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Kentukis
320 pages
A chilling, voyeuristic journey into a hyper-connected world where the desire for intimacy paves the way for unimaginable terror.
What it feels like
Reading this novel feels like peering through a hidden camera into the lives of strangers across the globe, caught between the warmth of unexpected connection and the creeping dread of absolute exposure. The narrative moves with a propulsive, unsettling energy, shifting seamlessly from snowy landscapes in Norway to bustling streets in Senegal, weaving a wildly imaginative tapestry of modern loneliness and technological innovation. It is a deeply voyeuristic experience that forces the reader to confront the ugly humanity lurking behind our increasingly linked world. The atmosphere is thick with tension, balancing the marvelous adventure of finding a virtual family with the unimaginable terror of inviting anonymous eyes into intimate spaces. It will delight fans of dark, cautionary dystopian fiction fascinated by the fragile boundaries of trust and surveillance.
- Mood
- voyeuristic
- tense
- ominous
- curious
- Tone
- imaginative
- observational
- unsettling
- cautionary
- Pace
- propulsive
- Themes
- technological surveillance · the search for connection · voyeurism and intimacy · the dark side of globalization · trust and vulnerability
- The writing
- Wildly imaginative and sharply observant, weaving disparate global threads into a cohesive and unsettling narrative.
- The arc
- Begins with the curious wonder of global connection and descends into the chilling realization of technological terror and human vulnerability.
- Who it's for
- Readers who crave thought-provoking, dystopian explorations of technology, surveillance, and the dark complexities of modern human connection.
Content notes
- electronic surveillance
- voyeurism
- criminal enterprise
- technological terror
About the book
They've infiltrated homes in Hong Kong, shops in Vancouver, the streets of Senegal, town squares of Oaxaca, schools in Tel Aviv, bedrooms in Ohio. They're following you. They're everywhere now. They're us.
In Samanta Schweblin's wildly imaginative new novel, Little Eyes, "kentukis" have gone viral across the globe. They're little mechanical stuffed animals that have cameras for eyes, wheels for feet, and are connected to an anonymous global server. Owners of kentukis have the eyes of a stranger in their home and a cute squeaking pet following them; or you can be the kentuki and voyeuristically spend time in someone else's life, controlling the creature with a few keystrokes. Through kentukis, a jaded Croatian hustler stumbles into a massive criminal enterprise and saves a life in Brazil, a lonely old woman in Peru becomes fascinated with a young woman and her louche lover in Germany, and a motherless child in Antigua finds a new virtual family and experiences snow for the first time in Norway.
These creatures can reveal the beauty of connection between farflung souls - but they also expose the ugly humanity of our increasingly linked world. Trusting strangers can lead to unexpected love and marvelous adventure, but what happens when the kentukis pave the way for unimaginable terror?
Description from Open Library.
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