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Who Is Lee?
During the Eocene Era, an extraterrestrial genus relinquished its subordinate species, now known as opt inhabitants, to Earth, and it wasn’t until the 1900s that scientists discovered this mammalian-like species to be foreign to our planet. Today, the American government appointed scientific agencies to experiment on the species for publicly disapproved reasons.
The International Research and Administration of Animalia Biotechnology introduces their test subject, Lee, an opt inhabitant, to assimilate within society. Lee’s capacity is nothing short of an average human being. He has a desk job in the city, and he orders takeout. He has his own opinions on modern art, the Church, and political parties.
However, his ability to feel is limited by instinct. Phase One of Project Opt Homo-Inhabitant entails assimilation, but to achieve this, he must gain a human-level emotional range. If there is no progress, the subject is then terminated. Lee is on the brink of loss until he meets his first friend, Virginia.
The International Research and Administration of Animalia Biotechnology introduces their test subject, Lee, an opt inhabitant, to assimilate within society. Lee’s capacity is nothing short of an average human being. He has a desk job in the city, and he orders takeout. He has his own opinions on modern art, the Church, and political parties.
However, his ability to feel is limited by instinct. Phase One of Project Opt Homo-Inhabitant entails assimilation, but to achieve this, he must gain a human-level emotional range. If there is no progress, the subject is then terminated. Lee is on the brink of loss until he meets his first friend, Virginia.
397 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 1, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
August 11, 2025
Who is Lee?
That's the central question at the heart of the book, as you might expect given the title. Although it sort of isn't, or at least it's a gateway to other, broader questions. Who is any of us?, is Lee a human?, what is a human?, and so on and so forth.
Lee is an alien. Sort of. It doesn't really matter exactly what he is; what matters is that from a biological and essentialist viewpoint, he is not human. I don't even know whether he was ever actually described this way, but I couldn't help but spend the whole book imagining him as a chimpanzee a la Better Man. Either way, he's visibly not human, and apparently neurologically not either. When we meet him, Lee has spent his entire life as the property and research subject of the scientific body IRAAB, where his continued existence is contingent on him meeting social and neurodevelopmental milestones.
Very early on in the book, Lee describes himself as neurodivergent, and I don't mind admitting I groaned at that. I don't need another alien-as-allegory-for-neurodivergent-person thing; it's been done, and usually with horrendously bad implications. But I wanted to give it a chance, so I had a brief conversation with the author and learned that she's neurodivergent herself, and that there would be more thought put into it than I might have worried. So I gave it a go.
So, having finished it now, I wonder: can I answer the key question...?
WHO is Lee?
Lee is an opt inhabitant, or descendant thereof - an extra-terrestrial, the existence of which is known to the public but uncommon enough that seeing a real one in the flesh is analogous to running into a celebrity. Most people don't know much about Lee or his species, sometimes worrying that he'll just decide to attack them or something like that.
Who IS Lee?
He's impulsive, reckless, and extremely messy. Like, Lee makes mistakes. A lot of them. Most of which are inarguably at least partly a result of his upbringing as a paradox: he's treated as an inhuman thing, an experiment to be analysed, while also expected to demonstrate far more humanity than would be expected of any real human. This, I think, is the key takeaway I had here: Lee is obviously, richly human by any measure you'd care to think of, particularly in how messy he is. Humans are messy. We're screw-ups. Lee's among the most human of us all in that sense, but he's not given the same affordances as "real" humans. The kind of deviances any teenager would make on a daily basis are, for Lee, life-threatening evidence that he's not doing sufficiently well.
As you might expect, the biological humans who appear in the story are generally far less rounded than Lee; most of them consist of a single personality trait, which isn't an insult. It works: again, Lee's so tremendously obviously more of a person than all of the "real people" he comes across, which is the point. Nobody else is ever called upon to prove their humanity, but you suspect they'd perform worse than Lee if they were.
He claims not to feel emotions, but demonstrably (really overwhelmingly obviously) does - this point sticks with me a bit, because it's a neat trope that gets slightly confused in this case because he's getting repeated neurological scans that supposedly provide objective evidence of whether he's capable of any given emotion. Then again, he's not human, as we're so often reminded, so perhaps the point here is a kind of soft behaviourism: those emotions are developed differently than they do in our brains, but are no less real regardless? That'd be cohesive with the overall track of the book, I think, but it's never directly addressed. (Not that everything needs to be or should be.)
He's also got a bit of a tendency to misuse words, especially longer or more complex ones, in subtle ways. His vocabulary and syntax - both in his dialogue and narration - feel as if he's trying to come across as a bit of an intellectual, perhaps because that's a way in which he can demonstrate human capabilities. It's another way in which he tries to meet arbitrary definitions of "human" and fails, yet isn't really any less human because of it, you know? Trying to impress and maybe making a few innocent mix-ups is something I've definitely done a bunch of times, and I think it's more of a human experience, if anything.
Who is Lee?
I don't think he knows. I'm not sure he wants to know, exactly. (I don't think any of us should have to know.) I think he wants to be someone who can fit into human society and be seen as an equal, but he'll never be that. His happiest moments are when he briefly says "eff that" to the standards imposed on him.
He likes Jack London and Thoreau.
He is an outsider: I don't think he's a good example of neurodivergent representation in the sense of being a character I would recommend someone read to better understand what a real neurodivergent person is like, but at times I do see how that aspect of him informs his interactions with the world, and others' reactions to him. He's also kind of an immigrant, I think, being visibly not of the same origin as those around him.
He frequently masturbates.
He describes himself at one point as "a believer in God, but not religious" (paraphrasing), then on the next page as "a religious but non-theistic existentialist". Which at first I didn't get, but on reflection (and a bit of a chat with the author again) I see what he means. Everyone in his life is trying to fit him into a box, but that's not what living life is. Existence precedes essence, and Lee's almost forced to exist without being allowed to figure out who he is, only what he's supposed to be in order to meet arbitrary requirements. His worldviews are allowed to be contradictory - whose among us aren't?
How is Who is Lee??
There's a touch of Murata's Earthlings, a bit of the same author's Convenience Store Woman and a dash of Leichter's Temporary or perhaps Ravn's The Employees. It is in large part about looking for purpose in work, or in contributing to society, although I think it lands on a slightly different answer than those others might.
It could use a bit of a proofread to clean up the dialogue: there are a fair few errors in how dialogue tags are used, but the more significant issue is that there are frequent inconsistencies in using new lines to identify new speakers. More than once I got very confused about why a character would say something, then realise that it was in fact someone else who was meant to have said it. You can almost always tangle it out with a bit of thought, but it definitely tripped me up and slowed me down.
It's paced in fits and starts: most chapters are long and cover a single continuous series of events, with some picking up right where the previous left off and some skipping over really significant stretches of time. This sometimes works in the book's favour, allowing it to get to the important bits without getting bogged down, and sometimes gives it an abrupt jolt that can make it difficult to latch on or care as fully as we might about characters and the dynamics between them (because we missed a lot of that development).
The ending in particular is sudden and... I would venture to call it unsatisfying, but I don't mean that as negatively as it sounds. It isn't clean, it doesn't tie up any loose ends, and it's ugly and disappointing, but in a way that feels entirely coherent for the story as a whole. Life doesn't often end neatly and satisfyingly, unfortunately.
I don't think it'll be for everyone; it's sometimes puerile and there are long stretches where not much happens (I don't mind that, but I know some readers do). But if you can get into the cadence of Lee's strange manner and existence, I think it'll make you ask questions - and for me, that's time well enough spent.
That's the central question at the heart of the book, as you might expect given the title. Although it sort of isn't, or at least it's a gateway to other, broader questions. Who is any of us?, is Lee a human?, what is a human?, and so on and so forth.
Lee is an alien. Sort of. It doesn't really matter exactly what he is; what matters is that from a biological and essentialist viewpoint, he is not human. I don't even know whether he was ever actually described this way, but I couldn't help but spend the whole book imagining him as a chimpanzee a la Better Man. Either way, he's visibly not human, and apparently neurologically not either. When we meet him, Lee has spent his entire life as the property and research subject of the scientific body IRAAB, where his continued existence is contingent on him meeting social and neurodevelopmental milestones.
Very early on in the book, Lee describes himself as neurodivergent, and I don't mind admitting I groaned at that. I don't need another alien-as-allegory-for-neurodivergent-person thing; it's been done, and usually with horrendously bad implications. But I wanted to give it a chance, so I had a brief conversation with the author and learned that she's neurodivergent herself, and that there would be more thought put into it than I might have worried. So I gave it a go.
So, having finished it now, I wonder: can I answer the key question...?
WHO is Lee?
Lee is an opt inhabitant, or descendant thereof - an extra-terrestrial, the existence of which is known to the public but uncommon enough that seeing a real one in the flesh is analogous to running into a celebrity. Most people don't know much about Lee or his species, sometimes worrying that he'll just decide to attack them or something like that.
Who IS Lee?
He's impulsive, reckless, and extremely messy. Like, Lee makes mistakes. A lot of them. Most of which are inarguably at least partly a result of his upbringing as a paradox: he's treated as an inhuman thing, an experiment to be analysed, while also expected to demonstrate far more humanity than would be expected of any real human. This, I think, is the key takeaway I had here: Lee is obviously, richly human by any measure you'd care to think of, particularly in how messy he is. Humans are messy. We're screw-ups. Lee's among the most human of us all in that sense, but he's not given the same affordances as "real" humans. The kind of deviances any teenager would make on a daily basis are, for Lee, life-threatening evidence that he's not doing sufficiently well.
As you might expect, the biological humans who appear in the story are generally far less rounded than Lee; most of them consist of a single personality trait, which isn't an insult. It works: again, Lee's so tremendously obviously more of a person than all of the "real people" he comes across, which is the point. Nobody else is ever called upon to prove their humanity, but you suspect they'd perform worse than Lee if they were.
He claims not to feel emotions, but demonstrably (really overwhelmingly obviously) does - this point sticks with me a bit, because it's a neat trope that gets slightly confused in this case because he's getting repeated neurological scans that supposedly provide objective evidence of whether he's capable of any given emotion. Then again, he's not human, as we're so often reminded, so perhaps the point here is a kind of soft behaviourism: those emotions are developed differently than they do in our brains, but are no less real regardless? That'd be cohesive with the overall track of the book, I think, but it's never directly addressed. (Not that everything needs to be or should be.)
He's also got a bit of a tendency to misuse words, especially longer or more complex ones, in subtle ways. His vocabulary and syntax - both in his dialogue and narration - feel as if he's trying to come across as a bit of an intellectual, perhaps because that's a way in which he can demonstrate human capabilities. It's another way in which he tries to meet arbitrary definitions of "human" and fails, yet isn't really any less human because of it, you know? Trying to impress and maybe making a few innocent mix-ups is something I've definitely done a bunch of times, and I think it's more of a human experience, if anything.
Who is Lee?
I don't think he knows. I'm not sure he wants to know, exactly. (I don't think any of us should have to know.) I think he wants to be someone who can fit into human society and be seen as an equal, but he'll never be that. His happiest moments are when he briefly says "eff that" to the standards imposed on him.
He likes Jack London and Thoreau.
He is an outsider: I don't think he's a good example of neurodivergent representation in the sense of being a character I would recommend someone read to better understand what a real neurodivergent person is like, but at times I do see how that aspect of him informs his interactions with the world, and others' reactions to him. He's also kind of an immigrant, I think, being visibly not of the same origin as those around him.
He frequently masturbates.
He describes himself at one point as "a believer in God, but not religious" (paraphrasing), then on the next page as "a religious but non-theistic existentialist". Which at first I didn't get, but on reflection (and a bit of a chat with the author again) I see what he means. Everyone in his life is trying to fit him into a box, but that's not what living life is. Existence precedes essence, and Lee's almost forced to exist without being allowed to figure out who he is, only what he's supposed to be in order to meet arbitrary requirements. His worldviews are allowed to be contradictory - whose among us aren't?
How is Who is Lee??
There's a touch of Murata's Earthlings, a bit of the same author's Convenience Store Woman and a dash of Leichter's Temporary or perhaps Ravn's The Employees. It is in large part about looking for purpose in work, or in contributing to society, although I think it lands on a slightly different answer than those others might.
It could use a bit of a proofread to clean up the dialogue: there are a fair few errors in how dialogue tags are used, but the more significant issue is that there are frequent inconsistencies in using new lines to identify new speakers. More than once I got very confused about why a character would say something, then realise that it was in fact someone else who was meant to have said it. You can almost always tangle it out with a bit of thought, but it definitely tripped me up and slowed me down.
It's paced in fits and starts: most chapters are long and cover a single continuous series of events, with some picking up right where the previous left off and some skipping over really significant stretches of time. This sometimes works in the book's favour, allowing it to get to the important bits without getting bogged down, and sometimes gives it an abrupt jolt that can make it difficult to latch on or care as fully as we might about characters and the dynamics between them (because we missed a lot of that development).
The ending in particular is sudden and... I would venture to call it unsatisfying, but I don't mean that as negatively as it sounds. It isn't clean, it doesn't tie up any loose ends, and it's ugly and disappointing, but in a way that feels entirely coherent for the story as a whole. Life doesn't often end neatly and satisfyingly, unfortunately.
I don't think it'll be for everyone; it's sometimes puerile and there are long stretches where not much happens (I don't mind that, but I know some readers do). But if you can get into the cadence of Lee's strange manner and existence, I think it'll make you ask questions - and for me, that's time well enough spent.
October 29, 2025
Note: This review is a preliminary review and may be updated.
I watch Japanese animation and on the onset this book is relatable to the isekai genre of Japanese animation (someone dies in one world and is put into the middle of another fantasy world). In Who is Lee?, it's an alien being put into the human world. While the isakei genre is very popular, a concern with the isekai genre is that it inherently given the writer the low hanging fruit to skip original world building development rules (for fantasy based depictions) and skip character development rules (the protagonist is always doing something heroic or is changing the world in some manner). For Who is Lee?, the world building rules for this book are following isakei troupe to a T (i.e. there is a lack of explicit understanding between aliens and human interaction at the societal level in the book across different human cultures; it may get resolved as the book progresses).
However, the character development rules surrounding the character Lee (especially its inner understanding of emotions, society, and the human experience) was a nice departure from the isakei character development troupe. In Who is Lee?, exploration of the character rules Lee shall follow as an extraterrestrial being in another world is the point of this book. That is an exciting premise; for the reader to explore what Lee's character rules are.
While that concept is great, at times I found it a little too esoteric for my taste, as the Lee character (and inherently the story) felt unfocused. Unfocused characters are indeed human, but may lack in direction needed to keep the reader engaged (which may change as the story progresses). Lee was also cynical through his multitude of inter-monologues getting close to the fine line of being depressing. I like cynical characters (see Hachiman Hikigaya in My Teenage Romantic Comedy SNAFU) however Lee cynicism wasn't my kind of cynicism (different strokes for different folks). Which is also perfectly human, just not perfectly entertaining personally. I do love the slice of life approach to this story, and if you like Lee's character you will obviously like this book.
Overall, it’s less a story you follow and more an experience you sink into — like listening to someone’s late-night thoughts when they’re half talking to you, half to themselves. It’s messy, thoughtful, and somewhat relatable. 4/5 stars may come back and adjust if I read the rest of it.
I watch Japanese animation and on the onset this book is relatable to the isekai genre of Japanese animation (someone dies in one world and is put into the middle of another fantasy world). In Who is Lee?, it's an alien being put into the human world. While the isakei genre is very popular, a concern with the isekai genre is that it inherently given the writer the low hanging fruit to skip original world building development rules (for fantasy based depictions) and skip character development rules (the protagonist is always doing something heroic or is changing the world in some manner). For Who is Lee?, the world building rules for this book are following isakei troupe to a T (i.e. there is a lack of explicit understanding between aliens and human interaction at the societal level in the book across different human cultures; it may get resolved as the book progresses).
However, the character development rules surrounding the character Lee (especially its inner understanding of emotions, society, and the human experience) was a nice departure from the isakei character development troupe. In Who is Lee?, exploration of the character rules Lee shall follow as an extraterrestrial being in another world is the point of this book. That is an exciting premise; for the reader to explore what Lee's character rules are.
While that concept is great, at times I found it a little too esoteric for my taste, as the Lee character (and inherently the story) felt unfocused. Unfocused characters are indeed human, but may lack in direction needed to keep the reader engaged (which may change as the story progresses). Lee was also cynical through his multitude of inter-monologues getting close to the fine line of being depressing. I like cynical characters (see Hachiman Hikigaya in My Teenage Romantic Comedy SNAFU) however Lee cynicism wasn't my kind of cynicism (different strokes for different folks). Which is also perfectly human, just not perfectly entertaining personally. I do love the slice of life approach to this story, and if you like Lee's character you will obviously like this book.
Overall, it’s less a story you follow and more an experience you sink into — like listening to someone’s late-night thoughts when they’re half talking to you, half to themselves. It’s messy, thoughtful, and somewhat relatable. 4/5 stars may come back and adjust if I read the rest of it.
November 14, 2025
I enjoyed this book tremendously. I found it to be smart, funny, emotional, and weird in ways that were rewarding. It’s mix of science fiction, philosophy, and dark humor works very well. The story is told through the eyes of a genetically engineered alien, Lee, who is just trying to live like a normal person. What I liked about Lee is that he’s awkward and introspective but relatable even when he’s engaged in normal behavior such as ordering Thai food. I found the writing to be very sharp, full of wit and with lots of heart. I mainly loved how Raza used Lee’s story to explore some big questions about consciousness, belonging, and what it actually means to be human. I found there to be a constant tension between comedy and heartbreak that made it a page turner. For me this is one of those stories that stays with you long after you finish reading it.
September 4, 2025
After finishing this book, I thought about it for the rest of the week. The ending was painful but in a good way because it reflects on his suffering as he is attempting to be human. We are looking at the world through his POV, so his take on things are unique, fabricated, and influenced by the reality we actually live in. I loved how authentic the other characters are. Like Virginia and Dr. Alec. I'd recommend this book to anyone, but especially to those who appreciate piercing social commentary.
August 5, 2025
Honestly speaking I found this to be a little disappointing. It had SO MUCH Potential but I feel it fell a little short in some ways. I dont want to give any spoilers so I will keep it simple. I did really love the underlying theme. It absolutely shows how flawed we are as humans, and how we think we know what other (species?) need, that we do not always know what is best. I also felt the ending was abrupt and kind of ended out of nowhere...
April 17, 2025
Who Is Lee? got to me in a way I didn’t expect. It’s not flashy or trying to be overly emotional, but there’s this quiet sadness and truth in it that’s hard to shake. The characters feel real, the world is haunting, and by the end, you realize it’s been building to something that actually matters. It hits a nerve without trying to.
December 15, 2025
I found this book at a library with a note inside from the author. I'm very lucky to have found this, and it took me days to finish it. Granted, there isn't constant conflict, but the emotions of the character play out so well. It was easy to get lost in the world of this one. Defintely recommend
December 27, 2025
Feel like lord krishna playing this flute into dark thunder night
July 1, 2025
Who Is Lee? is unlike anything I’ve read before, a raw, intelligent, and deeply human exploration of what it means to feel in a world that systematically denies emotion. Zainab Raza delivers a speculative sci-fi novel that’s as emotionally charged as it is philosophically daring.
The protagonist, Lee, is a genetically modified extraterrestrial caught between clinical detachment and a desperate need to be seen as someone rather than something. The writing is sharp and unflinching, often confronting, but never gratuitous. It pushes you to ask hard questions about autonomy, grief, ethics, and the machinery of control.
If you're into grounded sci-fi that leans literary, with echoes of Never Let Me Go, Ex Machina, and even A Clockwork Orange, this is for you. It’s not light reading, and it’s definitely not for everyone, but Lee’s story will stay with me for a long time.
The protagonist, Lee, is a genetically modified extraterrestrial caught between clinical detachment and a desperate need to be seen as someone rather than something. The writing is sharp and unflinching, often confronting, but never gratuitous. It pushes you to ask hard questions about autonomy, grief, ethics, and the machinery of control.
If you're into grounded sci-fi that leans literary, with echoes of Never Let Me Go, Ex Machina, and even A Clockwork Orange, this is for you. It’s not light reading, and it’s definitely not for everyone, but Lee’s story will stay with me for a long time.
August 11, 2025
I read this book back in June and couldn’t put it down! It was written from an interesting perspective and the story definitely stays with you. I personally still catch myself thinking about parts in the book!
December 15, 2025
The world in Who Is Lee? is so vividly built that it feels both strange and familiar at the same time. It’s imaginative, layered, and full of detail that makes you want to keep exploring long after you finish reading. What really makes the story shine, though, is Lee himself. He’s not perfect, far from it, but that imperfection is what makes him feel so real, almost painfully human
I really enjoyed reading this book and though it is sci-fi, it's very realistic in terms of themes and values, and character development.
I really enjoyed reading this book and though it is sci-fi, it's very realistic in terms of themes and values, and character development.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews