The Unseen World
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Description
BOSTON, 1980
Ada Sibelius is twelve years old and home-schooled. Her days are spent in a lab with her father David, a computer science professor, and the brilliant minds of his colleagues.
David is widely regarded as one of best in his field. That is, until he starts to forget things.
When David is diagnosed with Alzheimer's, Ada's world falls apart. But when he leaves a floppy disk for his beloved daughter, she has no idea that the coding within it holds the key to a past that her father refused to talk about. Navigating her teenage years without his guidance, will Ada be able to piece together the father she lost?
Book Information
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Dies ist die Geschichte von Ada, die bei ihrem eigenwilligen Vater David, einem Informatikgenie, aufwächst. Sie kennt keine andere Familie als David und seine Kollegen und ELEXIR, eine rudimentäre künstliche Intelligenz ersetzt ihre Freundschaft zu Gleichaltrigen. Ada fühlt sich wohl und sicher in diesem exklusiven Kreis, doch dann erkrankt ihr Vater an Alzheimer und mit ihm fällt alles zusammen, was sie bisher für wahr und richtig hielt. Lediglich das Rätsel auf einer Diskette, das sie von ihm zuvor bekommen hat, könnte eine Antwort auf all ihre Fragen geben - doch sie vermag es nicht zu knacken. Mit sehr viel Gefühl und Liebe zu Details erzählt Liz Moore eine ungewöhnliche Familiensaga, die in einer Zeit beginnt, in der die gesellschaftlichen Regeln sehr beschränkend waren und in eine Gegenwart hineinrecht, die Maschinen menschliche Züge verleihen möchte und offener für neue Ideen wird. Es gelingt ihr, mit Hilfe wechselnder Perspektiven sehr gut, eine mitreißende Story und glaubwürdige Charaktere zu erschaffen. Das Schicksal der Protagonisten war mir beim Lesen nicht gleichgültig, ich wollte, dass alle ein gutes Leben finden, dass sie nicht negativ durch ihre Umstände geformt werden und sich selbst treu bleiben. Lediglich Davids Geschichte, auf der alle Erlebnisse basieren, wurde meiner Meinung nach am Ende zu emotionslos und zu distanziert geschildert. Seine Hintergründe, seine Erfahrungen haben Adas Welt geprägt, doch so verständlich seine Entscheidungen auch sind, so "kalkuliert" wirken sie auch auf mich als Leserin. Die Autorin verleiht ihm nur wenige Gefühle. Er ist der Wissenschaftler, der mehr mit dem Kopf statt mit dem Herzen handelt. "Unseen World" ist ein wundervolles Buch, dass man wie einen Thriller nicht aus der Hand legen mag. Es hätte wirklich ein besseres Cover verdient, als dieses 0815-Gesicht, das wohl die "unsichtbare Welt" symbolisieren ist, das aber dem Inhalt bei weitem nicht gerecht wird!
This could have been a five star book if it was rerranged a little better. The whole first half was such a pain to go through. It dragged on and on and when we finally got to the big "secret" I was like: That's it? However! The last 60 pages or so just flew by and if the flashbacks were longer and woven throughout the story, if the sci-fi element played a bigger part earlier on, this could have been amazing. Still won't give it 2stars though, because I did enjoy it.
I wasn’t really aware of what was ahead of me. I have to admit that I neither read nor heard anything of Liz Moore beforehand. It was a plunge in the deep end. At first I was sceptic. There was a lot about the theory of math and logic in it but never so much to make me sigh or consider skipping pages. On the contrary! I liked the strewn in bits of information and background knowledge about encrypting and deciphering. Adding to that were the characters. Very unique, very themselves right from the start. I met people on those pages and not stereotypes. This is a reoccurring sermon when I write reviews but in my personal opinion a good story and a good novel stands and falls with the characters. At the bottom line the core topics of stories don’t change that much but what makes them a good read are the “actors” and if those are well developed personalities, the story can only benefit. The Unseen World had a gentle start but picked up pace quickly without getting “rushed”. It was gripping and fascinating to follow Ada growing up and her father David decline at the same time as if their developments were going in opposite directions. I had no idea there was so much heartache to come when I started this book. The story of David is so good and so sad and tragic. It is one of those that will stay with me for a long while, always coming back from the memory to dwell on it for a moment or two. I don’t want to give away too much in means of any possible spoilers. Besides the so greatly thought through characters the writing itself is really good. I liked the little twist at the end. It didn’t came as a big surprise but I liked the fact that this other unusual but always floating around protagonist got the opportunity to raise their voice, so to speak. I also appreciate the fact that the book is closed in itself. There is no open ending that suggests a possible prequel, sequel or a volume 2-x in the near future. (I suspect I read too many crime novels which always get serialised – not a complain though!) The Unseen World is, without a doubt, one of the best books I’ve read this year. It has everything a really good book needs (in my opinion).
Rating: 3.5 stars The Unseen World is a novel that excels in its technical atmosphere but struggles with its pacing. As someone who truly enjoyed the focus on computer science and the early days of AI, I found the historical and technological details to be the strongest part of the book. The mystery surrounding David’s secrets and the concept of a digital consciousness are genuinely intriguing. However, the execution is not without flaws. The story feels unnecessarily stretched, and the middle section, in particular, lacks substance. At times, it felt as though the narrative was spinning its wheels without moving the plot forward. One of the most jarring elements was the forced love story. It felt out of place and didn't add much to Ada’s development or the overarching mystery. Given the actual progression of the plot, this story could have been told much more effectively in 200 pages. While the ending offers a poignant resolution, the journey to get there requires a fair amount of patience. A great pick for readers who love tech-centered mysteries, but it requires wading through some filler and an awkward romantic subplot.
Rating: 3.5 starsThe Unseen World is a novel that excels in its technical atmosphere but struggles with its pacing. As someone who truly enjoyed the focus on computer science and the early days of AI, I found the historical and technological details to be the strongest part of the book. The mystery surrounding David’s secrets and the concept of a digital consciousness are genuinely intriguing.However, the execution is not without flaws. The story feels unnecessarily stretched, and the middle section, in particular, lacks substance. At times, it felt as though the narrative was spinning its wheels without moving the plot forward.One of the most jarring elements was the forced love story. It felt out of place and didn't add much to Ada’s development or the overarching mystery. Given the actual progression of the plot, this story could have been told much more effectively in 200 pages. While the ending offers a poignant resolution, the journey to get there requires a fair amount of patience.A great pick for readers who love tech-centered mysteries, but it requires wading through some filler and an awkward romantic subplot.
Description
BOSTON, 1980
Ada Sibelius is twelve years old and home-schooled. Her days are spent in a lab with her father David, a computer science professor, and the brilliant minds of his colleagues.
David is widely regarded as one of best in his field. That is, until he starts to forget things.
When David is diagnosed with Alzheimer's, Ada's world falls apart. But when he leaves a floppy disk for his beloved daughter, she has no idea that the coding within it holds the key to a past that her father refused to talk about. Navigating her teenage years without his guidance, will Ada be able to piece together the father she lost?
Book Information
Posts
Dies ist die Geschichte von Ada, die bei ihrem eigenwilligen Vater David, einem Informatikgenie, aufwächst. Sie kennt keine andere Familie als David und seine Kollegen und ELEXIR, eine rudimentäre künstliche Intelligenz ersetzt ihre Freundschaft zu Gleichaltrigen. Ada fühlt sich wohl und sicher in diesem exklusiven Kreis, doch dann erkrankt ihr Vater an Alzheimer und mit ihm fällt alles zusammen, was sie bisher für wahr und richtig hielt. Lediglich das Rätsel auf einer Diskette, das sie von ihm zuvor bekommen hat, könnte eine Antwort auf all ihre Fragen geben - doch sie vermag es nicht zu knacken. Mit sehr viel Gefühl und Liebe zu Details erzählt Liz Moore eine ungewöhnliche Familiensaga, die in einer Zeit beginnt, in der die gesellschaftlichen Regeln sehr beschränkend waren und in eine Gegenwart hineinrecht, die Maschinen menschliche Züge verleihen möchte und offener für neue Ideen wird. Es gelingt ihr, mit Hilfe wechselnder Perspektiven sehr gut, eine mitreißende Story und glaubwürdige Charaktere zu erschaffen. Das Schicksal der Protagonisten war mir beim Lesen nicht gleichgültig, ich wollte, dass alle ein gutes Leben finden, dass sie nicht negativ durch ihre Umstände geformt werden und sich selbst treu bleiben. Lediglich Davids Geschichte, auf der alle Erlebnisse basieren, wurde meiner Meinung nach am Ende zu emotionslos und zu distanziert geschildert. Seine Hintergründe, seine Erfahrungen haben Adas Welt geprägt, doch so verständlich seine Entscheidungen auch sind, so "kalkuliert" wirken sie auch auf mich als Leserin. Die Autorin verleiht ihm nur wenige Gefühle. Er ist der Wissenschaftler, der mehr mit dem Kopf statt mit dem Herzen handelt. "Unseen World" ist ein wundervolles Buch, dass man wie einen Thriller nicht aus der Hand legen mag. Es hätte wirklich ein besseres Cover verdient, als dieses 0815-Gesicht, das wohl die "unsichtbare Welt" symbolisieren ist, das aber dem Inhalt bei weitem nicht gerecht wird!
This could have been a five star book if it was rerranged a little better. The whole first half was such a pain to go through. It dragged on and on and when we finally got to the big "secret" I was like: That's it? However! The last 60 pages or so just flew by and if the flashbacks were longer and woven throughout the story, if the sci-fi element played a bigger part earlier on, this could have been amazing. Still won't give it 2stars though, because I did enjoy it.
I wasn’t really aware of what was ahead of me. I have to admit that I neither read nor heard anything of Liz Moore beforehand. It was a plunge in the deep end. At first I was sceptic. There was a lot about the theory of math and logic in it but never so much to make me sigh or consider skipping pages. On the contrary! I liked the strewn in bits of information and background knowledge about encrypting and deciphering. Adding to that were the characters. Very unique, very themselves right from the start. I met people on those pages and not stereotypes. This is a reoccurring sermon when I write reviews but in my personal opinion a good story and a good novel stands and falls with the characters. At the bottom line the core topics of stories don’t change that much but what makes them a good read are the “actors” and if those are well developed personalities, the story can only benefit. The Unseen World had a gentle start but picked up pace quickly without getting “rushed”. It was gripping and fascinating to follow Ada growing up and her father David decline at the same time as if their developments were going in opposite directions. I had no idea there was so much heartache to come when I started this book. The story of David is so good and so sad and tragic. It is one of those that will stay with me for a long while, always coming back from the memory to dwell on it for a moment or two. I don’t want to give away too much in means of any possible spoilers. Besides the so greatly thought through characters the writing itself is really good. I liked the little twist at the end. It didn’t came as a big surprise but I liked the fact that this other unusual but always floating around protagonist got the opportunity to raise their voice, so to speak. I also appreciate the fact that the book is closed in itself. There is no open ending that suggests a possible prequel, sequel or a volume 2-x in the near future. (I suspect I read too many crime novels which always get serialised – not a complain though!) The Unseen World is, without a doubt, one of the best books I’ve read this year. It has everything a really good book needs (in my opinion).
Rating: 3.5 stars The Unseen World is a novel that excels in its technical atmosphere but struggles with its pacing. As someone who truly enjoyed the focus on computer science and the early days of AI, I found the historical and technological details to be the strongest part of the book. The mystery surrounding David’s secrets and the concept of a digital consciousness are genuinely intriguing. However, the execution is not without flaws. The story feels unnecessarily stretched, and the middle section, in particular, lacks substance. At times, it felt as though the narrative was spinning its wheels without moving the plot forward. One of the most jarring elements was the forced love story. It felt out of place and didn't add much to Ada’s development or the overarching mystery. Given the actual progression of the plot, this story could have been told much more effectively in 200 pages. While the ending offers a poignant resolution, the journey to get there requires a fair amount of patience. A great pick for readers who love tech-centered mysteries, but it requires wading through some filler and an awkward romantic subplot.
Rating: 3.5 starsThe Unseen World is a novel that excels in its technical atmosphere but struggles with its pacing. As someone who truly enjoyed the focus on computer science and the early days of AI, I found the historical and technological details to be the strongest part of the book. The mystery surrounding David’s secrets and the concept of a digital consciousness are genuinely intriguing.However, the execution is not without flaws. The story feels unnecessarily stretched, and the middle section, in particular, lacks substance. At times, it felt as though the narrative was spinning its wheels without moving the plot forward.One of the most jarring elements was the forced love story. It felt out of place and didn't add much to Ada’s development or the overarching mystery. Given the actual progression of the plot, this story could have been told much more effectively in 200 pages. While the ending offers a poignant resolution, the journey to get there requires a fair amount of patience.A great pick for readers who love tech-centered mysteries, but it requires wading through some filler and an awkward romantic subplot.