Welcome back for another Friday book review! C.A. Gray offers the first book in her Uncanny Valley series for free on Kindle, so I was super excited to pick it up. Though I love The Hunger Games trilogy, I have been semi-disappointed with other modern dystopias in the past. This was not the case with Uncanny Valley.

Highlights:

Unique Premise

Instead of grouping people into several different categories or factions such as become the norm for modern dystopia, Gray tackles a realistic threat to the fate of mankind: the manufacturing of robots with creative intelligence. The problem, as addressed in the book, is that robots do not have a code of morality and cannot have empathy as they are programmed solely to fulfill their core purpose for society. As scientists further look into both robotic advancement and the possibilities of cloning humans, I feel this book serves as a timely warning of what we need to beware.

Plot Twists

Although there were a couple plot twists that I saw coming, there were others that completely took me by surprise and left me wanting to read more. The ending also ends in a cliffhanger, so I can’t wait to see what is to come in book two.

Scientific Research

The author did a phenomenal job researching the science behind the robots in this story, and it comes off as interesting and easy to follow along for such a complex topic. The author definitely knows the subject matter and it shows in her writing.

Liam, Francis, and Madeline

My favorite characters, who are also the most vivid, are Liam (Becca’s friend/boss), Francis (a no-nonsense colleague of Liam’s), and Madeline, Becca’s companion bot. Each of these characters have great personalities that made me eagerly await their return.

Lowlights:

Slow Moving Plot

Although we have a good deal of talk involving conspiracy theories, the pacing felt as if it was dragging on a bit during moments highlighting Becca’s internal conflict, such as when she debates whether or not her crush, Andy, is interested in her.

Becca and Secondary Characters

Though I liked a few of the characters as mentioned above, the majority felt a bit flat to me. Becca is an okay protagonist, but she seemed overly naive at times about some of the dangers she faced. I feel that her characterization will improve in the series though.

Overall, I’m excited to continue this series and can’t wait to start the other dystopian series by C.A. Gray!

Rating:

Talk to Me, Arrowheads!

C.A. Gray also offers a couple more series starters for permafree on Kindle, including The Liberty Box (The Liberty Box #1) and Intangible (Piercing the Veil Book #1). Have you read any of her series? Let me know what you think in the comments!

Aim high, stay strong, and always hit your mark.

-Allyson 😀