In The Lives Of Puppets
Adult Fiction
Victor is human, but he has never seen another human being. He lives deep in the forest and has been raised by Giovanni, his robot inventor dad, who has always told him he was left in his care as a baby by Vic's terrified human parents who were fleeing from something unknown.
Vic has grown up in the company of his two robot friends, Rambo (an ancient vacuum cleaner) and Nurse Ratchet (the obsolete Nurse Registered Automaton To Care, Heal, Educate and Drill), whom he salvaged from the Scrap Yards and reassembled with spare parts. These characters make the book for me: Rambo, an insecure and charmingly innocent motor mouth, has a tendency to get them all into hot water while Nurse Ratchet's multiple personalities, from sociopath to empath, keep everyone on their toes.
When Vic manages to repair a decommissioned and partly disassembled android that he names HAP, dark secrets start to reveal themselves that turn Vic's world and everything he thought he knew about his father on its head.
When Giovanni is captured and taken away to the City of Electric Dreams, Vic and his three companions set out on a dangerous mission to save him, during which Vic makes a devastating discovery about mankind, his father and HAP. As he grapples with his human emotions of betrayal, distrust and fear, he hopes that he can still find enough love in his heart to forgive, and enough courage to help change the world for the better.
If you want to read something that is totally different, somewhat quirky, at times hilarious, at others poignant, this book is for you.
This book reminded me of the Wonderful Wizard of Oz (remember the Tin Woodman who wanted a heart) and Pinocchio (the puppet who wanted to be a boy-except perhaps in reverse). It may not be for everyone, but I would recommend you give it a try.
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