I wanted to like this one. I enjoyed Fine's Claimed book...but I couldn't get into this one as much. I enjoy psychological thrillers normally. I didn't care for the protagonist, so I didn't feel as invested.

Thank you for the opportunities to read this book. I have attempted it on a number of occasions but unfortunately I haven’t been able to get into it.

I am a huge fan of Fine's Impostor Queen series, but this sci-fi outing didn't intrigue me as much. I'm not sure why, because the concept is definitely my jam. It may simply be a case of a book at the wrong time.

Uncanny is a Young-Adult (I'd say New Adult) psychological thriller set in the distant future. There's AI everywhere, homes are equipped with intelligence (Smart House, anyone?), and humans wear Cerepins on their heads. These cerepins are modules connected to their temples, they record, stream messages and video back to the wearer, and in Cora's case, may hold the answer to what happened to her dead stepsister.

Sarah Fine takes readers on a creepy journey featuring all the right psychological thriller twists. Our narrator is unreliable, the sisters may or may not have been friends, and there is an awful lot of manipulation going on. I was invested in the story right away, but then it started to drag. Cora is an escapist and apparently incredibly naive, because she lets herself be swayed by just about everyone. I got bored of reading the same interactions between Cora and her sister over and over. It became predictable and soon made it possible to guess how things would work out. Of course, there is a great twist right near the end that I quite enjoyed, but not enough for it to take this novel to the next rating level.

I think Uncanny is a great NA (not YA) read that true NA fans will enjoy. It's a solid, quick psychological thriller.

Skyscape and NetGalley provided me with an electronic copy of Uncanny. I voluntarily chose to review this book and my opinion is freely given.

Cora should remember the circumstances surrounding her stepsister Hannah's death, especially considering the brain-computer interface that she has, but she is left with only questions. Forced to work with an AI counselor, will Cora figure out what happened?

Uncanny is basically a YA dysfunctional family drama with some science fiction elements. I just did not buy the story the way it was written, especially regarding the psychological aspects. Without spoilers, all I can say is that the story did not unfold in a natural way and the science fiction elements seemed there as a tool to move the plot along. None of the characters were all that likable and I did not enjoy the storytelling as a whole. For these reasons, I would not recommend Uncanny to other readers.

Unfortunately I did not finish this book and so do not feel like I can write a full and proper review.

A quick read. I am not a sci-fan fan but this one kept my attention. A great thriller with an irobot feel.

DNF

I will not be reviewing this title at the moment as I am currently not in the mood for it. I might revisit my decision to read it once I am over my reading slump. Thank you for the opportunity to read the title early.

It was interesting. Something fun in the YA world with the mystery murder and the futuristic world. The characters were interesting - didn't end up being quite for me but none the less, a decent read.

Uncanny is a quick read, and the cover is totally giving off iRobot vibes. No it's not about robots in general abut there are robots in the book. Cora is troubled girl with a traumatic childhood. We learn about Cora from other's but not specifically from her, there are trigger warnings, in this book, so be prepared. Uncanny makes you ask your are all intentions good? On the outside it looks like Hannah is the perfect stepsister? Cora is so unsure of herself that it makes her hard to like but you get used to her. Sarah Fine did a wonderful job, of bringing Cora, Hannah, and Uncanny to life. I would definitely suggest this book to others! *eARC netgalley*

I was asked by the author or publisher to give an honest review of this book.

I give this one 4 tiaras:



I liked this book and read it quickly. I have some likes and dislikes of this book. Overall, this book was a good and quick read.

This book is more of a book set in the future a few years. It has more robots, us being monitored more, and more. There are many ways to keep memories and videos of what we see and do every day. This comes into play for the young girl, Cora, one of the main characters. It can either save her or show that she has murdered her stepsister.

The things that Cora goes through to get to the truth and the things that she has gone through before the death of her sister show how evil and unkind someone can be and what kind of people are really out there. It also shows what lengths true friends will go to, to help a friend and get to the truth.

I had a hard time getting into the book at first and wasn’t really sure where it was going but by the end of the book I was really rooting for Cora and wondering how people could get away with so much without being seen. It really is sad that some people go through these things and deal with so much.

If you choose to read this and are not sure if you can finish it, keep reading and wait until the end it really is worth it.

Happy Reading!

I honestly could tell by the writing of the first 2 chapters that it wouldn't be a good fit for our box and had to put it down. I may read it again in the future!

UNCANNY – SARAH FINE
The book was quite interesting to be honest. There was a very modern vibe to it as the book revolved around AI (aka artificial intelligence). The actual plot itself was good, however I thought it could have had a little more fire, or excitement if you will, as I found myself predicting some of the outcomes before I had even reached them in the book.
It was interesting to see Cora, the main character, as she developed as the story progressed, but I fell that the author should have maybe dedicated a chapter in which Cora reflects on her background and not having the reader learn this from the conversation of others. To me this would have given the reader a greater understanding of her. Not going to lie, but Sarah did a fine job on portraying what’s really going in Cora’s head. She expertly delves into taboo topics with such regard to a child that has experienced abuse, social anxiety, and suffers severe trust issues
Her best friend, Neda, is amazing. Hell, she could even be my friend. She does not judge Cora by what she’s seen or heard. She genuinely wants to get to know Cora for who she is and she succeeds. Their friendship is what us millennials call ‘goals’. My favourite quote from her is in chapter 11 its says:
“Surviving is the best way to tell people who have hurt you to go to hell.”
That line spoke volumes to me on so many levels, I don’t even know where to begin.
The relationship between Cora and Rafi is cute. It starts off with her being weary of him, I mean who wouldn’t be he is a Robot, but as the story progresses it’s really nice.
Character development is one of the things I loved about this book.
I think the scary thing about this book is that it is something that has the potential to actually happen in reality with the rate technology is developing.
This has been a great read for me and I would recommend that everyone reads it. Sarah Fine is a brilliant writer and I will be looking forward to more of her books

Uncanny by sarah fine.
Two sisters. One death. No memories.
Cora can't remember when her step sister died. Did she do it?
Or was someone else there?
A very good read with good characters. Even I was unsure if she did it or not. Didn't expect that. 4*.

Noteworthy experiences while reading this book: Really realizing that I just don't enjoy this author young adult books was a little surprising.

Check out author's other books or related books? I think that her Young Adult titles are just not for me. However, I will keep reading her New Adult ones.

Recommend this book? No

Notes and Opinions: This one had me guessing who I could trust and who I couldn't. But the writing style I just couldn't get into. It seems like this author's young adult books never work out for me but I am happy to say that her New Adult ones do. The story in this book was ok it did have its flaws but for the most part, I think it just wasn't for me. If you are a fan of Sarah Fine then, by all means, check this one out!

Go Into This One Knowing: Mystery and intrigue

This was a read that kept me riveted from start to finish. With such a heart-racing beginning, and a deeply intriguing plot that follows, I really enjoyed this novel.

I wasn't too sure what to expect, but I was thrilled to find it was a thriller (LOL, couldn't help myself.) The feelings of anticipation and shock I had while reading this were on par with what I felt while reading The Girl on the Train, so a high compliment. Fine kept me guessing towards the end, and brought forth heaps of sympathy on my part for Cora. The slow reveal of the murder mystery and the characters involved and lead up to the events were done with just the right amount of tease. The pace was perfect to keep me interested and sucked in.

The world-building is pretty fantastic as well. Fine's vision of the future is one that is not only frightening, but very possible. Surveillance around every corner, access to so much with a simple voice command—really does make one think about where we're heading.

I also enjoyed the abstract thinking that Fine illustrates with the Cannies. Do robots have feelings? Can they want or can they acquire free will? As terrifying a thought as it is, Fine lands a solid argument, both logical and believable. Likewise, it is written out well when we switch to Rafiq's point of view. Big round of applause from me!

4.5/5

Given the title I wasn't surprised to find robots in this book. What did surprise me was the relatively small role they played in the plot. I expected a much deeper exploration of artificial intelligence, of what it means to be human. That explanation is present but the approach is unusual. Fine questions not the ability of machines to be human but of humans to be human. Much more real estate is given to cruelty manipulation, and emotional damage than any moral exploration of artificial intelligence.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley for an honest review.

What a hard book to review. I didn't know what I was getting myself into when I started this book. I had no idea it would be so dark and vivid and so...disconcerting. Maybe it's because the world described is so cold and the only warmth that is described is through the eyes of an AI. Or that almost all the characters are not what they seem.

This book made me want to go out in the sunshine. I wanted to go somewhere crowded with people just to feel life around me. The world was so sterile and yet beautiful at the same time. It questions what it means to be human and have free will, showing the good, and the bad, that is done with it.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to review this book. It's an unusual premise, part futuristic, part murder/death mystery. It's not really my cup of tea and I did find it difficult to persevere.
However, it has an unusual storyline around 2 sisters, implanted communication and artificial intelligence that has drama and twists throughout.
It's certainly different!

An excellent psychological thriller revolving around two stepsisters and how one died (or was she murdered?). My favorite character was Rafiq, super intelligent and real-looking AI who has some evolving to do. Once I passed the first chapter, I was sucked into this book reading the whole thing through. I highly recommend it.

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