What do you think?
Rate this book
A Cancellation
Not yet published
Expected 30 May 26244 pages, Kindle Edition
Expected publication May 30, 2026
About the author
Cairo Smith
11 books21 followersCairo Smith is a screenwriter, director, and author living in Los Angeles. He writes stories of adventure and esoteric worlds, and dreams of a dynamic, vital future. You can follow his work via his online publication, Futurist Letters, and find him on Twitter, Instagram, and Letterboxd.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
Review of advance copy
A Cancellation tackles a fascinating and timely topic that kept me turning the pages despite some hurdles. Cairo Smith presents a premise that is undeniably engaging, and there were several sequences where I found myself completely invested in the narrative tension.
However, the reading experience was uneven. The protagonist proved difficult to root for; her personality felt a bit insufferable, making it hard to connect with her supposed "star power" or her personal stakes. The pacing felt awkward at times and added to the disconnect —the story would often shift gears abruptly, losing the momentum built in previous chapters. While the supporting cast felt a bit awkward and the identity of the narrator was occasionally confusing, the strength of the central theme carries the book. I would have loved to see more focus on Amanda’s personal aftermath rather than the external fallout. It was all flaw and no growth/evolvement (good or bad).
Thank you Cairo Smith and BookSirens for the arc.
However, the reading experience was uneven. The protagonist proved difficult to root for; her personality felt a bit insufferable, making it hard to connect with her supposed "star power" or her personal stakes. The pacing felt awkward at times and added to the disconnect —the story would often shift gears abruptly, losing the momentum built in previous chapters. While the supporting cast felt a bit awkward and the identity of the narrator was occasionally confusing, the strength of the central theme carries the book. I would have loved to see more focus on Amanda’s personal aftermath rather than the external fallout. It was all flaw and no growth/evolvement (good or bad).
Thank you Cairo Smith and BookSirens for the arc.
Review of advance copy
Thanks to BookSirens for the ARC.
There are unlikeable characters, and then there's Amanda Bannington. She is truly awful. I enjoyed the way this story was written seemingly 'objectively' without the narrator passing judgement on the main character, as we watched her spiraling deeper and deeper into her shortsighted egomania.
I think the writing style felt YA, while the content absolutely didn't, so the book was overall a little jarring - the profanities and explicit content that befits an adult novel did not fit with the narrative voice, for me. I think I'd have preferred it to have been written as YA completely.
There are unlikeable characters, and then there's Amanda Bannington. She is truly awful. I enjoyed the way this story was written seemingly 'objectively' without the narrator passing judgement on the main character, as we watched her spiraling deeper and deeper into her shortsighted egomania.
I think the writing style felt YA, while the content absolutely didn't, so the book was overall a little jarring - the profanities and explicit content that befits an adult novel did not fit with the narrative voice, for me. I think I'd have preferred it to have been written as YA completely.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews