What happens when a robot designed to be a boy’s ideal “companion” develops a will of her own? A compulsively readable novel f...
read full description
reviews
Jul 16, 2011
Ash
rated it: 
I went into this knowing that it was a little strange but thinking that I would like it. Definitely an interesting read but I feel unsatisfied with how things played out.
Quick Overview: David is rich, good looking, and a total jerk. After seeing a girl commit suicide online and doing nothing to stop it his parents and new school counselor are worried that he is "disassociated". They suggest a "Companion" that is meant to show him how to form a healthy human relati More...
Quick Overview: David is rich, good looking, and a total jerk. After seeing a girl commit suicide online and doing nothing to stop it his parents and new school counselor are worried that he is "disassociated". They suggest a "Companion" that is meant to show him how to form a healthy human relati More...
0 comments
like
(4 people liked it)
Jun 13, 2010
Shannon
rated it: 
Interesting idea- but an ultimately unsatisfactory ending for me. I /think/ it left off with a hopefulness for the boys... but I'm not entirely sure. The poor fembot? Future unknown. Maybe I missed something, but I just didn't feel like things were properly resolved.
full review here- http://literatisliterarylibrary.blogspot...
full review here- http://literatisliterarylibrary.blogspot...
0 comments
like
(4 people liked it)
Feb 28, 2011
Sydney →☺
rated it:
I couldn't wait to read this book! The cover was interesting and the premise sounded interesting. It also reminded me on an anime I like, Chobits *total anime nerd* xD
Well, I read it. And I have to say, it was kind of a waste of my time. It wasn't horrible or anything, but I had a ton of problems with this book. The first thing was David -- MAN I HATED HIM SO MUCH!! Talk about a self centered jerk. And throwing Rose away because she didn't gave girl parts was just cruel. He was only in it f More...
Well, I read it. And I have to say, it was kind of a waste of my time. It wasn't horrible or anything, but I had a ton of problems with this book. The first thing was David -- MAN I HATED HIM SO MUCH!! Talk about a self centered jerk. And throwing Rose away because she didn't gave girl parts was just cruel. He was only in it f More...
Feb 15, 2011
Novel
rated it:
Forget about love at first site. Girl Parts by John M. Cusick is all about love at first gigabyte. (Haha. I couldn’t resist.)
I’m actually sort of obsessed with the whole concept of this book — and after reading it, I can only hope there is more to come.
Girl Parts tells the story of two boys who couldn’t be more different — rich, popular David … and Charlie, the contented outsider. Their lives become suddenly connected through Rose — the Companion built just for David, to help More...
I’m actually sort of obsessed with the whole concept of this book — and after reading it, I can only hope there is more to come.
Girl Parts tells the story of two boys who couldn’t be more different — rich, popular David … and Charlie, the contented outsider. Their lives become suddenly connected through Rose — the Companion built just for David, to help More...
Jan 19, 2011
Lauren
rated it: 
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
To view it, click here
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Dec 23, 2010
Aurora
rated it:
I was pretty excited about this book because I thought it would be neat to see a Weird Science updated with feminist ideals and yet still written for boys. What I got, though, was strange. Disconnected, rather rushed plot-wise, too short and yet too long, and surprisingly sexist were my major reactions to this book.[return][return][return][return]The book was written mainly from the perspective of the boys. There's a little bit of the android's perspective when David abandons her, but it's mostl
More...
2 comments
like
(3 people liked it)
Dec 14, 2010
Donna
rated it: 
Personally I don't think that blurb does the book much justice because it's so much more than what it's letting on. What this book really is is a satire of internet life. A finger poke to the eye of the digital generation that's more comfortable interacting with inhuman machines than with each other. Instead of attacking this supposed dissociative disorder with genuine human interaction and parenting, the parents are removed and human interaction is replaced by, of course, another computer that
More...
5 comments
like
(7 people liked it)
Nov 08, 2010
Lea (YA Book Queen)
rated it:
An intriguing debut, and an interesting idea.
With the narrative jumping from David to Charlie to Rose (third person narrative for all three), Cusick lets the reader dive into the story from every angle possible.
David is your clichéd rich snobby prep, and he's having some social issues. After a girl commits suicide via webcam, everyone becomes concerned about many of the teens who seem to not be reacting the right way. When he receives Rose to help "socialize" him, h More...
With the narrative jumping from David to Charlie to Rose (third person narrative for all three), Cusick lets the reader dive into the story from every angle possible.
David is your clichéd rich snobby prep, and he's having some social issues. After a girl commits suicide via webcam, everyone becomes concerned about many of the teens who seem to not be reacting the right way. When he receives Rose to help "socialize" him, h More...
Oct 25, 2010
Heather
rated it:
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
To view it, click here
Sep 19, 2010
Angela
rated it:
David and Charlie are as different from one another as the night is from the day. David is Mr. Popularity, obsessed with his computer, getting lucky, and fitting in. Charlie doesn't even own a TV, would rather roam the forest than be around people, and has no clue how to talk to a girl. Both boys, however, are dissociated from the world around them. And it takes a beautiful red-headed Companion bot to wake them both up.
Girl Parts just might be the most unique book I have read this year More...
Girl Parts just might be the most unique book I have read this year More...
Sep 12, 2010
Michelle
rated it: 
Girl Parts is an interesting look at how children of a certain age are disassociating themselves as a result of the growing use of technology. The primary focus is on two boys, David and Charlie. As one would imagine each boy leads life differently but both maintain the commonality of being marked by school leaders and parents who are concerned about their increasingly dissociative behavior.
David is not lacking in the friend department. He and his compatriots are seemingly popular i More...
David is not lacking in the friend department. He and his compatriots are seemingly popular i More...
Aug 14, 2010
Kate (I Just Wanna Sit Here and Read!)
rated it:
GIRL PARTS, by John Cusick, centers around two contrasting high school boys dealing with the same "dissociative disorder" that they are diagnosed with. Companions are given to teens who are having face-to-face connection issues to learn boundaries of communication in "real life". In his debut novel, Cusick humorously explores the fate of those who are disconnected from society through technology.
This book was a pleasant unexpected surprise. Cusick molded a story aro More...
This book was a pleasant unexpected surprise. Cusick molded a story aro More...
Aug 12, 2010
Ramie
rated it:
If you've read Manga, watched Anime, or even caught a few 80s movies you're probably familiar with the basic story of this book - What teenage boys really want is a robogirl with human skin. Okay, that's a over simplification still when the boys in this book become "disassociated" parents and counselors decide that's how you fix them. Give them their own "girl" who will train them on how to make human connections.
David and Charlie are two very different boys wh More...
David and Charlie are two very different boys wh More...
2 comments
like
(2 people liked it)
Jun 20, 2010
Britt
rated it:
I have found a boy YA I like! John M. Cusick takes a burgeoning concept in Japan - pseudo-human companionship - and translates it into American teenspeak. When David's parents and school discover that his technology addiction is so bad that he feels nothing after watching a girl commit suicide on the Web, the guidance counselor proposes a futuristic solution: a Companion. Companions are like the lifelike dolls real people dress up and pal around with, only Companions can speak, eat, touch, and m
More...
0 comments
like
(2 people liked it)
Jun 01, 2010
Minli
rated it:
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
To view it, click here
Nov 16, 2010
Jen Bigheart
rated it:
So I knew the premise was a little...weird, which I usually go for, but this story didn't quite make the cut.
After the televised suicide of a girl at school, David's parents feel he is "disconnected" and worry that he has no real relationships. Instead of forming a relationship with their son, David's parents buy him a Companion; a fembot that was built especially for David. (His father works too hard and his mother is too fragile) Things are going fine until David grows imp More...
After the televised suicide of a girl at school, David's parents feel he is "disconnected" and worry that he has no real relationships. Instead of forming a relationship with their son, David's parents buy him a Companion; a fembot that was built especially for David. (His father works too hard and his mother is too fragile) Things are going fine until David grows imp More...
Nov 08, 2010
Mark
rated it:
Beginning with a chilling suicide scene, in which a girl downs a sleeping pill cocktail before an online audience, this book asks serious questions about relationships, gender roles, and the place of technology and media in our lives.
David Sun is a child of privilege, and after he views the online suicide with relatively cold detachment, his parents supply him with an experimental Companion: a synthetic girl designed to befriend David, while restricting his physical contact (and thus More...
David Sun is a child of privilege, and after he views the online suicide with relatively cold detachment, his parents supply him with an experimental Companion: a synthetic girl designed to befriend David, while restricting his physical contact (and thus More...
Oct 27, 2010
Marissa
rated it:
I was instantly attracted to the cover of this book and it's striking resemblance to the anime/manga series Chobits, so I decided to read it and use it for my Young Adult Lit book review assignment:
In the near present, the Japanese artificial intelligence company Sakora has succeeded in building prototype ‘companions’ to treat “dissociative disorders” in males around the world. Beautiful, red-headed Rose is custom made for 17 year-old David Sun. Her intimacy clock is specifically desig More...
In the near present, the Japanese artificial intelligence company Sakora has succeeded in building prototype ‘companions’ to treat “dissociative disorders” in males around the world. Beautiful, red-headed Rose is custom made for 17 year-old David Sun. Her intimacy clock is specifically desig More...
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Feb 03, 2012
Ivi
rated it:
Anfangs kommt das Buch als gewöhnliches Jugendbuch rüber, doch hat man erst einmal angefangen zu lesen merkt man ganz schnell, dass das nicht der Fall ist. John M. Cusick hat eine - im Gegensatz zu den meisten Autoren - wirklich andersartige Art und Weise zu Schreiben und seine Geschichte zu erzählen. Irgendwie hat man das Gefühl, das die Geschichte von weit weg erzählt wird. Das der Autor nicht wirklich dabei war, sondern einfach bloß beobachtet und das erzählt, was er sieht. Es braucht ein wen
More...
Dec 21, 2010
Tessa
rated it:
Cusick has an interesting and relevant premise about how disengaged today's youth are becoming or have become, and the idea of every teenage boys' dream of a seemingly perfect girl designed for him to help these youths become more engaged members of society. The story starts of with a startling and altogether too realistic portrait of a young girl who commits suicide in front of computer camera while numerous teens idly watch hammers home how terribly jaded many people are today, and the two ma
More...
Jul 13, 2011
Griffin
rated it:
First: great science fiction in the Bladerunner tradition with clever devices and robotic motif.
Second: poetic rhetoric. It has an almost allegorical feel. The names are redolant with meaning and tone; David Sun, Rose, Mr. Throat, Ms. Droit and Mr. Gauche. Throughout, Cusick uses images of symmetry, folding, reflection and opposites. Arrows abound from Rose's arrow mind that points at David, to the abstract St. Sebastian at boy's school. The layers of connection and disconnection nearly More...
Second: poetic rhetoric. It has an almost allegorical feel. The names are redolant with meaning and tone; David Sun, Rose, Mr. Throat, Ms. Droit and Mr. Gauche. Throughout, Cusick uses images of symmetry, folding, reflection and opposites. Arrows abound from Rose's arrow mind that points at David, to the abstract St. Sebastian at boy's school. The layers of connection and disconnection nearly More...
Jul 24, 2010
Nicole
rated it:
So, I just finished reading John Cusick’s soon-to-be-released novel, Girl Parts. I’m torn. This book was unlike anything I’ve ever read before and I’m not sure where to start on this review, so bear with me in case I get a little rambly ~
Premise of the book: in the not so distant future, there is a breakdown of human interaction and teenagers develop some major dissociative issues. How to fix the problem? As an experimental behavioral solution, a Japanese company has manufactured hot More...
Premise of the book: in the not so distant future, there is a breakdown of human interaction and teenagers develop some major dissociative issues. How to fix the problem? As an experimental behavioral solution, a Japanese company has manufactured hot More...
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Jun 28, 2011
Kirsty (overflowing library)
rated it:
Girl parts is an interesting read and a very different offering in the YA market which I would say would appeal to boys especially.
The story is based around two main characters who are both teenage boys from one town and their interacts with Rose who is a robot companion designed to help teenage boys learn about the correct way to build maintain a healthy relationship in an impersonal and internet driven era.
I liked that this story whilst being totally made up isn't that impl More...
The story is based around two main characters who are both teenage boys from one town and their interacts with Rose who is a robot companion designed to help teenage boys learn about the correct way to build maintain a healthy relationship in an impersonal and internet driven era.
I liked that this story whilst being totally made up isn't that impl More...
Jan 12, 2012
Emily
rated it:
What I loved: about three chapters, or maybe 20 odd pages, in-- there is quite possibly one of the best illustrations of a first-date-gone-wrong ever. It kind of reminded me of every quirky cute awkward indie romantic comedy I've seen. Super bumbly weird fun. This would serve better as a short story, as it did not blend in with the rest of the book at all. Seriously. Find this book on the shelf at the library, read this chapter, and bask.
From there, it dives right into the basic premi More...
From there, it dives right into the basic premi More...
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Dec 27, 2010
Melissa
rated it:
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
To view it, click here
Sep 16, 2010
Sam
rated it:
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
To view it, click here
Oct 02, 2010
Sara E.
rated it:
If I had to put a label on this book, it would be realistic sci-fi. And I think accessible too, especially for those who are reluctant to read sci-fi.
It's sometime in the near future. A teen girl commits suicide on a live stream, with people watching. David, a popular teen, watches with a sense of apathy. His parents are horrified to learn of his actions and set him up with a controversial new therapy program. Which is basically the super hot girlbot of his dreams. Who zaps him if he More...
It's sometime in the near future. A teen girl commits suicide on a live stream, with people watching. David, a popular teen, watches with a sense of apathy. His parents are horrified to learn of his actions and set him up with a controversial new therapy program. Which is basically the super hot girlbot of his dreams. Who zaps him if he More...
Dec 27, 2011
Karina
rated it:
It definitley wasn't what I had expected it to be.
Girl Parts, by John M. Cusick, seems to be a book about how disconnected people are coming in this new era of technology. And as always, there are people trying to make money off solutions. And from there the company Sakora takes a part of this tale. It designs female machines, which are bought by families whose son's seem to be disconnected from society.
It sounded like it could be a good book, and it was an okay plot. I More...
Girl Parts, by John M. Cusick, seems to be a book about how disconnected people are coming in this new era of technology. And as always, there are people trying to make money off solutions. And from there the company Sakora takes a part of this tale. It designs female machines, which are bought by families whose son's seem to be disconnected from society.
It sounded like it could be a good book, and it was an okay plot. I More...
Mar 02, 2011
Chrissy
rated it:
Okay, I had a hard time deciding between 4 or 5 stars for GIRL PARTS, so I'll go with 4.5, giving the book the benefit of the doubt with a 5 since I can't do half numbers on Goodreads.
As for the plot, GIRL PARTS is about a futuristic society where people have become increasingly reliant on virtual technology. All school is conducted via the internet, and teenagers often have the majority of their friendships over various online social networks. In fact, the novel begins with a teenag More...
As for the plot, GIRL PARTS is about a futuristic society where people have become increasingly reliant on virtual technology. All school is conducted via the internet, and teenagers often have the majority of their friendships over various online social networks. In fact, the novel begins with a teenag More...
Oct 06, 2010
Krisanne
rated it:
ok. I totally judged this book by the cover and by the name. Girl Parts? The title screamed "Perfect for Middle School Boys!!!". And I was correct. I am actually very behind on everything I am supposed to be doing this week-end because I want to see how this book ends!! Stay tuned!
Well...first, this book is written by a literary agent. I thought that was very, very cool. There were parts that made me laugh out loud! And parts I read to my 15 year old that we both loved. Tho More...
Well...first, this book is written by a literary agent. I thought that was very, very cool. There were parts that made me laugh out loud! And parts I read to my 15 year old that we both loved. Tho More...
