Book Review: How to Say Goodbye in Robot
Posted in Academic Pursuits and tagged with Book Review, Relationships, Teenagers on April 27, 2010
I can’t quite explain why I enjoyed How to Say Goodbye in Robot by Natalie Standiford so much. I read this book in the middle of the Read-a-thon a couple of weekends ago, right after coming to tears at the end of Shadow of the Giant.
Well, this one brought me to tears as well.
I always have a lot of respect for books that can make me cry. Few do. Movies that make me cry are a dime a dozen, but it’s harder to convince me to react emotionally when the only weapon you have is words. Natalie Standiford did that.
I hope that doesn’t turn you off to How to Say Goodbye in Robot. It’s not a sad book, really. Just very real. I’ve been reading a lot more YA books lately, and they seem to fall into many of the same clichés over and over again. This book didn’t do that. It reminded me of books that I enjoyed (Special Topics of Calamity Physics and Wintergirls) but in no way is like those books.
How to Say Goodbye in Robot is the quirky tale of the budding friendship between Bea and Jonah. It’s not plot-driven, but it still surprised me in the end (though it probably shouldn’t have). Standiford does a great job of getting you to feel what it would be like to be Bea in the story, and leaves you thinking just as Bea is left thinking.
If you ever enjoy YA literature, I recommend checking this one out. Check out The Page Flipper’s review for another take on it.
April 27th, 2010 at 12:45 am
This is not a book I would have ever picked up based on the title. Thanks for letting me know it’s a good read. I’ll keep an eye out now!
Twitter: heythere_ann
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April 27th, 2010 at 9:26 am
I also wouldn’t have picked it up if I saw it on a shelf. Thanks for letting us know about it!
I also really respect that you completed a readathon… maybe one Saturday I’ll sit down and have my own :)
April 27th, 2010 at 10:00 am
Robynn and Heather: The title and the color (it has both pink and black ink inside) definitely drew me to it. I was very pleased to see it wasn’t fluffy like the packing may have made you believe.
April 27th, 2010 at 10:03 am
Never even heard of this one… gotta add it to the list! Yep – when a book can make you cry, you KNOW its a good one!
April 27th, 2010 at 11:39 am
Thanks for the tip. I did enjoy Calamity Physics very much.
April 27th, 2010 at 11:49 am
It took me a bit, but I think YA is Young Adult? I find myself reading quite a bit of Young Adult literature. I find that it takes me back and reminds me of who I was. I love Judy Blume’s books for that.
Thanks for the recommendation.
April 27th, 2010 at 11:51 am
Lady Fi: Oh yes…you were the one who introduced me to Calamity Physics, the book that still haunts me a year later!
TJ: Yes, it is. Sorry, hanging out in too many book blogger circles! I also like YA books (lol) because they tend to be more raw emotionally…sometimes I think we adults are too bottled up.
April 27th, 2010 at 4:27 pm
I recently reviewed this book for my workplace’s Teen Book Blog (I work in a library), only, well, I like your review much better! I felt the exact same way as you: it didn’t rely on chick-lit cliches, instead it was offbeat and surprising and refreshingly realistic.
By the way, thank you for stopping by my blog and commenting :)
April 27th, 2010 at 4:33 pm
Melissa: At first I thought, “Cool…an employer has a Teen Book Blog!” then read that you work at a library…TOTALLY makes sense. (Though wouldn’t it be cool if more workplaces were pro-literacy?)
April 27th, 2010 at 9:34 pm
But you know what? Sometimes when a book brings on the tears, that’s a good thing. Thanks for the review!
April 28th, 2010 at 12:57 pm
I adore books that move me so much I cry! The Time Traveller’s Wife did that both times I read it :)
April 28th, 2010 at 1:59 pm
Melissa: Definitely true! I just didn’t want people to shy away from this if they don’t like “crying” books.
May 5th, 2010 at 12:17 pm
Along with a few of the other commenters, I would never have picked this book up off the shelf in a bookstore, but I might have to now!