I received this amazing book as an ARC on Net Galley and I’m so thankful. I loved it! When We Were Real is incredibly original, weird (in the best way), and imagination blowing.

A tour group from Canterbury Trails Tour Company embarks on a tour of the North American Impossibles, impossible phenomena that suddenly came into existence seven years ago when it was announced to the world that it’s a simulation. Each tour member is dealing with the news in their own way. A group of octogenarians thinks they are in a “Ground Hog Day” type simulation, where every day is repeated, two long time best friends trying to out run cancer, a pregnant influencer who wants to monetize the birth of her child, a “Real Patriot” who plans to expose the Impossibles as frauds, and more. Mysterious Gillian, who seems to be on the run, joins the tour at their first stop. Calamity ensues.

When We Were Real was nonstop and a blast. Gregory stretched my imagination with his vivid imagery of each Impossible. The story of the tour is so much fun and the characters are endearing, even though each one is kind of an asshole. It comes out April 1, 2025!

You are living in a simulation… 7 years ago this was announced to humanity. Now Dunlin wants to take his best friend JP on a last adventure as he doesn’t want to treat his returning braintumor: A bus tour to North Americas Impossibles, artefacts that defy the rules of physics, a constant reminder of the simulation. From here on it kind of sounds like a joke: 2 nuns, a rabbi, an engineer, a pregnant influencer and some other people go onto a bus…
While the idea of humanity living in a simulation isn’t new, it usually is the big twist at the end and not the premise in the beginning which I find interesting. The book started really strong, mixing practical thoughts, rational considerations and doubting belief systems with philosophical questions exploring what it would be like if you knew for sure you aren’t real while following a colourful bunch of protagonists on their road trip dealing all with their own problems and existential angst. I found a lot of food for thought but the pace went down around 2/3 of the book, which I didn’t like especially considering the (for me at least) kind of abrupt ending.
3,5* rounded up

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the earc!