Title: Willful Machines
Author: Tim Floreen
Series: None (but the author hopes to continue the story)
Length: 370 pages
Published by: Simon Pulse
Publication Date: October 20th, 2015
Diversity: LGBT+ protagonist, romantic interest is both LGBT+ and a POC, some
minor characters are POC, Bechdel Test (which I normally let male-narrated 1st
person books slide on, but this was a pleasant surprise)
Rating: ★★★★☆
A while back, I remember encountering someone on social media asking some of the same questions that this book asks. What does it mean to be human? And if you found out that a robot had a consciousness, would you be willing to fight for its rights?
I didn't have these questions in mind when I picked up this book. It had a cool cover, interesting premise, and what appeared to be a promise of a gay romance subplot, all strong criteria that I take into consideration when choosing a book. And I didn't expect much more than a typical YA thriller-type novel with some gay on the side. This turned out to be so much more, especially when Charlotte's motive was revealed. It ended up being an interesting discussion of human rights, free will, motivation, and the definition of humanity, all wrapped up in a novel that managed to be a combination of sci-fi, thriller, romance, and coming-of-age while still being coherent.
It's true that I personally preferred the examinations of humanity, especially Lee's conversations with Dr. Singh, and would have liked a bit more of that instead of the overbearing "fear the robots!" parts, but the balance worked out in the end. It was also awesome how fresh the world felt. It wasn't quite a dystopia, but it wasn't ideal either. Robo-terrorism, anyone? The whole idea of near-future conservatism opposing robot rights within a world where not all current social issues were solved (i.e. all women's rights, lgbt+, and racial issues aren't magically resolved in this world) felt realistic. Also, I hate it when near-future stories make the departure from current technology really extreme, and the fact that I could picture all of the technology in this book being used a century or so from now contributed to the realism factor.
However, I did have some issues with how Lee's mental illness was written, especially in the resolution. Not to be spoilery, but it felt almost flippant how it was resolved.
Other than the facts that the writing did feel a little campy at times, Lee's mental illness could have been written more sensitively, and the pacing felt inconsistent (slow at the beginning, a wild ride at the end), this was a good read. If you're interested in surprisingly deep young adult fiction and down with both heavy action and philosophical discussion, I'd totally recommend it.
