I was really interested in the synopsis and the potential for some really great commentary was there, but the writing style and characterization didn't work for me. The approach in wanting to get to know her father more and infiltrating his family came off too stalkery for me, so I was uncomfortable more than intrigued. The tone and point of view of the writing itself was really off putting and slowed the pacing down.

I was on the fence on whether or not I liked this book or not. It covered two big topics and squished them into one novel. I probably would have enjoyed it more if it focused on her child abandonment issues but the section on AI was informative if yet also creepy.

Thank you to NetGalley and to Random House Children's for this e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

This was such an absolutely incredible heartwarming read that I truly loved to read.

The beginning was slow but once the writing took off and the characters all became known, I was hooked. I finished this book in an afternoon as I truly found myself unable to put it down!

Eleanor is THE character; she's strong and fierce (in spite of her mom & sister - my goodness they treated her so poorly!) and she struggled but stayed strong overall. The growth that she managed throughout the book was truly impressive and really nice to read. Arden Lee & Clementine also stepped into her life and they were both so great - those are lifelong friends and it was truly heartwarming with the level of support!

My Top 5 Reasons to Read True Life in Uncanny Valley

1️⃣ A Bold and Intriguing Protagonist

Eleanor is the kind of main character who keeps you hooked from the first page. She’s determined, clever, and a little reckless—but in the best way. Her decision to infiltrate her father’s life as a nanny is bold, and watching her navigate her deception while searching for the truth is both nerve-wracking and exhilarating.


2️⃣ Family Drama at Its Peak

Who doesn’t love a juicy family secret? Eleanor’s father, Hugo, is a larger-than-life tech mogul, but to her, he’s the man who’s never acknowledged her existence. Sneaking into his world to uncover the truth makes for intense, high-stakes drama. With lies piling up and unexpected twists, every chapter pulls you deeper into the tension of Eleanor’s risky double life.


3️⃣ A Thought-Provoking Look at AI and Reality

Hugo Harrison isn’t just any rich and famous tech genius—his AI creations shape the way people experience the world. As Eleanor digs deeper, she begins to question what’s real and what’s been manipulated. The book raises fascinating questions about technology, identity, and whether we can trust what we see. Fans of Black Mirror or Westworld will love the eerie, thought-provoking themes.


4️⃣ A Summer Romance with a Twist 💕

Amidst the deception and secrets, Eleanor finds herself drawn to a boy who works for her father. But in a world built on image and illusion, can their connection be real? The romance adds an emotional depth to the story, blending tenderness with the ever-present tension of Eleanor’s lies.


5️⃣ A Fast-Paced, Suspenseful Story

From sneaking into a billionaire’s house to uncovering hidden truths, True Life in Uncanny Valley keeps the suspense high. There’s always something at stake, whether it’s Eleanor’s secret identity, the mysteries surrounding her father’s latest AI invention, or the unraveling of long-buried family truths. It’s impossible to put down!


Final Thoughts

Deb Caletti delivers a gripping, emotionally charged novel that blends contemporary drama with timely discussions on technology and identity. True Life in Uncanny Valley is a must-read for fans of YA thrillers, family secrets, and stories that keep you questioning what’s real until the very last page.

I sometimes LOVE Deb Caletti, and other times she misses the mark. This feels like a book I might give a high school student who HAS to choose a technology-themed fiction book to write about for an assignment, but otherwise it feels like a load of sermonizing to teens about AI. The concept of a conceit to find out more about her tech-mogul dad got me to read this, but Eleanor was annoying and quirky to a fault. This book was trying to do too much and I felt that pieces got lost. There were so many relationships Eleanor was trying to manage or form, between friends, parents, siblings, and romance that it all got watered down. And the tech/AI innovation led down a strange path, talking about artists' rights and parenting and eyeballs. Also, why was Eleanor suddenly not allergic to pools and chlorine??

TRUE LIFE IN UNCANNY VALLEY by Deb Caletti was the first book I've read by this author and it won't be the last. Admittedly, the situation of confused, off-balance Eleanor conniving her way into her distant father's life is horrible and fascinating at the same time as are the dynamics of truly dysfunctional, terrible people. I had a hard time relating to the situations, kept reminding myself this is a highly artificial, specialized world created by very different, ultra-rich and smart people doing their best -- which is often their worst. I appreciated Eleanor's curiosity and where it leads her -- and the discoveries she makes are truly disturbing and somehow not surprising. There is much to consider about the realities and the fantasies of the tech world -- especially as seen through the eyes of a teenaged girl seeking connection, affirmation, and a place to belong. I received a copy of this book and these thoughts are my own, unbiased opinions.

I received an advanced copy of this from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

This book... 🤦🏻‍♀️

The premise sounded kind of interesting, so I tried. I wanted to DNF at 25%, 54%, and 63%, and 86%. But I finished it. And I wish I hadn't.

I'm sorry if that is harsh, but the narrator Eleanor isn't just quirky, she's irritating as heck. The first 100 pages I felt I learned more about Miss Fury than the story (estranged daughter ends up becoming the nanny for her half brother, whose shared father is a Tech Tycoon in Seattle). And the Miss Fury just keeps on coming... I think if you just deleted the words "Miss Fury" from the novel then it would be 25-40 pages shorter. And then, it's just a big nothing burger of a story. There could have been opportunities to dive deeper into the weird dynamics with her mother and sister. Her friends seemed super ra-ra cheerleader types, but also felt superficial. I just didn't like it. Sigh.

This engaging book explores themes of family, sense of self, morality, loneliness, and romance. Eleanor feels excluded from her family in her own home. She just can’t seem to relate and connect with her mom and sister. In an effort to feel some sort of connection, she starts researching and spying on her secret, famous dad, Hugo. In a somewhat desperate and definitely deceptive move to get closer to her dad, she becomes a live-in nanny of her younger half brother. While trying to juggle so many different lies, she starts to develop strong bonds with her brother and his mother. To add to this already large amount of stress, she develops a crush on a boy who works for her dad’s family. As others get closer to uncovering the truth she has been researching her dad’s secret tech creations and uncovers some unsettling truths. I really enjoyed reading how Eleanor dealt with an unfamiliar environment surrounded by the elite. I was really engaged following along with the story to see how the secrets would unfold. Definitely recommend. Thank you Labyrinth Road for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

I’ve slowly gotten to the point where I kind of see Deb Caletti’s books as sort of a discount version of Sarah Dessen. The themes are all there, the ideas of writing family relationships while also including some sort of romance dynamic some of the time for teenage girls, but there’s often something missing in the execution. It makes me want to revisit the books of hers that I adored as a teenager—only two—to see if they still hold up today. And, to be fair, I don’t think all of Sarah Dessen’s books hold up either.

All of that said, <i>True Life in Uncanny Valley</i> was honestly just kind of awful. I hated the main character—my goodness, the lies and lies and lies—I hated her family all across the board (except for perhaps the kid, but does the toddler really count??), and absolutely nothing about the book or its plot worked. The entire entry into her job was ridiculously dumb, though good on the stepmother—are you still a stepmother if the children aren’t involved with their father and you almost don’t know they exist?—for being more aware than initially presented. The family dynamics just didn’t make any sense which really takes you out of finding any of this believable in the slightest.

And then there’s the…tech robot plot. This really felt like more of an aside to everything else at first, but then it took center stage out of nowhere. And…I dunno. I know we’re in a time period where we’re afraid of AI and hating on a lot of the advancements that are being made for the emotional reasons of it all. And though I can fully agree that AI has no place taking over the creative work in the world, I do think that there are a lot of reasons why AI and robots could be incredibly useful for humanity in the future. So the…immediate hatred of potential advancements just felt…unreasonable. Though I get that there’s a lot to be said for a commentary of how we shouldn’t allow technology to raise our children and I agree with the motivations, I do think that the resolution was problematic in so many ways. Not to mention that it just didn’t make sense with the characterization of her father—how, exactly, did she not face harsher consequences?

So, I dunno. I think there are good aspects to the ideas in this story, but I can’t really say that the way they all came together worked well.

I really enjoyed the idea of this book, it had that element that I was looking for and enjoyed this type of book. It was everything that I was looking for and enjoyed the journey with Eleanor. It was everything that I wanted and enjoyed the overall feel of this. It had that feel that I wanted from the genre and was glad it was so well done. Deb Caletti wrote this well and am excited for more.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this ARC publication for an honest review.

This had an interesting premise but was kind of disturbing if I am being honest. Eleanor, our teenage lead is stalking her famous, biological father. Eleanor and her sister are a product of an affair her mother had with the tech billionaire, and he is not a part of their life. Hugo and his new young wife have a son who Eleanor is hired to take care of for the summer using a secret identity. Eleanor weaves a tale of lies for her mother/sister as well as being deceitful in her caretaker role. There are so many unhealthy relationships in this book that I felt uncomfortable reading about them. From Eleanor and her family homelife (toxic!) and Hugo and everyone he is involved with! His character is truly horrible. I did appreciate Eleanor and her supportive friend group/romance which helped buffer those other relationships. The project Hugo is creating is also truly disturbing...but it does make you think about the way the world is heading.

Quick summary: Eleanor, newly graduated from high school, takes a live-in nanny job with the billionaire who is her father, except she is the only one who knows that he is her father.
I’ll begin with saying that this style of writing isn’t for me–the stream of consciousness writing with little dialog just doesn’t hold my attention. Then there were so many unrealistic things that happened, it made it hard to believe. And finally, the relationship between mother and daughter was horrible and never got resolved. Honestly I wanted to give the mom a very strict talking to about how to treat your daughter! I loved Eleanor’s relationship with her step brother and step mom. The controversial AI issues were a nice modern touch that teens today should relate to. But in general, this book wasn’t for me.

Eleanor takes a summer job nannying for her half-brother. The problem? No one knows who she is, or that they’re related.

Eleanor is the result of an affair between her mother and tech guru Hugo Harrison. Though Eleanor never had a relationship with her father, she’s been watching him and his new family from afar…or you know, their street. When the nannying job essentially falls into her lap, she simply can’t pass up the chance to get to know her half-brother. She quickly begins uncovering lies while trying to keep track of her own. Just how much of herself is she willing to compromise for this family?

I attempted to review this book for two weeks. I don’t know what to say other than I really really really didn’t like it. I cannot stress this enough — it isn’t bad — it just isn’t for me. The teen drama and all the tech jargon took me out. If you’re someone who likes YA and AI, you will enjoy this book.

As AI becomes more mainstream, this YA novel takes a look at what some of the implications of that might be from the perspective of a teen looking to get to know the billionaire tech mogul father she never knew.

Hoping to learn about the father she has never known, a wealthy tech mogul, Eleanor snags a summer job as a nanny for her half-brother. Confiding only in her best friends, she is eventually discovered as an impostor. A predictable ending with characters that don't ring true.

I really enjoyed this book! The premise was interesting and so I was excited to have the opportunity to read and review it. I wasn’t expecting the superhero plotline, but was so happy to have it. Eleanor was a great example of a flawed character, and had some really interesting internal dialogue. I felt that most of the characters were really fleshed out, and unique. However, there were a few moments where I was confused about who Elenaor was talking to or about.

I also give points to the author for making me cringe with embarrassment - her suit was INSIDE OUT! While making me so nervous in others - stop sneaking around! In fact, my only criticisms are that it was hard to always keep the characters straight, and I found it a little hard to believe that Hugo, the genius billionaire, would be so lax with his security.

Overall, I really enjoyed this. I think it has a lot of timely subject matter and a lot of things that we as people just sometimes need to hear. I took the ending to mean that, as in life, there are not tidy happy endings. But you can still be happy. I also really enjoyed the message that people are complicated, not all bad and not all good. However, is it too much to hope for a sequel where we revisit Hugo, Greta, and Eleanor’s mom? I’d love to see them grow in some way.

Thank you to Netgalley, Random House Children's, and Labyrinth Road for this advance reader copy of True Life in Uncanny Valley in exchange for my honest review! This book came out last week and is an absolutely fantastic YA read!

Eleanor is your typical teenager being raised by a single mother. She has a sister, also know as mom's favorite, and almost lives in both their shadows. Eleanor is also obsessed with celebrity Hugo Harrison, but not for the reason you may think...you see, Eleanor's mom had an affair with him and he's her dad. In her spare time she enjoys spying on him and his family and wonders what could have been.

Fast forward to Eleanor running into his new wife and small child and landing a nannying job for the summer. She's finally going to see what he's like, but can she keep her true identity under wraps? How will she keep this from her mom?

I think any pre-teen/teen will absolutely devour this book. It has the perfect amount of teenage angst and I never found Eleanor or her friends to be annoying. It was overdone, it was just the right amount. I think at any point in time as teens we can feel lost and ignored and the author did a beautiful job at writing this story just so. I think a lot of teens will be able to directly relate to this story.

Even adults will find this story unputdownable as what will the outcome possibly be? I really enjoyed this one and this should be at the top of your list if you love reading YA!

Eleanor is a teenage girl who knows her father - he's that millionaire, hot-shot tech genius with the huge house in town, a pretty social media influencer perfect-wife and his perfect son. But her father has had nothing to do with his daughter since he walked out on her life.

All she wants to do is get to know him and her half-brother, but her sister and mom hate the guy. So she secretly gets hired on a the live in nanny but her dad is not the man she hoped he would be.

For me this was a little slow paced. The plat was good but there is a lot of comic book and AI talk. I liked that every character was flawed and she finally comes to terms with the type of man her father is. YA audience would probably really like this one.

What if you were given an opportunity to know the father who never had anything to do with you? What if by doing that you will have to lie to your mother? In her new novel Caletti tackles this impossible situation. Eleanor's father is a famous, outlandishly rich tech guy who lives not too far from her. Problem is , her mother has forbidden any contact whatsoever, and well she loves her mom even if they don't really get each other. When she gets an opportunity to nanny for her half-brother she jumps at the chance despite the cloak and dagger routine she has to establish to keep her mom in the dark. Witty and insightful.

Eleanor is an interesting character. She knows that she is the daughter of the famous Hugo Harrison. At first, she watches the family from afar, but when an opportunity arises where the family is looking for a nanny, Eleanor can’t resist trying to get the job. I like the fact that this book tackles expectations vs reality. From the outside looking in Hugo is a brilliant man who is loving and kind, yet appearances are not always what they seem. More importantly, the life that people live online, or social media are not always direct reflections of their true selves. I personally didn’t fall in love with this book. I can’t quite put my finger on what I didn’t love, but I also didn’t hate this book. For me it was just an okay book. Not bad, but also not outstanding.
Thank you so much to Random House Children’s and Netgalley for allowing me to read an advance copy of this title.