I really loved reading this book! It's jam packed with detail and with life, and it beautifully articulates the way I often feel navigating a world where I feel constantly gaslit by corporations and leaders—as I read, I felt sane and less alone.

This was such a cool premise, even if I didn't understand the science (if there is indeed a science) behind it. Travel is faster than ever, thanks to... well, again, science I don't actually understand. I pride myself in escaping ever taking physics, and I stand by that decision. Anyway, imagine being able to travel anywhere in the world in a matter of minutes. Pretty great, right? Well, nothing is without its cost, and the cost of this is that Earth's rotation is slowly but surely rapidly evolving and completely out of whack. Days go from just a few minutes shorter than we're used to to barely being days at all.

We meet Tanner, just as the days are minutely shrinking. He's from Isolation, Alaska, population several, and he is (understandably) over it. His dad is an extra special breed of ass, and while he doesn't seem as eager to leave his mom and sister, he knows he has to go while he can. He finds himself working for one of the leading Fast Circular Travel™ companies, so we get to see some of the inside stuff at play. We also follow along with Winnie, who is relegated to living with an aunt and uncle, trying to figure out where she belongs in the world. I must admit, while I think Tanner is meant to be the main-main character, I definitely felt more connected with Winnie.

I loved the ideas in the story, loved the interconnections of the characters (and how I thought I knew things, but it turned out I did not- love when that happens!), and absolutely loved wondering what was going to become of Earth. I think it felt a little longer than necessary, and some bits probably could have been whittled down in the middle, but other than that, I really enjoyed the characters and the premise, and wasn't even bothered much by not understanding the science behind the whole thing (and coming from me, that is pretty solid praise).

Circular Motion is a strong debut and a really good read if you enjoy near-future sci-fi. It's one of the best, most believably imagined near-future worlds I've encountered in a while, particularly notable for dealing with the future of social media in a way that isn't cringe. Taken together, that's a fairly difficult task, and Foster is to be commended for putting the time, effort, and thought into constructing this fictional world (though perhaps not quite fictional enough for comfort).

Tanner and Winnie are very well developed, complex characters, and watching them come of age in an increasingly dystopian world is what gives the novel its shape and texture. The balance between the two narratives (with some others threaded in to give us the full picture) is carefully structured and works well. Foster is also a very good writer, and there are some gorgeous lines of prose in the text.

There were a few small things I didn't love, but which didn't really detract from the reading experience. I very occasionally felt like the book might be a simplistic metaphor for climate change, à la Don't Look Up. Though it's not not about climate change, Circular Motion is thankfully much more complex than that; but it does have moments where it felt like it could stray into being very on-the-nose. Something that might bother some readers is that certain characters' perspectives and stories are only introduced briefly to advance the plot and then never seen again from that narrative perspective. I didn't mind this at all, as I felt it was a really effective way of advancing the plot and managing the pacing; but this may not work for everyone.

Overall, this is a really strong debut for Foster, showing us that he has both the ideas and the craft. I'm looking forward to more from him in the future. Circular Motion is a great addition to the near-future sci-fi and dystopian sci-fi genres, and it's well worth your time.

Circular Motion by Alex Foster started out with a bang and lost steam along the way. The writing and plot started strong and with two great characters, but it fell apart with a meandering story and not enough character development. I ended up DNFing this around the 75% mark because the multiple POVs made it difficult to follow the story, but will come back to it at a later date because I believe this is a good debut.

Thank you Grove Atlantic | Grove Press for the opportunity to read this eARC. All opinions are my own.

Rating 3 Stars
Pub Date: May 13 2025

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A beautifully introspective novel that explores grief, identity, and the rhythms of everyday life. Alex Foster’s Circular Motion is quiet yet powerful, with elegant prose and emotionally resonant characters. Thoughtful and deeply human, this is a moving portrait of healing and the nonlinear path toward self-understanding.

The premise of this novel reminded me of Tragedy: a tragedy by Will Eno. Something normal and innocuous — the days are getting shorter — is taken as an aberration and something that we Must Do Something About. In a slightly distant future, travel around the world has become infinitely easier due to circuit vessels that constantly orbit the earth. Because of that perpetual orbiting motion, however, Earth itself is speeding up and days are getting shorter. As a concept and as a commentary on the current state of the world, neoliberalism, and ineffective activism, this novel works really well. As a story, less-so. I liked it the more of it I read and the more I think about it after having finished it, but it was less compelling than it could be and needed more of its characters to lean in harder.

Our two main characters, Tanner and Winnie, are nominally connected to two sides of the conflict. Tanner works as a PA for the promotional face of CWC, the largest circuit vessel company. Winnie and her friends hand out pamphlets about the dangers of “day contraction” and troll CWC executives while hanging out after school. One of my issues with this book is that Tanner and Winnie both are pulled along by everyone around them, rather than active participants in their own lives. They’re guided more by those around them (all characters with unique voices and compelling drives) than they are by their own desires. Much of their personal narratives are by happenstance within larger plots instead of driving the main plot.

That being said, I like that as a narrative choice more and more as I sit with this story. In thinking about Amazon and the sheer power this individual company holds over the lives of literally everyone on Earth, it feels futile to try to remove it from the equation. It’s much easier, and more realistic, to accept that it’s never going away; we may as well make it part of the adaptive solution to the problem it caused, rather than try to remove it from the social, cultural, and economic ecosystem of our planet. CWC is the Amazon of this fictional world: everyone is so reliant on its service that it will never go away. Instead of destroying CWC and restoring the 24-hour cycle, it becomes the biggest funder of the artificial fixes to shorter solar days. When the behemoth can’t be moved an inch, let alone removed from the system, of course we’re just going to keep going to work and learning to live alongside unimaginable horrors that weren’t even on the radar 20 years ago. Tanner keeps going to work at CWC until he’s fired, and Winnie keeps struggling along in a drowning San Francisco, and neither of them stop using CWC’s services, because what else are they going to do? Stop participating in the world?

Circular Motion is honestly one of the most realistic portrayals of how I think a good amount of people are feeling right now about the state of the world, particularly in the US. People have to just keep trucking because they have no other options; we can’t become heroic protagonists because we have to go to work, because we have to pay rent and keep our shitty health insurance (if we’re lucky). It’s a fascinating take on sci-fi as a genre: a sci-fi novel that’s less concerned with the futuristic elements than with the corporate structure that got us to this point. Everything keeps sliding (eventually, literally) to worse and worse ends and no one does anything to measurably stop the slide. Ten years ago, both Winnie and Tanner would have been more in the vein of Katniss Everdeen: revolutionary protagonists who take down the monopoly and restore the 24-hour day. Today, that’s too hard. Today, we have characters who passively help the destruction along. They know CWC is terrible, but honestly, what are they supposed to do? (We can compare Winnie and Tanner to the main character in Tender is the Flesh, even though they’re less directly complicit in the system than he is.)

It's disappointing to read characters who are just like us and, as a result, are terrible as main characters. They don’t know what they want! They aren’t driving this story! In response to tragedies, they clam up and stagnate. Again, they’re just like us, but we aren’t in a novel. If Foster leaned harder into the satire, though, this would be golden and timely. There are glimmers of it: vaping executives, useless cops on hoverboard-equivalents, Winnie attending Lockheed Martin and Disney career fairs, “I’m working seventy-hour weeks, and the weeks keep getting shorter” (p. 133). The interlude chapter on Nat, one of Winnie’s best friends, is the closest to full satire that we get (her family isn’t that complicit — they’re only centimillionaires, not billionaires). Crank that up throughout the novel and you get a dark comedy that is a neat parallel to the world today instead of an at-times-aimless corporate-climate novel.

I compliment Foster on his world building. He’s built a world in which not even a protagonist can make waves against an international, climate-destroying company. That’s as realistic as it gets.

Interesting sci-fi novel which is more of a character study then an adventure tale. The world is beginning to rotate faster, first a little bit and then a little more, and this books follows two characters from a small Alaska town, and how their lives are affected by the world changing. Foster really puts you into the characters world, and how they intersect as the changes in the world become secondary.

First of all, I would like to thank Grove Atlantic for the ARC and the opportunity to read this wonderful book early.

Just from the plot summary alone, I was very intrigued by the premise of the book, and I felt like the opening pages really capitalized on that intrigue. The book does a fantastic job of placing you in this future where traveling across the world is as easy as a morning commute. I honestly felt like many of the aspects of everyday life here were a natural progression of where we seem to be heading as a society, which was equally immersive as it was unsettling. It’s pretty easy to draw a straight line from the day contraction crisis in the book to the ongoing climate crisis, but to me, it never feels heavy-handed or preachy. I felt like it posed a lot of timely questions about what systems (if any) are actually interested in changing the world for good.

Where I found Circular Motion lacking was in the relationship of the main male character (Tanner) and his boyfriend. Any time the book spent time on that subplot, I felt like the story lost its momentum and it took some time to get it back. What made it so frustrating was that there were other potential character interactions that were heavily teased to happen throughout the book that I thought were vastly more interesting, but ultimately were either heavily underdeveloped or not explored at all. Alex Foster did a lot of things wonderfully in this debut novel, but that was an area where I felt like the book faltered.

Outside of time spent on his romantic life, I loved the Tanner character as well as the female lead character, Winnie. I really enjoyed viewing this future world through their eyes and any time the story shifted to Winnie, I felt like that’s where the book was able to sustain its pace.

All in all, I have to say that for a debut novel, this was an easy, unique read that made the most of an intriguing premise. I hope this finds an audience because with this kind of imagination and a little bit of refinement, I would love to see where Alex Foster goes next.

Disorienting and sometimes confusing, this is a fascinating exploration of what happens when unexpected natural disaster comes up against government and bureaucracy. A great concept, but the multiple points of view were a real challenge and the promise wasn't quite fully realised for me.

The acceleration of Earth’s spin begins gradually. At first, days are only a few seconds shorter than normal. But, as Tanner escapes his tiny Alaskan homework and starts work at CWC, one of the largest aircraft companies in the world, days continue to get shorter and shorter. Social unrest and protest ensue as questions are raised about why days are getting shorter, and Winnie and her high school friends are caught up in protest. As hours are shaved off each and every day, the world spinning faster and faster, it feels like the world might cave in around Tanner and Winnie, and not just because of the impacts this increased acceleration is having. But can they get their answers before time is up?

First thing first, the premise of this one had me GRIPPED. Honestly, the description is the sole reason I picked this one up. Sci-fi plots and premises always intrigue me, even if I sometimes can’t end up following through and finishing reading them (Project Hail Mary, I’m looking at you - I love your premise, but the writing style just was not for me). I can honestly say that I loved the way Circular Motion started; I really enjoyed that we got a look into the world through someone that knew vaguely of how things worked, but exposed us to a lot of new information without it feeling like it was being dumped on us. Having us follow Tanner into his new job also allowed for the exploration of capitalism and the dangerous consequences leaning too far into it can have…

Unfortunately, it wasn’t all good. Winnie’s story in particular felt very predictable to me and, combined with the plateau of Tanner’s story about 60-70% of the way in, I didn’t have great feelings about the ending. It felt like, as the world in the book deteriorated, so did the author’s handle on the plot; the slightly meandering quality at the beginning felt captivating, like we were getting insight into the characters lives, but by the end, it felt aimless. The ending also felt very anticlimactic, and I was honestly expecting a lot more than what we got.

Overall, I think this book had the potential to be so incredible but, as it went on, this slipped from between the pages like sand in an hourglass. I am definitely still glad I read this, because the concept was truly fascinating, but I do wish that the ending had been different. Not that I wanted the ending to be happy (in the world of the book, that feels impossible), but that I think there was a way for it to be more engaging than it ended up being.

My rating: 3.5/5 ⭐
Thank you to NetGalley and Grove Atlantic for providing me with an eARC of this book.

I was intrigued by the concept of being able to travel around the world in a matter of hours and the premise of Circular Motion had a lot of potential. The story alternates between Tanner’s point of view in first person and Winne’s in third person, and while it’s clear early on that their stories will eventually converge, it takes a long time for that to happen. It isn’t until around 65 percent of the way through the book that their narratives finally connect and by then it didn’t feel like there was much of a point to it. The occasional side chapters from other points of view added to the confusion and made it even harder to stay engaged.

Unfortunately, I was confused quite a bit. Some of the technical aspects went over my head and maybe I was supposed to deduce the science behind why and how the Earth was spinning faster because of CWC, but I couldn’t really make sense of it. Or maybe LitSF just isn’t for me. The plot wasn’t really going anywhere and it was hard for me to visualize a lot of the book. At times I kept asking myself what I was even reading.

Overall, an interesting concept but the execution landed very flat for me.

3.5 stars.

Initially, I was obsessed with the premise of this book. A new form of technology causing days to get shorter and shorter? Social commentary, conversations about capitalism, consumerism and the ecological impacts of human ambition? Sign me up! However, the pacing of this book didn't quite work for me. The plot did not progress as quickly as it should have and that made it hard to stay engaged. Also, some of the dialogue felt too on-the-nose in a sense. It came off as a little preachy. Overall, a promising plot with questionable execution.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

“In the woodland wind with the stars all falling westward, she grew vaguely afraid.”

Circular Motion is a frightening and powerful - if unsubtle - novel about public complacency and corporate greed, and how those are a terrible combo.

It follows 2 characters (with occasional side chapters from other points of view) through their lives as an environmental disaster shapes the world around them and in doing so, shapes them. I really enjoy novels where personal drama is interwoven with larger crises as a backdrop, and I think this book did a great job of both. The personal stories mean that the crisis matters, whilst the crisis spurs on the personal drama.

The inexorability of the environmental crisis in this novel - and how easily it could have been prevented were it not for greed - made this a difficult book to read in some ways. I’m very conscious of the state of our environment, and sometimes it really does feel like the world is spinning out of control. I had to put this book down at some points because it stressed me out so much. I sat in a cafe with my boyfriend and stared into space thinking about it. The fact that it was difficult proves that despite its humour, this is a book with a strong message, and in my opinion it got it across well.

(I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review!)

Another difficult one to review for me.

I liked the premise a lot in that it perfectly captured humanity's solution to any environmental problem...find an inefficient and expensive way to fix it, such that you don't have to change the behavior that started it all.Parts of the writing were also quite nice, the author captures this frenetic energy in scenes that made it hard to sit still while reading.

Unfortunately, I was also confused quite a bit. It may have been the unfinished formatting in the eARC, but I struggled often with the change in perspectives. Some of the technical aspects also went over my head.

And, I almost feel like some needs to take the author's thesaurus away. I have never had to use the dictionary function so much while reading, and that's even after giving up for half the book. It made the language feel convoluted and less accessible. The plot was complex enough, the language could have been simpler.

Despite all that, it's a unique read and one I would still recommend.

I had high hopes for Circular Motion, but unfortunately it fell completely flat for me. The premise sounded incredible — a world literally spinning out of control, with society unraveling and characters navigating love, fear, and belonging. But what could have been a gripping, high-stakes story ended up feeling scattered and emotionally hollow. The characters never felt fully developed, and the plot’s pacing was uneven, dragging in places where it should have soared. The social commentary was heavy-handed, and rather than feeling thought-provoking, it came off preachy and disjointed. Sadly, this one was a major disappointment.

Circular Motion
Circular Motion by Alex Foster
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

First, the things I really enjoyed in the novel: the worldbuilding. The contraction of time for everyone on Earth as a consequence of a corporation's rising tech that supposedly made everyone's lives so much better. That was very cool.

Also, I think I quite enjoyed the slow, detailed LitSF pacing that was ALL about characters, their lives, their hopes and dreams, their failures and little successes. In this regard, it was very much a mainstream piece couched in a cool SF complication.


But that leads me to the things I enjoyed a bit less: the end was probably the biggest gripe. No spoilers, but it really irked me. As for the other things, I could have done with a little less sex, endless sex. What are we, writing in the 70's? And third, the plot wasn't so much going anywhere, but existing, swirling, like the titular circular motion. Shall we say--a downward spiral?

But the last shouldn't be all that surprising. It is a dystopia. And as for my actual enjoyment of it, I enjoyed many aspects of it--but at the moment, a dystopian future isn't exactly on my list. I'm trying to be objective here for the sake of the author's obvious engagement in his work, but I simply got depressed as I read it.

Still, it was worth reading.


My synesthesia tastes the sweet rain of a hurricane.

very interesting idea with some awesome vibes and some very cool writing styles, such as the perspective shifts. 4 stars. tysm for the arc.

The premise alone had me hooked—A planet spinning out of control? Societal collapse? Sign me up!

The story follows Tanner, a small-town Alaskan guy who lands a job with CWC, a company operating massive aircraft that orbit the Earth, reshaping transportation as we know it. Meanwhile, Winnie, an outcast with a rebellious streak, finds herself caught up in an activist movement that blames CWC for an increasingly terrifying phenomenon: Earth’s rotation is speeding up, and days are shrinking. What starts as a fascinating scientific oddity quickly spirals into full-blown chaos, and Tanner and Winnie’s paths collide in the middle of it all.

Alex Foster delivers a debut that is thought-provoking. It’s speculative fiction at its finest—blending science, philosophy, and deeply human struggles into something completely unforgettable.

Thanks to Grove Atlantic for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. If you like books that focus on the social and political aspects of scifi settings, then this is for you. Circular Motion was a unique scifi concept, and I feel it’s an annoyingly accurate depiction of how bureaucratic and capitalist our society’s reactions would be/are to natural and manmade disasters. I mean, yes, Day Contraction is causing global natural disasters and ruining peoples lives, but how will it affect the poor shareholders if we stopped using the pod technology? Won’t someone think of the shareholders?!

As for the characters, I loved Tanner and Miguel’s storyline, but I didn’t personally care much for Winnie’s story. To me, her perspectives dragged and were not as interesting, I found Tanner’s POVS to be way more interesting as he had an inside perspective to the way CWC was operating.

A solid 3-3.5 star read, this book has a lot of potential.

**Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy in exchange for a fair and honest review**

A rare DNF from me.

I wanted to love this book. Earth's rotation is speeding up. Days are becoming shorter. Sea levels are changing. How will the main characters (Tanner & Winnie) cope?

I got to 58% and found I really didn't care about the characters any more.