I had a hard time getting into this book. The first couple of chapters just seemed to drag, but I kept going and the action finally picked up with the addition of OWEN around chapter 3. He brought some life to the other exceedingly dull main character. This is not my usual type of read so I'm not entirely sure how it stacks up to other books in the same genre, but I gave the benefit of the doubt because I enjoyed most of the book. ( )

A civil servant and an AI team up to fight terrorism in a fully gentrifed, optimized, futuristic Metropolis. It's overall a fun romp but ultimately a cynical one that denies the possibility of radical social change, in favor of half-measures. And as is the case for such unlikely pairings, the AI is the one with more human nuances than the flesh and blood one. A nice summer read. ( )

In a not so distant future, efficiency is the be-all and end-all of government and everything takes second place to making cities as efficient as possible, even if that also makes them significantly less warm and human. A by-the-books employee of the United States Municipal Survey is called upon to quell a potential uprising in Metropolis, the country's shining jewel of metropolitan efficiency. What's worse, the uprising seems to have been triggered by someone working for the USMS itself. Henry is accompanied on his impossible task by a bit of holographic AI named Owen, who provides a healthy dose of comic relief along with some improbable plot actions. This book isn't like anything I've ever ready before, for the most part, and I enjoyed stretching outside of my comfort zone. ( )

I didn’t imagine I would like this novel much but in fact, I did. It’s a rather quick read but the adventure is quite the ride!

Henry starts off as an average, run of the mill model employee. He pretty much blends in the background and plays by the rules. Sounds uninteresting doesn’t it? He’s got a thing for trains and his past isn’t shining bright considering what happened to his parents. He’s a wallflower with a sad past and he just immerses himself into his work.

Then comes OWEN.

He changes Henry - a lot. Their friendship is laughable at first and off to a rocky start. (like most when you have an odd couple/opposites in a team) OWEN has wit and a rather unconventional way of solving things whereas Henry likes to stick with the rules. Yet it’s because of OWEN that Henry’s character develops and changes. They end up being a likable pair and they start growing on you despite the rather awkward start. OWEN does provide the comic relief in the story though, he’s a supercomputer you would not mind hanging out with.

The plot is straight to the point and there’s not much in the way of twists and turns. There are a few revelations here and there but it’s mainly about Henry and his view on the world and how it changes. That’s really the main point of the novel. There’s some action scenes and some intrigue but nothing over the top. There are going to be parts that pack a punch but it’s effective as you really do connect with both Henry and OWEN.

It’s a quick read and an enjoyable one, I say read it for character development and watching the friendship between Henry and OWEN- and enjoy it. ( )

Too slight to recommend, found myself wishing Fried had a structural analysis of his world's problems rather than one that offered the glib injunction to not be so serious about your commitment to justice. If you've read reviews and were thinking about giving this a try, I'd suggest the Murderbot diaries instead. ( )