The Companions
2.5 Stars
In a not so distant future the world is trying to survive a terrible virus. People are locked away in their homes and they need anything to feel whole and together again. In come the Companions, A group of robots from simple tin cans to almost so real they seem human. But these Robots aren't AI, they the uploaded and copied consciousness of people who had died on earth. A few signed up for this fate, but in the beginning they took organ donors. Lilac was one of these companions. Lilac died when she was 16 and wakes up in a body being the companion of a girl name Dehlia. She tells her her life story and keeps the girl company. But when Dehlia's mother decides to take Lilac away and return her Lilac sets out on a journey of self-discovery that seems to impact the entire world.
This is where I slightly got lost. The story is told through so many perspectives its hard to keep them straight. I pieced together the timeline of the story, but still think I missed parts of the plot. I'm assuming this story was to highlight the potential dangers of living beyond death in one way or another. But it felt like any other story about robots gaining sentience and taking over. The fact that they were once alive people vs. AI didn't really change much for me. Overall it was an interesting listen but I could have used a reliable narrator to help piece things together between narrators. Perhaps someone piecing together the entire story, or someone collecting the stories who acted as a focus point for the reader. There were huge time jumps and then time jumps that didn't even seem to be explained. Not really worth the read but if you like stories involving AI you might find this interesting, just try hard to keep everything straight.