Moderation was a thought provoking read about AI, social media and anonymous thoughts. It peels back the human condition to look at the psyche underneath which was really interesting

Oh this book had my whole heart! If you grew up chronically online and you love unreliable narrators with a hint of female eccentrics, you will enjoy this!

Moderation is a novel blending tech commentary and romance, as a content moderator gets a new job in VR. Girlie works as a content moderator for a social media company, and she's good at it, allowing her to fund her large Filipino family's life in Las Vegas. When the company buys out another and starts a new venture in virtual reality theme parks, she's offered a new job, with better money, and a new boss, William. William's best friend founded the VR company and Girlie is fascinated by him, even though their interactions are mostly in the VR world.

As someone interested in big tech, I'm always interested in literary fiction engaging with and critiquing it, so Moderation sounded fascinated. It turned out to not really be the book I was expecting, as despite the title and premise, it is only really half about the content moderation and VR side of things, and half about Girlie as a character and in particular builds towards her attraction to William, her new boss. The content moderation side is very prevalent at the start, with the novel slowing building up a picture of what it is like for Girlie and her colleagues alongside Girlie's carefully constructed life. As the book goes on, the focus changes, and though the company itself stays relevant throughout, the content moderation doesn't, and the tech side of things moves more towards big companies and the clash between different potential usages of virtual reality.

The first half of the novel feels entirely like setup, with not much happening, and then there's a few major events in the second half, but actually the slow pace continues throughout, so it definitely isn't a book for people who want fast-paced action. Instead, the book takes a more unexpected route, focusing on Girlie and William's slow burn romance that is enjoyable to read, if not what I thought the book would be about. The ending is not where I thought the book would go, but actually I was invested in it and I liked the return to a human focus rather than the tech world. The novel has its ups and downs, not quite resolving any of the technological side, but overall I found it an enjoyable story about people, wrapped up in a story about tech.

I enjoyed this book when it was describing the moderation in the VR world but the odd rambling bit at the beginning organising the cousin's party was not needed. I felt the author had more to say on AI and VR in general but she kept having to resort back to this being a 'romance'. The explicit description of sex was shocking and the ending seemed left field. A good writer with questionable choices in tone and style

Elaine Castillo’s Moderation is a darkly funny, sharply observed exploration of technology, ethics, and burnout — all wrapped in a speculative near-future that feels unsettlingly close to our present. The novel follows Girlie Delmundo, a Filipina-American in her thirties who moderates traumatic content for a massive tech company. When she’s promoted to work on a futuristic VR platform recreating lost civilizations, she finds herself not only facing the usual online toxicity, but navigating a labyrinth of corporate secrets, virtual therapy, and personal reckoning.

What makes Moderation shine is its voice. Girlie is sarcastic, emotionally guarded, and surprisingly tender beneath all that edge. Her internal monologue is sharp and often hilarious, bringing levity and intimacy to a story that could otherwise feel bleak. I was genuinely entertained by her perspective, and loved how Castillo used humor as a coping mechanism and a storytelling tool.

The world-building is immersive and layered, and the novel tackles big themes — from historical revisionism to surveillance capitalism — with confidence. I was especially impressed by how grounded the speculative elements felt. However, as the book moves toward its conclusion, it stumbles. Major revelations and emotional turning points come too fast, packed into the final chapters without the buildup they deserve. I found myself wishing the story had taken more time to explore its characters’ growth and let the emotional weight of its plot unfold more gradually.

For a large part of the novel, I was certain this would be a 5-star read. It’s clever, insightful, and deeply original. But by the end, it felt more like a very good book that could have been a great one. That said, it’s still absolutely worth picking up — especially if you enjoy speculative fiction that blends politics, technology, and humanity with a distinctive voice and a sharp sense of humor.

A book of the year, immediately - sharp, funny, richly textured, emotionally devastating, breathtakingly romantic and sexy. Castillo makes it look so, so easy, and this book makes so many of its contemporaries look either leaden or anaemic. Thanks so much for letting me read it early.

Girlie is good at her job. She is a content moderator and gets an interesting job offer.
The technology, social commentary and thriller aspects of this book are well done.
4/5 stars for that.
Plot and characterisation is 3.5/5
Overall, an interesting read with good writing and promise.

Moderation follows Girlie who works as a social media moderator, flagging and removing inappropriate content. Girlie is a good moderator as nothing bothers her. She gets an offer to start moderating virtual reality theme parks. Girlie takes the job but there could be something darker built into the company and William who started the company is exactly Girlie’s type.

This was okay. This was a five star when I started it, then it went to a four star and then a three star. I really liked the witty commentary at the start but then I just lost interest in this. This did have a lot of interesting things to say and generally I can see people enjoying this. Stories involving content moderation are always interesting and I always give them a go. I would recommend this and this was written well.