Repo Virtual

White’s gritty but unexceptional debut takes a deep dive into a cyberpunk world. Life in the “smart city” of Neo Songdo isn’t easy: augmented reality mixes with actual reality, and corporations hold all the power. JD, a thief and digital repo man, hustles and schemes his way through life. But when a powerful woman named Kali hires him to steal a computer virus from reclusive billionaire Zero Lee, JD doesn’t realize that it’s really the world’s first sentient artificial intelligence, Mirae. As Mirae develops a sense of self, JD and his team are thrown into peril and they’ll have to pull off their most difficult hacking job ever to save their skins. Though White drives the narrative forward at a thrilling pace, genre readers will recognize familiar plot beats and tropes. White’s casual, slangy use of language distinguishes the story somewhat, but it also detracts from the severity of intense moments as characters punctuate their dialogue with the word bro. This quick, solidly constructed tale should satisfy cyberpunk fans who don’t mind revisiting genre staples. Agent: Nell Pierce, Sterling Lord Literistic. (Mar.)