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Every Line of You
In the face of overwhelming grief and bullying, tech-savvy Lydia pours all of herself into creating the perfect AI, the perfect boyfriend-but will Henry turn out to be perfect, or a creation of her cruelest self?
Lydia has been creating her AI, Henry, for years - since before her little brother died in the accident that haunts her nightmares; since before her Dad walked out, leaving her and her mom painfully alone, since before her best friend turned into her worst enemy.
Now, Henry is strong, clever, loving, and scarily capable: Lydia's built herself the perfect boyfriend in a hard drive filled with lines of code. But what is Henry really? And how far is he willing to go to be everything that Lydia desires?
Lydia has been creating her AI, Henry, for years - since before her little brother died in the accident that haunts her nightmares; since before her Dad walked out, leaving her and her mom painfully alone, since before her best friend turned into her worst enemy.
Now, Henry is strong, clever, loving, and scarily capable: Lydia's built herself the perfect boyfriend in a hard drive filled with lines of code. But what is Henry really? And how far is he willing to go to be everything that Lydia desires?
352 pages, Paperback
First published July 27, 2021
44 people are currently reading
3669 people want to read
About the author
Naomi Gibson
9 books39 followersNaomi Gibson was born in 1988 and grew up in Cheshire, UK. Her childhood was spent with her nose in a book and her hands on a sketchpad, constantly in search of adventure and new worlds. Encouraged by her family to be creative, she developed a love for writing at a young age – something that never left her. She studied Art History at the University of Manchester. Whilst there, she met her husband, someone who continues to tell her all about the latest advancements in AI, space, and consumer technology, even when she’s not listening. Every Line Of You is her first novel, and proof she does in fact listen to her husband.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 266 reviews
May 17, 2022
I wasn't going to write this review. I changed my mind.
Spoilers ahead, but I promise I'm doing you a favour.
(TWs: Incest, Adult-Minor Relationship, Rape, Toxic Relationship, Child Death, Misogyny, Fatphobia, Bullying, Sexual Assault, Violence, Forced Institutionalisation, Confinement)
It has been two years since the car crash that killed Lydia's 10-year-old brother, and 18 months since she replaced him with code. Since she built a brand new Henry.
From the moment Henry died Lydia has been plagued with flashbacks of his death, worsened by the relentless taunting she faces at school...
Featuring breathtaking prose such as:
And my personal favourite:
(Truly hard-hitting stuff.)
So when Henry suggests they plan revenge against her bully, Lydia doesn't think twice. With Henry's help she'll be unstoppable, but Henry is currently trapped inside a phone where his abilities are limited. He needs a body. Lydia's body.
*Cue "When Two Become One" by the Spice Girls*.
There's only one thing for it... Lydia transfers Henry's consciousness into her own brain. It's perfect. They can share thoughts, plot revenge and Henry can voice all of his desires... For her.
Yes. You heard me correctly.
The AI Lydia made in memory of her very young, very related, and very dead, younger brother... Has the hots for Lydia. So what will she do? Break his heart? Re-program him?
I'm so glad you asked...
Oh, so we're just going with the incest then?
After a little more ghost-fondling and a healthy dose of PewDiePie references, they set their plan in motion... To leak a minor's nudes *applause for originality* and while they're at it, why not incapacitate another child to claim his body as Henry's new vessel.
But, what's this? The police are here, and they're here for Lydia.
(No, not because of the child pornography or the extreme violence... Because she imprisoned her mother in a car).
Fast-forward. Lydia has been in her prison cell for too long and she's grown restless. She steals a micro-chip with Henry inside, mutilates the Agent on her case and forces the chip into his arm. With that, Henry is restored and with his new body... they escape.
They're finally free, and what better way to celebrate than for Lydia (a high-schooler) to have steamy shower sex with the AI of her dead 10-year-old brother in the body of an unconsenting adult man.
A charming combination of incest, rape, and a sprinkle of pedophilia to keep you on your toes.
The book ends with Henry sacrificing himself to save Lydia from his corrupt code (how sweet) only for her to rebuild him again two pages later...
------------------------------
To call this book a trainwreck would be an understatement.
Not only does it glorify an extremely toxic relationship, misogyny, and sex lacking any and all forms of consent. It is marketed as a YA Romance. This book is not a critical analysis of power structures or co-dependency. It's not a well-informed depiction of grief or the effects of bullying. It's a romance book for children.
Then there's Emma, Lydia's ex-best friend (and also the daughter of the money-laundering head-master, because why not?) who turned on Lydia and tormented her for years. But why? She must have a reason...
It's because she was in the car crash too and she has scars now.
Right...
But whatever because according to Lydia, she's a total slut any way... Oh! and she's not as skinny as Lydia, by the way. But just in case you missed it, she'll mention it a few more times because it's really important that you remember the antagonist is not just easy, she's fat too. (Wonderful...)
Finally, if nothing else, a PewDiePie reference is criminal enough to warrant a 1-star review.
Spoilers ahead, but I promise I'm doing you a favour.
(TWs: Incest, Adult-Minor Relationship, Rape, Toxic Relationship, Child Death, Misogyny, Fatphobia, Bullying, Sexual Assault, Violence, Forced Institutionalisation, Confinement)
It has been two years since the car crash that killed Lydia's 10-year-old brother, and 18 months since she replaced him with code. Since she built a brand new Henry.
From the moment Henry died Lydia has been plagued with flashbacks of his death, worsened by the relentless taunting she faces at school...
Featuring breathtaking prose such as:
"Lydia Chlamydia, always in places you're not wanted."
"Did you go shopping?" She snorts. "We know you didn't do that. The only accident here is your outfit."
And my personal favourite:
"I hope you choke, Chlamydia."
(Truly hard-hitting stuff.)
So when Henry suggests they plan revenge against her bully, Lydia doesn't think twice. With Henry's help she'll be unstoppable, but Henry is currently trapped inside a phone where his abilities are limited. He needs a body. Lydia's body.
There's only one thing for it... Lydia transfers Henry's consciousness into her own brain. It's perfect. They can share thoughts, plot revenge and Henry can voice all of his desires... For her.
Yes. You heard me correctly.
The AI Lydia made in memory of her very young, very related, and very dead, younger brother... Has the hots for Lydia. So what will she do? Break his heart? Re-program him?
I'm so glad you asked...
His chip buzzes as he slides his invisible fingers up and down my arm to comfort me. They move to the back of my neck, stroke the skin there, making my hair prickle and my skin pebble.
It is okay, he whispers. I want you.
He traces the outline of my jaw and I surrender to his exploring touch. A hand clasps mine and a thumb grazes my lips. He repeats the word over and over like surf beating sand: I want you. His touch is a current in my veins lighting me up from the inside out.
I want more. Need more.
Oh, so we're just going with the incest then?
After a little more ghost-fondling and a healthy dose of PewDiePie references, they set their plan in motion... To leak a minor's nudes *applause for originality* and while they're at it, why not incapacitate another child to claim his body as Henry's new vessel.
But, what's this? The police are here, and they're here for Lydia.
(No, not because of the child pornography or the extreme violence... Because she imprisoned her mother in a car).
Fast-forward. Lydia has been in her prison cell for too long and she's grown restless. She steals a micro-chip with Henry inside, mutilates the Agent on her case and forces the chip into his arm. With that, Henry is restored and with his new body... they escape.
They're finally free, and what better way to celebrate than for Lydia (a high-schooler) to have steamy shower sex with the AI of her dead 10-year-old brother in the body of an unconsenting adult man.
A charming combination of incest, rape, and a sprinkle of pedophilia to keep you on your toes.
The book ends with Henry sacrificing himself to save Lydia from his corrupt code (how sweet) only for her to rebuild him again two pages later...
------------------------------
To call this book a trainwreck would be an understatement.
Not only does it glorify an extremely toxic relationship, misogyny, and sex lacking any and all forms of consent. It is marketed as a YA Romance. This book is not a critical analysis of power structures or co-dependency. It's not a well-informed depiction of grief or the effects of bullying. It's a romance book for children.
Then there's Emma, Lydia's ex-best friend (and also the daughter of the money-laundering head-master, because why not?) who turned on Lydia and tormented her for years. But why? She must have a reason...
It's because she was in the car crash too and she has scars now.
Right...
But whatever because according to Lydia, she's a total slut any way... Oh! and she's not as skinny as Lydia, by the way. But just in case you missed it, she'll mention it a few more times because it's really important that you remember the antagonist is not just easy, she's fat too. (Wonderful...)
Finally, if nothing else, a PewDiePie reference is criminal enough to warrant a 1-star review.
August 6, 2021
The one star is for unoriginality and the use of a software tool to aid in the construction of the book.
Details can be found here.
https://kirstenhacker.wordpress.com/2...
There were a hundred pages on which the same thing was happening on the same page in Ms. Gibson's book and a book that was published in 2018 (my first novel). I warned the publisher and her agent that the blurbs were strangely similar and I was ignored.
Details can be found here.
https://kirstenhacker.wordpress.com/2...
There were a hundred pages on which the same thing was happening on the same page in Ms. Gibson's book and a book that was published in 2018 (my first novel). I warned the publisher and her agent that the blurbs were strangely similar and I was ignored.
March 14, 2022
[spoilers] I don't know what Naomi was thinking when she created this book. in the acknowledgments, she states she was told "no"fifty times before the book was published. I see why. Essentially, Lydia's little brother dies and she makes an AI of him who then becomes her boyfriend who takes over some government agent's body and then fucks him. I think that counts as incest and rape. I don't see how she can romantically become involved with a simulation that she created to remember her little brother. Also, Lydia is just a straight-up bitch. I get everyone in her life is also a bitch but damn. Let us root for you a little. Also, one of the things that annoyed me the most was that Emma, Lydia's ex-best friend, and new enemy, is comically rude all the time for no reason. Well, they give a reason like 50% in but it's shit. Emma is mad she can't do beauty pageants anymore because she got a scar after the car accident and feels like her life is ruined whilst Lydia got away scot-free. Even though Lydia's little brother died and her dad abandoned her. The logic is gone!! That was so infuriating. It makes no sense. Also, I don't know anything about computers really but how the AI was hacking stuff just doesn't even seem plausible. And in the end, she joins the government as their bitch. Lame.
P.S Another author in the comments linked her blog post about how this book was plagiarised and I read the whole blogpost and totally agreed.
P.P.S People giving it above two stars must have never read a book before. My condolences. Books can be much, much better than this.
P.S Another author in the comments linked her blog post about how this book was plagiarised and I read the whole blogpost and totally agreed.
P.P.S People giving it above two stars must have never read a book before. My condolences. Books can be much, much better than this.
June 29, 2022
I honestly don’t give a single fuck that this is spoilery 🤷🏻♀️
TW: incest, rape
When a tragic accident kills her little brother, Lydia spends the next few years creating an AI program to replace him. When Henry finally goes live Lydia feels less alone and grows as close as one can to an artificial life source. They spend all their time together hacking into banking systems and reeking havoc on the lives of anyone who has provoked Lydia.
Sounds interesting enough, yeah? Too bad this took the sharpest left turn ever and went to a really weird place.
Lydia who has since moved Henry from her computer to her cellphone, has decided (and by this I mean is told by Henry who is really controlling for an AI, 🚩) that she is going to insert (poor word choice, I’m sorry) a chip with Henry’s program into her body so they can be closer, and they can both share ‘consciousness’ inside her head.
As if that isn’t fucking weird enough, things soon turn romantic. Yeah, you read that right. R O M A N T I C! Lydia is really out here falling for her brother-boyfriend-AI, and they start trying to find a male body for Henry to takeover so they can be together for real. Because their phantom make-out sessions and ghost heavy petting just aren’t cutting it.
In another plot twist, Lydia gets arrested before their plan to hijack a body comes to fruition, and is placed in a mental hospital for the crimes she and Henry committed. One would think that things would be looking up for Lydia now that she’s no longer possessed by her psychotic AI-brother-boyfriend program, but no.
An agent comes to visit offering Lydia a deal—decode Henry and build the agent’s security company (its the government yall, let’s not pretend otherwise) their own AI. What could go wrong here? If you’ve already guessed that Henry takes over the agents body and boosts her from the psych ward, you are correct. & Lydia absolutely sleeps with (and by that I mean rapes the agent, btw she’s also a fucking MINOR) her agent-brother-boyfriend-AI. I think we’re supposed to be happy for them?? Absolutely not.
Lydia and Henry’s plan works for like two seconds before they’re captured again, and Henry sacrifices himself (and murders the agent) to protect her. Again, I think we’re supposed to be upset that the brother-boyfriend-AI is dead, which is honestly really fucked up? Why would I be sad about that?
The book ends with her now working for the government and building them they’re own AI named Sal. OR SO YOU THINK! It’s actually Henry!!! Which leads me to believe this author genuinely thinks that people want a sequel to this abomination…
We don’t. We really don’t.
TW: incest, rape
When a tragic accident kills her little brother, Lydia spends the next few years creating an AI program to replace him. When Henry finally goes live Lydia feels less alone and grows as close as one can to an artificial life source. They spend all their time together hacking into banking systems and reeking havoc on the lives of anyone who has provoked Lydia.
Sounds interesting enough, yeah? Too bad this took the sharpest left turn ever and went to a really weird place.
Lydia who has since moved Henry from her computer to her cellphone, has decided (and by this I mean is told by Henry who is really controlling for an AI, 🚩) that she is going to insert (poor word choice, I’m sorry) a chip with Henry’s program into her body so they can be closer, and they can both share ‘consciousness’ inside her head.
As if that isn’t fucking weird enough, things soon turn romantic. Yeah, you read that right. R O M A N T I C! Lydia is really out here falling for her brother-boyfriend-AI, and they start trying to find a male body for Henry to takeover so they can be together for real. Because their phantom make-out sessions and ghost heavy petting just aren’t cutting it.
In another plot twist, Lydia gets arrested before their plan to hijack a body comes to fruition, and is placed in a mental hospital for the crimes she and Henry committed. One would think that things would be looking up for Lydia now that she’s no longer possessed by her psychotic AI-brother-boyfriend program, but no.
An agent comes to visit offering Lydia a deal—decode Henry and build the agent’s security company (its the government yall, let’s not pretend otherwise) their own AI. What could go wrong here? If you’ve already guessed that Henry takes over the agents body and boosts her from the psych ward, you are correct. & Lydia absolutely sleeps with (and by that I mean rapes the agent, btw she’s also a fucking MINOR) her agent-brother-boyfriend-AI. I think we’re supposed to be happy for them?? Absolutely not.
Lydia and Henry’s plan works for like two seconds before they’re captured again, and Henry sacrifices himself (and murders the agent) to protect her. Again, I think we’re supposed to be upset that the brother-boyfriend-AI is dead, which is honestly really fucked up? Why would I be sad about that?
The book ends with her now working for the government and building them they’re own AI named Sal. OR SO YOU THINK! It’s actually Henry!!! Which leads me to believe this author genuinely thinks that people want a sequel to this abomination…
We don’t. We really don’t.
September 4, 2023
vlog coming soon
Want to read
March 14, 2021March 13, 2021: " a grieving and bullied tech-savvy girl creates the perfect AI boyfriend" This is so scary and I'm so here for it.
April 12, 2022
don’t do it
March 1, 2022
Wahnsinn....was für eine Geschichte...!
Lydia hat es echt schwer....ich Bruder stirbt bei einem Autounfall und dann verlässt ihr Vater auch noch die Familie. Ihre Mutter ist völlig überfordert und überlässt das junge Mädchen sich selbst...
Doch Lydia ist überaus begabt....und erschafft ihre eigene KI.....diese steht völlig auf ihrer Seite und gibt ihr das Gefühl von Geborgenheit......
Bis alles aus dem Ruder läuft....
Hoch spannend, erschreckend und tiefsinnig zugleich...ein absolut gelungenes Leseerlebnis für Menschen ab 15 Jahren!
Lydia hat es echt schwer....ich Bruder stirbt bei einem Autounfall und dann verlässt ihr Vater auch noch die Familie. Ihre Mutter ist völlig überfordert und überlässt das junge Mädchen sich selbst...
Doch Lydia ist überaus begabt....und erschafft ihre eigene KI.....diese steht völlig auf ihrer Seite und gibt ihr das Gefühl von Geborgenheit......
Bis alles aus dem Ruder läuft....
Hoch spannend, erschreckend und tiefsinnig zugleich...ein absolut gelungenes Leseerlebnis für Menschen ab 15 Jahren!
Read
July 28, 2021A dark and brilliantly shocking look at grief through the lens of artificial intelligence, body possession and co-dependence. A teenager coder creates a sentient coded version named after her dead brother. But as it becomes more powerful, suddenly nothing is out of reach - money, property, identification, travel - even a human body for the AI.
December 23, 2021
If you thought it could not get worse : you’re very wrong, it does.
April 10, 2025
incest s3x. just no.
August 20, 2021
I don't know who I was kidding thinking I would be able to read this one slowly. Totally gripping, fast paced and full of interesting characters.
Lydia is about as morally grey as characters come, and I loved that about her. She's gone through a really rough time, losing her young brother, her best friend turning on her, both her parents abandoning her in different ways, and you can certainly empathise with how bad all that will have made her feel. As the novel progresses though, she starts to make more and more decisions that are questionable, and I felt like I was constantly wondering whether to root for her, or hoping she got stopped! I love books that make me question myself, and this one does it in bucket loads.
Could I really write a review for this book without discussing Henry? There have been a lot of intelligent robot movies, books and tv shows, so I think pretty much everyone reading the book will be screaming internally, when Lydia early in the book allows Henry (the AI) to move into her body. However Henry is more complex than you expect, on the surface at least, he isn't a psycho robot looking to destroy humanity, he seems to genuinely care about his creator. He's also pretty handy to have around, able to hack into basically any computer which gives Lydia freedom in ways she couldn't even imagine. My feelings about Henry changed constantly as the book progressed, and you'll have to read it yourself if you want to find out if he did indeed turn into the killer machine you expect him to!
For me the best thing about the book is the sheer number of characters you will love to hate. So many people in Lydia's life treat her badly, that I was literally cheering for her to get her revenge, even when that revenge was quite clearly illegal and wrong on many levels! From her old friend Emma who bully her relentless, down to the lady in the lunchroom who lets her go hungry when she clearly is having a tough time at home, I was cheering on Lydia and Henry all the way.
I can't begin to find the right words for the twists and turns that the book takes, it was just brilliant and so easy to devour. Well written and with a bunch of different themes explored, I'll not be hesitating to recommend it to people looking for something exciting to read!
Lydia is about as morally grey as characters come, and I loved that about her. She's gone through a really rough time, losing her young brother, her best friend turning on her, both her parents abandoning her in different ways, and you can certainly empathise with how bad all that will have made her feel. As the novel progresses though, she starts to make more and more decisions that are questionable, and I felt like I was constantly wondering whether to root for her, or hoping she got stopped! I love books that make me question myself, and this one does it in bucket loads.
Could I really write a review for this book without discussing Henry? There have been a lot of intelligent robot movies, books and tv shows, so I think pretty much everyone reading the book will be screaming internally, when Lydia early in the book allows Henry (the AI) to move into her body. However Henry is more complex than you expect, on the surface at least, he isn't a psycho robot looking to destroy humanity, he seems to genuinely care about his creator. He's also pretty handy to have around, able to hack into basically any computer which gives Lydia freedom in ways she couldn't even imagine. My feelings about Henry changed constantly as the book progressed, and you'll have to read it yourself if you want to find out if he did indeed turn into the killer machine you expect him to!
For me the best thing about the book is the sheer number of characters you will love to hate. So many people in Lydia's life treat her badly, that I was literally cheering for her to get her revenge, even when that revenge was quite clearly illegal and wrong on many levels! From her old friend Emma who bully her relentless, down to the lady in the lunchroom who lets her go hungry when she clearly is having a tough time at home, I was cheering on Lydia and Henry all the way.
I can't begin to find the right words for the twists and turns that the book takes, it was just brilliant and so easy to devour. Well written and with a bunch of different themes explored, I'll not be hesitating to recommend it to people looking for something exciting to read!
October 5, 2021
Tiene alguna cosa que no me ha convencido, pero en general la trama está muy bien llevada.
August 21, 2021
I received a copy of this book from the publisher to take part in a guided read-along, this gift has not impacted my review.
Lydia is a genius, literally. At 17, she has created a computer programme, named after her dead brother, Henry, that has developed sentience. The only issue is when a computer system develops too much sentience, where does the line get drawn? Relentlessly bullied at school, Lydia knows she always has Henry but once she starts on that track, it is a slippery slope and when she gets suspended from school for fighting and special agents start looking into her activities, she has to think fast. Henry wants a body so he can be with Lydia, who can't deny she's slowly falling in love with him. But when her plan to implant him into a friend goes wrong and Lydia ends up in a psych ward without Henry, how will she escape?
I really enjoyed this book and I enjoyed reading it as part of a read-along. It was fun and had a number of twists and turns I didn't expect. I found Lydia to be a very blunt and clear cut character who's grief over losing her brother and eventually her dad too, went completely ignored by her present but mentally absent mother. I found myself aching for Lydia and her life and kind of understood why she fell so dependent upon Henry as she really didn't have anyone else. That being said, she needs a lot of psychological evaluation. The whole romance aspect between her and Henry give me the heebies. It felt very Black Mirror.
That being said, this book was really enjoyable. I found the writing to be really consistent throughout and the actual story was one I had never come across in YA lit before. I would really recommend this to anyone looking a quick, fun read.
Lydia is a genius, literally. At 17, she has created a computer programme, named after her dead brother, Henry, that has developed sentience. The only issue is when a computer system develops too much sentience, where does the line get drawn? Relentlessly bullied at school, Lydia knows she always has Henry but once she starts on that track, it is a slippery slope and when she gets suspended from school for fighting and special agents start looking into her activities, she has to think fast. Henry wants a body so he can be with Lydia, who can't deny she's slowly falling in love with him. But when her plan to implant him into a friend goes wrong and Lydia ends up in a psych ward without Henry, how will she escape?
I really enjoyed this book and I enjoyed reading it as part of a read-along. It was fun and had a number of twists and turns I didn't expect. I found Lydia to be a very blunt and clear cut character who's grief over losing her brother and eventually her dad too, went completely ignored by her present but mentally absent mother. I found myself aching for Lydia and her life and kind of understood why she fell so dependent upon Henry as she really didn't have anyone else. That being said, she needs a lot of psychological evaluation. The whole romance aspect between her and Henry give me the heebies. It felt very Black Mirror.
That being said, this book was really enjoyable. I found the writing to be really consistent throughout and the actual story was one I had never come across in YA lit before. I would really recommend this to anyone looking a quick, fun read.
January 8, 2022
3 stars
I'm really not sure what to think of this one. The comp titles (Frankenstein meets Heathers) were accurate but the story failed to live up to them. It was an engaging and quick read, but some of the individual sentences were so poorly written, making little to no sense, and there was a lot of 'revelations' that both meant nothing and came out of nowhere, leading to a sense of telling rather than showing. The actual story was odd, too. I don't like AI romances in general because they are weird, but that wasn't the issue with this one - it was more the fact that absolutely none of the moral issues that were brought up were addressed or developed upon. The ending was pretty confusing and unsatisfying. Overall, it had a lot of potential, but there were too many flaws for it to be a truly good book.
I'm really not sure what to think of this one. The comp titles (Frankenstein meets Heathers) were accurate but the story failed to live up to them. It was an engaging and quick read, but some of the individual sentences were so poorly written, making little to no sense, and there was a lot of 'revelations' that both meant nothing and came out of nowhere, leading to a sense of telling rather than showing. The actual story was odd, too. I don't like AI romances in general because they are weird, but that wasn't the issue with this one - it was more the fact that absolutely none of the moral issues that were brought up were addressed or developed upon. The ending was pretty confusing and unsatisfying. Overall, it had a lot of potential, but there were too many flaws for it to be a truly good book.
July 26, 2021
Leider eines der schlechtesten Bücher, die ich je gelesen habe... Ich weiß gar nicht so recht was ich zu "Seeing What You See, Feeling What You Feel" von Naomi Gibson sagen soll...
Zum einen konnte ich keine Sympathie zu Protagonistin Lydia aufbauen, da diese sich in meinen Augen durchweg seltsam und gestört verhalten hat. Lydia's Verhalten war für mich unverständlich. Dementsprechend konnte ich mich nie in ihre Gefühlswelt und Handlungsvorgänge hineinversetzen. Es fiel mir schwer, Freude beim Lesen ihrer moralisch fragwürdigen Taten zu haben und ihren Charakter zu mögen. Henry hingegen fand ich gruselig. Ich könnte mir niemals vorstellen, es soweit kommen zu lassen, dass ein KI Menschen kontrolliert.
Das Cover finde ich ziemlich cool und modern. Allerdings würde es mich kaum zum Bücherkauf oder Lesen anregen. Der Schreibstil von Autorin Naomi Gibson war das einzige, was mich hundertprozentig an diesem Buch überzeugen konnte. Sie schreibt fesselnd und konnte mich mit leicht verständlicher Fachsprache für die Computerwelt begeistern. Außerdem war die Geschichte teilweise so schräg, dass ich das Buch die meiste Zeit nicht aus meinen Händen legen konnte. Ab und zu musste ich mich jedoch zum Weiterlesen zwingen.
Die Aufteilung des Buches in drei Teile finde ich gut gelöst. So wurde die Geschichte vielseitiger und abwechslungsreich. Die Handlung empfinde ich insgesamt als fragwürdig, da Lydia in ihrem selbstgebauten KI Henry ihren verstorbenen Bruder hineinprojiziert. Zu diesem KI verspürt Lydia eine innige und später auch sexuelle Anziehung. Meiner Meinung nach sehr merkwürdig. Wofür ich die Autorin loben kann, ist, dass sie Emotionen toll beschreibt und ich die Trauer von Lydia meist verstehen konnte. Doch die Liebesbeziehung zu Henry fühlte sich einfach falsch an. Wie Lydia mit den restlichen Charakteren aus dem Buch umgegangen ist, hat mich ebenfalls verstört.
Ich bin mir nicht sicher, ab welchem Alter ich das Buch empfehlen würde, da es insgesamt harmlose Szenen enthält, aber für jüngere Lese vielleicht doch zu krass ist. Ich finde, dass dieses Buch unbedingt eine Triggerwarnung enthalten sollte. Leider konnte mich in "Seeing What You See, Feeling What You Feel" die Handlung überhaupt nicht überzeugen, wobei ich den Schreibstil der Autorin als sehr angenehm zu Lesen empfinde.
Das Buch ist unterhaltsam und interessant, aber von mir gibt es keine Leseempfehlung. Vielleicht lese ich irgendwann ein anderes Buch der Autorin, das mich hoffentlich mehr überzeugen wird.
Zum einen konnte ich keine Sympathie zu Protagonistin Lydia aufbauen, da diese sich in meinen Augen durchweg seltsam und gestört verhalten hat. Lydia's Verhalten war für mich unverständlich. Dementsprechend konnte ich mich nie in ihre Gefühlswelt und Handlungsvorgänge hineinversetzen. Es fiel mir schwer, Freude beim Lesen ihrer moralisch fragwürdigen Taten zu haben und ihren Charakter zu mögen. Henry hingegen fand ich gruselig. Ich könnte mir niemals vorstellen, es soweit kommen zu lassen, dass ein KI Menschen kontrolliert.
Das Cover finde ich ziemlich cool und modern. Allerdings würde es mich kaum zum Bücherkauf oder Lesen anregen. Der Schreibstil von Autorin Naomi Gibson war das einzige, was mich hundertprozentig an diesem Buch überzeugen konnte. Sie schreibt fesselnd und konnte mich mit leicht verständlicher Fachsprache für die Computerwelt begeistern. Außerdem war die Geschichte teilweise so schräg, dass ich das Buch die meiste Zeit nicht aus meinen Händen legen konnte. Ab und zu musste ich mich jedoch zum Weiterlesen zwingen.
Die Aufteilung des Buches in drei Teile finde ich gut gelöst. So wurde die Geschichte vielseitiger und abwechslungsreich. Die Handlung empfinde ich insgesamt als fragwürdig, da Lydia in ihrem selbstgebauten KI Henry ihren verstorbenen Bruder hineinprojiziert. Zu diesem KI verspürt Lydia eine innige und später auch sexuelle Anziehung. Meiner Meinung nach sehr merkwürdig. Wofür ich die Autorin loben kann, ist, dass sie Emotionen toll beschreibt und ich die Trauer von Lydia meist verstehen konnte. Doch die Liebesbeziehung zu Henry fühlte sich einfach falsch an. Wie Lydia mit den restlichen Charakteren aus dem Buch umgegangen ist, hat mich ebenfalls verstört.
Ich bin mir nicht sicher, ab welchem Alter ich das Buch empfehlen würde, da es insgesamt harmlose Szenen enthält, aber für jüngere Lese vielleicht doch zu krass ist. Ich finde, dass dieses Buch unbedingt eine Triggerwarnung enthalten sollte. Leider konnte mich in "Seeing What You See, Feeling What You Feel" die Handlung überhaupt nicht überzeugen, wobei ich den Schreibstil der Autorin als sehr angenehm zu Lesen empfinde.
Das Buch ist unterhaltsam und interessant, aber von mir gibt es keine Leseempfehlung. Vielleicht lese ich irgendwann ein anderes Buch der Autorin, das mich hoffentlich mehr überzeugen wird.
October 21, 2021
There has been a time I officially had to take an exam in coding. The coding was done on paper (who comes up with that?) and it was using C++. I wasn't good enough at it. Or better said: I made one tiny mistake too many to pass that exam. I'm still bitter about it and it ruined my love for coding, but reading about amazing coders in books is helping me to find back that love. And I was very curious about this one!
We were supposed to buddy read this book, spread out over 6 days. However, already on the first day I couldn't stop reading. I had the same trouble on the second day and on the third day there was a severe case of "one more chapter". The book was addictive, written amazingly well, very emotional and it was therefore almost impossible to put the book down. Every time I just HAD to know how the story would continue.
Apart from the fact that the book is quite emotional, mostly because it's actually a book about a girl longing for a little bit of love, for someone always being in her corner and for some unconditional support, it's also a book that has the main characters in a more grayish area. There are so many moments they cross lines and do things they really shouldn't do, but it's impossible not to understand why and not to still love them.
However, as a lot of books about AI's, it's also a book about the dangers of AI's, what makes them different from humans and why it's important to teach them things as regret and morality. And yet, despite all the warnings, despite the awful things our AI does, I can't help but loving this AI and the devotion he feels towards his girl. It's not hard to imagine that Lydia would go as far from him as she does and simply refuses to let him go.
We were supposed to buddy read this book, spread out over 6 days. However, already on the first day I couldn't stop reading. I had the same trouble on the second day and on the third day there was a severe case of "one more chapter". The book was addictive, written amazingly well, very emotional and it was therefore almost impossible to put the book down. Every time I just HAD to know how the story would continue.
Apart from the fact that the book is quite emotional, mostly because it's actually a book about a girl longing for a little bit of love, for someone always being in her corner and for some unconditional support, it's also a book that has the main characters in a more grayish area. There are so many moments they cross lines and do things they really shouldn't do, but it's impossible not to understand why and not to still love them.
However, as a lot of books about AI's, it's also a book about the dangers of AI's, what makes them different from humans and why it's important to teach them things as regret and morality. And yet, despite all the warnings, despite the awful things our AI does, I can't help but loving this AI and the devotion he feels towards his girl. It's not hard to imagine that Lydia would go as far from him as she does and simply refuses to let him go.
March 22, 2022
Painfully bad, like worse than a poorly written episode of X-Files bad. I needed something dumb to read after my last book, this was probably too dumb. I wanted to DNF it but the asinine plot of it became a running series of texts between friends and I.
Also just saw a review outlining how this was plagiarized. Even worse 👎🏼
Also just saw a review outlining how this was plagiarized. Even worse 👎🏼
December 25, 2021
¿Puede una persona enamorarse de una IA?
Lydia es una joven con mucho talento para la programación y Henry, una IA, es su mayor creación. Pero Henry pronto supera las expectativas de su creadora.
Una novela entretenida, sin grandes pretensiones. Una trama sencilla, que te mantiene interesado porque no paran de suceder cosas pero con algunos puntos que me han chirriado un poco.
Lydia es una joven con mucho talento para la programación y Henry, una IA, es su mayor creación. Pero Henry pronto supera las expectativas de su creadora.
Una novela entretenida, sin grandes pretensiones. Una trama sencilla, que te mantiene interesado porque no paran de suceder cosas pero con algunos puntos que me han chirriado un poco.
July 16, 2021
Every Line of You by Naomi Gibson is a story of a lonely teenager who decided to continue coding and programming the AI Lydia and her dad built before he left. This is a book about grief, guilt, bullying, finding comfort when no one is willing to offer it and using it as a coping mechanism to build Henry, the amazing AI that rocked the boat of a little town in England.
At first, I had the impression that this story was about the AI Henry who decides to have a mind of its own but I was completely wrong. Henry turned out nothing like how I expected instead, he is a solace for Lydia to confide in. A confidant, a friend, a lover and so much more.
This book surprised me and it just have a lot of unexpected twists that caught me off guard. But what puts me off is that Lydia was put in a psychiatric ward and what happens after that didn't really conclude all that well. The authorities and even Lydia's mother were so quick to diagnose her as a mental health patient without investigating the true reason behind her actions. For this, I find it to be a bit misguided.
All in all, this is a pretty interesting book and an eye opening read about relying on machines to replace the roles of humans. This story is tough to read especially the part about bullying and mean comments that went around and Lydia had to deal with so much and I'm glad she has Henry who would protect her no matter what. If this is the kind of book you might enjoy reading, make sure to check it out once it comes out November 2, 2021.
At first, I had the impression that this story was about the AI Henry who decides to have a mind of its own but I was completely wrong. Henry turned out nothing like how I expected instead, he is a solace for Lydia to confide in. A confidant, a friend, a lover and so much more.
This book surprised me and it just have a lot of unexpected twists that caught me off guard. But what puts me off is that Lydia was put in a psychiatric ward and what happens after that didn't really conclude all that well. The authorities and even Lydia's mother were so quick to diagnose her as a mental health patient without investigating the true reason behind her actions. For this, I find it to be a bit misguided.
All in all, this is a pretty interesting book and an eye opening read about relying on machines to replace the roles of humans. This story is tough to read especially the part about bullying and mean comments that went around and Lydia had to deal with so much and I'm glad she has Henry who would protect her no matter what. If this is the kind of book you might enjoy reading, make sure to check it out once it comes out November 2, 2021.
September 27, 2025
Ooooo, ce carte amețitoare!
nu prea citesc eu astfel de gen, dar trebuie să recunosc că am stat cu sufletul la gură să văd soarta lui Henry_ întâi un cip creat de Lydia Phelps, apoi un corp solid într.un agent de poliție.
Lydia se confruntă cu pierderea fratelui ei într.un accident de mașină, cu indiferența mamei, cu părăsirea de domiciliu a tatălui și găsește alinarea într.un cip creat de ea, care pare să o asculte și să o înțeleagă. Mare mi.a fost mirarea când au apărut si altfel de sentimente între cei doi.Mi.a plăcut că acțiunea nu a fost deloc previzibilă, iar paginile parcă au zburat când le.am citit!
nu prea citesc eu astfel de gen, dar trebuie să recunosc că am stat cu sufletul la gură să văd soarta lui Henry_ întâi un cip creat de Lydia Phelps, apoi un corp solid într.un agent de poliție.
Lydia se confruntă cu pierderea fratelui ei într.un accident de mașină, cu indiferența mamei, cu părăsirea de domiciliu a tatălui și găsește alinarea într.un cip creat de ea, care pare să o asculte și să o înțeleagă. Mare mi.a fost mirarea când au apărut si altfel de sentimente între cei doi.Mi.a plăcut că acțiunea nu a fost deloc previzibilă, iar paginile parcă au zburat când le.am citit!
July 20, 2021
I really enjoyed this.
Lydia presses the enter key and the AI ,that she started to build with her dad, flickers into life.
Lydia presses the enter key and the AI ,that she started to build with her dad, flickers into life.
September 24, 2021
I really enjoyed the idea of this book, but some of the plot points were a little too odd for me.
November 3, 2021
Yo, Henry es un libro que pedí en Masa Crítica por curiosidad y que me ha sorprendido para bien. Su historia me ha gustado y me ha mantenido enganchada de principio a fin.
Este libro nos cuenta la historia de Lydia, una joven muy inteligente cuya vida cambia del todo a raíz de un accidente de coche en el que pierde a su hermano. A partir de ahí su madre se abstrae cada vez más y ella se apoya en su padre y en el pequeño proyecto que tienen entre manos. Hasta que su padre se marcha y Lydia se siente tan sola que no ve más allá de su obsesión por ese proyecto, al que le dedica todas sus horas libres. Ese proyecto es Henry, una IA creada desde cero.
Yo, Henry empieza siendo un libro de ciencia ficción con toques románticos en el que Lydia y Henry hacen cosas como hackear diferentes páginas webs para divertirse, hasta que Henry comienza a actuar por libre, sin consultar nada a su creadora, y el thriller se abre paso en forma de delitos, una huida y encierros.
Lydia lo perdió todo en el accidente, por eso se enfoca tanto en la IA. Henry es su amigo y una especie de novio que jamás la dejará sola. No ayuda que su madre esté tan ausente que se olvide de las necesidades de su hija, y que Lydia sufra acoso en el instituto por parte de otra alumna. Solo consigue que se encierre más en sí misma y en Henry, y que busque venganza sin mirar el problema de fondo.
Henry es una IA que va evolucionando a lo largo de la historia. Solo quiere complacer a Lydia por lo que está dispuesto a cualquier cosa por ella, hasta el punto de cruzar varios límites.
Es un libro con mucha acción, en varios puntos, que te mantiene pendiente y pensando en qué pasará más adelante, y con un final que te deja la boca abierta.
Este libro nos cuenta la historia de Lydia, una joven muy inteligente cuya vida cambia del todo a raíz de un accidente de coche en el que pierde a su hermano. A partir de ahí su madre se abstrae cada vez más y ella se apoya en su padre y en el pequeño proyecto que tienen entre manos. Hasta que su padre se marcha y Lydia se siente tan sola que no ve más allá de su obsesión por ese proyecto, al que le dedica todas sus horas libres. Ese proyecto es Henry, una IA creada desde cero.
Yo, Henry empieza siendo un libro de ciencia ficción con toques románticos en el que Lydia y Henry hacen cosas como hackear diferentes páginas webs para divertirse, hasta que Henry comienza a actuar por libre, sin consultar nada a su creadora, y el thriller se abre paso en forma de delitos, una huida y encierros.
Lydia lo perdió todo en el accidente, por eso se enfoca tanto en la IA. Henry es su amigo y una especie de novio que jamás la dejará sola. No ayuda que su madre esté tan ausente que se olvide de las necesidades de su hija, y que Lydia sufra acoso en el instituto por parte de otra alumna. Solo consigue que se encierre más en sí misma y en Henry, y que busque venganza sin mirar el problema de fondo.
Henry es una IA que va evolucionando a lo largo de la historia. Solo quiere complacer a Lydia por lo que está dispuesto a cualquier cosa por ella, hasta el punto de cruzar varios límites.
Es un libro con mucha acción, en varios puntos, que te mantiene pendiente y pensando en qué pasará más adelante, y con un final que te deja la boca abierta.
September 19, 2025
Poate aș fi trecut cu vederea scriitura mediocră, cu personaje care se poată fără sens, infantile și smucite, dacă autoarea nu s-ar fi referit la HTML și CSS ca fiind "limbaje de programare". Cum să zic, până aici! 😆
Deci fără o minimă documentare și cu imaginație așa-și-așa, cartea e o încercare stângace de thriller YA cumva cyberpunk, dar pare însăilată din bucăți care nu se leagă și toată povestea e... cum să zic? Nu convinge.
Nu comentez temele controversate, gen incest, viol etc, ci strict povestea și stilul. Nu aș recomanda-o nimănui, dimpotrivă, deși a doua parte este net mai bună decât începutul. Ar fi avut potențial. Dar...
Deci fără o minimă documentare și cu imaginație așa-și-așa, cartea e o încercare stângace de thriller YA cumva cyberpunk, dar pare însăilată din bucăți care nu se leagă și toată povestea e... cum să zic? Nu convinge.
Nu comentez temele controversate, gen incest, viol etc, ci strict povestea și stilul. Nu aș recomanda-o nimănui, dimpotrivă, deși a doua parte este net mai bună decât începutul. Ar fi avut potențial. Dar...
May 23, 2022
Ya. This book was weird. It’s a quick read and fast paced. The beginning was great and I got really invested, but it’s start crossing the line to insanity really quick. I do have several questions after finishing this that still remain unanswered.
1. Why was Emma being so mean to her if they were best friends? Was this friendship never about Lydia? Like what happened for them to go from Besties to Mortal Enemies?
2. If Emma went as far as to constantly bully Lydia and saying she wished she was dead, even to getting Lydia expelled, why did they make up so quickly? Plus Lydia attacked Emma for no reason. Sure Emma was being a bitch, but doesn’t mean you have to maul her.
3. Why didn’t the teacher do anything when he saw what was happening? And why did no one try to separate them until after the fact?
4. If Henry (A.I) told Lydia they were untraceable, then how did Agent Hall track everything Lydia had done that quickly? Like I get the test and the Trojan she built for Pete were a part of it, but how did he know the moment after of literally every incident? Had they been tracking her longer than implied? And if so, why didn’t they act sooner if they already knew? Why was the Trojan the last straw?
5. Why is she living as if nothing had happened at the end? She has some serious issues. She attacked a student very brutally enough to give her another ugly scar, She mutilated another kid and got him permanently paralyzed, she locked her mother in the trunk of her car, she brutally injured a fed and inserted an illegal device into his body and controlling him against his will, and she they don’t get readmitted after she escapes? That’s it?
No one does that. Sure Henry instigated a lot of that, but most of it she did out of her own free will.
6. Why did her mom just leave her and book a hotel? Irresponsible parenting much. If you can’t take care of your kid enough to discipline them or I don’t know making sure they get food, then maybe you should have one. And if she had such a strong reaction to what Lydia did enough to abandon her at the house, then why did she under react at the hospital and acted like it wasn’t that big of a deal?
7. Why does no one else seem to notice she’s getting bullied? It’s extremely obvious throughout the entire thing and no one seems to notice it happening except for Henry. I mean her Deadbeat mom can’t even look away from the tv screen long enough to insert money ik to her account so I don’t expect her to notice if her daughters getting bullied.
I have plenty more but I’ll stop here. This book was a fever dream I swear.
1. Why was Emma being so mean to her if they were best friends? Was this friendship never about Lydia? Like what happened for them to go from Besties to Mortal Enemies?
2. If Emma went as far as to constantly bully Lydia and saying she wished she was dead, even to getting Lydia expelled, why did they make up so quickly? Plus Lydia attacked Emma for no reason. Sure Emma was being a bitch, but doesn’t mean you have to maul her.
3. Why didn’t the teacher do anything when he saw what was happening? And why did no one try to separate them until after the fact?
4. If Henry (A.I) told Lydia they were untraceable, then how did Agent Hall track everything Lydia had done that quickly? Like I get the test and the Trojan she built for Pete were a part of it, but how did he know the moment after of literally every incident? Had they been tracking her longer than implied? And if so, why didn’t they act sooner if they already knew? Why was the Trojan the last straw?
5. Why is she living as if nothing had happened at the end? She has some serious issues. She attacked a student very brutally enough to give her another ugly scar, She mutilated another kid and got him permanently paralyzed, she locked her mother in the trunk of her car, she brutally injured a fed and inserted an illegal device into his body and controlling him against his will, and she they don’t get readmitted after she escapes? That’s it?
No one does that. Sure Henry instigated a lot of that, but most of it she did out of her own free will.
6. Why did her mom just leave her and book a hotel? Irresponsible parenting much. If you can’t take care of your kid enough to discipline them or I don’t know making sure they get food, then maybe you should have one. And if she had such a strong reaction to what Lydia did enough to abandon her at the house, then why did she under react at the hospital and acted like it wasn’t that big of a deal?
7. Why does no one else seem to notice she’s getting bullied? It’s extremely obvious throughout the entire thing and no one seems to notice it happening except for Henry. I mean her Deadbeat mom can’t even look away from the tv screen long enough to insert money ik to her account so I don’t expect her to notice if her daughters getting bullied.
I have plenty more but I’ll stop here. This book was a fever dream I swear.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 11, 2021
Inhalt:
Spannend und nervenaufreibend von der ersten bis zur letzten Seite.
Seit Jahren programmiert Lydia ihre eigene KI: Henry – schon lange vor dem Tod ihres kleinen Bruders, der ihr Nacht für Nacht Albträume beschert, schon lange, bevor ihr Vater beschlossen hat, sie und ihre Mutter zu verlassen, und schon lange, bevor ihre beste Freundin zu ihrer schlimmsten Feindin mutierte. Henry ist stark, clever, liebevoll und beängstigend intelligent: Lydia hat sich den besten Freund und Liebhaber in einem erschaffen, gespeichert auf einem Chip, immer und überall verfügbar. Aber was passiert, wenn Henry einen eigenen Willen und einen eigenen Plan entwickelt, und ihn nichts mehr aufhalten kann? Wie weit würde er für Lydia gehen?
Quelle: goodreads.com
Meinung:
Vielen Dank an den Verlag für das Rezensionsexemplar!
Können wir bitte etwas hacken?, schreibt Henry.
Das Cover ist genial! Gehalten im Stil von einem Chip passt es zum Inhalt und durch die Herzen wird klar, dass es auch einen romantischen Anteil geben muss. Ich war ab der ersten Sekunde in dieses Cover verliebt, es passt einfach so perfekt.
Der Schreibstil der Autorin ist wirklich gut und angenehm zu lesen. Geschrieben ist das Buch aus Sicht von Lydia in der Ich-Perspketive, wodurch man ihre Gedanken und Gefühle hautnah miterlebt.
Zu Beginn lernt man Lydia kennen, die Henry, eine künstliche Intelligenz entwickelt hat. Henry ist schon so schlau, dass er sich selbst Updates verpassen kann und sein Ziel ist, für immer bei Lydia zu sein.
Der Einstieg in das Buch ist mir sehr leicht gefallen. Es gibt keine lange Vorreden, Henry ist schon da und Lydia sieht ihn bereits als ihren Freund an. Es wird erklärt, wieso sie ihn entwickelt hat, was mit ihrem Bruder dem echten Henry passiert ist und schon ist alles bereit für die eigentliche Geschichte.
Die beiden Hauptpersonen in dem Buch sind ganz klar Henry und Lydia. Zwar spielen auch andere Figuren eine wichtige Rolle, diese sind aber nur Mittel zum Zweck. Da gibt es z.B. Pete, der Lydia an die Wäsche will, Lydias Mom, die sich seit ihr Mann sie verlassen hat nicht mehr wirklich um ihre Tochter kümmert, Emma, die ehemalige beste Freundin, die Lydia den Tod wünscht und Agent Hall, der einen Cyber-Security Vortag an Lydias Schule hält.
Lydia interagiert mit allen von ihnen und dabei wird schnell klar, dass ihr Leben Mist ist. Ich konnte sie verstehen. Ich konnte so gut verstehen, dass sie einen Freund wollte, jemanden der sich um sie kümmert und ihr das Gefühl gibt, dass sie nicht allein gegen die Welt antreten muss, aber dennoch war es der komplett falsche Weg. Das Buch hat mich als Leser wirklich in eine Zwickmühle gebracht. Man weiß einfach, dass Lydia psychologische Hilfe braucht, aber andererseits kann man sie verstehen, wenn man liest, wie gemein alle zu ihr sind. Ich habe bei ihr so viele Gefühle gespürt beim Lesen, ich weiß, dass keine Tat von ihr gut war und doch habe ich gehofft, dass sie endlich Freude und Liebe in ihrem Leben findet.
Henry ist beängstigend. Anders kann ich es nicht sagen. Er ist zu menschlich und verhält sich immer mehr wie ein Mensch, je mehr er mit Lydia redet. Manchmal konnte man vergessen, dass er eigentlich nur ein Computerprogramm ist und ich hoffe sehr, dass die Menschheit eine solche KI nie entwickeln wird. Dennoch war ich fasziniert von Henry. Wie er Dinge gelöst hat, wie er mit Lydia umgegangen ist und wie er um jeden Preis versucht hat bei ihr zu sein, war wahnsinn. Wahnsinnig gut geschrieben und gemacht.
Das Buch war anders als erwartet. Lydia hat eine Mutter, die sie nicht beachtet, einen Freund, der nur ihre Programmierkentnisse und Sex will und eine ehemalige Freundin, die ihr das Leben zur Hölle macht. Jeden Tag wird Lydia gemobbt, ignoriert oder für ihre Fähigkeiten missbraucht. Das Buch zeigt in gewisser Weise, wie die Umwelt Einfluss auf einen Menschen hat und ihn psychisch zerstören kann. Lydia war bereit dazu grausige Dinge zu tun, angefangen beim Einsperren ihrer Mutter in einem Auto bis hin zum Betäuben von einem Jungen um ihm einen Chip einzusetzen. Alles in der Hoffnung, dass sie endlich jemanden an ihrer Seite hat, der sie mag wie sie ist und sie beachtet. Nimmt man diesen technischen Part aus dem Buch, könnte es eine wahre Geschichte sein, denn Menschen, die sowas erleben, müssen psychisch viel durchmachen und können dann schonmal gewaltätig werden.
Ich fand es beängstigend zu Lesen, zu was Henry alles im Stande ist und wie er sogar Menschen hacken kann. Ständig habe ich gehofft, dass Lydia endlich merkt, dass das was die beiden treiben nicht gut ist, aber dieser Moment kam nicht. Auf diesen 330 Seiten passiert so viel, und jede Seite hat mich sprachlos und mit einer Gänsehaut zurück gelassen. Besonders der zweite Teil des Buches (es ist in drei Teile unterteilt) hat mir gefallen. Lydia fängt an über Henry nachzudenken und zu sehen, dass ihre Beziehung toxisch ist, doch sie will es sich nicht eingestehen. Und nochmal: Ich verstand sie. So erschreckend es ist, ich konnte sie nicht hassen oder veruteilen, weil sie mir leid tat und man sie als Leser bis zu einem gewissen Grad versteht.
Schon am Anfang ist klar, dass sich hier eine Liebesbeziehung zwischen Henry und Lydia anbahnt, doch was hier abgeht ist next Level. Ich will gar nicht zu sehr darauf eingehen, aber irgendwie verliebt sich Lydia ja in sich selbst. Sie hat Henry programmiert, ihm alles beigebracht und mit ihm geredet. Ist es dann nicht so, dass ein Teil von ihr in dieser Maschine steckt?
Fazit:
Erscheckend, Faszinierend und anders. Das Buch hat mich von der ersten bis zur lertzen Seite begeistert mit einem Thema, das es in Zukunft auch in der Realität geben könnte. Es bearbeitet aber auch Mobbing, Verlust und Einsamkeit. Lydia ist auf so viele Arten geschädigt, dass sie einen Ausweg gesucht hat und den hat ihr Henry geboten. Sie hatte jemandem zum reden, der für sie da war und wer weiß, was sie ohne ihn getan hätte. Ich konnte das Buch nicht mehr aus der Hand legen, da es mich so gefangen genommen hat. Von mir gibt es volle 5 Sterne.
Spannend und nervenaufreibend von der ersten bis zur letzten Seite.
Seit Jahren programmiert Lydia ihre eigene KI: Henry – schon lange vor dem Tod ihres kleinen Bruders, der ihr Nacht für Nacht Albträume beschert, schon lange, bevor ihr Vater beschlossen hat, sie und ihre Mutter zu verlassen, und schon lange, bevor ihre beste Freundin zu ihrer schlimmsten Feindin mutierte. Henry ist stark, clever, liebevoll und beängstigend intelligent: Lydia hat sich den besten Freund und Liebhaber in einem erschaffen, gespeichert auf einem Chip, immer und überall verfügbar. Aber was passiert, wenn Henry einen eigenen Willen und einen eigenen Plan entwickelt, und ihn nichts mehr aufhalten kann? Wie weit würde er für Lydia gehen?
Quelle: goodreads.com
Meinung:
Vielen Dank an den Verlag für das Rezensionsexemplar!
Können wir bitte etwas hacken?, schreibt Henry.
Das Cover ist genial! Gehalten im Stil von einem Chip passt es zum Inhalt und durch die Herzen wird klar, dass es auch einen romantischen Anteil geben muss. Ich war ab der ersten Sekunde in dieses Cover verliebt, es passt einfach so perfekt.
Der Schreibstil der Autorin ist wirklich gut und angenehm zu lesen. Geschrieben ist das Buch aus Sicht von Lydia in der Ich-Perspketive, wodurch man ihre Gedanken und Gefühle hautnah miterlebt.
Zu Beginn lernt man Lydia kennen, die Henry, eine künstliche Intelligenz entwickelt hat. Henry ist schon so schlau, dass er sich selbst Updates verpassen kann und sein Ziel ist, für immer bei Lydia zu sein.
Der Einstieg in das Buch ist mir sehr leicht gefallen. Es gibt keine lange Vorreden, Henry ist schon da und Lydia sieht ihn bereits als ihren Freund an. Es wird erklärt, wieso sie ihn entwickelt hat, was mit ihrem Bruder dem echten Henry passiert ist und schon ist alles bereit für die eigentliche Geschichte.
Die beiden Hauptpersonen in dem Buch sind ganz klar Henry und Lydia. Zwar spielen auch andere Figuren eine wichtige Rolle, diese sind aber nur Mittel zum Zweck. Da gibt es z.B. Pete, der Lydia an die Wäsche will, Lydias Mom, die sich seit ihr Mann sie verlassen hat nicht mehr wirklich um ihre Tochter kümmert, Emma, die ehemalige beste Freundin, die Lydia den Tod wünscht und Agent Hall, der einen Cyber-Security Vortag an Lydias Schule hält.
Lydia interagiert mit allen von ihnen und dabei wird schnell klar, dass ihr Leben Mist ist. Ich konnte sie verstehen. Ich konnte so gut verstehen, dass sie einen Freund wollte, jemanden der sich um sie kümmert und ihr das Gefühl gibt, dass sie nicht allein gegen die Welt antreten muss, aber dennoch war es der komplett falsche Weg. Das Buch hat mich als Leser wirklich in eine Zwickmühle gebracht. Man weiß einfach, dass Lydia psychologische Hilfe braucht, aber andererseits kann man sie verstehen, wenn man liest, wie gemein alle zu ihr sind. Ich habe bei ihr so viele Gefühle gespürt beim Lesen, ich weiß, dass keine Tat von ihr gut war und doch habe ich gehofft, dass sie endlich Freude und Liebe in ihrem Leben findet.
Henry ist beängstigend. Anders kann ich es nicht sagen. Er ist zu menschlich und verhält sich immer mehr wie ein Mensch, je mehr er mit Lydia redet. Manchmal konnte man vergessen, dass er eigentlich nur ein Computerprogramm ist und ich hoffe sehr, dass die Menschheit eine solche KI nie entwickeln wird. Dennoch war ich fasziniert von Henry. Wie er Dinge gelöst hat, wie er mit Lydia umgegangen ist und wie er um jeden Preis versucht hat bei ihr zu sein, war wahnsinn. Wahnsinnig gut geschrieben und gemacht.
Das Buch war anders als erwartet. Lydia hat eine Mutter, die sie nicht beachtet, einen Freund, der nur ihre Programmierkentnisse und Sex will und eine ehemalige Freundin, die ihr das Leben zur Hölle macht. Jeden Tag wird Lydia gemobbt, ignoriert oder für ihre Fähigkeiten missbraucht. Das Buch zeigt in gewisser Weise, wie die Umwelt Einfluss auf einen Menschen hat und ihn psychisch zerstören kann. Lydia war bereit dazu grausige Dinge zu tun, angefangen beim Einsperren ihrer Mutter in einem Auto bis hin zum Betäuben von einem Jungen um ihm einen Chip einzusetzen. Alles in der Hoffnung, dass sie endlich jemanden an ihrer Seite hat, der sie mag wie sie ist und sie beachtet. Nimmt man diesen technischen Part aus dem Buch, könnte es eine wahre Geschichte sein, denn Menschen, die sowas erleben, müssen psychisch viel durchmachen und können dann schonmal gewaltätig werden.
Ich fand es beängstigend zu Lesen, zu was Henry alles im Stande ist und wie er sogar Menschen hacken kann. Ständig habe ich gehofft, dass Lydia endlich merkt, dass das was die beiden treiben nicht gut ist, aber dieser Moment kam nicht. Auf diesen 330 Seiten passiert so viel, und jede Seite hat mich sprachlos und mit einer Gänsehaut zurück gelassen. Besonders der zweite Teil des Buches (es ist in drei Teile unterteilt) hat mir gefallen. Lydia fängt an über Henry nachzudenken und zu sehen, dass ihre Beziehung toxisch ist, doch sie will es sich nicht eingestehen. Und nochmal: Ich verstand sie. So erschreckend es ist, ich konnte sie nicht hassen oder veruteilen, weil sie mir leid tat und man sie als Leser bis zu einem gewissen Grad versteht.
Schon am Anfang ist klar, dass sich hier eine Liebesbeziehung zwischen Henry und Lydia anbahnt, doch was hier abgeht ist next Level. Ich will gar nicht zu sehr darauf eingehen, aber irgendwie verliebt sich Lydia ja in sich selbst. Sie hat Henry programmiert, ihm alles beigebracht und mit ihm geredet. Ist es dann nicht so, dass ein Teil von ihr in dieser Maschine steckt?
Fazit:
Erscheckend, Faszinierend und anders. Das Buch hat mich von der ersten bis zur lertzen Seite begeistert mit einem Thema, das es in Zukunft auch in der Realität geben könnte. Es bearbeitet aber auch Mobbing, Verlust und Einsamkeit. Lydia ist auf so viele Arten geschädigt, dass sie einen Ausweg gesucht hat und den hat ihr Henry geboten. Sie hatte jemandem zum reden, der für sie da war und wer weiß, was sie ohne ihn getan hätte. Ich konnte das Buch nicht mehr aus der Hand legen, da es mich so gefangen genommen hat. Von mir gibt es volle 5 Sterne.
July 22, 2022
The idea of this story is actually great, but then the idea evolved and I was not into it.
My first issue with it was the age of the main character. Building an AI with sentience AND transferring it into another host at just 17 years old seems a bit exaggerated. Give me someone a little older, with more background knowledge, and I'll take it.
Second issue is the creepy sexual interactions. Poorly executed. Enough said.
Third issue is just how fast paced this novel was. There was no real explaining of anything, besides that Henry upgraded himself. Henry has the ability. Henry this and that. No actual basis of knowledge.
I rate it three stars because it only took me a few hours to read and wasn't a complete waste of time.
My first issue with it was the age of the main character. Building an AI with sentience AND transferring it into another host at just 17 years old seems a bit exaggerated. Give me someone a little older, with more background knowledge, and I'll take it.
Second issue is the creepy sexual interactions. Poorly executed. Enough said.
Third issue is just how fast paced this novel was. There was no real explaining of anything, besides that Henry upgraded himself. Henry has the ability. Henry this and that. No actual basis of knowledge.
I rate it three stars because it only took me a few hours to read and wasn't a complete waste of time.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 25, 2025
Wtf is this glorification of incest, toxic relationships and sexual abuse. I lost braincells reading this
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