Review: How To Say Goodbye in Robot by Natalie Standiford

Last word first: (4/5) A quirky look at a couple of tragic, but oddly endearing, characters.

Description: Dubbed a "robot" by her slightly insane mother, Bea is the quintessential loner. At least until she meets Jonah, The Ghost Boy, a cynical loser at her new school. The two form an intense (though platonic) friendship, bonding over their dysfunctional families and love of talk radio. Just maybe, they will each be the thing that ties the other to reality.

My thoughts: It's hard to say if I liked this book. The characters were just so weird that I had a bit of a hard time relating. But one thing I think just about anyone would relate to is the alienation of feeling like you are the only person like you in the entire world. And then the relief that comes when you find someone who really "gets" you.

The relationship between Bea and Jonah is an interesting one. It's not romantic, but it is intensely connected in ways that many romantic couples aren't. Can one person be everything for another? Can that ever be enough? I don't think so, and the relationship made me uneasy, even as I felt so happy for them to have found each other.

The story is full of references to old movies and music, many of which went right over my head. But the writing overall was very readable, and the book flowed by like the radio show Bea and Jonah are so addicted to. Some might find the ending a little unsatisfying (it surprised me, but I liked it), but I think the themes of understanding, friendship, grief, and connectness vs. aloneness make this well worth a read.

Natalie Standiford in her own words: "In college I majored in Russian Language and Literature and went to St. Petersburg to study for a semester. Russia was still the Soviet Union, and St. Petersburg was called Leningrad then. It was weird and interesting and fun and cold." -from the bio on her website.