My review of William by Mason Coile
3 stars
Out: October 3rd 2024
Henry has developed an artificial intelligence consciousness. He calls the half-formed robot William. There is something off about his creation that no one knows about. Then when his wife's coworkers come to visit he decides to introduce him to them. Things go bad and Henry decides to get rid of William. But William isn't really gone. Can an AI haunt you? Haunt your smart house? And what is the presence that William was talking about before he was destroyed?
The book begins with an ambience of melancholy, loneliness and an undercurrent of eerieness. Henry's insecurity is palpable as we experience his anxiety, his inner thoughts and observations. Brutal, in-your-face honesty colors the narrative.
It is chilling, especially the way William sees right through others, like he bares their soul. The author uses his intense descriptions to build up the tension, the impending terror. When things get really strange and dangerous there is an unexplainable element I did not expect that makes it even more intriguing. Showing the perspectives of everyone in the house amplifies the scary factor, the sometimes quick successions between them, the suspense. You will so enjoy the mouth left hanging open surprises. And that unbelievable twist... I can't stop thinking about that twist. I must applaud the author.
There are some things that did not fit the storyline or make the right amount of sense in my opinion (like going to the car for first aid). I know they were to set up certain scenes but they took away from the best parts of the books which were Henry's and William's interactions, which I wished we had more of, and the house being threatening. The story could have been longer and we could have explanations for some of the events. I love the surprise so much though. So maybe like a 'montage' at the end, flashback, I don't know what, but something explaining some of the events.
This book delves into different kinds of fear and the forms it can take. It is about control. How we lie to others and rationalize it as we also do to ourselves. A very important theme is what is real. Alive? A soul?
This is a pulse-pounding AI haunting story, the claustrophobic kind which are the best, with a horror movie feel.
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