I really enjoyed this debut novel, and found it a beautiful meditation on consciousness and what it means to be human. I loved the themes that Nayler explored through the interweaving storylines and complex ways he examines consciousness (AI vs. human vs. animal). I think there is so much depth here, and honestly it would be so easy to teach a course on this novel. 

That said, I felt it was missing some “oomph” to really take it to the next level. It was a steady as she goes book that was missing a real crescendo. The mystery in the plot was very secondary to the reader exploring the mystery of consciousness. I think that would have taken this novel to the next level.