CybrGrrl A Joint Review

Jesi and I decided to do something a bit different on the blog today. A joint review on Maxwell Cyn's CybrGrrl, I want to warn you before you read further their may be spoilers, but we'll do our best not to give too much away. Read on to see our thoughts on some key questions.

 Created to be a sexy desktop companion program, Marie emerges into a life of her own. She leads her users, Adrian and Haley, through an erotic adventure as she processes what it is to be alive. The search leads her onto the Internet, and a virtual-world community where she can live an independent existence unfettered by the limits of her server - alive in the cloud - then back into the real world.

 
1. How long did it take you to read CybrGrrl?

Miranda~ It only took me a couple of hours, i picked it up one afternoon after finishing my daily writing for NaNoWriMo and finished it before the kids got home from school. I couldn't put it down.

[Jesi Lea Ryan]   The book reads pretty fast.  I think I finished it in an hour and a half or so.  Once in a while I like a short novella length read, and CybrGrrl fit perfectly.

2. Did you feel Marie came alive or was she just a program to you through the book?

Miranda~ For me she became a real live character, it became hard to sit back and remember that she was just a program, and honestly in the end I think she was alive in her own way.

[Jesi Lea Ryan]   I have to admit, I had to keep reminding myself that she was a program.  Marie seemed to be developing a real personality as the story went on.  I think she began to be more human to me when she began to experience sexual pleasure because she wanted to, not at the direction of humans controlling her.  I’ve never walked in on my Sims pleasuring themselves.

3. Did you feel the advance AI and electronic toys were believable or a bit out there for you?

Miranda~ I think I am 50/50 on that, the AI technology is believable and I have no doubt that it will happen in the future, but the "toys" got to be a bit beyond my sexual comfort level. Though were great for the feeling of the book and the relationships that developed between Adrian, Marie, and Haley.

[Jesi Lea Ryan]   Honestly, I found the AI both fascinating and frightening, because I can see how this might happen in the near future.  The way Maxwell Cynn described how each advancement Marie made was done, certainly lent to the believability of the AI.  We learned about the program along with the characters. 

4. What was your favorite part of the book?

Miranda~ Hmm, good question, I would have to say Haley's first encounter with Marie, when they sit down for "girl talk", the intimacy they share and how it ulitimately effects Haley is a turning point for me in the book.

[Jesi Lea Ryan]   I have to say, my favorite part of the book revolved around the AI.  As I said, it was really cool, but also kind of scary.  I can almost picture us all having CybrGrrls in the not-so-distant future.  Of course, my business mind kept going back to the efficiencies that could be created for businesses and the number of real humans who could be out of work as a result. 

5.Be honest, could you use your own CybrGrrl? 

Miranda~ Most definitely, i so could use a virtual assistant. Though if I did have one, I would probably never leave my home. LOL

[Jesi Lea Ryan]  Heck, yeah!  Only mine would look like Robert Pattinson, have his British accent and sing me sleep at night.  J  My husband might have an issue with this though. 

6. What is your overall feeling and rating of CybrGrrl?

Miranda~ this was a fantastic erotic story that was not only steamy and sensual, but had a good back story that kept  you turning the page to find out what happens next. I loved the relationship and trust that is evident with Aiden and Haley. I gave this a 5 star rating, check it out , it's a great read.

[Jesi Lea Ryan]  I like reading erotica, and the sex in CybrGrrl was well done.  But the more interesting part of the story for me was the AI.  It made the story feel fresh to me.  I also liked the theme of what it means to be human.  I do think the sex was essential for the story, because CybrGrrl was originally marketed as a sex toy (again, totally believable).  I give CybrGrrl…

Originality – 5 bookmarks

Character Development – 5 bookmarks (He turned a computer program into a human!)

Sex Scenes – 4 bookmarks

Plot – 4 ½ bookmarks (Some scenes had a lot of talking and no action. Considering most of the story requires the main character to sit at his computer, I thought Cynn did a good job with keeping the pacing up.)

Dream Cast (otherwise known as who I pictured while reading) – Henry Cavill (Adrian), Emily Blunt (Haley), Holly Valance (Marie)