“There is no such thing as the life you had before."

I read Eve in Overdrive back in November when it was offered as a newsletter exclusive but I loved it so much I wanted to read it again. I've always been a fan of Stephen King's Christine and this fast paced novella is a modern, technologically advanced take on that.

Eve has found success through writing her column "What's Your Problem, Bro?", profiling online trolls and exposing who these bullies are in real life in an effort to hold them accountable for their behavior. She has earned such great success that she's offered a lucrative book deal and she uses the advance to buy a Sunray, a luxury solar-powered, self-driving car that's customized and programmed by an engineer at Jolvix.

Not everyone appreciates Eve's column, however, most notably the people she writes about. She's accustomed to receiving death threats and perhaps she's inviting danger into her life but she wants to speak up in the face of unfair treatment instead of remaining complacent. Unfortunately, Henry, the engineer who has programmed her car, is one of the trolls she wrote about.

What a wild ride!! Now Eve is trapped in her car, controlled remotely by this unhinged psychopath, her fate in his hands. The tension never stopped as I took this ride with Eve, constantly wondering what Henry was going to do and what would happen to Eve. What was his endgame? Not only was this story reminiscent of Christine, but I also felt vibes from Speed, a movie I absolutely loved. Would Eve ever escape this madness?

"It occurred to me at that moment that I didn’t understand humanity at all."

I thought Eve was the perfect character for this story, a snarky, determined badass. Despite her predicament, she was strong and fierce and I couldn't stop anticipating how this would all play out. Henry fit the role of online troll well too, morally gray in terms of the things he viewed as wrong as he tried to justify his actions throughout. He was utterly creeptastic and the perfect combination of deranged and intimidating, always seeming to be just one step away from going further off the rails. Buckle your seat belt and get ready for a crazy ride! Another winner from Faith Gardner!

"I don’t know how I could have done the right thing in that situation. Maybe there was no “right thing” to do."

The ending came together in the perfect twist of fate and it made this entire crazy journey all the more worthwhile. Ultimately, this was a story about people taking responsibility for the consequences of their actions. In any situation, when your freedom and autonomy are taken away, hold true to your convictions and fight for what you believe in by using your voice instead of staying silent. And that is how justice will inevitably be served.

** Special thanks to author Faith Gardner, Mirror House Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own. Quotes subject to change at time of publication. Available March 23, 2023. **

A journalist picks up her new luxury car. There's just one problem -- the columns that earned the money that paid for her solar powered, self-driven vehicle really made some people angry. The engineer who programmed her car is one of those people. I loved this novella. It's a fast paced psychological thriller that plunges the reader almost immediately into the action and I read it straight through, hoping that somehow Eve was going to escape the nightmarish situation. There are other, longer, thrillers by this author, set in the same universe. I'll be downloading those as soon as I get the chance!

Eve is a journalist that makes her living writing a column called "What's Your Problem, Bro?" where she takes down online trolls and gives them a taste of their own medicine. Today is a special day for Eve because today she is picking up her brand new solar powered luxury car, a Sunray. She's worked hard to get to where she is and she's proud of herself for being able to afford such a vehicle.

Everything is a-okay as she's pulling out of the lot. Once she hits the freeway things take turn for the worst when she realizes she no longer has any control of the functions in the car. Then a voice comes through the sound system, "Hello Eve".

Eve's made an enemy and she'll have to keep her wits about her if she plans to live to see another day!

"Twinkle twinkle little star, I am dying in a car."

This novella was loads of fun! Eve is AWESOME!!! I loved her snarky humor. I admit that I have always dreamed of bringing down online trolls. Then I remember what the admirable Michelle Obama once said, "When they go low, we go high" and I immediately keep scrolling before I say something I'll regret BUT I'd be lying if I said I wasn't tempted. The villain here was so odd and creepy with his love of dollies. He's pretty much exactly what I picture an online troll to be like. Another win for Gardner and another fun spin in the world of Jolvix! 5 stars!

Thank you to NetGalley and Mirror House Press for my complimentary copy.