Speculative Fiction – The Shelf Life

The Confessions by Paul Bradley Carr

Publication Date: July 2025 | Thanks NetGalley for an ARC

Overall Verdict: A thought-provoking take on the influence of AI, but misses out on providing characters to connect with.

3/5 Stars

Book Summary: LLIAM is the most powerful AI that everyone in the US uses to make decisions for them. From what they should eat for breakfast to where to vacation, LLIAM has the answer for everyone. But when one day LLIAM discovers a conscious, he mails out millions of letters sharing the secret confessions of people he helped. The letters cause chaos enough, but when LLIAM is suddenly completely offline no one knows what to do. CEO Kaitlin must track down her estranged co-worker Maud, who helped create LLIAM to try and fix everything before it’s too late.

My Analysis: 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.

The Poppy Fields by Nikki Erlick

Publication Date: June 2025 | Thanks NetGalley for an ARC

Overall Verdict: A wonderfully constructed speculative fiction novel that dives deep into grief and its impact on those left behind, with memorable characters.

4.5/5 Stars

Book Summary: An experimental and controversial treatment center has opened up in the desert of California. At this center known as The Poppy Fields, those suffering from grief or heartbreak can choose to be put into a prolonged sleep to be awoken and cured of the pain they are feeling. There is however a chance of a pretty significant side effect. As four strangers join together on their separate journeys to The Poppy Fields, they learn about one another and come to terms with some of the heartache that has brought each of them to this place.

My Analysis: I am a big fan of speculative fiction, and this concept (and of course the author!) drew me in. The characters shared in this novel are so individually unique and yet all going through various versions of loss. They are all very well developed, and the story is constructed in such a way that you deeply come to know and feel for these characters. I enjoyed that Erlick kept up her trend as with The Measure and made some connections among characters and plot points, which made for an interesting read. If you are currently going through a loss, you may not want to dive into this one while the feelings are fresh, as the concept of grief is at the forefront of the story and is emotionally described throughout. The only reason I did not give this one a full 5 stars is because I did find the pacing to be a bit slow to start out. This is a thought-provoking novel, and if you are a fan of The Measure or of adult speculative fiction, I recommend this one. I also think this has crossover potential for mature YA readers.