Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC, and to Madison at The Dial Press for the gorgeous gifted final copy!

Whoever You Are, Honey by Olivia Gatwood sets out to explore the pressures of femininity through a contemporary lens shaped by the cultural milieu of Silicon Valley. With a subtle undercurrent of AI-related tension, the novel touches on themes of identity, technology, and societal expectations, all of which are encapsulated in Gatwood’s intriguing epigraph: “I love you, alive girl. - Jeff Bezos in a text to his mistress.” This epigraph, a startling introduction, primes readers for a journey through the complex and often unsettling intersections of human connection and digital reality.

The narrative is deeply introspective, focusing on the internal landscapes of the characters, particularly Mitty and Lena. Gatwood’s writing is contemplative, drawing readers into the quiet, melancholic musings of her protagonists as they navigate the suffocating pressures of societal norms and the creeping influence of technology on their lives. The exploration of how women’s identities are shaped—and often constrained—by these forces is a central theme, with the novel delving into the nuanced ways that loneliness, belonging, and the struggle for self-understanding manifest in a world dominated by digital realities and skewed power dynamics. While this is certainly an interesting starting point for a character study, based on the synopsis and marketing, I was expecting much more plot and much less stream-of-consciousness from this book compared to what it delivered.

Despite the potential richness of these themes, the novel struggles to fully engage. Based on her traditional background as a poet, Gatwood fell short of my expectations for delivering lyrical and poignant prose. The characters, while crafted with care, lack the depth and distinction needed to truly resonate. Both Mitty and Lena, whose perspectives alternate throughout the narrative, often blur into one another, making it difficult to differentiate their voices or fully invest in their individual stories. This blending of character voices may be an intentional choice to underscore the universality of their experiences, but it ultimately detracts from the novel’s impact and left me grasping for a stronger connection.

The novel’s setting in Silicon Valley provides a fertile backdrop for exploring the erosion of authentic experiences in the face of relentless technological progress and gentrification. However, Gatwood’s critique of these forces feels somewhat superficial, failing to delve deeply enough into the implications of an increasingly AI-driven world. The tech elements of the narrative are introduced with promise but remain underdeveloped, leaving a sense of unfulfilled potential.

Whoever You Are, Honey attempts to grapple with significant and timely issues but ultimately falls short of delivering the incisive, emotionally resonant narrative that its premise suggests. While Gatwood’s exploration of identity, technology, and societal expectations offers moments of insight, the novel’s lack of character differentiation and its missed opportunities for deeper narrative exploration leave it feeling somewhat flat. For readers drawn to introspective literary fiction with a focus on contemporary issues, this novel may still offer something of value, but it may not fully satisfy those expecting the poetic depth and narrative tension hinted at in its initial pitches. I do think my dissatisfaction with this book was due to my expectations being very different from what was actually delivered, and I am already considering revisiting it in the future with a different set of expectations to see if my experience with it changes. 

📖 Recommended For: Readers who enjoy introspective literary fiction, those intrigued by the intersection of technology and identity, fans of character-driven narratives, and admirers of works that critique societal norms through a contemporary lens.

🔑 Key Themes: Pressures of Femininity, Identity and Technology, Loneliness and Belonging, Societal Expectations, The Influence of Silicon Valley.