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How to Say Goodbye in Robot

by Natalie Standiford (Goodreads Author)

3.84 of 5 stars 3.84 · rating details · 3,547 ratings · 584 reviews

From bestselling author Natalie Standiford, an amazing, touching story of two friends navigating the dark waters of their senior year. New to town, Beatrice is expecting her new best friend to be one of the girls she meets on the first day. But instead, the alphabet conspires to seat her next to Jonah, aka Ghost Boy, a quiet loner who hasn't made a new friend since third g...more

ebook, 288 pages

Published February 1st 2010 by Scholastic Press (first published October 1st 2009)

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Oct 01, 2012 Lux rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: love-love-love

Standiford’s How to Say Goodbye in Robot is told with an incredibly strong voice, continuously showing little glimmers of hope before quickly enclosing them into darkness once again. This book really is like nothing else.

The girls at school, Bea’s parents, the Night Lights (Myrna was my favourite) – they were all believable. There’s something about these characters that just got to me. When they were mean, I didn’t mind. When they were sad, I still wanted them around. It’s very rare to come acro...more

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Jan 17, 2011 oliviasbooks rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: those who enjoy well written but morbid stories

Shelves: young-adult-fiction, ya-contemporary, read-2011, swapped-or-given-away, problem-focused, high-expectations, lacks-fluff-or-hope

"If you'd only let me come by myself, none of this would have happened. Having you around makes everything worse.'
She buried her head under her pillow. 'Stop it! You're so cold! You're heartless, you little robot!' The pillow muffled her words, but they still stung.
'I feel things,' I said. 'I'm not a robot!' I stamped my foot and screamed. Then I burst into tears. I touched the wet little drops and held them toward her. 'See, I'm not a robot. This is proof."

Beatrice has gotten used to forming on...more "If you'd only let me come by myself, none of this would have happened. Having you around makes everything worse.'
She buried her head under her pillow. 'Stop it! You're so cold! You're heartless, you little robot!' The pillow muffled her words, but they still stung.
'I feel things,' I said. 'I'm not a robot!' I stamped my foot and screamed. Then I burst into tears. I touched the wet little drops and held them toward her. 'See, I'm not a robot. This is proof."

Beatrice has gotten used to forming only superficial friendships at each school she attends, because she knows she will be leaving after a year anyway. Her father is a highly acclaimed professor of biology who enjoys moving from one prestigious university to the next – always dragging his wife and daughter behind and never sparing more than a flimsy thought on their acclimatization. Shortly before the last move from Ithaca, NY to Baltimore Bea’s mother started to deteriorate from being a slightly childish best friend substitute to being a sickly wreck with unpredictable mood swings, accusatory outbursts and eerily strange behavior: Half nights are spent trying out eye-shadow combinations, day after day chicken is served and the latest household outfit of choice is a red and white polka-dot bikini complimented by chicken earrings made from cardboard cutouts. Bea misses her absent father’s sanity whenever her mother calls her a „heartless robot“ for acting sensible and level-headed. When she starts her senior year at Canton Bea wonders if her mother’s guess might right, because her friendly and welcoming but shallow classmates’ babble fails to spark a real interest in her. Only the company of her assembly neighbor and long-time loner Jonah Tate defies Bea’s sense of boredom and seems to reach out to her on a deeper level. Soon Bea and Jonah, who fights his own past’s and present’s ghost, become something beyond mere friends to each other. Apart from being inseparable at school they meet on air on a nightly basis, calling in at Night Light, a local radio show as Ghost Boy and Robot Girl. But although Bea is happy to mainly depend on Jonah’s friendship and affection and is always more than ready to forgive him his caprices, she has a hard time understanding his jealousy and his efforts to undermine her attempts to keep up her normal social life at school. „Saying Goodbye in Robot“ follows Bea months for month through her last year of high-school, her crumbling family situation, her bitter-sweet journey of gaining and losing and gaining Jonah’s friendship and her personal growths.

Although I felt an occasional and fleeting bump of sympathy for Jonah and although I managed to grasp why Bea felt so drawn to a person so morbid, aloof and repellent, I detested Jonah and his clingy hold on Bea with all my heart most of the time. Bea’s mother’s random reactions turned Bea’s life into an unstable house of cards anyway. Making Bea subject to his beck and call and sabotaging all her relationships didn’t win me over to his side. Bea herself, on the other hand, always stayed dear to me and I felt deeply for her when her mother abused her verbally or used her as a pawn in her crazy game of marriage. I also enjoyed the curious callers of the radio show: Myrna, Larry, Kreplax from the future as well as classmates Anne and AWAE (Ann Without An E) and obstinate Walt. Strangely Natalie Standiford seems to have a thing for indifferent parents that are somewhat off the rocker. Bea’s dad presented himself as unlikable is his own way to me as the Sullivan’s sister’s father (Confessions of the Sullivan Sisters) did.

If the novel did not unexpectedly sprinkle the last chapters with a fine dust of subtle hope (like Bea painting her room black – but putting up hundreds of fluorescent stars in hindsight), I would have rated the book two stars only. Oh, wait, presumably I wouldn’t have. The writing is simply too superb. There is no denying that Mrs. Standiford knows how to wrap her ideas in words. Words that somehow fit.
(less)

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Nov 22, 2011 Ashe rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, high-school-fiction, should-reread

I had a friend like Jonah. I really related to this book and it surprises me to read the reviews from people who don't and dislike Jonah or Bea. I thought "these types of relationships" (and what is that? I have no idea.) were more common... anyway... I loved this book so much that I'm putting it on my favorites shelf, reserved for things that I would reread at some point, but likely never will.

I thought the writing was great. The two leads were (to me) very likable and unlike most books involvi...more

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Sep 08, 2010 Annalisa rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, contemporary

How to Say Goodbye in Robot starts with a strong voice and weaves into a complicated relationship that was so real it broke my heart. I got why Bea fell into this co-dependency. You have a closed-off boy who shuns everyone else and all of a sudden he wants to be your friend. Somehow that makes you special or really nice or cool or something than stands out from the masses. No matter how un-friend-worthy said boy turns out to be, you would do anything to hold up his volatile world and emotions an...more

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Jun 01, 2010 jo mo rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2010, favourites, all-time-faves, own, dramarama, tearjerker, moments-of-hilarity, family, school-life, young-adult, tugging-at-your-heartstrings, reviews, oddities, 5-stars, new-adult

I finished reading the last page.
Closed the book.
Got mad & felt sad. Then got mad for feeling sad.

Bea (Robot Girl) & Jonah (Ghost Boy) both were sweet, quirky (in a good way), innocent & naïve, being the way they were. Weaving stories, giving imaginary places names, meaningless things meaning, making the whole story cozy & colorful. Which is why I wanted to read it in the first place. The book even has a few colored pages (black, pink, blue), which makes it stand out even more th...more

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Oct 09, 2009 Emma rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Icelandic hairdressers are the happiest people in the world. Unfortunately for Beatrice Szabo, no one knows their secret. And Bea isn't even a hairdresser, let alone living in Iceland in How to Say Goodbye in Robot (2009) by Natalie Standiford.

Bea is used to moving a lot thanks to her father's professional wanderlust. But moving constantly is pretty easy once you stop getting attached to things like houses and gerbils. Finding herself in the familiar position of new girl in town (Baltimore this...more Icelandic hairdressers are the happiest people in the world. Unfortunately for Beatrice Szabo, no one knows their secret. And Bea isn't even a hairdresser, let alone living in Iceland in How to Say Goodbye in Robot (2009) by Natalie Standiford.

Bea is used to moving a lot thanks to her father's professional wanderlust. But moving constantly is pretty easy once you stop getting attached to things like houses and gerbils. Finding herself in the familiar position of new girl in town (Baltimore this time) is nothing to worry about, especially since Bea knows it will only be a year before college when she can finally be alone.

It's much worse watching her mother's slow, embarrassing, breakdown and listening to her constant accusations that Bea is a hard-hearted robot.

Robot girls still have to go to high school where the alphabet conspires to seat Bea next to Jonah Tate--known to most everyone as Ghost Boy. A loner since the third grade, Jonah lives his life apart from the usual bustle and flow of his small private high school's social circle.

Neither Jonah nor Bea are looking very hard for a new friend. Still they somehow manage to find each other through the unlikely common ground of a late night radio talk show featuring a quirky cast of regular "Night Light" callers. It isn't a traditional friendship or the usual romance, but it's definitely love.

The more Bea learns about Jonah and his tragic, lonely world the more Bea knows they need each other; that scary as it seems their friendship might finally be showing her how to be a real girl instead of a robot. But will one former robot be enough to make Ghost Boy into a solid Jonah? Do robots and ghosts even speak the same language?

Bea's narration is a sharp-witted look at high school from an outsider's perspective, but also something more. This book offers an authentic look at a type of friendshipnot often seen in young adult novels. There is a theory that in every relationship there is one person who loves a bit more--one partner who loves a little stronger. Standiford examines that kind of relationship in How to Say Goodbye in Robot.

Despite the seriousness of the core plot, this story is charming and surreal even at its grittiest moments. Like the Night Lights, Standiford creates a world here between waking and sleep where--if you believe hard enough--magic might be real and anything could be possible.

How to Say Goodbye in Robot is a beautifully written book. Standiford paints Bea's simultaneously stifling and fantastical world with beauty and style deserving of its charming flap copy and enchanting cover.

Possible Pairings: The Vast Fields of Ordinary by Nick Burd, The Secret Life of Prince Charming by Deb Caletti, Someday This Pain Will Be Useful to You by Peter Cameron, Graceling by Kristin Cashore,The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart, Fly on the Wall by E. Lockhart(less)

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Feb 18, 2013 Morgan Renae rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary, young-adult, covers-that-make-my-heart-sing, broke-my-heart

*4.5

How To Say Goodbye In Robot was one of the single most depressing books I've ever read. By the end, I was crying. Hard. Robot Girl and Ghost Boy found their way into my heart, and I don't think they're leaving any time soon.

I think the biggest reason why this affected me so much was because I relate to the story so much. I've never really experienced anything that happens in the book, but the feelings and emotions of the characters were extremely relatable. I also fell in love with the pers...more

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Oct 11, 2010 Erica - Bonner Springs Library rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2010, arc, ya

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. The pink cover is deceiving. There are some girls who will really like this book that won't pick it up because of the pink cover.

This is the story of Bea and Jonah. They become friends when they are seated next to each other at their school's morning assembly where they are seated alphabetically. Everyone calls Jonah "Ghost Boy" because he acts a bit standoffish and strange. His twin brother died when they were in third grade.

Bea is the new girl in school and finds Jonah interesting despite ho...more

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Jun 03, 2013 Wan Yu( Stephanie) rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 11th-grade

Bea is the protagonist in the story, the story starts at telling us that Bea is moving into a new town. Her goal is to be accepted in this new environment by doing good in school and making new friends. Unfortunately, the students arrange seats in alphabetical order which puts her sit next to a shy, emotionless guy Jonah who has a nickname aka Ghost Boy. He didn't like to talk to people which cause him not making new friends since third grade.Everything changes because Bea and Jonah are able to...more

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Mar 08, 2013 Jules rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Beatrice and her family have moved from town to town, always to advance her father's academic career. As a result, Bea has taught herself not to get too attached to anyone or anything. When the family lands in Baltimore (home to "Johns Hopkins, the holy grail of pre-med students and biology professors like Dad.") Bee has developed non-attachment to the point where her mother, who seems to be going through a major depression, accuses her of being a robot.

Yet in Baltimore Bea (who christens hersel...more

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Jan 15, 2013 Kemberly Guevara rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

How to Say Goodbye in Robot by Natalie Standiford is a book that will bring you many different emotions while reading it. Standiford explains love and sadness through robot. There are parts when she will fill you with love and happiness but she adds sadness and tears come down your face.
In this book Bea moves to a new town where she meets many different people in her school but only one stands out Jonah. Jonah is known as "ghost boy" and sometimes even Jonah believes he is one. Soon in the stor...more

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Dec 03, 2012 Amy Becker rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ya-literature

Maybe it’s because I grew up not far from Ithaca, NY, and went to college in Baltimore that I had fun relating to the places Beatrice Szabo talks about, but nonetheless, I really enjoyed this book. Bea has created her own persona, Robot Girl, to protect herself from the constant moves her family makes and the rocky relationship between her parents. As she begins her senior year at a small private school, she is drawn to Jonas Tate, Ghost Boy, and they form a very strong and complicated relations...more

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Jun 30, 2012 Angelina rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

One of the most beautiful bitter sweet books I've ever read. Many reviews aren't in favor of Jonah's character, but I find him a little charming, pitiful, and mysterious.

CONS:
To be honest, if I were to compare this book to reality, I'd imagine Bea & Jonah as two unstable teens who need to be put in a hospital. Everything they did seemed so, out of this world. I've never heard of midnight radio shows with lonely or lunatic old people communicating with each other. It just seemed so unrealist...more One of the most beautiful bitter sweet books I've ever read. Many reviews aren't in favor of Jonah's character, but I find him a little charming, pitiful, and mysterious.

CONS:
To be honest, if I were to compare this book to reality, I'd imagine Bea & Jonah as two unstable teens who need to be put in a hospital. Everything they did seemed so, out of this world. I've never heard of midnight radio shows with lonely or lunatic old people communicating with each other. It just seemed so unrealistic. And how easily beatrice's mom got over her little love, and "fell in love" with her husband again. What is this?! How was bea's dad so understanding? Why wasn't he being a responsible person from the start? What made him change? Bea said her dad mightve noticed mom's change, but he probably didn't care. What?!

PROs:

I goddamn love Bea. Putting aside reality, I loved her so much because I can absolutely relate to her. I feel abuse from my mother from time to time verbally because my mother seems to have an anxiety disorder, but this is different from Bea's mom. A different case. But I understand the loneliness, the craziness, the ineffable feeling she gets when her mom is never there for her anymore. Only hurting her each time. Always being selfish and uncaring. I understand, because my dad is selfish. So yeah. LOL. Also, I hate those shallow people too. Anne seems nice and all, but those friendships don't last. And Bea knows that, and she can trust Jonah. Because Jonah is different, he understands her, he listens to her, and he shares his own secrets to her. He's different. I understand her attraction, and as selfish Jonah seemed at the end of the story, I'm jealous of Bea. I want to meet someone like that. A relationship where you don't want to kiss the guy. A relationship where its similar to being boyfriend and girlfriend, but deeper. You can't even explain this relationship. You just love each other. Or do you even call it love?

I liked that Bea grew up alot. She realized that she didn't need to hurt herself anymore by being an introvert. All lonely and stuff. She started a relationship with Walt. And not only that, she freed herself from her parents. Whether they divorced or not, it was their problem. Not Bea's. Bea goes to college now, maybe one day hoping she'd forget Jonah. But is it possible? No. Jonah will always be that guy, no. that Casper. That Ghost boy. He'll always be with her. Their relationship is not boyfriend and girlfriend. It's deeper than that. :)

Thanks for reading!(less)

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Jun 15, 2012 Kaye rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Those who are seeking a good friendship novel

Recommended to Kaye by: Maggie Stiefvater

Shelves: 2010-releases, 2012-reads, author-recommended, buy-someday, contemps, covers-that-should-be-prints, local-library, our-library-actually-has-this, out-of-my-comfort-zone, shelf-browsing, summer-reads, waited-too-long-to-read-this, wishlist

Now, you probably know by now that YA contemp is totally not my thing. It's just too...real. I also don't believe that a boy and a girl can be friends without one or both of them wanting more, but that's more of a personal moral/family background than mere taste. But I was reading Atlantic Wire's list of summer reads based off YA authors' recommendations, and of course, being the Maggie Stiefvater fangirl I am, I instantly zoned in on what she had listed. In particular, I was caught by the prett...more

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Mar 08, 2012 kate.o.d rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

All fantastic young adult books are equal, but some are more equal than others.

This is such a book. How to Say Goodbye in Robot stands out heads, shoulders, antennae above the rest as an extremely well-written and superbly-crafted novel. It explores love and loss, families and friendship, our place in the world and a sense of belonging - as well as the connections we make along the way. It's so easy to read that I think readers might miss just how deliberate and necessary everything in the book...more All fantastic young adult books are equal, but some are more equal than others.

This is such a book. How to Say Goodbye in Robot stands out heads, shoulders, antennae above the rest as an extremely well-written and superbly-crafted novel. It explores love and loss, families and friendship, our place in the world and a sense of belonging - as well as the connections we make along the way. It's so easy to read that I think readers might miss just how deliberate and necessary everything in the book was.*

Beatrice's mother calls her heartless. (Bea bangs on her belly to try to hear the hollow clang of her empty robot self.) Bea puts herself to sleep at night by imagining her own death in various dramatic scenarios and by listening to late-night radio talkback shows, and when she and her parents move to Baltimore she meets the prickly and unfriendly Jonah who introduces her to the strange and wonderful nocturnal community that make up the Night Lights, his local radio talk-back gang. Jonah and Bea strike up a fairly tumultuous, but significant, platonic relationship.

Jonah was nicknamed Ghost Boy by his classmates long before Bea arrived in town, when, following the deaths of his mother and disabled twin brother Matthew in a car accident, he became withdrawn and not-entirely-there. He comes to life with Bea and when it turns out that his brother may not actually be dead at all, but shut up in an institution somewhere at the behest of his father, Jonah truly comes alive and the two of them concoct elaborate plans to find Matthew and maybe even bust him out.

The plot may sound far-fetched, but it all works. The real joy of this book is that it's a complete depiction of life. The relationship between Bea and Jonah just driving the plot through such a rich world and this is what makes the book ring so true and feel so real: the girls from school, Anne Sweeney and AWAE, and the boys, Tom and Walt; the Night Lighters (especially Kreplax and Don Berman, my particular favourites); and Bea's sad parents. The reader is thrown right into the action, we don't get a lot of unnecessary exposition and Standiford doesn't ever linger on, or overstate any one point. Everything comes together to demonstrate the singularity of people and also how important it is to connect and share with one another.

This is a heartbreaking, but also a (an?) hysterically funny novel. Reminiscent of John Green's brilliant Paper Towns and the bittersweet Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli.

DON BERMAN DON BERMAN DON BERMAN DON BERMAN DON BERMAN!(less)

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Jan 06, 2012 Debbie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: modern-teen

This is my first favorite new read of 2012.

Beatrice has just moved with her parents to Baltimore, where her father will be a professor at Johns Hopkins, her mother will stay home and act more and more oddly, and Bea will attend a private school with only 40 students in her senior class. Thanks to alphabetical chance, Bea Szabo is seated next to Jonah Tate, the boy that her classmates treat like a ghost. Bea tries to be friendly to him, and Jonah introduces her to a late-night call-in radio show,...more This is my first favorite new read of 2012.

Beatrice has just moved with her parents to Baltimore, where her father will be a professor at Johns Hopkins, her mother will stay home and act more and more oddly, and Bea will attend a private school with only 40 students in her senior class. Thanks to alphabetical chance, Bea Szabo is seated next to Jonah Tate, the boy that her classmates treat like a ghost. Bea tries to be friendly to him, and Jonah introduces her to a late-night call-in radio show, thus beginning a strong, unconventional friendship. Bea and Jonah are more interested in meeting the callers to the radio show (one of whom is from the future, another of whom is holding out hope that Elvis will come back to life and to her) and taking a secret trip to Ocean City than in hanging out with their classmates at repeated parties or going to prom. Trying not to be too spoilery here - Jonah discovers something about his past that his father has been hiding from him, and Bea willingly helps him try to sneak around his father to fix it. But it gets too big for Jonah, and even Bea can't help him.

Reading about Bea and Jonah made me think about how conventional I am (something I don't tend to dwell on). Before the move Baltimore, Bea and her mother used to spend their time together dressing up in elaborate costumes and recreating scenes from old movies that Bea would photograph. She and Jonah don't want to go to prom because it just isn't their thing, and they can come up with something to do they'd enjoy so much more. I didn't go to prom either, but if I had, it would have been a big deal to me. If they (Jonah in particular) had gone, they would have been more than bored.

I liked Bea. She seems to be comfortable with herself. She is willing to help Jonah with his risky plans, but she is also more grounded than her mother. She tries to be nice to her classmates but isn't at all concerned with getting the popular ones to like her. Her narrative was easy to read with some humor to leaven the heavy parts.

Experience told me that not many guys were into flat-chested sticks with big round lollipop heads and stringy hair, unless by some miracle that was the regional definition of cute. If so, I hadn't come across that particular region. Mom kept telling me I had to grow into my face, but I knew a euphemism when I heard one.

Jonah, meanwhile, broke my heart. He is a very good friend to Bea, often thoughtful and caring. But when he gets into his trouble, he withdraws into the ghost-like boy he had been before Bea moved in. My staid adult self recognizes that my teenage self would have related to Jonah (not that I had to deal with anything like what he has to). Bea's mother says:

"Jonah always struck me as kind of, I don't know, insubstantial."
"You're wrong," I said. "He has substance. It just flickers off and on."
"Reminds me of somebody else we both know," Mom said. I think she was talking about Dad but, frankly, it could have been anybody.

How to Say Goodbye in Robot is a moving book about a relationship that is more than friendship, more than romance, but in the end is unable be saved by just one person or even by the real love of both people.(less)

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Dec 02, 2011 Sherry rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Morality, let's talk about it:

I know it's probably a double-standard with the whole language thing and all. On principle bad language is never a good thing. And maybe a sign of lack of imagination, bad form?? I do, however, feel that in some cases, to make a character/circumstance believable, it's sometimes needed. This book would be the exception. For me. The language didn't feel gratuitous or forced. Which I love. There was also some under-age drinking going on. Which I don't love. I oppose t...more

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Aug 22, 2011 Christen rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ya, ya-for-adults

It's not romance, exactly -- but it's definitely love." Beatrice, or Robot Girl, knows a thing or two about detachment. Without roots or friends, she grew up always moving from town to town with her parents. Now it's senior year of high school and she's starting from scratch again in Baltimore, Maryland, resigned to coast through the year without growing too fond of people and places she'll just have to say goodbye to in June. Then she meets Jonah the Ghost Boy, the one whose classmates held a m...more

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Aug 05, 2011 Sara rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

How to Say Goodbye in Robot is a contemporary young adult novel about a pair of oddball high schoolers. Beatrice moves to a new town and meets an outcast named Jacob who has been called Ghost boy by his classmates for years because of his strange behavior. They share a love for oddball late night radio and although are never involved romantically have a link and a true friendship that is unusual. Beatrice frequently has to decide between living a normal teen existence and her strange friend Jaco...more

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Jun 26, 2011 Minli rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, contemporary

Blah. You'd think by the clever title and bright pink cover, it'd be about a geeky computer engineering girl who moonlights as a superhero. Actually, there's nothing geeky about this, the only "robot" in this book is the Robot nickname Beatrice's mom gives her by being an emotionless piece of scrap metal.

Setting up your protagonist to be a robot almost automatically means they're going to be hard to relate to. I understand Beatrice's constant moves because of her dad's job (he's a university pr...more

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Jun 19, 2011 Emma rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, realistic-fiction, ya

One of my favorite things about this book was the fact that, while it was about a teenage boy and a teenage girl, it wasn't about dating. It was about friendship; namely, those flash-in-the-pan friendships that you know you'll remember for years after they end. In this way, it reminded me a little of Sara Zarr's Sweethearts.

I have to hand it to Natalie Standiford for her beautiful prose and the delicate way in which she handled Bea's relationship with Jonah. It was equally beautiful and heartbre...more

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Aug 16, 2010 Books101 rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Honestly I was just browsing the NEW BOOKS in the young adult section at the library and came across this book. I have heard nothing about the book itself or the author. Usually, I don't stand a chance with books unknown to me but following my instincts I checked it out.

While, reading I was sure this was a two star book, with the flat plot and undeveloped characters, and unusual situations it just seemed that way. But, soon it all turned upside down. There was certainly an invisible source that...more

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Aug 09, 2010 Judy rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ya, read-in-2010

There are certain books that you read over a long period of time. You can easily put it down, then return to it with the story fresh in your mind. It doesn’t mean that the book is not good or that the story isn’t memorable, just that you feel as if you could put it aside and it will be there waiting for you patiently. “How To Say Goodbye in Robot” by Natalie Standiford is not one of those books.

I have a list of books that are on my “to-read” list and I picked up this book just this morning after...more There are certain books that you read over a long period of time. You can easily put it down, then return to it with the story fresh in your mind. It doesn’t mean that the book is not good or that the story isn’t memorable, just that you feel as if you could put it aside and it will be there waiting for you patiently. “How To Say Goodbye in Robot” by Natalie Standiford is not one of those books.

I have a list of books that are on my “to-read” list and I picked up this book just this morning after class. I intended to read it for an hour, go to the gym, and then go have coffee with a friend. Of course, that didn’t happen. I read the entire book straight through, glancing at the clock occasionally and thinking “Ok, just a few more minutes”.

I was immediately drawn into the story from the beginning, from such a simple little snippet that set up the entire story and two of the characters so well even if it had very little implications for the rest of the novel at first glance. From the first chapter I could get that Bea and her mother were both very quirky in their individual ways, and that there was something not quite right about Bea’s mother although I couldn’t explain it clearly. What stood out to me the most was Bea’s voice (the novel is in first person), and how I could hear her clearly in my mind as if she was standing next to me talking and showing me around her life. She’s so personable and genuine that it’s difficult not to like her, and I was fascinated by this glimpse into someone else’s mind. Even if at times I chuckled thinking of how strange she was, along with her friend Jonah, there was still a thread of realism in there, that some girl or some boy somewhere would think “hey, I’ve done this before!” whether it’s thinking chickens were good luck charms or calling in late night radio shows or passing notes to a new girl in class.

Throughout the fluff and the oddities and the crazy escapades that I wish I had when I was a teenager, there were real emotions under the surface. There were people lost and people found, families that were shaky, things that changed and grew and developed. I liked all the characters because I was seeing them through Bea’s eyes, and Bea is a nice girl, a weird girl, but a girl that you want to get to know.(less)

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Aug 06, 2010 K rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: library

It’s a sweet story with engaging characters to boot.

She considers him to be her favorite person. He fiercely does not want to share her with anyone. Together, they’re in their own world.

Beatrice is not a run of the mill “weird girl.” She’s Vada Sultenfuss cuddling up to the pumpkin stain on the floor odd. Once I saw that, the whole book took on a kind of My Girl slant. Jonah wasn’t Thomas J., though; he was the male version of Vada. The lonely Night Lighters became fellow students in Vada’s poe...more

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Jun 07, 2010 Bunker rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Bea's family has just moved from Ithaca, NY to Baltimore, MD for her senior year of high school because of her father's professional wanderlust. Unable to cope with the most recent move, Bea's mother begins a descent into unstabledome that begins to break apart their family. On several occassions, she lashes out at Bea, calling her a robot for not showing an outward emotional reaction to minutiae, such as the death of a neighbor's gerbil. Not expecting to form any deep emotional ties to people i...more

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Apr 28, 2010 Books and Literature for Teens rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: books-i-ve-read-in-2009, family-drama, friendship, realistic-contemporary, published-2009, young-adult, high-school-drama

First off-to set people strait-this book is not about robots or anything sci-fi; it’s about love but not rmance because Bea and Jonah are good friends. (If you think Bea and Jonah shared a romantic relationship then you’re probably like the rest of Canton High.) How to Say Goodbye in Robot is the bleak story of one unique friendship, a late night talk show, and too many goodbyes.
Bea and Jonah are different. Bea is the “stone child” who is slightly depressed about her parents and is tired of adju...more First off-to set people strait-this book is not about robots or anything sci-fi; it’s about love but not rmance because Bea and Jonah are good friends. (If you think Bea and Jonah shared a romantic relationship then you’re probably like the rest of Canton High.) How to Say Goodbye in Robot is the bleak story of one unique friendship, a late night talk show, and too many goodbyes.
Bea and Jonah are different. Bea is the “stone child” who is slightly depressed about her parents and is tired of adjusting to new high schools every time her family moves. She’s different because she doesn’t do the whole “popularity” scene and she’s artistic. Jonah is the Canton’s High’s “ghost”. He’s the loner because he’s made to be; Bea and Jonah are the same, that’s why they become best friends. The late night talk show called Night Lights is a whimsical addition to the story that makes you smile and feel the stars; and the secret about Jonah’s brother is just as stunning.
I really liked How to Say Goodbye in Robot because of it’s unique characters and just the overall storyline. Most of the time I connected with Bea and shared her eye for the unique, but sometimes I did feel like Bea should have punched Jonah in the face for getting mad or jealous. Then again Jonah has a right to be angry because he is so mistreated by his school mates and his father. The only thing I did not like about this book is it’s many references to drinking.
Some teens might have a hard time relating or even liking the characters of How to Say Goodbye in Robot. Some might think of the story as being weird because it’s so different and it’s about two oddball teens. If you don’t like books that go beyond the “normal” YA high school scene, then you probably won’t like this book. If you like things that are different, then you known that you will like this book.

Overall, How to Say Goodbye In Robot my be a little odd at times, that the whole point. It’s a story about a friendship like no other and from a different point of view. I recommend to any teen who likes that taste of oddness.

*Natalie Strandford does not know how to speak fluent robot, but she does know Maryland like the back of her hand, having grown up there and coming from a long line of Marylanders. Natalie now lives in New York. How to Say Goodbye in Robot is her first novel. www.nataliestandiford.com*

|Age Group: YA, ages 14+|Content: Teen drinking, some language, and sensuality|

|Recommend? Yes|

Courtesy of booksandliteratureforteens.blogspot.com(less)

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Feb 10, 2010 Anne rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

When new student Bea becomes friends with school outcast Jonas AKA "ghostboy" she has no idea what she's getting herself into. Jonas is by turns fun and different but then moody and distant. She can't really figure him out but she also can't stay away from him.

This book was OK but not really my favorite. Although we are told that Bea and Jonas have many great times together, you don't really get to see it. What I saw was a grumpy, manipulative boy who didn't really appreciate his friend. Most of...more

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Feb 01, 2010 Brigita rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

When I started reading the book I really wanted to like it because I thought Bea was a quirky little character. Unfortunately, I didn't like the story as much as I'd hoped. (I'd give it 2.5 stars if possible)

The main reason for that is that I didn't really understand the relationship between Jonah and Bea, I didn't see what pulled them together - for example I didn't even understand why she would listen to the radio show the least popular and the weirdest guy in school suggested she listen to. F...more

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Dec 08, 2009 Aaron rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Beatrice Szabo has lived her life moving from one location to the next. Her father, a successful biology professor, has been following his career from college campus to campus with the hopes of moving up in prestige. He has dragged his family along for the ride.

It is Bea's senior year, and they are now settling into Baltimore so he will be able to work at John Hopkins University. Because of all the moving, she has taught herself not to get to close to friends because she is only going to lead to...more Beatrice Szabo has lived her life moving from one location to the next. Her father, a successful biology professor, has been following his career from college campus to campus with the hopes of moving up in prestige. He has dragged his family along for the ride.

It is Bea's senior year, and they are now settling into Baltimore so he will be able to work at John Hopkins University. Because of all the moving, she has taught herself not to get to close to friends because she is only going to lead to heartbreak when she has to move on again. It is because of this detachment that her mother calls her the robot, implying she has no heart.

In her new school, Bea spurns attempts by Anne, a popular girl who sits next to her every morning in assembly and who thinks Bea can fit right in. The bubbly nature of the girls just puts her off because she is much more into the quiet in serene. She sees a kindred spirit in the form a Jonah Tate, who sits on her other side in assembly.

Jonah, referred to as Ghostboy by many, is the school outsider. He has few friends, and no one really seems to know why other than that he changed when they were all in the third grade. Little did they know that is when he lost his twin brother Matthew and his mother in a car accident.

Now, Jonah generally keeps to himself. Beatrice sets her mind on becoming friends, and through persistence the two start to become closer. Part of it is due to a shared interest in the Night Life, a quirky nighttime radio program in which listeners can call in to talk for five minutes. All of the people start to get to know each other by their on-air personalities even though few have met in person. Jonah' toggle is Ghostboy, and Beatrice goes by Robot Girl.

As they become tighter, it is quickly becoming clear that her family is growing apart. Her mother seems to be unhinging, gaining an obsession with chickens and a constant need to cry. As time goes by, it is clear that the marriage is in danger.

Jonah's family is also not as straight forward as it would assume. While his dad is a successful attorney, the two have never been able to get close. Things get even worse as Jonah, with Beatrice's help, learns about a family secret that will redefine everything in his life.

I have to admit that I had a real hard time with this one. While they are definitely facing hard times, Jonah and Bea are aggravating because they always seem to do everything they can to make things more difficult for themselves. In theory, they should be quite likable because who doesn't like the underdog. Instead, they (particularly Jonah) become defined by their brooding nature. The kids at school stay away because he has pushed them away. The fact that the popular kids are so willing to fight to bring Beatrice into their group indicates they are welcoming to people who are different.

The "robot" motif was stretched to the limit for me, too. I just wanted to tell the author to just let it go. It wasn't needed, and it seemed like she was looking for ways to squeeze usage of it in so she could keep the nifty title.

The cover is quite misleading in nature. While the phone makes perfect sense upon reading the book, the bright and airy colors indicate that this is going to be a funny book. It simply isn't. I think the callers on the radio show are meant to be funny, but they just highlight the sad nature of a number of very lonely (and likely mentally ill) people. To me, that is simply not funny.

In the end, this is a tearjerker. The problem is that as I worked my way to the end, I didn't have any tears ... not even a tingle behind the eyelids. I am easily moved by stories from novels, and this one just didn't do it for me.(less)

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Nov 22, 2009 Sophie Riggsby rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

We meet the protagonist, Bea, as she moves into yet another new school and is quickly introduced to Jonah, who through a cruel trick in school got the nickname, Ghost Boy. This fascinates Bea, who refers to our own emotional state in robot references.

Soon we find out that Bea and Jonah have many more things in common, one of which is dealing with broken family histories. In their last year of high school, they bond and cope with their family and school issues by listening and occasionally callin...more

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About Natalie Standiford

Natalie Standiford, author of "How to Say Goodbye in Robot," "Confessions of the Sullivan Sisters," and the popular "Space Dog" and "Dating Game" series, has written picture books, nonfiction, chapter books, teen novels, and even horror novels for young adults. Standiford also plays bass in the rock band Tiger Beat, with fellow YA authors Libba Bray, Daniel Ehrenhaft, and Barnabas Miller.
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“I keep wishing, reflexively, for a glimpse of the future, so I'll know what to do. But I don't kid myself. I have to feel my way forward blindly. I try not to be afraid. Even if you know what's coming, you're never prepared for how it feels.” — 46 people liked it

“Even if you know what's coming, you're never prepared for how it feels.” — 15 people liked it

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