Are we becoming so connected that we’re missing the point?
Do continuous and apparently limitless social, entertainment and
informational possibilities presented by the internet make us disassociated? I have
wondered this in the past. I have heard countless news reports of the
depression that social networking has caused, some of which are littered with
actual accounts of what depressed teens have done because of this. I have even
felt this same depression, identifying that it was social media that was the
cause of it.
This is a strange way to start a review. But these are the
larger ideas that fuel Girl Parts. The opening (Chapter 0) starts with a
particularly confronting example of what I was talking about, but that is just
the catalyst.
The actual story centres around two boys, nearly 17, who are
forced to see the school counsellor in the aftermath of the event at the
beginning. One is wealthy and get’s
almost everything he likes, and the other isn't and prefers to be left alone.
The counsellor prescribes them both a type of therapy that is being trialled by
a Japanese company. The wealthy boy’s father says yes immediately. The other’s
investigates and decides that it is not for his son.
The therapy? A robot teenage girl who acts as a ‘companion’
(or girlfriend) but will only allow the boy to progress in their physical
intimacy as their emotional relationship develops. If the boy tries something
before the girl is ready, he will receive an electric shock.
What makes this book so interesting is the way that each of
the characters sees the robots, including Rose, who is, herself, one of them.
This is a great read that poses a lot of questions that are
all tidily wrapped up in a fascinating boy/girl drama with a twist. It is as
much for female readers as it is for male, my only suggestion would be to make
sure they are 14 or over. Definitely worth tacking down!
