Pok is at the head of his class, with a bright future in medical school ahead of him. Or so he thinks, until he learns that none of the 12 biggest medical schools — all affiliated with the global AI-based corporation Shepherd Organization — have accepted him, and the only one that has is the AI-averse Hippocrates. A deft coder, Pok pokes around in the Shepherd application files to discover that his files have been tampered with and tries to fix the issues. His anti-AI dad and fellow doctor is convinced that Hippocrates is the right move for Pok, but after Pok's dad dies under mysterious circumstances, Pok realizes that he must flee to Hippocrates. And somehow he must avoid all technological tracking until he gets there if he wants to survive.
With so many technological advancements happening in medicine today, including the integration of some AI elements, this near-future tale functions as a giant flashing, honking warning of the problems that may be on our horizon. It's an interesting, though also terrifying, idea to ponder in this book, especially as Pok begins his classes at Hippocrates and learns how far behind he is by relying on technology to do the heavy lifting of medical care. I'd recommend this for fans of Cory Doctorow and others who amplify the technological issues of today in fiction.
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