Every Version of You

by Grace Chan
Every Version of You cover
Good Books rating 4.27
Literary Fiction
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Paperback • £10.99
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Technical
  • ID: 3620
  • Added: 2025-10-18
  • Updated: 2025-10-19
  • ISBN: 9781922848864
  • Publisher: Hachette UK
  • Published: 2022-07-26
  • Formats: 1
  • Reviews: 3

In late twenty-first century Australia, Tao-Yi and her partner Navin spend most of their time inside Gaia, a hyper-immersive virtual reality that replaces the real world. Their aging bodies lie suspended in pods while they work, socialize, and even eat in this digital utopia. Meanwhile, Tao-Yi's mother remains stubbornly offline, preferring the memories of her life in Malaysia. When a new technology emerges to permanently upload a human brain to Gaia, Tao-Yi faces a profound decision that challenges her understanding of humanity and reality. Blending elements of speculative fiction with a touch of surrealism, 'Every Version of You' explores the boundaries between digital existence and authentic human experience. The novel delves into themes of identity, memory, and the future of human connection, offering a thought-provoking narrative that resonates with the complexities of modern life.

Reviews
Etherea Magazine · 2025-10-18
fantastic 4.50

The book is praised for its contemplative nature and the terrifyingly imaginable future it portrays. The blend of bleakness and realism makes it a standout speculative novel.

The reviewer at Etherea Magazine describes Every Version of You as a fantastic and contemplative novel. They highlight Grace Chan's ability to create a bleak future that feels eerily imaginable, which adds to the story's impact. The reviewer appreciates the depth of the speculative elements and the way the book makes the reader question the boundaries between life and technology. The overall tone is one of admiration for the novel's thought-provoking and terrifyingly realistic portrayal of a dystopian future.

Quick quotes

    Every Version of You is a fantastic, contemplative novel.

    Grace Chan has created a bleak future that is all too imaginable, and all the more terrifying for that.

    The blend of bleakness and realism makes it a standout speculative novel.

AniKo Press · 2022-08-12
compelling 4.30

The novel offers a tender exploration of family dynamics alongside its technological themes. The questions it raises about technology and identity are both difficult and prevalent.

The reviewer at AniKo Press notes that Every Version of You goes beyond its technological themes to offer a tender exploration of mother-daughter dynamics and family values. They appreciate how the book balances these personal elements with its speculative themes, making it a rich and layered read. The reviewer also highlights the difficult questions the novel raises about the limits of technology and personal identity, which add depth to the story. Overall, they find the book to be a compelling exploration of both technology and human relationships.

Quick quotes

    Aside from the buzz of technology, Chan offers us a tender exploration of mother-daughter dynamics, family values and the struggle to keep those.

    This book asks some very difficult and prevalent questions about the limits and edges of technology, the self, identity, relationships, personal history, and more.

    The balance between personal and speculative themes makes it a rich and layered read.

The Guardian · Daisy Herbert · 2022-08-04
profound 4.00

The novel carries a sense of impending doom and inevitability, making the future it portrays feel unsettlingly real. The exploration of technology and human identity is both profound and chilling.

Daisy Herbert from The Guardian finds Grace Chan's novel to be laden with a feeling of quiet doom and inevitability. The story's exploration of a world where technology and human identity blur is both profound and unsettling. Herbert highlights how the book's bleak future feels all too imaginable, making it a chilling read. The reviewer appreciates the depth of the themes but also notes the heavy atmosphere that permeates the narrative. This makes for a thought-provoking but somewhat oppressive reading experience.

Quick quotes

    Chan's novel is laden with a feeling of precipice and inevitability, a quiet doom.

    The novel's exploration of technology and human identity is both profound and chilling.

    The future it portrays is unsettlingly real, making the reading experience both engaging and unsettling.

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