This was a really well done thriller novel, it had everything that I was hoping for and thought the overall story worked in the genre. The characters were everything that I was hoping for and enjoyed how realistic it was. I enjoyed the use of mind elements and glad it wasn’t overdone. Yona Bouskila has a great writing style and look forward to more.

unfortunate DNF at 24%. The premise of this book was really interesting, however, most of the amount I read was just the characters debating different facts. It almost felt like reading a textbook, and although described as a thriller, that had yet to show up.

This book needed to be framed as a comedy, a farce or satire rather than whatever it is now. Aside from the truly gullible conspiracy nuts, who would expect that the consensus on any philosophical question think tanked by 8 captive academics could have any particular impact on society in general? Any higher level college course on consciousness is already a think tank with far more participants than that, and anyone with access to a university library has access to all the studies and books that these 8 experts drew from to form their opinions. Frankly, getting 8 opinionated academics to agree so completely on any big philosophical question is usually unlikely. I got a lot of laughs once I stopped taking this story at all seriously, but could never recommend it to any of my friends as anything but ultra-nerdy comedy. The writing style was ok, a bit tedious at times but readable, so at least it was not a painful reading experience.

↬ 4.25 ★
It’s extremely difficult to find words for this book because of its complexity and richness. Even though it’s declared a thriller, the genre doesn’t do it justice. The thrilling elements were not even the real focus of this book since the first half is purely theoretical and scientific input. I totally understand if this book is not for everyone; some might find it boring. The first half had no plot but talk and information: academic research regarding neuroscience, physics, law, and philosophy. It’s a lot, but I was immensely interested and overwhelmed in the best possible way.

Did I understand everything? Most certainly not. However, I was still so fascinated by the reality aspect of everything; my mind could not fathom all the possibilities regarding human nature and free will. This is a book I’ll definitely want to reread in ten or even twenty years. It’s serious. These kinds of books enlighten and inform readers tremendously, and I’m glad I liked this one so much because it has a huge impact on me, my knowledge, and my way of thinking.

If you’re looking for a simple and entertaining thriller, please don’t read this book. It’s difficult to follow and intricate. However, if you want to educate yourself and think about everything you’ve read for the longest time possible, go for it. The essence of this book will not let you go, and I really believe you’ll be changed forever because of the qualitative input.

This book's effect on me reminds me of “Dark Matter” by Blake Crouch. Both books altered my brain chemistry, and I’ll never be the same. It is so much fun to inform yourself in areas that’ll never be your profession in a way that makes you enjoy fiction and simultaneously benefit from the added value.

Thank you, NetGalley and Yona Bouskila, for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. It means a lot to me, and I aprreciate it.