School Library Journal (Mon Aug 01 00:00:00 CDT 2016)

Gr 10 Up-On the eve of turning 18, Isaak has a splitting headache. These headaches signal a dramatic physical change that occurs in all of the teens in his community, who are not human at all. They are Robots. In this near-future world, sinister, shadowy government death squads are hunting and killing Robots. The few surviving teens flee alongside their adult rescuers, hoping to find a safe place. Told from multiple points of view, this debut is a violent, dark sci-fi novel that attempts to question what it means to be human. The constantly shifting perspectives, even mid-chapter, make for awkward and often confusing reading. The mystery of why these teens are Robots is not explained until the final pages, with many plot holes still unresolved. All but one of the main characters are in their 20s. There are multiple graphic scenes of brutal bullying, child abuse, and rape. When the victims come into their powers as Robots, their retribution is violent and fatal. Between the level of violence and the awkward, disjointed point of view transitions, this volume will be frustrating for many. VERDICT If dark, brutal sci-fi is in demand in your library, choose other titles, such as Pierce Brown's phenomenal Red Rising . Kristen Rademacher, Marist High School, IL

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

A cyber-dystopian future America is the scene of musician Curtis-s heartrending but uneven first novel. The lead-up to Isaak-s 18th birthday has involved a killer headache and dreams of other kids being chased by agents in black. After a wound heals itself far too quickly to be natural and Isaak-s adoptive mother kicks him out of the house, he finds out that he is a -Robot-; government-made synthetic humans created for war and released into the population as babies by a scientist with a shady agenda, Isaak-s kind are being hunted and are forming an underground resistance. From there, Curtis-s adventure story of teens on the run becomes a tad predictable, but Isaak-s narration and a possible romance with a human male companion keep things interesting. Flashbacks of the other characters- lives before joining the underground include graphic descriptions of transphobic and homophobic trauma, as well as sexual assault, to a point that sometimes feels gratuitous but also gives real insight into each teen-s situation, and certainly aims for empathy. A tension-filled ending leaves readers hanging on for a sequel. Ages 14-up. Agent: Laurie McLean, Fuse Literary. (Oct.)

Horn Book (Tue Aug 01 00:00:00 CDT 2017)

The same night he loses his adoptive parents and home, already overwhelmed Isaak discovers he's a government-built Robot marked for termination. Isaak must seek out refuge with a group called the Underground, avoiding soldiers and trying to maintain his humanity along the way. Fast-paced action scenes and a gay robot protagonist pique interest, but generic government villains ruin any sense of danger.

Voice of Youth Advocates

Isaak has never felt that he fit in. The reason becomes apparent on the night of his eighteenth birthday, when he "manifests" and discovers his true nature. Isaak is a robot, a synthetic person created by a clandestine government program to breed super-soldiers. Now hunted by SHRF, a top-secret force tasked with eliminating these humanoids, he learns that his only hope lies in the Underground. This alliance of humans and robots smuggles the "Unreclaimed" to safety, working toward a future in which all can co-exist. With fellow robot Azure and humans, Kamea and the devastatingly handsome JB, Isaak must dodge pursuit, make it to the Underground's base in Los Angeles, and simultaneously discover and learn to control his new powers. If he can destroy at will and manipulate others with only his thoughts, does that make him more or less than human?Non-stop action cloaks the sometimes-shaky logic underlying the complex plot in this debut novel. The backstory of the robots' creation is revealed gradually and the explanation of why the government is now hunting its erstwhile soldiers is murky. Isaak's first-person, present-tense narrative is interrupted by third-person accounts of the usually grisly, sad fate of other robots. Readers may find the prose awkward (eyes "roil" and "boil"), while the possibility of romance between a human male and robot Isaak will keep pages turning. Fans of murder, mayhem, and dystopia will enjoy the suspenseful storyline and root for Isaak and his fellows in the Underground. A cliff-hanger ending points to the sequel. This is a deep look at what makes someone "human." Violence, rape, bullying, and abuse are dealt with in this book.Kathleen Beck.

ALA Booklist (Sat Oct 01 00:00:00 CDT 2016)

On his eighteenth birthday, Isaak's lingering headache blossoms into something that consumes his whole body, and suddenly he has talents and abilities he never knew of good thing, since he's on the run from men in black who seem to want him dead. He's a synthetic human, one of many that resulted from an originally humane scientific experiment; but those who initially wanted these created beings now believe they are a threat to society. This debut novel is unsophisticated and raw at times, but Curtis capably shapes an energetic story. The book begins with chapters or parts of chapters that usher in characters willy-nilly with little connection other than a shared history of physical and emotional abuse and the eventual headache. These exposures are interwoven with the narrative of Isaak's perilous trip to L.A., where the robot rescuers have a headquarters. Once there the story, which features a diverse cast and includes a gay romance subplot, shifts from chase scenes to adolescent bonding. A murky, cliff-hanger ending suggests a sequel.