“Ignore All Previous Instructions” by Ada Hoffmann
Kelli Reynolds loves creating stories more than anything in the world. But on Callisto, a generative AI company called Inspiration owns everything, including all the media, and only Inspiration determines which stories can be told. Kelli has a rare and coveted job in which her autism is to her advantage: She precisely edits AI output into “appropriate” stories for Inspiration’s massive TV audience.
Reenter Kelli’s ex-boyfriend Rowan. Rowan is tangled up in the black market after he needed to get money for gender reassignment surgery. He needs Kelli’s help with something . . . illegal. So, now Kelli has to decide: Will she risk the safe, tidy story of her life now for the world she once wished for? What would Orlando do?
Review
I really enjoyed reading this book and I read it very quickly. I thought the characters were great and the back and forth between the timelines were well done. I do have to admit to liking the past sections a little better than the ones set in the present as I feel like I got more out of them. I ended up feeling like the parts set in the past were developed a bit more – with more depth to those sections as Kelli interacted with her friends. But that might just be because the past is set and in the present Kelli is essentially figuring herself out. All that said I think the parts set in the present were great too – okay maybe the heist and the aftermath were bit to easily done but it still worked. I really liked how Kelli’s autism was handled as well as the neurodivergence of other characters.
I have to admit I did end up with more questions than answers about the setting – I’m not entirely sold on the way things seem to be handled. Only 10% of the population has to work while everyone else is on basic – which isn’t really explained. From the sections in the past it was clear part of the issue with basic is that medical and mental health are all provided by AI (sometimes with tragic results) – but beyond that it wasn’t fully explained what being on basic means for the average person. Things are bad in many ways but in others not so much depending on who you are.
I thought the ending of the book was great and I loved where Kelli and Rowen end up. I thought it worked great for what the story was trying to do. I liked the way Kelli realizes who she wants to going forwards and possibly how to achieve some of the things she’d wanted to as a child. I really enjoyed the way Rowen and Kelli interact (past and present). All in all it was a fun read.
Additional reviews and warnings can be found at the StoryGraph page for “Ignore All Previous Instructions”
Book Details
- Author’s Website
- Ada Hoffmann
- Publisher / Date
- Tachyon, May 2026
- Genre
- Science Fiction
- Page Count
- 320
- Date Completed
- October 29, 2026