Synopsis

What would you do if AI outcompeted you so completely that it negated your role in society?

Welcome to Valerie Tobruk’s life. Her job as a toll collector on the Golden Gate Bridge was made redundant when toll collection was automated in 2013. Since then, she’s struggled to find a job which AI can’t do better than her. She feels useless and lost.

To escape from her life, Valerie travels to the Westfjords, a remote part of Iceland where people go to disappear and nature reigns supreme. Once there, she discovers an abandoned herring factory where she decides to reside as the founder of a new independent nation called Tobruk where people are valued for their humanness.

Valerie doesn’t remain alone for long. A cast of lost souls descend upon Tobruk, as do a series of perplexing challenges presented by the outside world. But there’s worse to come. When the darkness of winter descends, the citizens of Tobruk must face up to their deepest fears if they are to survive.

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Review

“What’s your real value in this world?”

This was a surprisingly gripping tale. We follow Valerie as she seeks employment once the toll booth she manned is turned over to AI. She has problems finding employment as we see in one interview where she is pitted against AI in a test of sorts. We learn much later in the book that there are other possibilities why she isn’t being hired, but I won’t spoil that. After a conversation with one of the people who used to drive through her toll booth, she decides to chuck everything and move to Iceland. I’m not sure this was a bright move on her part, but I have to give her credit for the gumption to do something about her life.

Valerie is on an adventure. She decides to explore the outer parts of the country and ends up at an abandoned herring factory. Life isn’t easy until the arrival of other characters. Perhaps they didn’t make her life easy either, but at least it was someone to talk to and share the daily chores of life. This village (for lack of a better word) is in the middle of nowhere, and there is nothing close by, so she and the others live off the grid. Valerie also learns a lot about herself and her capabilities. She is more competent than I think I would be in her situation.

This story also challenges how we think about government and our fellow humans. Are we just sheep following a leader or trying to make a difference? The depth of the characters and the situations provide food for thought, especially when Valerie has conversations with the robots at the top of the cliff. Is AI allowed to judge us based on a set of rules that don’t allow for humanity?

The twist at the end had me questioning the previous six months (or so). I don’t want to give away any spoilers, but I was questioning what I believed happened in the book and what the truth might have been.

We give this book 5 paws up.

About the Author

S.S. Turner crafts thought-provoking stories that explore the profound transformations his characters must undergo to navigate the complexities of modern life. His works are celebrated for their vivid storytelling and the way his characters intertwine universal themes with personal growth. The author of Secrets of a River Swimmer, The Connection Game, and Golden, he captivates readers with tales that resonate in today’s fast-paced, ever-evolving world.

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