A chilling examination of the effects of technology on the moral and ethical behavior of those in control of it and those who unwittingly use it. This is sort of a dramatic treatise of AI, autonomous cars, social media, class and race, and decision-making under stress. Even though this description might sound a little clinical, this fast-paced and heart-pounding thriller is one that you won't soon forget -- even as you pick up your cell phone, strap on your smart watch or power up your tablet.
Think for a moment about what is known about you from your internet search history, medical records, online purchases, level of education, GPS location services, average and projected earnings, relationships, size of your mortgage, criminal record and who you associate with on social media. "...it's like a constantly evolving biography...that can change daily." What if decisions about your life and death were made by people just viewing that information? Sound preposterous and way too "big brother"? That's the premise of this book.
Eight people get into their autonomous (completely out of the driver's control) cars one morning. Within minutes, the vehicle has been taken over by an entity identified as "the Hacker" who delivers this terrifying message: "The only thing you need to know at this point is that two hours and thirty minutes from now, it is highly likely that you will be dead."
In a secret room, meeting #3121 of the Vehicle Inquest Jury is about to begin. But today's usually forgone conclusions are going to be interrupted by "the Hacker" and the new role he has assigned them. These 5 people (4 government appointed individuals and a random member of the public) will be given the impossible task of choosing which ONE of those 8 people in the controlled vehicles gets to live.
In addition, the entire world will be watching -- and VOTING -- on social media using hashtags and providing visual feed as the events transpire. As everyone is glued to their devices, the jurors are given the chance to interview each of the "Passengers" in the locked autonomous cars to allow them to explain why they should be the one chosen to live. NO SPOILERS.
This was a great read that actually almost makes me want to disconnect from the online world and hole up in my house with the shades drawn. Although set a few years into the future, anyone can see that technology is driving innovation that will put way too much of our personal information in the hands of others to use as they see fit. Lack of privacy is already a concern for many and justly so. Who knows how your data could be used and for what purpose. The writing was excellent and I was racing through the pages, unable to put this book down from the moment I opened it, speeding to the explosive conclusion and left pondering all the ramifications. Scary? Very. Although there are quite a few characters, it was easy to identify with them, despise some and empathize with others. And I can't wait to hear what others think of it once they've read this. What a great movie or miniseries this would make!
Thank you to NetGalley and Berkeley Books for this e-book ARC to read and review. I'm going to be thinking about this one for a long time.
This is a standalone and is not part of any series.
Genre - suspense thriller, technology, futuristic,
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