“As we enter an increasingly augmented reality, with AI-generated images becoming less recognizable in the sea of content we all gulp daily, Lindsey Harding’s debut novel begs the question: what’s real? What’s not real? Why does it matter? Does it matter? The PILGRIM promises something better than real, but we find that we are still bound by the limitations and desires of the creator. . . . As AI is more frequently proposed as a solution or improvement on the human mind and capability, this novel expertly interrogates the impossible expectations set upon women and mothers, the allure and danger of artificial intelligence, and our never-ending pursuit of something better.” Read full review.
— Georgia Review

“Pilgrims 2.0 is a stunning portrayal of desperation that holds buoyancy in its empathy and finds brutality in asking where the line of violence is drawn or if, perhaps, the line has been drawn too late. Lindsey Harding’s debut novel is a knockout, solidifying her place in the pantheon of timely and affecting contemporary literature.” Read full review.
— Southern Review of Books

“Pilgrims 2.0 is satirically sharp, propulsive, and wickedly entertaining. In her marvelous debut, Lindsey Harding expertly manages a large cast of characters and dazzles with her powers of invention.”
— Chris Bachelder

“Harding’s debut novel sets an unsettling mood from the start, with short chapters that propel the story along. The inclusion of multiple characters’ perspectives—from passengers to crewmen to doctors to the AI system itself—gives a full picture of good intentions, deep sadness, and even some less-than-noble motives. Book clubs may find much to discuss about the nature of our relationships with ourselves and others and the dissonance between improved physical appearance and contentment.”
— Booklist

“In her genre-bending debut novel Pilgrims 2.0, Lindsey Harding traverses the sensitive topic with the confident, observant voice of a seasoned pro. Readers follow four female passengers and the male staff of PILGRIM, a cruise ship in the near future where, rather than snorkeling and zip lining, guests sign up for ‘excursions’ of a more medical variety. The enigmatic captain Dr. Heston promises on his luxury ship plastic surgery ‘procedures that smack[] of science fiction.’ These procedures are so strange and inventive that the primary joy in this funny novel comes from discovering the idiosyncrasies of the women who desire them, and the unintended consequences the alterations leave behind.” Read full review.
—Chicago Review of Books

“This delightfully unhinged speculative work lays out a myriad of character traumas and cultural issues without ever feeling like a sermon. . . . Pilgrims 2.0 navigates these delicate extremes with lavishly tranquil settings and prose that reads like a textual version of an ASMR video, leaving readers with tingles. The crew prepares the ship so that by morning, ‘the rooms and transitioning spaces would be ready for passengers, sparkling and sanitized, the air saturated with breathable calm.’ All said, it’s a cutting and satirical romp that brings both laughter and moments of real poignancy to the proverbial surgery table.” Read full review.
— Shelf Awareness