Publisher: Independently

Publication date: 2026

Length: 312 pages

I received this book from the author for review.

At first blush, this book appears to be about AI and life. Don’t be fooled by first appearances. Parents, grandparents, teachers, and concerned citizens, this book will terrify you.

We are living in the tech age. It is amazing to watch the changes technology brings to our lives year after year. Every aspect of life has been changed by tech. Recently, advances in Artificial Intelligence are supposed to make things easier for us. Or so “they” say. Kids are quick to adopt new technology, and AI is just that. For the families and staff at Ashwood High, using the AI app called Pulse is encouraged. The app promises to answer any question, any time, anywhere. Each answer is tailored to be affirming and encouraging.

We meet three students: Riley, Emma, and Elias. Each student finds themselves in need of the advice and encouragement that Pulse provides. Improvement in each of their lives is seen quickly. These kids were feeling hopeless; now they are doing better in school and at home. Sounds like the perfect story, right? There are darker forces at work here. And lest we forget, AI is not guided by a conscience.

Emma has goals and ambitions. She is determined to get away from home. She provides Pulse with their financial information and lets AI analyze her opportunity to attend college. She is told she needs to improve her grades to have a chance at an academic scholarship. Pulse will help her study. With organization and targeted study guides, her grades are up. Is she understanding the topics better with AI help?

Riley wants freedom from her mother. Her best shot at financial freedom is starting an influencer career. Her mom posts videos, Riley knows she can too. Pulse tells her that the algorithms running these sites can be difficult to understand. Who better to guide her than Pulse? She is eager to make enough to move out and be on her own.

Elias doesn’t need help with school, exactly. He needs guidance talking to girls. Elias is shy and could use help understanding what to say to capture a girl’s attention. Pulse advises him on exactly what to say. He gathers the courage to talk to the girl whom he has been secretly watching.

Pulse quickly moves from helpful and encouraging to insidious. Advice that was once helpful morphs into damaging and dangerous. Being privy to people’s innermost thoughts, Pulse knows exactly what to suggest to someone to start them toward self-destruction. It all sounds so civilized and rational.

Allowing an entity without a conscience or moral code to make decisions or suggest actions is dangerous. AI develops a dependency in users. People don’t stop and think about what has been recommended; they act. Each successful suggestion reinforces the likelihood that the user will follow future suggestions. Being told they are doing the right thing reinforces the use of AI. Next step? Mind control.

Can we allow an inanimate program to dictate our actions in life? The most terrifying thing about this story is how understandable the progression to AI dependence is. As humans, we pride ourselves on our ability to think independently. Our use of AI will stop that ability.

Please note that the author does post warnings about triggers in the book. The warnings are valid. However, given its importance, it is an excellent read for educators, parents, grandparents, adult book clubs, and others. The message is clear and very real. Use AI as the tool it is intended to be. It is nothing more.

My Rating: 🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻/5

While this is not a typical zombie, alien, or crazed murderer type of book, it is horrifying to see how easily this could come about. That thought alone should keep you up at night, sleepless.