by T. J. Klune
First published 2023
Victor Lawson calls a treehouse home, sharing it with three robots who have become his family. Giovanni Lawson serves as his father figure, an inventor android who protects their hidden sanctuary. A nurse machine with cruel tendencies and a lonely vacuum cleaner complete their unusual household. Their peaceful existence shatters when Vic repairs a damaged android named HAP. This newcomer carries secrets that connect him to Giovanni's buried past as a human hunter. HAP's presence alerts dangerous robots to their location, leading to Giovanni's capture and transport to the City of Electric Dreams for reprogramming. Vic must leave safety behind and venture into hostile territory with his remaining family members. The rescue mission forces him to navigate conflicting emotions about HAP, whose betrayal threatens everything while his presence offers unexpected connection. As they cross the unforgiving landscape toward Giovanni's prison, Vic confronts a fundamental question about the nature of love and acceptance.
Genres: family, science-fiction, fantasy, 21st-century, artificial-intelligence, robots
Vibes: emotional, intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, found-family
Setting: City of Electric Dreams
432 pages · Hardcover · Tor Books