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| ★★★✰✰ |
Synopsis: What would you do if you found a robot in your back garden? For 34-year-old Ben Chambers the answer is obvious: find out where it came from and return it home, even if it means losing his wife in the process. Determined to achieve something for once in his life, Ben embarks on a journey that takes him and the robot to the far side of the globe...and back again.
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Review: A Robot In The Garden is quite a heartwarming tale of a man at the end of his rope being inspired to go on a road trip to fix a broken robot. Unsurprisingly, the story is actually about the metaphorical journey taken by Ben to become a better person as he bonds with the loveable Tang. Child-like Tang is easily the highlight of the story, which is entirely emotion- and character-driven, rather than being substantiated by a sci-fi world in which androids are man's domestic servant.
Initially I had a couple of qualms with the story, as I struggled to figure out exactly what was being set up - for instance, in a world where androids can do all your housework, why would anyone halfway across the world to check out a possible lead on the robot's origins at a company instead of just... emailing the company with photos? However, once the road trip had actually commenced I was happy to jump on board. I will admit to a couple of moments that made me tear up or giggle, with some lovely sentiments and some well-written scenes.
The tone, like the setup, struggles to balance itself a little (I've seen many reviewers comment on the 'Hotel California' sequence, as well as the climax scene, both of which lend themselves to a much darker, grittier world than the rest of the story does), but the copy I read was an unedited proof, so for all I know my issues may well be resolved before it goes to print. It is a quick and easy read, and if you go into this story expecting a light-hearted adventure centered around learning to care for yourself and for others, you won't be disappointed. And I want my own Tang.
Rating: 3/5
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