A rare 5 star (from me). Deceptively simple and deliciously sly, this novel is just about pitch-perfect. To say it’s essentially a tale about a robot and a horse does not do it justice. Morris stays in the point of view of the bod, a created lifeform, through the entire novel, and she pulls it off without sentimentality, creating a believable, vivid sympathetic portrayal. Although the bod of necessity knows little of the world beyond that which it serves, Morris includes telling details in an unobtrusive way, to create a picture of a futuristic society in which people have lost all connection with nature and animals. People sleep in their podcars, and display their “likes” in clouds that hover above them.
Although the bods are “shared” frequently to create uniformity, they still develop in unique ways, and it’s fascinating to see Paftoo, the main character, gain awareness and develop opinions as the book goes on. Morris has obviously spent a lot of time around horses; she described the horse so well I could picture him in front of me.
Though this is not a faith-based book with an agenda, there was no sex or violence, proving that you can still write a good book without including the two. The book would be appropriate for thoughtful, younger readers, though I didn’t think of it as a YA book.
Morris has thought to include a list of questions for reading groups. They should generate some interesting conversations ( )