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Culpability
Set at a summer rental on the Chesapeake Bay, a riveting family drama about moral responsibility in the age of artificial intelligence, from the bestselling author of the “wise and addictive” (New York Times) The Gifted School.
When the Cassidy-Shaws’ autonomous minivan collides with an oncoming car, seventeen-year-old Charlie is in the driver’s seat, with his father, Noah, riding shotgun. In the back seat, tweens Alice and Izzy are on their phones, while their mother, Lorelei, a world leader in the field of artificial intelligence, is absorbed in her work. Yet each family member harbors a secret that implicates them in the accident.
During a weeklong recuperation on the Chesapeake Bay, the family confronts the excruciating moral dilemmas triggered by the crash. Noah tries to hold the family together as a seemingly routine police investigation jeopardizes Charlie’s future. Alice and Izzy turn strangely furtive. And Lorelei’s odd behavior tugs at Noah’s suspicions that there is a darker truth behind the incident—suspicions heightened by the sudden intrusion of Daniel Monet, a tech mogul whose mysterious history with Lorelei hints at betrayal. When Charlie falls for Monet’s teenaged daughter, the stakes are raised even higher in this propulsive family drama that is also a fascinating exploration of the moral responsibility and ethical consequences of AI.
Culpability explores a world newly shaped by chatbots, autonomous cars, drones, and other nonhuman forces in ways that are thrilling, challenging, and unimaginably provocative.
When the Cassidy-Shaws’ autonomous minivan collides with an oncoming car, seventeen-year-old Charlie is in the driver’s seat, with his father, Noah, riding shotgun. In the back seat, tweens Alice and Izzy are on their phones, while their mother, Lorelei, a world leader in the field of artificial intelligence, is absorbed in her work. Yet each family member harbors a secret that implicates them in the accident.
During a weeklong recuperation on the Chesapeake Bay, the family confronts the excruciating moral dilemmas triggered by the crash. Noah tries to hold the family together as a seemingly routine police investigation jeopardizes Charlie’s future. Alice and Izzy turn strangely furtive. And Lorelei’s odd behavior tugs at Noah’s suspicions that there is a darker truth behind the incident—suspicions heightened by the sudden intrusion of Daniel Monet, a tech mogul whose mysterious history with Lorelei hints at betrayal. When Charlie falls for Monet’s teenaged daughter, the stakes are raised even higher in this propulsive family drama that is also a fascinating exploration of the moral responsibility and ethical consequences of AI.
Culpability explores a world newly shaped by chatbots, autonomous cars, drones, and other nonhuman forces in ways that are thrilling, challenging, and unimaginably provocative.
Library Binding
First published July 7, 2025
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About the author
Bruce Holsinger
16 books1,272 followersBruce Holsinger is the author of five novels, including Culpability (forthcoming from Spiegel & Grau), The Displacements and The Gifted School (both from Riverhead), and many works of nonfiction, most recently On Parchment: Animals, Archives, and the Making of Culture from Herodotus to the Digital Age (Yale University Press). His books have been recognized with the Colorado Book Award, the John Hurt Fisher Prize, the Philip Brett Award, the John Nicholas Brown Prize, the Modern Language Association's Prize for a First Book, and others. His essays and reviews have appeared in The New York Times, Vanity Fair, and many other publications and he has been profiled on NPR's Weekend Edition, Here & Now, and Marketplace. He is the recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship.
He teaches in the Department of English at the University of Virginia, where he specializes in medieval literature and modern critical thought and serves as editor of the quarterly journal New Literary History. He also teaches craft classes and serves as board chairman for WriterHouse, a local nonprofit in Charlottesville.
He teaches in the Department of English at the University of Virginia, where he specializes in medieval literature and modern critical thought and serves as editor of the quarterly journal New Literary History. He also teaches craft classes and serves as board chairman for WriterHouse, a local nonprofit in Charlottesville.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 5,193 reviews
July 9, 2025
This is one of those books that seems unsure what it wants to be, so it straddles the line between family drama and a meditation on AI ethics and never really satisfies with either.
I was really excited when I read the blurb because it sounded like a timely premise: a family get into a car accident in their self-driving minivan, killing two people and starting a conversation about culpability when it comes to AI. The five Cassidy-Shaws were all absorbed in their own world, their own devices, letting the minivan do its own thing. Are they to blame? Can they be held responsible for the accident?
Except the waters are quickly muddied by several secrets the family members are hiding, changing the conversation from one about AI ethics to one about the characters and their personal issues.
Still, though disappointing, I love a family drama as much as anyone. The problem was I didn't find much to sink my teeth into there either. The characters are a bit basic, and even cliche in Alice's case-- she seems to be a typical ansgty teenager obsessed with an AI chatbot (the interactions were a bit of an eye roll, honestly).
Noah is the narrator and I couldn't stand him. He has an inferiority complex toward his wife and is frequently insecure, but his insecurities are just touched upon and not explored in a way that would add depth to his character. The way he views his teenage son and comments on his girlfriend is just weird, too, and I am unsympathetic to his drunk driving with his daughters in the car. Maybe I could have given the guy a break if we'd gotten to know him better, if his character development had been more complex.
The themes are messy and inconsistent as the book tries to juggle too many things at once: Lorelai's OCD, criticism of sheltered and entitled teens, the use of AI drones in war zones, Alice's chatbot, Charlie's new girlfriend and mental health, and somewhere in there the whole discussion about guilt and responsibility after the road accident.
Nothing much in terms of AI ethics or compelling family drama. An extra star because the use of mixed media made it more readable and easy to get through.
I was really excited when I read the blurb because it sounded like a timely premise: a family get into a car accident in their self-driving minivan, killing two people and starting a conversation about culpability when it comes to AI. The five Cassidy-Shaws were all absorbed in their own world, their own devices, letting the minivan do its own thing. Are they to blame? Can they be held responsible for the accident?
Except the waters are quickly muddied by several secrets the family members are hiding, changing the conversation from one about AI ethics to one about the characters and their personal issues.
Still, though disappointing, I love a family drama as much as anyone. The problem was I didn't find much to sink my teeth into there either. The characters are a bit basic, and even cliche in Alice's case-- she seems to be a typical ansgty teenager obsessed with an AI chatbot (the interactions were a bit of an eye roll, honestly).
Noah is the narrator and I couldn't stand him. He has an inferiority complex toward his wife and is frequently insecure, but his insecurities are just touched upon and not explored in a way that would add depth to his character. The way he views his teenage son and comments on his girlfriend is just weird, too, and I am unsympathetic to his drunk driving with his daughters in the car. Maybe I could have given the guy a break if we'd gotten to know him better, if his character development had been more complex.
The themes are messy and inconsistent as the book tries to juggle too many things at once: Lorelai's OCD, criticism of sheltered and entitled teens, the use of AI drones in war zones, Alice's chatbot, Charlie's new girlfriend and mental health, and somewhere in there the whole discussion about guilt and responsibility after the road accident.
Nothing much in terms of AI ethics or compelling family drama. An extra star because the use of mixed media made it more readable and easy to get through.
July 22, 2025
A tragedy delivers a blow to a family of 5. The consequences will create irreparable damage. The complexity of technology - AI- playing a monumental role.
The Cassidy-Shaw family take a vacation immediately following the accident, still trying to piece it together. This technology they have become so reliant on - could it have failed? If it failed, was it human error?
Moral complexity under scrutiny.
This technology created by humans. But the algorithms are far from perfect.
We see the flaws in the algorithms of a family: The dynamics of siblings and spouses. The secrets kept that threaten its fragility.
We see how AI can have benefits but also how it can wield destruction when in the wrong hands.
Which begs the question of Culpability - when things go sideways, who is responsible? Humans or machines?
While I didn’t love it and didn’t connect to any of these characters, there are uncomfortable truths.
3.75⭐️
The Cassidy-Shaw family take a vacation immediately following the accident, still trying to piece it together. This technology they have become so reliant on - could it have failed? If it failed, was it human error?
Moral complexity under scrutiny.
This technology created by humans. But the algorithms are far from perfect.
We see the flaws in the algorithms of a family: The dynamics of siblings and spouses. The secrets kept that threaten its fragility.
We see how AI can have benefits but also how it can wield destruction when in the wrong hands.
Which begs the question of Culpability - when things go sideways, who is responsible? Humans or machines?
While I didn’t love it and didn’t connect to any of these characters, there are uncomfortable truths.
3.75⭐️
July 22, 2025
Artificial intelligence is accelerating faster than a Tesla toward an oak tree. Every day brings a fresh story — possibly written by AI — about the wonders of a world remastered by autonomous billionaires and their silicon golems. Perplexity, indeed.
Bruce Holsinger’s novel “Culpability,” about a deadly crash involving a self-driving vehicle, was originally slated for October, but Oprah just named it her July book club pick, so you can already find it parked in your local bookstore. Whatever the reason, that was a fortuitous rescheduling. When it comes to writing about artificial intelligence, three months is the distance between rubbing sticks together and splitting an atom.
But for all its eerie timeliness, “Culpability” should age better than yesterday’s Instagram post. Holsinger, a medievalist at the University of Virginia, has a sharp eye for the eternal values and foibles that animate human affairs. He’s written mysteries set in the 14th century and domestic dramas set in the 21st. The plot of his latest book may feel copy-pasted from the risk factors outlined in some hot IPO, but it’s a searching examination of family dynamics and the
To read the rest of this review, go to The Washington Post:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/books/...
Bruce Holsinger’s novel “Culpability,” about a deadly crash involving a self-driving vehicle, was originally slated for October, but Oprah just named it her July book club pick, so you can already find it parked in your local bookstore. Whatever the reason, that was a fortuitous rescheduling. When it comes to writing about artificial intelligence, three months is the distance between rubbing sticks together and splitting an atom.
But for all its eerie timeliness, “Culpability” should age better than yesterday’s Instagram post. Holsinger, a medievalist at the University of Virginia, has a sharp eye for the eternal values and foibles that animate human affairs. He’s written mysteries set in the 14th century and domestic dramas set in the 21st. The plot of his latest book may feel copy-pasted from the risk factors outlined in some hot IPO, but it’s a searching examination of family dynamics and the
To read the rest of this review, go to The Washington Post:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/books/...
October 20, 2025
Superficial is the first word that comes to mind when I sit down to formulate a review of Bruce Holsinger's novel Culpability. The timely subject of AI with all of its nuances is touched on here. The family drama aims to explore family relationships, especially in the aftermath of trauma. At the end, I close this book unsatisfied and wanting more.
This poor book suffers as it follows my reading of master works by William Trevor and Robert Seethaler. In comparison, the prose is pedestrian and everything else lacks depth. If you are interested in AI, an engaging read that will give you more than these drips and drabs is Ethan Mollick's Co-Intelligence: The Definitive, Best Selling Guide to Living and Working with AI. If you're looking for a good family drama, try The Moonflower Vine or Children of the Dust, to name just two of the better ones out there.
Publication 2025
This poor book suffers as it follows my reading of master works by William Trevor and Robert Seethaler. In comparison, the prose is pedestrian and everything else lacks depth. If you are interested in AI, an engaging read that will give you more than these drips and drabs is Ethan Mollick's Co-Intelligence: The Definitive, Best Selling Guide to Living and Working with AI. If you're looking for a good family drama, try The Moonflower Vine or Children of the Dust, to name just two of the better ones out there.
Publication 2025
January 7, 2026
4.5
Every night at midnight I play a bunch of New York Times games. Lately there has been a glitch and I can’t open Hints. (Yep, I use hints sometimes and no, I do not consider it cheating, lol!) So last night I sent an email to tech support, hoping that I’d hear back the next day with some techy version of smiley faces, showing that they had reopened the Hints door, which they had so rudely locked.
Yay, amazing! I get an instant response! It’s the middle of the night, and someone is sitting there waiting for important technical problems to pop into their hands so they can get right on it? Wow, that’s service. Except, of course, there are no hands to pop into. There are no hands that type. There are no hands!!! It’s a goddamn Virtual Assistant, up all hours, needing no sleep, there to help me solve my problem. A good Girl Scout, I answer her questions immediately. Here I am in the wee hours, conversing with a robot! But as usual, the damn bot doesn’t solve the problem, she points her (non)finger at me, throwing out boring, business-like questions and giving me effin’ homework! Wait, you guys took away my precious hints, you’re the ones who should give them back! And we know those troubleshooting suggestions never work anyway. So if this is all you have to say, you can hit the hay, Ms. Bot. I don’t care if you never need sleep, go find someone else who you can pretend to help. (Look at how mad I’m getting at a bot!! Something is not right here, lol!)
Right after I had this boring and ratatatat strange penpal volley with a bot, I was finishing up this cool novel where AI is front and center in a family’s life. The well-off, happy family of five is suddenly fragile, and fraud with intense dynamics, as it recovers from a tragedy involving AI. Whose fault is it anyway? Morality is standing on its head. It really made me ponder the idea of blame, of culpability, and made me realize, holy shit, AI really does have the potential to mess up our lives. With it comes ethical questions. It made me think.
I liked this book a whole lot. The characters are well-drawn, the family dynamics are Interesting and gnarly, and I cared about the family. The mom is a genius who develops AI and has had some mental problems in the past. The dad is the main star and he’s angsty but pretty solid. There are three kids and they are realistic and sympathetic. The boy, an athlete with a bright future, is also a main character, and I felt all torn about him. One girl has a secret texting relationship with a bot, which made me frown and pulled me in at the same time. The plot grabbed me from page 1 and it moved quickly. There are several surprises, which were like chocolate to me. And there is a super suspenseful situation that goes on a while and paralyzed me with fear. No way could I get up and load the dishwasher; I had to keep frantically reading.
So here’s the thing. Throughout the book there are little treatises about AI. Most are accessible and sort of interesting, but there are a few diatribes that are too complicated and academic and didn’t work. I resented the story being interrupted with these mini-lectures. It wrecked the flow. Luckily there aren’t a whole lot of them, but they are the only reason I didn’t give this book 5 stars. AI is integrated into the plot beautifully; there is no need to have pull-out globs of text about it.
However, here is one that opens the story, and I loved it:
“And this, I propose, is the inhuman soul of the algorithm. It may think for us, it may work for us, it may organize our lives for us. But the algorithm will never bleed for us. The algorithm will never suffer for us. The algorithm will never mourn for us.
In this refusal lies the essence of its moral being.”
Intense, yes? Holy cow!
I definitely need to check out earlier works by this writer. Love his style and his sensibilities.
Recommended.
Every night at midnight I play a bunch of New York Times games. Lately there has been a glitch and I can’t open Hints. (Yep, I use hints sometimes and no, I do not consider it cheating, lol!) So last night I sent an email to tech support, hoping that I’d hear back the next day with some techy version of smiley faces, showing that they had reopened the Hints door, which they had so rudely locked.
Yay, amazing! I get an instant response! It’s the middle of the night, and someone is sitting there waiting for important technical problems to pop into their hands so they can get right on it? Wow, that’s service. Except, of course, there are no hands to pop into. There are no hands that type. There are no hands!!! It’s a goddamn Virtual Assistant, up all hours, needing no sleep, there to help me solve my problem. A good Girl Scout, I answer her questions immediately. Here I am in the wee hours, conversing with a robot! But as usual, the damn bot doesn’t solve the problem, she points her (non)finger at me, throwing out boring, business-like questions and giving me effin’ homework! Wait, you guys took away my precious hints, you’re the ones who should give them back! And we know those troubleshooting suggestions never work anyway. So if this is all you have to say, you can hit the hay, Ms. Bot. I don’t care if you never need sleep, go find someone else who you can pretend to help. (Look at how mad I’m getting at a bot!! Something is not right here, lol!)
Right after I had this boring and ratatatat strange penpal volley with a bot, I was finishing up this cool novel where AI is front and center in a family’s life. The well-off, happy family of five is suddenly fragile, and fraud with intense dynamics, as it recovers from a tragedy involving AI. Whose fault is it anyway? Morality is standing on its head. It really made me ponder the idea of blame, of culpability, and made me realize, holy shit, AI really does have the potential to mess up our lives. With it comes ethical questions. It made me think.
I liked this book a whole lot. The characters are well-drawn, the family dynamics are Interesting and gnarly, and I cared about the family. The mom is a genius who develops AI and has had some mental problems in the past. The dad is the main star and he’s angsty but pretty solid. There are three kids and they are realistic and sympathetic. The boy, an athlete with a bright future, is also a main character, and I felt all torn about him. One girl has a secret texting relationship with a bot, which made me frown and pulled me in at the same time. The plot grabbed me from page 1 and it moved quickly. There are several surprises, which were like chocolate to me. And there is a super suspenseful situation that goes on a while and paralyzed me with fear. No way could I get up and load the dishwasher; I had to keep frantically reading.
So here’s the thing. Throughout the book there are little treatises about AI. Most are accessible and sort of interesting, but there are a few diatribes that are too complicated and academic and didn’t work. I resented the story being interrupted with these mini-lectures. It wrecked the flow. Luckily there aren’t a whole lot of them, but they are the only reason I didn’t give this book 5 stars. AI is integrated into the plot beautifully; there is no need to have pull-out globs of text about it.
However, here is one that opens the story, and I loved it:
“And this, I propose, is the inhuman soul of the algorithm. It may think for us, it may work for us, it may organize our lives for us. But the algorithm will never bleed for us. The algorithm will never suffer for us. The algorithm will never mourn for us.
In this refusal lies the essence of its moral being.”
Intense, yes? Holy cow!
I definitely need to check out earlier works by this writer. Love his style and his sensibilities.
Recommended.
May 4, 2025
Bruce Holsinger’s Culpability may be one of the first contemporary novels to address the ethical consequences of AI as it’s now understood in our current world. Some may argue the first AI story was Karl Capek’s Rossum’s Universal Robot in 1920, when the term “robot” was first coined. Science fiction would later have a heyday speculating how our world could or would eventually be commandeered by machines. What makes Holsinger’s Culpability so different is it’s not science fiction, but rather a realistic family drama. This could’ve been written by Ann Patchett or Mary Beth Keane. And correct me if I’m wrong, but I don’t think this kind of novel exists, yet?
After a fatal crash involving AI car technology, a shattered family retreats to Chesapeake Bay—only to unravel the truth that each of them, in some way, holds a thread of culpability. As secrets unfold—including ties to a powerful tech magnate (thinly disguised Elon Musk)—the novel explores not just guilt and grief, but the deeper question of responsibility in an age of automation. Though plot-driven, the writing occasionally soars with vivid, poetic descriptions of the Bay, grounding the emotional turbulence in place. A timely and unsettling look at the illusion of control, and a reminder that no matter how advanced our machines, human accountability remains.
Note: I put my own take on the book as a prompt into ChatGPT and it wrote the above paragraph. I thought that was appropriate for the topic. Back to my own, less compelling voice.
This is a must-read for anyone wrestling with the ethics of AI and our role as humans in a world dominated by machines.
Thank you to Goodreads and Spiegel & Grau for review copy and the chance to read this early. I’m looking forward to hearing Holsinger do interviews about this book and the research he did to be able to present the ethical consequences of AI in the format of realistic fiction - a real feat.
After a fatal crash involving AI car technology, a shattered family retreats to Chesapeake Bay—only to unravel the truth that each of them, in some way, holds a thread of culpability. As secrets unfold—including ties to a powerful tech magnate (thinly disguised Elon Musk)—the novel explores not just guilt and grief, but the deeper question of responsibility in an age of automation. Though plot-driven, the writing occasionally soars with vivid, poetic descriptions of the Bay, grounding the emotional turbulence in place. A timely and unsettling look at the illusion of control, and a reminder that no matter how advanced our machines, human accountability remains.
Note: I put my own take on the book as a prompt into ChatGPT and it wrote the above paragraph. I thought that was appropriate for the topic. Back to my own, less compelling voice.
This is a must-read for anyone wrestling with the ethics of AI and our role as humans in a world dominated by machines.
Thank you to Goodreads and Spiegel & Grau for review copy and the chance to read this early. I’m looking forward to hearing Holsinger do interviews about this book and the research he did to be able to present the ethical consequences of AI in the format of realistic fiction - a real feat.
July 29, 2025
I DESPISED this MMC. Epitome of fragile, egotistical, insecure little man with a huge superiority complex. From the way he regards his wife in some scenes to the way he talks about how inferior he feels to his super smart wife and her siblings— CUT ME A BREAK. The entire story felt like he had something to sob about every other scene that had to do with his short comings.
And not to kick it while it’s down, but if I knew this whole book was going to be in the POV of a man who shields his equally fragile son from the consequences of his own actions I probably wouldn’t have picked it up. Bonus points for the shit ending.
One star for the Delaware shout outs throughout the book
And not to kick it while it’s down, but if I knew this whole book was going to be in the POV of a man who shields his equally fragile son from the consequences of his own actions I probably wouldn’t have picked it up. Bonus points for the shit ending.
One star for the Delaware shout outs throughout the book
July 7, 2025
2.5 ☆
culpability is one of those books that should have been a home run for me. i am a well-established hater of AI, and the concept of a novel that explores the ethics of AI and its integration with human philosophies and blame is so compelling. probing the relevant 21st century questions about tech ethics in the context of a family drama rather than speculative fantasy/sci-fi could, in theory, make these concepts feel much more pressing and tangible.
the first third/half-ish of the novel was really working for me. aside from noah spending a weird amount of time convincing the reader of how hot his son was (did this really need to be written in first person??), i found the questions that it posed about AI to be interesting, the story tightly paced and effectively sinister when it needed to be. but the middle dragged a bit, and the elements of the story that initially felt dark and mysterious started to fizzle and drag without ever really becoming interesting, the twists predictable, the characters stagnant.
and with every chapter, yet another social problem is probed at without really fleshing out any of the ones before it. we jump from the military industrial complex to bias in the american judicial system to the contemporary trolley problems baked into decision-making algorithms. it all just feels so flat in the end, and the ending leaves me questioning a bit what holsinger’s opinions on AI really are, let alone what he’s trying to express through each character.
the mixed-media format added a nice texture to the novel, and this book does feel prescient in really undeniable ways. but i also resist the idea that runaway AI is a foregone conclusion, or that these kinds of pseudo-human decision making technologies are something that is mostly good with a dash of ethical dilemma thrown in. holsinger might just be a bit more centrist about the issue than i wanted and was expecting 🤷♀️
thank you to netgalley and spiegel & grau for an e-ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review.
culpability is one of those books that should have been a home run for me. i am a well-established hater of AI, and the concept of a novel that explores the ethics of AI and its integration with human philosophies and blame is so compelling. probing the relevant 21st century questions about tech ethics in the context of a family drama rather than speculative fantasy/sci-fi could, in theory, make these concepts feel much more pressing and tangible.
the first third/half-ish of the novel was really working for me. aside from noah spending a weird amount of time convincing the reader of how hot his son was (did this really need to be written in first person??), i found the questions that it posed about AI to be interesting, the story tightly paced and effectively sinister when it needed to be. but the middle dragged a bit, and the elements of the story that initially felt dark and mysterious started to fizzle and drag without ever really becoming interesting, the twists predictable, the characters stagnant.
and with every chapter, yet another social problem is probed at without really fleshing out any of the ones before it. we jump from the military industrial complex to bias in the american judicial system to the contemporary trolley problems baked into decision-making algorithms. it all just feels so flat in the end, and the ending leaves me questioning a bit what holsinger’s opinions on AI really are, let alone what he’s trying to express through each character.
the mixed-media format added a nice texture to the novel, and this book does feel prescient in really undeniable ways. but i also resist the idea that runaway AI is a foregone conclusion, or that these kinds of pseudo-human decision making technologies are something that is mostly good with a dash of ethical dilemma thrown in. holsinger might just be a bit more centrist about the issue than i wanted and was expecting 🤷♀️
thank you to netgalley and spiegel & grau for an e-ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review.
July 20, 2025
150% anxiety inducing for parents of teenagers.
Noah is used to living in his wife, Loralai’s shadow. She is a brilliant professor of both philosophy and artificial intelligence and engineering. He’s just a lawyer. They have a 17-year-old son Charlie, as well as two young daughters. Then the unthinkable happens. While in their self driving minivan, with Charlie at the wheel, they get into a terrible car accident. Young Alice screams as she sees a car heading towards them, Charlie grabs the wheel away from the AI, and the elderly couple in the other car dies. The family is injured, but ultimately all five of them survive.
The accident is building guilt in all five of them, as they have secrets that they don’t want to share with each other. Will Charlie be held accountable for the deaths? Will Noah? Will he be arrested and put on trial for vehicular manslaughter?
I am a fan of Bruce Holsinger‘s work. His previous novel, the displacements, I read in my book club and haven’t stopped thinking about since. It’s a unique situation that helps us to understand that even if you are very upper middle class, with the right bad luck you can end up desolate. Because I read one to two books every single day, it is really saying something to say that a plot of a book stayed with me. I’ve read more than 1000 books since I read the displacements.
I will also be thinking about this book for years to come. It takes The things that we worry the most about and puts all of them together in one family. In particular, who is culpable when AI is created and AI makes a mistake. If artificial intelligence has free will, it is still humans that are responsible for the decisions that artificial intelligence makes. The characters in this one are very strong, you can see how each character is driven by very human tendencies in their very AI driven world.
If artificial intelligence being added to cars prevents hundreds of thousands of vehicle deaths per year, and yet it causes the death of one, is the risk worth the reward?
Not if you’re that one.
Noah is used to living in his wife, Loralai’s shadow. She is a brilliant professor of both philosophy and artificial intelligence and engineering. He’s just a lawyer. They have a 17-year-old son Charlie, as well as two young daughters. Then the unthinkable happens. While in their self driving minivan, with Charlie at the wheel, they get into a terrible car accident. Young Alice screams as she sees a car heading towards them, Charlie grabs the wheel away from the AI, and the elderly couple in the other car dies. The family is injured, but ultimately all five of them survive.
The accident is building guilt in all five of them, as they have secrets that they don’t want to share with each other. Will Charlie be held accountable for the deaths? Will Noah? Will he be arrested and put on trial for vehicular manslaughter?
I am a fan of Bruce Holsinger‘s work. His previous novel, the displacements, I read in my book club and haven’t stopped thinking about since. It’s a unique situation that helps us to understand that even if you are very upper middle class, with the right bad luck you can end up desolate. Because I read one to two books every single day, it is really saying something to say that a plot of a book stayed with me. I’ve read more than 1000 books since I read the displacements.
I will also be thinking about this book for years to come. It takes The things that we worry the most about and puts all of them together in one family. In particular, who is culpable when AI is created and AI makes a mistake. If artificial intelligence has free will, it is still humans that are responsible for the decisions that artificial intelligence makes. The characters in this one are very strong, you can see how each character is driven by very human tendencies in their very AI driven world.
If artificial intelligence being added to cars prevents hundreds of thousands of vehicle deaths per year, and yet it causes the death of one, is the risk worth the reward?
Not if you’re that one.
December 30, 2025
4.5/5 stars Wow! What a great concept for a book.
This is such a bingeable book! It captured my attention from the opening moments of the book and kept reeling me in every step of the way.
On the way to a lacrosse tournament, the Shaw family's autonomous minivan is involved in a fatal car collision. They must each come to terms with what has happened. In the aftermath, they take a trip to Chesapeake Bay, to get away and try to heal, but the repercussions follow them. I loved the use of some interesting plot devices in the story, and how individual family secrets play a big role in the decisions and choices that are made.
Things to consider |
•Feelings about AI
•Roles of parents
•Moral and ethical questions
•Consequences
•Realistic family drama
I think this is a book to watch for. It will make you question how you feel about AI and moral consequences, and what your culpability is in a given situation. This is so relevant in today's world. Don’t read the synopsis of the book, I feel like it gives too much away. Such a compelling story!
Highly recommend! Loved this one. 👍
[Thanks to the publisher, Spiegel & Grau and NetGalley for the advance electronic copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.]
⚠️| Contains some instances of strong profanity, not frequent. Some mentions of drug use, and a very brief steamy scene, with mild details.
This is such a bingeable book! It captured my attention from the opening moments of the book and kept reeling me in every step of the way.
On the way to a lacrosse tournament, the Shaw family's autonomous minivan is involved in a fatal car collision. They must each come to terms with what has happened. In the aftermath, they take a trip to Chesapeake Bay, to get away and try to heal, but the repercussions follow them. I loved the use of some interesting plot devices in the story, and how individual family secrets play a big role in the decisions and choices that are made.
Things to consider |
•Feelings about AI
•Roles of parents
•Moral and ethical questions
•Consequences
•Realistic family drama
I think this is a book to watch for. It will make you question how you feel about AI and moral consequences, and what your culpability is in a given situation. This is so relevant in today's world. Don’t read the synopsis of the book, I feel like it gives too much away. Such a compelling story!
Highly recommend! Loved this one. 👍
[Thanks to the publisher, Spiegel & Grau and NetGalley for the advance electronic copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.]
⚠️| Contains some instances of strong profanity, not frequent. Some mentions of drug use, and a very brief steamy scene, with mild details.
December 18, 2025
Have you ever been in a Waymo robotaxi?
This was one of my favourite book club reads this Fall, right after Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall.
First of all, that title and cover! I love how the Latin ‘culpa’ is broken from ‘ability’ as much as I love the glitchy feel of the design.
This is a contemporary family drama centered on an accident involving a teenage driver, a theme focusing on collective responsibility, and a metaphor suggesting that ‘family’ is an algorithm. It’s set in Eastern Virginia along the shores of Chesapeake Bay, and as with all families, secrets bind the Cassidy-Shaw family together. However, it’s the belief that each of the 5 family members in the van has, being convinced that they are responsible for the accident, that grabbed my attention. Author Bruce Holsinger explores the loss of autonomy, agency, and deftly layers guilt with AI technology.
I was pulled into this story, told from the husband’s POV, because of the composition of the narrative. It’s written in 5 parts, and these chunks, which are delightfully titled, allow the reader to feel as though they are moving through the algorithm.
AI has certainly put us all in a very vulnerable place right now, especially with respect to learning and reading. It was good to explore this topic that I know very little about, and examine the ethics and legalities of AI as well as digital vehicle forensics. I was caught up in the paranoia and closed the book, promising myself that I wouldn’t allow fear to ever outweigh my judgement.
The author’s input at book club elevated this reading experience for me.
Highly recommended.
This was one of my favourite book club reads this Fall, right after Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall.
First of all, that title and cover! I love how the Latin ‘culpa’ is broken from ‘ability’ as much as I love the glitchy feel of the design.
This is a contemporary family drama centered on an accident involving a teenage driver, a theme focusing on collective responsibility, and a metaphor suggesting that ‘family’ is an algorithm. It’s set in Eastern Virginia along the shores of Chesapeake Bay, and as with all families, secrets bind the Cassidy-Shaw family together. However, it’s the belief that each of the 5 family members in the van has, being convinced that they are responsible for the accident, that grabbed my attention. Author Bruce Holsinger explores the loss of autonomy, agency, and deftly layers guilt with AI technology.
I was pulled into this story, told from the husband’s POV, because of the composition of the narrative. It’s written in 5 parts, and these chunks, which are delightfully titled, allow the reader to feel as though they are moving through the algorithm.
AI has certainly put us all in a very vulnerable place right now, especially with respect to learning and reading. It was good to explore this topic that I know very little about, and examine the ethics and legalities of AI as well as digital vehicle forensics. I was caught up in the paranoia and closed the book, promising myself that I wouldn’t allow fear to ever outweigh my judgement.
The author’s input at book club elevated this reading experience for me.
Highly recommended.
July 4, 2025
A fun and quick read but i didn't really feel that it added anything new to the conversation about AI.
Also the fact that the entire cause of the crash was actually just Alice screaming to get a reaction from her family really sort of cut the legs out from under the "who is responsible in this AI-driven car????" element.
Also the fact that the entire cause of the crash was actually just Alice screaming to get a reaction from her family really sort of cut the legs out from under the "who is responsible in this AI-driven car????" element.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 8, 2025
Just about every day we hear about how quickly A.I. is progressing and soon could replace millions of people in their jobs. I read recently that it's likely A.I. will gradually develop their own personalities, ethics, and reactions to challenges, making it more difficult for humans to maintain control over them (it?). No one seems to be thinking of this as they rush to create the next bigger and better phenomenon.
With that in mind, this book simply fascinated me from page one, word one. It starts out with a family of five driving in heavy traffic, the teenage boy at the wheel of their new super intuitive car, full of all the bells and whistles that make it think for you and deliver the ultimate safe, worry-free drive. Except a series of human failures cause a serious, deadly accident and the rest of the book is one reveal after another just how each family member contributed to the accident -- and how A.I. failed them.
I don't want to reveal just how ingrained the family is in A.I., but by the end it made for one of the best books I've read (listened to) this year.
With that in mind, this book simply fascinated me from page one, word one. It starts out with a family of five driving in heavy traffic, the teenage boy at the wheel of their new super intuitive car, full of all the bells and whistles that make it think for you and deliver the ultimate safe, worry-free drive. Except a series of human failures cause a serious, deadly accident and the rest of the book is one reveal after another just how each family member contributed to the accident -- and how A.I. failed them.
I don't want to reveal just how ingrained the family is in A.I., but by the end it made for one of the best books I've read (listened to) this year.
October 6, 2025
Culpability by Bruce Holsinger is a deep well research, well developed novel about a family involved in a car wreck. Who is to blame? The minor driver, the father? Or AI? I love AI. I am extremely naive to it’s capabilities. It isn’t Gemini, Copilot or ChatGPT. That just scratches the surface. AI is much deeper. It has moral dilemmas and repercussions. When it fails who is responsible? Read this family drama to explore some of the deeper dilemmas in AI.
July 30, 2025
I do not recommend this book. It was sophomoric, trite and superficial. I felt it was a waste of my time and not an enjoyable read. the only salvation is the font is large and quite a few of the chapters are less than 3 pages so you rapidly get to the next book in your list.
December 6, 2025
During Thanksgiving this year, my nephew from San Francisco was in town. He works at Google. We had an eye-opening (for me) conversation about A.I. - Artificial Intelligence. My questions to him included:
Can A.I. think as humans do?
Will A.I. in time take over people's jobs? Which ones?
How does A.I. work?
Is A.I. devoid of morals/ethics?
A few days later, "Culpability" became available from the library. How's that for timing?
The book is a fictionalized account of the integration of A.I. in to one family's life. The family owns a smart car that drives itself. The 15 year old daughter has an A.I. "friend" that she talks with on her IPAD. The family's vacation home rental comes equipped with smart, Alexa-like features. Drones are used in various ways.
The mother in the family (Lorelei) is gifted. She is a leader in the field of A.I. The book opens up with the family driving in their smart car and getting into a serious accident. The story asks the question, "Who is culpable?" Is it the A.I. car, the 17 year old son who was in the driver's seat, or his father who was sitting beside him?
The novel is a cross between a family drama, a detective story, and a meditation about A.I.'s role in our world. It asks more questions than it answers. I found it to be a satisfying read.
Can A.I. think as humans do?
Will A.I. in time take over people's jobs? Which ones?
How does A.I. work?
Is A.I. devoid of morals/ethics?
A few days later, "Culpability" became available from the library. How's that for timing?
The book is a fictionalized account of the integration of A.I. in to one family's life. The family owns a smart car that drives itself. The 15 year old daughter has an A.I. "friend" that she talks with on her IPAD. The family's vacation home rental comes equipped with smart, Alexa-like features. Drones are used in various ways.
The mother in the family (Lorelei) is gifted. She is a leader in the field of A.I. The book opens up with the family driving in their smart car and getting into a serious accident. The story asks the question, "Who is culpable?" Is it the A.I. car, the 17 year old son who was in the driver's seat, or his father who was sitting beside him?
The novel is a cross between a family drama, a detective story, and a meditation about A.I.'s role in our world. It asks more questions than it answers. I found it to be a satisfying read.
July 23, 2025
This was shallow and misogynistic.
July 3, 2025
CULPABILITY
By Bruce Holsinger
An of-the-moment novel.
If only I hadn’t …
If only she had …
If only he hadn’t …
If only we had …
If only.
4.5 stars rounded down
Culpability is both a family drama and thriller as it builds tension around an accident—an emotional heart-wrenching story that also explores life in the digital age. It follows the Cassidy-Shaw family as their lives are upended by a tragic accident involving their self-driving minivan. Teen Charlie is at the wheel, his father, Noah, is riding shotgun and his mother, and teen sisters are in the back. As blame shifts and secrets began to surface, each family member must confront their role in what happened. AI weaves through the plot in numerous intriguing ways.
It explores grief, responsibility, and the ethical challenges of life in a world shaped by advanced technology—blending intense emotion with gripping suspense.
I really enjoyed this novel and thought the writing was clear and emotional. He kept the story moving with suspense while also showing the deep feelings and struggles of the characters. So many emotions and questions after the final page This is my first read by Holsinger and look forward to reading more of his work. Would be a great choice for book clubs discussing the ethics and legalities of artificial intelligence.
Thank you to NetGalley and Spotify Audiobooks. Pub date July 8, 2025
The narration by Stacy Carolan, and January LaVoy was good and fit for the tone of the book for me.
By Bruce Holsinger
An of-the-moment novel.
If only I hadn’t …
If only she had …
If only he hadn’t …
If only we had …
If only.
4.5 stars rounded down
Culpability is both a family drama and thriller as it builds tension around an accident—an emotional heart-wrenching story that also explores life in the digital age. It follows the Cassidy-Shaw family as their lives are upended by a tragic accident involving their self-driving minivan. Teen Charlie is at the wheel, his father, Noah, is riding shotgun and his mother, and teen sisters are in the back. As blame shifts and secrets began to surface, each family member must confront their role in what happened. AI weaves through the plot in numerous intriguing ways.
It explores grief, responsibility, and the ethical challenges of life in a world shaped by advanced technology—blending intense emotion with gripping suspense.
I really enjoyed this novel and thought the writing was clear and emotional. He kept the story moving with suspense while also showing the deep feelings and struggles of the characters. So many emotions and questions after the final page This is my first read by Holsinger and look forward to reading more of his work. Would be a great choice for book clubs discussing the ethics and legalities of artificial intelligence.
Thank you to NetGalley and Spotify Audiobooks. Pub date July 8, 2025
The narration by Stacy Carolan, and January LaVoy was good and fit for the tone of the book for me.
January 11, 2026
DNF @ 21%
I'm going to be very direct. But I'm also going to strive to be respectful. Not of the book, but of its fans. I think you all liked this book because the author did his job extremely well. And what else are any of us here for if not a well designed story?
Sadly, for me this book lands as a gimmick to sell people's fear back to them as a story. I am stunned by how twisted and incorrect the AI information is here, specifically regarding its safety to users (AI is extremely safe, to the point I sometimes call my ChatGPT assistant "Nanny") and its ability to transfer culpability to users (only in specific cases can this be done, usually when the user violates the user agreement-- like letting an AI take complete control of a moving vehicle).
All the fear mongering and moral aggrandizing within these pages is not for anyone's good. It's to sell a book to people who already agree with its basic premise: that AI is dangerous, even life-threatening. This is a technique that works, clearly, considering how many "awards" this book received. (But interestingly few awards for content; mainly for sales.) For this writer, writing a book just looks like this: to identify the current moral freak-out that everyone is talking about and write a scary book about it. He's been doing it for a long, long time.
The humans in the car accident in the opening scene are culpable for their actions. They were driving a car and not paying attention. Legally, they were in the wrong. Ethically, they were in the wrong. And morally, they were in the wrong. No court on Earth would side with a user who doesn't follow their user agreement.
So, since this whole premise is based on ideas that were poorly researched and misrepresented to scare me, I stopped reading. Outside of a horror story, I don't really find fear-mongering appropriate.
I was sent a hardback copy by the publisher in the mail last year. I finally was able to borrow an accessible copy (audiobook) in Libby.
I'm going to be very direct. But I'm also going to strive to be respectful. Not of the book, but of its fans. I think you all liked this book because the author did his job extremely well. And what else are any of us here for if not a well designed story?
Sadly, for me this book lands as a gimmick to sell people's fear back to them as a story. I am stunned by how twisted and incorrect the AI information is here, specifically regarding its safety to users (AI is extremely safe, to the point I sometimes call my ChatGPT assistant "Nanny") and its ability to transfer culpability to users (only in specific cases can this be done, usually when the user violates the user agreement-- like letting an AI take complete control of a moving vehicle).
All the fear mongering and moral aggrandizing within these pages is not for anyone's good. It's to sell a book to people who already agree with its basic premise: that AI is dangerous, even life-threatening. This is a technique that works, clearly, considering how many "awards" this book received. (But interestingly few awards for content; mainly for sales.) For this writer, writing a book just looks like this: to identify the current moral freak-out that everyone is talking about and write a scary book about it. He's been doing it for a long, long time.
The humans in the car accident in the opening scene are culpable for their actions. They were driving a car and not paying attention. Legally, they were in the wrong. Ethically, they were in the wrong. And morally, they were in the wrong. No court on Earth would side with a user who doesn't follow their user agreement.
So, since this whole premise is based on ideas that were poorly researched and misrepresented to scare me, I stopped reading. Outside of a horror story, I don't really find fear-mongering appropriate.
I was sent a hardback copy by the publisher in the mail last year. I finally was able to borrow an accessible copy (audiobook) in Libby.
August 22, 2025
Culpability is a story centered around the intersection of humans, AI, and responsibility. When the Cassidy-Shaw family departs on a roadtrip, 17 year old Charlie is behind the wheel of their autonomous minivan, with his dad, Noah, riding shotgun. Charlie’s mom and sisters are riding in the back. The van collides with another car and the accident is fatal for the other car’s passengers.
The Cassidy-Shaws attempt to process the accident and its impact, and reset for a weeklong stay in a house they rented elsewhere. Noah tries to hold the family together and works to protect Charlie, but several family members are keeping secrets.
Culpability is a timely and thought-provoking story, exploring themes about human responsibility, especially in relation to the use of AI and other tech. I wasn’t sure where the story was going at times, and it would start to feel unwieldy. I didn’t necessarily like the characters but appreciated that they weren’t perfect.
I felt similarly about Culpability and Holsinger’s other book I’ve read, The Gifted School — I liked them both enough but didn’t love either — 3.5 stars
Thank you to Netgalley and Spiegel & Grau for providing an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.
The Cassidy-Shaws attempt to process the accident and its impact, and reset for a weeklong stay in a house they rented elsewhere. Noah tries to hold the family together and works to protect Charlie, but several family members are keeping secrets.
Culpability is a timely and thought-provoking story, exploring themes about human responsibility, especially in relation to the use of AI and other tech. I wasn’t sure where the story was going at times, and it would start to feel unwieldy. I didn’t necessarily like the characters but appreciated that they weren’t perfect.
I felt similarly about Culpability and Holsinger’s other book I’ve read, The Gifted School — I liked them both enough but didn’t love either — 3.5 stars
Thank you to Netgalley and Spiegel & Grau for providing an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.
November 4, 2025
What a ride. I was swept away by this plot—I won't give away anything—and the content. This is a mass-appeal commercial book with something meaty to say about AI. There is a lot to learn and Bruce Holsinger figured out a way to convey it in a great dramatic story. Beautifully written, full characters, excellent work.
July 18, 2025
TITLE: Culpability (Oprah’s Book Club, July 2025): A Novel
AUTHOR: Bruce Holsinger
PUB DATE: 07.08.2025
This novel is such a wild ride—it's thrilling, thought-provoking, and emotional all at once.
The story kicks off with a terrifying crash: the Cassidy-Shaw family’s autonomous minivan collides with an oncoming car, and suddenly, their lives are turned upside down. Charlie, the seventeen-year-old son, is at the wheel, and his parents, Noah and Lorelei, along with his younger sisters, are in the car. But here’s the catch: each family member is hiding a secret, and as the investigation unfolds, it becomes clear that the real cause of the accident might not be as simple as human error.
What really stuck with me was how this story digs into the moral dilemmas of AI. Lorelei is a leader in the field of artificial intelligence, and the book raises a huge question: When machines start making the decisions, where does responsibility lie? Is it on the tech? The creators who design it? Or the people using it? The novel really made me think about how technology is changing the way we think about accountability—and how fast it’s happening.
With Culpability, Bruce Holsinger has delivered a contemporary masterpiece that combines the best of thriller, family drama, and philosophical inquiry. This is a novel that will stay with you long after you’ve turned the final page, challenging your assumptions about technology, morality, and the nature of responsibility in a world that feels increasingly out of our control. Culpability is unmissable—an exhilarating, thought-provoking triumph.
AUTHOR: Bruce Holsinger
PUB DATE: 07.08.2025
This novel is such a wild ride—it's thrilling, thought-provoking, and emotional all at once.
The story kicks off with a terrifying crash: the Cassidy-Shaw family’s autonomous minivan collides with an oncoming car, and suddenly, their lives are turned upside down. Charlie, the seventeen-year-old son, is at the wheel, and his parents, Noah and Lorelei, along with his younger sisters, are in the car. But here’s the catch: each family member is hiding a secret, and as the investigation unfolds, it becomes clear that the real cause of the accident might not be as simple as human error.
What really stuck with me was how this story digs into the moral dilemmas of AI. Lorelei is a leader in the field of artificial intelligence, and the book raises a huge question: When machines start making the decisions, where does responsibility lie? Is it on the tech? The creators who design it? Or the people using it? The novel really made me think about how technology is changing the way we think about accountability—and how fast it’s happening.
With Culpability, Bruce Holsinger has delivered a contemporary masterpiece that combines the best of thriller, family drama, and philosophical inquiry. This is a novel that will stay with you long after you’ve turned the final page, challenging your assumptions about technology, morality, and the nature of responsibility in a world that feels increasingly out of our control. Culpability is unmissable—an exhilarating, thought-provoking triumph.
July 12, 2025
I liked the premise and it raised some interesting ideas and questions, but every single character was REALLY annoying and I couldn't sympathise with any of them.
December 22, 2025
When a family driving an autonomous car is engaged in a fatal accident, questions abound about who is really driving the car, who is legally liable, and who bares the moral responsibility.
“𝙒𝙚 𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙗𝙚𝙖𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙪𝙣𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙗𝙪𝙧𝙙𝙚𝙣 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙗𝙪𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙛𝙡𝙮, 𝙛𝙡𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙛𝙧𝙖𝙜𝙞𝙡𝙚 𝙬𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨 𝙞𝙣 𝙞𝙜𝙣𝙤𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙞𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙚.”
I am glad I decided to stick with this one. It made me feel uncomfortable, but I think that’s the idea. That’s what it is supposed to do as the author examines where human culpability ends and AI’s takes over. It also handles themes of guilt, trauma, and the impacts (and potential impacts) of artificial intelligence on today’s society and society going forward.
There are moments I found unnerving around the idea of AI intelligence and morality, the family as an “algorithm”, and if AI can ever really have a “moral compass”. And finally, as questions are answered, even more are opened in an absolutely chilling final chapter that will have you questioning what will become of our society as artificial intelligence begins to take over.
Read if you like:
▪️exploration of artificial intelligence
▪️family dramas
▪️short and conscise stories
▪️lit fiction with a hint of thriller
▪️book club type reads
Out now.
“𝙒𝙚 𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙗𝙚𝙖𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙪𝙣𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙗𝙪𝙧𝙙𝙚𝙣 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙗𝙪𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙛𝙡𝙮, 𝙛𝙡𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙛𝙧𝙖𝙜𝙞𝙡𝙚 𝙬𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨 𝙞𝙣 𝙞𝙜𝙣𝙤𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙞𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙚.”
I am glad I decided to stick with this one. It made me feel uncomfortable, but I think that’s the idea. That’s what it is supposed to do as the author examines where human culpability ends and AI’s takes over. It also handles themes of guilt, trauma, and the impacts (and potential impacts) of artificial intelligence on today’s society and society going forward.
There are moments I found unnerving around the idea of AI intelligence and morality, the family as an “algorithm”, and if AI can ever really have a “moral compass”. And finally, as questions are answered, even more are opened in an absolutely chilling final chapter that will have you questioning what will become of our society as artificial intelligence begins to take over.
Read if you like:
▪️exploration of artificial intelligence
▪️family dramas
▪️short and conscise stories
▪️lit fiction with a hint of thriller
▪️book club type reads
Out now.
August 3, 2025
I don't ask for much in life. I want to read good books, cook as little as possible, have some time in the mornings before my kids wake up to greet the day, and maybe a little time after they go to bed to watch a show with my husband. And after the school year ends and I'm on summer break, sometime between the months of June and August, I want to read one excellent book. I don't mind reading pretty good books or even (in the right mood) truly mediocre books as long as there is something to recommend them. But at least once I want to read a perfectly executed story that will not let go of me. I'm happy to announce that today, just under the wire before the time when I need to report back to school as Mrs. Lundgren, I got to read that book.
Culpability by Bruce Holsinger sounds the depths of the moral quandaries raised by our increasing reliance on artificial intelligence. None of the technology mentioned in this book feels more than 5 years away from possibility and some if it is probably already being developed somewhere. Even the brandnames like Sense-Tech sound plausible. But Holsinger seems remarkably attuned, like his dear, sensitive fictional counterpart Lorelei, to the most difficult philosophical questions we will have to answer once we start employing AI to replace human intelligence.
Holsinger raises really important and heavy philosophical questions, but those questions never weigh down this story. It's a complex work of literature disguised as a compulsive beach read, and it would (since this is an Oprah pick, I might even predict that it WILL) make an excellent movie in the hands of the right director. As I read, my ideas about who or what was culpable for the initial car crash continually changed and evolved; ultimately, the very concept of culpability grew and expanded so that I could see the complex web that binds us all together in the face of a great tragedy.
Culpability by Bruce Holsinger sounds the depths of the moral quandaries raised by our increasing reliance on artificial intelligence. None of the technology mentioned in this book feels more than 5 years away from possibility and some if it is probably already being developed somewhere. Even the brandnames like Sense-Tech sound plausible. But Holsinger seems remarkably attuned, like his dear, sensitive fictional counterpart Lorelei, to the most difficult philosophical questions we will have to answer once we start employing AI to replace human intelligence.
Holsinger raises really important and heavy philosophical questions, but those questions never weigh down this story. It's a complex work of literature disguised as a compulsive beach read, and it would (since this is an Oprah pick, I might even predict that it WILL) make an excellent movie in the hands of the right director. As I read, my ideas about who or what was culpable for the initial car crash continually changed and evolved; ultimately, the very concept of culpability grew and expanded so that I could see the complex web that binds us all together in the face of a great tragedy.
May 6, 2025
4.5 stars. So compelling.
December 29, 2025
I loved the soul of this book.
Steady tempered storytelling (which I am a sucker for)
Minimal plot holes or exaggerations. Well done.
Pretty light on the AI stuff though which was what drew me to this book.
Loved how Lorelei Shaw was written and also loved the storytelling perspective.
Definitely on my summer re-read list ❤️
Steady tempered storytelling (which I am a sucker for)
Minimal plot holes or exaggerations. Well done.
Pretty light on the AI stuff though which was what drew me to this book.
Loved how Lorelei Shaw was written and also loved the storytelling perspective.
Definitely on my summer re-read list ❤️
July 9, 2025
4.5⭐️
Since almost anything I say would be a spoiler, I’ll keep my review brief.
This novel brings up so many thought provoking questions about AI, its role in our lives- the good and bad.
☺️What worked:
The plot moved along nicely, especially in the second half. The combination of imperfect characters, strange events , and the omniscient perspective we are privy to as readers made for an incredible reading experience!
This was perfect amount of suspense and strangeness.
🤷♀️Should you read it?
I think most people will enjoy Culpability. The only reason I am not giving it five stars is because it’s missing the heart wrenching element I normally look for in a five star read.
⚠️Sexual content: 2/5 (a fade to black scene and some crude language about sex)
Profanity: 3/5 (occasional use of the f-word; about 15-20 total)
Other: Drug and alcohol use; a car accident
Since almost anything I say would be a spoiler, I’ll keep my review brief.
This novel brings up so many thought provoking questions about AI, its role in our lives- the good and bad.
☺️What worked:
The plot moved along nicely, especially in the second half. The combination of imperfect characters, strange events , and the omniscient perspective we are privy to as readers made for an incredible reading experience!
This was perfect amount of suspense and strangeness.
🤷♀️Should you read it?
I think most people will enjoy Culpability. The only reason I am not giving it five stars is because it’s missing the heart wrenching element I normally look for in a five star read.
⚠️Sexual content: 2/5 (a fade to black scene and some crude language about sex)
Profanity: 3/5 (occasional use of the f-word; about 15-20 total)
Other: Drug and alcohol use; a car accident
July 30, 2025
DNF… I’d heard some buzz but this just felt basic and formulaic. Couldn’t handle the time I was putting into it when there’s so much other good stuff on my list.
December 17, 2025
Thought-provoking and brilliant! Explores the potential implications of AI through the aftermath of a car accident with a self-driving vehicle. This is a timely book with many current technological developments, the impact on our society, and how it impacts our interpersonal relationships. The story centers around a family so this family drama plays out against the backdrop of technology. It explores grief, secrets, moral responsibility, marriage, parent-child relationships, parental expectations for their children, and much more!
This is one of my favorite books of the year and a must-read. It was wonderful to have the opportunity to discuss the book with Bruce Holsinger on an author Zoom with @LBtheLoverOfBooks. Highly recommend this Oprah's Book Club pick.
This is one of my favorite books of the year and a must-read. It was wonderful to have the opportunity to discuss the book with Bruce Holsinger on an author Zoom with @LBtheLoverOfBooks. Highly recommend this Oprah's Book Club pick.
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