The premise is rich with potential on exploring the relevant topic of AI’s dangers with human relationships; a type of story that could fit right at home with films such as Ex Machina and, more recently, M3GAN. However, while the concept is compelling, the execution unfortunately falters along the way, leaving the novel feeling rather hollow and predictable.

The narrative’s big twist-that Henry himself was an AI built by his supposed “wife,” Lily-becomes apparent to the reader far too early. His inability to leave the house is described in a way that practically confirms is due to a physical barrier rather than a psychological fear of agoraphobia. Not to mention William, the AI’s, pointed usage of the word “brother” when referring to Henry and the pure anger it invokes in him as a result. These heavy foreshadowing details rob the reveal of its intended impact, making the journey to the twist feel more like a means to an end rather than a genuine discovery.

The characters lack believability and depth, their actions often feeling driven by necessity of the plot rather than a genuine motivation or agency. Their actions often feel dictated by an unseen force, an unseen “it” that is encouraging them to open that door or follow that noise. The stilted, unnatural dialogue also further undermines this realism. Flaws that are perhaps intentional as it leaves the novel feeling like an AI chatbot wrote it; a concept that, if true, is a crafty point, but still leaves the novel rather frustrating to read.

Coile’s writing, while vivid in its descriptions and full of unique, crafty metaphors, unfortunately suffers from many inconsistent tense changes and abrupt shifts in perspective that feel at random, creating a disjointed experience for the reader. These sorts of stylistic choices could have translated incredibly well in a screenplay format, but simply feel out of place in prose without true backing behind them, making the story difficult to follow and disrupting any emotional resonance that could have been in the progress of being built.

There are some moments, such as the chilling head in the dryer moment, that show Coile’s potential for writing petrifying horror scenes, but they lack the buildup and tension to leave much of a lasting impact. Once Lily turns away from the scene, the concept is virtually forgotten. Once the door is shut, we move on to the next task. The story often leans too heavily on the concept of “telling” without showing, leaving many of the characters’ actions to feel hollow and like they are mere puppets performing the plot.

That said, the novel is a quick read. Easily done in one sitting, the short chapters allow it to maintain a page-turning quality that many readers can enjoy. The “locked-in-the-house” trope offers lots of intrigue as readers are left needing to know how-or if-our protagonsits will manage to escape with their lives. Yet the potential for suspense and a greater underlying theme is undercut by the predictability of the major beats in the story.

For areas of improvement, Coile could benefit from subtler foreshadowing tactics that could better preserve the twist’s ultimate impact. For example, rather than explicitly highlighting Henry’s physical limitations when he attempts to go outside, hints such as his sparse eating habits or occasional memory blips could better help create more ambiguity. Additionally, developing the characters’ backstories and personalities, especially Henry’s relationship to his robotics and the specifics of how he created them (rather than them just… existing) could add some much needed depth and engagement. Finally, focusing on building suspense through descriptions and nuanced storytelling rather than overexplaining could help elevate this narrative to its full creepy potential.

In the end, William provides an intriguing and relevant concept, but struggles to deliver on its hard-hitting promise. Its premise might truly be able to shine as a screenplay, where the visual medium could better serve for its narrative and subtle horrors it was attempting to communicate.