Summary (from Goodreads):
In the future, robots have eliminated humans, and 12-year-old robot XR_935 is just fine with that. Without humans around, there is no war, no pollution, no crime. Every member of society has a purpose. Everything runs smoothly and efficiently. Until the day XR discovers something impossible: a human girl named Emma. Now, Emma must embark on a dangerous voyage with XR and two other robots in search of a mysterious point on a map. But how will they survive in a place where rules are never broken and humans aren’t supposed to exist? And what will they find at the end of their journey?
My Review:
I'm not sure what drew me to pick this book off the shelf at the bookstore. I don't like sci-fi, and robot stories are an instant turn-off for me usually. Sometimes books just demand to be read, and this was one of them. I couldn't put it down! The story is told through the eyes of the XR_935 robot, which isn't a point of view I've experienced before (especially given my limited experience with science fiction stories), and seeing how XR learns and grows throughout the story - with the help of its coworker robots - was compelling and heartwarming. The story has a rather Fallout-esque feel to it, so readers who are familiar with the post-apocalyptic will be able to envision the setting quite easily. The story is hopeful and charming, even though it could probably be considered dystopian.
Read: March 2022
