by John M Cusick
What happens when a robot designed to be a boy’s ideal “companion” develops a will of her own? A compulsively readable novel from a new talent.
David and Charlie are opposites. David has a million friends, online and off. Charlie is a soulful outsider, off the grid completely. But neither feels close to anybody. When David’s parents present him with a hot Companion bot designed to encourage healthy bonds and treat his “dissociative disorder,” he can’t get enough of luscious redheaded Rose — and he can’t get it soon. Companions come with strict intimacy protocols, and whenever he tries anything, David gets an electric shock. Parted from the boy she was built to love, Rose turns to Charlie, who finds he can open up, knowing Rose isn’t real. With Charlie’s help, the ideal “companion” is about to become her own best friend. In a stunning and hilarious debut, John Cusick takes rollicking aim at internet culture and our craving for meaningful connection in an uberconnected world.
David and Charlie are opposites. David has a million friends, online and off. Charlie is a soulful outsider, off the grid completely. But neither feels close to anybody. When David’s parents present him with a hot Companion bot designed to encourage healthy bonds and treat his “dissociative disorder,” he can’t get enough of luscious redheaded Rose — and he can’t get it soon. Companions come with strict intimacy protocols, and whenever he tries anything, David gets an electric shock. Parted from the boy she was built to love, Rose turns to Charlie, who finds he can open up, knowing Rose isn’t real. With Charlie’s help, the ideal “companion” is about to become her own best friend. In a stunning and hilarious debut, John Cusick takes rollicking aim at internet culture and our craving for meaningful connection in an uberconnected world.
Oh where even to begin?! I thought this book was going to be flipping hilarious when I read the synopsis, and was ecstatic to get my hands on it! I didn't laugh. This was not a funny book. I'm sure it was intended to be funny, thought provoking, deep, and have grand hidden messages about society, but it just didn't hit any of those marks quite right.
It felt like it was trying really hard, the whole time and it pained me. (Sorry if that didn't make sense. that might have been the crazy talking. That happens a lot...) Honestly, I spent most of the time offended and mildly disgusted. The book didn't have grody stuff in it, but the some of the characters were pretty ew, and I felt like John had awful opinions of teens and society in general. It used stereotypes and only seemed to showcase extremes. The guys were all sleaze ball idiots that just wanted to get in the hottest girls pants and party their lives away, or they were Charlie and had literally not one friend, and pretty much no life. The main girls were all hot party bunnies, or depressed and using drugs and alcohol to cope with life, or Rose the robot.
Speaking of the girls in the book, it opens with a girl committing suicide. (You never really get to know her.) I really kind of felt like she was just thrown in there and her death was used to tie up like two sort of loose ends. It bothered me a lot I kind of wished that part just hadn't been in there because there was pretty much no point. It added nothing to the story.
It was hard to like most of the characters and I never really related or connected with the story. I felt like they were all kind of shallow, extreme, and stereotypical, like I said before. So if this is what John thinks teens are like in life I am so beyond offended.
The story line was original sure, but it also kind of felt like it had no point. There was obviously a plot but it didn't really shake things up until it was almost over and then the ending was just weird and destroyed the only good tings the book had built. It just felt like there was no point once you finished it.
The writing was bland. That's really all I have to say about the writing. In fact, I think that I've pretty much said everything I have to say about this book. Overall, I would really not recommend it, it's grody and there is no good reason to waste your time. It has no redeeming qualities. It is a ZERO to ONE star book and it can go die in a hole. (I'm sorry I feel so mean. I just can't control my feelings. *Sobs*)
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