William

Combining horror and science fiction in a psychological thriller, Mason Coile’s latest book, William, is a quick and surprising read. Henry is an intelligent robotics engineer with agoraphobia. Therefore, he has set up the attic as his home laboratory.

His latest breakthrough is the creation of an artificially intelligent consciousness called William. Henry has kept William in the attic so not even his pregnant wife Lily knows about him. However, that is about to change. Two of Lily’s co-workers arrive for brunch to meet Henry and to see their new smart home. Henry decides to introduce them to William. What follows is a unique story with a fantastic ending.

Henry is well-defined as a character. He’s socially awkward, lonely, a terrible liar, and suffers from devastating anxiety. Lily is a computer engineer who sold her start-up company for millions. She’s ambitious and loves a challenge. While Henry and Lily are somewhat likeable, greater examination of their relationship would have added another layer of interest. These two characters were reasonably well-developed, but their guests, Paige and Davis, lacked depth.

The storyline immediately draws readers into the novel. It’s descriptive and the home environment world-building is fantastic. I enjoyed learning about the smart features Henry and Lily had incorporated into their home. The author did a great job of building suspense and adding drama as the story progressed. This kept me rapidly turning the pages to see what catastrophe would occur on the next page. However, the novel’s pacing is somewhat uneven. Despite this, the book is intriguing and kept my interest. The author managed to elicit a feeling of creepiness throughout the novel. The introduction to William is dark and sets off a set of events that I didn’t see coming. The ending is fantastic and made this story one that shouldn’t be missed. The novel is thought-provoking and sent shivers down my spine at times.

Overall, this was an intense, chilling, unique, and frightening thriller filled with surprises around each corner. With short chapters and set on Halloween, it’s the perfect holiday read and would make a good horror film. If you enjoy psychological thrillers with artificial intelligence and horror, then I recommend that you check out this one. I am looking forward to finding out this author writes next. Will it be as disturbing as this one?

PENGUIN GROUP Putnam – G.P. Putnam’s Sons and Mason Coile provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. The publication date is currently set for September 10, 2024.