Status Human

Book Two of the Upsilon Series

Fiction - Science Fiction
294 Pages
Reviewed on 08/26/2022
Buy on Amazon

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    Book Review

Reviewed by Cecelia Hopkins for Readers' Favorite

Status Human by Daniel Weisbeck is part of the Upsilon Series. Silon and Professor Houndstooth are hiding on an island. Silon, who is an advanced product of artificial intelligence, has developed an attraction to the human boy. Kirstjen invites Silon on a fishing expedition and she is forced to tell her guardian. “Teacher” does not approve. Silon calls the teacher “mother” and the death memory of her human prototype is triggered. Silon regains the ability to link with the hive mind and her ally, Leroy. The local festival is interrupted by the arrival of a military ship full of troops, but Leroy organizes a rescue and introduces another android called Susan. The second half of the narrative is Susan’s backstory. She experiences a confusing awakening of identity that includes false memories implanted by her “brother”. A history of drug dependence leads to an amazing second chance. Can Silon and Susan work together to help humanity?

Status Human by Daniel Weisbeck is a well-written young adult science-fiction story. The character of Silon was sympathetically portrayed, and I found her easy to like. The dangerous situation of being hunted created drama and suspense. I didn’t want her story to finish and will be looking eagerly for the next installment. The second android’s narrative was completely different. I felt a strong sense of curiosity about Susan and was rewarded with information and unraveling of misinformation. The technique hinted at a bigger picture, a world situation, and a possible conspiracy I was keen to learn about. Status Human by Daniel Weisbeck ended at a satisfying waypoint but left me wanting more.

Rabia Tanveer

Status Human is the second novel in the Upsilon Series by Daniel Weisbeck. Silon’s journey continues as she faces new challenges she never expected. Silon was an android designed to kill humans, but fate had other plans for her. As Silon runs away from Nomad Robotics, the only way she could stay hidden from them was to pretend she wasn’t an Android. Kirstjen was everything she needed to feel human, but with her past being what it was, Silon knew she had to keep everything a secret for however long it was needed. However, things changed drastically when her past came knocking on her door. With her newfound peace under threat, Silon knew she would have to decide: protect the people she had come to love or save herself.

I loved author Daniel Weisbeck’s writing style and how he portrayed each scene so eloquently. The descriptions were vivid, the dialogues were revealing, and the imagery was so intense that I felt like I was there in the moment with Silon, Susan, and Kirstjen. Each character had a story to tell, and the twists and turns the author introduced were fantastic. Jason’s character surprised me and often made me emotional. The ending scene gave me goosebumps, and the conclusion blew me away. I was not expecting that. It was such a great way to keep the interest of readers and have them anticipate the next novel in the series. Silon’s trials were exciting. I wasn’t able to guess what would happen next, and the overall feel of the story was great. I highly recommend this series to fans of science fiction novels.

Amy Powers

Status Human is the second book in the Upsilon series by Daniel Weisbeck. Silon is an android who must pretend to be a human to escape from her past and protect the ones she cares about. Hiding amongst the locals on a small island that shuns modern technology, Silon is staying under the radar as best as she can. She discovers more about being human when she meets a local fisherman's son, and she quickly learns about her abilities as an android when her past finally catches up to her and puts all their lives in danger. To move on, Silon must learn more about her origins and the surprising news that others just like her are out there and willing to help.

I wish I had read the previous book in the Upsilon series before picking up this one, but it is easy to understand what happened in Silon's story before her adventures on the island. I loved reading her perspective on what it takes to be a human, and it was easy for me to forget that Silon is not a real person experiencing these events. I love when authors can blur the lines between reality and science fiction, and Daniel Weisbeck has done just that with Status Human. There is also the hidden treasure of a second story within the main plot, as another character and her backstory are introduced, which pulls in themes of socioeconomic status, inequality, and the opportunity to have another chance at life. I look forward to reading more of Silon's story.