Review: Girl Parts

Girl Parts
John M. Cusick
2010; Candlewick; ISBN 978-0-7636-4930-2

Summary: David and Charlie might be in the same class, but that's where their similarities end. David is the son of a rich computer mogul and the most popular guy in school; Charlie's dad is a professor and Charlie's called a freak. They're drawn together by Rose, who is no ordinary girl. She's actually a Companion, a robot bought by David's parents in order to treat David's dissociative disorder. Rose is designed to teach David how to take his time and relate to a girl--because if he goes faster than Rose's Intimacy Clock permits, she gives him an electric shock. When David realizes that there's a limit to how far he can go with Rose, he dumps her. Found by Charlie, Rose struggles with her heartbreak and discovers why she's not like any other Companion. But will her uniqueness save her, or make her too valuable to the corporation that created her?

A lighthearted yet sensitive take on the girl robot concept, Girl Parts is an enjoyable page-turner. Capturing the teen boy mindset from two different extremes, Cusick also manages to let Rose be more than a Stepford girl. Instead, she's a quirky, sweet girl who just happens to be a robot. Set in the near future yet inspired by today's concerns about Internet-obsessed and emotionally disconnected teens, Girl Parts is perfect for sci-fi fans who want something lighter than Cory Doctorow's Little Brother.