Boy Robot

August 29, 2016
A cyber-dystopian future America is the scene of musician Curtis’s heartrending but uneven first novel. The lead-up to Isaak’s 18th birthday has involved a killer headache and dreams of other kids being chased by agents in black. After a wound heals itself far too quickly to be natural and Isaak’s adoptive mother kicks him out of the house, he finds out that he is a “Robot”; government-made synthetic humans created for war and released into the population as babies by a scientist with a shady agenda, Isaak’s kind are being hunted and are forming an underground resistance. From there, Curtis’s adventure story of teens on the run becomes a tad predictable, but Isaak’s narration and a possible romance with a human male companion keep things interesting. Flashbacks of the other characters’ lives before joining the underground include graphic descriptions of transphobic and homophobic trauma, as well as sexual assault, to a point that sometimes feels gratuitous but also gives real insight into each teen’s situation, and certainly aims for empathy. A tension-filled ending leaves readers hanging on for a sequel. Ages 14–up. Agent: Laurie McLean, Fuse Literary.

July 15, 2016
The first of a planned trilogy by recording artist Curtis, this debut novel continues themes from his early song of the same title. "There once was a boy / Who was made, not created" begins the song on "8Bit Heart" (2010), Curtis' first album. Continuing the narrative of a created boy is Isaak, adopted into a family in a tiny Ozarks town and now kicked out of the house by his adoptive mother, who sees him as a monster. Isaak has always felt disconnected and alone, and now he must begin a journey in search of himself. It turns out he's a Robot, created, he is told, in a secret project to create a race of synthetic humans meant to be "soldiers, designed to spare human casualties in future wars." As he and a band of allies in the Underground are pursued by Sheriffs intent on reclaiming them, Isaak realizes he has unusual powers that make him dangerous. Isaak's frequently overwrought first-person narrative is complemented by related stories that introduce other characters and lend history and context but detract from the pull of his story, making it difficult for readers to be fully involved in it and its themes of humanity, love, and connectedness. Isaak does not describe himself, though he does describe other characters' appearances, including skin color. A fascinating premise and plenty of action will attract fans who have patience for all the many extra threads. (Fiction. 14-18)

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August 1, 2016

Gr 10 Up-On the eve of turning 18, Isaak has a splitting headache. These headaches signal a dramatic physical change that occurs in all of the teens in his community, who are not human at all. They are Robots. In this near-future world, sinister, shadowy government death squads are hunting and killing Robots. The few surviving teens flee alongside their adult rescuers, hoping to find a safe place. Told from multiple points of view, this debut is a violent, dark sci-fi novel that attempts to question what it means to be human. The constantly shifting perspectives, even mid-chapter, make for awkward and often confusing reading. The mystery of why these teens are Robots is not explained until the final pages, with many plot holes still unresolved. All but one of the main characters are in their 20s. There are multiple graphic scenes of brutal bullying, child abuse, and rape. When the victims come into their powers as Robots, their retribution is violent and fatal. Between the level of violence and the awkward, disjointed point of view transitions, this volume will be frustrating for many. VERDICT If dark, brutal sci-fi is in demand in your library, choose other titles, such as Pierce Brown's phenomenal Red Rising.-Kristen Rademacher, Marist High School, IL

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