3.5 stars

The Garbage Man by Tessa Pacelli was a wild ride. I went in not knowing what to expect, and it quickly turned into a page-turner that I finished in a single day. The story is full of twists and turns, and I was never quite sure who to trust or which characters were really on the right side.

The premise itself was both terrifying and fascinating. The virtual reality element felt immersive, dangerous, and mind-bending, almost like stepping into The Matrix. At times it even reminded me of the film In Time. It made me think a lot about power, ethics, and the unsettling consequences of pushing technology too far.

I enjoyed the different characters, though I found the main female lead a little grating at times, which pulled me out of the story occasionally. The ending was fairly open, which left me curious but also wishing for a bit more closure. Hopefully there’s a sequel in the works, because there’s definitely room for more exploration in this world.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tessa Pacelli for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. Overall, this is a solid mix of sci-fi and thriller with thought-provoking themes, even if it didn’t land perfectly for me in every moment.

Loved it! It everything you need for a suspense story. Main character wanting to help then realizing that something isn’t right. About to be offed but was able to survive and now time’s not on her side to get the truth out. Really fast paced book. Highly recommend

🌟🌟🌟🌟

✨ From the unreal, lead us to the real. From darkness, lead us to light. From death to immortality. ✨

Book Review: The Garbage Man by Tessa Pacelli
📅 Pub Date: Sept 23, 2025
🏢 Publisher: Zero Day Books, LLC
📚 Genre: Mystery/Thriller + Sci-Fi

Description (compact):
Kayla Mousavi, fresh out of Harvard Business School, joins General Recycling, a tech company praised for innovation and led by a legendary CEO. But beneath the glossy image lies corruption and a terrifying secret. When Kayla stumbles too close to the truth, she is pulled into a dangerous world where psychology, technology, and human ambition collide.

My thoughts:
At first, I struggled a bit since I’m new to VR/poker/AI-based science fiction. But once I entered the world of Resilusio, I was completely dragged in. The way Tessa Pacelli built this virtual reality was unbelievable it felt immersive, dangerous, and mind-bending, almost like stepping into The Matrix.

The author’s research amazed me. Every detail felt sharp, thrilling, and frighteningly possible. Kayla stood out as a strong, determined protagonist I truly admired, while Monahan turned out to be a brilliantly cruel villain whose vision gave me chills.

This story isn’t just sci-fi; it’s a reflection on ambition, morality, and the dark side of innovation. By the end, I was both awed and shaken, and I can’t help but hope there’s a sequel .. because Resilusio still has so much left to explore.

⭐ An extraordinary mix of sci-fi & thriller. Fans of Matrix Movie, VR gaming, AI tech, and immersive virtual worlds will love this one. I’m really hoping for a sequel!

Huge thanks to NetGalley, Zero Day Books, LLC, and Tessa Pacelli for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

#TheGarbageMan #TessaPacelli #NetGalley #SciFiThriller #Resilusio #VRGaming #Bookstagram

This was a tightly written, fast-paced thriller with plenty of layers and moving parts to keep readers on edge. For fans of both science fiction and thrillers, this book offers the perfect mashup—melding futuristic elements with nail-biting suspense in a way that feels fresh and exciting. While it ultimately wasn’t quite the right fit for my personal tastes, that’s purely subjective. The craft, pacing, and ambition of the story absolutely deserve recognition, which is why I rated it positively.

The FMC is laser-focused on revenge, and that single-minded determination drives much of the plot. At times, her intensity made her feel a bit “one note,” but in the context of the story, it also made sense. Her relentlessness adds urgency to every chapter, and because the book is so action-packed, it never feels bogged down. The momentum carries you forward, leaving very little room to catch your breath.

What really stood out to me were the multiple threads woven through the narrative. The author doesn’t just deliver on the thriller aspects—there’s also a thoughtful exploration of consequences, morality, and how far someone will go when pushed to the edge. Readers who enjoy morally gray characters and layered plots will likely find this to be a rewarding read.

Even if it wasn’t a personal favorite for me, I can absolutely see this being a hit with fans of genre-bending fiction that pushes the limits of both sci-fi and thriller conventions. It’s bold, relentless, and full of energy.

Mark your calendars—the book releases on September 23, 2025.

I was fortunate to receive a complimentary eARC from Zero Day Books via NetGalley, which gave me the opportunity to share my voluntary thoughts.

How I Rate
Because I mostly read ARCs, I focus on how I think fellow readers with similar tastes will respond. I sometimes round up or down based on pacing, prose, or overall impact, and I try to keep my personal preferences from weighing too heavily.

⭐️ 1 Star – Finished, but not for me; I never DNF ARCs.
⭐️⭐️ 2 Stars – Struggled due to writing, content, or editing issues.
⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3 Stars – Decent read with untapped potential; recommend with some reservations.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4 Stars – Really enjoyed it and would recommend for several reasons.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5 Stars – Exceptional; lingers in my mind well after reading. A story I’d gladly revisit.

The first 20% of this one took some patience — the setup was a little slow — but once the scene was set and the characters found their footing, the story took off. What followed was a fast-paced, high-stakes game of cat and mouse that kept me flipping pages.
This book didn’t just entertain — it made me think. How much tech is too much? Where do we draw the line between innovation and intrusion? If you are looking for a speculative thriller, this one may be one worth considering.

This was a great read, overall!

I found the sci fi aspect unique for the genre and the writing was well done! It did hold my interest although the MC stressed me out at times!

New college graduate Kayla Mousavi is stuck in a high pressure corporate job, causing her to lose her boyfriend and keeping her away from her true passion and dream of playing poker. Something's amiss at the company, General Recycling, and we quickly find Kayla entwined in a complicated plot that launches her from one dangerous situation straight into the next.

The story is reminiscent of The Matrix, Ready Player One and Total Recall blended together. It's full of action, and somewhat surreal. From the very beginning, we are thrown in to trying to follow the story as it moves so quickly from one dangerous situation to another, and so quickly that we aren't really given a chance to fully understand what's happened. I would have liked a little more backstory in the beginning and some stronger character development. I found the characters difficult to relate to - they didn't feel very real.

It was an interesting thriller and kept me guessing who the good guys versus bad guys were throughout the book. Overall I'm rating it 3/5 - it started out by engaging and pulling me in, and the story moves along quickly and is an easy read.

Thank you to Zero Day Books, LLC for providing this book as an eARC for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

The Garbage Man was a gritty, emotional, and engaging read. The writing pulled me in quickly, and the characters felt raw and real. I especially liked how the story balanced suspense with deeper emotional layers. There were a few moments where the pacing slowed down a bit for me, which is why it’s not a full five stars, but overall it was a strong, well-written book that kept me turning the pages.

Review for The Garbage Man by Tessa Pachelli
The Garbage Man was a fine read, though not one that really stuck with me. The premise — sort of Ready Player One meets spy thriller — had me curious, and the pacing kept things moving at a good clip. Unfortunately, the characters felt pretty flat, which made it hard to get fully invested.
That said, I did end up learning a surprising amount about poker along the way, and the way the novel blended gaming/espionage elements was interesting enough to keep me turning pages. If you’re into the concept, it might land better for you — for me, it was more of a solid but forgettable read.

THE GARBAGE MAN - Boy, I had a hard time keeping engaged in this story. There was too much filler to keep me interested. The idea of this story was interesting but the execution painfully missed, in my opinion. Okay story lines and good characters made this an average read. A hard editing time bring the word count down would greatly improve this book. Source: Netgalley. 3*

I started out really enjoying this book. But by the end I felt like there were too many layers to the story and I would have enjoyed it more had it ended a little sooner.
The book also mentioned the movies The Matrix and Treadstone from the Bourne series and I definitely picked up on several parts of the book that closely related to them.
I felt like the couple of poker games that were described in the book were a little too in-depth for the casual reader, talking about cost of chips, blinds, the chance of getting a certain hand based on the cards in play.
I was pleased with how clean most of this book was (other than swearing and one club scene). However, toward the end there was a graphic nude scene which I felt was out of place and could have been left out completely.
Overall, this book was a fun read and had a quirky writing style that included various "voices" in her head that she had conversations with.

I received a free copy of, The Garbage Man, by Tessa Pacelli, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Kayla Mousavi just graduated and got a job at a recycling facility. This book kept me on the edge of my seat, a thrilling read. This book had a lot going on, people can be ruthless.

This book was intriguing from beginning to end. Captivating from beginning to end. This book always kept you wondering what was to come next. Be careful what you throw away.

Hmmm, this book was not for me ....and I like sci-fi & mystery /thrillers - in fact, they're both some of my favourite genres. Let's get to why this book didn't work for me.

The MC was very shallow and the writing in multiple sections felt extremely cringe-worthy. I felt this author may not be suited to writing a younger character? It's hard to exactly pin point what the issue was, but referring to her father as "daddy" (in serious scenes), referring to negative thoughts as the "mean voice" all culminated in this being given a very juvenile tone, but this does not match the actual tone of the overall book.

Much of this book is about technology, but it seems highly, highly under researched. One example being a "double wide screen". I'm assuming they mean ultrawide....? When tech is one of the main plotpoints, these errors really standout and I just couldn't take this character seriously. Or perhaps, I am just not the right audience for this, and those with no prior knowledge of AI/VR/Computer hardware may have a better time.

Thank you to NetGalley & Tessa Pacelli for this ARC - I apologise that I was not a fan, but I hope others will still enjoy it and I wish you success for future projects :)

Sci- fi is not my thing but The Garbage Man is a page- turner!

The story of Kayla Masouvi, whose penchant for high stakes gambling lands her a job that could enable her to clear her family’s debts and free her father from his (apparent) unjust incarceration grips the reader and the AI/ VR at the core of the story is extremely topical. Not many pages into the book, the dream job becomes a nightmare as her fiancé is killed in a plane crash and it turns out that this was no accident but an intentional act of her employer. what follows is a relentless quest for revenge that sees Kayla and a co- worker investigating and spending time in the world of Resilusio, their employer’s digital creation, with the dual intention of rescuing Kayla’s father and preventing the world- wide distribution of the Matrix- like creation.

If action- oriented thrillers with a lightening pace are your thing, The Garbage Man is for you. although I enjoyed the read, I found the character of Kayla to be somewhat shallowly drawn. She is so focused on revenge that she takes no time to consider her actions or the consequences they may have , for herself or for the others who are assisting her in her quest. Based on the ending and some commentary by the author, it seems there may be a sequel in the works.

Thank you to Net Galley and Zero Day Books for the eARC to review.

One thing for Tessa Pacelli to note: Robert Plant was NEVER the singer for The Cure. That was Robert Smith! I hope this error is corrected in the published version.

One word sums up this novel - MINDBLOWN!

In the same class as Michael Crichton and his novels, Tessa Pacelli brings all of her talent and writing prowess to the fore with The Garbage Man, a thrilling story about ambition, betrayal, love, loyalty, and cutting-edge tech. This bizarre yet believable tale explores the intersection of science, technology, and humanity.

Kayla Masouvi is a talented, Harvard-educated, young, good-looking woman who is clever, persistent, and doggedly focused on achieving what she wants. Hobnobbing at cigar-smoke and perfume-filled gambling parlors, teeming with waitresses in dazzling mini skirts, wielding cocktail trays and loud, raucous laughter and cheers, to the swanky perks that only a senior executive at a billion-dollar company office can enjoy, Kayla is equally at ease in both settings because she lived a life full of adventure, and did not mind risking everything she owned to get what she wants.

Yet...she is not the protagonist of the book. It is The Garbage Man. A brilliant entrepreneur, a shrewd employer, a crackerjack poker player, and a really, really rich man. There are more aspects to his magnanimously sinister personality, but all will be disclosed when you get to the end of the novel. Trust me, you will pray that you never get so successful as to have a boss like that.

I thank Tessa Pacelli, Zero Day Books, and NetGalley for allowing me to review this nail-biting ARC. This book is coming out soon, and I'm excited to read other raving reviews when it does. The twists will jolt you, the turn of events will enthrall you, and the hours will simply melt away.

Read it with Depeche Mode playing in the background. It will enhance your reading experience, whether you are a devout 'devotee' or not! ;)

My personal theme song for this book would be Every Breath You Take by The Police.

What if your dream job became a nightmare without end?

Fresh out of Harvard Business School, Kayla Mousavi lands a coveted job at General Recycling, beating out thousands to work for Americaʼs hottest tech company and its legendary CEO, Frederick Douglass Monahan. It seems like a golden opportunity. GRʼs trash eating bacteria gobble up refuse, rescuing a world choking on garbage. And her job, as the right-hand analyst of a global business celebrity, guarantees a glittering future. But Kayla should have remembered what her father – in prison for insider trading – always said. Inside every great company is great crime.

This book was definitely one that caught my attention and had me hooked. For the first bit, I thought this was going to be a story about poker, but 50 pages in and everything takes a turn. I loved the conclusion being left with the possibility for more.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tessa Pacelli/Zero Day Books for this ARC!

Tessa Pacelli wrote one hell of a captivating thriller that really shows how bad AI and capitalism can become all with a heavy Matrix sci-fi vibe. I was flipping through the pages needing to know what happens to Kayla no matter how much it ripped my heart out. There were some minor gripes I had with the pacing, for example, how short the Escondido plot was.

But other than that, I can bet this will get a sequel. One that I needed yesterday for how bad I want to know what happens next.

Thank you Netgalley and Zero Day Books for providing me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Garbage Man by Tessa Pacelli is one of those books that grabs you from the first page and refuses to let go. Equal parts crime thriller and character study, it follows a gritty, dangerous path while still finding space for moments of vulnerability and unexpected heart.

Pacelli’s writing is sharp and immersive, with scenes that feel so real you can almost smell the rain on the pavement or the metallic tang of danger in the air. The pacing is tight, the tension never lets up, and yet there’s a depth to the characters that elevates this beyond a typical crime novel. The protagonist’s moral struggles felt authentic, and I found myself rooting for them even when their choices were questionable.

While some of the darker scenes were a bit intense for my taste, they were necessary to the story’s realism and emotional punch. By the end, I felt like I had been through the wringer in the best possible way.

This one is worth your time if you enjoy dark, twisty thrillers with layered characters and high stakes.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Kayla Mousavi wants nothing more than to be a high stakes poker player. Instead, fresh out of Harvard Business School, she finds herself working for tech superstar CEO Frederick Douglass Monahan at General Recycling, a high tech garbage company that uses bacteria to consume waste. The job is intense, all consuming, and morally shady. But Kayla’s got a father awaiting trial for insider trading, so she wants to stay on the right side of the law.

As a hot tech company, General Recycling offers all manner of perks to its employees, including Resilusio, a disturbingly real virtual reality metaverse that knows things about Kayla that she’s never voiced to anyone at the company.

Kayla discovers that Resilusio is illegally feeding on people’s digital waste to create a personalized, highly addictive, and sanity-destroying platform. Her discovery makes her an instant target and suddenly she is running for her life, from the safety of a private plane to stomach-turning New York City sewers and industrial juice factories.

Kayla is not unfazed by the danger she finds herself in - but she is so determined that she powers through all the frightening and uncomfortable situations she finds herself in to save the world from techno-villain Monahan and his creation Resulisio. She has some personal vengeance and hatred of her boss driving her too.

Overall, I found the premise very interesting, if a little confusing. This book is all page-turning action and Kayla doesn’t really slow down to contemplate anything other than her fear and revenge. As a result she felt a little distant as a character and I didn’t feel as invested in her as I would have liked. I also found the book to be a bit longer than it needed to be. Some of the action felt drawn out.

The Garbage Man is a thought provoking addition to the new crop of techno-thrillers exploring the potential downsides of AI and extreme technical innovation on humanity. 3.5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Tessa Pacelli for the ARC. All opinions are my own.