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A review by coco_lolo
Willful Machines by Tim Floreen
2.0
2.5 stars.
I'd never heard of Tim Floreen until last year, and even after that I probably wouldn't have given his works much thought if not for one of the booktubers I follow recommending him. In all honesty, I think I would have enjoyed Tattoo Atlas more so than this book, as its synopsis actually interests me, but I went with Willful Machines only because it was more affordable at the time. I can't really say I was disappointed because I willingly purchased the book knowing the plot didn't fully appeal to me, but I had hoped I might be surprised and find a possible new favorite.
Willful Machines is not a bad bookâit just wasn't a book for me. Floreen tackled certain issues that are extremely relevant in today's world, such as where we draw the line between what is living and what isn't. His imagining of the not-so-distant future felt realistic in that I could see his technology as one day soon becoming a possibility, this including the robots made for more menial tasks as well as the ones who challenged the definition of a human being. The story itself was a fast read, so even when I wondered if the plot itself would ever pick up, I never had to trudge through slow pacing. The characters weren't bad or anything, I simply never connected with them, although Charlotte became a source of intrigue and Nico was well thought-out as both an individual and a love interest. I found the writing average: while I appreciated the inclusion of Shakespeare and liked how straightforward it often was (except for when things were too simplified), it came across as a bit emotionless, with some of Lee's behaviors/actions jarring me because there wasn't much mental build up.
The story really just didn't click with me: it seemed like something that could have been up my alley but ultimately wasn't. I felt like it was lacking a certain depth, perhaps because Lee himself never endeared himself to me. Though I can't speak from experience, I didn't find the representation of depression to be that gripping, even though I did like how it was described;. The romance could have benefited from Floreen showing Nico and Lee as they grew into a strong, meaningful relationship, because as it was, it was too rushed and (for me) lacked chemistry, with declarations of love coming too early. Some of the plot twists worked well, while others were a bit too out there; I didn't see how Lee even came to some of the conclusions he did.
It seems that I'm in the minority when it comes to Willful Machines, but I didn't have exponentially high hopes in the first place. My feelings toward this book are more neutral than anything, because while it isn't something I would actively recommend, I wouldn't discourage people from reading it either. I'm already choosy when it comes to YA, but I think this has encouraged me to be even more so.
I'd never heard of Tim Floreen until last year, and even after that I probably wouldn't have given his works much thought if not for one of the booktubers I follow recommending him. In all honesty, I think I would have enjoyed Tattoo Atlas more so than this book, as its synopsis actually interests me, but I went with Willful Machines only because it was more affordable at the time. I can't really say I was disappointed because I willingly purchased the book knowing the plot didn't fully appeal to me, but I had hoped I might be surprised and find a possible new favorite.
Willful Machines is not a bad bookâit just wasn't a book for me. Floreen tackled certain issues that are extremely relevant in today's world, such as where we draw the line between what is living and what isn't. His imagining of the not-so-distant future felt realistic in that I could see his technology as one day soon becoming a possibility, this including the robots made for more menial tasks as well as the ones who challenged the definition of a human being. The story itself was a fast read, so even when I wondered if the plot itself would ever pick up, I never had to trudge through slow pacing. The characters weren't bad or anything, I simply never connected with them, although Charlotte became a source of intrigue and Nico was well thought-out as both an individual and a love interest. I found the writing average: while I appreciated the inclusion of Shakespeare and liked how straightforward it often was (except for when things were too simplified), it came across as a bit emotionless, with some of Lee's behaviors/actions jarring me because there wasn't much mental build up.
The story really just didn't click with me: it seemed like something that could have been up my alley but ultimately wasn't. I felt like it was lacking a certain depth, perhaps because Lee himself never endeared himself to me. Though I can't speak from experience, I didn't find the representation of depression to be that gripping, even though I did like how it was described;
Spoiler
I also wasn't a fan of how it seemed like once Nico came into Lee's life, those dark thoughts were less pervasiveSpoiler
like the fact that Charlotte had actually been dead the entire time,It seems that I'm in the minority when it comes to Willful Machines, but I didn't have exponentially high hopes in the first place. My feelings toward this book are more neutral than anything, because while it isn't something I would actively recommend, I wouldn't discourage people from reading it either. I'm already choosy when it comes to YA, but I think this has encouraged me to be even more so.