Review of "How to Say Goodbye in Robot" by Natalie Standiford

 Another example of my YA addiction. I blame Forever Young Adult.

Disclaimer: This book is on loan from my local library. I am review this book for my own pleasure (sanity, maybe?).

Type: Young Adult Fiction, Awesome loner dude, Robot Girl, Ghost Boy, Twins, Parental troubles, Radio shows.

Why this book: Ugh, seriously, blame FYA. I'm still working my way through their "Top YA couples of all time" but they mentioned this book, and I couldn't pass it up. So I went searching and found it via the library (yay libraries!).

About the book: Beatrice Szabo and her family just moved to Baltimore so her father could teach at Johns Hopkins. This means another new school, this time a private school filled with kids who have known each other since kindergarten. But Beatrice, aka Robot Girl, manages to make friends all the time, yet finds herself more and more drawn to the ultimate loner dude Jonah, aka Ghost Boy. Jonah hasn't been the same since his mother and twin brother died years ago, still feeling like a part of him is missing. Bea begins to hang almost exclusively with Jonah, and after an extremely important call from a care facility, the two learn Jonah's brother is still alive, and begin to search for him. But Jonah has an ultimate plan, will Beatrice be a part of it?

About halfway through this book, I paused and just thought about it for a second. By that point, we had already hit several major points, things I was sure had to be the major reveal of the book, so where could this story be going? It's the type of book where it just keeps going and I'm not sure where, but I like it so much I'm going to follow along, dangit. And man am I glad that I did. I think, if pressed, I would compare "How to Say Goodbye in Robot" by Standiford to "Sweethearts" by Sarah Zarr. They had a similar thing going for them - with the awesome (yet slightly creepy) loner dude. So if you like "Sweethearts," you'll love "How to Say Goodbye in Robot." Even if you didn't like "Sweethearts," you'll probably love this one.

No spoilers here, but I LOVED the ending. It felt so right. What Jonah did, how Bea reacted, it was perfect. But I still wanted something more. And lord love Natalie Standiford - she gave it to me. The last two chapters were exactly what I needed and wanted, and as I said - it felt right. And the characters felt so right, as well. Being a teenager is awkward enough, but Bea has moved several times, been thrown into new schools, of course she's going to be a little more awkward than most. And she's not your normal kid (being normal is soo overrated, in my opinion), but she's just so cool. What amuses her is just.. fascinating. She's funny, witty, morbid. And she finds a match in Jonah, who is so similar.

But this book isn't some sappy teenage love story. These two characters bond, deeper than either of them can explain, but it's not really love. They're not dating, they're just together - as friends or something even better than that. And I think that is part of what makes this book so great. It's hard to classify, it's just perfect. And to add to the awesomeness of this book, there is a Midnight Radio talk show, that Jonah gets Bea to listen to. And the occasional scripts we see from this show are great. Even better when we get to meet these people for a Holiday dinner.

So.. in conclusion, I'm giving "How to Say Goodbye in Robot" by Natalie Standiford a FOUR out of FIVE (4/5). Loved it, really. Such a good story with such great characters. And yes, there is heartbreak, there is drama, but still - Read it, people. You'll thank me for it in the end.

Have you read "How to Say Goodbye in Robot"? Tell me your thoughts in the comments! Want to read it? Get your copy at Amazon.com via the link on the left.

Happy Reading!
~!~ Morning Glow ~!~