On the surface, this is a sci-if story, but it is so much more than that, really an exploration of what it means to be a woman, and the many roles we fulfill. And what can happen when one is denied them. Very good read.

I went into this without knowing too much about it because I wanted to avoid spoilers and I was pleasantly surprised by the premise and the twist it took. Living in an era where AI seems to get more relevant by the day, it's interesting to read something focused on the role AI can have on our lives, how it can be used to control us and what the consequences of living in a world like this are.
However, even though the premise is cool and the plot too, the execution left a little to be desired. I don't know if it's because it's harder for me to focus when I'm listening to an audiobook versus reading a book, but I kept getting distracted and having to rewind and trying to find the place I stopped paying attention. I think maybe the format - the diary entries (so detailed and full of uninteresting details) - might be to blame for this, but I'm not sure.
Overall, I think this story had a lot of potential to make me like it but it was just a bit too slow to hold my attention. I recommend it, though! Maybe try the written format instead of the audiobook :)

Thank you so much to the author for the ALC of this book. The narration was great and the sci-fi telling of Vera through her journal entries were intriguing and layered. Her character journey along with the world building was very strong.

Have you ever read a book where there's not much action, but you can feel simmering tension between the characters and within the main character in a very suspenseful way? That is Woodsey's novella, The Control Problem.

The Control Problem is an introspective, character-driven reflection on AI set in the near future. The technology in this book, although not explained in a technical way, is developed to assist humans either as serving bots or as modifications within the human body (for medical assistance or performance enhancement). There's also a lot of both blatant aggression and micro-aggressions against AI, which I thought was well done and really fascinating.

I loved Vera as a main character. Without saying too much, I'll just point out that she's bored. She lives a simple life, with a job that's outdated but predictable in a way she usually enjoys. She has friends that are a little wishy-washy but still good, and she knows that when she has a baby, she'll grow even closer to them and to understanding the mother's love they both already know. Feminist but easy to digest, Woodsey prompts some interesting discussions surrounding bodily autonomy with this book.

The narrator was great, and I'd recommend it to anyone who likes introspective, character-driven fiction with a little anger and not action-packed suspense.

Thank you to the publishers, author and NetGalley for the free copy of this audio book.

Pretty interesting read! A bit of a slow burn but it definitely drew me in. The narrator was pretty good and kept my attention.

I enjoyed the narration and how detailed Vera’s character was written. It was more of a sci-fi book than I normally read but I’m open to all genres.
It is rare to find a first person real-time story and I liked the difference that made.. I think the author used her imagination and also did.a lot of research.
We are introduced to Vera, a young, single woman who has one goal. Her goal is to have a child. Her friends, Sarah and Jennifer support her as she goes through many doctor’s’ appointments on her quest.
The book delves into Vera’s life with her loneliness and dreary office job.. She feels different than others and not really accepted
We learn that Vera is a special lady in many ways.
It is written in a first person viewpoint as Vera talks to her diary.. The science fiction aspect becomes clear soon enough. I felt confused on some book aspects but overall was a good story.
Thank you for the chance to listen and review in exchange my honest feedback.

This book was not what I was expecting and I liked it a lot more than I thought I would. I also hated some of the characters a LOT more than I expected to! These people are assholes, period. And I hope that our technology never expands to be able to do this type of thing to another human! Terrifying!

I will definitely be looking for more books by Norah Woodsey!
#thecontrolproblem
#NetGalley

I requested this one because it might be an upcoming title I would like to review on my Youtube Channel. However, after reading the first several chapters I have determined that this book does not suit my tastes. So I decided to DNF this one.

I am rounding up to give this book five stars because of the originality of its premise and the powerful punch of its surprise ending. I can't say much about the plot without spoiling things (though most readers will have a good idea of what is going on long before the main character figures it out), but this book has interesting things to say about artificial intelligence, the commercialization of science, the ease with which the poor are dehumanized by those with money and power, the innate longing for biological motherhood, and the often invisible line between authentic friendship and a friendship based on what someone can do for you. I also loved all the clever ways bots are used for menial labor in the near-future portrayed in this novel.

The audio version of this advance reader copy was gifted to me by Netgalley; I enjoyed the narration by the author, who keeps her tone smooth, as befits the character she is portraying, while still managing to move and disturb the reader. I highly recommend this novel.

5 STARS!!!
Best Sci-Fi book of 2023!

I didn't expect to love this book as much as I did. I listened to the audio book version, and I enjoyed every minute. The narrator hits the tone of Vera perfectly. I felt swept up in a character-driven tale that had moments of profound insight into the future, a touch of melancholy at times, and some real wit. I smiled MANY times throughout at the cleverness of the author!

If you enjoy character-driven sci-fi, interesting questions about the future, or even just drama, you will love this book. I find it has MANY things to recommend it as a book club pick as well. So many issues that come up that you could discuss!

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this audiobook. I enjoyed it much more than I thought I would!

The premise of this book sounded incredibly promising, and the limited number of reviews already posted on Goodreads raved about it! I was approved for the audiobook by #netgalley, but I was only able to get about 20% in before I DNF'd. It just wasn't for me. The narrator in the story is extremely dull, and I found that because she narrates literally every thing in her life, I wasn't even sure what the plot was! I understood that she was trying to have a baby, but in 20% of a 400+ page book, it was quite painful to not feel connected to or captivated by any type of plot points. There are so many books on my TBR that I unfortunately had to move on.

Now, this is a cool book. The story is set in the very near-future, with believable technology that will most likely be used within our lifetime. The way the author grapples with AI and medical advancement feels prescient and unsettling.

I'm not sure what it says about me as a reader, but I GET Vera. Her mindscape, her motivations, her worldview... this was an incredibly sympathetic character. That being said, I think I liked this book so much mainly due to relating to the protagonist.

The story goes a bit off the rails in the final chapters, but still remains in the realm of what you would expect. A solid debut and an author to watch.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Vera was orphaned after she was in a car accident with her parents. The accident left her without any memory of her past. Her only remaining family is her cousin Jennifer. But what if it wasn't an accident that wiped her memory?

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free audiobook was provided for an honest review.

It took me a little bit to get into the story as I wasn't sure where it was going. But it didn't take long for it to reel me in and I listened to half the audiobook in a day.

The Control Problem is set in the near feature. I could easily see the events of the book taking place in 10 or 15 years from now. This book is very timely, given all the talk lately about ChatGPT (an AI chatbot that can converse in a conversational manner with people).

One of my book clubs read Kazuo Ishiguro's Klara and the Sun and many of the ethical questions that that novel brought up for me were also raised in Norah Woodsey's The Control Problem.

I really liked Vera. She is a young woman whose greatest desire is to have a baby. Other than that desire, though, she has little ambition. She works a data entry-type job. It is a job that Jennifer got her and she's never cared (or maybe even thought) to look for a different job even though Jennifer and her friend Sarah have much more advanced careers (Jennifer is an engineer and Sarah has an advance degree in astronomy).

I think one of the reasons I liked Vera so much is because I could identify with her. I was once a young woman who wanted to have children but never got to be more than an aunt. Also, Vera likes routine. Her lunch routine of riding the same subway to the same sandwich place to eat the same sandwich on the same bench is something I would do.

The basic story is an enjoyable one. But if you like to consider larger questions when you read, particularly the ethical concerns around technological advances, then this is definitely a book you will want to read.

My review will be published at Girl Who Reads on Thursday - https://www.girl-who-reads.com/2023/02/the-control-problem-by-norah-woodsey.html

3.5* This story gives us a unique perspective on a typical sci fi element. I really enjoyed this perspective. We also get introduced into the world through news casts and articles which was super creative. The story itself was interesting and had a great plot line. The only reason this wasn't a full 4 stars or higher was that it was a little long and paced erratically. Some parts drug on and the ending just flew fast. I would have appreciated a more consistent pace throughout.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this advanced copy. This book is out now!

This was a good read - I particularly liked Vera and her journey. It held my interest throughout which is good for someone that doesn't read a lot of sci-fi or fantasy! The writing style was simple and really easy to get into. The plot flowed well.

The narrator did a great job at the audiobook also!

This was my first dip into the sci-fi genre. The editors description sounded interesting. AI run amok, really terrible people and a kind of interesting storyline. The plot felt very disjointed and the narration was ironically, very robotic with zero emotion or inflection. Glad I listened, but recognize this isn’t a genre I will return to. It’ll probably a better listen or read if this is a genre you enjoy.

Control Problem looks at the classic AI running wild concerns in a slow build/burn story as a woman peels back the layers behind her initially quirky on-the-spectrum type life as desperate questions about why she's unable to conceive a child eventually have her scrutinizing her body, her relationships, and here whole identity.

The book is her therapist-instructed journal, and her decision to start each entry with headlines gives us a glimpse at how technology is rearing its Black Mirror-esque side in a world full of surveillance, AI decisionmaking, and much more.

The structure and pacing are very compelling to draw you in and empathize throughout -- starting with Vera's somewhat sad life and job, relationships where she has some fun interactions with her friends' kids but is somewhat at arm's length and never quite relating to the adults, and her overarching longing to have a child and fulfillment. This is a very interesting look at the dangers of a person or thing that is kept in the dark/lied to about their true abilities and purpose; and what they might do when they discover both their power and the extent to which they were wronged; as well as who owes what to whom when memories can be erased and lives overwritten.

I am not typically a science fiction reader, but this book sounded interesting so I requested it. I tried, but couldn't stay with it and had to DNF it. I did not like the narrator, who I think did not add to the story, but other than that, I had a hard time following the plot and couldn't figure out where it was going.

This book was so unusual. I almost DNF'd it, at first, as it was so drawn out and... dull? I realized later that it was intentional. Vera is mild mannered, with a boring job, and friends who aren't all that great. All she wants a to have a child of her own, but when she gets some terrible news at the doctor's office, it turns out there's more to her than even she knows...

I really enjoyed this near future, where the world is getting better in some ways, but not others. The inclusion of frequent news clippings to show that this world was like is a creative touch.

But the problem is, the book is so... preachy. It spends more time telling us about the problems of the world than actually getting to the plot. And there isn't all that much plot, until the end. It's fine to have a character-driven novel, but I wish the character did less telling and more doing. Her obsession with babies is understandable but repetitive.

What saved this book for me was the audiobook performance. The narrator is the author herself, and it's obvious she's talented. She really brings out the emotion in Vera and made it all the more personal. It stopped me from DNF'ing the book. Great performance.

The Control Problem is a dystopian sci-fi told through the diary entries of Vera, the main character who lives a monotonous life and dreams of the day her fertility treatment works and she can have a baby.

I loved Vera's character and hearing her inner thinkings through the journal entries. There were also tie-ins to news headlines and politics that provided excellent world-building. I really enjoyed the sci-fi approach to topics like motherhood, ethics, and control. Overall, I think this story was really well done!