BLOG TOUR: A Robot In The Garden

A Robot In The Garden
Rating: 5/5
Buy or Borrow: Buy!
Source: ARC courtesy of the publisher

"A story of the greatest friendship ever assembled..." When Ben Chambers wakes up one morning, he has no idea his whole life is about to change. There's a robot in his garden you see, it's a bit broken and rusty, and very very lost and it's sitting under his willow tree...it's not like all the fancy new androids everyone has, and if he's honest...he feels a bit sorry for it. So ignoring his wife Amy, he brings it in to the house while he tries to figure out where it came from.

Thinking Ben has found another reason to ignore everyone and do nothing in general, Amy leaves him. Rather than curling up in a ball and drinking himself in to oblivion, Ben packs up and takes newly named Tang with him on a trip to find his creator, and who can fix him.

Ben and Tang form quite the bond and friendship as Tang learns from Ben, and they experience the highs and lows of their round the world trip....Ben never wanted children, but he might have just got himself one!

Oh my God. I literally just finished this book (when I say just I mean it's a Saturday at 9pm, 3rd of Jan to be precise, yes I know, what I wild life I lead, anyway, when this is published it while have been a while but yeah) and I'm kind of just sitting here staring at the book. I think it's emotionally broken me? That weaselly little robot has totally ruined my life because now I want a Tang!

This book is fantastically unique. The world, being at some point in the future, has androids and did have robots, robots are like a lesser being to everyone because they're the old version of the horrible androids, so it was so unique in that aspect because you had everyone acting like Tang was odd because he's an old model and calling him quaint and stuff, and then the people in Texas being all "He's a creation of God too" and don't get me started on Hotel California! Totally unique.

I loved Tang, obviously, he was totally adorable, and like a little kid learning about everything, and I wanted to just hug him when the androids where mean to him, and Tang becomes so real to you as you read, and you see him develop and become the Tang he is at the end of the book from where he started at the beginning. Not to mention Ben, his character growth was fantastic to watch, he truly never thought he'd be a good Dad, and yeah Tang's like his BFF, but he's also like a child to Ben and Ben doesn't realise this until later in the book, and it's so cute and adorable and IT REALLY HIT ME RIGHT IN THE FEELS OKAY. I HAVE BEEN EMOTIONALLY COMPROMISED BY A ROBOT AND HIS FRIENDSHIP WITH A HUMAN.

Watching the friendship between the two grow, I can't even. It was incredibly well done, watching the relationship between the two grow and change brought so many emotions to the surface, depending on the situation. This book made me laugh out loud multiple times, for some reason I had the robot from Short Circuits voice, voicing Tang in my brain, and at times the book made me all teary because it was emotional and beautiful and I just really love this book okay?!

I think this has immediately become one of my favourite books, I wasn't quite expecting the huge journey we went on, from England to Cali to Texas to Tokyo to Micronesia and back, and the book was so well written, so beautifully written, I kind of want to say it's a coming of age story for Ben, but he's like 34 and so he's kind of not coming of age. Or is he? Screw it, it's a coming of age story  for someone who was stuck in a rut and finally had to grow up/man up and help someone who wasn't him for once and he changed for it.

Each setting was created fantastically, you could picture the places, but the real standout of the book was Tang, he seriously pretty much came right out of the page and buried himself in your heart. Ben was easy to connect to, I think a lot of people can relate to him and how he doesn't really know what he's doing and he's just kind of....not really living but just existing, until he starts his adventure with Tang. As a character I really got him, and felt for him multiple times, but then I was on Team Ben and Tang so when Roger was there? I was not having that!

The plot is kind of simple, with the mission to find the creator, but it's the writing and the characters and the relationship that makes this book so astounding and one that will stay with you. Not to mention the little bits of the story, like what the deal was with Bollinger, that was a nice little bit of danger and had me on the edge of my seat, because I'd be damned if he was keeping my robot! I mean...Ben's robot...yeah. Uhh anyway, and the glimpses of Lizzies and Kato's lives and past and relationship was a nice touch in a book that was all about a relationship, even the stuff with Amy and her and Ben reconnecting and everything. There was so much that made this book awesome, so much going on, I couldn't tear myself away from the book, I wanted to see where they where going to end up next, what crazy thing was going to happen to them next.

I would love to write essays about this book, because I really, really love it and it's immediately become a favourite, I can count on one hand the number of times that's happened to me, I found myself hugging this book after I finished. I can't quite describe just how awesome this book is to be honest, I can't find the right words to express to you all how beautiful it is and how much you need to read it, but you do!

Word of warning? You're going to be left wondering how to acquire a robot of your own!