To Be or Not To Be

Reading Challenge 2017: book from a non-human perspective.  Willful Machines by Tim Floreen fits this category as one of the main characters is non-human.  I will not spoil it and reveal what he is, but it makes the story more interesting. I always enjoy a novel with a new story, something that is unique. Lee Fisher attends Inverness Prep, where his grandfather is the headmaster. His father is the President of the United States and in charge of a anti-android organization who wants to keep humans separate.  Sounds like our country right now. Lee is also a closeted-gay. He meets a new boy, with his best friend Bex, at school and is instantly intrigued by him.  This weird combination of YA, science fiction, gay love story has many themes about segregation, hiding who you are, and constant surveillance. Lee soon falls in love with the new boy, Nico Medina, and learns a special secret about him which makes him question his existence, much like Hamlet did.  There are many quotes from Shakespeare's plays throughout the novel that only one who had read these plays would understand, especially when referencing the 2B androids and the weapon to destroy them, Not2B.   Lee's tale left me wanting to reread various Shakespeare plays. I am reminded of the movie A.I. where a boy discovers he is actually an android and has to deal with the fact he is not human.  The boy also has a quirky sidekick, much like Lee's Gremlin.  The novel makes the reader question what is the difference between a chemical construct (humans) and an artificial construct (android) and also do we have true free will.  If we are influenced by our family, friends, and society, do we really have a pure sense of choice? This novel is a love story with action, science fiction, technology, scary Spider robots, and a cute creature construct named Gremlin.  I did get teary when something tragic happened to Gremlin, especially that it was constructed by Lee's dead mother. Without revealing too much, the story gets intense and builds all the way to the end with a lovely twist. But now I want more in a sequel with the characters as there are still some unresolved parts that are left up to the reader to create. Definitely a novel that will be enjoyed by techno geeks, literary fans, and those who enjoy a good love story.