First I want to say I love this cover! It's very eye catching and the story inside was interesting! I enjoyed learning about the lives of the characters.

I thought it was going to be an funny quick and easy read. But i found myself quite bored, sadly. But the premise was good.

Two young hackers with the brains to save the world. Or at least change it. What can go wrong?

The writing and the characters really kept me on my toes with what they would do next in the very beggining of the books, as they were introducing them to us. especially with a hacked car that run around town on its on.

I really enjoyed reading and would recommend

Thank you Netgalley for the arc, but ultimately this wasn't for me. I am not a "Techy" person, so I struggled through a lot of this book. It was also a big downer, which I should've picked up on from the title. I could see how this book would be great for someone who is into that sort of thing but just not for me.

I won't be able to fully review, but I am featuring the book in a series called "I Wish I'd Read That." Text Below:

Buzz Kill sold me on its AI-meets-hacker approach, promising a character who seems to be mostly blind to the real world, hiding behind a computer screen every day and night. The description sounded fascinating and I was drawn to the bold cover. Any mention of an AI or a robot and you know I'm on board! I'm bummed I didn't get a chance to read this one and I'm curious to know what you thought in the comments. Does the AI take over the world? Does the hacker protagonist bring down society? It all sounds exciting and promising. Read more about the author and book below, or purchase a copy for yourself. And of course, a big thank you to 47North for the free review copy!

I appreciate having had an opportunity to read and review this book. The appeal of this particular book was not evident to me, and if I cannot file a generally positive review I prefer simply to advise the publisher to that effect and file no review at all.

First half is great

The first half of the book is great because it spends a lot of time setting up the six characters and gets the story rolling with a genial geekiness. In the middle long paragraphs on programming bog things down a bit. Then at the end the characters vanish one by one which might – might – be a subtle echo (there is a lot about echoes in this book) of Grandma Gladys vanishing into dementia. More likely it's that Mr. Sosnowski ran out of steam. The ending is dull, easily foretold, and lame.

So, a couple of things that called my attention when requesting this book, the cover and the setting in Alaska. The premise was interesting and I knew going into this that it was going to be sci-fi; a well loved genre in my reading game. However, I wasn't ready for the deeper themes such as suicide and depression that I started reading. Don't get me wrong I can handle those themes and more, but I was just wasn't going into this one expecting that you know. It's like visiting France and suddenly France is located in the dessert. Not that you're not interested in the dessert , just didn't expect that. I found myself bored at times but still respecting the research and effort it took to write this novel, it just wasn't what I wanted from the author. I was expecting humor and laugh out loud moments instead I found myself wanting to skim through pages. I think if I were to re-read this book knowing what I know now I could rate it higher but for now a 3 star will be suffice.

The idea of a conscious AI is both a fascinating and a terrifying one and this book explores it wonderfully. Set against an alternating backdrop of tech-rich California and vast, nature-heavy Alaska, the exploration of consciousness, connection, and isolation is interesting. I found the characters to be intriguing, though I did think Pandora was more well rounded than George. I seemed to lose George at some points - his tech ramblings became a little dry at times and it pulled me away from him as a relatable character (though that became less of the case as the story progressed toward the end). I loved the juxtaposition of the AI world with the intensely human world of Pandora and her grandmother. For me, that connection and how it was all tied together (both past and present) were the most fascinating parts of the story. I was not previously aware that this was a prequel to Sosnowski’s other novel Happy Doomsday, but now I am looking forward to picking that one up next. You do not need to read that novel first in order to appreciate this one. This is definitely an author I will keep an eye on!

Many thanks to the publisher and to NetGalley for the copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Two hackers join forces to help stop social-media led suicide rates - but how do you teach an AI about the value of human life and how to preserve it?

Buzz Kill really intrigued me by its blurb but ended up confusing me in its execution. The first 30% I found a weird mixture of amusing and sad. I enjoyed learning about Pandora and her father Roger and I found the description of her and her school life quite funny in places. We then learn about her grandmother Gladys who is suffering from dementia, which is where the book takes a turn into the depressing. The subject is heartbreakingly written but I did find it compelling reading that kept my interest.

It was when we start to learn about George and his job at Quire and the creation of the AI called Buzz that I started to find the book becoming a bit of a slog. Although I have a bit of understanding of coding and didn’t really find it too technically difficult to understand, it just gave the impression that the author was just trying to show off how clever he could sound. I didn’t find it very engaging to be frank and found it hard to have the impetus to pick it up and read it, despite the lack of other distractions in Quarantine! The only bits I enjoyed reading in the latter half of the book were the rest of the chapters on Gladys but even they started to get too repetitive. I found the ending confusing and there were some serious unanswered questions from about ¾ of the book which weren’t even resolved at the end (no spoilers).

There are serious topics of suicide and dementia which are explored well and I enjoyed the banter between the two main characters. Pandora is particular is interesting and well-rounded and I enjoyed the fact she has a hyper-expressive face that can’t hide how she feels. I didn’t really get how old she was supposed to be –she starts off the book at school but the subject of her education seems to drop off by the middle of the book and her intellect and experience seems a lot higher than than 14/15 (?) she is supposed to be. I also found it odd that George’s company doesn’t keep more of an eye on him, content for him to just do nothing for weeks. We learn a lot about his boss as well that seems to come to nothing in the end.

Overall, I found Buzz Kill to be initially interesting but came to a disappointing and confusing conclusion with far too many unanswered questions. Thank you to NetGalley & 47North for the chance to read the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

this was one heck of a ride, funny, full of heart, i really could not stop reading it the moment i started. i will be giving it a second read and recommend it with all my heart to everyone willing to listen.

Thank you to NetGalley and 47North for providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Unfortunately, I dnfed this book as I was not enjoying it at all; the story did not intrigue me and the characters felt very surface-level. Everything in this book seemed like the author was trying to cram many topics into it, whilst not stopping to see how they related to each other and so, to me at least, it felt like a mess.

What happens when two hackers put their heads together? Some of it is amazing, the other is kind of dreadful. This latest novel by David Sosnowski is quirky and creative. Pandora grew up in Alaska. There’s really not much to do there. Hence her fascination with hacking. George, on the other hand, is a different type of hacker. He breaks into a system, cleans it up and leaves it in better shape than it was before. Once these two meet, the sky is the limit. Together they develop their own little brainchild which sets about making life very interesting for others.
Although this book is marketed as a hilarious read, I did not find much humor in it. I did, however, find it to be an enjoyable and interesting read. You are able to feel for the characters in the story, see their vulnerabilities and rejoice in their triumphs. There’s a mixture of science fiction, fantasy and a dash of romance. If you enjoy any one of those three genres, I believe you will find this a good read. Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for the opportunity to review this book.

George is a runaway foster child, who is also a brilliant hacker and coder. Pandora has a hyperexpressive face (think Jim Carrey) and also excels at coding. Together, they are recruited by a large Silicon Valley firm to create a virtual friend for suicidal teens—with AI. What could possibly go wrong with that?

I enjoy unique and original storytelling. Buzz Kill is certainly full of that. I’m not even sure what genre it is. Young adult with serious ethical discussions and a whole bunch of tech talk? Yes, but it’s more than that too. It really made me think. I was so obsessed with it, I downloaded the Kindle Unlimited version—even though the publisher had already given me a free copy. I used the included audible file to listen to it on my two-hour commute each day as well as read it on my breaks and lunch. If you feel like reading a book unlike any other, give Buzz Kill a try. You won’t be sorry. 5 stars!

Thanks to 47North and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

Buzz Kill is the latest novel from David Sosnowski. You probably recognize the insanely bright colors used on his covers! Marketed as a hilarious read about hackers, this novel is as creative as it is quirky.
Amazing – or dreadful – things can happen when two hackers put their heads together. At least, that is the case for Pandora Lynch and George Jedson. Together these two are about to create something new, and that’s arguably about to get out of hand.
Pandora grew up in Alaska, with the internet as her best friend and teacher. That is, up until it was decided that she needed to learn how to interact with real people her age. That didn’t go over so well. But it did give her some ideas.
George is a hacker, but not what you might expect. He loves breaking into systems, cleaning them up, and leaving them even better than what he found. It sounds counterintuitive, because it is. And it’s also probably still very illegal.
Buzz Kill is actually the prequel novel to Happy Doomsday. But don’t worry if you haven’t read that one yet – it isn’t a requirement to follow or understand this one. Though perhaps one would appreciate some of the elements more, knowing where they’ll lead.

“In retrospect, she could see how her revenge might be mistaken for an act of terrorism.”

Warnings: Buzz Kill touches upon bully, abuse, and mental health issues all at once. All of these elements are all fairly integral to the core plot, and thus fit in nicely, and more or less provide a bit of warning before they happen.

Buzz Kill was an entertaining – and highly unique read from start to finish. I didn’t read Happy Doomsday, but I had no problems following the vein of this rather chaotic and compelling tale.
This novel is told through multiple perspectives, namely that of Pandora and George. These two characters are extremely different, so getting to see their way of thinking was very much appreciated. It did a great job of setting the tone – and explaining their future attempts and actions.
I think my biggest complaint (if you want to call it that) is that Buzz Kill was marketed as a hilarious read, when I honestly found it to be a bit of a well, downer. It was fairly depressing at times, including the introduction. This is a novel that did not showcase the best that humanity has to offer, and boy do you feel that.
On the whole, Buzz Kill was an interesting read, though perhaps not the read I was expecting going into it. I don’t regret having read it, which is certainly something. And I’d probably pick up Happy Doomsday and give that a read. I would be curious to see if my appreciation for this novel would change, after reading it.

I had to abandon this book. The writing style was just not for me. I felt there was way too much detail in the backstory and found it hard to keep up with the story line. I only made it to about 22% of the book and had to let it go.

I'm gonna jump into the "meat" of this review headfirst, if you don't mind. I think the book deserves it.

There are precisely two (2) reasons the book didn't get a full 5 stars from me: one is more technical, and it may even be fixed already since I read an ARC- the editing. The book keeps repeating itself a lot, re-describing things we just had narrated to us a few pages ago like it's new information, or rehashing the same information but worded slightly different. Also, the infodumps, because BOY, there were a lot of them, with so much technical jargon I could barely keep up at times (and I consider myself ~modestly knowledgeable~ about tech).

And this leads us to reason number 2: the book hadn't decided what it wanted to be. Was it a lighthearted young-adult comedy/ satire? Was it a philosophical text about consciousness and responsibility, suicide and family? Was it aimed at tech-savvy adults who are into AI? I think it tried to be ALL three things at once. It mostly succeeded, in my opinion, but sometimes you're in danger of getting whiplash from the tone shifts.

That said: I really, really liked the book. If not for the above, it'd have gotten a full 5 stars from me. I expected a silly book about teenagers fooling around with computers, and I got something much, much bigger than that (while still encompassing my first idea). The characters are likeable and developed well, and the plot and pacing aren't handled optimally (towards the end, the pacing sped up a lot, like the author just needed to get it over with) but it's not that much of a problem. I also love that Alaska plays a big role as a setting in Pandora's portions, it's almost a character on its own.

I highly suggest the book, honestly. It wasn't perfect for me, but it was close enough.

Oh, one more thing: I only found out today upon finishing the book that this is a prequel to Happy Doomsday. I don't think anything would have changed if I had read that one first, there's no problem getting into the book's world, it's not a fantasy story. I'll definitely be reading Happy Doomsday next, though.

This book unfortunately wasn't my cup of tea so I did end up DNF'ing the book. I was attracted to the plot of this book but unfortunately did not meet my expectations.

At times fast paced and funny, at times heart felt and almost heart breaking, Buzz Kill by David Sosnowski is definitely original. The book follows the escapades of two skilled teenage hackers, who join forces to try to create a sentient AI, one which would be able to pass the infamous Turing test and convince a human that it is also a human rather than an artificial creation. Pandora lives in Alaska with her father, who is raising her alone after her mother died while giving birth to her. She is struggling to fit in at school because of being home schooled for most of her education, and because she has a hyper- mobile, overly expressive face. In California , runaway George Jedson has just been hired by a large social media corporation on foot of his impressive hacking exploits. His new role is to try to come up with a system to recognise young people who are on the brink of suicide. When the pair cross virtual paths, they quickly bond over their shared skills and soon they are creating one of the most convincing A.I. systems ever made, which they christen Buzz. Inevitably things begin to go wrong, with unforeseen consequences that will have global ramifications.
I really enjoyed the tone of this book, there is a lot of wit, and the author never talks down to the reader. He explains most of the scientific basics clearly and succinctly without belabouring the point , which helps to keep the story moving at a good pace. The world building is good, it feels like a believable future, and one that is not very far off. The characters are really fun, and I loved their banter. I also really loved the relationship between Pandora and her grandmother, who has Alzheimer's . What started out as a punishment for her became one of the strongest relationships in the book, and one of the most beautiful. While the ending may be divisive, I thought it fit well with the tone of the book and it was definitely thought provoking.
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.

If I had to use one word to describe this book it would be smug. The author is very proud of himself for being clever and witty, and is very sure of his superior intellect and understanding of human nature and the state of the world. Now that is not to say the book was bad. If you could get past the arrogance and the wordiness there was a good story and interesting characters and plenty of humorous moments. Unfortunately it just rubbed me the wrong way and I kept getting pulled out of the story.