scrollsofdragons's review
4.0
Where was my goddam sequel? There's open endings and then theres everything left unresolved and nothing wrapped up which was this book. So im taking a star off because im not happy that we got told pratically nothing about what happened and whats next. Also the reasoning behind robots, humans and free will made zero sense, if what makes you human is free will why force everyone to be traditional and straight and roll back on rights? It just doesn't add up. Other then that I loved this book, Nico was a darling, Bex was awesome and our narrator is so bloody precious.
maddness22's review against another edition
I just couldn't get past the concept that we're still experiencing such blatant homophobia 300 years in the future. I've also definitely aged out of YA because this writing style was so freaking basic
kimreadsthings's review against another edition
4.0
3.5
When I saw Kirkus describe this book as “Gothic, gadget-y, gay” I knew I needed it in my hands as soon as humanly possible. I am happy to say it is all of those wonderful things. And while I didn’t quite love it, I did really, really enjoy this book. There’s so much to like! Yes, there are wonderfully complex characters, killer robots, and the sweetest M/M romance. The writing beautifully evokes the brooding boarding school setting.
This is a near-future sci-fi thriller with a touch of the dystopian. 16 year-old Lee is the closeted son of an ultra-conservative president who is both fiercely anti-gay and anti-robot. It’s unfortunate then, that Lee has a penchant for tinkering with mechanicals, too. The Human Values platform was created in response to an attack by Charlotte, an AI gone rogue, in which Lee’s mother was murdered. Ever since, Charlotte has been using her consciousness, uploaded to the Supernet, to commit acts of terror. She won’t relent until the president hands over the remaining AI’s in the government’s custody.
There is a lovely cast of characters here. Self-deprecating, depressed Lee is guaranteed to wring your heart with the frustration and sadness of his situation. It can be hard enough to come out, notwithstanding the pressure of having a father who is arguably the most powerful man in the world and whose political career depends on your being in the closet. Best friend Bex is whip smart and tough, but always comes through in her support for Lee. New student Nico is enigmatic, endearing, and more than just a little wonderfully weird. Complex villains abound, and the action-packed, twisting plot turns will more than satisfy those reading for the sci-fi thriller aspect.
Find the rest of my review at The Midnight Garden
When I saw Kirkus describe this book as “Gothic, gadget-y, gay” I knew I needed it in my hands as soon as humanly possible. I am happy to say it is all of those wonderful things. And while I didn’t quite love it, I did really, really enjoy this book. There’s so much to like! Yes, there are wonderfully complex characters, killer robots, and the sweetest M/M romance. The writing beautifully evokes the brooding boarding school setting.
This is a near-future sci-fi thriller with a touch of the dystopian. 16 year-old Lee is the closeted son of an ultra-conservative president who is both fiercely anti-gay and anti-robot. It’s unfortunate then, that Lee has a penchant for tinkering with mechanicals, too. The Human Values platform was created in response to an attack by Charlotte, an AI gone rogue, in which Lee’s mother was murdered. Ever since, Charlotte has been using her consciousness, uploaded to the Supernet, to commit acts of terror. She won’t relent until the president hands over the remaining AI’s in the government’s custody.
There is a lovely cast of characters here. Self-deprecating, depressed Lee is guaranteed to wring your heart with the frustration and sadness of his situation. It can be hard enough to come out, notwithstanding the pressure of having a father who is arguably the most powerful man in the world and whose political career depends on your being in the closet. Best friend Bex is whip smart and tough, but always comes through in her support for Lee. New student Nico is enigmatic, endearing, and more than just a little wonderfully weird. Complex villains abound, and the action-packed, twisting plot turns will more than satisfy those reading for the sci-fi thriller aspect.
Find the rest of my review at The Midnight Garden
kasperin's review against another edition
3.0
Wait does this book have a sequel? because this can't end like this right?
How do I check for the series in the GR app?
How do I check for the series in the GR app?
alexnderthegreat's review
4.0
actual rating 4.5. shit. that was fucking good. so,,,,, there's gonna be a sequel, right?
curlybabers's review
5.0
This book was lovely. A combination of cybernetics and Shakespeare. An action boom within a very good heart. Tackles the idea of what makes us human. Loved it.
actual_hobbit's review
4.0
LGBT characters, POC characters, and robots--what more could you ask for?
leewicks's review
4.0
3.75 stars.
This book had better get a sequel, after an ending like that.
For me, this was a pleasant surprise. I impulsively pre-ordered it months ago, simply because all I knew was that there was a gay main character, but that it was also sci-fi and that his sexuality wasn't going to be the entire/main focus of the book.
Now, Lee's sexuality (that feels weird for me to write, as my name is also Lee and I'm also gay!) is a big part of this book, but not in the way I'm familiar reading about. As I already said, this isn't a contemporary, and it's not about Lee coming out, figuring out his sexuality, or having his "one true love" romance. There's such a good mix of other things that are going on, and I really appreciated that.
I've read a lot of queer-themed books, but off the top of my head I can't think of any other books like this one, aside from Proxy, which I haven't even read yet, where the main character just happens to be gay, and other shit is going down.
...and boy. The shit that's going down? It was really interesting to read about, it flowed nicely, and moved along at a decent pace. I also found it interesting to read about the political debate that's going on regarding man and machine, and the cliffhanger-ish ending was nicely done too, and oh! I loved the Shakespearian link. That made me smile.
My main complaint, though, is to do with Lee. He's selfish. He's so damn selfish. He's clever, but heavily flawed to the point where it just made me angry, and he didn't think about others as much as I felt he should've. There was one point where he was listing off all of these awful things that could happen, which included the death of others, and his final thought was "...or worst of all, telling Trumbell I'm gay". That attitude got tiresome quickly.
Also, a 3 day romance where they're suddenly in love? No. That was very difficult for me to believe, and I could've done with some more world-building too. I wanted to know more about the society this story's taking place in, the state of the world, of the rest of America, and the other technological advancements that had been made. There was a little, but not enough to satisfy my curiosity and intrigue, by a long-shot.
Never the less, still really enjoyed reading this book. I burned through it pretty quickly, and hey! This is my 100th book of 2015, a fact I'm very proud of, so I'm not likely to forget about this book any time soon!
Oh, and a final thought: I want a puck. I want a puck so bad.
This book had better get a sequel, after an ending like that.
For me, this was a pleasant surprise. I impulsively pre-ordered it months ago, simply because all I knew was that there was a gay main character, but that it was also sci-fi and that his sexuality wasn't going to be the entire/main focus of the book.
Now, Lee's sexuality (that feels weird for me to write, as my name is also Lee and I'm also gay!) is a big part of this book, but not in the way I'm familiar reading about. As I already said, this isn't a contemporary, and it's not about Lee coming out, figuring out his sexuality, or having his "one true love" romance. There's such a good mix of other things that are going on, and I really appreciated that.
I've read a lot of queer-themed books, but off the top of my head I can't think of any other books like this one, aside from Proxy, which I haven't even read yet, where the main character just happens to be gay, and other shit is going down.
...and boy. The shit that's going down? It was really interesting to read about, it flowed nicely, and moved along at a decent pace. I also found it interesting to read about the political debate that's going on regarding man and machine, and the cliffhanger-ish ending was nicely done too, and oh! I loved the Shakespearian link. That made me smile.
My main complaint, though, is to do with Lee. He's selfish. He's so damn selfish. He's clever, but heavily flawed to the point where it just made me angry, and he didn't think about others as much as I felt he should've. There was one point where he was listing off all of these awful things that could happen, which included the death of others, and his final thought was "...or worst of all, telling Trumbell I'm gay". That attitude got tiresome quickly.
Also, a 3 day romance where they're suddenly in love? No. That was very difficult for me to believe, and I could've done with some more world-building too. I wanted to know more about the society this story's taking place in, the state of the world, of the rest of America, and the other technological advancements that had been made. There was a little, but not enough to satisfy my curiosity and intrigue, by a long-shot.
Never the less, still really enjoyed reading this book. I burned through it pretty quickly, and hey! This is my 100th book of 2015, a fact I'm very proud of, so I'm not likely to forget about this book any time soon!
Oh, and a final thought: I want a puck. I want a puck so bad.
jadelee_ls's review against another edition
5.0
What? WHAT??! WHAT THE HELL U CAN'T DO ZAT!! Who ate my final 50 pages because this can't be it!! AMERICA EGGSPLAINNNN!
(But from a writer pov, damnnnnn Tim! Keep on keeping on, this is perfect! :D)
(But from a writer pov, damnnnnn Tim! Keep on keeping on, this is perfect! :D)