Part social thriller, part modern love story, Who Knows You by Heart is a tale of Big Tech, new money, relationships, race, and discovering what’s real in an age of artificial intelligence.
A very entertaining and ambitious mash-up of genres ... The story moves at a fast pace, propelled by its suspenseful plot, with reflections throughout about Black music, the undiscussed Black origins of much of the technology we use and more ... While occasionally clunky, these digressions are not without thematic meaning ... The novel is funny too ... It’s impressive how much Farley packs into this relatively slim novel ... It’s a lot, and sometimes it feels like too much, but then again, that range reflects the life we live ... In this way, Who Knows You by Heart is an era-defining novel.
Wry ... Sharp satire ... Clearly, Farley has been taking careful notes on America’s descent into all this corrosive curated convenience ... [Farley's] description, for instance, of a 75-page memo explaining how Eustachian’s new communication system will enhance efficiency is a thing of wonder ... Beware: Satire that flashes this brightly could cause seizures ... In the novel’s one weakness, Octavia’s horror at this discovery seems impossibly naive ... Farley pushes past such easy cynicism to something truly thoughtful and alarming ... Sports a relentlessly ruminative voice ... It’s no criticism...to note that Farley has grafted short literary and cultural essays onto an apocalyptic office thriller. Between the moments of corporate intrigue, he’s often quotable and insightful ... The novel resists the smothering force of AI by constantly alluding to great works of literature and music.
Hilarious ... It’s also one of the most shocking novels you’ll read this year ... Farley knows the culture of the tech industry and how it relates to the few Black people it troubles to employ ... Octavia is sharp and indomitable, and Who Knows You by Heart is a keeper.
