{My thoughts} – This is one of those, I just had to read kind of books. It had the look and feel of The Wizard of Oz to me. However, upon opening the book and actually reading it, it wasn’t what I’d been expecting. It was much different and much more then I could have anticipated.

Christopher is a mechanical that has been led to believe that he is a “Proper” boy. He doesn’t know any different because he literally acts like a real human right down to breathing and crying. However, when he and the other mechanical’s are out doing some work an accident occurs and Christopher’s perspective changes very quickly.

It wasn’t until he was more or less taken from the only home that he had known in his lifetime, that he starts to be able to piece things together. He starts to learn and understand his past, but it takes sometime and some help. A lot of that help is unconventional, but in the end, the end result is what was needed for him to sort things out.

I really enjoyed reading this book. It is mostly about being human. Trying to understand what it is like to be human. It is about learning what humanity really is even for those that aren’t human, but strongly believe that they are.

It’s a pleasant read and extremely well put together and executed. I look forward to reading more books by this author in the future.

What it means to be human - children's story about robots.

Intriguing and exciting story in the vein of I Robot, A.I. and The Wizard of Oz. In this world, there are robotic laws to control the mechanoids created by humans, one of which is that these creations are only allowed to be child-sized.

With Absalom, a sub-par engineer, a group of mechanicals eke out a living, having bonded together as friends. The disparate group contains the usual mix of personalities, and includes a 'real boy', a 'proper' called Christopher who barely remembers the fire that orphaned him.

The plot is kickstarted after an accident with Christopher and his friends, and their loyalties are tested as nefarious forces move in...

I loved the group of mechanicals, such a loveable bunch of misfits, quirky and very close-knit. The whole idea of robotic children is a rather enthralling concept, and the action moves quickly to a rather thrilling denouement.

A few upsetting scenes (mechanicals fighting, the memories of being orphaned by fire), but suitable for readers aged around 10-14.

Set between the wars in an alternate steampunk England, this novel brings some charm and exciting adventure to a story about home and family. See my full review here

3.5 I wanted to like this more. There's quite a bit of good stuff and the story is appealing. It just felt very uneven with a lot unexplained. What is the great war they talk about at the end of the book? It's just kind of thrown in there. Would have liked to give this 4 stars, but just can't.

A sweet story about a 'proper' boy who's anything but. I loved the friendships between Christopher and the other characters, and how each one had their own personality. They jumped off the page.

I love books that make me think about what being human actually means, and this one did it beautifully. This would be a great classroom read to lead into a discussion about discrimination and hate, although those aren't the main part of the story.

A great read, I hope it does really well.

I received an ARC which did not affect my review in any way.

I love it! Please give me more charming robots saving each other and the world!

A lovely and somewhat emotional story of what it means to be human. I figured out a few of the twists and turns very quickly but it was a fun story that was easy to read.