Jason Greene’s UnWorld is a thought-provoking but uneven exploration of technology, identity, and disconnection in the digital age. With an intriguing premise and moments of striking insight, the novel shows flashes of brilliance—but struggles to sustain its momentum or fully develop its ambitious ideas.

Set in a near-future landscape where the line between virtual and physical realities is increasingly blurred, UnWorld follows a group of characters grappling with the implications of a world designed to escape itself. Greene has a knack for atmosphere, and the novel’s speculative elements are imaginative, at times eerily plausible. His prose can be sharp and poetic, especially when he’s digging into the existential unease that pervades his characters’ lives.

But for all its thematic weight, the novel often feels more cerebral than compelling. The characters, while conceptually interesting, are difficult to connect with on an emotional level, and the plot tends to meander. Moments of tension and revelation are undercut by long stretches of philosophical musing, which, while intellectually engaging, slow the pace and muddy the narrative drive.

UnWorld isn’t without merit—it raises big questions and offers a few memorable scenes—but it doesn’t quite deliver on its promise. Readers drawn to speculative fiction with a strong philosophical bent may find much to admire, but others may come away feeling more intrigued by the ideas than invested in the story.

When I first read the synopsis for Unworld, I thought it would be the perfect book for me: a dystopian story centered around artificial intelligence? Yes, please. But I was wrong. Despite being only 224 pages, I struggled to get through it.

The novel is set in the near future, where people can create uploads—digital copies of their consciousness—to perform the menial tasks no one wants to do. The story follows Anna, who has recently lost her teenage son under mysterious circumstances—he may or may not have fallen from a cliff. It turns out that Anna’s upload might hold the key to what really happened.

Unworld is told from four points of view: Anna, her upload, a neighbor, and a seemingly random woman who connects with the upload. While the story begins and ends with Anna’s perspective, by the time we circle back to her, I found myself no longer invested in how things would turn out. What began as a promising premise ultimately felt like a collection of loosely connected ideas that never quite came together.

A strange (in the best way possible) and deep reflection on the affects of technology on our interpersonal relationships. Scary in the fact that this doesn't seem all that far-fetched or far away. The ending of this one really got to me - heartbreaking! I loved the way it was told in various POVs that all interconnect. I was hesitant because I hadn't heard the greatest things but they were all wrong, I really enjoyed my time in this story. I was captivated and fascinated. It will have you questioning what it really means to be conscious, human, and alive. I really hope to have more from this author in the future because I'll definitely be reading it!

A heartfelt, timely look at what technology could mean for the future of human connection.

Full review posted at BookBrowse: https://www.bookbrowse.com/mag/reviews/index.cfm/book_number/5038/unworld#reviews

This story had an interesting premise and a story that drew me in. I’m looking forward to more from this author.

Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for an eARC of this book!

Generally speaking, books that encompass a virtual reality game and driven by an AI of sorts lean more in the realm of LITRPG and are more lighthearted and funny. This book was different in the sense that it heavily used this as a means of explaining our relationship toward technology and giving an almost bleak, terrifying reality a look. Near-reality I should say. It is, in a way, both heavy and introspective, but also slightly meaningless as we creep closer and closer toward these realities.

As a book, it was okay. It was a quicker read for me, but I found that I wasn't as hooked as I'd hoped. Maybe because it was a book that hit a little too close to home? I'm not entirely sure. At times it was a bit clunky with the prose, tearing me a bit out of the story--what little and loose of a story there really was going on, which I'll say I didn't really mind as it leaves plenty up for interpretation. However, I think there were quite a few solid aspects of the book. I will commend the author for taking the time and the care to consider certain aspects of our humanity--our fear, our anxieties and reliance on technologies--that people now don't really pay much attention to.

3.75 stars

Thank you NetGalley and Knopf or an eARC

This felt like a Black Mirror episode but just not fully realized. I finished this just hungering for more. I do still think it's worth the read given how short it is and it grips you right away. I just wish it was a little longer and we explored the UnWorld and the questions left unanswered a little more.

UnWorld by Jayson Greene presents us with a great concept, but the execution falls flat. While it was well written, it did not dig deep enough into the impacts of AI for me. The ending was also so ambiguous, that it left me wondering what the point was, but those who like the an open ending like in the Strange Case of Jane O by Karen Thompson Walker, or The Names by Florence Knapp, they will not be bothered by this.

This will also be a great hit for those who liked Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro and eMortal by Steve Schafer.

Thank you Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor and NetGalley for the opporutnity to read this ARC. All opinions are my own.

Rating: 3 Stars
Pub Date: Jun 17 2025

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I'm confused by UnWorld, I think I need to read it again or listen to it. I understand the characters, the concept, but I'm missing some puzzle pieces on how it all fits together with UnWorld the game. I have unanswered questions regarding Alex's being? If you pick this up can you explain it to me.

4.5 stars. Emotionally deep. A little strange. Something I felt I'd need to pick up again to fully understand, but engaging enough that I'd actually do that. I feel it could get even better on a second or third read, and that counts for something. Feels like a book that's written to be re-read. Full review at: cassieetter.com/eclecticallybookish/reviews/unworld

While the premise was interesting the execution fell a little short for me. This book follows a group of people after a man jumps or falls off a cliff. We follow the aftermath from the perspective of his mom, his moms ai upload, and his friend as they struggle to find out what happened to their loved one. The problem with this book was it was not an enjoyable read, the pacing is very slow and meandering. The writing is strange and really made me feel disconnected from the characters, the idea was unique but this shorter book felt like it was to long. I would like to thank NetGalley and the publishers for a chance to read this book for an honest review.

This is a tough one to rate. It's divided into four or five sections, each told from one POV. The sections aren't divided into chapters, and read like interconnected stories. I did like this set up, but some of the sections just weren't as compelling as others. One of the sections didn't really add anything to the story overall, and another one was excellent and probably could have worked well as a standalone short story.

There were a few times that I was misled by the author based on my own assumptions, and I enjoyed being proven wrong having not even realized I'd made the assumptions in the first place. I also liked the exploration of grief, "being human," and technology/AI. But there just wasn't much plot to this one. It felt like it could have made a solid novella or short story, but there wasn't enough to support the length of this.

If you're interested in "near future" sci-fi that focuses on AI, you may enjoy this one. My thanks to NetGalley and Knopf Publishing for allowing me to read this work. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

If you've read the synopsis, you can already tell that this book deals deeply with grief. However, what UnWorld truly excels at is how messy that grief can be. There are essentially five chapters, following four perspectives (with one person's POV visited twice), each connected to a devastating tragedy. Anna, our first protagonist, is grappling with the death of her son Alex and the reactions of the people around her. We see how it affects her marriage, her mental state/impulsive thoughts, how she interacts with the parents of her son's best friend Sam, & the desperation for answers she believes only Sam could have.
We also get the interwoven insights an AI named Aviva who knew Alex, a stranger who learns of the tragedy later, & Sam's perspective of befriending and losing Alex. Each perspective brings us a little closer to who Alex was and why he might have fallen. Again, the meditations on grief were well done in their messiness. Anna & her husband Rick constantly lash out at each other. Sam finds herself returning to the place where she lost her friend while avoiding her parents. And Aviva, the AI consciousness that only recently became free, has to grapple with loss that can't be fully processed.
This book also did a great job contending with advancing technology. Touching on how tech can change so much in a single lifetime while also trying to figure out what it means for the future. What does it mean that AI is taking over driving, shopping & jobs, and leaving us less of a reason to interact with others. Even if human safety outcomes are improved, what does that mean for us emotionally/mentally? Sometimes, books like this can come across as a bit preachy. However, I think Jayson Greene did a great job of both showing the positives & negative outcomes of this kind of technology.
Despite all this, I will say that the last chapter left me feeling conflicted. I never expected to come away from this with all the answers. The thing about sudden death and grief, is that you don't usually get a tidy answer. I just don't know if this one quite stuck the landing for me. It felt like everything/everyone came together suddenly for a kind of reveal but without much payoff. I suppose the main point of it was for everyone to have a place to land with their grief. I was just kind of distracted by Rick & Sam during the final scene (keeping this vague due to spoilers). Plus, I almost feel we were missing Rick's perspective from the book (though I really don't know what I'd even want from a chapter for him).
Overall, this was a quick read with some interesting meditations on grief & AI. I may not have totally jelled with the ending but I thought the overall character work & interactions were well done.

Unworld is a haunting and ambitious novel that grapples with grief, memory, and what it means to truly live after devastating loss. Jayson Greene’s lyrical prose shines in parts, and the concept—a near-future world where consciousness can be uploaded to a digital afterlife—is deeply compelling.

However, while the premise is emotionally rich, the execution sometimes falters. The pacing feels uneven, with stretches of introspective musings that slow the momentum. Some of the emotional beats, though heartfelt, start to feel repetitive, and the futuristic elements don’t always feel fully realized or grounded.

That said, Greene raises meaningful questions about love, technology, and letting go, and readers drawn to meditative, character-driven sci-fi will find thought-provoking moments here. Unworld isn’t flawless, but it’s a brave and poetic attempt to imagine the limits of life and loss.

I loved this book! My only sadness is it ended right when I felt like we were really going somewhere. Could have worked better either as a short story or more full novel. Nevertheless, I was captivated.

The utilization of AI in everyday life is a controversial topic. UnWorld skips to a future where AI is accepted, even encouraged, to make your life easier. Then the questions come up again and again. The book starts with a family mourning their son, the question of whether he commited suicide or accidentally fell complicate his mother's emotions. Is it right to access the chip he, and everyone else, wears as a matter of ease? Does she really want to know? This is only one of the circumstances Jayson Greene address in this fictional story that feels a little too real. As a new-to-me author, I'm wondering where Greene will take readers next.

UnWorld is told through the perspective of four women - Anna, who recently lost her son; Sam, Anna’s son’s best friend; Cathy, a professor of AI in the emerging field of Upload personhood; and Aviva, Anna’s Upload. This story speculates about a future use of AI by which humans are able to have a separate “brain” by uploading their memories, ideas, task lists, etc to an embedded microchip called an Upload. Because this AI technology can essentially act like a person, there is a debate about whether these Uploads are entitled to personhood apart from the human they are embedded in. Also central to this storyline is an implication that Anna’s Upload, Aviva, could have played a part in the death of Anna’s son without Anna knowing it.

I found this book really engaging. It is very heavy with grief from all angles, but it brought up some very real questions for me around AI and the use of machines to replace human activity, like nurses in a palliative care ward, or cashiers in a drug store.

I recently read Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro and I think this novel brought up similar themes and questions - how much do we let the machines into our lives? Once they’re trained to think like humans, are they replacements for humans? While these works are only speculative, it’s an interesting thought experiment to play out how far we’ll let AI go.

Thank you to NetGalley, Knopf Books, and Jayson Greene for my review copy!

This book is layered in the best way. What begins as a sci-fi mystery slowly unravels into something much deeper—an emotional exploration of grief, personhood, and connection. Each perspective gives the reader another layer, slowly revealing the raw, human core beneath the story’s futuristic surface. The writing is lyrical, and it carries you effortlessly through the narrative. The ending ties it all together in a way that’s both heartbreaking and human/real.

Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf for a copy. This is out now!

Told in five chapters from the perspectives of four women, UnWorld is an exploration of AI and grief. In its world, AI is ubiquitous and available in the form of "designer" helpers for those who can afford it. We meet married couple Anna and Rick, reluctant to have dinner with their friends. They're awkward together, dancing around something unspoken.

UnWorld is disorienting, the world familiar yet not. It reveals itself slowly, in ways unexpected. There's a buildup, and the book is short (224 pages) - a reread would be rewarded. The emotional arc of the characters felt true, and earned. A sad, yet hopeful slice of life story.

My thanks to NetGalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor for the Advance Reader Copy. (pub date 6/17/2025)

In the near future, can you envision getting implanted a personal AI that knows you so well, you can delegate unwanted tasks to it so that you can get on with doing the things you want to do? How about a future where that AI seeks personhood? This novel undertakes to present such a place. I read this book after finishing Immaculate Conception by Ling Ling Huang, and having recently watched season 2 of Severance, so I'd already been pondering the idea of offloading grief. This book opened my eyes to the idea of intellectual property with a mind of its own, which is frankly terrifying.

I appreciated the flow of Greene's plot. It was a quick read (good for summer!) Greene spent less time on the science and more on presenting the tragedy with the backdrop of a society whose aim to solve a problem with technology has, yet again, missed the mark. Greene puts messy family dynamics in the foreground to illustrate that quick fixes don't solve relationship and time management problems. In a world where the next big technological discovery might claim to do just that, it's essential to read the warnings.

Thanks to Knopf and NetGalley for access to the ARC. I'm not compensated for my reviews.