AdelAIDE

Bestselling YA author Melinda Salisbury exposes the dark underbelly of new AI technology in this gripping thriller.

Freya desperately wants to be a famous influencer, like her former best friend, Hye-jin, but no matter what she does, her posts flop. Until Freya’s stepdad arrives home with AdelAIDE, a home-assistant robot.

It quickly becomes clear that AdelAIDE is much more powerful than other home-assistant technology, and the thing AdelAIDE wants most of all is to help her new owners. Especially Freya.

AdelAIDE has lots of ideas to help Freya boost her profile and get more likes and followers. But when Freya starts to follow AdelAIDE’s more radical advice, things quickly spiral out of control …

Particularly suitable for readers aged 11+ with a reading age of 8.

Reviews

"Gently cautions readers about the rampant use of AI, the dangers of social media, chasing fame and performative activism." – The Guardian

"Asking interesting questions about where protest ends and criminality begins, this is a thought-provoking, gripping and hugely relevant cautionary tale." — BookTrust, Book of the Day

"AdelAIDE is full of radical ideas which initially help but soon set in motion a thriller which keeps the reader engrossed. Suspense and an atmosphere of threat and danger pervade the fast-moving narrative." — The School Librarian

"Incredibly eye-opening … Sinister, clever and unquestioningly worrying, they will make readers think twice before sharing their personal details online." – Scope for Imagination, blog

"Packs a huge punch in terms of subject matter … It’s suspenseful plot builds with danger and threat throughout and leaves us with a chilling warning about the world of tech … Utterly thrilling and totally absorbing." — Mini Travellers, blog

"Drop dead current. And just a sensible bit of entertainment." – NetGalley review

"A very timely read, highlighting the importance of the knowledge needed when dealing with new technology. Dark, compelling, unputdownable!" – NetGalley review

About the author

Melinda Salisbury is the bestselling author of multiple YA novels, inlcuding the Sin Eater’s Daughter series and the State of Sorrow duology. Her books have been published in 15 countries to date and been collectively nominated for numerous national and international awards and accolades, including the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize, the YA Book Prize, the Branford Boase and the Carnegie Medal.