Robot Girl

by Malorie Blackman

Claire is keen to find out what her dad has been working on in his lab. He's been really excited about it and Claire knows it must be something that will make him even more famous. But the big reveal isn't at all what she expected and now Claire has a dilemma on her hands - what do you do when your dad has created a monster?

Genres: Childrens

59 pages, Paperback

First published February 15, 2015

About the author

An award-winning children's author, Malorie Blackman was honoured with an OBE in 2008. Her work has been adapted for TV and stage.

More information available at:
Myspace
British Council: Contemporary Authors
British Council: Encompass Culture
Channel 4 Learning: Book Box

Reviews

[Literary Ames · Rating 3 out of 5]

Robot Girl  is an Afrofuturistic version of Bernard Beckett's Genesis for children, populated with a black cast of characters. Genesis is one of my all-time favourite books. It inverts expectations and examines what it means to be human and the value of emotions.

The cover is what drew me in. It's rare to see black characters in sci-fi novels. Knowing it was written by Malorie Blackman was the cherry on top.

*Robot Girl is a dyslexia friendly book first published in Sensational Cyber Stories (1997).

[15EltonE · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a good book,very exciting and makes you want to read more.

[Cheri · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this with my 8 year old and she loved it. She really enjoyed the twist, and found it well paced and interesting. She definitely wants more by Malorie Blackman.

I enjoyed reading this with her, slightly predictable from my point of view, but I’m not a pre-teen! I’m happy my child enjoyed a book at a time when reading is less interesting to her. Solid 4 stars for getting her reading again alone! I think we will re read this and my older child is eyeing it too.

[Rosie Hale · Rating 5 out of 5]

Robot Girl by Malorie Blackman is nothing short of a masterpiece, and honestly, I am still thinking about it hours after finishing. Even though it’s short, it packs an emotional punch that some novels three times its length struggle to deliver. The story immediately draws you in, but what makes it unforgettable is that jaw-dropping plot twist. I loved it so much I could just eat it up. Every twist and turn is carefully set up, but somehow, Blackman manages to blindside the reader completely. Even my bestie, who usually guesses every single twist, had no idea what was coming. That alone shows just how brilliantly crafted this story is.

The beauty of Robot Girl is how much it achieves in so few pages. The characters feel real and fully formed—complex, flawed, and yet relatable—and the emotional stakes are immense. The way Blackman explores identity, autonomy, and humanity, all while keeping the tension tight and the pacing fast, is incredible. You don’t just read this story; you experience it. Every moment feels charged with emotion, and that twist makes you reevaluate everything that came before it.

Blackman’s writing is sharp, precise, and unflinchingly honest. She doesn’t waste a word, and yet the story never feels rushed. The themes linger long after the final line, and the impact of the twist hits harder the more you think about it. It’s clever, heart-wrenching, and deeply thought-provoking—a perfect example of how a short story can have a huge emotional and intellectual impact.

In short, Robot Girl is a gem. It’s short, yes, but every second of it matters. The twist is brilliant, the characters are memorable, and the story is packed with meaning and emotion. Malorie Blackman proves that sometimes the smallest stories carry the biggest punches. If you love stories that surprise you, make you feel deeply, and leave you thinking long after you’ve closed the book, this is an absolute must-read.

[Becca · Rating 3 out of 5]

Malorie Blackman is certainly one for swapping things around so that we can experience everything differently. Unlike noughts and crosses I think that this concept may be more interesting as we head into the future, with AI becoming further integrated into everyday life. When Claire said ‘you weren’t a person to me, you were just a thing’ I found that it related very heavily to how we currently view AI. How it is simply a tool to make humans feel more efficient. It certainly raises some interesting points that’s for sure.

[Eleanor · Rating 2 out of 5]

I do love Malorie Blackman but this one was a bit of a miss for me. It's classic Blackman though like pulling a little switcheroo, and it's not without merit, just fell a bit flat. The idea is there but because it's written for such a young audience and in so few words, it just means that not much development happens

[Rook · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fantastic concepts. I understand why it's a short novella but I really wish it were s longer novel.

[Jamie Batley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall pretty good could have been better if it was longer

[Pearce Hendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick, easy read. Enjoyed the twist!

[Sabrina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very clever!

[Alex · Rating 1 out of 5]

Read this as I'm teaching it to my literacy class.

Really didn't like this. Made me feel cold.

[Millie Crosby · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved it!

[Sigourney · Rating 2 out of 5]

This posed some interesting questions about life and was useful in a classroom setting for lower ability readers. Unfortunately, easy to read as it was, it was rather bland.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second book I have read by Malorie Blackman, the other being the much longer Chasing the Stars. Now I understand why she is such a respected author. In just 52 pages she manages to create an interesting, engaging story that really makes you think about what it means to be human. This is the kind of story you will want to read more than once.

[Bibliotekstanten · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ska bokprata i en språk-klass om några dagar och har därför plöjt en rad lättlästa böcker.

Malorie Blackman är författaren bakom det väldigt korta, men extremt krypiga, Jag kallas Jon. Gillade ju den så jag har sneglat på hennes bok Robot ett tag, och idag hade jag ju anledning att lästa den.

Claras pappa är en väldigt känd och ansedd forskare. Sitt senaste experiment har han hållit hemligt till och med för Clara och hennes mamma. Det irriterar Clara mycket, överhuvudtaget känner hon ibland att pappa bryr sig mer om arbetet än sin familj. Som tur är har Clara fått en brevvän, Maisie, där hon kan ventilera sin frustration. Och när pappa faktiskt visar upp sin senaste uppfinning är det verkligen tur att Clara kan häva ur sig någon annanstans, och berätta att hon nu fått nog av pappa och tänker göra något åt honom och hans experiment.

Gillade! Precis som i Blackmans förra finns det en oväntad twist och jag gillar att illustrationerna (av Matthew Griffin) genomgående föreställer mörkhyade personer utan att det görs en grej av det i texten.

[Rosamund · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having decided to read some Barrington Stoke titles for my job I thought I'd start with one my favourite authors. I'm very glad I did. Malorie Blackman keeps up her excellent work with this engrossing tale.

[Nayuleska · Rating 5 out of 5]

My theory was a little accurate, but I loved the surprise ending.

[Ak · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this in swedish and I think the title is better in swedish. A story that suprises you. Reminds me of Roald Dahls stories for adults or Ray Bradbury.