I felt like this book piqued my interest but had no point. It was a masturbatory exercise that I enjoyed initially and thought was going somewhere but really had no point or purpose. I like my stories to make a statement, not just introduce me to cool words and unexplored concepts. I did give it a three, however, because I did enjoy a good amount of it and it is well written. The ending, however, was unsatisfying and then made me question why I had read it in the first place.

A completely strange book that I enjoyed nonetheless. No idea where it was going about 85% of the time. My poor favorite character was Pearl’s son.

I was completely intrigued by this story, told from multiple highly-inventive perspectives. Many books examine the meaning of happiness; this one does it in an unexpected way.

**Review will be published to blog on 05 Sep 2017 at 10:00AM EST**

I chose this book because:

I love sci-fi and I love happiness. I mean, who doesn’t want to be happy? Well I guess Rhett doesn’t haha. I’m interested to see what insights about happiness this novel will reveal. Rhett’s situation reminds me of the Pixar film Inside Out, and how we learn that sometimes you need to let yourself feel sadness. It also reminds me of Thunderhead from the Scythe series by Neal Shusterman, in which the all-knowing Thunderhead gives unsavouries a place in the world, recognising that some people find meaning through defiance, so rather than create a false utopia by quelling that defiance, the Thunderhead gives those people a place in the world. So what’s it’s going to be for Rhett, and how will his mother step up to the plate? There are some serious Black Mirror vibes going on here!

Upon reading it:

This novel had a lot of potential that I don’t think was quite reached. I would have been interested to see the characters and themes explored more deeply, but it felt too broad and left me wanting. Regarding the characters, I felt that the minor characters could have taken more of a backseat in order to better focus on and develop the main characters, the main characters being Pearl and Rhett. Reading the blurb, I had thought that the novel would be written in alternating perspectives between Pearl and Rhett, but it also introduced the perspectives of several other minor characters. However, none of the characters were fully developed, leaving them feeling unresolved. Furthermore, I didn’t find that the characters’ voices were distinct enough from one another either. For those reasons, I feel like this novel would have been more compelling and better served focusing on and building up the characters of Pearl and Rhett.

On the other hand, perhaps the point of the novel wasn’t Pearl and Rhett’s stories specifically, but rather to explore what happiness is to different people, explaining the number of characters explored. Regarding the theme of happiness, I would be interested in further exploring Apricity, the magic machine that diagnoses people and tells them changes they need to make in their life in order to lead a happier one. The solutions that Apricity offered came in the form of simple tasks, i.e. eat tangerines, get more sunlight, amputate part of your finger, end a toxic relationship, etc., and it never offered more than that. Perhaps that simplicity is part of the appeal of Apricity, but there weren’t any deeper explanations to help understand the reasons for those diagnoses, so they didn’t delve into and reveal much about the characters or the concept of happiness.

Is that what happiness is? Can it be achieved by simply following an intelligently curated list of tasks? I thought the novel would explore those questions, but it was more like an anthology of unfinished case studies. Considering these questions myself, I believe as strongly as before that life is a journey, and that figuring out for yourself what brings you happiness is what makes happiness fulfilling.

Sometimes in my most desperate moments, I wish that someone would just hand me a to-do list to achieve happiness and success, and I swear that if someone gave me that list, I would do whatever it took to make my way through it. But life just isn’t like that. Life isn’t what happens at the end; it’s what happens along the way.

All in all, this novel is a good start and may encourage you to explore more on your own.

For some reason I could not get into this book. I didn't feel an attachment to the characters or the story that was happening. I was very excited for this book because the plot seemed interesting and unique, and something that could possibly happen in the future which made this seem to be realistic. I think it was a mix of the writing style and to me, the story just seemed like it dragged on. That being said, I did like how chapters left you waiting and wanting more, and I did find the concept of the story interesting as a whole. I just was left feeling confused at times. Overall I did enjoy some aspects of the story, just not all of it and that's why I could not finish this novel.

For those who love speculative fiction, and fans of Black Mirror, this is the book for you! Katie Williams writes a funny, engrossing story of what would happen if happiness was sold as a tangible consumer product.

I inhaled this book and am eagerly anticipating more from Williams. Can I just mention how gorgeous the cover art is too??

Published in mid-June, TELL THE MACHINE GOODNIGHT is Katie Williams' first novel for adults. I have tried to get into this book a couple of times. Honestly, it was just a little too strange and dark (Pearl's job is to advise people on steps toward happiness and she has to tell one person to eat tangerines, get a desk with plenty of light, and cut off the uppermost section of his right pointer finger). I did not finish TELL THE MACHINE GOODNIGHT, but I recognize its possible appeal for fans of dystopian sci-fi, especially given the starred review from Kirkus which said in part: "In this imaginative, engaging, emotionally resonant story, she [Williams] reveals how the devices we depend on can both deprive us of our humanity and deliver us back to it. With its clever, compelling vision of the future, deeply human characters, and delightfully unpredictable story, this novel is itself a recipe for contentment."

Now that I’m finally all moved, I’m getting around to reading a lot of galleys that I’m late on & have had for forever. The first one I read was Tell the Machine Goodnight by Kate Williams. The story follows several people in a future where a machine can tell you what will make you happy for the right price. Pearl, a technician who can use the machine for others, seems to enjoy her job, but is dumbfounded by her son, Rhett, who seems to want to remain unhappy.

Content Warning: eating disorders, mental illness, assault, self-harm

I enjoyed this novel, though it felt a bit disjointed to me. It’s told in chapters from alternating perspectives from varying characters. The stories interlock and overlap, and all explore ideas related to happiness. There’s an air of absurdity to the novel as well. Pearl is a likable character, though sometimes she makes choices I find questionable–but who doesn’t? Her son is also intriguing and I appreciated the chapter from his point of view. The disjointed nature of the novel meant some threads were explored and never picked back up, but overall, I felt like there was a cohesive narrative, even if there wasn’t a traditional story arc.

The future depicted in the world was intriguing to me. The Apricity machine, which is supposed to give recommendations for happiness, was very interesting. It provides seemingly random recommendations based on your DNA, and it felt very satirical at times, and is a tacit presence throughout the stories. It aids and hurts, but is a constant in each person’s story. The novel does tackle a lot of big issues through this machine, including our reliance on sources outside ourselves to tell us what our lives are missing, the notion of celebrity, and how family dynamics are affected by outside forces.

Overall, this was a solid slice-of-life read. The characters were interesting and the future depicted was likewise fascinating. I enjoyed it, and I liked the way the chapters read. If you like near future books with interesting concepts, you’ll likely enjoy this as well.
Note: I received this book from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Pretty darned good debut novel emphasizing our increasing dependence on machines in the not too distant future. Predictable setting of future San Francisco with a female protagonist who works for a corporation seeking to offer contentment to its patrons. For the purpose of data collection, Williams does a fine job of detailing the intersection of using our bodies in unacknowledged ways to define and collect contentment. Objectivity wrestles with subjectivity and humans and profit are always looming in the shadows while humanity and the startling capacity for dealing with conflict, discomfort and emotional growth become stunted in the world of algorithmic driven pleasure. Williams crafts a compelling view of the future offering her readers fine moments of consideration and challenge.

Received an advanced copy in exchange for a fair review.

Tell the Machine Goodnight was engaging early and kept me reading, but only because I kept hoping we would shift back to POVs and storylines which we often didn't, making for a frustrating experience overall.

The premise is begging to be referred to as a series of Black Mirror episodes (so I'll make the reference): it's set approximately 20 years in the future where a company has created technology that can scan your DNA and give you a list of things to do that will make you happier. The character we meet first and spend the most time with is Pearl, who works at this company. We shift perspectives to her son, coworker, ex-husband... then about two-thirds of the way through, we've had a time jump of months and Pearl is going to personally consult with a famous actress and gets caught up in her life.

As the story spins out to more and more characters, we return to the core ones less and there were unresolved storylines by the time we did return to just pick up with their lives and not address what has happened since we last saw them. It really was like Williams wanted to explore so many kinds of stories she ended up stringing together a bunch of vignettes in the same universe, but it just didn't work for me.

The year is 2035. A machine called Apricity exists. It’s a machine which, from a simple swipe of a person’s DNA, recommends a few to-do stuff that will guarantee happiness. Stuff like: Eat tangerines on a regular basis, work at a desk that receives morning light, amputate the uppermost section of your right index finger. It’s entirely up to the person if he/she will actually do these recommendations but you must know that the Apricity boasts of 99.97% customer’s approval rating. And pertinent to my immersion in the book is that Pearl, an Apricity technician, is a firm believer of the technology.

The book follows quite a number of characters: Pearl, the Apricity technician; Elliot, Pearl’s artist ex-husband; Rhett, their teenage son; Carter, Pearl’s boss; Val, Elliot’s new wife; and Calla Pax, a celebrity scream queen. Some PoV are in 1st person while others are in 3rd person. All of them felt lived in characters. I find some of them relatable and some of them understable. Through them, the book dishes a hodgepodge of thoughts on happiness. At one point, Pearl ponders on the pleasure of doing harm to people who hurt her. As time goes by, she becomes more and more obsessed with Apricity and the things that it can do for her. Both Rhett and Val feels unworthy of happiness. Elliot’s art exhibit depicts that too much of a thing that makes you happy can be awful. Carter’s pride is in being a leader and asserting power over his subordinates. And how fame can both be Calla Pax’s source of empowerment and trauma.

As far as I’m concerrned, the book has no discernible straightforward theme and plot. At it’s best, it can feel episodic with something about happiness and technology as constants. At it’s worst, it feels scattered with too many thoughts about technology and happiness not coming together at all. The book will leave the PoV of a character then shift to another with things still hanging. And when we meet this character again later on, a lot of time has passed and a lot of stuff has apparently happened off the pages and it’s up to the reader to fill up all those gaps. I know a reader should not be lazy but my reading sensibilities can barely handle this too much blankspace. A bit more of details wouln’t hurt so the development of the plot and these characters would not feel shortchanged.

Still, I’m glad I finished the book. The writing is of quality that makes me read and set aside my qualms. It actually made me agree with most of the points it is trying to say. Like how we rely heavily on technology (in our case, smartphones) for almost everything, including happiness. And like how despite the existence of technology which can supposedly make us happy, we are still never truly happy. And sometimes happiness is not pursued, but will come at you in the most unexpected of times and places. Or how sometimes the path to happiness is faking it until you make it, like climbing a virtual reality mountain with its fake mountaintop and fake blue skies.

A well-written and interesting read. I enjoyed it. I would recommend this to my friends to also enjoy adult fiction about families.

3.75 stars

This review is based on an ARC of Tell the Machine Goodnight which I received courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher (Penguin -- Riverhead).

It seems to me that the new novel trend is to write a book with seemingly no purpose, no real plot, and no real point. At least this has been the case with the last few new books I've read, and that seems to be the case as well with Tell the Machine Goodnight. Now, saying this does make me hypocritical, since I always think to myself how I would love a realistic story that doesn't have a huge, climaxing finale. So hypocritical I am.

I was thoroughly engrossed in this novel, but then, it seemed, that it just suddenly ended. I don't know what to think of the meaning of the plot, other than that it was a neat peek into the lives of a future generation. Regardless of whether I got the deeper meaning or not, I was really fascinated by this story. I was sucked in from the beginning, rushed along, absorbed in Katie Williams storytelling. I really liked the characters, interactions, and the whole idea of the Apricity Machine. I can see this book being a hot topic this publishing season. I also think I sense a new favorite book club book!

Perhaps I just missed out on understanding fully what was happening here, but this is just me personally. I definitely recommend you give this a read and see how you feel.

I normally do not read sci-fi so this was a change for me. In the future, Pearl, the main character operates the Apricity machine which can give people their "contentment plans" according to their DNA. The whole thing really makes me wonder if someday a machine will be able to measure emotion? Will that be possible? Regardless, Pearl is good at her job and doing well......however, her son Rhett is struggling with an eating disorder, who is against the idea of the happiness delivered by the machine. Pearl is torn between reality and the promise of happiness as given by Apricity. Interesting concept in all but there are almost too many other characters who are all looking for their own eternal happiness as well while dealing with a myriad of other issues specifically the advanced technology and what it brings to their lives in comparison with actual reality they live in. Engaging story and good writing, just not my cup of tea. Good first novel though!!

Tell the Machine Goodnight tells the story of Pearl, who works at Apricity, a company that uses a machine to prescribe things for a person to do to make them happier. It might range from simple things like "Eat more ice cream" to more sinister things like "Cut off the tip of finger."

The characters are well developed and the story has a lot to say. However, the ending is very abrupt. I would recommend this except to people who like neat endings with everything tied up, because I feel that they won't enjoy it.

Thanks to Netgalley and Riverhead Books for giving me a chance to read this sci-fi endeavor before it’s actual release in June. Pearl is a technician that operates the Apricity machine which gives people their contentment plans according to their DNA. These plans are dispensed with no explanation and a minimal number of words. Her son has his own issues with an eating disorder so he spends most of his time in his bedroom behind a closed door.

I don’t normally read sci-fi so you might want to read some of the better reviews of this on Goodreads. I didn’t get it. I don’t know what the point of the story was, nor what I was supposed to take away from reading it.

Williams does do a superb job of drawing realistic characters with flaws and all. She’s a good writer and the story flows smoothly. It just wasn’t for me.

Absolutely loved this story until the ending. What a disappointing ending! It seemed to just cut off the story unnaturally like Melvin's index finger tip.

Apricity is a neat idea. The whole book flowed smoothly and I found myself unable to put it down. Was completely invested in all of the characters and that's why the ending was so disappointing.

Can't win them all.