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Casual
Valya’s neural implant is amazing.
Its game-like app, CASUAL, has managed her depression and anxiety, stabilized her mood, and helped the infertile Valya get pregnant. But new laws forbid her from using the device when she's sole caregiver for her infant. Her gaslighting ex won't help her, and she can't afford a nanny, so her obstetrician insists that Valya wean off CASUAL before giving birth.
Despite a will to quit and a supportive new love interest in her birthing class, disabling CASUAL turns Valya's anxiety into full-blown panic attacks. Her psychiatrist offers to enroll her in a controversial clinical trial that would place a tandem implant in the baby and allow Valya to keep hers active. Valya must decide whether she should attempt parenting without CASUAL or install a minimally tested device in her vulnerable child.
Casual is a stark and cutting glance at a near future that looks uncannily like our present, exploring themes of bodily autonomy and the struggle for mental health in a world increasingly divided.
Its game-like app, CASUAL, has managed her depression and anxiety, stabilized her mood, and helped the infertile Valya get pregnant. But new laws forbid her from using the device when she's sole caregiver for her infant. Her gaslighting ex won't help her, and she can't afford a nanny, so her obstetrician insists that Valya wean off CASUAL before giving birth.
Despite a will to quit and a supportive new love interest in her birthing class, disabling CASUAL turns Valya's anxiety into full-blown panic attacks. Her psychiatrist offers to enroll her in a controversial clinical trial that would place a tandem implant in the baby and allow Valya to keep hers active. Valya must decide whether she should attempt parenting without CASUAL or install a minimally tested device in her vulnerable child.
Casual is a stark and cutting glance at a near future that looks uncannily like our present, exploring themes of bodily autonomy and the struggle for mental health in a world increasingly divided.
254 pages, Paperback
First published February 11, 2025
11 people are currently reading
3590 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
March 10, 2025
A harrowing examination of pregnancy, mental health, the wellness industry, and bodily autonomy. Dae presents a dystopian world that gets more horrifyingly relevant by the minutem, and presents a complex topic with nuance and an unflinching gaze.
December 25, 2024
Review originally on JamReads
Casual is a ground-breaking, thought-provoking sci-fi novel, written by Koji A. Dae, and which will be published in February by Tenebrous Press. A story woven around a relevant theme as it is women's body autonomy, incarnated in the figure of our main character and how the surrounding people are trying to manipulate her, and ultimately, take the control over her life.
Our main character, Valya, is a pregnant woman living in Old Sofia, who relies on her neural implant, Casual, to regulate her anxiety and depression. However, the law forbids her to keep Casual running when she gives birth, as a sole mother, it is deemed as dangerous for her daughter; she's now facing a complicated decision, as she would have to renounce to use Casual or enroll into an experimental study that would put an untested implant on her daughter.
With this premise, Dae creates an intimate story focused on Valya, and how she's pressured into taking a decision; at the same time, through flashbacks, we experience how Valya dealt with life before the implant, and how she became the kind of broken women she's. Despite all, there's still hope in this story, as Valya is determined to be the best mother possible for her newborn; even in this climate, where from different positions she is experiencing pressure, she aims to do the best for her daughter.
At the same time, it is clear how many of the characters on the story (the psycher, her obstetrician, the scientist) are just trying to take control over Valya's life, infantilizing her, always trying to pressure her into following what they deem the best for her, stripping her of her autonomy.
The world of Casual could be called a soft dystopia, as there are some positive aspects, such as a basic income established, but still it is a bleak future where money means power; in this context, Valya is a just a woman struggling with her mental health, a condition that was the main driveway to use her implant, but a piece that she has to renounce if she wants to keep her daughter, with the consequent increased difficulty.
Casual is a powerful novel, a story that explores body autonomy in a world that pushes towards stripping individuals of it for their own safety; an excellent piece that I recommend if you are looking for a thought-provoking novel. A banger to start Tenebrous' 2025 lineup.
Casual is a ground-breaking, thought-provoking sci-fi novel, written by Koji A. Dae, and which will be published in February by Tenebrous Press. A story woven around a relevant theme as it is women's body autonomy, incarnated in the figure of our main character and how the surrounding people are trying to manipulate her, and ultimately, take the control over her life.
Our main character, Valya, is a pregnant woman living in Old Sofia, who relies on her neural implant, Casual, to regulate her anxiety and depression. However, the law forbids her to keep Casual running when she gives birth, as a sole mother, it is deemed as dangerous for her daughter; she's now facing a complicated decision, as she would have to renounce to use Casual or enroll into an experimental study that would put an untested implant on her daughter.
With this premise, Dae creates an intimate story focused on Valya, and how she's pressured into taking a decision; at the same time, through flashbacks, we experience how Valya dealt with life before the implant, and how she became the kind of broken women she's. Despite all, there's still hope in this story, as Valya is determined to be the best mother possible for her newborn; even in this climate, where from different positions she is experiencing pressure, she aims to do the best for her daughter.
At the same time, it is clear how many of the characters on the story (the psycher, her obstetrician, the scientist) are just trying to take control over Valya's life, infantilizing her, always trying to pressure her into following what they deem the best for her, stripping her of her autonomy.
The world of Casual could be called a soft dystopia, as there are some positive aspects, such as a basic income established, but still it is a bleak future where money means power; in this context, Valya is a just a woman struggling with her mental health, a condition that was the main driveway to use her implant, but a piece that she has to renounce if she wants to keep her daughter, with the consequent increased difficulty.
Casual is a powerful novel, a story that explores body autonomy in a world that pushes towards stripping individuals of it for their own safety; an excellent piece that I recommend if you are looking for a thought-provoking novel. A banger to start Tenebrous' 2025 lineup.
January 5, 2025
Thanks to Tenebrous for providing an advanced digital ARC of this book. All views and opinions are my own, provided free of charge.
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There's common misconception regarding speculative fiction. Dominant popular culture states that Science Fiction and Horror might share space or themes, but they are inherently separate categories of Fiction. Not only is this a false dichotomy, i also speaks to a greater misconception regarding Speculative Fiction. By its definition Speculative Fiction invites the reader to ask that open ended question that can lead in any number of directions "what if?". That simple question opens the doors wide for authors to postulate any number of scenarios. The realm of "what if" is that primeval space beyond the fire light, it's the blackness of the night sky peppered with stars. The Canopy of Speculative Fiction is wide and vast, with plenty of space for Science Fiction and Fantasy. Books like Koji A. Dae s CASUAL are exemplary examples of how a story can hold the mantel of both "science fiction" and "horror".
Make not mistake, CASUAL IS a horror story. While revealing the state of humanity and the world in feverish waves, author Dae ravels for the reader a myriad of dangers and threats that should seem all too familiar in 2025. Themes of bodily autonomy, reproductive rights and the ethics of human augmentation through tech, are played out in a world where the dark apotheosis of Global Capitalism is a fading memory.
There were so many moments in this book where, as Valya pushes on in a world of wreckage and crippling stratification , where I wanted to scream. Scream because of the world presented, the forces at work..scream because the story forces you to consider "what if all of these issues and problems that are present now were allowed to worsen and grow to a titanic scale?".
To see so many sparks of hope burn bright, to be snuffed out by force or die in the cruel wind...
Kojie E. Dae's "CASUAL" can be placed with other works that have been called science fiction, but are tales of horror: Atwood's "The Hand Maid's Tale", John Brunner's "The Sheep Look Up", "Elogona" by Samantha Kolesnick. The horror in these books demands the reader consider the horror's in the world today. Think on the horrors of now, and we collective as humans can do so that these speculative tales of Horror, remain fiction.
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There's common misconception regarding speculative fiction. Dominant popular culture states that Science Fiction and Horror might share space or themes, but they are inherently separate categories of Fiction. Not only is this a false dichotomy, i also speaks to a greater misconception regarding Speculative Fiction. By its definition Speculative Fiction invites the reader to ask that open ended question that can lead in any number of directions "what if?". That simple question opens the doors wide for authors to postulate any number of scenarios. The realm of "what if" is that primeval space beyond the fire light, it's the blackness of the night sky peppered with stars. The Canopy of Speculative Fiction is wide and vast, with plenty of space for Science Fiction and Fantasy. Books like Koji A. Dae s CASUAL are exemplary examples of how a story can hold the mantel of both "science fiction" and "horror".
Make not mistake, CASUAL IS a horror story. While revealing the state of humanity and the world in feverish waves, author Dae ravels for the reader a myriad of dangers and threats that should seem all too familiar in 2025. Themes of bodily autonomy, reproductive rights and the ethics of human augmentation through tech, are played out in a world where the dark apotheosis of Global Capitalism is a fading memory.
There were so many moments in this book where, as Valya pushes on in a world of wreckage and crippling stratification , where I wanted to scream. Scream because of the world presented, the forces at work..scream because the story forces you to consider "what if all of these issues and problems that are present now were allowed to worsen and grow to a titanic scale?".
To see so many sparks of hope burn bright, to be snuffed out by force or die in the cruel wind...
Kojie E. Dae's "CASUAL" can be placed with other works that have been called science fiction, but are tales of horror: Atwood's "The Hand Maid's Tale", John Brunner's "The Sheep Look Up", "Elogona" by Samantha Kolesnick. The horror in these books demands the reader consider the horror's in the world today. Think on the horrors of now, and we collective as humans can do so that these speculative tales of Horror, remain fiction.
February 11, 2025
Disclaimer: I received an e-book ARC in exchange for my review by Tenebrous Press.
This story explores a pregnant woman’s life in a near-future world as she faces the decision to either enroll in a near-precedented medical trial once her daughter is born (there have been two or three previous attempts) or give up the therapeutical neurological implant she has been using to deal with her depression and anxiety as she’s not allowed to keep it as a single mother.
We learn some things about this new world, which both seem better at points (there’s a basic universal income), but also worse (people only live in cities, as the landscape outside was destroyed and turned toxic). People can earn money through watching advertisements and others again are looking for a quick adrenaline boost racing through the streets, lost in the world their neural implants portray for them. There is a very clear class divide as well, with the rich living underground in crystal caves, where the air is non-polluted, while the poor cannot leave their houses without wearing masks. But mostly this story focusses on Valya, the main character, as she realizes that her use of the Casual had helped her repress her past and what this will mean for her and her daughter’s future.
Since we spend so much time with Valya, my favorite parts where her interior life and the relationships she forms with others. I found her to be an incredibly compelling character and loved following her journey, uncovering her past alongside her. If you like detailed character studies, then this is certainly a book I can advise you to check out. I also really liked all the other details added to the worldbuilding, which I felt made this story feel very real.
All in all, this is a great story exploring autonomy, motherhood and mental health and one of the best explorations of repressed trauma I’ve read in a while. I really, really enjoyed it.
TW: abusive relationship, addiction, anxiety, csa, depression, experimental technology, medical procedures, panic attacks, pregnancy, ptsd, rape, repressed trauma, self-harm
This story explores a pregnant woman’s life in a near-future world as she faces the decision to either enroll in a near-precedented medical trial once her daughter is born (there have been two or three previous attempts) or give up the therapeutical neurological implant she has been using to deal with her depression and anxiety as she’s not allowed to keep it as a single mother.
We learn some things about this new world, which both seem better at points (there’s a basic universal income), but also worse (people only live in cities, as the landscape outside was destroyed and turned toxic). People can earn money through watching advertisements and others again are looking for a quick adrenaline boost racing through the streets, lost in the world their neural implants portray for them. There is a very clear class divide as well, with the rich living underground in crystal caves, where the air is non-polluted, while the poor cannot leave their houses without wearing masks. But mostly this story focusses on Valya, the main character, as she realizes that her use of the Casual had helped her repress her past and what this will mean for her and her daughter’s future.
Since we spend so much time with Valya, my favorite parts where her interior life and the relationships she forms with others. I found her to be an incredibly compelling character and loved following her journey, uncovering her past alongside her. If you like detailed character studies, then this is certainly a book I can advise you to check out. I also really liked all the other details added to the worldbuilding, which I felt made this story feel very real.
All in all, this is a great story exploring autonomy, motherhood and mental health and one of the best explorations of repressed trauma I’ve read in a while. I really, really enjoyed it.
TW: abusive relationship, addiction, anxiety, csa, depression, experimental technology, medical procedures, panic attacks, pregnancy, ptsd, rape, repressed trauma, self-harm
February 24, 2025
Koji A. Dae’s Casual is a cerebral and affecting meditation on technology, mental health, and personal autonomy set against the backdrop of a dystopian future. Through the experiences of Valya, a pregnant woman grappling with dependency on a neural implant designed to regulate anxiety, the novel deftly examines the intersection of human emotion and artificial intervention. At its heart, Casual is a compelling exploration of identity, agency, and the insidious consequences of a world increasingly shaped by digital augmentation.
One of the novel’s most incisive critiques is how mental health is managed in a world where neural implants are prescribed as routine treatments. The protagonist, Valya, is prescribed the Casual implant as a means of controlling her dexiety (a term blending depression and anxiety). While ostensibly a medical tool, the implant quickly becomes something more insidious—an instrument of social control. Casual questions whether technology, when used to regulate human emotions, enhances autonomy or erodes it.
Dae’s depiction of the implant’s function—granting controlled emotional regulation while subtly reinforcing dependency—resonates deeply with contemporary discussions about pharmaceutical intervention for mental health. Valya’s gradual realization that she may be dependent on the implant raises a fundamental ethical dilemma: is it truly healing, or merely a sophisticated form of sedation? This tension underscores a broader societal critique of how institutions often prioritize compliance over genuine well-being.
Valya’s struggles are not just internal; they are deeply embedded in the legal and social structures governing her life. As she nears childbirth, she is confronted with a draconian policy requiring primary caregivers to relinquish their Casual implants to retain custody of their children. This law, positioned as a safeguard against neglect, instead becomes a coercive mechanism that forces individuals into difficult choices—either conform or risk losing the very thing they seek to protect.
Through this plotline, Casual deftly explores the theme of bodily autonomy. The novel poses urgent questions about the limits of government control and the fine line between protection and oppression. How much choice does Valya really have? How much of her ‘consent’ is shaped by systemic coercion? The novel refuses easy answers, instead allowing these questions to linger in the reader’s mind.
One of the novel’s most fascinating aspects is how it interrogates the nature of memory and reality. Valya’s dependency on Casual is not merely about mood regulation—it also serves as an escape from past trauma. The game-like interface of the implant, which immerses her in a vividly rendered digital landscape, becomes both a refuge and a prison. Her struggle to separate real emotional growth from artificially induced stability is a poignant representation of the ways in which people use distractions—whether digital, chemical, or psychological—to cope with past pain.
Dae cleverly contrasts Valya’s neural dependence with the growing industry of ‘flogging’ (feeling logging), a technology that allows users to experience the sensations and emotions of others. This subplot offers a chilling extension of current trends in virtual reality and influencer culture, suggesting a world where experience itself becomes a commodity, curated and sold to the highest bidder. In this sense, Casual is also a critique of performative digital existence—how much of what we feel is truly our own, and how much is conditioned by external forces?
Valya is an intensely compelling protagonist. Her voice is both deeply personal and profoundly relatable, a testament to Dae’s ability to craft a character who feels real despite the futuristic setting. Her arc—from an emotionally dependent individual to a mother fiercely reclaiming control over her own mind—is meticulously developed.
Valya’s relationship with Skylar, her former partner, is equally fascinating. Skylar, a radical and charismatic figure, represents an alternative to the structured control of Casual. Yet, rather than positioning him as an unequivocal hero, Dae paints him with shades of contradiction—his ideals may be noble, but his methods are flawed. This complexity extends to the secondary characters, such as Orlov, Valya’s therapist, who is at once a well-intentioned advocate and a representative of an intrusive medical system.
The novel’s structure is also worth noting. The slow unraveling of Valya’s perception, interspersed with flashbacks, serves to highlight the precarious nature of her reality. Dae’s prose is lean yet evocative, balancing introspective depth with narrative propulsion. The novel’s pacing mirrors Valya’s psychological state, alternating between moments of intense clarity and dreamlike detachment.
Beyond its immediate narrative, Casual functions as a broader critique of contemporary society. The world Dae constructs—a post-collapse urban landscape governed by stringent technological oversight—mirrors real-world anxieties about surveillance, autonomy, and the commodification of experience. The parallels to current discussions on digital addiction, data privacy, and algorithmic control are striking.
Furthermore, the novel’s feminist undertones are particularly potent. The expectation that Valya must relinquish her autonomy for the sake of motherhood reflects persistent societal expectations surrounding gender and caregiving. Her fight is not just for personal freedom but for the right to define what kind of mother she wants to be, outside the rigid structures imposed upon her.
Casual is a fantastically constructed novel that operates on multiple levels—as a psychological thriller, a dystopian cautionary tale, and a deeply personal exploration of mental health. Dae’s ability to weave incisive social commentary into an intimate character study makes the novel a standout in speculative fiction.
Its themes of agency, memory, and control feel urgently relevant, challenging readers to consider the unseen ways in which technology shapes their lives. In the end, Casual is not just a story about a woman struggling against an oppressive system—it reflects our own world, urging us to question the forces that define our reality.
Casual is an essential read, particularly for those who appreciate speculative fiction that is both thought-provoking and emotionally resonant.
One of the novel’s most incisive critiques is how mental health is managed in a world where neural implants are prescribed as routine treatments. The protagonist, Valya, is prescribed the Casual implant as a means of controlling her dexiety (a term blending depression and anxiety). While ostensibly a medical tool, the implant quickly becomes something more insidious—an instrument of social control. Casual questions whether technology, when used to regulate human emotions, enhances autonomy or erodes it.
Dae’s depiction of the implant’s function—granting controlled emotional regulation while subtly reinforcing dependency—resonates deeply with contemporary discussions about pharmaceutical intervention for mental health. Valya’s gradual realization that she may be dependent on the implant raises a fundamental ethical dilemma: is it truly healing, or merely a sophisticated form of sedation? This tension underscores a broader societal critique of how institutions often prioritize compliance over genuine well-being.
Valya’s struggles are not just internal; they are deeply embedded in the legal and social structures governing her life. As she nears childbirth, she is confronted with a draconian policy requiring primary caregivers to relinquish their Casual implants to retain custody of their children. This law, positioned as a safeguard against neglect, instead becomes a coercive mechanism that forces individuals into difficult choices—either conform or risk losing the very thing they seek to protect.
Through this plotline, Casual deftly explores the theme of bodily autonomy. The novel poses urgent questions about the limits of government control and the fine line between protection and oppression. How much choice does Valya really have? How much of her ‘consent’ is shaped by systemic coercion? The novel refuses easy answers, instead allowing these questions to linger in the reader’s mind.
One of the novel’s most fascinating aspects is how it interrogates the nature of memory and reality. Valya’s dependency on Casual is not merely about mood regulation—it also serves as an escape from past trauma. The game-like interface of the implant, which immerses her in a vividly rendered digital landscape, becomes both a refuge and a prison. Her struggle to separate real emotional growth from artificially induced stability is a poignant representation of the ways in which people use distractions—whether digital, chemical, or psychological—to cope with past pain.
Dae cleverly contrasts Valya’s neural dependence with the growing industry of ‘flogging’ (feeling logging), a technology that allows users to experience the sensations and emotions of others. This subplot offers a chilling extension of current trends in virtual reality and influencer culture, suggesting a world where experience itself becomes a commodity, curated and sold to the highest bidder. In this sense, Casual is also a critique of performative digital existence—how much of what we feel is truly our own, and how much is conditioned by external forces?
Valya is an intensely compelling protagonist. Her voice is both deeply personal and profoundly relatable, a testament to Dae’s ability to craft a character who feels real despite the futuristic setting. Her arc—from an emotionally dependent individual to a mother fiercely reclaiming control over her own mind—is meticulously developed.
Valya’s relationship with Skylar, her former partner, is equally fascinating. Skylar, a radical and charismatic figure, represents an alternative to the structured control of Casual. Yet, rather than positioning him as an unequivocal hero, Dae paints him with shades of contradiction—his ideals may be noble, but his methods are flawed. This complexity extends to the secondary characters, such as Orlov, Valya’s therapist, who is at once a well-intentioned advocate and a representative of an intrusive medical system.
The novel’s structure is also worth noting. The slow unraveling of Valya’s perception, interspersed with flashbacks, serves to highlight the precarious nature of her reality. Dae’s prose is lean yet evocative, balancing introspective depth with narrative propulsion. The novel’s pacing mirrors Valya’s psychological state, alternating between moments of intense clarity and dreamlike detachment.
Beyond its immediate narrative, Casual functions as a broader critique of contemporary society. The world Dae constructs—a post-collapse urban landscape governed by stringent technological oversight—mirrors real-world anxieties about surveillance, autonomy, and the commodification of experience. The parallels to current discussions on digital addiction, data privacy, and algorithmic control are striking.
Furthermore, the novel’s feminist undertones are particularly potent. The expectation that Valya must relinquish her autonomy for the sake of motherhood reflects persistent societal expectations surrounding gender and caregiving. Her fight is not just for personal freedom but for the right to define what kind of mother she wants to be, outside the rigid structures imposed upon her.
Casual is a fantastically constructed novel that operates on multiple levels—as a psychological thriller, a dystopian cautionary tale, and a deeply personal exploration of mental health. Dae’s ability to weave incisive social commentary into an intimate character study makes the novel a standout in speculative fiction.
Its themes of agency, memory, and control feel urgently relevant, challenging readers to consider the unseen ways in which technology shapes their lives. In the end, Casual is not just a story about a woman struggling against an oppressive system—it reflects our own world, urging us to question the forces that define our reality.
Casual is an essential read, particularly for those who appreciate speculative fiction that is both thought-provoking and emotionally resonant.
January 3, 2025
In the beautifully imagined near-future world of Casual, our main character Valya struggles to maintain her mental health while processing past trauma and planning a future for the baby she’s carrying. There are elements of dystopia, horror, mystery, and romance, and a very detailed view of the characters and their surroundings.
I always love thoughtful, character-focused science fiction, and the central ethical dilemma here kept me thinking long after I had finished the book.
I always love thoughtful, character-focused science fiction, and the central ethical dilemma here kept me thinking long after I had finished the book.
May 26, 2025
I really wanted to like this book. The plot sounded compelling, and I typically love reproductive/dystopian horror, but Casual unfortunately fell flat for me.
A few things I liked about the book:
-I loved that the protagonist was pregnant. It was a really refreshing take, and a rare one at that. I've never read a book that details sexual encounters between two pregnant women! I liked seeing humanity given to pregnant women in this story—so often they're made out to be these pious and "other" beings.
-I really enjoyed how Dae depicted the future, especially regarding nature. It's wild and unkempt for poor people, but the wealthy completely bend it to their will so it's nothing more than a pretty background.
What I didn't like about the book:
Most of my issues with this book have to do with the structure and how things were written. At the end of the day I think this just wasn't my style.
-It was hard to get past Valya's inner monologue. There was so much exposition wrapped up in her thoughts that it was a real slog getting through the writing at times. It didn't feel like an accurate portrayal of internal language in my opinion. When we did see snippets of what was happening around her, it felt rushed and underdeveloped. Also, I love a good metaphor and simile but there were so many that they completely lost meaning after a while.
-Dialogue and interactions between the characters felt unnatural and drawn out. There were many instances of characters randomly hugging or touching each other in the middle of a conversation. It was choppy and distracting.
-There were way too many (irrelevant) flashbacks. It was just too choppy. One flashback in particular occurred near the end of the book that left me more confused than anything.
-I enjoy a bit of mystery, but there were way too many unresolved plot points at the end of this.
Although there were parts of this story I enjoyed, the style and structure left me wanting something more.
A few things I liked about the book:
-I loved that the protagonist was pregnant. It was a really refreshing take, and a rare one at that. I've never read a book that details sexual encounters between two pregnant women! I liked seeing humanity given to pregnant women in this story—so often they're made out to be these pious and "other" beings.
-I really enjoyed how Dae depicted the future, especially regarding nature. It's wild and unkempt for poor people, but the wealthy completely bend it to their will so it's nothing more than a pretty background.
What I didn't like about the book:
Most of my issues with this book have to do with the structure and how things were written. At the end of the day I think this just wasn't my style.
-It was hard to get past Valya's inner monologue. There was so much exposition wrapped up in her thoughts that it was a real slog getting through the writing at times. It didn't feel like an accurate portrayal of internal language in my opinion. When we did see snippets of what was happening around her, it felt rushed and underdeveloped. Also, I love a good metaphor and simile but there were so many that they completely lost meaning after a while.
-Dialogue and interactions between the characters felt unnatural and drawn out. There were many instances of characters randomly hugging or touching each other in the middle of a conversation. It was choppy and distracting.
-There were way too many (irrelevant) flashbacks. It was just too choppy. One flashback in particular occurred near the end of the book that left me more confused than anything.
-I enjoy a bit of mystery, but there were way too many unresolved plot points at the end of this.
Although there were parts of this story I enjoyed, the style and structure left me wanting something more.
April 12, 2025
This review contains spoilers. This is a brief tour of the two main themes I observed and reacted to. Each could be tackled much more comprehensively but I don’t feel like doing that right now.
December 5, 2024
Casual is a near future sci-fi-horror tale about one woman’s attempt to reclaim control while all around her are seeking a claim over her autonomy, and it is a remarkable, engrossing, intense read that left me stunned by what it had to say and how it said it.
The story takes place in Sofia, Bulgaria in a near future that feels uncannily like ours, or at least how ours could very well turn out. The rich live below ground in New Sofia, away from the polluted air; the rest live in Old Sofia above ground, wearing face masks. Installed chips allow you constant gaming app access which blurs with the real world; the same gaming programs can be used medically as therapy for mental illness.
This is not a harsh dystopia – there’s a universal income that staves off poverty and there is no (overt) authoritarianism. But it is the near future of corporate control and class division, where the poorest are distracted by gaming and hopes of making money off it and the rich flourish in their high-tech crystal caves, trying to recreate nature while distancing themselves from the real thing. It is achingly plausible; one of the most plausible futures I’ve read recently.
Into this convincing sci-fi diorama we meet Valya, who is pregnant and relying on a gaming app installed in her brain called Casual that regulates her anxiety and depression. Only problem is she’s single and the law won’t allow her to keep the app up when she gives birth – so she faces a difficult choice of weaning herself off it, or joining a new clinical trial that puts a similar implant in her baby, a decision she is understandably reluctant to make.
As we build up to this inevitable choice, we switch, using Valya’s compelling first person voice, between her attempts to come off the app in the present and all the moments that brought her here. What quickly becomes clear is that she has been buffeted between a series of institutions and people that all seek to control her – with no one actually looking out for her own interests.
There’s her “psycher”, her therapist who put her on the game app and prescribed her medication, yet seems frustratingly unwilling to address the root causes of her anxiety so keen is he to control her treatment. There’s the gaslighting ex, a horrifically smug, controlling, righteous celebrity whose patronising relationship of toxic dominance is fuelled by sex; a twisted version of the healthier BDSM Dae explored in her novella Mazi.
Then there’s the sinister corporate scientist trying to get her on the trial to put the implant in her baby, using any means to convince her. Even her obstetrician offers a patronising denial of medication for her, calling it dangerous for the baby; but as her best friend notes, an anxiety-ridden mother is hardly good for her baby. Meanwhile, Valya seeks relief from financial stress; but while this is a society that provides a universal income, she is still impossibly far from the rich in their underground city. Poverty addressed, but opportunity curtailed for the poor: a logical extension of where we are heading ourselves.
Assailed by corporate, controlling males and mental health challenges on all sides, it feels impossible for Valya to ever have a hope of taking control, and the narrative often verges on the horrific; a slow creeping feeling of inevitability. This is enhanced by the descriptions of her pregnancy and her mental health struggles; the emotions are intense, the sense of a body under siege is vivid; even the muggy weather is against her. It is a vibrant, harsh reading experience.
But this is also partly a hopeful story; Valya for all her challenges is determined to be a good mother and even as her mental health is challenged, a new friendship offers hope the reader clings to like a lifeboat. This balance of the horrific caused by the claustrophobic sense of lost autonomy, and the potential beauty always in the background powered me through the story, breath half hitched, genuinely unsure where we were going to end up.
Ultimately it is hard not to conclude that she has little chance of healing herself or creating a better life with so many facets of society lined up against her – and the societal relevance of this right now as I write this hangs over the story like hundred-foot floodlights. But Dae asks us to question whether a citizen, and in particular, a mother’s power to make your own choices, regardless of whether they are right, can ultimately overcome the inability to completely escape from those seeking to constrain your autonomy. The writing this question is wrapped is as intense as it is important.
Overall, this a stunningly written near future parable about class, mental health, women’s autonomy and all the myriad ways a controlling society can challenge these in a future so real I could almost touch it. I inhabited this tale; it is remarkable.
The story takes place in Sofia, Bulgaria in a near future that feels uncannily like ours, or at least how ours could very well turn out. The rich live below ground in New Sofia, away from the polluted air; the rest live in Old Sofia above ground, wearing face masks. Installed chips allow you constant gaming app access which blurs with the real world; the same gaming programs can be used medically as therapy for mental illness.
This is not a harsh dystopia – there’s a universal income that staves off poverty and there is no (overt) authoritarianism. But it is the near future of corporate control and class division, where the poorest are distracted by gaming and hopes of making money off it and the rich flourish in their high-tech crystal caves, trying to recreate nature while distancing themselves from the real thing. It is achingly plausible; one of the most plausible futures I’ve read recently.
Into this convincing sci-fi diorama we meet Valya, who is pregnant and relying on a gaming app installed in her brain called Casual that regulates her anxiety and depression. Only problem is she’s single and the law won’t allow her to keep the app up when she gives birth – so she faces a difficult choice of weaning herself off it, or joining a new clinical trial that puts a similar implant in her baby, a decision she is understandably reluctant to make.
As we build up to this inevitable choice, we switch, using Valya’s compelling first person voice, between her attempts to come off the app in the present and all the moments that brought her here. What quickly becomes clear is that she has been buffeted between a series of institutions and people that all seek to control her – with no one actually looking out for her own interests.
There’s her “psycher”, her therapist who put her on the game app and prescribed her medication, yet seems frustratingly unwilling to address the root causes of her anxiety so keen is he to control her treatment. There’s the gaslighting ex, a horrifically smug, controlling, righteous celebrity whose patronising relationship of toxic dominance is fuelled by sex; a twisted version of the healthier BDSM Dae explored in her novella Mazi.
Then there’s the sinister corporate scientist trying to get her on the trial to put the implant in her baby, using any means to convince her. Even her obstetrician offers a patronising denial of medication for her, calling it dangerous for the baby; but as her best friend notes, an anxiety-ridden mother is hardly good for her baby. Meanwhile, Valya seeks relief from financial stress; but while this is a society that provides a universal income, she is still impossibly far from the rich in their underground city. Poverty addressed, but opportunity curtailed for the poor: a logical extension of where we are heading ourselves.
Assailed by corporate, controlling males and mental health challenges on all sides, it feels impossible for Valya to ever have a hope of taking control, and the narrative often verges on the horrific; a slow creeping feeling of inevitability. This is enhanced by the descriptions of her pregnancy and her mental health struggles; the emotions are intense, the sense of a body under siege is vivid; even the muggy weather is against her. It is a vibrant, harsh reading experience.
But this is also partly a hopeful story; Valya for all her challenges is determined to be a good mother and even as her mental health is challenged, a new friendship offers hope the reader clings to like a lifeboat. This balance of the horrific caused by the claustrophobic sense of lost autonomy, and the potential beauty always in the background powered me through the story, breath half hitched, genuinely unsure where we were going to end up.
Ultimately it is hard not to conclude that she has little chance of healing herself or creating a better life with so many facets of society lined up against her – and the societal relevance of this right now as I write this hangs over the story like hundred-foot floodlights. But Dae asks us to question whether a citizen, and in particular, a mother’s power to make your own choices, regardless of whether they are right, can ultimately overcome the inability to completely escape from those seeking to constrain your autonomy. The writing this question is wrapped is as intense as it is important.
Overall, this a stunningly written near future parable about class, mental health, women’s autonomy and all the myriad ways a controlling society can challenge these in a future so real I could almost touch it. I inhabited this tale; it is remarkable.
February 12, 2025
Casual on kertomus äidiksi tulemisesta ja lapsen hyvinvoinnista. Kirjassa seurataan Valyan raskauden viimeistä kolmannesta, jonka aikana hän joutuu tekemään vaikeita valintoja valmistautuessaan lapsensa syntymään. Valya, joka kärsii ahdistuksesta ja masennuksesta, on käyttänyt terapiatarkoituksessa Casual-neuroimplanttia, joka autta häntä pärjäämään arjessaan. Casualin käyttö on kuitenkin kiellettyä yksinhuoltajilta, ja Valya joutuu sulkemaan implantin loppuraskautensa ajaksi. Tämä pakottaa hänet kohtaamaan mielenterveysongelmansa ja Casualin käytön myötä tyhjäksi käyneen arkensa.
Koji A Dae on sijoittanut kirjansa (lähi)tulevaisuuteen. Sotien ja ympäristökatastrofin jälkeen ihmiset ovat asettuneet asumaan kaupunkiyksiköihin, joiden välillä matkustaminen on mahdollista vain harvoille. Matkustamisen sijaan ihmiset kuluttavat paljon videoblogeja, joita myös Valya tekee työkseen. Tarinan maailma on kiinnostava sekoitus solar- ja kyberpunkia: Toisaalta ihmiset tuntuvat saavuttaneen ekologisesti ja sosiaalisesti kestävän elämäntavan, missä esim. Valyalle maksetaan jonkinlaista perustuloa ja hänen kallis Casual-terapiansa. Toisaalta sitten maailmassa on yhä taloudellinen ja sosiaalinen eliittinsä, ja esim. Valya joutuu tekemään rankkoja ratkaisuja joutuessaan luopumaan implantistaan lapsensa syntymän vuoksi. Tämä tarjoaa tarinaan kiinnostavaa jännitettä, mutta valitettavasti kirjassa ei tarkastella yhteiskunnallisia kysymyksiä kovinkaan syvällisesti
Yhteiskunnan sijaan kertomuksen päähuomio on Valyan kehon ja mielen sisäisissä prosesseissa. Raskauden kuvauksilla on kirjassa luonnollisesti iso rooli, ja ne olivat kaltaiselleni pienten lasten isälle mielenkiintoista luettavaa. Myös Valyan terapiaa ja hänen mielenterveysongelmiaan käsiteltiin paljon, ja niihin liittyi kirjan keskeiset konfliktit ja juonenkäänteet. Tämäkin kuvaus oli mielenkiintoista, mutta välillä kirjassa jäätiin vähän turhan pitkäksi aikaa jumittamaan tiettyihin tuntemuksiin tai olotiloihin, mikä teki lukemisesta välillä tylsää.
Valyan mielenterveysongelmien kamalat syyt selvisivät myös kirjan loppupuolella, mutta niiden käsittely jäi pintapuoliseksi, mikä jäi vähän vaivaamaan minua lukijana: kukaan ei tuntunut haluavan tehdä näille kauhuille mitään, vaan asia ohitettiin olankohautuksella. Itse olisin Valyana soittanut poliisit ja suuttunut ystävälleni, joka oli pimittänyt onglemien syitä minulta vuosia.
Myös Valyan lopullinen ratkaisu Casual-neuroimplantista vieroittumiseen oli kiinnostava. Hänen ympärillään oli useita henkilöitä, joilla oli asiaan omat mielipiteensä sanottavana. Kaikki perustelivat kantojaan Valyan ja/tai lapsen edulla. Vanhemmauuden ristiriitaiset paineet ja odotukset ovat lie tuttuja kaikille vanhemmille, ja ne oli tässä kirjassa tavoitettu hyvin. Valyan ratkaisu ongelmaan tuntui itsestäni pahalta, mutta Koji A Dae tuo hyvin esiin asian moniulotteisuuden. Ja kuten Valya kirjassa toteaa:
”You say you’re lookin out for my baby. But I think you’re just as set in your ideas as everyone else. They think trials are best. You think no tech is best. And none of you believe I can decide for [my baby]. Well, I can.”
Koji A Dae on sijoittanut kirjansa (lähi)tulevaisuuteen. Sotien ja ympäristökatastrofin jälkeen ihmiset ovat asettuneet asumaan kaupunkiyksiköihin, joiden välillä matkustaminen on mahdollista vain harvoille. Matkustamisen sijaan ihmiset kuluttavat paljon videoblogeja, joita myös Valya tekee työkseen. Tarinan maailma on kiinnostava sekoitus solar- ja kyberpunkia: Toisaalta ihmiset tuntuvat saavuttaneen ekologisesti ja sosiaalisesti kestävän elämäntavan, missä esim. Valyalle maksetaan jonkinlaista perustuloa ja hänen kallis Casual-terapiansa. Toisaalta sitten maailmassa on yhä taloudellinen ja sosiaalinen eliittinsä, ja esim. Valya joutuu tekemään rankkoja ratkaisuja joutuessaan luopumaan implantistaan lapsensa syntymän vuoksi. Tämä tarjoaa tarinaan kiinnostavaa jännitettä, mutta valitettavasti kirjassa ei tarkastella yhteiskunnallisia kysymyksiä kovinkaan syvällisesti
Yhteiskunnan sijaan kertomuksen päähuomio on Valyan kehon ja mielen sisäisissä prosesseissa. Raskauden kuvauksilla on kirjassa luonnollisesti iso rooli, ja ne olivat kaltaiselleni pienten lasten isälle mielenkiintoista luettavaa. Myös Valyan terapiaa ja hänen mielenterveysongelmiaan käsiteltiin paljon, ja niihin liittyi kirjan keskeiset konfliktit ja juonenkäänteet. Tämäkin kuvaus oli mielenkiintoista, mutta välillä kirjassa jäätiin vähän turhan pitkäksi aikaa jumittamaan tiettyihin tuntemuksiin tai olotiloihin, mikä teki lukemisesta välillä tylsää.
Valyan mielenterveysongelmien kamalat syyt selvisivät myös kirjan loppupuolella, mutta niiden käsittely jäi pintapuoliseksi, mikä jäi vähän vaivaamaan minua lukijana: kukaan ei tuntunut haluavan tehdä näille kauhuille mitään, vaan asia ohitettiin olankohautuksella. Itse olisin Valyana soittanut poliisit ja suuttunut ystävälleni, joka oli pimittänyt onglemien syitä minulta vuosia.
Myös Valyan lopullinen ratkaisu Casual-neuroimplantista vieroittumiseen oli kiinnostava. Hänen ympärillään oli useita henkilöitä, joilla oli asiaan omat mielipiteensä sanottavana. Kaikki perustelivat kantojaan Valyan ja/tai lapsen edulla. Vanhemmauuden ristiriitaiset paineet ja odotukset ovat lie tuttuja kaikille vanhemmille, ja ne oli tässä kirjassa tavoitettu hyvin. Valyan ratkaisu ongelmaan tuntui itsestäni pahalta, mutta Koji A Dae tuo hyvin esiin asian moniulotteisuuden. Ja kuten Valya kirjassa toteaa:
”You say you’re lookin out for my baby. But I think you’re just as set in your ideas as everyone else. They think trials are best. You think no tech is best. And none of you believe I can decide for [my baby]. Well, I can.”
January 1, 2025
Special thanks to Tenebrous Press for the ARC copy they provided.
December 31, 2024 and we’re finishing up the year with a review of Casual from Koji A. Dae and Tenebrous Press. Honestly, I can’t think of a better way to close out my 2024 reviews than the same way I started it, with a book from 10p.
Tenebrous has a habit of giving us the weird, the grotesque, the unexpected, and the just plain macabre, Casual turns this habit on its head, one of those rare books that stands out of the weird fold to prove the rule. Reading Casual is not like reading horror at all, and that is utterly perfect.
Because Casual IS horror, but such a subtle horror you won’t feel it until it’s sneaking into your bones, twisting your mind like the desperate ticking of anxiety prickling your neck. Maybe, for me, the horror of Casual is how unhorrifying it is, how like everyday existence Valya’s struggles with depression and anxiety are.
You can’t scare me, book! Minus some of the specific trauma and hallucinations, I live that particular blend of horror everyday and tend to forget it is horror for most people. Funny how lifelong mental health matters can just slip into the background after awhile. What, not everyone panics every time they have to pick up the phone, or gasp, go somewhere they haven’t been before? It’s hard to imagine those tasks being ordinary and not panic inducing, and I slid right into Valya’s mind like a second skin, instantly immersed in Dae’s work and wondering when the horror would start.
The horror is in every line. Every quiet nuance of living with trauma and striving to make choices that are better for a new life. Because how do we choose what is best for a child that will become an adult when we are struggling to just live and breathe? The everyday can be quite the horror.
And quite the beautiful thing.
Casual is an intimate mix of the horrible and the beautiful, like life itself, and definitely stands out among Tenebrous books. Reading it in digital form on a Kindle made it all the more surreal, as most of the book deals with the intermixing of technology with day to day life and how we will have to learn and grow to accept and integrate that technological future into our lives, which can be so tied to the past. While Valya chased her fox through her own neural pathways in her game, distracting herself from the world and relieving her anxiety in what was an effective way, I did the same with a digital book that gave me the impression of reading a physical book. Surreal. Fulfilling. Like Casual itself.
If you’re looking for something that will grip you, terrorize you, but subtly, softly, slowly, to the point you don’t even know it’s happening, Casual is for you. It’ll still be wrapping its crystal filaments around your brain after the last page. Trust me.
December 31, 2024 and we’re finishing up the year with a review of Casual from Koji A. Dae and Tenebrous Press. Honestly, I can’t think of a better way to close out my 2024 reviews than the same way I started it, with a book from 10p.
Tenebrous has a habit of giving us the weird, the grotesque, the unexpected, and the just plain macabre, Casual turns this habit on its head, one of those rare books that stands out of the weird fold to prove the rule. Reading Casual is not like reading horror at all, and that is utterly perfect.
Because Casual IS horror, but such a subtle horror you won’t feel it until it’s sneaking into your bones, twisting your mind like the desperate ticking of anxiety prickling your neck. Maybe, for me, the horror of Casual is how unhorrifying it is, how like everyday existence Valya’s struggles with depression and anxiety are.
You can’t scare me, book! Minus some of the specific trauma and hallucinations, I live that particular blend of horror everyday and tend to forget it is horror for most people. Funny how lifelong mental health matters can just slip into the background after awhile. What, not everyone panics every time they have to pick up the phone, or gasp, go somewhere they haven’t been before? It’s hard to imagine those tasks being ordinary and not panic inducing, and I slid right into Valya’s mind like a second skin, instantly immersed in Dae’s work and wondering when the horror would start.
The horror is in every line. Every quiet nuance of living with trauma and striving to make choices that are better for a new life. Because how do we choose what is best for a child that will become an adult when we are struggling to just live and breathe? The everyday can be quite the horror.
And quite the beautiful thing.
Casual is an intimate mix of the horrible and the beautiful, like life itself, and definitely stands out among Tenebrous books. Reading it in digital form on a Kindle made it all the more surreal, as most of the book deals with the intermixing of technology with day to day life and how we will have to learn and grow to accept and integrate that technological future into our lives, which can be so tied to the past. While Valya chased her fox through her own neural pathways in her game, distracting herself from the world and relieving her anxiety in what was an effective way, I did the same with a digital book that gave me the impression of reading a physical book. Surreal. Fulfilling. Like Casual itself.
If you’re looking for something that will grip you, terrorize you, but subtly, softly, slowly, to the point you don’t even know it’s happening, Casual is for you. It’ll still be wrapping its crystal filaments around your brain after the last page. Trust me.
June 27, 2025
I read this near-future dystopian sci-fi by American author who now lives in Bulgaria, Koji Dae, as one of our book club reads. It is a thought provoking read about mental health, bodily autonomy and our addiction to technology.
Valya is a young woman living in Old Sofia who uses her neural implant, Casual, to manage her depression and anxiety. Casual can immediately transport her into a video game world where she feels comfortable and protected from the harsh realities of life, and is a step up from the technology others around her are using, still playing the games on their phones. Now that Valya is pregnant she faces a crisis. The law demands that as a single parent, she cannot be allowed to continue to have the implant as she risks neglecting her daughter while caught up with the game. The frightening alternative offered her is the experimental choice of implanting a similar device into her newborn. Valya is manipulated by her psycher and by the scientist who want her as part of their experiment. The whole story provides a thought-provoking, somewhat disturbing view on our current wellness and mental health industry.
Along the way the story flashes back through the scenes of Valya’s life. It delves into her turbulent relationship with freedom-fighter and celebrity Skylar. There are also revelations of childhood trauma, although in an off-page fashion.
The story also deals with our addiction and interaction with technology in an interesting way. Valya lives in a world which definitely still has the rich-who live in crystal caves and breathe clean air, and the poor who wear a mask to go out, and have a basic income that allows them to get by, but only just. The only ways Valya has of adding to her meagre income are to watch adverts, or to engage in ‘flogging’ (feeling logging), a more sophisticated form of blogging or tik-tok that allows users to experience the sensations and emotions of others.
I found this a fascinating read that our book club enjoyed discussing.
Valya is a young woman living in Old Sofia who uses her neural implant, Casual, to manage her depression and anxiety. Casual can immediately transport her into a video game world where she feels comfortable and protected from the harsh realities of life, and is a step up from the technology others around her are using, still playing the games on their phones. Now that Valya is pregnant she faces a crisis. The law demands that as a single parent, she cannot be allowed to continue to have the implant as she risks neglecting her daughter while caught up with the game. The frightening alternative offered her is the experimental choice of implanting a similar device into her newborn. Valya is manipulated by her psycher and by the scientist who want her as part of their experiment. The whole story provides a thought-provoking, somewhat disturbing view on our current wellness and mental health industry.
Along the way the story flashes back through the scenes of Valya’s life. It delves into her turbulent relationship with freedom-fighter and celebrity Skylar. There are also revelations of childhood trauma, although in an off-page fashion.
The story also deals with our addiction and interaction with technology in an interesting way. Valya lives in a world which definitely still has the rich-who live in crystal caves and breathe clean air, and the poor who wear a mask to go out, and have a basic income that allows them to get by, but only just. The only ways Valya has of adding to her meagre income are to watch adverts, or to engage in ‘flogging’ (feeling logging), a more sophisticated form of blogging or tik-tok that allows users to experience the sensations and emotions of others.
I found this a fascinating read that our book club enjoyed discussing.
October 11, 2025
“As you may know, flogging involves a series of three implants: casual with the connect software, an ocular implant to record what a feeler sees, and a pulse implant to record blood pressure and rhythm throughout the experience."
Oh wow. This book blew my socks right off. It is an incredible novel. I love dystopian horror, and this is definitely dystopian horror. Taking on the themes of body autonomy and mental health? Yes. 10/10. Not only is it all of those things, but it is also told incredibly well. I absolutely adore the writing style here. This is a pretty good-sized book. I think it’s around 300 pages, but I binge-read the hell out of it and was sad when it was over.
Dae is a new-to-me author, but someone who has now become an auto-buy author for me. I don’t like to judge a book by its cover, but when I saw this one, I knew it was going to be a good one and have my head spinning and brain on overload with thoughts… and I was right as could be! I have even gone and bought the physical copy of this one because, yeah, it’s one of those books that should be on everyone’s shelf and really hits hard… especially in the world we are currently living in.
So yes, I clearly recommend this book to EVERYONE. This is one of those times where the subject matter is at the forefront and needs to be read by all. It’s available on both Godless and Amazon, so pick your poison and go get this asap!
Oh wow. This book blew my socks right off. It is an incredible novel. I love dystopian horror, and this is definitely dystopian horror. Taking on the themes of body autonomy and mental health? Yes. 10/10. Not only is it all of those things, but it is also told incredibly well. I absolutely adore the writing style here. This is a pretty good-sized book. I think it’s around 300 pages, but I binge-read the hell out of it and was sad when it was over.
Dae is a new-to-me author, but someone who has now become an auto-buy author for me. I don’t like to judge a book by its cover, but when I saw this one, I knew it was going to be a good one and have my head spinning and brain on overload with thoughts… and I was right as could be! I have even gone and bought the physical copy of this one because, yeah, it’s one of those books that should be on everyone’s shelf and really hits hard… especially in the world we are currently living in.
So yes, I clearly recommend this book to EVERYONE. This is one of those times where the subject matter is at the forefront and needs to be read by all. It’s available on both Godless and Amazon, so pick your poison and go get this asap!
April 14, 2025
Originally, I wasn't sure if I was going to like this book or not. AI and robotics don't tend to be of much interest to me (makes my brain hurt, haha). However, I was pleasantly surprised at my enjoyment of this book. The author was great at portraying mental health issues like depression and anxiety, known as dexiety in this book, and I appreciated how pro-women this book was. I think all possible triggers were handled very well, also. There were a few grammatical errors, such as missing spaces between words, but since it was published by a small, up-and-coming company, it is to be expected.
Overall, it was a good book that offered commentary about motherhood and the difficulties of being a single mother with mental health struggles, and how the world continues to change in regards to technology.
Overall, it was a good book that offered commentary about motherhood and the difficulties of being a single mother with mental health struggles, and how the world continues to change in regards to technology.
December 11, 2024
I absolutely loved this book. There are so many great aspects to the story telling such as the distinct and compelling characters that you feel strongly about (one way or another), the world building of the near-future setting, and the layered and complex emotions that pack a punch all along the way. This was all accomplished with well-executed pacing that kept the plot moving.
I'm not sure I've ever felt as inside a main character's mind as much as Valya, the main character. Of course, the first person POV helps with that, but more so it's the writing that captures Valya's perspective and effortlessly transfers it to the reader with deep interiority that you feel on each page.
Highly recommended!
I received an eARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.
I'm not sure I've ever felt as inside a main character's mind as much as Valya, the main character. Of course, the first person POV helps with that, but more so it's the writing that captures Valya's perspective and effortlessly transfers it to the reader with deep interiority that you feel on each page.
Highly recommended!
I received an eARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.
April 29, 2025
A thoughtful sci-fi novel that focuses on the character work, I thought Casual was a fantastic look at bodily autonomy through the lens of a future that imagines a future for humanity that is parts brutal, parts hopeful, and deeply reflective of where we're at today.
All the characters that orbit Vayla, our protagonist, are well drawn and bring out different things in her. From the slimy Sklyar, who Valya ultimately even has compassion for, to the supportive but weary Olivia to the exciting newness of Brianne, it's interesting to see Valya navigate all these interpersonal relationships. The dilemma Valya struggles with isn't easy, and Dae explores the concept thoroughly from so many different angles, all of which felt highly believable.
All the characters that orbit Vayla, our protagonist, are well drawn and bring out different things in her. From the slimy Sklyar, who Valya ultimately even has compassion for, to the supportive but weary Olivia to the exciting newness of Brianne, it's interesting to see Valya navigate all these interpersonal relationships. The dilemma Valya struggles with isn't easy, and Dae explores the concept thoroughly from so many different angles, all of which felt highly believable.
February 18, 2025
Honestly, this is a hell of a speculative horror debut. What if in the near future there was an implant for anxiety management that essentially ran an interactive app - and, if you got pregnant, how would you deal with it essentially having to be turned off for parenting? A lot of the tension in this is a round the "will she/won't she" of a mildly sinister offer, and when it does resolve, it takes a lot of the tension of the plot with it. The ending is incredibly hopeful in the light of everything that happens within it, and I love a good pregnant lesbian sex scene. Not entirely sure if it sticks the landing, but it's still a hell of a swing.
February 21, 2025
Valya has an implant in her head that helps her with her dexiety (depression and anxiety), similar to us using social media. Now that she is pregnant, she has to choose between turning it off because she plans on being the sole caregiver for her child or having one put in her child as well. She doesn't know what the best choice is. It has been what helps her get through her toughest times, but does she really want to put this in her baby's brain? When she has her's turned off, she starts having issues from her past resurface, needing to be delt with. The struggle of being a good mother starts before the child is even born.
February 23, 2025
This thought-provoking novel focuses on Valya, a pregnant woman who must stop being on Casual, the drug that keeps her emotions on an even keel, because it is illegal to be on it while a new mother. The setting is dystopian, presenting a future that medicalizes its population, and the novel presents themes of autonomy and freedom in an ever-regulated world, how far we should go towards experimental medicalization, mystery, romance, class, and women's mental health. The characters are well-drawn, the plot intriguing, and the pacing very good.
June 13, 2025
Set in a near-future Sofia, Bulgaria split into a polluted, crumbling Old Sofia and a high-tech crystalline New Sofia tucked inside a mountain. Valya is pregnant, single, and grappling with a new law that requires her to shut off Caz, the immersive implant that controls her depression & anxiety, before she gives birth. Or she can take part in an experimental trial of a tandem implant for her child.
This was the sort of book in which no decision seems like the correct one, which is part of what made it feel so real.
This was the sort of book in which no decision seems like the correct one, which is part of what made it feel so real.
June 17, 2025
Holy. fucking. shit. I feel like I have too many words, but also not enough, to explain how captivating Casual and Koji A. Dae are!
It was like reading a Black Mirror episode with Emily Henry's prose. There was so much depth and development to the world Valya is in and what she's overcome and what she's experiencing anew.
Props to Tenebrous Press for thinking outside the box. I will be finding more books under their realm.
READ THIS!
It was like reading a Black Mirror episode with Emily Henry's prose. There was so much depth and development to the world Valya is in and what she's overcome and what she's experiencing anew.
Props to Tenebrous Press for thinking outside the box. I will be finding more books under their realm.
READ THIS!
August 22, 2025
Such an amazing & thoughtful read. I genuinely enjoyed every second and took any chance I got to read it! In my perspective, the ending was what it had to be.
As the reader, my expectations were surpassed, but also humbled. I am absolutely keeping this on my bookshelf, and I already started reading my next books by this author Koji A. Dae and/or the publishers, Tenebrous Press . So fire .
Also def look @ content warnings. if you’re comfortable, it’s a warped personal journey for sure.
As the reader, my expectations were surpassed, but also humbled. I am absolutely keeping this on my bookshelf, and I already started reading my next books by this author Koji A. Dae and/or the publishers, Tenebrous Press . So fire .
Also def look @ content warnings. if you’re comfortable, it’s a warped personal journey for sure.
September 21, 2025
Until the very end, I kept waiting for this book to get started. There was no closure on anything in the protagonist’s story. The abuse, romance, trauma, addiction…it was all left dangling. Felt like a cliff hanger where the second book is the one with the real action. The concept is real enough—technology that replaces relationships and healing. But the near future dystopia could be a fascinating place to flesh out these characters and stories.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 29, 2025
This sci-fi/horror novel details a haunting story that is not for the weak hearted.
Advanced tech brain implants. Women’s reproductive systems. Bodily autonomy in a dystopian world. Basically, the whole shabang.
“Casual” by Koji Dae is a shockingly short read for how deeply disturbing its themes are. If you’re looking for something to pick at your mind & your morals, this one’s for you.
Advanced tech brain implants. Women’s reproductive systems. Bodily autonomy in a dystopian world. Basically, the whole shabang.
“Casual” by Koji Dae is a shockingly short read for how deeply disturbing its themes are. If you’re looking for something to pick at your mind & your morals, this one’s for you.
Read
March 8, 2025I liked the cover art.
March 28, 2025
Picked up on a whim. Compulsively readable. I'm in my speculative fiction era and I'm loving it. The last line left me in shock. Sequel please.
May 17, 2025
Valya is seven months pregnant and has depression and anxiety. She gets an implant game called Casual that helps her to feel relaxed. However she is expected to have it shut down as she gets closer to her due date. If she wants to continue using Casual, then she has to have to sign up for a trial that would mean an implant would get put into her baby's brain.
It took me a while to finish this because I'm tokophobic and childfree, and I hate human babies. However this is definitely a thought-provoking scifi book about motherhood and mental illness. Also it was annoying having to read "everyone wants sex" and "everyone settles down" because neither of those statements are true. Even though I didn't always like this I'd still recommend it and I will read more by Koji A. Dae.
It took me a while to finish this because I'm tokophobic and childfree, and I hate human babies. However this is definitely a thought-provoking scifi book about motherhood and mental illness. Also it was annoying having to read "everyone wants sex" and "everyone settles down" because neither of those statements are true. Even though I didn't always like this I'd still recommend it and I will read more by Koji A. Dae.
June 26, 2025
Sci-fi dystopia that explores bodily autonomy via a pregnant woman forced to discontinue the neurological implant that manages her mental health symptoms. Dae writes powerful interiority and immersive settings (Sofia, Bulgaria really comes alive in the prose!) in a world far too close to our own.
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