This is such a thoughtful family drama, as well as a fascinating exploration into technology and it's effect on our lives. It's a slow build, but Pinsker knows where she's going. The book sort of sneaks up on you, so by the time you get to the end, you realize what's been happening all along. Engaging characters, and I loved the causal queer rep. So nice to see a queer family just existing like this.

I adored Sarah Pinsker's first book "A song for a new day" and I didn't realize this was the same author until I had finished the novel and was reading her afterword. This is a great examination how tech advances can change the social fabric. The have and have nots are pushed further apart. The author did a great job of providing both sides of the early adopter argument initially and its inevitable fallout. My only wish is that the "reveal" of the various Pilot permutations (e.g. yes light, no pilot) had more punch or affect on the story. It seemed like it was supposed to be a big deal, but didn't really follow through with it.

We are Satellites is a thoughtful, character-driven sci-fi that can be considered for future possibilities, as well as a metaphor for current matters. The story is set in the near future, when Pilots are implanted in peoples’ heads. The idea of the Pilot is it helps those with it to multitask with ease and use their brain more effectively all-around.

Similar to Facebook, the Pilot begins as an item for a niche crowd. It is a select group of school-age children at first, before gradually more students and working adults get them and soon nearly everyone is getting them. Those who don’t are out of the cultural loop, much like other widespread technological matters (like social media).

The family at the center of the story are interesting: teenager David, who desperately wants to get the Pilot to fit in better with his school friends; Val, who is practical and constantly thinking of her two children; Julie, Val’s partner, who is intrigued by the Pilot as well; and Sophie, David’s younger sister, who has a serious case of epilepsy.

Similar to other forms of technology, while the product is marketed as a product with pure good so great it will make all of humankind better. However, the reality is it probably does as much harm as good.

One of the great things about the book is author Sarah Pinsker captures a different character’s POV with each new chapter. The chapters are kept brief as well, which helps keep the pacing manageable. While all of the four characters are vastly different, the reader can relate to all of them at some level.

The scene where David goes in to see a doctor for assistance, but the doctor eventually makes him believe the problem has nothing to do with the Pilot but with David is incredibly memorable. Most readers will relate to how you can seek medical guidance and end up feeling like something is wrong with you. All in all, We are Satellites is a character-driven story well worth reading.

We Are Satellites is both thought provoking, and incredibly family focused, and I loved both of those elements! It’s set in a reasonably near future, where brain implants, known as Pilots, are gaining popularity. They are supposed to help users multi-task and use their brain more efficiently, so of course people are signing up for them left and right. Parents Val and Julie are divided on whether to let their teen son David get one.

Julie can understand the potential benefits of them, and even toys with it herself. Val, and their other daughter Sophie, won’t be partaking (Val’s because of choice, and Sophie because she has epilepsy and is ineligible). Soon, the women relent, and grant David permission to get the thing, and Julie soon joins him. It draws a bit of a line, so to speak, in the family. While they still love each other very much, this technology has put a strain on things.

And as you may surmise, the Pilot isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, at least for some people. David has problems from the start with his, but no one will give him straight answers or solutions, so instead he enlists in the military, which promises to help him navigate Pilot life (the implant, not planes). As the story progresses, we see the family grow up (in Sophie’s case, quite literally) and change along with the Piloted world.

Reading about the family children growing into adulthood, and the parents having to navigate that and their evolving relationship with each other, well that hit me right in the feels. Obviously there is a huge mystery element behind the Pilot, but the family stuff just blew me away. That isn’t to say I didn’t also enjoy finding out what the heck was up with the Pilot, because I sure did! At times the pace was maybe a bit slow, but for the most part, I was too invested to be bothered. The reader knows that something is going on with the Pilot company, but it’s so fun to go on the ride to uncover exactly what is happening- and if it can be fixed. Add to it, navigating it all within this lovely, ever-evolving family unit was an absolute joy.

Bottom Line: With a thought provoking premise and an incredible family unit of characters, this one made me think- and unexpectedly gave me a lot of feels!

This was an incredibly thought provoking read.

I liked that the author had a family of four who all had different views on a pilot. The pilot meant something different to each of them and their voices were so strong.

I have never read anything quite like David's chapters and the author did wonderful capturing his thoughts and his feelings.

I especially liked looking into the future where gender wasn't assumed and everyone was able to live their truth peacefully.

Rating: 8.0/10

Thanks to the publisher and author for an advance reading copy of We Are Satellites for review consideration. This did not influence my thoughts or opinions.

We Are Satellites is an intriguing novel that explores the impact of futuristic technology at home and abroad. Pinsker introduces a character-driven story that nails a “family first” mentality with the complications of being left behind in a constantly progressing society.

While We Are Satellites is not a normal go-to type novel for me, I really enjoyed the entire read. Pinsker has a knack for writing characters that are relatable and you can completely empathize with, on top of providing very interesting premise. Much like our world today, if you aren’t keeping up with the technology trends at a steady pace, you can get left in the dust fairly quickly.

I enjoyed how each chapter provided multiple POVs between David, Sophie, Val & Julie. While the chapter headers were a nice add, you quickly became familiar with each distinctive voice fairly early on. I love how each character stood out from the pack, and their strengths and weaknesses were laid bare for all to see.

The idea behind the ‘Pilot’ is fantastic, and while I’m not sure having a device implanted on the side of my noggin is the best way to go, I can see why so many people would be chomping at the bit. So many times during a workday, I find myself wandering for other things to do as my mind constantly attempts to figure out how to get everything needing done, well, done.

I became quickly enthralled with David’s character (and no, NOT because it is also my name you silly gooses), but because from very early on, my heart just went out to him. I felt like no-one really wanted to listen to what he had to say, then he joins the military (soft spot there), attempts to reorient himself with society and realizes it is more difficult than he imagined. At least it ends on a good note, which I’m not sure I would’ve been in as good a mood talking to Sarah had it not LOL.

I really enjoyed We Are Satellites, and if you are looking for a futuristic, character-driven sci-fi novel with more heart than lasers, check it out. I also recommend the audio if you’d rather take that route. Bernadette Dunne did a phenomenal job capturing the true essence of each character.

This was a great science fiction novel giving us a fascinating look at what could happen when technology-as-fad goes a *little* too far. Feeling reminiscent of Margaret Atwood in a way, we are taken along for a ride as we follow one family from the beginning of a new technology to its frightening end. What happens when everyone suddenly wants this new tech called a Pilot, that requires “non invasive” brain surgery to implant, and *just* heightens your brains ability to multitask and focus? Who gets left behind? What if becomes a status symbol? What if it becomes a class symbol? What if it becomes government supported and funded? What if jobs suddenly stop looking favorably on those who choose or who must go without? What about the inner dynamics of a family split down the middle about whether it’s right to have these? I really felt invested in each member of the family throughout the book, from Sophie, an adopted daughter with epilepsy, and David, a kid trying to keep up with everyone else in school, to their parents, Julie and Val. Julie works in a high intensity job as a Congressman’s staffer, and Val is a teacher who decides she doesn’t want a Pilot. Sophie can’t have one because of her seizures, and something goes wrong for David that no one believes.

A fast paced, emotionally wrenching, and philosophically interesting novel about technology when it goes too far.

Another author that I was reading for the first time courtesy of Netgalley. Overall, this was a pleasant read and would be perfect for book clubs and other similar gatherings. The questions presented at the end can serve as pointers for a good discussion too.

Now for what did it for me and what didn't:

What I Liked

The way the author portrays a loving family, how they make mistakes, and would still stick up for each other or forgive their loved ones felt genuine to me. Val's parts were my favorites because her motivations were clear to see. Even when she was being unfair, she acknowledged that; it made her immensely likable. Julie, too, was authentically flawed and while she irritated me at times, she came off as a real person.

Some lines were just beautiful to read and made me want to save them as favorite quotes.

The premise is too believable. Who wouldn't want tech that can help us do more in much less time. We all want to be multitaskers!

What I Didn't Like

For a sci-fi book, this story doesn't feature much from the genre. It's more about family, relationships, and just a bit about technology and its effects on society.

The pacing was all over the place. The first third rolled out smoothly and guaranteed the story was going to keep me interested. Then the next part began and things happened at a glacial rate, so much so that I wanted to start skimming. I did actually skim some parts that were from David's POV because they felt repetitive to me. The final third seemed like it was making up for the middle, which is why it came off as rushed.

The ending was too neat and tidy. It took the new tech the whole book to creep in and take over everything. Yet, unraveling it didn't take that long. The thing with the journalist, for instance. He needed evidence to pin the blame on the conspirators directly or so he said. And that was when he had an internal memo literally asking the concerned people to bury galling evidence. Yet when it came to linking the ADHD pills to the pilot tech, all he needed was a quick internet search. Just didn't make sense is what I'm saying.

Sophie wasn't consistently written. In some parts, she came off as downright creepy. It was okayish when she was a kid and pretended to be asleep while the adults discussed things around her that she wouldn't be privy to but it became weird when did similar things as an adult. Also, she made it sound like she was in it for the good of the people, yet in one she asks attendees of her meetings to mention their pronouns openly without thinking if they'd want to out themselves or not, In some places, she can pull off spy-level heists and in others, she expects the main chapter of her organization will include her in all their activities.

In any case, I enjoyed this book and would like to read more by its author.

Pinsker's newest book is a compelling family story with scifi trappings. Val and Julie are raising their children, David and Sophie, with love and support. When the Pilot, an implant designed to improve concentration and increase productivity, is introduced, Val is skeptical while Julie is intrigued. We Are Satellites is about the dynamics that arise in a society (and a family) where an enhancement becomes an expectations.

I received an ARC of We Are Satellites from Berkley Publishing Group in exchange for an honest review.

Pinsker’s latest (and my introduction to her work), succeeding the Nebula Award-winning A Song for a New Day, qualifies as science fiction in only the most technical sense—it follows middle-class parents Val and Julie and their kids, David and Sophie, in a near future where “Pilots” are introduced: surgically-implanted devices which (supposedly) allow the brain to effectively process stimuli from multiple sources at once. What at first seems to be a fad, indicated by a blue light visible on the temple, becomes more entrenched. David wants one. Sophie can’t get one. Julie feels obligated to get one. Val refuses. The family splits apart.

We Are Satellites shines in its first half. Pinsker’s portrayal of the way technology creeps into our lives feels entirely organic, as does the way it fractures the family at the heart of the book. Minor escalations eventually become major rifts, and I never got the sense that she was stretching the internal logic of the fictional world for the sake of creating conflict or advancing the story. I also appreciated the fairness with which Pinsker treats technology, at least in the early sections of the novel. There are flavors of Black Mirror here for sure, but We Are Satellites is less interested in technological fearmongering and asserts a more nuanced, and therefore more compelling, view of our future and the devices which will inevitably influence social and cultural norms.

It is likely for this reason that I found Val and Julie to be the most engaging characters in the book (and why I found the first half better than the second; more on that in a bit). I won’t say that their decisions regarding Pilots carry more weight or risk more devastating consequences than those decisions do for David and Sophie—that is demonstrably untrue within the context of the novel—but as parents, more variables factor into those decisions. This created, for me, a reading experience in which I was deeply attuned to the subtle complexities of the issues around which the book revolves. Pinsker’s writing facilitates this. We Are Satellites is a novel in which subtext is nearly a foreign concept; the motivations and perceptions of the four POV characters are laid out plainly within their chapters, refusing the reader any opportunity to extrapolate from the text.

This is a double-edged sword. I appreciated, especially in the first half, the transparency—I always knew exactly why Val, Julie, David, and Sophie did what they did or believed what they believed, which meant I was sympathetic to all of their perspectives and could focus on how those perspectives brought them into conflict with one another. But as the book moves into its second half and the children move to the forefront of the story, the problems with this writing style become more…problematic. It mostly works for David as his story permits Pinsker some syntactic flexibility; as his mental health deteriorates, so too does the coherence of his internal narration. This isn’t a particularly innovative tool, but Pinsker employs it effectively.

Sophie is the weak link, narratively speaking. She comes across as a caricature, almost a parody, of someone passionate about social justice (someone like me), and I had difficulty deciphering whether her maddening inability to be anything other a blunt instrument was an intentional facet of her character or an oversight on Pinsker’s part. I was particularly bothered by a scene in which Sophie tells—doesn’t ask, tells—attendees at a meeting to include their pronouns when introducing themselves. Did Sophie stop to consider that she might be forcing someone to out themself around strangers in a public setting? Nope. If this bullheaded behavior was meant to reveal something meaningful about Sophie’s character, great. But since no one calls out her actions as inappropriate, and since the writing offers no opening to read between the lines, and since there is no indication in the text of any self-awareness on Sophie’s part, I am inclined to believe that the novel, and therefore Pinsker, is providing tacit endorsement of what she does. (I used the word “inclined” intentionally; I can’t prove this is true and would love to be wrong.)

Like Sophie, the book as a whole loses its grip on nuance in the second half. Sentimentality becomes saccharine, the lines between good and evil become more clear-cut, and diversity and social justice issues become more of a checklist than a natural part of the narrative (there are two non-cis characters, and the differences in how they are handled is striking—one is exemplary, the other is not). Fortunately, We Are Satellites remains immensely readable throughout, and the momentum of David’s plotline is strong enough to carry the novel through its roughest patches; it is a piercingly-accurate portrayal of anxiety that was all-too-real for me, and this storyline gets better and better even as Sophie’s does the opposite. The quality is consistently inconsistent.

And then there’s the epilogue—only several pages, a single scene, but so egregious that I ultimately dropped my overall star rating of the book from four stars to three. The closest pop culture comparison I can think of is the final shot in Bong Joon-ho’s Parasite: it does nothing but drag an otherwise elegant ending (which, prior to the epilogue, I loved for its grace and light touch) out from the realm of subtlety and into the frustrating domain of didacticism. Subtext becomes text, and I can almost imagine Pinsker looking directly into the figurative camera and explaining the theme. It’s a bit insulting and a needlessly sour note upon which to end the novel.

I’ll wrap up by saying this: if you’re looking for a book group selection, this is it (I co-facilitate multiple book groups and preview dozens of books yearly for each of them, so I think you can trust me on this). As evidenced by the discussion questions included in my ARC, this is a novel which seems designed to check every book group box—it will appeal to fans of both literary and speculative fiction, spans a variety of perspectives from characters of various ages, genders, and sexual orientations, and will surely spark rich, relevant, and resonant conversations about how technology intersects and clashes with class, family, politics, disability, education, capitalism, imperialism, nationalism, mental illness, social justice, and drug use/abuse (there’s a lot going on in this novel, but it never feels like too much). Although not without major problems, there is so much to like about We Are Satellites, and I am looking forward to reading more from Pinsker.

One of my favorite books from 2019 was Sarah Pinsker’s debut novel, A Song for a New Day. She so perfectly captured the search for hope within a fairly boring and mundane dystopia. When I read the description for her new book, I knew I wanted to get my hands on it. While it certainly hits differently than her previous book, We Are Satellites is a detailed and incredible human exploration of how technology and culture smash into each other, especially within American society.

We Are Satellites is the story of a single family as they navigate a world that is rapidly changing due to the invention called the pilot. The pilot is a neural implant that allows the user to focus better and multitask more efficiently. One, with the aid of a pilot, can enjoy a podcast, work on their excel spreadsheets, cook dinner and mind the children all at the same time. Julie and Val are the parents of David and Sophie. David has always kind of struggled in school, despite his best efforts and implores his parents to let him have a pilot installed so that he does not fall behind the other kids. Julie is on his side and convinces Val it would help him. Meanwhile, Sophie is unable to have a pilot due to her epilepsy, and in solidarity, Val chooses to remain pilot free herself. What follows is a story of how the family’s dynamic changes, with some of the problems being exacerbated by the technology.

The characters in Satellites are well drawn, and Pinsker’s writing truly captures their individual struggles. They all feel believable and relatable in small ways, from their daily tasks to their immediate reactions to small events. Each character feels like a unique individual, not a set of traits that revolve around a specific instinct. The parents are excellently written, showing their strong relationship deteriorate through the story as less and less care is given to it. Julie loves the next hot technology and feels she would be better at her job with the pilot, while Val remains skeptical. The children are equally interesting as they become the larger focus as the story progresses. David, who had a pilot installed as a teenager, is tortured by it and can’t get anyone to believe he is having trouble with it. Sophie, on the other hand, has to navigate the world without one, while also showing her own independence and ability to not rely on her mother’s constant worrying. Pinsker paints them so delicately and so beautifully it hurts to watch them unravel.

The story itself is small, with big implications, which seems to be Pinsker’s forte. Each chapter is a snapshot into the character’s lives, highlighting how the pilot has changed their interactions with the world. I found it particularly enjoyable that the book doesn’t necessarily feel like it’s building to anything grand, but remains compelling nonetheless. The story is the people and their lives, not some overarching world domination plot, or cheap shots at dystopia. Pinsker sells this by having each character’s life play out as a reaction to the events in another character’s life. The shift from the parents being the focal point, to the lives of their children was especially well done and highlighted the slow, nearly invisible march of “progress” and “change.”

When it comes down to it, Pinsker is truly a visionary when it comes to dissecting the cultural impact of a new technology. In the beginning, she plays an even hand, looking at the costs and the benefits to the pilot technology. Gradually though, Pinsker reveals how some are destined to be left behind by it, whether by privilege or due to conditions like epilepsy, and how those with access and more “conventional” brains will be catapulted by the advancement. She is also incredible at showing how such a technology would infect every aspect of being, to the point where not having one, or reacting poorly to one would ultimately marginalize you. She shows how businesses would look at you differently for not having one, by seeing you as less productive than someone with one, or how other people would consider you lesser on this road to a more “post-human” future. How government programs would be tailored to fitting people with one, instead of helping those without one. In particular, subsidy and grant programs to give them to children living below the poverty line so they may become more “productive” citizens. My favorite part is that she flirts with dystopia, showing it in it’s full regalia of everyday life, instead of explicitly stating “you’re in hell.”

We Are Satellites is a great example of how technological dystopias come to pass. Pinsker does not beat you over the brow, saying “look how terrible it all is.” Instead, she shows you the steady slide into a “new” normal that most people didn’t ask for, but they bought it anyway. Through her diverse cast, she explores how different people with different jobs, priorities, mindsets, goals, and conditions interact with this new world. How change can just happen, slowly and without pomp and circumstance until it isn’t change at all, it’s how it has always been. She also does it with a levity and care that makes it more digestible than most dystopias. All this, while reminding the reader that one still has a choice when it comes to change.

Rating: We Are Satellites – 9.0/10
-Alex

The kids of the wealthiest families in David’s class start showing up to school with a small blue light at their temples. Turns out this light is a surgically implanted neuro-enhancer called the “Pilot” that lets users multitask. Suddenly, kids with the device start pulling ahead in their schoolwork, and kids without the enhancement fall woefully behind to the point of being sequestered in “Special Ed” classes.

David wants one, but his family is just eking by financially and cannot afford it without sacrificing other needs like getting a car repair and fixing of a sagging roof. One of his moms, Julie, would love one herself and is all in for him keeping up with his peers. His other Mom Val worries about the impact of this to the brain, which they’ve seen disfunction in his adopted younger sister’s uncontrolled brain seizures from epilepsy. The same starts to apply to adults in the workplace: Julie getting one to help with her keep up with political work and colleagues who all have them, while Val holds back from getting one and ends up sequestered as a teacher for the un-enhanced kids. Given the current parental frenzy to help kids get ahead in life and adults striving for work success, it’s easy to imagine going from needing to have the latest smartphone or smart watch to a promised low risk brain enhancement. Who hasn’t dreamed of a knowledge chip our brains could tap seamlessly?

And so you’re powerfully drawn into a near future world with emergent tech enhancements of humans- with an eerie overlay similar to the Black Mirror TV series of technology run amuck. From the opening focus on the tiny blue light emanating in a temple of those with the Pilot installed, you’re left worrying about the risk of this bio-embedded tech. What happens if it misfunctions or gets hacked? Could users’ brains be damaged, or could they lose autonomous control? Should the government be regulating or overseeing this tech?

With rapid developments in biotechnology and nanotechnology, brain-machine interfaces have already made their experimental appearance today, mainly for therapeutic purposes such as controlling epilectic seizures, restoring mobility to those with paralysis and giving partial sight to people with blindness. Computing and nanotechnology discoveries have already resulted in tiny computers that can interface with our brains, which makes sense as both our brains and computers run on electricity. These early developments all promise machine technology that will become imbedded in humans to make us smarter, stronger, and even healthier. Some even talk of a “new species” of trans-humans, where computers, machines and biology become entwined. But inevitably comes concerns about a widening gap between the haves and the have-nots, and the risks inherent with this embedded technology. A recent New York Times article focused on some profound personality changes of those with brain-implants to help control epileptic seizures.

As this powerfully thought-provoking book unfolds, with chapters alternatively narrated by David, Sophie, Val, and Julie, you’re riveted at how each of their lives becomes intensely impacted by the Pilot technology. Meanwhile the powerful corporation behind the devices has been withholding adverse reactions, including the inability to turn the multitasking off, acute noise sensitivity, and the requiring of brain thanks to neural plasticity. And they’ve been developing drugs marketed for ADD that can address the malfunction issues, along with playing nefarious politics.

From ardent protestors to passionate adopters, the story rushes you forward into a scarily believable future. You’re enveloped in a world of future tech that verges of the emergent in our world today, with all the ethical and morality issues up for grab.

What an amazing read!!!

Thanks to Netgalley for an Advanced Reader’s Copy of this book.

🔊🔊🔊🔊 (four stars as rated in all the noise in your mind that never ever stops)

When Val and Julie’s son David comes home from school asking for a Pilot, a new brain implant that improves brain function, they reluctantly agree. The doctors all assure them it’s safe and, with the new technology becoming commonplace, more kids at David’s school have them than do not. But with the many benefits of the Pilot come downsides as well. What of Sophie, David’s younger sister who has epilepsy and whose brain can not support the technology? What of Val who simply isn’t interested in getting one? Who is really behind the almost overnight success of this life changing science? And how do you fight back against something once it’s everywhere?

“We know Pilots don’t make anybody smarter. They don’t teach good study skills. They aren’t a replacement for teachers or books. If a kid is in tenth grade and reading on a third-grade level, he’s not going to magically start comprehending quantum physics or To the Lighthouse just because he has a Pilot . It’s a superficial fix. A bandage for a paper cut on a finger when there’s a sucking chest wound, too.”

This is my first Sarah Pinsker novel and it exceeded all of my expectations! The story is one part speculative sci-fi, one part family drama, and one part conspiracy! But what I really, really loved about this novel was how quickly it moved. Everything I knew about the story going into it literally occurs within the first 10 pages! The book just takes off and sustains this fast, engrossing pace throughout. I loved that especially considering the technical nature of the subject matter which could have become very easily bogged down.

The arcs of the four main characters were really lovely to read. I appreciate the way this family is illustrated for us and loved getting to see them grow and change. I want to say that Sophie was my favorite character, but when I think about it I don’t know that I could choose between them. They each make mistakes, but we are gifted so much insight into why they all chose to do what they do. And I really enjoyed that.

✨ Rep in this book: Queer MC’s, Neurodivergent MC

✨ Content warnings for this book: thoughts of suicide, drug use, addiction, mentions of war and battle, PTSD, medical stuff, gas-lighting

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Much like Sarah Pinsker’s debut novel A Song for a New Day, We Are Satellites draws strength from its lightly speculative but all too believable premise: the invention and near-ubiquitous implementation of a device called a Pilot, a brain implant that allows for functional multitasking. While this may seem like a rather tame premise, the way Pinsker unfolds the conflict makes this an unputdownable book, one that reads like a novel length episode of Black Mirror and leaves you with an equal amount of questions and answers.

Pinsker excels at examining all the layers and striations of conflict arising from the all but mandatory usage of ability enhancing devices. One of my favourite parts of this book was the detailed look at how differing ideologies can split a family apart. The four POV characters we get throughout the novel—Julie, Val, Sophie, and David—are all members of the same family; Julie and Val are queer women married to one another and mothers to David and Sophie. Activism plays a huge part in this novel, and the examination of an artificially created class of privilege thanks to the Pilot devices is fascinating to read.

What made this novel stand out to me was how utterly real it felt. Though the prose was definitely stylized (and beautifully so, at that) in places for impact, I felt like I could have easily been reading a real account of events that had come to pass. This along with the seamless integration of questionable technology is what gave We Are Satellites the Black Mirror feel and what kept me turning page after page. The characterization and attention to detail was impeccable.

The diversity of this novel was also greatly appreciated. Julie and Val are LGBTQIA+, Sophie is disabled, there is a major secondary character who is a trans, and various racial and ethnic identities are represented. Characters who have not stated a pronoun preference are referred to by default as ‘they’, which was delightful to see.

My only critique about this novel is regarding the pacing. The slow build up of the first half of the novel and the rushed conclusion with shocking turn after shocking turn left me feeling a little jarred. There are also lots of time skips that contributed to the bumpy pacing.

Overall, if you’re looking for a compelling sci-fi read that uses the few speculative elements it employs to great effect and raises thoughtful questions about the use and regulation of augmentative technology, look no further than We Are Satellites. Sarah Pinsker delivers yet another detailed, introspective, diverse, and thought provoking novel with her sophomore book.

Thank you to Berkley Books and NetGalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Well, I finished this book in one day so that tells me I really liked it!!

This was a realistic look at futuristic tech that is probably being worked on right now, it just seemed so plausible. Pilots are the wave of the future and everyone has one. This tech is inserted in the wearers temple and it’s connected to the brain which allows the user to multitask on several items at once rather than having to focus on one item at a time. As more and more people get a Pilot, the ones that don’t have them fall behind and no longer get the jobs, and are separated into the slower groups at school. To ensure that everyone knows whether you have a Pilot, it comes with a blue light so your prospective employer knows right away whether or not you have a Pilot. Although discrimination isn’t allowed, it’s going on.

This story follows Val and Julie, and their two kids, David and Sophie, as they go through the consequences of whether to get Pilots or not. The book is told through their 4 POVs and spans a dozen years as they struggle with normal life but adding in the advantages and disadvantages of Pilots.

This was a refreshing look at a sci-fi contemporaryish story of a close knit family and what this new tech does to them.

I felt a connection to the entire family and stayed up late last night just to finish.

I thought it was well researched and definitely believeable. And it scared me at how plausible this scenario could be. Well done!

*Thank you so much to Berkeley Publishing Group and NetGalley for the advance copy!*

In We Are Satellites, Sarah Pinsker offers an insight at what life would look like if a brain implant to make us highly functioning, multi-tasking humans, became available to the general public. The centre stage is taken by a family composed of two mothers, their teenage son who is the only person in his class to not have an implant, and their 10-year old daughter who is epileptic and cannot get an implant. What follows is a story about David's struggles with his Pilot and young Sophie's involvement in the anti-Pilot movement while their mom, Julie embraces the new technology to give herself a new edge at work and their school teacher mom, Val, decides to not engage.

I loved Val and how understanding she was with her kids and wife. She has an opinion about the Pilots but she is able to keep a distance from it, interacting only through her family's experiences. Since the story spans a decade of their lives, as the reader, I am able to see how this technology took hold in the population and its effects that no one had imagined. Pinkser put a lot of time and effort into researching biomedical devices and their regulations, and the book comes with a reading list of books that helped her with this one. It was heartbreaking to learn about David's struggles but at the same time, without his POV, this story would not had the same impact.

If you love realistic science fiction, a world with events that have set in motion we cannot come back from, read this book. It will make you think twice about new technologies, the unethical things companies can do to sell their products, and that the information that we get when we sign up for things doesn't have to be the complete picture. Peer pressure and government subsidies go a long way, and sometimes, it is only in the long run, that the problems and consequences start to surface. I read this book in two sittings and will think about it for a long time.

Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group for the gifted copy via NetGalley for an honest review. Full review will be posted on Armed with A Book on May 7th.

We Are Satellites seems to be set in the present, or close enough. But society is rapidly changing, due to the influence of a new technology. The Pilot is a neural implant intended to boost brain functions, promising greater focus and the ability to truly multitask. As the book begins the technology is just beginning to become widely adopted. The four members of the family at the center of the plot all have different outlooks on it. Son David is attending an elite high school, where he is feeling out of place without one, and fears he will fall behind his classmates. Daughter Sophie is an epileptic, so she is ineligible for the installation procedure. Their mother Julie is intrigued, and thinks it could help her at work. Their other mother Val (who is a school teacher and athletic coach) is fundamentally opposed to any kind of body enhancement, regarding it as comparable to athletes using steroids to get a competitive edge.

David gets his Pilot, but has trouble adapting to his enhanced brain: he experiences a kind of sensory overload he describes as "noise." He joins the army in hopes of developing better coping mechanisms. Julie follows, but her experience is completely positive. Sophie becomes involved in an anti-Pilot organization, with Val's approval (Julie is also supportive, but keeps close tabs on Sophie and the organization's activities. So there are many stories, but in the end they come together. The family finds common ground, and the Pilot loses its broad societal acceptance. The result is far from inevitable, but it feels earned. Thanks to NetGalley for an advance galley proof.

I often struggle with how to start reviews for books that knock my socks off until I realize that maybe it’s just better to come right out and say it. Hi, I loved We Are Satellites by Sarah Pinsker. Thank you for granting me early access to an eARC.

Now that the initial awkward is out of the way, I’ll slide in to some of the things I enjoyed about this character-driven sci-fi. The cadence of the writing, the pacing, with just enough detail to build the five-minutes-into-the-future world about to be forever changed by the Pilot—a brain implant to assist in multitasking and awareness—was spot on.. Frankly, it made me feel almost too comfortable with the moms’ decision to get one for their teenage son. But if they didn’t, he’d be left behind—in school, his career, the fear of missing out like his peers, and like his younger sister Sophie who cannot get a pilot due to her epilepsy.

This conflict made the family dynamics even richer, and the conflicts masterfully built. I found myself drawn into the Geller-Bradley lives, fully invested to the point of being unable to put down the book. Everyone had their own motivations for why or why not to get a Pilot. Four different reasons, four POVs—a cross section of society in one home. There was never a point where I felt one family member was more right over another, more justified in their reasons (until more information behind the tech came to light, of course). I feel a need to mention my particular kinship to David’s reaction to the implant and how the implant heightened his neurodivergence. I think a lot of people will identify with him.

In that vein, Pinsker deftly handles the themes of neurodivergence, body autonomy, corporate overreach, mental illness, trauma, systemic ableism, and how technology doesn’t always change society at large for the better. So many questions came up around this kind of tech being put in our heads. I hope, for all our sakes, it remains a plotline in a book.

Needless to say, I have already started recommending We Are Satellites to friends and followers. Can’t wait to receive my finished copy to take lots of photos.

I reviewed We Are Satellites for Booklist, and my feedback was given through that review. Thank you!

Synopsis: Teacher Val and political staffer Julie are mothers of two children, David and Sophie. They live at a time when a new technology is becoming nearly mandatory for everyone: A brain implant, the Pilot, enhances the ability to multitask. Visible to everyone are the blue lights at the temple.

David is the family's first to get one. He enlists for a special military service troop and becomes the poster boy for the product. The other family members are far more reluctant. Julie doesn't want to left behind in her job and has always been affine to the newest gadgets. But then there is Sophie whose epilepsy makes it impossible for a brain implantation. Finally, Val decides to stay on Sophie's side but feels the pressure in school as there are only a couple of students without the Pilot.

Sophie goes fully anti-Pilot, joins the local board of a national NGO to organize demonstrations etc. against the product. She is shocked as David joins the "enemy", the producer of the Pilot as a marketing specialist. But David has his own problems with the Pilot, because it works far more intense for him than for everyone else. 

Review: The story starts with the wholesome family just before the technology arrives. It's very heartwarming and engaging. But as soon as the technology arrives, shadows appear. Very. slowly. 

The novel gets a good while to take off. Which isn't exactly a bad thing, but one needs to sit down and enjoy the slow ride.

The following plot is predictable and checks off lots of tropes with technology misuse, young adults out of their safety zone, adults making harsh errors, and a monstrous technology corporation. It doesn't get horrific or bleedingly harsh, so I count it off as a soft dystopia with a happy end. 

Recommended for readers of ultralight cyborg technology in a near future SF setting who don't want to get stressed by a rigorous dystopia.