More than a century after the fall of human civilization and the appearance of aliens on Earth, humans have lost autonomy and are owned by the grays who invaded. Born and bred to serve grays, John belongs to Martok, a gray who floats from one low-paying job to another, often without a place to live and barely enough to feed both of them. But Martok is a constant optimist, and when he leverages John's bond to start a business serving grays in need of rest and relaxation (even though grays are definitely not into that), John is understandably concerned. Especially when he learns that Martok has just 60 days until the first payment before John's bond is transferred to a gray that's likely to murder him just for fun. He'll have to figure out something to make this new business work, ideally something that won't end in death.
This is an interesting take on post-contact dystopia, in that the story is human-centric, even if the world isn't. I appreciated the way that the author makes us consider how exactly we define humanity, intelligence, and autonomy, but without sacrificing the plot and with a solid helping of dry humor. The relationship between John and his fellow bondsperson Six is both relatable and fresh, and nothing is ever quite as it seems in this book. A quick and thought-provoking read.
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