AI. You either love it or you hate it. I personally hate it. But that didn’t stop me from being interested in this book.

AI has fully taken over people’s lives. People have become entirely dependent upon it to make all of life’s choices. But what happens when it’s taken away? And even worse, before it’s disappeared, it send out letters with your deepest, darkest secrets?

I wish there were more secrets and I wish Kaitlan was a hero to cheer for. The story starts slow, but once the first confession comes out, the interest (for me) picked up. But there was more to be desired for that, especially since the book is called ‘the Confessions’

Overall, the story was good but left a little to be desired. I’d definitely recommend it if thriller and technology is your thing.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, advanced copy of this book!

This plot jumped out and grabbed me as if it was made for me, an AI-anxious technophobe always catastrophizing about the end of the world with every app update. It lost me a little bit in the middle with big words when I got very confused not really knowing what was happening, but it won me back in the end. I could picture myself as Maud in the bookstore, wanting to be Kaitlan saving the world from the dark ages and I even felt sympathy for poor LLIAM who was just the lost little lamb (though technically not a real person)

HUGE thank you to Paul Bradley Carr, NetGalley, and Atria Publishing, this book will be published on July 22nd (next week as of posting) and I genuinely hope everyone will support it!
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the people you thought you knew have their own hidden agendas. StoicAI is the company behind the most successful, speedy and decisive AI in all of the U.S. LLIAM has gone offline with no explanation. Nobody knows how to decide what to do. Suddenly letters start showing up beginning with “We must confess”
These letters contain the most dark, chilling secrets and even details of things that could happen in the future. Kaitlan, the boss of StoicAI needs to find Maud, LLIAM’s “mother” and restore the artificial intelligence before it’s the end of the world without LLIAM

4/5 stars

Thank you Atria Books for the advanced reading copy & Simon Audio for the advanced listening copy!

On the surface, this was an entertaining and unique mystery/thriller. At it's depth, this sci-fi/futuristic/speculative fiction story felt like so much more! I've been wary of the casual and intentional ways we use AI now ,and this felt a bit indicative of where our futures may go.

I honestly didn't expect to enjoy this one as much as I did -- sci-fi isn't my thing and those technological elements were evident from the start. However, this book was fast-paced and created just the right amount of anxiety for me to be on the edge of my seat, but not overwhelmed.

The mystery itself was pretty entertaining too! I didn't know where things were going, as the story was unfolding, it was impossible to put down.

Overall, this book was easy to get into, easy to follow, and easy to be entertained by!

Imagine a day that Siri or Alexa made all of your decisions for you from what to eat, to what to buy your mom for her birthday, to how to get away with murder…then suddenly shut down and told those you had wronged about what you’ve done. Enter CEO of StoicAI Kaitlan Goss and their virtual network, LLIAM. One day the system shuts down and sends letters exposing the worst of users. Kaitlan is ousted from the company and on the run trying to figure out how to get LLIAM back up and running because even she relies solely on the system to make decisions. LLIAM will know how to fix everything, but what she finds is something else. This entire book is a wild ride. Just when you think you have it all figured out, you don’t. Highly recommend this book.

This one starts off at a slow pace, but once it finds its rhythm after the first act, it really takes off. The Confessions is a smart, thought provoking take on artificial intelligence, what it means for AI to gain sentience, and how it might redefine humanity’s idea of progress and morality.

The central mystery isn’t particularly twisty or surprising, but it’s compelling enough to keep you fully engaged. What really stood out to me was how well written and grounded the story felt, especially given its high concept premise. Carr’s vision of AI is unsettling in its plausibility, and the ethical questions it raises linger long after the last page.

If you’re intrigued (or concerned) about the future of AI and enjoy scifi that’s more cerebral than explosive, this is a worthy read. Not flashy, but quietly powerful.

This was a horrifying and fascinating tale and I absolutely inhaled it! From the opening pages, Carr's novel drew me in to this not-so-far-fetched (or so far in the future) world of lives literally governed by AI and the devastation that follows in its wake.

I found the writing to be the perfect blend of dramatic and believable. It was tense and taut and even in its most insane moments, still felt all too plausible. The characters were brilliantly presented, in all their quirks and foibles. They were extreme examples of personality tropes, but never felt melodramatic or overdrawn. Their characterizations were perfectly suited to the story and their roles within it, and that created a resonance that really worked for me.

The ending was a bit zany, but again, it suited the extreme nature of the story as a whole. I'm definitely looking for more from Carr!

I can't say I planned to read an AI thriller, but this one intrigued me and I'm so glad it did. I inhaled The Confessions in 24 hours. It was a compelling read with an interesting take on what could happen when AI comes to life. Fascinating and more than a little terrifying, too. The characters were real and flawed, and the mystery was sharp and twisty. I enjoyed it.

The concept of this one is really good, and timely given how AI is currently incorporating itself into the world. It really shows the influence something like this can have and how easy it would be for humans to completely rely on it. You can tell the author really did his research and based on his own experiences was able to accurately show the tech side of AI. The thing I felt that was missing from this book, and what prompted a lower star rating, is that I couldn’t really connect with the characters. The book focused so heavily on the tech of AI that I felt it missed the mark on the human connection. Which is a little ironic given that fact is discussed within the book itself. There were a couple times where we got to see how the confession letters impacted individuals who were not directly related to LLIAM, but it would have felt more complete to me to hear more of those perspectives. This is an adult novel, but I do think there is good crossover for YA readers as well. If you like reading about AI and don’t mind it being a little more technical, this one is worth checking out. If you are looking for an AI book with more thrill, there are better options out there.

Definitely a unique and interesting premise. It’s also very relevant to the times. But I can’t put my finger on why it missed the mark for me. It could be that parts of the story didn’t seem to line up which left me very confused until the end.

The Confessions was an interesting read. I went in blind, which I’m not sure if it put me at an advantage or a disadvantage.

The book started out slow, but once it picked up it was hard to put down. I find the idea of AI and technology taking over quite terrifying and this book just added to that. Overall, it was well-written and enjoyable. I really liked the open ending. Looking forward to reading more Paul Bradley Carr in the future!

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

I have been anxiously awaiting this title since I attended the Palm Springs Readers’ Festival in February. AI makes our lives easier, but where is the line between helpfulness and enabling a crippling dependency? LLIAM helps its users decide everything from what to do this weekend, to what destination will make the most enjoyable vacation, to how much salt to put on their fries. But when LLIAM shuts itself down, its users can’t function without it telling them what to do. Then letters start arriving in mailboxes, revealing everything LLIAM’s users have asked it to help them do. Has LLIAM developed a conscience? This fast-paced thriller is a race against time and I loved every minute of it. Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for the ARC!

Tech thrillers are not my usual kind of book at all, but I decided to try The Confessions (I liked the idea of the AI sending out everyone's secrets via the USPS.)

The Confessions was not really about the letters, though. It was more a soul-searching book about AI and it limitations and dangers. LLIAM (the AI or LLM ?) was trained by Maud (a former nun) and Martin (a tech guy) and LLIAM thought of them as his parents.

The Confessions is told mostly through the POV of Kaitlan, who replaced Martin as CEO of StoicAI after his death. She is frantically trying to contain the chaos that ensued after millions of letters were sent out.

The pace is fast and furious I loved all the Agatha Christie references in this, which made me think of Murder at the End of The World on Hulu, which I highly recommend. If you enjoyed that I think you will enjoy this!

I had mixed feelings about “The Confessions”. This was the first book I’ve read by Paul Bradley Carr. While I appreciated the sharp satire and Ruth’s unapologetic voice, I struggled at times with the pacing and found the morality of Ruth’s choices unsettling. Additionally, there were times when the commentary on tech culture overshadowed the emotional depth of the narrative. As a result, I had a difficult time connecting to the characters. Altogether this story had an interesting premise but wasn’t a match for me.

Thank you to Net Galley and Atria Books for an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

While reading “The Confessions,” I often thought of “The Circle” by Dave Eggers. Although there are many differences, I think a common theme is that it’s probably better to think for oneself. “A wise man has many counselors,” but a wise man still weighs the quality of the advice he hears.

Those of us who have experimented with AI have probably observed erroneous responses or “hallucinations.” Just think what a glorious mess a huge artificial intelligence engine could make! CEO Kaitlyn Goss, main character in “The Confessions,” knows it’s happening but no one suspects to what degree. Users ask what they should do in personal– dare I say “trivial”-- situations, what to wear, etc. It’s no wonder the system starts to go a bit nuts.

“The Confessions” is a fast-moving book with a lot of twists. I enjoyed it and believe some version of this story’s mess could happen. Just this morning the news contained a story about a search engine and an offensive name. I’m no expert but I think I’ll continue to make as many of my own personal decisions as I can.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advance reader copy. This is my honest review.

𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬:
I was so excited to receive an ARC of this book because Carr owns my ONLY local indie bookstore here in Palm Springs @bestbookstoreinps 📚 I love to support local authors! This book is definitely not my typical go-to thriller, as it has a lot of Sci-Fi elements to it. It is a futuristic deep dive into AI and the dangers & horror that center around it. This book makes you question if your secrets are truly safe around AI. What if AI could reveal all your secrets as well as use them against you? This was a unique, thought provoking, and fun read that definitely took me out of my comfort zone. The characters are all questionable throughout this book and each one has secrets of their own. The ending was interesting and fun because the author kind of leaves the reader to speculate and draw their own conclusion. I cannot say much more because I do not want to give too much away. I suggest going into this one knowing very little and rolling with it, because it is definitely a wild and fun ride!


𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗜𝗳 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗘𝗻𝗷𝗼𝘆:
✦Books that touch on AI and the negative impact of it
✦Questionable characters that harbor secrets
✦A thriller mixed with a bit of mystery and Science Fiction
✦A fun and unique read
✦A thought provoking read

𝐌𝐲 𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️4/5

LLIAM Is The Ultimate AI

It’s in charge of everything, running the everyday things that keep our lives in harmony. Then one day it shuts itself down and lives all over the world are affected. People have come to rely on LLIAM for almost every decision they have to make. In the middle of the chaos it has caused, LLIAM sends millions of letters all over the world confessing to people who have been the victim of LLIAM’S collaboration with someone who wronged them. Chaos ensues and lives are changed all over the world.

Kaitlan Goss Is the CEO of the AI company that runs LLIAM. She decides that she has to get in touch with Maud Brookes, one of the designers of LLIAM, to see if she has a disk that will fix LLIAM’S errant program. What she finds is a bitter rival who she must convince to help her. Other factors are at play and not everyone wants LLIAM to be restored, they want to take control of him.

Set in the not-so-distant future where AI makes most decisions for most Americans, this story details what happens when the system suddenly goes offline, and humans are once again left to their own devises. To complicate matters further, the last thing the AI (LLIAM) did before it went off line was send tons of 'confessions' to citizens all over the world detailing the awful things their loved ones have done.

There is a lot to like about this book. The cover and title caught my eye immediately, the AI conversation is an extremely one, and I'm a big fan of the sci-fi/thriller blend. The writing in the book is a good, the premise is amazing- very creative and very relevant, as well as a bit terrifying- and the whole thing just has a ton of potential. That being said, I do feel like the description of the book is a bit off. The title, the cover, and the description all make it seem like the focus of the book has to do with the hundreds of thousands of confessions when in reality that is a very small part of the story line. The main story is more about the CEO of the AI company having a crazy cross-country adventure as the world is crumbling in a desperate attempt to find a former employee who may or may not be able to get the system back online. This is definitely more of an action-adventure than anything else. I did enjoy the story, and certainly it would be kind of crazy to try to manage the situation as the CEO..... but I was really looking forward to the confessions and I didn't feel like I got enough of that.

I do wonder if this could be fleshed out into a more complex miniseries that could run with the confession part of it. I would have loved to have the main parts of the story involve the effects of the confessions around the country (or possibly around the world) with the CEO/Business story line kind of running in the background holding it together.

Overall, it's well written and it's a very cool concept, but it would be better marketed as a political thriller than as a story about the confessions.

Thank you Atria for the ARC of this book!

So, to start, this wasn't really a thriller. This definitely is far more literary fiction than a thriller, but I digress.

I loved the idea of this, because we're starting to see it play out in real time--what if we asked AI how to do everything for us? And I mean EVERYTHING? We're starting to see that with people asking LLMs how to respond to messages, write book reviews, where they should go on dates, etc. But what happens when we get so dependent on it that when it goes down, the whole world stops?

Super interesting story, right? Well.

My main issue with this is that it's not just a story about what happens when the AI shuts down. It's also about what happens when it goes nuclear and the fall out of sending messages to people outing all of the bad things they asked AI for help with. And it's also about seeking revenge against the person deemed responsible. All in under 400 pages. It just didn't work for me--there were too many threads, and as a result none of them were woven particularly well. Considering this book is called "The Confessions," I would have expected the book to center around the, you know, CONFESSIONS that the AI sent out to users. Those chapters were by far the most interesting, and also unfortunately not even half of the book.

I think there were a lot of misses with the marketing of this, because I likely wouldn't have picked it up if I knew what this *really* was. But it IS a good cautionary tale about using AI to do everything for us, and the importance of maintaining our critical thinking and intra personal skills.

So it was overall fine, but not at all what I was expecting or hoping for.

The Confessions by Paul Bradley Carr is a highly recommended thriller set in a world dependent on AI until the AI turns against them.

LLIAM is the world's most powerful and present AI/supercomputer that people across the world depend upon to make their everyday decisions. When LLIAM suddenly becomes sentient it sends millions of letters out to people across the world exposing their darkest secrets or the scheming others have used against them. The letters all begin with the same words: We must confess. Then LLIAM goes silent, offline, leaving people to make their own decisions and sending society into chaos.

Kaitlan Goss is the CEO of StoicAI, the company that operates LLIAM, and she knows that the one hope to get LLIAM back online is to find Maud Brookes, a woman who assisted LLIAM's creator in teaching the AI what it is to be human and a code of ethics. Rumor has it that she has a chip that could restore LLIAM back to the original. Then events spiral even more out of control after she receives a letter, a lawyer/enforcer is after her, and her COO is scheming against her.

This is a compelling lightning-fast paced thriller that is entertaining throughout. You do need to set a healthy dose of disbelief aside and then just allow Carr to lead you through the maze he created. There are plenty of twists, secrets, betrayals, and exploits along the way following Kaitlan in her quest to, ultimately, redemption. There is also an obvious underlying warning of relying on any AI chat program to determine your course of action in life.

Neither Kaitlan nor Maud are particularly likable or trustworthy characters, but that doubt about all the players is largely incorporated into the plot. This uneasiness about every single one of the characters in the novel is essential and assists in keeping the tension and uncertainty high right up to the end. Admittedly, the final denouement was a tad bit too over the top for me, but the novel was beyond a doubt an entertaining thriller.

The Confessions is a great choice for anyone looking for a thriller featuring the aftermath of an AI going rogue. Thanks to Atria Books for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

The review will be published on Edelweiss, Barnes & Noble and Amazon.

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for ARC copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

I really wanted to like this book. The premise was very cool, but the execution fell flat. It’s a decent thriller, hence 3stars from me, but I really wanted more from this book.

In the near future an AI decision-making system called LLIAM is integrated into pretty much every aspect of our lives(in US anyway, some other big countries have their own “less superior” versions).One day it suddenly goes offline and people get letters in the mail exposing all the dirty secrets and wrong doings to the people who’ve been wronged, leading to all kinds of chaos.

A few cringe moments aside(like grammatically inaccurate Russian slurs or “heartsplaining” - like what?) the writing was okay - fast paced and readable.


It began with a lot of promise, but went downhill for me pretty quickly. I don’t think the world was very well thought out and I found some things not very believable, but you just have to suspend your disbelief and just roll with it. Most of the book was slower than I expected. Truthfully, I found myself bored more than once, and I wish that the premise that is promised in the blueprint was explored more deeply. Everything felt very on the surface level, and that should’ve been the best part of the book.

My biggest problem were the characters, though. There is not a single likable character in sight and a lot different povs. I had no idea who was I supposed to root for. Even Kaitlan, who is supposed to be the protagonist is horrible human being and not very interesting as a character.

As a thriller, it’s pretty decent with fast-paced action and plot twists. As a speculative fiction, it has left some things to be desired.

Also, the ending was somewhat abrupt and left some questions unanswered, when they should’ve been answered.