Since the library reopened I have certainly checked out an eclectic mix of books. I confess I chose this one largely on the basis that it was brand new, and who doesn't like the feel of a brand new library book with no dog ears.
The last book I read (The Wake) was set in the dark ages but this one took me into the future, to a world after The Big Crash, where the Internet is no longer available and Elon Musk has accidentally incinerated the moon.
The main character is a 'bot' called Jared, who has been made in human form, but his brain is programmed to work as a dentist without any emotion or feelings (maybe all dentists are bots?) The story begins at a point where Jared is experiencing some emotions that he shouldn't be capable of feeling, and the story then goes on to explore what it means to be human. Through a robot. I know this sounds unlikely but, trust me, it works.
The style of writing is very 'now', and there are many references to characters from films released in the 1990s, but the films are never named, so there is an underlying movie quiz to keep readers on their toes. Luckily, the Internet is still working in our world, so you can always Google references you don't get.
What impressed me most about this book is how the writing style stands out from the crowd. It's so difficult to be original in an age where we are swamped by the written word, but here we have something different.
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