Set My Heart to Five by Simon Stephenson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
If Penn & Teller’s magic act was a book, it would be Set My Heart to Five.
Simon Stephenson has pulled off an outstanding trick in his novel. A former Pixar screenwriter, Simon both deconstructs how stories are put together and followed that format to tell a beautiful, heartbreaking that explores in its deepest level what it means to be human.
Adding to the degree of difficulty: He’s told the story through the eyes of robot that has accidentally evolved the ability to feel human emotion. (I don’t want to ruin any surprises in the book, but we see this evolution on the pages as much as we see Jared—or Brad Smith—change through his actions. This will only make sense once you’ve dug into the book.)
This is a wonderfully fast-paced science-fiction story that isn’t science fiction at all. And, by the end, you have fallen in love with Jared, er, Brad Smith.
My interview with Simon at The Downtown Writers Jam Podcast.
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