In a world filled with Artificial Intelligence, everything seems possible as well as impossible. ~ Sheila

When the self-driving minivan of the Cassidy-Shaw family is in an accident that results in the fatalities of an elderly couple in the other vehicle, the family is shaken.
17-year-old Charlie was behind the wheel when he grabbed the wheel to avoid a potential collision. His father, Noah, a lawyer, was in the passenger seat, working on an email, his mother, Lorelei, an AI expert in her field, was working on her laptop in the back seat, and his two younger sisters, Alice and Izzy, also in the back seat, were on their phones.

Following the tragedy, the family retreats to a rental house on the Chesapeake Bay to be together in the aftermath of this tragedy as they sort through what happened. As the police investigate, there seems to be more secrets going on in the family than meets the eye –

Noah, as the adult in the passenger seat, would be responsible for Charlie’s driving and should have paid more attention.
Loralei’s behavior since the accident is questionable – she seems like she is hiding something – or is it just the stress of the situation

And the girls, Izzy and Alice, seem off both with their own things they are not saying.

—suspicions within the family are heightened by the sudden appearance on the bay of Daniel Monet, a tech mogul whose mysterious history with Lorelei hints at betrayal. When Charlie falls for Monet’s teenage daughter, the stakes are raised even higher in this propulsive family drama that is also a fascinating exploration of the moral responsibility and ethical consequences of AI.

I first heard of this book when a friend chose it for her first book of the year. I looked up the synopsis, thought it sounded interesting, and filed that in the “To Be Read” section of my brain.
Currently on vacation in Florida, and listening to audiobooks as I walk the dogs several times a day – I moved forward with this one, and I am glad I did.

First up – LOVED the narration. This book flowed, and it was one I could not wait to continue every chance I had to see what was going to happen.

The book is fascinating on many levels -you have the whole auto-driven car and the human responsibilities that go with it. You have a 17-year-old behind the wheel -but not driving, until it seems there may be a reason to take over. And you have a family all distracted by their devices in one way or another, and honestly, on a car trip, in today’s day and age, there is nothing unusual about that.

The book brings to the forefront the reality that in a world of advanced technology, moral responsibility often gets lost, forcing the characters, as well as the readers, to grapple with who is truly at fault.

What Author Bruce Holsinger brings to this book is a brilliant take at todays world in a sad but believable situation.

Don’t be turned off by the hard synopsis. While the car accident is the setting for this book, there is so much more to the story.

Rated: 4.75 out of 5
Read Author Before: Yes
Read Author Again: Most likely
Where Read: Fort Myers, Florida

Book Club Worthy – Absolutely! There is so much to talk about here. AI is a hot topic for this book as well as the unpacking of each of the family members’ roles in what happened… Conversations about responsibility, the use of money to make things “go away,” are all good topics for discussion.

Food themes – as the majority of the book is set while the family is on the beach – hot dogs, take out, grilling – and of course, leveling up if you want to go with the taco bar from the party