Us, Et Cetera

3.5 stars

CW: death of family pet (off page), suicide attempt, physical & mental cruelty

3.5 stars rounded up. The sweet love story between two A.I. servants is so full of angst and violence that I could barely bring myself to keep turning the pages. How many horrible things can happen to Eke, the tender-hearted droid who practices stunts he's seen in Buster Keaton movies, illuminates his closet with pretend stars, and considers potted flowers his friends? Even after he makes a strong (literally) connection to Kyp, the hits just keep on coming. Yet the version of the future that Vincent creates is easily credible, with obvious parallels to current horrifying injustices faced by queers, POC and undocumented immigrants. The dramatic HEA is a bit mystifying, but at least Eke's Job-like struggles are finally over and he finds the hard-fought freedom he deserves.

I would definitely read other books by Kit Vincent, but I would have to be in a certain headspace that could tolerate a lot of ugliness. Given the hellscape that is 2023, it might be a while before that happens.