Tag: #bookreviews

Book review: The Doll by Laura Daleo

Laura Daleo’s science fiction novel The Doll grabbed my attention at the beginning and didn’t let go until the end. For a shorter work of fiction, Daleo packs in love lost and love found, AI, moral dilemmas, and liberty, plus much more.

Daleo approaches a subject that is especially topical at the moment (artificial intelligence or AI) and gives it a spin. While the AI in this novel is more advanced than what we currently are working with, there could be a time when sentient AI could become reality. And Daleo brings up some moral questions that we should ask ourselves before we get to that point. These questions make us delve deeper than just “Why create AI?” and “Should we create AI?”, though these questions are important as well.

Interwoven with the moral dilemmas of sentient AI are the topics of loss and grief on multiple levels. Loss of friendships and love are front and center; however, we are confronted with the possible loss of liberty and autonomy as well.

Jeremy Dillon is mourning the loss of his fiancée Jenna when he is approached by someone who knows The Dollmaker and is promised a way to lighten his misery. Jeremy calls the number on the card given to him and starts on an adventure that will take him and us readers through all the emotions of a roller coaster ride: excitement, fear, judging our decisions that lead us to a certain point, etc.

Jeremy makes new friends along the way, finding someone new for whom he could very possibly have feelings. While Carly is like Jenna in many ways, she is her own person. Her reactions to certain situations intrigue Jeremy and present him with a new way of looking at the world. Carly’s and Jeremy’s exploits with the government and the private sector keep the reader intrigued and questioning whether they would make the same decisions. Daleo presents us with possible answers from more than one point of view and presents us with what the power of choice really mean for both human and AI.

The novel works hard to deliver so much in a small amount of pages. I wish the ending was given a few more chapters to really connect with the characters and their decisions. Also, Jeremy’s friends provide an interesting backdrop and insight into his life with Jenna before she dies. There were a few moments with those friends that could have been explored further. There are some editorial errors, but they did not distract from the powerful storyline.

I received a complimentary copy from the author. This review is honest and voluntary.

Posted on by brandeemiller 0

Book review: The Intuitive Detective by Stacey Webb

I had the pleasure of reading The Intuitive Detective by Stacey Webb. It’s a highly digestible read with short chapters. With that being said, it is not lacking for wisdom packed into those short chapters. In fact, the chapter lengths lend to reflection after reading. When have you listened to your intuition? When have you ignored it? What were the differences in those experiences?

This memoir is divided into four parts: Following the Breadcrumbs, Leading Towards my Purpose, Seeds are Planted, and Waking Up to my Power. These parts follow Webb’s trajectory from school courses to college coursework to her various positions as a police officer and detective and how she learns about her intuition by both listening to it and ignoring it.

The Intuitive Detective is also a story of Webb’s family: growing up, how she met her husband, their children, and their lives together. These stories are artfully interwoven with her experiences on the police force and often demonstrate a different side of being human and listening to what speaks to us and through us.

There are a few areas that could use a little more context and description to smooth out the transitions Webb describes as she writes about her experiences. However, you can tell Webb writes about what she loves with a dedication you don’t frequently find. She has helped many people throughout her lifetime by listening to what they needed to say, both in and outside of her career.

Webb’s memoir is relatable and also lets us know that making space for ourselves and others is attainable if we put aside our judgements, pre-set notions, and negative thoughts. After finishing the book, I wondered how much could we accomplish as humanity as a whole if we listened more to ourselves and to each other?

I received a complimentary copy from the author. This review is honest and voluntary.

Posted on by brandeemiller 0