- Date Published:
July, 2025 - Length:
380 pages—Listening Time: 10 hr 21 minutes - Genre:
General Fiction, Suspense Thriller - Setting:
In the near future; Chesapeake Bay vacation rental, primarily in Delaware - Awards:
Oprah's Book Club; too soon for book prizes - Languages:
English - Sensitive Aspects:
Fatal accident and trauma, corporate greed, tech addiction, family breakdown, socio-economic disparity - Movie:
There are no public reports of a movie deal for Bruce Holsinger's novel Culpability as of September 2025. - Recommended for Book Club:
Yes.
When I first picked up Bruce Holsinger’s Culpability, I braced myself for a courtroom thriller with the usual courtroom theatrics—you know, the kind where lawyers volley objections and eye rolls with Olympic precision, and somebody inevitably mutters “Your Honor” for dramatic effect. Instead, I found myself tumbling headlong into a story that gnaws straight to the bone: what happens when artificial intelligence takes the wheel, and actual people are left sorting out the wreckage? Far from a parade of legal jargon, Holsinger’s tale digs deep into the sticky business of responsibility in a world where algorithms—not humans—are making decisions that matter. I gave the book a solid 8 stars, in part because it had me tossing and turning at night, wondering if my smart vacuum cleaner might someday turn on me (okay, maybe not quite—but you get the idea).
Let’s be real—AI isn’t some distant sci-fi dream anymore. It’s the uninvited guest at nearly every table: nudging us toward click-worthy headlines, scanning our MRIs, finishing our half-written texts, and (for the daring) chauffeuring us around corners in self-driving cars. But while the technology sprints ahead, our ethical playbook is still a work-in-progress—dogeared, rained on, and missing a few crucial pages. Holsinger’s story grabs hold of that uncertainty, and somehow, every chapter felt eerily close to those headlines that leave you shaking your head and checking if the apocalypse started while you were binge-watching a cooking show.
If your book club craves a novel that gets folks talking (and maybe shouting, depending on how strongly they feel about robot overlords and family betrayals), you’re in luck. Culpability’s genius isn’t just in laying out suspenseful twists; it’s in peeling back everyday dilemmas—who do we trust, what secrets do we keep, and how on earth do we share the blame when things go sideways? You might want to stock up on snacks, because this is the kind of book that turns a polite gathering into an animated debate—and isn’t that exactly what the best stories do?
Culpability is a riveting, emotionally charged family drama set in the near-present—where algorithmic advances have quietly reshaped the most intimate aspects of daily life. At its core is the Cassidy-Shaw family, led by Noah, a skilled lawyer, and Lorelei, a celebrated AI researcher whose work on computational morality forms the moral compass of the novel. Their three children, especially seventeen-year-old Charlie, struggle with the ordinary turbulence of adolescence layered with extraordinary pressures that technology and tragedy bring.
On a routine drive to a lacrosse tournament, the family’s minivan—equipped with an advanced self-driving system—collides with an oncoming car, resulting in a fatal accident that instantly fractures their sense of normalcy. Each family member’s secret role in the moments leading up to and following the crash slowly comes to light during a weeklong retreat to the Chesapeake Bay, where Holsinger masterfully sets the stage for a psychological reckoning that feels both intimate and universal. The beauty of the bay is juxtaposed against their inner turmoil, as the family confronts not just grief and legal scrutiny, but existential uncertainty—who, or what, is to blame when human decision-making meets imperfect algorithms?
Interwoven with the family's unraveling are thought-provoking explorations of corporate power and digital accountability, as Daniel Monet—a mysterious billionaire with deep ties to Lorelei’s work—stirs up further suspicion and rivalry. Charlie’s connection with Monet’s enigmatic daughter adds another layer of emotional complexity, amplifying the story’s themes of class, privilege, and consequence.
Holsinger’s writing is both precise and deeply empathetic, alternating perspectives to reveal the hidden fears, guilt, and resilience of each character. Acutely aware of today’s debates about artificial intelligence, Culpability transcends the tech headlines by asking timeless questions: Can machines ever truly absolve us of responsibility? What does forgiveness look like in a world where blame is shared by humans and code alike?
The novel is wholly engrossing, a mosaic of modern ethics, family secrets, and the ever-changing boundaries of control. It’s a book designed not just to entertain but to prompt urgent, lasting conversation—making it a perfect pick for thoughtful readers and book clubs alike.
Culpability is a timely, masterful novel that I strongly recommend to any reader who relishes thought-provoking fiction. Here’s why this book should be on your list:
Deep Dive Into Morality and Technology
Holsinger crafts a story that asks urgent questions about how we live ethically with new technologies like AI and self-driving cars. The novel doesn’t settle for easy answers—each character must wrestle with who (or what) is truly responsible for a devastating car crash. The combination of real-life moral dilemmas and speculative technology makes for an intellectually stimulating read that’s perfect for discussion.
Complex Family Dynamics
At its heart, Culpability is a family drama that pulls back the curtain on secrets, blame, and love. The story focuses on the Cassidy-Shaw family as they confront tragedy and guilt after a deadly accident involving their children and an autonomous minivan. Holsinger’s multi-layered portrayal of parents and teens—especially the struggles between Noah and his son Charlie—feels honest, relatable, and achingly real.
Emotional Weight and Suspense
From shimmering beaches to hospital waiting rooms, every scene in Culpability hums with emotion and tension. The aftermath of the accident is equal parts psychological thriller and raw heartache; as the secrets unravel, readers are pulled into a gripping rush of guilt, shock, and redemption. It’s a book that pushes readers to keep turning the pages, eager to see how the family’s tangled loyalties play out.
Discussion-Worthy Ethical Questions
Few novels spark book club debates as skillfully as this one. Culpability puts personal and public responsibility front and center: Who bears the blame in a world where choices are mediated by machines? What are the boundaries between human and algorithmic decision-making? The story’s exploration of truth, avoidance, and hidden motives invites fierce, honest conversations about morality and agency in the digital age.
Sharp, Relevant Social Commentary
Holsinger sets the novel squarely in the swirl of contemporary life: privilege, tech addiction, and even the consequences of youth sports are woven into the plot. His writing is precise yet never clinical, capturing everyday anxieties with rich detail and compassion as the family’s world unravels. The book feels especially relevant right now as AI reshapes the ways we interact, travel, and make decisions.
Endorsed by Oprah’s Book Club
Oprah Winfrey chose Culpability for her July Book Club pick, praising its prescience and ability to ignite meaningful conversations. When Oprah picks a title, you can expect a reading experience that’s both accessible and profound—plus extra resources for lively book club meetings.
Culpability will grip you, challenge you, and leave you reflecting on what it means to be responsible in our fast-moving technological world. It’s a smart, emotionally rich novel that sticks with readers long after the last page.
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These novels, like Culpability, combine tightly woven family stories with broader ethical, social, or technological issues, making them excellent selections for book clubs and readers interested in contemporary dilemmas.
- Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro
An unsettling yet deeply human story told from the perspective of an empathetic robot, this novel explores the intersection of artificial intelligence, loneliness, and family in a near-future setting where technology shapes relationships and raises pressing moral questions. - The Gifted School by Bruce Holsinger
Holsinger’s own novel examines affluent suburban families vying to get their children into an elite school, exposing the corrosive effects of ambition, privilege, and parental obsession with achievement. - The Circle by Dave Eggers
This fast-paced tech thriller takes readers inside a powerful social media company, where corporate surveillance and digital utopianism quickly spiral into paranoia and questions of privacy and accountability. - The Displacements by Bruce Holsinger
A suspenseful family drama about the fallout from climate disaster, Holsinger explores how catastrophe exposes fault lines in family and society, much like in Culpability’s post-crisis setting. - Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
A haunting narrative about children at a mysterious boarding school, this novel probes ethical issues around science and humanity in a story of sacrifice and lost innocence. - Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng
Through the unraveling of a family secret after a tragic accident, Ng’s novel masterfully investigates cultural identity, generational pressure, and the unspoken tensions that define family dynamics. - Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid
A sharp, page-turning examination of class privilege, racial bias, and generational difference, this novel uses a family’s crisis to reflect on deeper social issues—a thematic sibling to Culpability. - White Noise by Don DeLillo
Blending dark humor with social commentary, this classic considers technology’s influence on family life, fear, and mortality, pairing well with Culpability’s ethical and existential themes. - The Heart Goes Last by Margaret Atwood
Set in a near-future surveillance society, Atwood explores the trade-offs of security versus autonomy as couples navigate technological controls and personal secrets. - Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng
A gripping, character-driven drama about two families entangled by secrets and social expectations, touching on the cumulative impact of privilege and personal choices.
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