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Valet
For fans of Kevin Wilson and Andrew Sean Greer, a helper robot and his 35-year-old ward embark on a mad-cap adventure to save the fate of the family company in this whimsically speculative ode to Wodehouse’s Jeeves and Wooster.
Cy wants nothing more than to be useful, raise his utility score, and receive the next update for his operating system. But that’s easier said than done when he's tasked with helping his owner’s 35-year-old son “get out of his funk.” Grayson is nothing like his go-getter, CEO sister Charlotte. He didn’t inherit the family robotics company when their dad passed last year, he doesn’t have a master’s degree, and he just can’t seem to figure out the San Francisco dating scene. He’d rather eat synthesized mozzarella sticks and make pottery at his studio, Kilning Time.
When Grayson learns of Charlotte’s plan to sell the company to a tech conglomerate, he panics. It’s not just the family business at stake, it’s all the technology—like Cy—their dad invented over the years. So he does what anyone would he steals the flash drive with his father’s most important work stored on it and plans a corporate takeover. If only he knew what that meant.
To make matters worse, a fellow VALET deserts his owner and asks Cy to help him hightail it out of town, Grayson’s first real date—and her dog—keeping showing up at inopportune times, and the behemoth tech company wants this deal closed yesterday. Grayson, Cy, and their trusty golden retriever, Sasha III, must go on the lam until they figure out exactly what to do, and whom to trust.
A hilarious, mad-cap adventure that is as tender as it is insightful, Valet asks not just what it means to be human, but what it means to be family.
Cy wants nothing more than to be useful, raise his utility score, and receive the next update for his operating system. But that’s easier said than done when he's tasked with helping his owner’s 35-year-old son “get out of his funk.” Grayson is nothing like his go-getter, CEO sister Charlotte. He didn’t inherit the family robotics company when their dad passed last year, he doesn’t have a master’s degree, and he just can’t seem to figure out the San Francisco dating scene. He’d rather eat synthesized mozzarella sticks and make pottery at his studio, Kilning Time.
When Grayson learns of Charlotte’s plan to sell the company to a tech conglomerate, he panics. It’s not just the family business at stake, it’s all the technology—like Cy—their dad invented over the years. So he does what anyone would he steals the flash drive with his father’s most important work stored on it and plans a corporate takeover. If only he knew what that meant.
To make matters worse, a fellow VALET deserts his owner and asks Cy to help him hightail it out of town, Grayson’s first real date—and her dog—keeping showing up at inopportune times, and the behemoth tech company wants this deal closed yesterday. Grayson, Cy, and their trusty golden retriever, Sasha III, must go on the lam until they figure out exactly what to do, and whom to trust.
A hilarious, mad-cap adventure that is as tender as it is insightful, Valet asks not just what it means to be human, but what it means to be family.
8 pages, Audiobook
First published June 2, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews
December 21, 2025
a favorite read of 2025🩵
full review tk closer to pub day, but valet was a fantastically satirical read - perfect for readers that have played Detroit Becomes Human, have read Alex + Ada, or simply enjoy media that revolves around rooting for the sentient robot(s).
valet is such a timely sci-fi novel with the alarming surge/interest in AI and explores the genre in a uniquely original way.
full review tk closer to pub day, but valet was a fantastically satirical read - perfect for readers that have played Detroit Becomes Human, have read Alex + Ada, or simply enjoy media that revolves around rooting for the sentient robot(s).
valet is such a timely sci-fi novel with the alarming surge/interest in AI and explores the genre in a uniquely original way.
May 18, 2026
I am not crying over a fictional robot. I’m not. Really. Ok, maybe I am. A little. It’s hard not to after reading Valet by J.P. Lacrampe. Part crazy caper (with corporate espionage, Luddite radicals, washed up friends, and not to mention a whole family drama thrown in) and part heartwarming tale of what it means to be human from a robot’s eyes, you can see why I ended up bawling at the end of this incredible novel.
Cy is a personal Valet robot to the son of a very powerful and rich family, the St. Clairs. Grayson has a terminal case of failure to launch and it’s Cy’s job as his Valet and trusted family friend to get him a life worth living. Cy has been Grayson’s companion for 35 years, he knows his charge well, and this is not an easy task. There’s family drama that screams reality tv, there’s friends who are perfectly content to float on life’s lazy river, and then there’s Grayson. Who has an incredible good heart, but terrible instincts.
The adventure they embark on while trying to get Grayson on his feet and functioning is absolutely hilarious and preposterous. The tongue in cheek references are absolutely top tier, and the relationships that Cy forms both with other Valets and the humans along for the ride is so authentic, I genuinely forgot he was a robot most of the time. It’s beautiful, it’s imperfect, it’s absolutely human.
I highly recommend picking up a copy of this one when it hits shelves on June 2.
Huge thank you to Saga Press and Ali for sending me the ARC to read. (Y’all were my very first book mail experience and I couldn’t be happier!) All opinions are my own.
Cy is a personal Valet robot to the son of a very powerful and rich family, the St. Clairs. Grayson has a terminal case of failure to launch and it’s Cy’s job as his Valet and trusted family friend to get him a life worth living. Cy has been Grayson’s companion for 35 years, he knows his charge well, and this is not an easy task. There’s family drama that screams reality tv, there’s friends who are perfectly content to float on life’s lazy river, and then there’s Grayson. Who has an incredible good heart, but terrible instincts.
The adventure they embark on while trying to get Grayson on his feet and functioning is absolutely hilarious and preposterous. The tongue in cheek references are absolutely top tier, and the relationships that Cy forms both with other Valets and the humans along for the ride is so authentic, I genuinely forgot he was a robot most of the time. It’s beautiful, it’s imperfect, it’s absolutely human.
I highly recommend picking up a copy of this one when it hits shelves on June 2.
Huge thank you to Saga Press and Ali for sending me the ARC to read. (Y’all were my very first book mail experience and I couldn’t be happier!) All opinions are my own.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
This delightful story of robot butler hijinks and madcap adventures came to me at the perfect time!
Cy is a marvel of technology, more capable than any human attendant could be, but apparently not even a machine of his capabilities can manage to get Grayson, the 35-year old man child son of Cy’s inventor, to go on a single successful date. Facing his own inadequacies and threatened with obsolescence, Cy helps a fellow bot escape its owners, sending him down a rabbit hole of police investigations, family drama, and corporate espionage.
This book does a great job balancing all of the balls it has in the air, especially considering how short it is. The characters are great across the board, even when they suck it's in fun and endearing ways. The author totally nailed the Jeeves/Alfred vibes for Cy—lots of *internal dismay* "very good, sir" moments. I also like this world, which is a little dystopian in the sense that corporations have dominion over pretty much everything, but there's also still joy and beauty to be found. The details and moments where the story slows down to focus on the characters or add some complexity to a conflict really go a long way. I'm not usually a fan of cozy books, and this book manages to be uplifting while also keeping the stakes high and the plot tight.
A great showing across the board from Lacrampe's debut! I look forward to seeing what he comes out with next.
Thank you to J. P. Lacrampe and Saga Press for this ARC in exchange for my full, honest review!
Happy reading!
Cy is a marvel of technology, more capable than any human attendant could be, but apparently not even a machine of his capabilities can manage to get Grayson, the 35-year old man child son of Cy’s inventor, to go on a single successful date. Facing his own inadequacies and threatened with obsolescence, Cy helps a fellow bot escape its owners, sending him down a rabbit hole of police investigations, family drama, and corporate espionage.
This book does a great job balancing all of the balls it has in the air, especially considering how short it is. The characters are great across the board, even when they suck it's in fun and endearing ways. The author totally nailed the Jeeves/Alfred vibes for Cy—lots of *internal dismay* "very good, sir" moments. I also like this world, which is a little dystopian in the sense that corporations have dominion over pretty much everything, but there's also still joy and beauty to be found. The details and moments where the story slows down to focus on the characters or add some complexity to a conflict really go a long way. I'm not usually a fan of cozy books, and this book manages to be uplifting while also keeping the stakes high and the plot tight.
A great showing across the board from Lacrampe's debut! I look forward to seeing what he comes out with next.
Thank you to J. P. Lacrampe and Saga Press for this ARC in exchange for my full, honest review!
Happy reading!
May 21, 2026
If you had told me 2 months ago that a book about robots would paint such a thoughtful spotlight on the triumphs and flaws of the human condition to the point that I wept a little, I would have scoffed. Jokes on me, though, because Valet is out to the world next month and does exactly that, and I’m here to tell you that you DO NOT WANT TO MISS IT.
In Valet, JP Lacrampe interrogates the question of what it means to be human through charming, heartwarming prose and humorous hijinks as Cy works to find a romantic partner for his charge, Grayson. What seemingly starts out as a lighthearted, silly adventure featuring a futuristic California overtaken by technology, robots, and the prodigal son of a wealthy technocratic family morphs into so much more. By the end of it, I felt weirdly maternal towards 2 robots (don’t ask me how that happened, I’m attributing that to JP’s writing chops), a bit misty-eyed, and in possession of a newfound appreciation for the human experience.
Should our robot overlords ever take over, my only hope is that they’re as endearing as Cy and Larry.
In Valet, JP Lacrampe interrogates the question of what it means to be human through charming, heartwarming prose and humorous hijinks as Cy works to find a romantic partner for his charge, Grayson. What seemingly starts out as a lighthearted, silly adventure featuring a futuristic California overtaken by technology, robots, and the prodigal son of a wealthy technocratic family morphs into so much more. By the end of it, I felt weirdly maternal towards 2 robots (don’t ask me how that happened, I’m attributing that to JP’s writing chops), a bit misty-eyed, and in possession of a newfound appreciation for the human experience.
Should our robot overlords ever take over, my only hope is that they’re as endearing as Cy and Larry.
November 21, 2025
This was a sheer delight! Full of colorful characters and a plot that keeps rolling from the first chapter. Although I couldn’t stop smiling as read, this novel was also thought provoking and timely. I am hoping Cy, Grayson, Sasha III and the gang are cooking up new adventures for the future.
January 4, 2026
I’m 83 yrs old and don’t read much fantasy. I was worried that it would be hard to relate to this book. Was I wrong. It was very easy to get into with relatable characters and an engrossing plot.
Want to Read
May 28, 2026oh no this is pitched for fans of two authors I like and I just got into the helper bot musical
thisismyhole.jpeg i guess !
thisismyhole.jpeg i guess !
June 3, 2026
I loathe reading books set in San Francisco. The only good ones are by Christopher Moore. I should have stopped myself. Putting that aside, this book was bad. I went into this knowing nothing, and got nothing in return.
The crimes the “setting” committed against me personally
Why does every book set in SF have to be a piss take? Populating the text with landmarks doesn't constitute a setting. It's a tourist's perspective.
Eat.exe is a fully automated restaurant in San Francisco’s Financial District that serves nutrient-rich foods carefully synthesized to taste like authentic dishes. Very popular. Today is Italian Day: Jackfruit Carbonara, Kelp and Kale Lasagna, Tofu Ossobuco, etc.
Come on, man. At least pick a good pretentious restaurant like Greens.
We board Mrs. St. Claire’s limo and speed down the Pacific Avenue Turnpike, the private thoroughfare that connects the wealthier neighborhoods of San Francisco… We exit the PAT and glide to a stop at the northeast corner of Francisco and Hyde.
Why would you take Pacific if you're starting in FiDi? It'd make more sense to take Columbus.
I think this must be a dystopia. TikTok, OkCupid, Tinder, Alphabet, LinkedIn, and Instagram. (“TOTALI,” like, omg) still exist.
It’s Friday, and the chrome delivery drones buzz between the skyscrapers downtown. The domestic fabricators along Hyde Street whir to life. A line of cybertrucks rolls down Geary Boulevard toward the awaiting GloCo warehouses. Early mornings in San Francisco belong to the machines.
Definitely dystopia. A masturbatory, tech-fad husk of a city.
So, every Wednesday, I visit the black market grocery on Pier 33, the only place left in San Francisco that sells hot dogs and spareribs and the kind of maple syrup that Master Grayson gulps by the pint.
I hate this stripping of culture and nuance to create this lifeless parody of dated stereotypes. It's worse than Automatic Noodle. Fuck off.
The old Giants’ ballpark…
Which one? Candlestick? Oracle?
“Ai+,” he clarifies. He means the St. Claires’ robotics company, headquartered in the upper reaches of the Transamerica Pyramid.
Why not the Salesforce Tower, the great dildo of the skyline?
There's a robots-only maglev on Powell. Powell is a two-lane street that only goes down to Market. Why not put the maglev on Van Ness?
Over by the bread tent, some pigeons skirmish over scraps of sourdough crust. Above them, a pair of drones skywrite ads for biodegradable implants, vertical farming kits, and Coca-Cola. It’s a beautiful San Francisco day.
A general store is called a bodega, a term that as a San Franciscan I have never uttered. It's a corner store, dude.
I get the impression that the author doesn't like SF, and only chose to set his story there in his shallow interpretation of the city as a place where tech giants buy real estate.
I want a city that feels lived in, not a series of postcards.
Worldbuilding
An incoherent farce.
Robots ape human behavior, in part by consuming 90s media. For some reason (no reason, the author has no clue how machine learning works), this is learned by rote rather than programmed.
At one point Cy goes, “Whatchu talkin’ ’bout, Willis?” Everyone in the scene laughs at this. Who, in fifty year's time, is going to get that reference? Similarly, “She imitates celebrity chef Emeril Lagasse’s signature hand gesture.” That is dated in our time. It's been dated for like twenty years. This suffers from the Ready Player One delusion of thinking anyone will give a flying fuck about 80s and 90s nostalgia after we're all dead.
VALETs are forbidden to look at financial data without direct supervision.
Forbidden by who? Programming? Law? Parental controls? How? Why?
Why are robots being shipped out of state to do farm work? California grows like half of the fucking food in the country. They could go to local farms.
“Most of Master Grayson’s friends aren’t eligible for VALETs,” I say. Federal law allows only people who hold a Hierarchy Index above 90 to purchase an android. Few of Master Grayson’s acquaintances top 75.
What the fuck does that mean? Why would that be a federal law? What purpose could that possibly serve?
Why in a world with prolific drone delivery do you need a separate robot to do the shopping?
There's just all sorts of stupid shit that doesn't hold up under the slightest scrutiny. For example, sadbars, public venues where people go to talk to holographic projections of their dead relatives. There's also an area for conjugal visits. Why would this be something you do in a bar? Why not at home? How are these holograms being made? Apparently Cy “coded” the one for Dr. S, so why the fuck do they need to go to a bar to run it? Not to mention the android brothels. Bring back the opium dens, honestly.
Why is the robots’ Utility Score related to what updates they can receive? Shouldn't they be getting updates to improve their utility?
...but competing for software updates against millions of new VALETs won’t be fun for either of us.
Why is there a competition? Software is replicable, what is this fabricated shortage for?
It isn't fully explained what the robots are or how they function. Are they robots, or androids? The terms are used interchangeably. They have apps. Cy experiences many physical sensations: smell, touch, pressure, warmth pulsing through his circuitry and, damningly, emotions. Cy feels an awful lot. Does he have a nervous system? How is this thing a computer?
It's not clear whether VALET is a generic or trademarked term. I'm not entirely sure what these fuckers even look like other than humanoid. We're told about treads and wigs and self-healing polymer skin and headlights, which fail to cohere into a whole.
I don't know what anyone looks like since the author refuses to describe any defining features other than hair color.
Company acquisition isn't as simple as the current CEO agreeing to it. The company has a board, which Grayson is on, but he has no idea about the acquisition until his sister springs the news on him. What about the shareholders and investors? They need to agree too.
At a certain point, it stopped making sense for the state to finance a fifty-thousand-person colony when students could be tutored at home by learnbots with IQs of 600. Especially when summer camps still provided twenty-year-olds the opportunity to binge drink and fondle each other.
I wonder if the author applied to Berkeley and didn't get in.
“I think I had a postmodernist lit seminar in here where we read Nicholas Sparks novels backward. It was called Reconstructing Deconstruction.”
Yeah, he definitely has some gripes.
Characters
Cartoonish, vapid but not in a way that explores the detachment and ennui that can come with obscene wealth and post-scarcity (among select echelons), in a way that flattens the characters and robs their personalities of any nuance.
There is no substantive difference between Cy and a human in terms of dialogue or behavior. Does he have any feelings about being a sentient robotic slave? While his Utility Score plummets, we're told how this impacts Cy's functionality but not how he feels about being so hampered, nor how he feels about the looming threat of being repurposed into farm equipment. These are simply things that are happening. Many things simply happen in this book as it strives for quirkiness and settles for being asinine.
I mean, there is an attempt to justify Cy's detachment from his own fate. Another robot, Alice, was programmed to be capable of suffering from physical and emotional pain, which was deemed too dangerous.
“The ability to feel pain, emotionally and physically,” I say. “To suffer. And therefore, the ability to avoid it.”
“Free will,” Master Grayson elucidates.
This argument falls apart given Larry, the robot who disobeyed his owner and ran away to escape decommissioning. Why would Larry do this? If he lacks free will since he can't suffer (an unconvincing correlation), how could he have done that?
The humans are all white and straight, as far as I can tell. The only instance of skin tone being described is “rosy.”
The only people who aren't default white are Wendy Lee (a cadaver-wearing robot) and some old Berkeley professor who looks like James Earl Jones.
Discussion of topics such as gender are painfully dated and essentialist. Doesn't matter if you couch it in pretension and inelegant attempts at self-awareness. Women are manic or conniving bitches. Men are mad scientists or drugged-out. Trans and nonbinary people don't exist, because the author doesn't have the wherewithal to portray such people without resorting to tired stereotypes, lacks confidence in his own writing abilities (see: the exclusively white cast), or in his ideal world queer people don't exist even in a token capacity.
The character motivations are lame. Cy doesn't seem that concerned with being converted into a backhoe, and Grayson isn't exactly passionate about robots. He wants to “save the company” (from being acquired) for pure sentiment. The work they do means nothing to him, it's just something of his dead dad's that he wants to have. Grayson has a “vision for the company,” which I assume he came up with while scratching his balls and eating mozzarella sticks, but the vision is never elaborated upon.
Cy is not clever, his quips are dull, and he doesn't buttle much. Every time he makes some dry observation about the world, he's just stating the obvious. Without the android conceit, Cy is some dude following his stoner friend around, occasionally picking shit up, who thinks he's smarter than he actually is.
Plot
The plot largely consists of dicking around.
Cy, a robot, is assigned to his dead master's deadbeat thirty-five-year old son. Cy's Utility Score, which for some reason dictates what updates he's allowed to receive, is tied to the moronically named Grayson's marriage prospects.
Because this is a paper-thin plot, things quickly shift to the family company being bought out. Grayson steals a hard-drive from his sister with his dad's supposedly greatest work on it. In a startling lack of foresight, his sister didn't make a copy of the data. For someone with a PhD and JD, shorthand for “smart,” I don't buy this carelessness.
Throughout we are treated to the false dichotomy of wholly embracing our tech overlords, or shunning all such contrivances and being a luddite. There's no middle ground, the line is drawn. It's techies vs hippies.
One looming question remains unaddressed: why does GloCo want to manufacture robots with freewill? Which part of that is profitable?
The plot is riddled with holes, baffling decisions by the characters, and a lack of justification.
Writing
Weak and amateurish.
The speech tags are out of control. Sighing, interjecting, lamenting, joking, deadpanning, sneaking in, squeezing out, these assholes are doing anything but talking. It gets worse as the story progresses, the author reaching for more and more ways to avoid using “said,” many of which make no sense in context.
Too many proper nouns, e.g. Enthusiastic Thumbs-Up, Give Me a Break, any expression the robots make. I think it's supposed to make things feel more techy, but it's just annoying.
Lots of technobabble.
The backronyms are so on the nose I'm being smothered. VALET, SIMP, HOG. LUBE…
The similes are ungainly. You don't have to use similes. It's really not necessary.
The coral-reef chandelier shimmers above her, like a school of fish moving synchronously above the hall.
How is it 'like' a school of fish? If it's coral reef-shaped, would it not simply be a school of crystal fish?
Information is needlessly repeated. At the beginning of Chapter 4 we get, “Dr. Charlotte St. Claire-Cabot, his sister and the acting CEO of Ai+ Labs.” I know that. She was mentioned like five pages ago. This telling is endemic. For example,
“What happens to those mozzarella sticks you like so much?” she asks, gesturing to the half-eaten plate of appetizers perched upon his tomato-sauce-stained lap.
Master Grayson doesn’t quite follow.
Instead of saying he “doesn't quite follow,” this could be conveyed by a blank expression, or glassy eyes.
“...places the birthday tiara back atop her perfectly coiffed bangs.”
Is the tiara going around her forehead? Her bangs aren't going to be perfectly coiffed after that treatment.
“...a macramé blouse with a bottle of whiskey embroidered on it…”
I doubt the author has done macramé or embroidery. I'm not even sure he knows what they are. He’s just bashing terms together without consideration.
“Master Grayson is busy epoxying the redone torso of his sarcophagus.”
Why is he doing that?
There are frequent attempts to juxtapose pseudo-intellectual musings with mundane observations. It falls flat every time.
“Water is a time machine.”
“Convenience can sometimes hide its own cost.”
“Sometimes iron doesn’t sharpen iron; it chips it.”
How profound.
Sometimes the not quite correct, or completely wrong, word is used. For example,
“...twisting open Oreos and licking the icing…”
Icing goes on top of stuff. The Oreo filling is called creme.
“...putting her in a different Dating Bracket than Master Grayson, and therefore outside my remit…”
Remit doesn't make a whole lot of sense here, to me; what Cy's describing is a set of criteria, not a set of responsibilities. “Outside my scope” would work better.
“Warrant” is used instead of “subpoena.”
“A grove of redwood trees soars above us, dew dripping off their leaves.” - Redwood trees have needles.
“...ebbing toward us like a wave…” - to ebb means to recede, going away from.
“I look east, where two seagulls dive for a dead trout floating in the foamy Bay.”
Trout are freshwater fish. They live in rivers and lakes, not a salty bay.
“Then I grab the three eUnicycles from the storage closet… Crepe paper streamers are attached to the handlebars.”
Unicycles don't have handlebars. Where would they even attach?
And so on.
Scene breaks are frequent and unnecessary. Time after time the same scene picks up from where it left off. There's one when Cy walks into another room for fuck's sake.
The narrative is oddly disjointed. Sentences don't follow each other, or the order is muddled and awkward, e.g. “I place a robotic hand on his shoulder on the abandoned tracks.”
There's plenty of ambiguous phrasing, such as, “Lloyd knits a sweater in the rocker.” From the same scene, “droll mouth.”
Cy repeatedly interrupts to relay some memory of his that is at best tenuously related to what's happening at the moment.
Conclusion
There are no poignant insights into human or robot nature, just faint echoes of what has been done better elsewhere.
The writing was mediocre, the world poorly conceived, the plot ludicrous, and the research minimal on all fronts. I found this humorless, boring, and ethically dubious. It fails to satirize the ubiquity of tech culture by engaging with its premises uncritically and at face value.
Valet reads as a prolonged, tongue-in-asscheek critique of a strawman, a Bay Area in which everyone is white, upper class, and has nothing better to do. This tells me more about the author than the artificial reality he constructed. Tedious and disappointing.
The crimes the “setting” committed against me personally
Why does every book set in SF have to be a piss take? Populating the text with landmarks doesn't constitute a setting. It's a tourist's perspective.
Eat.exe is a fully automated restaurant in San Francisco’s Financial District that serves nutrient-rich foods carefully synthesized to taste like authentic dishes. Very popular. Today is Italian Day: Jackfruit Carbonara, Kelp and Kale Lasagna, Tofu Ossobuco, etc.
Come on, man. At least pick a good pretentious restaurant like Greens.
We board Mrs. St. Claire’s limo and speed down the Pacific Avenue Turnpike, the private thoroughfare that connects the wealthier neighborhoods of San Francisco… We exit the PAT and glide to a stop at the northeast corner of Francisco and Hyde.
Why would you take Pacific if you're starting in FiDi? It'd make more sense to take Columbus.
I think this must be a dystopia. TikTok, OkCupid, Tinder, Alphabet, LinkedIn, and Instagram. (“TOTALI,” like, omg) still exist.
It’s Friday, and the chrome delivery drones buzz between the skyscrapers downtown. The domestic fabricators along Hyde Street whir to life. A line of cybertrucks rolls down Geary Boulevard toward the awaiting GloCo warehouses. Early mornings in San Francisco belong to the machines.
Definitely dystopia. A masturbatory, tech-fad husk of a city.
So, every Wednesday, I visit the black market grocery on Pier 33, the only place left in San Francisco that sells hot dogs and spareribs and the kind of maple syrup that Master Grayson gulps by the pint.
I hate this stripping of culture and nuance to create this lifeless parody of dated stereotypes. It's worse than Automatic Noodle. Fuck off.
The old Giants’ ballpark…
Which one? Candlestick? Oracle?
“Ai+,” he clarifies. He means the St. Claires’ robotics company, headquartered in the upper reaches of the Transamerica Pyramid.
Why not the Salesforce Tower, the great dildo of the skyline?
There's a robots-only maglev on Powell. Powell is a two-lane street that only goes down to Market. Why not put the maglev on Van Ness?
Over by the bread tent, some pigeons skirmish over scraps of sourdough crust. Above them, a pair of drones skywrite ads for biodegradable implants, vertical farming kits, and Coca-Cola. It’s a beautiful San Francisco day.
A general store is called a bodega, a term that as a San Franciscan I have never uttered. It's a corner store, dude.
I get the impression that the author doesn't like SF, and only chose to set his story there in his shallow interpretation of the city as a place where tech giants buy real estate.
I want a city that feels lived in, not a series of postcards.
Worldbuilding
An incoherent farce.
Robots ape human behavior, in part by consuming 90s media. For some reason (no reason, the author has no clue how machine learning works), this is learned by rote rather than programmed.
At one point Cy goes, “Whatchu talkin’ ’bout, Willis?” Everyone in the scene laughs at this. Who, in fifty year's time, is going to get that reference? Similarly, “She imitates celebrity chef Emeril Lagasse’s signature hand gesture.” That is dated in our time. It's been dated for like twenty years. This suffers from the Ready Player One delusion of thinking anyone will give a flying fuck about 80s and 90s nostalgia after we're all dead.
VALETs are forbidden to look at financial data without direct supervision.
Forbidden by who? Programming? Law? Parental controls? How? Why?
Why are robots being shipped out of state to do farm work? California grows like half of the fucking food in the country. They could go to local farms.
“Most of Master Grayson’s friends aren’t eligible for VALETs,” I say. Federal law allows only people who hold a Hierarchy Index above 90 to purchase an android. Few of Master Grayson’s acquaintances top 75.
What the fuck does that mean? Why would that be a federal law? What purpose could that possibly serve?
Why in a world with prolific drone delivery do you need a separate robot to do the shopping?
There's just all sorts of stupid shit that doesn't hold up under the slightest scrutiny. For example, sadbars, public venues where people go to talk to holographic projections of their dead relatives. There's also an area for conjugal visits. Why would this be something you do in a bar? Why not at home? How are these holograms being made? Apparently Cy “coded” the one for Dr. S, so why the fuck do they need to go to a bar to run it? Not to mention the android brothels. Bring back the opium dens, honestly.
Why is the robots’ Utility Score related to what updates they can receive? Shouldn't they be getting updates to improve their utility?
...but competing for software updates against millions of new VALETs won’t be fun for either of us.
Why is there a competition? Software is replicable, what is this fabricated shortage for?
It isn't fully explained what the robots are or how they function. Are they robots, or androids? The terms are used interchangeably. They have apps. Cy experiences many physical sensations: smell, touch, pressure, warmth pulsing through his circuitry and, damningly, emotions. Cy feels an awful lot. Does he have a nervous system? How is this thing a computer?
It's not clear whether VALET is a generic or trademarked term. I'm not entirely sure what these fuckers even look like other than humanoid. We're told about treads and wigs and self-healing polymer skin and headlights, which fail to cohere into a whole.
I don't know what anyone looks like since the author refuses to describe any defining features other than hair color.
Company acquisition isn't as simple as the current CEO agreeing to it. The company has a board, which Grayson is on, but he has no idea about the acquisition until his sister springs the news on him. What about the shareholders and investors? They need to agree too.
At a certain point, it stopped making sense for the state to finance a fifty-thousand-person colony when students could be tutored at home by learnbots with IQs of 600. Especially when summer camps still provided twenty-year-olds the opportunity to binge drink and fondle each other.
I wonder if the author applied to Berkeley and didn't get in.
“I think I had a postmodernist lit seminar in here where we read Nicholas Sparks novels backward. It was called Reconstructing Deconstruction.”
Yeah, he definitely has some gripes.
Characters
Cartoonish, vapid but not in a way that explores the detachment and ennui that can come with obscene wealth and post-scarcity (among select echelons), in a way that flattens the characters and robs their personalities of any nuance.
There is no substantive difference between Cy and a human in terms of dialogue or behavior. Does he have any feelings about being a sentient robotic slave? While his Utility Score plummets, we're told how this impacts Cy's functionality but not how he feels about being so hampered, nor how he feels about the looming threat of being repurposed into farm equipment. These are simply things that are happening. Many things simply happen in this book as it strives for quirkiness and settles for being asinine.
I mean, there is an attempt to justify Cy's detachment from his own fate. Another robot, Alice, was programmed to be capable of suffering from physical and emotional pain, which was deemed too dangerous.
“The ability to feel pain, emotionally and physically,” I say. “To suffer. And therefore, the ability to avoid it.”
“Free will,” Master Grayson elucidates.
This argument falls apart given Larry, the robot who disobeyed his owner and ran away to escape decommissioning. Why would Larry do this? If he lacks free will since he can't suffer (an unconvincing correlation), how could he have done that?
The humans are all white and straight, as far as I can tell. The only instance of skin tone being described is “rosy.”
The only people who aren't default white are Wendy Lee (a cadaver-wearing robot) and some old Berkeley professor who looks like James Earl Jones.
Discussion of topics such as gender are painfully dated and essentialist. Doesn't matter if you couch it in pretension and inelegant attempts at self-awareness. Women are manic or conniving bitches. Men are mad scientists or drugged-out. Trans and nonbinary people don't exist, because the author doesn't have the wherewithal to portray such people without resorting to tired stereotypes, lacks confidence in his own writing abilities (see: the exclusively white cast), or in his ideal world queer people don't exist even in a token capacity.
The character motivations are lame. Cy doesn't seem that concerned with being converted into a backhoe, and Grayson isn't exactly passionate about robots. He wants to “save the company” (from being acquired) for pure sentiment. The work they do means nothing to him, it's just something of his dead dad's that he wants to have. Grayson has a “vision for the company,” which I assume he came up with while scratching his balls and eating mozzarella sticks, but the vision is never elaborated upon.
Cy is not clever, his quips are dull, and he doesn't buttle much. Every time he makes some dry observation about the world, he's just stating the obvious. Without the android conceit, Cy is some dude following his stoner friend around, occasionally picking shit up, who thinks he's smarter than he actually is.
Plot
The plot largely consists of dicking around.
Cy, a robot, is assigned to his dead master's deadbeat thirty-five-year old son. Cy's Utility Score, which for some reason dictates what updates he's allowed to receive, is tied to the moronically named Grayson's marriage prospects.
Because this is a paper-thin plot, things quickly shift to the family company being bought out. Grayson steals a hard-drive from his sister with his dad's supposedly greatest work on it. In a startling lack of foresight, his sister didn't make a copy of the data. For someone with a PhD and JD, shorthand for “smart,” I don't buy this carelessness.
Throughout we are treated to the false dichotomy of wholly embracing our tech overlords, or shunning all such contrivances and being a luddite. There's no middle ground, the line is drawn. It's techies vs hippies.
One looming question remains unaddressed: why does GloCo want to manufacture robots with freewill? Which part of that is profitable?
The plot is riddled with holes, baffling decisions by the characters, and a lack of justification.
Writing
Weak and amateurish.
The speech tags are out of control. Sighing, interjecting, lamenting, joking, deadpanning, sneaking in, squeezing out, these assholes are doing anything but talking. It gets worse as the story progresses, the author reaching for more and more ways to avoid using “said,” many of which make no sense in context.
Too many proper nouns, e.g. Enthusiastic Thumbs-Up, Give Me a Break, any expression the robots make. I think it's supposed to make things feel more techy, but it's just annoying.
Lots of technobabble.
The backronyms are so on the nose I'm being smothered. VALET, SIMP, HOG. LUBE…
The similes are ungainly. You don't have to use similes. It's really not necessary.
The coral-reef chandelier shimmers above her, like a school of fish moving synchronously above the hall.
How is it 'like' a school of fish? If it's coral reef-shaped, would it not simply be a school of crystal fish?
Information is needlessly repeated. At the beginning of Chapter 4 we get, “Dr. Charlotte St. Claire-Cabot, his sister and the acting CEO of Ai+ Labs.” I know that. She was mentioned like five pages ago. This telling is endemic. For example,
“What happens to those mozzarella sticks you like so much?” she asks, gesturing to the half-eaten plate of appetizers perched upon his tomato-sauce-stained lap.
Master Grayson doesn’t quite follow.
Instead of saying he “doesn't quite follow,” this could be conveyed by a blank expression, or glassy eyes.
“...places the birthday tiara back atop her perfectly coiffed bangs.”
Is the tiara going around her forehead? Her bangs aren't going to be perfectly coiffed after that treatment.
“...a macramé blouse with a bottle of whiskey embroidered on it…”
I doubt the author has done macramé or embroidery. I'm not even sure he knows what they are. He’s just bashing terms together without consideration.
“Master Grayson is busy epoxying the redone torso of his sarcophagus.”
Why is he doing that?
There are frequent attempts to juxtapose pseudo-intellectual musings with mundane observations. It falls flat every time.
“Water is a time machine.”
“Convenience can sometimes hide its own cost.”
“Sometimes iron doesn’t sharpen iron; it chips it.”
How profound.
Sometimes the not quite correct, or completely wrong, word is used. For example,
“...twisting open Oreos and licking the icing…”
Icing goes on top of stuff. The Oreo filling is called creme.
“...putting her in a different Dating Bracket than Master Grayson, and therefore outside my remit…”
Remit doesn't make a whole lot of sense here, to me; what Cy's describing is a set of criteria, not a set of responsibilities. “Outside my scope” would work better.
“Warrant” is used instead of “subpoena.”
“A grove of redwood trees soars above us, dew dripping off their leaves.” - Redwood trees have needles.
“...ebbing toward us like a wave…” - to ebb means to recede, going away from.
“I look east, where two seagulls dive for a dead trout floating in the foamy Bay.”
Trout are freshwater fish. They live in rivers and lakes, not a salty bay.
“Then I grab the three eUnicycles from the storage closet… Crepe paper streamers are attached to the handlebars.”
Unicycles don't have handlebars. Where would they even attach?
And so on.
Scene breaks are frequent and unnecessary. Time after time the same scene picks up from where it left off. There's one when Cy walks into another room for fuck's sake.
The narrative is oddly disjointed. Sentences don't follow each other, or the order is muddled and awkward, e.g. “I place a robotic hand on his shoulder on the abandoned tracks.”
There's plenty of ambiguous phrasing, such as, “Lloyd knits a sweater in the rocker.” From the same scene, “droll mouth.”
Cy repeatedly interrupts to relay some memory of his that is at best tenuously related to what's happening at the moment.
Conclusion
There are no poignant insights into human or robot nature, just faint echoes of what has been done better elsewhere.
The writing was mediocre, the world poorly conceived, the plot ludicrous, and the research minimal on all fronts. I found this humorless, boring, and ethically dubious. It fails to satirize the ubiquity of tech culture by engaging with its premises uncritically and at face value.
Valet reads as a prolonged, tongue-in-asscheek critique of a strawman, a Bay Area in which everyone is white, upper class, and has nothing better to do. This tells me more about the author than the artificial reality he constructed. Tedious and disappointing.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
As charming and delightful as a speculative fiction/scifi novel can be, J.P. Lacrampe’s Valet is a lighthearted and breezy read that covers a concise and effective story about androids, their human owners, and a lot of fun shenanigans in between. Full of witty humor and sharp yet cheeky social commentary, this book effortlessly blends its lighthearted absurdist tone with unexpectedly heartfelt and effective character writing, telling a story that’s far more human than robotic. Mixing together relevant cyber topic discussions with a snappy and well-crafted story of an attempted corporate succession turned tech hostage negotiation, Valet is an excellent and fun read that’s as intelligent as it is whimsical.
Highlights:
☕︎ Refreshing and light-hearted story blending speculative and scifi elements with an entertaining Jeeves and Wooster dynamic. Maintains a great balance between character work and several intertwining storylines with strong thematic purpose.
☕︎ Great character writing, development, and wholesome moments that are unexpectedly touching despite the book’s overall cozy and comical vibe.
☕︎ Excellent narration and storytelling tone, Cy’s witty observations studying human behaviors are a constant delight.
Considerations:
-While providing a great resolution to Cy and Grayson’s time together, the ending in regard to the tech hostage plot and corporate succession is serviceable. Readers solely invested in the plot may find the conclusion a bit disappointing and too lowkey.
-Revisioning of various Bay Area locations and references that skew towards millennial readers may not be appreciated by younger readers or those unfamiliar with Norcal culture.
Following an advanced robotic scientific assistant turned personal butler assistant, Cy is an aging Verified Artificial-Learning-Enhanced Techbot seeking to please his owners and raise his operating utility score, a benchmark that determines whether he gets future feature programming updates or is retired to manufacturing facility monotony. Once the esteemed assistant to the CEO of Ai+, the developer of cutting-edge robotic technology, he is tasked by the late CEO’s widow Mrs. St. Claire to right her son Grayson’s wayward life, lack of motivation, and to marry him off. Unlike his CEO sister Charlotte who took over the company with futuristic augmented capabilities and sharpened intellectual clarity, Master Grayson wants nothing to do with their family’s business, spending his days lounging around eating archaic processed food and working in his pottery studio Kilning Time. However, the status quo is suddenly turned on its head when Grayson refuses to go along with Charlotte’s plan to sell the family company and its assets via a merger with a prominent android manufacturing firm, sparking an impassioned and crazed tech hostage scheme that the St. Claire’s have never experienced before. Caught in the skirmish between his devoted assignment to Master Grayson vs Mrs. St. Claire’s conflicting orders to manage him, Cy’s life is further complicated by his involved with another wanted techbot on the run from the law, the difficulties of matching Grayson with prospective dates, and an assistant score rivalry with Mrs. St. Claire’s newer and more advanced techbot Elsa.
If that synopsis sounds a little chaotic and kooky, I’ve done my job at recapturing the feel of Valet that is one-part on-brand satirical speculative fiction goodness and one-part good-natured comedic chaos. This book is a fascinating one that has several ongoing storylines that are seamlessly intertwined through effective plotting and strong narrative choices. At the front is the sibling conflict of Grayson and Charlotte quarreling over their late father’s company legacy that leads to ground-breaking tech stolen and held for ransom. Meanwhile Cy inadvertently helps an aging and irrelevant techbot named Larry escape the confines of their utility score system, complicit in breaking numerous regulatory laws and being investigated by the cyber police task force. But beneath it all is a story of familial expectation and self-worth as Cy runs Grayson’s dating app profile, encourages him to eat healthier, provides constant quality of life recommendations, and sticks with his master through the highs and lows of adulthood. While the story is no doubt entertaining and fun when it wants to be, it’s also quietly nuanced and thematically rich while maintaining its joyous tone.
Despite being only two hundred seventy-two pages in its hardcover format, Valet packs a lot of narrative and thematic content while also providing an appropriate amount of world-building. Set in a futuristic version of San Francisco, the city is full of techbots conducting a wide variety of operations, city sentry and delivery drones filling the skies, and AR/VR/AI technology filling out the rest of the world. Likely due to the author’s real-life connections to the area, the book is full of fun references and futuristic revisioning of various Bay Area locations that Norcal readers will love. As a foil, there’s also anti-technology groups, the Killjoy Collective and the Machine Crime Investigations Bureau. While other scifi books may have more expansive worldbuilding or elaborate visuals, what Valet presents is solid and well-suited for the story it’s telling, keeping things moving with a snappy sense of pacing. While there’s a lot going on, it always feels like the book knows what it’s doing and where the story is going without unnecessary tangents.
If one of Valet’s best assets is his pacing and plotting, the other is its tone. Despite having some serious topics and storylines, the book maintains an upbeat and optimistically pleasant feel courtesy of Cy’s utterly delightful narration. In addition to his quirky and comedic musings of the many idiosyncrasies of human behavior, the book has a wonderful sense of tongue-in-cheek humor that pokes fun at society. While the jokes and banter aren’t quite laugh out loud funny, they’re chuckle-worthy and consistently witty vs fellow slapstick or crude scifi-bro book offerings. Some of the references and comedic antics do have a strong older millennial/young gen x vibe with a slight Dad-joke feel to them (not a dig at Lacrampe, I myself love cracking Dad jokes) which readers can find either endearing or a little silly; both takeaways work in the book’s favor.
Complementing the appealing tone, the book also features great character writing and surprisingly good development considering its length and breezy feel. While Cy easily carries Valet on his own through his amicably snarky narration, the cast of characters are diverse and likeable. While Grayson is initially introduced as a lazy, listless, and good-for-nothing adult son coasting on the family’s wealth, his character has a lot more going on beneath the surface. If the book were stripped of its techbot and scifi flavor, his character serves a pseudo failure-to-launch arc where repeated lack of familial support and perceived inferiority to his high potential younger sister has led to a dejected, ostracized, and down in the rut man that’s highly relevant and relatable in current society; see numerous articles and studies covering the unhappiness and disenfranchisement of young men in the US that feel isolated and worthless. Not only a perceived disgrace to the St. Claire name by his own family, his potential dates set up by Cy, and his stoner friends, no one takes him seriously and the reinforced cycle that Cy is tasked with breaking is portrayed very effectively.
As the story develops, so does Grayson’s confidence as well as the reader’s opinion of him, his good instincts and sentimental values contrasting the harsh coldness of Charlotte’s hyper-efficient and high probability algorithmic mantra. The juxtaposition of the two approaches with both characters’ opinions of the company's future is well done while mediated by the vaguely villainous figure of Mrs. St. Claire in the middle of it. But most importantly is Cy and Grayson’s bond reminiscent of Jeeves and Wooster’s master/butler working relationship on the surface, mentor and parental figure on a deeper level. While not overly sentimental, the book has a sweet and wholesome ending that delivers a satisfying resolution to Cy and Grayson’s time together, as well as Mrs. St. Claire (I thought her and Cy’s resolution to be one of the best parts of the book). Though not particularly emotional or a heavy read, the ending caught me pleasantly by surprise with how effective it was in the character development department for not only Grayson but especially Cy. On a more neutral note, though it provides a serviceable resolution to the company’s future and succession storyline, these narrative elements are handled in a more a lowkey manner in the ending that some readers may find a tad underwhelming even though this is first and foremost a book about its characters vs the plot.
Light-hearted, versatile, and certainly easy to enjoy, Valet is an expertly crafted book that has a little bit of everything. A varied mix of storylines, great character work, on-brand speculative scifi elements all wrapped up in a pleasantly charming and witty package, there’s a lot to like. Thanks to its concise story, good pacing, and fun narration style, it also makes for a great palette cleanser kind of read, providing a lot of fun with smarts and heart. I believe this may be J.P. Lacrampe’s published novel debut which makes the book all the more impressive. Valet is a wonderful book and I’m definitely looking forward to reading more of Lacrampe’s future works!
This review is based on a complimentary Advanced Reader Copy provided by Saga Press.
*For more reviews, book lists and reading updates, check out my blog TheBookGrind!
Highlights:
☕︎ Refreshing and light-hearted story blending speculative and scifi elements with an entertaining Jeeves and Wooster dynamic. Maintains a great balance between character work and several intertwining storylines with strong thematic purpose.
☕︎ Great character writing, development, and wholesome moments that are unexpectedly touching despite the book’s overall cozy and comical vibe.
☕︎ Excellent narration and storytelling tone, Cy’s witty observations studying human behaviors are a constant delight.
Considerations:
-While providing a great resolution to Cy and Grayson’s time together, the ending in regard to the tech hostage plot and corporate succession is serviceable. Readers solely invested in the plot may find the conclusion a bit disappointing and too lowkey.
-Revisioning of various Bay Area locations and references that skew towards millennial readers may not be appreciated by younger readers or those unfamiliar with Norcal culture.
Following an advanced robotic scientific assistant turned personal butler assistant, Cy is an aging Verified Artificial-Learning-Enhanced Techbot seeking to please his owners and raise his operating utility score, a benchmark that determines whether he gets future feature programming updates or is retired to manufacturing facility monotony. Once the esteemed assistant to the CEO of Ai+, the developer of cutting-edge robotic technology, he is tasked by the late CEO’s widow Mrs. St. Claire to right her son Grayson’s wayward life, lack of motivation, and to marry him off. Unlike his CEO sister Charlotte who took over the company with futuristic augmented capabilities and sharpened intellectual clarity, Master Grayson wants nothing to do with their family’s business, spending his days lounging around eating archaic processed food and working in his pottery studio Kilning Time. However, the status quo is suddenly turned on its head when Grayson refuses to go along with Charlotte’s plan to sell the family company and its assets via a merger with a prominent android manufacturing firm, sparking an impassioned and crazed tech hostage scheme that the St. Claire’s have never experienced before. Caught in the skirmish between his devoted assignment to Master Grayson vs Mrs. St. Claire’s conflicting orders to manage him, Cy’s life is further complicated by his involved with another wanted techbot on the run from the law, the difficulties of matching Grayson with prospective dates, and an assistant score rivalry with Mrs. St. Claire’s newer and more advanced techbot Elsa.
If that synopsis sounds a little chaotic and kooky, I’ve done my job at recapturing the feel of Valet that is one-part on-brand satirical speculative fiction goodness and one-part good-natured comedic chaos. This book is a fascinating one that has several ongoing storylines that are seamlessly intertwined through effective plotting and strong narrative choices. At the front is the sibling conflict of Grayson and Charlotte quarreling over their late father’s company legacy that leads to ground-breaking tech stolen and held for ransom. Meanwhile Cy inadvertently helps an aging and irrelevant techbot named Larry escape the confines of their utility score system, complicit in breaking numerous regulatory laws and being investigated by the cyber police task force. But beneath it all is a story of familial expectation and self-worth as Cy runs Grayson’s dating app profile, encourages him to eat healthier, provides constant quality of life recommendations, and sticks with his master through the highs and lows of adulthood. While the story is no doubt entertaining and fun when it wants to be, it’s also quietly nuanced and thematically rich while maintaining its joyous tone.
Despite being only two hundred seventy-two pages in its hardcover format, Valet packs a lot of narrative and thematic content while also providing an appropriate amount of world-building. Set in a futuristic version of San Francisco, the city is full of techbots conducting a wide variety of operations, city sentry and delivery drones filling the skies, and AR/VR/AI technology filling out the rest of the world. Likely due to the author’s real-life connections to the area, the book is full of fun references and futuristic revisioning of various Bay Area locations that Norcal readers will love. As a foil, there’s also anti-technology groups, the Killjoy Collective and the Machine Crime Investigations Bureau. While other scifi books may have more expansive worldbuilding or elaborate visuals, what Valet presents is solid and well-suited for the story it’s telling, keeping things moving with a snappy sense of pacing. While there’s a lot going on, it always feels like the book knows what it’s doing and where the story is going without unnecessary tangents.
If one of Valet’s best assets is his pacing and plotting, the other is its tone. Despite having some serious topics and storylines, the book maintains an upbeat and optimistically pleasant feel courtesy of Cy’s utterly delightful narration. In addition to his quirky and comedic musings of the many idiosyncrasies of human behavior, the book has a wonderful sense of tongue-in-cheek humor that pokes fun at society. While the jokes and banter aren’t quite laugh out loud funny, they’re chuckle-worthy and consistently witty vs fellow slapstick or crude scifi-bro book offerings. Some of the references and comedic antics do have a strong older millennial/young gen x vibe with a slight Dad-joke feel to them (not a dig at Lacrampe, I myself love cracking Dad jokes) which readers can find either endearing or a little silly; both takeaways work in the book’s favor.
Complementing the appealing tone, the book also features great character writing and surprisingly good development considering its length and breezy feel. While Cy easily carries Valet on his own through his amicably snarky narration, the cast of characters are diverse and likeable. While Grayson is initially introduced as a lazy, listless, and good-for-nothing adult son coasting on the family’s wealth, his character has a lot more going on beneath the surface. If the book were stripped of its techbot and scifi flavor, his character serves a pseudo failure-to-launch arc where repeated lack of familial support and perceived inferiority to his high potential younger sister has led to a dejected, ostracized, and down in the rut man that’s highly relevant and relatable in current society; see numerous articles and studies covering the unhappiness and disenfranchisement of young men in the US that feel isolated and worthless. Not only a perceived disgrace to the St. Claire name by his own family, his potential dates set up by Cy, and his stoner friends, no one takes him seriously and the reinforced cycle that Cy is tasked with breaking is portrayed very effectively.
As the story develops, so does Grayson’s confidence as well as the reader’s opinion of him, his good instincts and sentimental values contrasting the harsh coldness of Charlotte’s hyper-efficient and high probability algorithmic mantra. The juxtaposition of the two approaches with both characters’ opinions of the company's future is well done while mediated by the vaguely villainous figure of Mrs. St. Claire in the middle of it. But most importantly is Cy and Grayson’s bond reminiscent of Jeeves and Wooster’s master/butler working relationship on the surface, mentor and parental figure on a deeper level. While not overly sentimental, the book has a sweet and wholesome ending that delivers a satisfying resolution to Cy and Grayson’s time together, as well as Mrs. St. Claire (I thought her and Cy’s resolution to be one of the best parts of the book). Though not particularly emotional or a heavy read, the ending caught me pleasantly by surprise with how effective it was in the character development department for not only Grayson but especially Cy. On a more neutral note, though it provides a serviceable resolution to the company’s future and succession storyline, these narrative elements are handled in a more a lowkey manner in the ending that some readers may find a tad underwhelming even though this is first and foremost a book about its characters vs the plot.
Light-hearted, versatile, and certainly easy to enjoy, Valet is an expertly crafted book that has a little bit of everything. A varied mix of storylines, great character work, on-brand speculative scifi elements all wrapped up in a pleasantly charming and witty package, there’s a lot to like. Thanks to its concise story, good pacing, and fun narration style, it also makes for a great palette cleanser kind of read, providing a lot of fun with smarts and heart. I believe this may be J.P. Lacrampe’s published novel debut which makes the book all the more impressive. Valet is a wonderful book and I’m definitely looking forward to reading more of Lacrampe’s future works!
This review is based on a complimentary Advanced Reader Copy provided by Saga Press.
*For more reviews, book lists and reading updates, check out my blog TheBookGrind!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
My thanks to NetGalley and Saga Press for an advance copy of this novel of speculative fiction set about twenty minutes into the future about a young man lost in the world, his AI valet who must look out for him, and the numerous shenanigans, misadventures, small crimes and misdemeanors they get involved in, one while trying to keep his family's legacy, the other trying to hold the course to get a software update that might change everything.
Growing up I read a lot of books about gentlemen adventurers, or just gentlemen in general. Bulldog Drummond, Bruce Wayne, Bertie Wooster. While many dreamed of being say Batman, or even his sidekick Robin, I dreamed of being something more, the butler. Valet, Majordomo, Gentlemen's Gentlemen, whatever the term, these were the true cogs that kept the adventure moving along. Alfred Pennyworth who kept the Batmobile gassed, the Batcompuer up to date, and Reginald Jeeves, who made sure that Bertie Wooster's spats were correct, and that young Bertie never embarrassed himself with a out of favor headpiece. These stories have always been fun for me, and probably why I enjoyed this novel so much. Besides the great plot, excellent writing, and an AI VALET I long to help me gain control of my life. Valet by J.P. Lacrampe is a story about fathers, family, fortune, failing, and finding those who care for us, even if they are programmed to.
Cy is an AI who once did important things. Cy worked in a cybernetic company , helping the founder of the company design cutting edge AI and technology, wandering the halls, solving problems, and getting very high ratings on its utility score. That was the past. The founder died, and a year later Cy is still working on its latest task, help the fail-son of the founder try to find something to do in life. Grayson shows no aptitude for technology, nor really anything in life. Grayson loves to spend his day with his useless buddies, or working in clay at his studio Kilning Time. Cy has been tasked to get Grayson a wife, or an interest so his mother doesn't have to be bothered with watching him. If Cy fails, so does his chance at getting upgrades, which could mean a dark future for Cy. Grayson starts to find an interest in life when he hears his sister Charlotte is planning to sell the company his father created, and losing all the technology that his father and Cy helped create. A plan is hatched, crimes committed, plots developed, with nothing going right, and leaves Cy wondering what his parts might be recycled into.
This book is a lot of things. A satire of the future. A warning of the future. A heist novel, and a buddy comedy. And a whole lot of good. Cy is an interesting character, one who can see that things are not going to go well, and yet can't do anything about it. For an AI that must be tough. The future is grim, for AI, robots and for humans, and I like the world and how Lacrampe presents it to the reader. Lacrampe lets the story unfold carefully and one never feels lost. Though one might lose their spot laughing. I did that a few times. Grayson is far deeper a character than he seems, and though he might not think much ahead, the heart is in the right place. I really enjoyed this novel, and the world it takes place in.
A fun science fiction novel, one with a message, and lot of heart. I really enjoyed this and thought Cy was a worth addition to those who have added good people do great things. Not quite a Jeeves, but as close as an AI can get. A fun book, and I look forward to more by J. P. Lacrampe.
Growing up I read a lot of books about gentlemen adventurers, or just gentlemen in general. Bulldog Drummond, Bruce Wayne, Bertie Wooster. While many dreamed of being say Batman, or even his sidekick Robin, I dreamed of being something more, the butler. Valet, Majordomo, Gentlemen's Gentlemen, whatever the term, these were the true cogs that kept the adventure moving along. Alfred Pennyworth who kept the Batmobile gassed, the Batcompuer up to date, and Reginald Jeeves, who made sure that Bertie Wooster's spats were correct, and that young Bertie never embarrassed himself with a out of favor headpiece. These stories have always been fun for me, and probably why I enjoyed this novel so much. Besides the great plot, excellent writing, and an AI VALET I long to help me gain control of my life. Valet by J.P. Lacrampe is a story about fathers, family, fortune, failing, and finding those who care for us, even if they are programmed to.
Cy is an AI who once did important things. Cy worked in a cybernetic company , helping the founder of the company design cutting edge AI and technology, wandering the halls, solving problems, and getting very high ratings on its utility score. That was the past. The founder died, and a year later Cy is still working on its latest task, help the fail-son of the founder try to find something to do in life. Grayson shows no aptitude for technology, nor really anything in life. Grayson loves to spend his day with his useless buddies, or working in clay at his studio Kilning Time. Cy has been tasked to get Grayson a wife, or an interest so his mother doesn't have to be bothered with watching him. If Cy fails, so does his chance at getting upgrades, which could mean a dark future for Cy. Grayson starts to find an interest in life when he hears his sister Charlotte is planning to sell the company his father created, and losing all the technology that his father and Cy helped create. A plan is hatched, crimes committed, plots developed, with nothing going right, and leaves Cy wondering what his parts might be recycled into.
This book is a lot of things. A satire of the future. A warning of the future. A heist novel, and a buddy comedy. And a whole lot of good. Cy is an interesting character, one who can see that things are not going to go well, and yet can't do anything about it. For an AI that must be tough. The future is grim, for AI, robots and for humans, and I like the world and how Lacrampe presents it to the reader. Lacrampe lets the story unfold carefully and one never feels lost. Though one might lose their spot laughing. I did that a few times. Grayson is far deeper a character than he seems, and though he might not think much ahead, the heart is in the right place. I really enjoyed this novel, and the world it takes place in.
A fun science fiction novel, one with a message, and lot of heart. I really enjoyed this and thought Cy was a worth addition to those who have added good people do great things. Not quite a Jeeves, but as close as an AI can get. A fun book, and I look forward to more by J. P. Lacrampe.
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
Valet is the sort of book that I would not have picked up on my own. It wouldn't even be on my radar. So imagine my surprise when I got a message on Edelweiss saying I've been granted access to read this... I don't always pick these up if I'm busy, but I had some time and it sounded interesting enough to try. (I did enjoy the rare Wodehouse I read in the past.)
Cy is a VALET, an android tasked to help Grayson St. Claire, his owner's 35-year-old son, start adulting. He's really very much the staff, beholden to his true owner and to his utility score, but Grayson treats him like a friend - or, more accurately, like a human. And, having "grown" up together with Grayson, Cy can read him and his moods the best - even better than his own mother.
Grayson is a mess of a human being, the stereotypical useless rich son who constantly fails at everything he puts his hand to, and yet is charming and kind enough to everyone that you really do want to see him succeed. He's both bumbling and earnest, and it's easy to see why Cy is loyal to him, more than Cy's guilt at stealing the late Mr St. Claire's praise and attention should account for.
Charlotte is exceptional as the competitive younger sister who's trying to prove herself by being the best at everything and looking down on her messed-up older brother. Mrs St. Claire is cold and grieving, and has mostly given up on her son. The other characters are in turns funny and weird, and though at times they seem a little too much, they also fit into the fabric of this future society well enough that you don't find it much more jarring than going "oh, those [rich/hippy/scheming] people..."
It's funny that throughout the novel, the two VALET characters, Cy and Larry, felt the most human in many ways. They worry about their ratings, they dread being made obsolete (which carries the repercussions of being destroyed, not just fired), they try to please the people around them (not just the humans, but the other androids they have to interact with - there's social status to be maintained!) and are most enterprising in how they try to get around the rules that govern them. Most of it is really being in Cy's POV and having insight into how androids fit into the fabric of society and what makes them tick.
But it really does make you think. What does it mean to be human? To be family? Charlotte is human, but she is so cold and calculating, with no sympathy or empathy for her own brother, that she might as well be an android herself. And Cy is very much a member of their family despite not being human - he feels like a butler from those old English movies that knows and keeps all the family secrets, yet remains ever so slightly worried about his position. I was surprised at how angry I was on his behalf when Mrs St. Claire and Charlotte threatened to have him decommissioned!
Overall, Valet was a fun and emotional read. It deals with humanity, family, grief, and love, and grapples with betrayal and jealousy, all while being part of a mad caper.
Note: I received a digital ARC of this book from Simon & Schuster via Edelweiss. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Cy is a VALET, an android tasked to help Grayson St. Claire, his owner's 35-year-old son, start adulting. He's really very much the staff, beholden to his true owner and to his utility score, but Grayson treats him like a friend - or, more accurately, like a human. And, having "grown" up together with Grayson, Cy can read him and his moods the best - even better than his own mother.
Grayson is a mess of a human being, the stereotypical useless rich son who constantly fails at everything he puts his hand to, and yet is charming and kind enough to everyone that you really do want to see him succeed. He's both bumbling and earnest, and it's easy to see why Cy is loyal to him, more than Cy's guilt at stealing the late Mr St. Claire's praise and attention should account for.
Charlotte is exceptional as the competitive younger sister who's trying to prove herself by being the best at everything and looking down on her messed-up older brother. Mrs St. Claire is cold and grieving, and has mostly given up on her son. The other characters are in turns funny and weird, and though at times they seem a little too much, they also fit into the fabric of this future society well enough that you don't find it much more jarring than going "oh, those [rich/hippy/scheming] people..."
It's funny that throughout the novel, the two VALET characters, Cy and Larry, felt the most human in many ways. They worry about their ratings, they dread being made obsolete (which carries the repercussions of being destroyed, not just fired), they try to please the people around them (not just the humans, but the other androids they have to interact with - there's social status to be maintained!) and are most enterprising in how they try to get around the rules that govern them. Most of it is really being in Cy's POV and having insight into how androids fit into the fabric of society and what makes them tick.
But it really does make you think. What does it mean to be human? To be family? Charlotte is human, but she is so cold and calculating, with no sympathy or empathy for her own brother, that she might as well be an android herself. And Cy is very much a member of their family despite not being human - he feels like a butler from those old English movies that knows and keeps all the family secrets, yet remains ever so slightly worried about his position. I was surprised at how angry I was on his behalf when Mrs St. Claire and Charlotte threatened to have him decommissioned!
Overall, Valet was a fun and emotional read. It deals with humanity, family, grief, and love, and grapples with betrayal and jealousy, all while being part of a mad caper.
Note: I received a digital ARC of this book from Simon & Schuster via Edelweiss. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Reviewed in exchange for a free ARC from Netgalley.
I look forward to this because I really enjoy Wodehouse. I thought the sci fi take was a good move. It wouldn't be believable today for an American to have a valet. However, a sort of near future setting can combine a robot valet and somewhat contemporary behavior. However, I found that it didn't live up to its full potential. The major difference to Wodehouse is the lack of comedy. Sure, the characters are quirky, but not in a comedic way. I did enjoy one joke, at the expense of journalists and there were one or two lines that could have been intended to be jokes. However, not everything has to be funny and the book was engaging.
The plot is about a robot valet, Cy, assigned by his creator's widow to help her son grow up or get married. Or at least that was what I thought it was going to be about. The book uses exclusively Cy's view point and is clearly the protagonist of the story. This causes him and the view to miss what feel like key moments in the story.
In order to earn upgrades the robot must keep his utility score high. How exactly this is adjusted isn't clear. Presumably his owner, makes the adjustment. Lowering the score can also decrease function, so the robots are motivated to avoid this death spiral, which can result in robots being converted to factory machines. Cy's friend Larry fears this fate and his fears increase as his owner has financial trouble. There isn't much that Cy can do to motivate his owner's grown son to start a relationship. Except throw a party. Some how drinking with his loser friends convinces him to try dating. Cy handles the online dating app, tinder. This provides some opportunity to satirize online dating, but that doesn't happen. Apparently the dating candidates are assigned a dating score as well as hierarchy and attractiveness scores. We are told the numbers given are high, but not how the scoring is based. Apparently single mothers and content creators have higher scores than high ranking software engineers. Anyway, after the first date is made, the actual plot starts, which is a sort of mystery involving the families AI company and sibling rivalry. It doesn't make that much sense and is kinda a comedy of errors. The protagonists mainly react and even avoid acting on suspicious information. The ending seems too convenient and left questions.
The world building is okay. It never felt like info dumping, although sometimes it was like Cy had ADD. A big focus is the utility score and what it is like to be an AI. Apparently there were AI with emotions, but it was banned for some reason which isn't explained. This has repercussions later that aren't explained, leaving a plot hole. The biggest digression is a list of reasons why women wouldn't want to date men, which don't really apply to the situation (the character has different faults than the ones listed). The human characters are shallow barely stereotypes. The twist at the end doesn't feel like a twist. A forgettable book with decent prose.
I look forward to this because I really enjoy Wodehouse. I thought the sci fi take was a good move. It wouldn't be believable today for an American to have a valet. However, a sort of near future setting can combine a robot valet and somewhat contemporary behavior. However, I found that it didn't live up to its full potential. The major difference to Wodehouse is the lack of comedy. Sure, the characters are quirky, but not in a comedic way. I did enjoy one joke, at the expense of journalists and there were one or two lines that could have been intended to be jokes. However, not everything has to be funny and the book was engaging.
The plot is about a robot valet, Cy, assigned by his creator's widow to help her son grow up or get married. Or at least that was what I thought it was going to be about. The book uses exclusively Cy's view point and is clearly the protagonist of the story. This causes him and the view to miss what feel like key moments in the story.
In order to earn upgrades the robot must keep his utility score high. How exactly this is adjusted isn't clear. Presumably his owner, makes the adjustment. Lowering the score can also decrease function, so the robots are motivated to avoid this death spiral, which can result in robots being converted to factory machines. Cy's friend Larry fears this fate and his fears increase as his owner has financial trouble. There isn't much that Cy can do to motivate his owner's grown son to start a relationship. Except throw a party. Some how drinking with his loser friends convinces him to try dating. Cy handles the online dating app, tinder. This provides some opportunity to satirize online dating, but that doesn't happen. Apparently the dating candidates are assigned a dating score as well as hierarchy and attractiveness scores. We are told the numbers given are high, but not how the scoring is based. Apparently single mothers and content creators have higher scores than high ranking software engineers. Anyway, after the first date is made, the actual plot starts, which is a sort of mystery involving the families AI company and sibling rivalry. It doesn't make that much sense and is kinda a comedy of errors. The protagonists mainly react and even avoid acting on suspicious information. The ending seems too convenient and left questions.
The world building is okay. It never felt like info dumping, although sometimes it was like Cy had ADD. A big focus is the utility score and what it is like to be an AI. Apparently there were AI with emotions, but it was banned for some reason which isn't explained. This has repercussions later that aren't explained, leaving a plot hole. The biggest digression is a list of reasons why women wouldn't want to date men, which don't really apply to the situation (the character has different faults than the ones listed). The human characters are shallow barely stereotypes. The twist at the end doesn't feel like a twist. A forgettable book with decent prose.
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
Clever and suspenseful plot with good characters and humor
Cy is a VALET , a “Verified Artifiical Learning Enhanced Techbot”, and that gives you a good clue into what to expect from this book. It has a very clever and suspenseful plot set in a cleverly imagined near-future carried out by fun characters, both humans and bots (although the bots were my favorites). The writing was excellent. Added to that was great HUMOR that occasionally had me laughing out loud.
Cy belongs to Mrs. Elizabeth St. Claire, but she has assigned him to help her thirty-five-year-old ne’er do-well son Grayson. Grayson needs help with practically every aspect of his life, including his love life, but the main plot centers around Cy’s and Grayson’s attempt to prevent Grayson’s sister from selling the family robotics company. This has special meaning for Cy, since this was where he was built. Author Lacrampe has done an excellent job of imagining what such a company and a future might be like and gives very thoughtful, interesting information about the androids’ capabilities and needs. There are also other insights into possibilities for the future, such as Grayson’s dog, Sasha III, who was cloned from the dog he loved as a child.
The plot is certainly suspenseful, but there is plenty of humor, such as Cy’s observation about humans making decisions, “Humans struggle with [having] more than three options. The only thing they hate more than having a decision being made for them is having to make it themselves” or his comment “Whatever benefits technology has delivered to humankind, it’s done little for their dancing.” He also mentions an android brothel!
The writing is excellent. The opening chapter provides a good introduction to the characters, both android and human and their personalities, and gives the reader a good feel for what kind of read to expect. It continues with some clever machinations on the part of characters and lots of suspense and surprises. Interspersed there is plenty of humor, like the name of Grayson’s pottery shop, “Kilning Time”. There are nice observations from Cy like , “It’s amazing how alike people are from afar-and how unique they become when you get up close”. The book is full of interesting characters, both human and android but I like Cy best. I felt very sorry for his feelings of vulnerability.
But what about the ending? Isn’t that the most important part of a book? All I can say is I closed the book feeling very satisfied.
This seems to be the author’s first book; I hope he will write another soon!
I received an advance review copy of this book from Edelweiss and Saga Press.
Cy is a VALET , a “Verified Artifiical Learning Enhanced Techbot”, and that gives you a good clue into what to expect from this book. It has a very clever and suspenseful plot set in a cleverly imagined near-future carried out by fun characters, both humans and bots (although the bots were my favorites). The writing was excellent. Added to that was great HUMOR that occasionally had me laughing out loud.
Cy belongs to Mrs. Elizabeth St. Claire, but she has assigned him to help her thirty-five-year-old ne’er do-well son Grayson. Grayson needs help with practically every aspect of his life, including his love life, but the main plot centers around Cy’s and Grayson’s attempt to prevent Grayson’s sister from selling the family robotics company. This has special meaning for Cy, since this was where he was built. Author Lacrampe has done an excellent job of imagining what such a company and a future might be like and gives very thoughtful, interesting information about the androids’ capabilities and needs. There are also other insights into possibilities for the future, such as Grayson’s dog, Sasha III, who was cloned from the dog he loved as a child.
The plot is certainly suspenseful, but there is plenty of humor, such as Cy’s observation about humans making decisions, “Humans struggle with [having] more than three options. The only thing they hate more than having a decision being made for them is having to make it themselves” or his comment “Whatever benefits technology has delivered to humankind, it’s done little for their dancing.” He also mentions an android brothel!
The writing is excellent. The opening chapter provides a good introduction to the characters, both android and human and their personalities, and gives the reader a good feel for what kind of read to expect. It continues with some clever machinations on the part of characters and lots of suspense and surprises. Interspersed there is plenty of humor, like the name of Grayson’s pottery shop, “Kilning Time”. There are nice observations from Cy like , “It’s amazing how alike people are from afar-and how unique they become when you get up close”. The book is full of interesting characters, both human and android but I like Cy best. I felt very sorry for his feelings of vulnerability.
But what about the ending? Isn’t that the most important part of a book? All I can say is I closed the book feeling very satisfied.
This seems to be the author’s first book; I hope he will write another soon!
I received an advance review copy of this book from Edelweiss and Saga Press.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!
This is a fun, zippy sci-fi read that combines the hijinks of Jeeves and Wooster with androids but also a critique of modern corporate lifestyles. Our main character is Cy, an android who used to have a Utility Score of over 90% while serving the CEO and founder of AI+ and his inventor, but these days, he's been relegated to watching over the deceased CEO's wayward son, and to his dismay, his Utility Score is rapidly dropping. The book wastes no time in dropping Cy into both an escape plot by one of his fellow androids whose Utility Score has dropped too low and who might be decommissioned soon, and also corporate espionage and politics as Grayson, Cy's wayward charge, finally takes interest in his father's company being sold by his ambitious sister.
Even while Cy is somewhat exasperated by Grayson's shenanigans, from his constant changes to his pottery sarcophagus project, his laziness, and his desire for real instead of replicated food, you can tell from the get-go that Cy is very fond of Grayson. After all, he basically grew up with Grayson as well, and Grayson himself does have unplumbed depths that climb to the surface as they go on the run with a mysterious hard drive that everyone is seeking out. The high points of the novel are definitely Cy and Grayson interacting, but Cy also develops a fairly sweet relationship with Larry, the android on the run, and Liv, an AI+ programmer and technician who has worked with Cy for a long time. It's also very charming honestly how bad Cy is at predicting romance, and I did enjoy Cy figuring out that a Utility Score isn't everything.
That being said, I did feel like the ending was a bit abrupt and everything got resolved maybe a little too smoothly.
All in all though, this is a very fun scifi read, and I look forward to more from this author!
This is a fun, zippy sci-fi read that combines the hijinks of Jeeves and Wooster with androids but also a critique of modern corporate lifestyles. Our main character is Cy, an android who used to have a Utility Score of over 90% while serving the CEO and founder of AI+ and his inventor, but these days, he's been relegated to watching over the deceased CEO's wayward son, and to his dismay, his Utility Score is rapidly dropping. The book wastes no time in dropping Cy into both an escape plot by one of his fellow androids whose Utility Score has dropped too low and who might be decommissioned soon, and also corporate espionage and politics as Grayson, Cy's wayward charge, finally takes interest in his father's company being sold by his ambitious sister.
Even while Cy is somewhat exasperated by Grayson's shenanigans, from his constant changes to his pottery sarcophagus project, his laziness, and his desire for real instead of replicated food, you can tell from the get-go that Cy is very fond of Grayson. After all, he basically grew up with Grayson as well, and Grayson himself does have unplumbed depths that climb to the surface as they go on the run with a mysterious hard drive that everyone is seeking out. The high points of the novel are definitely Cy and Grayson interacting, but Cy also develops a fairly sweet relationship with Larry, the android on the run, and Liv, an AI+ programmer and technician who has worked with Cy for a long time. It's also very charming honestly how bad Cy is at predicting romance, and I did enjoy Cy figuring out that a Utility Score isn't everything.
That being said, I did feel like the ending was a bit abrupt and everything got resolved maybe a little too smoothly.
All in all though, this is a very fun scifi read, and I look forward to more from this author!
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Valet was a sit down and read the whole thing all at once kind of book. It took me a few chapters to get into the swing of things but then I just fell in love with the quirky characters.
When android valet Cy gets roped into a madcap scheme by his good-hearted but lackadaisical ward Grayson into saving Grayson's family company their journey snowballs from simple blackmail to running for their lives with a wacky cast of characters at their side.
You can tell Cy is definitely the Alfred to Grayson's (immature) Batman, to make a comparison. Cy seems to genuinely care about his ward and has grown up with and raised him since the loss of Grayson's enigmatic father (who haunts the narrative much like a Thomas Wayne figure). Grayson treats Cy like an uncle, brother, and best friend all in one with their relationship flip flopping to meet his needs in the moment but there's growth from the first page to the end of the novel that shows Grayson cares deeply for his android companion.
Cy and Grayson's moments carried the story but the minor characters had so much personality as well. I loved Larry, truly who doesn't want a madcap friend like Larry. One day he's just casually asking for help looking for a job and the next he's on the run to Mexico sending you postcards with illegal bootlegs attached. He was a riot! If there's ever a sequel or a spin off I'd want it to be from Larry's perspective.
All in all a fun read that took me no time at all when I finally took a break from life and slowed down to sit with it, Valet was a good time.
When android valet Cy gets roped into a madcap scheme by his good-hearted but lackadaisical ward Grayson into saving Grayson's family company their journey snowballs from simple blackmail to running for their lives with a wacky cast of characters at their side.
You can tell Cy is definitely the Alfred to Grayson's (immature) Batman, to make a comparison. Cy seems to genuinely care about his ward and has grown up with and raised him since the loss of Grayson's enigmatic father (who haunts the narrative much like a Thomas Wayne figure). Grayson treats Cy like an uncle, brother, and best friend all in one with their relationship flip flopping to meet his needs in the moment but there's growth from the first page to the end of the novel that shows Grayson cares deeply for his android companion.
Cy and Grayson's moments carried the story but the minor characters had so much personality as well. I loved Larry, truly who doesn't want a madcap friend like Larry. One day he's just casually asking for help looking for a job and the next he's on the run to Mexico sending you postcards with illegal bootlegs attached. He was a riot! If there's ever a sequel or a spin off I'd want it to be from Larry's perspective.
All in all a fun read that took me no time at all when I finally took a break from life and slowed down to sit with it, Valet was a good time.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Lowkey robot propaganda that honest to god worked on me.
3.5 ⭐️
Valet is a sci-fi futuristic and satirical look at a world where humans and their robot assistants coexist in society together. The main character and single first person POV is of Cy, a 35 year old robot VALET (verified artificial learning enhanced techbot) that was designed by the patriarch of the St. Claire family and head of the family’s tech company. Now after his death, Cy is stuck with his quirky, unambitious, and lazy son, Grayson. He is tasked with trying to get Grayson a significant other to improve his standing in society and subsequently improve his VALET utility score.
Objectively, the book was written well. I enjoyed Cy’s internal monologue dry humor and his little digs at humans and the system. It is a quirky adventure with a fast paced moving plot.
However, after reading it, in my opinion the only really truly likable character is the main robot, Cy. Despite being a “basic” robot, he’s the only one who legitimately thinks about other people and considers others emotions.
I understand this is intentional, because it is a satirical look at humanity. But I was NOT rooting for a singular human being in this story at the end of the day.
Overall, I had a really good time and I’m glad I read it. Thanks to Simon & Shuster books and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my review!
3.5 ⭐️
Valet is a sci-fi futuristic and satirical look at a world where humans and their robot assistants coexist in society together. The main character and single first person POV is of Cy, a 35 year old robot VALET (verified artificial learning enhanced techbot) that was designed by the patriarch of the St. Claire family and head of the family’s tech company. Now after his death, Cy is stuck with his quirky, unambitious, and lazy son, Grayson. He is tasked with trying to get Grayson a significant other to improve his standing in society and subsequently improve his VALET utility score.
Objectively, the book was written well. I enjoyed Cy’s internal monologue dry humor and his little digs at humans and the system. It is a quirky adventure with a fast paced moving plot.
However, after reading it, in my opinion the only really truly likable character is the main robot, Cy. Despite being a “basic” robot, he’s the only one who legitimately thinks about other people and considers others emotions.
I understand this is intentional, because it is a satirical look at humanity. But I was NOT rooting for a singular human being in this story at the end of the day.
Overall, I had a really good time and I’m glad I read it. Thanks to Simon & Shuster books and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my review!
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
Safe to say that this book is one of the hidden gems for me this year.A hilarious and thought-provoking mad dash filled with soul between the pages. Its unique vibe reminds me a lot of Fredrik Backman's works that I love, using humour with a subtle nudge to explore such serious topics and emotions.
Cy is an Android valet given to Grason after his father's death to watch over him and the more recent task given to him by Grayson's mother....to find her good-for-nothing son a life partner. After Grayson and Cy learned that his father's company will be swallowed up after his sister is willing to sell it they find themselves in a race with time to untangle some secrets and figure out a way to prevent his father's legacy from going for scraps.
An absolute balm for the soul, full of laughter and such a wonderful cast of characters! Larry was the low-key MVP if you ask me😂😂😂 And you can't help but fall in love with Cy and how well he was written, perfectly capturing the android/butler vibe. Not to mention how much I loved how the relationships were portrayed - especially the heartwarming one between him and Grayson and the hilarious rivalry with Elsa😂 Just brilliant!
How much I laughed when Cronkite appeared on the scene is a whole other topic😂😂😂
Full shining 5 stars from me and the way it made me laugh but also feel lighter and good after closing the last page.
Cy is an Android valet given to Grason after his father's death to watch over him and the more recent task given to him by Grayson's mother....to find her good-for-nothing son a life partner. After Grayson and Cy learned that his father's company will be swallowed up after his sister is willing to sell it they find themselves in a race with time to untangle some secrets and figure out a way to prevent his father's legacy from going for scraps.
An absolute balm for the soul, full of laughter and such a wonderful cast of characters! Larry was the low-key MVP if you ask me😂😂😂 And you can't help but fall in love with Cy and how well he was written, perfectly capturing the android/butler vibe. Not to mention how much I loved how the relationships were portrayed - especially the heartwarming one between him and Grayson and the hilarious rivalry with Elsa😂 Just brilliant!
How much I laughed when Cronkite appeared on the scene is a whole other topic😂😂😂
Full shining 5 stars from me and the way it made me laugh but also feel lighter and good after closing the last page.
June 4, 2026
Many thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster | Saga Press for gifting me both a physical and digital ARC of this wonderful debut novel by JP Lacrampe. All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 5 stars!
Cy has worked for the St Claire family since his inception, and his owner has tasked him to help her 35-year-old son, Grayson, do more with his life. Grayson is nothing like his CEO sister, Charlotte, who is running the family robotics company after their dad died. But when Grayson learns that Charlotte plans to sell the company to a tech conglomerate, he panics. He doesn't want the technology their dad created over the year, like Cy, to be in the wrong hands. So he does what he thinks he must, and soon he's on the run
I absolutely adored this quirky book and all its characters, but especially Cy for showing us just what it means to be human. This book has it all - family drama, corporate espionage, second and third chances, working together to accomplish what we can't on our own - all in a way that will have you cheering on robots, laughing and tearing up along the way. It's dystopian light, showing us a world run by technology and robots, but one that still feels like home. It's hopeful, cozy, and perfect - just what I needed in a book today. Don't miss this one!
Cy has worked for the St Claire family since his inception, and his owner has tasked him to help her 35-year-old son, Grayson, do more with his life. Grayson is nothing like his CEO sister, Charlotte, who is running the family robotics company after their dad died. But when Grayson learns that Charlotte plans to sell the company to a tech conglomerate, he panics. He doesn't want the technology their dad created over the year, like Cy, to be in the wrong hands. So he does what he thinks he must, and soon he's on the run
I absolutely adored this quirky book and all its characters, but especially Cy for showing us just what it means to be human. This book has it all - family drama, corporate espionage, second and third chances, working together to accomplish what we can't on our own - all in a way that will have you cheering on robots, laughing and tearing up along the way. It's dystopian light, showing us a world run by technology and robots, but one that still feels like home. It's hopeful, cozy, and perfect - just what I needed in a book today. Don't miss this one!
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Valet by JP Lacrampe. Thanks to SagaPressBooks for the gifted Arc ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Cy isn’t the most advanced robot out there, but he’s not the simplest either. While serving a wealthy family, he finds himself on the helping their deadbeat son and his dog.
This is noted as a fantasy but it felt more contemporary to me, with a touch of science fiction. We are getting used to AI in our lives and I don’t think we are far off from living with household robotics. My team at work recently went to a conference that had concierge robotics. I loved that the main character was a robot. He had an outside look at humans and it definitely added a sense of humor. There is no heavy science fiction or technology in the story. It’s a super easy read with lots of action, and has you rooting for an unusual cast of characters.
“Humans are not without their flaws, but their collective effort is a marvel to behold.”
Read if you like:
-Rooting for an unusual group of characters
-Non-human narrators
-AI or robotic plots
-Evil wealthy family tropes
Valet comes out 6/2.
Cy isn’t the most advanced robot out there, but he’s not the simplest either. While serving a wealthy family, he finds himself on the helping their deadbeat son and his dog.
This is noted as a fantasy but it felt more contemporary to me, with a touch of science fiction. We are getting used to AI in our lives and I don’t think we are far off from living with household robotics. My team at work recently went to a conference that had concierge robotics. I loved that the main character was a robot. He had an outside look at humans and it definitely added a sense of humor. There is no heavy science fiction or technology in the story. It’s a super easy read with lots of action, and has you rooting for an unusual cast of characters.
“Humans are not without their flaws, but their collective effort is a marvel to behold.”
Read if you like:
-Rooting for an unusual group of characters
-Non-human narrators
-AI or robotic plots
-Evil wealthy family tropes
Valet comes out 6/2.
Review of advance copy received from Author
From the first pages I was hooked by the lexicon of VALET. This is important to me in becoming immersed. When entering the new world of a near-future or sci-fi story I hope to be pulled in by new language that sets this particular world apart while I slip off from my tether to reality. In VALET I particularly enjoyed the suspense introduced by the software versions and critical power levels adjacent to the story line. The weave of the human and Ai technology based characters built successfully for me to a level of belief as the blend of the two was revealed. Ultimately it created the sense that the human and Ai romance & friendship present was possible. The mix of wry and well placed humor also made me smile during the read. As an avid reader, at the end of VALET I got what I am always hoping for...that feeling of a story well told that leaves me in anticipation of a sequel/prequel to continue on the tale. VALET, enjoy the read, I certainly did!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Valet is an absolute delight from start to finish, keeping a lighthearted tone while still managing to explore important themes of family, responsibility, and self-determination. Cy is a robot assigned to a hapless 35-year-old, Grayson. Grayson was passed over in his family's robotics company in favor of his younger, go-getter sister Charlotte, and Cy's job is to get Grayson out of his funk, married well, and leading a productive life. When Grayson learns that Charlotte is planning to sell the company to a rival and hand over their late father's robotics research, he and Cy, along with Grayson's cloned dog Sasha III, embark on a series of increasingly zany adventures to try to save the company. This is a tribute to Wodehouse's Bertie and Jeeves novels, but it also stands on its own. I eagerly await Lacrampe's next novel. Thank you to NetGalley and S&S/Saga Press for a digital review copy.
May 12, 2026
4.25⭐️
Cy is a helper robot who just wants to up his utility score and get the next update for his operating system. Grayson is the son of his owner, who is a non-starter, depressed, and floating through life. However, when Grayson discovers that his sister wants to sell the family company after her father's death, he enlists the help of Cy to start a corporate takeover and protect his father's intellectual property.
I love a book where there is a glimmer of hope in the age of advanced technology. Set far into the future of a fully AI-supported world, we have a robot who only wants to serve and a hapless non-started just wanting to work with clay. The tech world is littered with hilarious nods to past analog history. Our main robot has a degree of sarcastic wit built into his outward facing servitude. And the cast of side characters is so well developed, you can’t pick just one favorite. A satisfying ending as well.
Cy is a helper robot who just wants to up his utility score and get the next update for his operating system. Grayson is the son of his owner, who is a non-starter, depressed, and floating through life. However, when Grayson discovers that his sister wants to sell the family company after her father's death, he enlists the help of Cy to start a corporate takeover and protect his father's intellectual property.
I love a book where there is a glimmer of hope in the age of advanced technology. Set far into the future of a fully AI-supported world, we have a robot who only wants to serve and a hapless non-started just wanting to work with clay. The tech world is littered with hilarious nods to past analog history. Our main robot has a degree of sarcastic wit built into his outward facing servitude. And the cast of side characters is so well developed, you can’t pick just one favorite. A satisfying ending as well.
May 26, 2026
A fun, witty, and zany adventure of an unambitious middle age man, who with the help of his robot butler, plot to keep the family business in the family.
Thirty-five-year-old Grayson has zero drive to accomplish much of anything. And that’s a problem for Cy, his robot companion, whose sole goal is to get his charge out in society. But nothing really lights a fire under Grayson until the business he actually cares about is about to be sold. And this is where it goes completely off the rails.
I love the premise of this story, and the idea of the underdog rising up to accomplish what seems to be impossible-with no real plan aside from stealing the original plans his father created. Grayson has Cy willing to help, but within parameters, because otherwise, Cy risks becoming inoperational. Thrown into the mix is Livi, a scientist who works for the family business, and who is willing to help Grayson keep it that way. It becomes a funny balancing act, and race against the clock.
Adding even more trouble to their already tumultuous situation is Larry-a robot that has gone rogue, and who is relying on Cy to keep his secret. There are threats, spies, and secret societies that become the biggest obstacle between Cy, Grayson, and victory, and we get to cheer them on until the end.
What balances out the humor and craziness of this story is the growth that the MC experiences, and the confidence he begins to feel in himself. He also becomes much more selfless, and worries more about what happens to his friends than to himself. It makes him a likable character, and one you want to see succeed.
This lightheaded story was a nice palette cleanser, and quick read. I look forward to seeing what else this author comes up with. 4.5 stars
Thank you Saga Press for my arc. My opinion is my own.
Thirty-five-year-old Grayson has zero drive to accomplish much of anything. And that’s a problem for Cy, his robot companion, whose sole goal is to get his charge out in society. But nothing really lights a fire under Grayson until the business he actually cares about is about to be sold. And this is where it goes completely off the rails.
I love the premise of this story, and the idea of the underdog rising up to accomplish what seems to be impossible-with no real plan aside from stealing the original plans his father created. Grayson has Cy willing to help, but within parameters, because otherwise, Cy risks becoming inoperational. Thrown into the mix is Livi, a scientist who works for the family business, and who is willing to help Grayson keep it that way. It becomes a funny balancing act, and race against the clock.
Adding even more trouble to their already tumultuous situation is Larry-a robot that has gone rogue, and who is relying on Cy to keep his secret. There are threats, spies, and secret societies that become the biggest obstacle between Cy, Grayson, and victory, and we get to cheer them on until the end.
What balances out the humor and craziness of this story is the growth that the MC experiences, and the confidence he begins to feel in himself. He also becomes much more selfless, and worries more about what happens to his friends than to himself. It makes him a likable character, and one you want to see succeed.
This lightheaded story was a nice palette cleanser, and quick read. I look forward to seeing what else this author comes up with. 4.5 stars
Thank you Saga Press for my arc. My opinion is my own.
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
What an absolute delight this is! Cy has been a loyal android valet to the St Clair family since he was made. Now, he's been assigned to Grayson, the wastrel son, by Grayson's mother who wants him to marry, buckle up, be something. Charlotte, Grayson's sister, wants to sell their father's company to a giant evil conglomerate but she needs something. And she thinks Grayson has it. Cy, Grayson, Grayson's old pal Livi (an engineer) end up on the lam along with Gray's dog, just as Cy's friend, a valet who was about to be decommissioned escaped the area. That's the synopsis of this satiric sci-fi romp about AI and robots. Cy is more real than many human characters and there's more to Grayson than anyone understands. It's funny, it's poignant, it has a big heart. No spoilers from me but I found myself rooting Cy, Livi, and Gray. Thanks to edelweiss for the ARC. This surprised me in a good way- highly recommend.
June 2, 2026
When I saw the comparison to Wodehouse, whom I thoroughly enjoyed until all his plots started running together for me, I was expecting a light farce based in the future with robot servants. Yes there is farce, this is a very silly book but there is also substance here. Yes it takes place in the future, with robot servants; but it also explores the themes of family, surmounting one's fate as a ne'er-do-well, and the danger/possibility of granting sentience to machines.
Bottom line is I guess this book was funnier and less hackneyed than I expected (it was not just Jeeves and Wooster in the 23rd Century or something), and there was more feeling and depth to the story than one might expect. I also enjoyed the references and social commentary - none of it too over the top - that Lacrampe utilized from the advantage of setting his novel in the near future. Also, honestly? I'm loving the cover art as well.
Thanks to Saga Press and NetGalley for the eARC!
Bottom line is I guess this book was funnier and less hackneyed than I expected (it was not just Jeeves and Wooster in the 23rd Century or something), and there was more feeling and depth to the story than one might expect. I also enjoyed the references and social commentary - none of it too over the top - that Lacrampe utilized from the advantage of setting his novel in the near future. Also, honestly? I'm loving the cover art as well.
Thanks to Saga Press and NetGalley for the eARC!
June 3, 2026
The publisher says this one as a "whimsically speculative ode to Wodehouse’s Jeeves and Wooster," which is one of the more misleading descriptions I've seen recently. Oh, the book counts as speculative fiction and the author has clearly read Wodehouse, but the story is decidedly heavier than Wodhouse, and it is in no way, shape, or form whimsical.
That being said, Valet is actually a pretty entertaining book, and features anxious robots, family squabbles, and corporate espionage. I suppose you could say it's like a Jeeves and Wooster story if Bertie and his friends were written as more pathetic than silly and all the servants had been replaced with robots manufactured by the Sirius Cybernetics Corporation.
Those who come to the book looking for the charm of P.G. Wodehouse will be sorely disappointed, but those who are looking for an entertaining story with sardonic, put-upon robots will enjoy Valet.
Three and a half stars.
Received via NetGalley.
That being said, Valet is actually a pretty entertaining book, and features anxious robots, family squabbles, and corporate espionage. I suppose you could say it's like a Jeeves and Wooster story if Bertie and his friends were written as more pathetic than silly and all the servants had been replaced with robots manufactured by the Sirius Cybernetics Corporation.
Those who come to the book looking for the charm of P.G. Wodehouse will be sorely disappointed, but those who are looking for an entertaining story with sardonic, put-upon robots will enjoy Valet.
Three and a half stars.
Received via NetGalley.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
A Valet - a “Verified Artificial-Learning-Enhanced Techbot” - is tasked with helping a 35 year old son of the tech company AI+ ends up having to go a crazy adventure to save said family company.
Although this sounded like it could be a wholesome and maybe even emotional read, well I ended up just finding it just okay? I didn’t find myself very invested in the story. The story itself and the setting was fine. Honestly, the ending didn’t feel very satisfying to me.
If I had to choose a favorite thing about this it would for sure be our endearing Valet, Cy. He was what truly kept me going through the whole story.
I still recommend if this sounds like a story you could enjoy. As, writing is art, and everyone interprets art differently.
Thank you always Saga Press for my gifted ARC for my honest review!
Although this sounded like it could be a wholesome and maybe even emotional read, well I ended up just finding it just okay? I didn’t find myself very invested in the story. The story itself and the setting was fine. Honestly, the ending didn’t feel very satisfying to me.
If I had to choose a favorite thing about this it would for sure be our endearing Valet, Cy. He was what truly kept me going through the whole story.
I still recommend if this sounds like a story you could enjoy. As, writing is art, and everyone interprets art differently.
Thank you always Saga Press for my gifted ARC for my honest review!
February 17, 2026
Valet was a simple and quirky romp into a futuristic world where service androids are ubiquitous and constantly on the ready.
The characters really shine in this story and I found them to be most personable and entertaining. The subtle not-so-subtle humor was not lost on me and the zany technology, also not to be taken seriously. There was a good amount of family drama and sibling rivalry. However the friendships and transformations leading up to the denouement was solid and comforting. I had a lot of fun seeing things through Cy’s POV and Larry’s antics and outrageous behaviors were some of my favorite moments.
I read this in less than 2 days and have zero regrets.
Satisfaction utility score: 4/5
Thank you Saga Press & NetGalley for the DRC.
The characters really shine in this story and I found them to be most personable and entertaining. The subtle not-so-subtle humor was not lost on me and the zany technology, also not to be taken seriously. There was a good amount of family drama and sibling rivalry. However the friendships and transformations leading up to the denouement was solid and comforting. I had a lot of fun seeing things through Cy’s POV and Larry’s antics and outrageous behaviors were some of my favorite moments.
I read this in less than 2 days and have zero regrets.
Satisfaction utility score: 4/5
Thank you Saga Press & NetGalley for the DRC.
May 13, 2026
Lacrampe wrote a debut that is enjoyable and interesting, with lovable characters, and a comfortable, feel-good plot. My rating is based on the amount of enjoyment I got from this story.
This one caught my eye because of the robot MC. Cy is a helper robot, created by Ai+ Labs. When his owner dies, Cy is tasked with caring wayward 35 year old Grayson.
We see the story through Cy’s robot eyes as he tries to inspire his hapless charge. I found Cy’s emotionless perspective hilarious. The story is filled with lines like- “Despite having listened to the complete discography of ABBA, I’m not really qualified to judge beauty”. Cy is joined by an equally lovable cast of friends, including a cloned golden retriever and a one eye-min pin.
For me, this story was cute without being trite. It’s got a plot that keeps the story moving and touches on the timely subject of AI but in a way that didn’t make me crash out.
Highly recommend if you’re looking for something that’s fun and entertaining.
Huge thank you to Saga Press for sending me an ARC!
Vibes- Detroit: Become Human, sentient Robot rom-com
Keywords- robots, rom-com, book recommendations, new release, summer reads
#booksbooksbooks #bookreview #SagaPress
This one caught my eye because of the robot MC. Cy is a helper robot, created by Ai+ Labs. When his owner dies, Cy is tasked with caring wayward 35 year old Grayson.
We see the story through Cy’s robot eyes as he tries to inspire his hapless charge. I found Cy’s emotionless perspective hilarious. The story is filled with lines like- “Despite having listened to the complete discography of ABBA, I’m not really qualified to judge beauty”. Cy is joined by an equally lovable cast of friends, including a cloned golden retriever and a one eye-min pin.
For me, this story was cute without being trite. It’s got a plot that keeps the story moving and touches on the timely subject of AI but in a way that didn’t make me crash out.
Highly recommend if you’re looking for something that’s fun and entertaining.
Huge thank you to Saga Press for sending me an ARC!
Vibes- Detroit: Become Human, sentient Robot rom-com
Keywords- robots, rom-com, book recommendations, new release, summer reads
#booksbooksbooks #bookreview #SagaPress
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Valet is the story of Cy, the helper robot, and Grayson, the 35 year old human under his care. Cy has been assigned the job of finding Grayson a girlfriend, while at the same time, Grayson's sister wants to sell off the family company, something Grayson is very much against. Antics ensue as Cy helps his robot buddy, Larry, escape from his keeper, and humans and robots are forced to hide in rather non-tech environments. It's a fun read and the author kept me guessing how all the loose ends might be pulled together at the end. The ending was sweet and satisfying, and I closed the book appreciating how robots might actually have some emotions and feelings. Maybe.
Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to read and review Valet.
Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to read and review Valet.
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