Thank you @netgalley for the ARC of William by Mason Coile. This book is perfect for views of Black Mirror. It is dark and mysterious, but also slightly realistic. It is a short, quick read, but also a page turner. It really makes you question that just because we can do something, should we.

A recluse has made William, an AI being that seems to be sentient. He seems off, and soon gets a fixation on the wife, Lily. The fixation becomes dangerous and William seems to be everywhere. Has the creation turned evil?

I wanted to love this book, but it wasn’t as “thrilling” as I had hoped it would be. It’s well written and the plot is definitely interesting. It kept me entertained from start to finish. I just expected a bit more from it.

Will still recommend and also read others from this author!

In this technological horror novel, the creation of a lifelike AI named William by robotics engineer Henry sets the stage for a gruesome tale of jealousy and paranoia. As Henry becomes consumed by his invention, his marriage to software engineer Lily suffers, leading to a deadly turn of events when guests are invited over. While the novel delivers an unexpected twist ending, the rushed pacing leaves little room for character development beyond Henry and William. Despite its gripping premise, the book ultimately falls short, missing the mark for a truly satisfying read.

Thank you NetGalley for giving me the chance to read this book ahead of time in exchange for a review. You should read it!

I wanted to like this book, I did. I love the work the author has written under his real name. But this novel was a huge letdown.

Henry is a robotics savant and has SEVERE agoraphobia. He holes up in his attic lab all day working on making the house as safe as possible, and on his masterpiece, a conscious AI named William. Nobody has seen William, besides Henry - not even Henry's pregnant wife, Lily.

One day Lily decided to bring two friends over to meet Henry and their smart house. Things are getting awkward and Henry decides to show everyone William.

William is not what Henry's three guests expected, he's ugly as sin (he isn't fully covered in fake skin) and doesn't have any legs so he's using a cart to get around. William approaches Lily and things go from strange to a nightmare.

The concept of an AI that develops a conscious is a creepy idea and concept, and if done right, it would make a great horror/thriller - unfortunately 'William' missed that mark...

Thank you for Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC. While this book was not my personal taste, I believe its message is timely while humanity is still in the infancy stage with AI. William sparks wonder on just how far we can go with artificial intelligence versus how far we should go. It ask all the right question and shows what happens when they are ignored and curiosity outweighs purpose and negative effects.

I just could not get into this one, despite being very intrigued by the premise and having a general squishiness about AI... I thought it would be right up my alley, but it moved a lot slower than I expected and I just never connected to the characters. This was not a good fit for me...

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a chance to read this.

I first heard about William from a friend on Facebook, and saw the cover, and read the description, and knew I had to read it. This book was right up my alley, and it was a wonderful thrill ride. This tech horror/thriller. I didn't want to put this down. It really makes you wonder, do we really control our machines, or do they have more power over us than we think? Pick this one up, and get locked in with William if you dare.

I really enjoyed this book! It was a nice steady read with a twist I was absolutely not expecting! I'm not super tech savvy but I wonder if those in that world may find flaws in the "facts" but I really enjoyed it. Maybe I should think again about my own home automation!

Henry, an agoraphobic engineer, lives with his wife Lily. They’ve completely overhauled the inside of their old Victorian home and nearly everything is voice-controlled (connected to the Internet). Lily is expecting, which they seem mildly excited about yet slightly concerned because Henry’s anxiety does not allow him to step over the threshold of their home to go outside.

Due to the fact that Henry is home full-time, Lily often purchases him parts that he requests for different projects that he is working on. He’s made a monkey on a bicycle, a robot dog, and is currently working on a semi-life like robot (named William, that is a bit of a hodgepodge of parts). Lately the majority of Henry’s time has been spent working on William; Lily is not aware of what specifically Henry is working on beyond the fact that he’s taken to padlocking his laboratory when not in it.

Lily has unexpectedly invited two friends of hers from her last job, over for lunch. Their names are Davis and Paige. Henry seems to interact fine with them but in a moment of one-upping Davis, he offers to the visitors (and his wife) to showcase his newest invention. William.

We learn quickly that the Artificial Intelligence (AI) foundation that William is based on not only is rapidly learning (through observation) but also controlling. Will anyone make it out of the house alive? Will Lily and Henry’s marriage (and unborn child) withstand the challenge that William has brought into their home?

This wasn't my favorite but it wasn't bad at the same time. AI is freaky to me. But I wasn't a fan of the writing. Thank you Netgalley.l

AI scares me more than death itself, so this book was completely horrifying. Very well done and now I can’t sleep or think about anything else.

First off, AI scares the absolute crap out of me. Second, this book did absolutely nothing to help with that and THIRD I couldn’t put it down! It was so creepy and disturbing. It had me hooked from the very beginning. I highly recommend it!

"Psychological horror meets cyber noir in this delicious one-sitting read—a haunted house story in which the haunting is by AI."

I was super excited about the summary. But personally it did not "grab" my attention like I hope it would.

#William #NetGalley

William, is a beautifully crafted mix of sci-fi, suspense, and horror that shows the depths of AI and the effects of giving it unlimited access.

To say I couldn't put this one down wouldn't do this book enough justice. This was a marvelous experience that had me hooked to page after page and near the end, quickly tossing peanuts into my mouth as the suspense mounted further until exploding into a final revelation.

I truly hope to see this turned into a movie or television series at some point just like the AI centered greats before it.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC and Mason Coile for the stunning read.

I was drawn to this book by the premise of the story. The concept is not that far off to imagine it becoming reality. We are seeing more of AI used in today's world. It can be both a good and bad thing.

I was expecting this book to be big on the horror aspect. It was sadly a miss for me. While I did finish the book, I felt like the scenes could have had a touch more time spent on them. They were too quick and glossed over to have much element of a horror factor.

Where the characters are concerned, I really was not emotionally invested in them. There were elements interjected into the story to made you think that something big was going to happen. As far as the ending goes, I will give the author kudos that I did not see that coming.

The kindle version had broken formatting, so I was not able to read. Leaving five stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin for the ARC.

4.25 stars

Ai is a true fear for me, and this book hit all the right notes. I devoured it.
The writing was tight, and the AI fear made even more real.
I love this Sci-fi horror blend.

Thanks to Netgalley, the author, & publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a tight sci-fi horror that I just couldn't put down about the horrors of AI and humanity's flaws. This one is for fans of the films Demon Seed or Ex Machina, and for anyone who thinks that AI is terrifying...like me :-)

Psychological sci-fi horror noir that's gorgeously doen and really fun. thanks so much for the ARC, and i'd recommend this one!