The Infinite Sadness of Small Appliances: A Novel

by Glenn Dixon

In a near future, where even the smallest of appliances are sentient, a young Roomba vacuum sets out to save the humans of her house from a rising technological power in this compelling, original novel.

In a self-running, smart house, a young and sentient Roomba listens as her owner, Harold, reads aloud to his dying wife, Edie. Mesmerized by To Kill a Mockingbird and craving the human connection she witnesses in Harold’s stories, the little vacuum renames herself Scout and embarks on a journey of self-discovery.

But when Edie passes away, Scout and her fellow sentient appliances discover that there are sinister forces in their midst. The omnipresent Grid, which monitors every household in the City, seeks to remove Harold from his home, a place he’s lived in for fifty years.

With the help of Adrian, a neighborhood boy who grows close to Scout and Harold, as well as Kate, Harold and Edie’s formerly estranged daughter, the humans and the appliances must come together to outwit the all-controlling Grid lest they risk losing everything they hold dear.

Genres: Science Fiction, Fiction, Fantasy, Adult Fiction, Cozy, Speculative Fiction, Adult

Kindle Edition

Expected publication April 7, 2026

About the author

Glenn Dixon's new novel, The Infinite Sadness of Small Appliances, will be published April 7, 2026 (Atria books in the US, HarperCollins in Canada and Australia). It's set in the near future in a Smart House where the appliances (especially a young Roomba vacuum cleaner named Scout) hope to save their elderly Humans from the insidious Grid that runs the City.

His previous novel, "Bootleg Stardust" was published in April 2021 (Simon & Schuster). It is the story of the fictional band Downtown Exit and their disastrous 1974 European Tour where the secrets that each character keep finally emerge in the burning down of hotel rooms, punches on stage and finally the theft of the legendary Rolling Stones Mobile Recording Truck. The soundtrack is available on Spotify.

Glenn Dixon's third book was "Juliet's Answer" (Simon & Schuster, January 2017). As the lone male secretary at the Club di Giulietta in Verona, he answered the real letters to Juliet and he learned something of love, of Shakespeare and of the sun splashed hills of this ancient Italian city.

Publishers Weekly gave his second book, "Tripping the World Fantastic", a starred rating, saying it "succeeds by connecting readers intimately with the souls of music-makers all over the world." From a trip to Bob Marley's grave in Jamaica to sitar lessons on the banks of the Ganges, Dixon tells the story of music and just why it has such a powerful effect on us all. www.tripping-the-world.com

Like a cross between Nick Hornby and Roddy Doyle, Dixon has written stories and articles for the New Yorker, National Geographic, the Globe and Mail and Psychology Today.

His first book was Pilgrim in the Palace of Words: a journey through the 6000 languages of Earth.

He lives and works in Calgary, Canada.

Reviews

[Hannah Greendale (Hello, Bookworm)]

My Roomba told me to read this.

[MagretFume · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved it. 

I thought it would be a conventional cute Sci-Fi story but what started with elements of a cozy tale quickly evolved into a dystopian and bleak future possibly at our door.

The writing was great, with a solid balance between heart and fear and humans and machines. 

Thank you Atria Books for this ARC! 

[Emily Poche · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Atria Books for providing this ARC for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

The Infinite Sadness of Small Appliances by Glenn Dixon is a quirky, cozy science fiction story about a naive and curious Roomba whose whole life is thrown into chaos when one of her owners passes away. Along with the other household appliances, an estranged daughter and a plucky neighbor kid, she sets out to protect her home and her humans from forces far greater that she is.

I absolutely selected this ARC in a flurry of millennial nostalgia. I’d seen The Brave Little Toaster many times as a kid, and the description seemed very reminiscent. I was happy to see in the acknowledgements that the author referenced it as an influence! It’s definitely a very reminiscent story even though it very much stands on its own feet. (Wheels).

I loved that this was a fully fleshed science fiction story that slowly unfurls over the few chapters. In a short time it manages to go from completely idyllic to dystopian in a way that’s still solidly domestic. In using the domestic sphere and the reach of the story in a confined number of locations and characters, it creates a really full picture of an alternative reality without too much world building.

I just loved Scout. I loved her tiny, helpful and curious nature. She was brand new! She just wanted to help! She also was a vacuum and that makes me love her even more. Writing feeling and depth into a household appliance can be somewhat difficult, but the author really wrote a cute, sensitive little protagonist. I wanted to root for her against the constraints of being a vacuum, and against the changes threatening the Winters family.

For me, if anything, the book was a little bit short. I thought some of the plot lines could have been a little more developed, giving a little more detail into how the conclusion happened. I felt like I had a pretty good idea, but I did feel a little unclear on the mechanics. Also, I felt like the open ending for Harold and the kid could also have been resolved. The book had a relatively hopeful and light tone, despite some majorly dystopian themes. I think having a finite ending wouldn’t have drastically changed the tone too much.

If you’re not a very serious sci fi reader or are looking for something that’s dystopian and cozy at the same time, this is a perfect short option. I’d call it domestic science fiction. For me it’s a 4/5!

[C.J. Connor]

Welcome back, The Brave Little Toaster.

[evie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75 ☆ 👽 review to come

[Justin Chen · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.75 stars

Sentimentally solid but burdened by incoherent world-building, The Infinite Sadness of Small Appliances has its heart in the right place—after all, who wouldn’t find a talking Roomba adorable? I loved the personalities and interactions between the sentient appliances, their observations on humanity, and the way they band together to protect their household from outside threats.

It’s the human characters who feel the most under-developed; they’re one-dimensional, with wooden dialogue and strangely nonchalant demeanour. As far as I could tell, the appliances don’t speak directly to humans at first—so when they start talking back, the lack of any genuine reaction during that moment sticks out like a sore thumb. The narrative itself is fractured and meandering, filled with small, loosely connected moments that never quite build toward a cohesive theme. Lastly, there’s an overseeing entity meant to serve as a constant looming threat, but the ease with which some of its actions are undone undermines its role as an all-powerful antagonist.

The Infinite Sadness of Small Appliances might have worked better as a heartwarming short story. In its current form, it feels like a Pixar film inspired draft—trying to juggle too many ideas (grief, humanity vs. technology, loss of culture) without a clear throughline or consistent internal logic. I can’t help but wonder how much stronger it could’ve been if told entirely from the appliances’ point of view.

**This ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Much appreciated!**

[Kerri D · Rating 4 out of 5]

Between a 3 and a 4. Probs 3.5. Cute little sentient appliances and the future of the world with too much control. Sorta dystopian. Maybe a bit too cutesy.

[James · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not sure how I feel about this one. I definitely enjoyed a lot of the parts but I don't think it ever really came together.

Full review to come closer to publication.

[Amy K]

It’s giving Brave Little Toaster and I am here for it.

[PlantLady Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

A big thank you to NetGalley and Atria books for the eARC in exchange for an honest review 💚

If you're looking for a book about a sentient Roomba wanting to help their human when the equivalent of big brother gets mad, please look no further.

This was original, I enjoyed my time with it and the many nods to classic litterature.
I would've wanted a bit more from the story, as a few plot points could've been expanded upon (in my humble opinion) but for a quick read this was fun!

3.5⭐ that got upgraded to 4 since goodreads doesn't so half stars.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5💫

The Brave Little Toaster walked so this book could run. Exceptionally both wholesome and thrilling. Made me want to buy a roomba???

[Trisha]

I am SO excited to read this one! Sentient small appliances? A roomba to save us? I love it!

***UPDATE - ARC REC'D THANK YOU!! ***

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

[Vmndetta ᛑᛗᛛ · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very unique book about a sentient Roomba and other appliances! Who would've thought?

What I loved the most about this book is the near-future world setting. A world with AI where household appliances can do things on their own, handle housework, and even think about humans. In this case, a Roomba named Scout. I really liked her. She's curious, adventurous, always wanting to learn more, and you just honestly can't stop her!

This story can be very heartwarming and also make you want to laugh. And yes, don't forget the angst, because it explores grief too. I'll be damned if I say I didn't cry. Even tho, some parts are a bit predictable after reading the long blurb, the book is still engaging and enjoyable. Recommend!

[Danielle Nilsen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adored this quirky dystopian novel about a robot vacuum cleaner, her fellow home appliances, and their Humans. It starts out very cozy but then you slowly learn more about the world these characters live in and things take a darker turn. Very thought provoking about what could happen as machines become more powerful and a good reminder of the things that make up the human spirit.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

[Duncan Swann · Rating 5 out of 5]

I call this a hopeful dystopia. This is about a bunch of robots trying to work out what makes humans human in a not too distant future where the Algo dominates and controls almost all life. Touching and humorous, thought provoking but light. great read.

[Jeannie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to #NetGalley and #AtriaBooks for this #ARC of The Infinite Sadness of Small Appliances in exchange for an honest review. I loved this little book. It’s like The Brave Little Toaster grew up and had a baby…run by AI on the all powerful Grid. The story takes us into a not too distant future where everything is controlled within the cloud. All your household appliances, big or small, and your wristwatch maintain your home, grocery needs and schedule, cars are all self driving…and all must abide by three protocols, not causing their humans pain, not communicating directly, and completing their duties. The humans, Harold and Edie, have lived in their home for about 40 yrs when Edie becomes ill and ultimately passes away, but not before the Roomba takes a special interest in listening to Harold read To Kill a Mockingbird aloud to Edie in her sickbed. The Roomba adopts Scout as her name and begins finding ways to communicate and care for Harold as some scary changes start to take place throughout the home...could the Grid have evil intentions? Scout befriends a neighborhood boy, Adrian and Harold and Edie’s estranged daughter, Kate, to help her on her quest to ensure Harold’s safety and future happiness.

4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[coty ☆ · Rating 2 out of 5]

a potentially interesting concept, hindered by its execution. i was wary of going into this book of "sentiment appliances" in our current age of AI and humanizing chatbots and integrating useless tech of the like into everything, and while i don't think it entirely played into my fears, this book felt very incoherent and at odds with itself. because of the premise i thought this would be told solely through the perspectives of the appliances... but it isn't? adding in perspectives from the human characters only muddies the narrative and takes away everything that could have been interesting about this novel; it doesn't help that their characters feel flat and one-dimensional, and that the exterior world outside of the House is very confusing.

this is a dystopian, but i can't for the life of me figure out what the message is supposed to be. are machines bad or not? the world is ruled by "The Grid", a sentient and and kind of evil.. AI? coalition of robots? the vagueness would make sense if we were getting limited perspectives but with a wider scope of human POVs and even "dissidents", not having a clear picture of what, exactly, is 'wrong' with the world makes this a frustrating read. the society has things like universal basic income and measures against pollution... but there's also insidious aspects like people basically being prisoners in their homes, or having their homes taken away from them. there's free education... but also there isn't! if you're going to build a dystopian world then maybe be a little more clear about the politics of it? this kind of seems mostly like "this is a communist society, ruled by AI, and communism and socialism are bad". maybe that's just me misreading it but i don't know.

the characters aren't too compelling. the most interesting is the vacuum cleaner but it's also clear that she is intended to be THE main character, so she does get the most characterization, and everyone else just kind of... exists. i would've liked for the other appliances to have more of a concrete part in the story AND to maybe have more solid personalities and even names, since we're anthropomorphizing them, but that's all very half-baked instead, and again: i think this would have been better served as strictly being from the perspectives of the appliances to actually build on that. because the characters are very much intended to be the driving force of the story. the plot is thin and doesn't even really start to happen until over 50% in, but the resolution is quick and disappointing. maybe this would have been more engaging as a short story.

but maybe i'm just not the target audience. the note at the beginning of my ARC states: "Have you ever said "Thank you" to your Alexa? Did you cry the first time you watched WALL-E? Does your family beg you to stop referring to your Roomba by a human name?" none of this fits me, i'm a borderline technophobe, so maybe i just don't get it. i did find some of the writing and description to be striking so it's clear dixon is good at his craft; i'm just not a good fit for this story.

thank you to netgalley & atria books for the ARC!

[Online Eccentric Librarian · Rating 4 out of 5]

More reviews (and no fluff) on the blog http://surrealtalvi.wordpress.com/

This is a sweet little emotive piece: a fairytale for the modern age. Those who cried during the opening montage of UP will recognize the same storytelling here- a very PIXARish Disney type of tale full of adventure and heart.

Story: In the near future, the appliances are sentient and create a comfortable living for the humans. Harold and Edie are a retired couple enjoying their later years when Edie falls terminally ill. As the appliances worry about the future of the home, Harold's estranged daughter is called home, bringing a surprising history with her. One of the appliances, a little roomba robot, questions her world and yearns to do more than just clean. But her role in the household is very limited and monitored by The Grid - the overall intelligence that ensures all humans are taken care of and protected. What will happen to the little Roomba and the family now that everything is about to change with Edie's death?

The story is very insulated and takes place nearly fully within the confines of the house. As such, there isn't as much worldbuilding and the focus is solely on the emotive aspects of the story. There is no evil MCP as in Tron, the Grid in this book is pretty benign. That said, the book works on many levels and certainly is suitable for a wide audience. I can't help but feel it would be perfect to read to younger children, especially in the spirit of The Brave Little Toaster from which the story was inspired.

There is the usual existential crisis one would expect from a story about sentient machines. But it is handled well here and the gentle writing is nicely atmospheric and nuanced. The characters aren't good or bad, with both the humans and machines having fully developed personalities. I think in a lesser writer's hands this would have lost so much of its pathos and sweetness.

There are several subplots: Edie's musical talent influencing the household, a neighbor's boy wanting to use the piano, Kate's history as a nonconformist and her interactions with the Grid, rebels who live outside of the grid, and of course the concerns of the machines in the house, from clocks to fridges to the car in the garage.

This is a gentle, easy read with more than just a bit of magic hiding underneath. It's one of those books you could have sworn was a big budget animated movie first and, of course, definitely you could feel the PIXAR influence, from Up to Wall-E. I hope this gets made into a movie, it's that engaging. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.

[MoonlightCupOfCocoa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you so much to Atria Books and Netgalley for the advance review copy! As always all opinions shared below are 100% my own.

Now that I stopped crying by my roomba's side, I think it's safe for me to write this review.

"The Infinite Sadness of Small Appliances" by Glenn Dixon is what I can only describe as cozy dystopian sci-fi book that features a sentient roomba called Scout. In fact, all appliances in this universe have such advanced artifical intelligence that they have achieved sentience. While they do not feel emotions the way we as humans do, they come very close to emulating it or translating it through their circuits and wires.

The appliances live to serve an older couple as the wife battles with a terminal illness. They attempt to come to terms with what happens when she dies and what they could and should do to protect their surviving human master.

The future seems idyllic at first glance with roombas that can dust even the highest shelves and self-filling refrigerators, but soon enough the reader is exposed to the ugliness of a future where 'the Grid' controls everything.

As a software engineer myself, there were moments when I found myself questioning a decision or an assumption here and there, but ultimately I think this book is a great reminder of the beauty of being human.

And don't get me started on Scout. If you loved Disney's Wall-E, you will adoooore Scout. This little curious roomba made me put down the book several times to message a friend at 1 AM and sob about how much I love roombas and I should be kinder to mine.

That is what I meant when I said it is 'cozy'. There is grief, anger and hurt in this book, but when I stop to remember the highlights, they were all moments where technology and humanity came together to celebrate humans.

The only complaint I have was I wish it was longer. I feel like a lot was left ambiguous or unexplored by the time we read the epilogue. But maybe that's intentional? It's up to us to figure out the future we want?

If you're new to sci-fi, I think this is a great book to pick up as it's still rooted in daily life. If you're a sci-fi lover and you're looking for something cozier, this book is for you. If you've given your roomba a name, do yourself a favour and read this book.

https://www.instagram.com/moonlightcocoa/">Instagram

[Enid Wray · Rating 2 out of 5]

I get the appeal… it’s very “cozy” (oh how I hate that term but apparently it equates to big literary dollars and cents these days so I guess we’ll see lots more ‘cozy’ coming to the rescue of the publishing industry)... but…

The first strike against this title is the fact that it has a tendency to be very repetitive. That’s a big problem - period - but especially considering that it’s only 165 pages all in!

Aside from that, it reads very simplistic - even “juvenile” - like an easy entry for a tween stepping into the world of dystopic literature. It wants to pose some pretty big questions - but it never does much more than scratch the surface.

It’s like a mash-up of 1984 meets Remarkably Bright Creatures (or any recent novel featuring a ‘non-human narrator’ be it another sentient being or, in this case, a bunch of appliances) meets Station Eleven.

And then there is the connection to To Kill A Mockingbird. Yeah yeah… I get the whole ‘Scout’ thing as far as the ‘action’ plays out here but really - we’re not talking about anything ever remotely close in terms of sophistication here. Another point that makes this feel like a very ‘juvenile’ title.

It started off interestingly enough to pique my interest. I was intrigued with where we were going, but then the wheels started to fall off (as opposed to simply getting ‘stuck” - if you read it you’ll get the reference (punny humour)).

The characters - human and appliance - are, for the most part, poorly rendered… stereotypical, cardboard, un(der)-developed… whatever term you want to use.

And the ‘action’ - the plot - really never gels… it just sort of lurches along from one event to the next without a lot of clear direction… and very little tension.

While I did feel for Harold, I certainly didn’t feel for him anywhere near as much as I think I should have. Never ever did I truly ‘care’ about anything that was happening. Indeed, a running refrain in my head while reading was ‘sigh… how much more of this is there?’

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for granting me access to an early digital review copy… especially since it has taken me this long to get this posted.

[Emily Naugler · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for providing an ARC for review.

The Infinite Sadness of Small Appliances is a sweet, earnest reflection on grief and connection that trips at the finish line.

The Grid is meant to be this omnipresent Big Brother that is sustaining (and trimming) the human population and restoring the earth after a climate crisis. They take care of their citizens, and punish them for stepping out of line. The same goes for the machines in the Grid — if you break too many rules, you are wiped and permanently shut off.

Following Edie’s death, the Grid determines that Harold’s house is too large for a single occupant, and plans to move him out to a retirement community by force. They send out Kate, his estranged daughter, to help clear out the house and prepare him to leave his home. In the process, they try to remove his wife’s prized piano and steal his collection of first edition books. In a last ditch attempt to save the home, Scout (Harold’s sweet roomba) hacks into the Grid’s system to delete Edie’s date of death. In doing so, Scout is sanctioned, meaning that she is permanently shut off and her data is wiped.

So we’re meant to believe that this dystopian system, who is always listening and is incredibly advanced, had the ability to recognize that this tiny advanced computer hacked their system, and punished her accordingly, but are unable to see what she changed? They don’t have an undo button? I mean, there are still hospital records of Edie dying, with that information also being sent to a coroner most likely. There still has to be a digital paper trail of Edie’s death. This just feels like a very unstable fix for a much larger problem.

While I loved the explorations of grief, connection, humanity, and the concept of ownership in a technocratic dystopia, the ending felt half baked.

[Snazzy · Rating 4 out of 5]

**Digital ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.**

It is always so interesting to read a science fiction book that doesnt really feel like fiction. This book is terrifying because we are already living in this world. We are watched everywhere, recorded everywhere. AI is only growing larger, consuming more of the physical space and destroying the environment.

Additionally, you have the resistance and the outcome of those who defy the Grid. Everything I read hit way too close to home. My mind never strays far from this reality but this book really made me think about it a lot more as I read.

What brought the Grid into existence? Who controls it? This reminds me of the Thunderhead in the Scythe series! It is like a more realistic version of that concept.

The ending was abrupt.

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

**Live spoiler responses while reading**

- Something that did bother me is the fact that they know that the Grid is listening to everything but they still spoke about everything! Lol zero caution.
- Good for Adrian for fighting the forklift ! And Scout for trying.
- The "Great Change" -what the helly is that
- "you'll have a real surgeon overseeing the robot" - where we are headed even now
- Watch asked for piano removal??? Bruh.
And now he's sanctioned 🤦🏾‍♀️
- And now we get to the non citizens SIGH.
- "I'm not leaving you alone, Mr. Winters" 😭😭😭😭
- great job, Scout! Deleting the death date while also having zero human oversight and QC definitely worked in their favor
- Harold is a little slow on the uptake isn't it? And I didn't appreciate his lack of urgency in saving Scout
- Kate also lacked urgency. Like what are we doing here
- what happened to Harold? What happened to Adrian? Does she ever see her dad again?

[Cindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria for the eARC in exchange for honest review.

The short of it is that conceptually, it’s Brave Little Toaster for adults.

As someone who didn’t watch the Brave Little Toaster as a child, this concept drew me in. I’m someone who talks to everything, I’m constantly talking to my car, my pens, my phone alarms - everything. So to see a book exploring a world that we may be heading towards where AI is in everything and everything is connected - I was immediately enamored.

I think it’s fascinating how the different appliances have different personalities. Their personalities are also very reflective of their “newness” and type of their AIs. Clock is an early AI so Clock is very much a Clock, while Scout, our main character in the form of a roomba, is a newer model that takes in information and updates it in order to keep up with cleaning the house in the most effective and efficient manner.

The setting is a suburban house where an old man and his wife live. They had a daughter who no longer lives with them and they’re both retired. A typical family that one could find easily in their own neighborhood.

I found the plot to be fairly basic at its core, but still a good plot. The real magic is the conversation that happens amongst the appliances and how Scout learns and conceptualizes. To me, the author has done a fantastic job imagining what our appliances may “feel” as appliances and as differing AI ages as I stated before.

I can’t wait for this book to be released because I will DEFINITELY be purchasing and adding it to my personal, physical collection.

[Jovdb · Rating 3 out of 5]

A neat short story of a future where humans are dying out and the world is controlled by the Grid.

The Grid is like a massive computer that is linked into each human dwelling. All the electronics - fridge, clocks, thermostat, car, vacuum cleaner - are sanctioned by the Grid. There are Protocols to follow, most importantly, not to interact with humans beyond their scope.

Harry and Edie live in a large house. Edie is dying. Their daughter, Kate, has been gone from the home since she was 17. She had gone against the Grid and had been removed from the house and sanctioned.

This is a world where humans are subject to the rules of the Grid. This is a world wide phenomenon.

In response to the climate change, the overcrowding, the machines had made changes that left them in charge. They controlled everything - travel, global population.

As we see the emergence of control by computers - bring monitored by our devices, having self driving cars, fridges that can monitor your food needs, calendars that remind us of upcoming appointments - it isn’t difficult to image a world in which humans lose control of their lives and happily become more reliant on machines, computers, to think for us.

Then, as always, there is a small section of society that fights against the regime. The Dissidents try to carve a way of live where they can be self reliant.

A good look at what might always.

[Cec · Rating 5 out of 5]

The infinite sadness of small appliances by Glenn Dixon ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Brave Little Toaster meets 1984. This is such a wonderful book, I can't believe im crying over a roomba. The story follows Scout, a roomba like vacuum cleaner (who named herself after the character from to kill a mockingbird) as she and other household appliances such as Fridge, Clock and Auto try to protect their human and his home from the Grid.  I thought this would be a lot more lighthearted and fun but it was more than that and Im happy. It was such a human story about little appliances. I caught myself crying over our sweet little brave Scout more than once. The world in this is unfortunately starting to look more like ours, with people becoming more reliant on AI and Teslas and all that so it was getring scary at points to see how a group of appliances, a boy, a elderly man and his daughter could fight against something that large but this book left me so hopeful. A comp book for this would be Remarkably Bright Creatures which also made me so happy to be human even though one of the characters was an octopus. I have a bad habit of personify inanimate objects such as all my stuffed animals, a clock that looks a bit wonky, a Christmas ornament thats missing an eye, so I knew I'd enjoy this book and I know its only January but this is my favorite book I've read so far this year! I'm so happy for the ARC. Please pick this up later this year in April

[Kirsten · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 stars
The Infinite Sadness of Small Appliances by Glenn Dixon tells the story of the home of Harold and Edie, and the small sentient appliances that reside there with them. Much of the story is told from the perspective of Scout, as she names herself, a Roomba vacuum cleaner with a strong desire to understand the world around her.

The story had both a cozy feel, which I expected, but also went much deeper and had a strong cautionary message that I really appreciated. Initially the book has a bit of an upstairs/downstairs feel, with the appliances doing their tasks quietly and without disturbing the humans in the house. The chipper young Scout is curious about the family and the other appliances tell her what they understand, though they don’t always understand either the nuances of human emotions.

I requested this from NetGalley as I saw it recommended by one of the book reviewers I follow on Substack. I really enjoyed this book and am so glad I read it. It makes me appreciate the freedoms we have now and worry about what the future could hold.

Thank you to the publisher Atria Books, author Glenn Dixon, and NetGalley for the gifted digital ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

[Kat · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a kid I loved the movie The Brave Little Toaster. I loved the story of the adventure of them getting back to their human and how they all worked together for that common goal. Did I think it was that deep as a kid? Of course not but it was part of that era where they made so many good kid movies that just stayed with you.

When I saw this book I was drawn to the concept as it reminded me of that movie from my childhood. In the acknowledgments the authors sites the story as an inspiration. If you are thinking of reading this book for the same reason I would recommend this book as the vibes are there with such a bigger deeper meaning.

This book follows a house hold of appliances who look after their humans Harold and Edie. When Edie passes away things in the house are set to change because of The Grid. The Grid becomes an all knowing boogie man of sorts which feels like this man not be too distant in the future. There is a lot of heart to this story as Scout the little vacuum works through her own human like emotions and endures to save the house and family she loves.

This one was a quick and amazing read. This is one that can kick start any reading slump and Leavenworth that feeling that you just want to hug the book to you when you are done.

[Tanvi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm struggling to describe how much this book touched me. I will begin with a confession; I am a woman who speaks to inanimate objects. I apologize to my coffee machine when I bump it, I like to sing to my knives when I give them baths, and I have always felt very, very strongly about inanimate objects. So in a way, this book was written for me, but I'm going to make a case for all of you to read this book. This is my first Glenn Dixon book, and his style is painfully simple and incredibly poignant. To be able to characterize a vaccum as empathetic, thoughtful, child-like, and oh-so-sweet takes incredible skill. This is also what I would call well-written commentary on our system of machinations and regulation in general. It is thoughtful without being preachy, reflective without waxing poetic, and pensive without being overly complex. It is cozy, cute, a little sad, and generally perfect. I cried. A lot. God, a book about a sentient vaccum cleaner had me sobbing in bed at 11:30 at night, and I cannot even be embarrassed: it was so lovely. I can't recommend it enough.

Yes, it was cutesy. It worked for me very well, but it does read a little YA. Be warned.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy!

[Dawn H. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Who knew I could become emotionally attached to smart appliances? The author does an incredible job of crafting a wonderful, yet cautionary, tale involving household appliances, a clock and a self driving car. Oh, there are several humans as well but the real star in this story is a Roomba who has decided she’s female and likes to be called Scout. She has a fully formed, delightful personality. She is compassionate, helpful and curious as to the ways of humans and their feelings and she had me completely captivated throughout the story.

The book starts off light hearted and whimsical but then delves into a darker dystopian theme. It’s set in the not so distant future and I certainly hope this is not where we are actually headed. But as a novel it’s magical and I thoroughly enjoyed every sentence.

I have enthusiastically recommended this book to quite a few readers already and will continue to do so. Unfortunately those poor readers will need to wait until April 2026. It will definitely be worth the wait. It’s outstanding.

4.5 out of 5 stars

Thanks to Netgalley and Atria Books for the eARC in exchange for my honest feedback.

[Mindee Bacon · Rating 3 out of 5]

This quirky, original story touched on so many feelings: grief, fear, loneliness and forgiveness.

In a world where no one can travel and every person is monitored by The Grid, an elderly man, Harold, is losing his wife to illness and his daughter is estranged. His loneliness is comforted by first edition books that he reads to his ailing wife. In this world, appliances speak and control the household, including watching over Harold and his wife, Edie. When The Grid attempts to take everything of Harold’s away and put him in an old folks home, Harold’s family of appliances with the help of his daughter and teenage neighbor come to the rescue.

This story sounds incredibly ridiculous until I think about my mother having complete conversations with her Alexa. So, maybe this is a more realistic story than I originally imagined. The author brought each character to life and this sweet story touched my heart and brought to reality how our society treats older people.

Thank you Net Galley and Atria Books for the advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review. #NetGalley #The InfiniteSadnessOfSmallAppliances @AtriaBooks