loved ones. Except they are not stopping there, and some odd things have been happening around the company hosting these sessions, Halfway.
A girl named Florence starts going in to speak to her dead brother, a fprmer Halfway employee, and gets caught up in the mysteries and possibly ilicit activities surrounding it. That's how the story unfolds.
As I said, it is scary to think of. It's well-acted. It's for fans of things like Annie Bot or the Tv show Upload. Much mpre serious than Upload though

[Tango · Rating 3 out of 5]

Halfway is a very short story about AI gone wrong and it was quite interesting. The actor performances were stellar and I probably would have rated it a four if someone would cut out all the overblown, ridiculous sound effects. I had to force myself to finish because I felt like this was 3 hours of aural assault - it hurt my ears and so often overwhelmed the story. I wish the people that produced for audio would get a clue - it's not a movie or TV. If you just take the soundtrack and don't have visuals, human beings can't follow without narrative clues. And if you are taking in a story with just one of your senses (hearing), an assault on hearing is not appreciated.

[Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting concept for a book. Being able to talk, ask questions and see a person that has died/passed on or is no longer here would be both great and odd. While I'd love to see my mom and grandmother and aunts/uncles again it is also this creepy aspect to it. Like with so many thing I see it getting out of control quickly and I see people being addicted to it because who doesn't want to see and spend time with a loved one. But to also be able to ask questions of people who lived thousands of years ago would be educational. I really liked this book. The fact it was centered around a murder was great because I love a who did it genre anytime.

[D.K. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is incredibly entertaining and has the potential to be made into a series. The pacing is excellent, and the characters are truly exciting.

The story follows a sister who believes her brother is still alive a year after he was supposedly burned to death in a fire at a Halfway facility. Halfway is a company that allows those who are grieving to speak to AI/robot versions of their deceased loved ones. After receiving a voucher for six sessions to talk to an AI/robot version of her brother, she uses this opportunity to try to find him.

[Sheryl Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of those books where I sit there as the observer screaming in my head for the curious one to listen to those trying to dissuade her. My character never seems to hear me in time and the one in this story stubbornly continues on even though she knows she should stop.

It's an intriguing story where we know from early on that something is seriously wrong, but aren't quite sure who the bad guy is. It gets a bit confused along the way, too, but then we find out the worst.

The characters are all well-drawn and authentic. It seems so real. This could be our tomorrow.

[Teresa · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 - i finished it, and it had some "pizzaz", don't know why I chose that word, but it wasn't boring. It just didn't really hit the mark for 4 stars for me (the performances were superb, I speak of the story). Good thing it goes quickly. Glad to support something that Idris and Sabrina Elba do, but definitely not blown away by this. I guess I just need something "extra" to get to the 4 star mark, and this series didn't have it. Didn't feel really original in concept or plot.

[Cory Hawksbury · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an alright story about a company that makes avatars of people once they've died so their loved ones can enjoy talking to them still, for a fee, of course. But, American businesses get bought out, taken over and dismantled, go bankrupt, burn down, etc. Not to mention, businesses are mostly interested in making money, not helping people. People find this point out the hard way after becoming addicted to this new technology.

[Jake · Rating 4 out of 5]

If I had a nickel for every time George MacKay played an incel who threatens the safety of his female co-lead in a 2024 production set in Europe that comments on the dangers of using AI technology to find human companionship I'd have two nickels. Which isn't a lot, but it's weird that it happened twice.

[Sarah Shiley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Halfway is a super fun listen—great sound effects, multiple voice actors, and the overall feel of a slick Black Mirror episode. The dark‑future sci‑fi plot and mystery kept me hooked, and the production quality is top‑tier. It does stop on a cliffhanger, so a sequel is clearly coming, and honestly, I’m looking forward to it.

[Norma · Rating 3 out of 5]

( Format : Audiobook )
"You have a lovely smile."

An Audible Original. The sound production is quite amazing. The story not so much, though it starts with a lot of promise. Various actors are involved, good but hampered by a clunky script.
Not really my thing.

[Bobbie ♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this audio book. It was so different to anything I've listened to. The concept is actually quite scary. Enhanced by dolby atmos it was like a movie for my ears and completely changing an audiobook experience.

[Alayna · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one has such a promising plot, but it came up short. There were so many other sounds than the actual words of the book that I missed plot points. I’m still not sure how it ends, but I’m not invested enough to go back to listen again.

[Elizabeth Bell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Started out strong and then fizzled for me, like many Audible dramas. I found the reveals anti-climactic. There was also a lot of sobbing, heavy breathing, screaming, scuffling--just generally awkward and overdone sound effects IMO.

[Steph Hall · Rating 1 out of 5]

Oh dear this was dire. Such a great story concept but the over production of it was so off putting. Such a lot of screaming and over the top sound effects that just don’t translate for audio. Just read the book! Disappointed

[Nicky Flynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Via Audible.
Quite interesting and creepy! I do enjoy the Dolby Atmos books, very immersive and like listening to a movie.
I look forward to the next one, as this finishes on a cliffhanger so there must be more in the works.

[Amy Trott · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good but I felt like parts were missing as it was more of a play rather than telling you what was happening. I saw someone else say it’s like watching tv with your eyes shut. I think that’s accurate, you’re filling in the gaps by listening to sounds.
Saying this, I did still enjoy it.