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A review by ciuli
Willful Machines by Tim Floreen
3.0
3/5
TW: there are mentions of attempted suicide, suicidal thoughts and depression
I'm still sorting out my feelings on this book because, while on the one hand I want to the author's creativity for creating a sci-fi story with a gay main character, on the other hand I have to say that this book left me unsatisfied.
Meet Lee, a shy, nerdy and closeted gay teenager, slightly obsessed with building robots, who is also the son of the President of the United States. In this futuristic world, humans have managed to create artificial beings with a will and intelligence of their own. And they have started rebelling, asking for freedom and causing terroristic attacks all over the US. So Lee, being under surveillance 24/7 because of the threat of attacks directed to him, is struggling to keep his homosexuality a secret from his father and from the world. But then comes Nico, and everything changes for Lee.
I feel like the story had a really good plot, but I wished it was further developed. I felt like there are plotholes in some parts and a few characters were underdeveloped and weren't really necessary for the story. Let's see Bex for example. Her contribution to the story is inexistent and I think her sole purpose is to stand close to Lee so that he has one friend at least. But apart from that, she is useless.
I think, or at least hope, that the book is meant to have a sequel. Because that definitely can't be the way you'd want to end a book. There are way too many things left hanging which need further explainations.
TW: there are mentions of attempted suicide, suicidal thoughts and depression
I'm still sorting out my feelings on this book because, while on the one hand I want to the author's creativity for creating a sci-fi story with a gay main character, on the other hand I have to say that this book left me unsatisfied.
Meet Lee, a shy, nerdy and closeted gay teenager, slightly obsessed with building robots, who is also the son of the President of the United States. In this futuristic world, humans have managed to create artificial beings with a will and intelligence of their own. And they have started rebelling, asking for freedom and causing terroristic attacks all over the US. So Lee, being under surveillance 24/7 because of the threat of attacks directed to him, is struggling to keep his homosexuality a secret from his father and from the world. But then comes Nico, and everything changes for Lee.
I feel like the story had a really good plot, but I wished it was further developed. I felt like there are plotholes in some parts and a few characters were underdeveloped and weren't really necessary for the story. Let's see Bex for example. Her contribution to the story is inexistent and I think her sole purpose is to stand close to Lee so that he has one friend at least. But apart from that, she is useless.
I think, or at least hope, that the book is meant to have a sequel. Because that definitely can't be the way you'd want to end a book. There are way too many things left hanging which need further explainations.