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Băiatul Echo
Audrey s-a înconjurat mereu de cărţi şi muzică, filosofie şi visuri. E ceea ce o deosebeşte de fiinţele Echo, nişte maşinării misterioase, lipsite de emoţii, alcătuite în aşa fel încât să semene cu fiinţele omeneşti şi să servească stăpânilor umani.
DANIEL e un Echo – dar e diferit de cei din specia lui. Simte o puternică legătură cu Audrey; un sentiment pe care n-a fost programat să-l aibă şi pe care nu şi-l poate explica.
Dar e hotărât să încerce.
O poveste zguduitoare despre iubire, pierdere şi ceea ce ne face cu adevărat umani.
„Noi urma să fim o lume a noastră, un univers în doi, şi asta era bine. De fapt, era incomparabil mai bine decât un univers al unuia singur.
Ea însemna totul.
Ea însemna speranţă, teamă, iubire şi durere.
Ea era cât se poate de vie. Iar a fi viu înseamnă a avea posibilităţi şi incertitudini. Viaţa este ceva iraţional, iar iraţionalul nu poate fi cartografiat. De aceea, în fiecare
viaţă — în fiecare viaţă adevărată — există o încrengătură de alte vieţi, ca în grădina potecilor ce se bifurcă despre care citisem cândva. Să iubeşti pe cineva este un proces
prin care îl ajuţi pe celălalt să găsească cea mai bună variantă dintre vieţile posibile şi să o trăiască."
DANIEL e un Echo – dar e diferit de cei din specia lui. Simte o puternică legătură cu Audrey; un sentiment pe care n-a fost programat să-l aibă şi pe care nu şi-l poate explica.
Dar e hotărât să încerce.
O poveste zguduitoare despre iubire, pierdere şi ceea ce ne face cu adevărat umani.
„Noi urma să fim o lume a noastră, un univers în doi, şi asta era bine. De fapt, era incomparabil mai bine decât un univers al unuia singur.
Ea însemna totul.
Ea însemna speranţă, teamă, iubire şi durere.
Ea era cât se poate de vie. Iar a fi viu înseamnă a avea posibilităţi şi incertitudini. Viaţa este ceva iraţional, iar iraţionalul nu poate fi cartografiat. De aceea, în fiecare
viaţă — în fiecare viaţă adevărată — există o încrengătură de alte vieţi, ca în grădina potecilor ce se bifurcă despre care citisem cândva. Să iubeşti pe cineva este un proces
prin care îl ajuţi pe celălalt să găsească cea mai bună variantă dintre vieţile posibile şi să o trăiască."
448 pages, Paperback
First published February 6, 2014
95 people are currently reading
4367 people want to read
About the author
Matt Haig
66 books49k followersMatt Haig is the author of novels such as The Midnight Library, How to Stop Time, The Humans, The Radleys, and the forthcoming The Life Impossible. He has also written books for children, such as A Boy Called Christmas, and the memoir Reasons to Stay Alive.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 358 reviews
November 14, 2021
Das war mein erstes Buch von Matt Haig, welches damals hauptsächlich bei mir einziehen durfte, weil mich der Klappentext ein wenig an den Film "I, Robot" mit Will Smith erinnert hat (welchen ich auch nach gefühlt 100mal anschauen immer noch liebe!).
Meine Assoziation war auch nicht gänzlich falsch, da die Prämisse des Plots doch recht ähnlich ist. Außerdem mochte ich diesen Ansatz einer dystopischen Welt im Jahre 2100 und fand es erschreckend wie logisch und nahezu unausweichlich mir einige Aspekte erschienen (Stichpunkt Klimawandel und weltweite Pandemien).
Erzählt wird die Geschichte in einer Art Tagebuch-Stil (nennt sich hier Gedankenbuch) aus sowohl Audreys als auch aus Daniels Sicht. Audrey mochte ich gern als Protagonistin, da sie trotz ihres recht jungen Alters ziemlich vernünftig agierte. Aber noch spannender fand ich unseren zweiten Protagonisten Daniel - den Echo Boy. Ich fand den Plot durchweg spannend und fühlte mich stets gut unterhalten, auch wenn manche Wendung für mich recht offensichtlich war und mir am Ende etwas viele Fragen/Handlungsstränge offen geblieben sind.
Matt Haig hat es mit diesem Buch auf jeden Fall schön geschafft die Frage was einen Menschen denn überhaupt ausmacht - vor allem in Zeiten von immer komplexerer künstlicher Intelligenz - zu beleuchten.
Meine Assoziation war auch nicht gänzlich falsch, da die Prämisse des Plots doch recht ähnlich ist. Außerdem mochte ich diesen Ansatz einer dystopischen Welt im Jahre 2100 und fand es erschreckend wie logisch und nahezu unausweichlich mir einige Aspekte erschienen (Stichpunkt Klimawandel und weltweite Pandemien).
Erzählt wird die Geschichte in einer Art Tagebuch-Stil (nennt sich hier Gedankenbuch) aus sowohl Audreys als auch aus Daniels Sicht. Audrey mochte ich gern als Protagonistin, da sie trotz ihres recht jungen Alters ziemlich vernünftig agierte. Aber noch spannender fand ich unseren zweiten Protagonisten Daniel - den Echo Boy. Ich fand den Plot durchweg spannend und fühlte mich stets gut unterhalten, auch wenn manche Wendung für mich recht offensichtlich war und mir am Ende etwas viele Fragen/Handlungsstränge offen geblieben sind.
Matt Haig hat es mit diesem Buch auf jeden Fall schön geschafft die Frage was einen Menschen denn überhaupt ausmacht - vor allem in Zeiten von immer komplexerer künstlicher Intelligenz - zu beleuchten.
January 27, 2014
With a plot that grabs you by the wrist and pulls you through at breakneck speed, I barely caught a breath as I followed Audrey and Daniel on their race to find answers, and to avoid danger, and to make sense of the world around them. This is a near-future world, cleverly researched, with an Earth blasted by climate change and integrated with technology to ethically questionable levels.
Like ‘The Humans’, (Haig’s previous novel) we are given a concept at the edges of believability which cleverly allows, amidst this pace, a lot of breathing room for introspective thought. Just as his book about an alien made me feel incredibly human, this exploration of artificial intelligence has made me feel ALIVE.
Haig has an incredible gift for vocalising the full spectrum emotion. Like a great composer takes individual notes and arranges them in a way that stirs the soul, so this writer does with words. ‘Writing tip: use the very best words in the very best order’ he helpfully advises through Twitter.
But he does. He really does. This is a novel that sings.
Like ‘The Humans’, (Haig’s previous novel) we are given a concept at the edges of believability which cleverly allows, amidst this pace, a lot of breathing room for introspective thought. Just as his book about an alien made me feel incredibly human, this exploration of artificial intelligence has made me feel ALIVE.
Haig has an incredible gift for vocalising the full spectrum emotion. Like a great composer takes individual notes and arranges them in a way that stirs the soul, so this writer does with words. ‘Writing tip: use the very best words in the very best order’ he helpfully advises through Twitter.
But he does. He really does. This is a novel that sings.
March 11, 2021
A YA sci-fi in a near future were Echoes exsist. Built to look like humans but sophisticated and emotionless and works for the humans. Daniel is an echo yet he has feelings he never designed to have and he tries to save Audrey a human girl. Enjoyable, entertaining and thought-provoking. I like books where it makes you think what makes us humans and if we are so unique as we think we are.
January 25, 2014
Coming March 27th from Random House Children’s Publishers UK
I made a wish upon a star and it was granted via netgalley….
Audrey’s father taught her that to stay human in the modern world, she had to build a moat around herself; a moat of books and music, philosophy and dreams. A moat that makes Audrey different from the echoes: sophisticated, emotionless machines, built to resemble humans and to work for human masters. Daniel is an echo – but he’s not like the others. He feels a connection with Audrey; a feeling Daniel knows he was never designed to have, and cannot explain. And when Audrey is placed in terrible danger, he’s determined to save her. The Echo Boy is a powerful story about love, loss and what makes us truly human.
Well, here we are. The funny thing is, I was dreading and anticipating this one in equal measure. Its Matt Haig, author of “The Humans”, THAT book. So I was equal parts faith and panic before I started reading. The faithful side of my reading soul told me that whatever market it was aimed at Mr Haig would be incapable of writing a book that I didnt get absorbed into. The PANIC button in my brain kept saying “What if you don’t like it. How could you say. You couldnt say. You would have to leave the country. Heck you would have to leave the PLANET” Yes ok I’m a little weird. Its just the way I am. All the best people are you know…
Anyway as I am still here on planet Earth and not writing this review from Mars I think its safe to say that the faithful part of my soul was satisfied..and I’ll tell you a little bit about why. In two sections if you like. The first part being straight up review and the second part being me and mine.
Echo Boy tells the story of Audrey and Daniel – one a Human teenage girl and one an Echo – an artificial lifeform built for service – but Daniel is unique amongst Echo’s and when Audrey’s life falls apart, redemption may come from an unexpected place.
There are many themes woven seamlessly into the narrative – love, loss, the pursuit of power, the ethical arguments on scientific breakthroughs and what they can be used for, all wrapped up in a story about life. What it means to BE alive.
For Young Adult readers it has some familiar twists – Boy Meets Girl but heck it aint easy, a future world that is harsh yet recognizable, the bad guys, the good guys, and a classic battle to survive in an untenable environment. So as far as that goes you can tick all the boxes and say, yep, young readers are going to love this one. They have protagonists they can root for, a book adventure to be had, an easy flowing narrative that keeps you involved and both some emotional moments and some full on action..Everyone is happy. Not everyone will love it of course. I’m sure that there will be more “picky” reviews than mine popping up but I would have no hesitation in recommending it as a top notch example of Young Adult fiction that Adults can also get their teeth into. And that would usually be that. But this is me reading and Matt Haig writing soooooooo….
Lets talk about me. Its one of my favourite subjects. I bring a little bit of me to each of my reviews I hope and in this case its more important than ever that I do so. For me more than for anyone else. So bear with me…
Like Stephen King, Matt Haig is one of my absolute Idols when it comes to the written word, hence the Panic button and the faith and all those things that happened prior to me staying up until 3.30 am this morning reading this on and off, and getting up at stupid o’ clock on a Saturday morning to finish it. I knew without actually thinking about it that there would be something in there to feed my soul. I think every reader has a writer that does that for them. I have two. Oh lucky me. Truly.
This book is not The Humans. That kind of thing probably only happens once in a lifetime and I’ve had mine – but still, in a lot of ways it IS. About humanity anyway…and for that reason this one will also stay with me, just in different ways.
Every so often, in amongst the story and the action and the compelling fascinating tale, one character would think or say something that just spoke to the very living heart of me. Things that are FELT but not vocalised because they are hard to put into words. Mr Haig can do it though. Oh boy can he. And I now have a few more quotes added to my life rules that I took from “The Humans” that will help me in the darker moments that still plague me. To remember that to feel is to be alive. And to be alive is one of the most amazing gifts we have.
A Book is a Map…
So thank you Matt Haig.
Killing me softly with his words. Again.
Happy Reading!
I made a wish upon a star and it was granted via netgalley….
Audrey’s father taught her that to stay human in the modern world, she had to build a moat around herself; a moat of books and music, philosophy and dreams. A moat that makes Audrey different from the echoes: sophisticated, emotionless machines, built to resemble humans and to work for human masters. Daniel is an echo – but he’s not like the others. He feels a connection with Audrey; a feeling Daniel knows he was never designed to have, and cannot explain. And when Audrey is placed in terrible danger, he’s determined to save her. The Echo Boy is a powerful story about love, loss and what makes us truly human.
Well, here we are. The funny thing is, I was dreading and anticipating this one in equal measure. Its Matt Haig, author of “The Humans”, THAT book. So I was equal parts faith and panic before I started reading. The faithful side of my reading soul told me that whatever market it was aimed at Mr Haig would be incapable of writing a book that I didnt get absorbed into. The PANIC button in my brain kept saying “What if you don’t like it. How could you say. You couldnt say. You would have to leave the country. Heck you would have to leave the PLANET” Yes ok I’m a little weird. Its just the way I am. All the best people are you know…
Anyway as I am still here on planet Earth and not writing this review from Mars I think its safe to say that the faithful part of my soul was satisfied..and I’ll tell you a little bit about why. In two sections if you like. The first part being straight up review and the second part being me and mine.
Echo Boy tells the story of Audrey and Daniel – one a Human teenage girl and one an Echo – an artificial lifeform built for service – but Daniel is unique amongst Echo’s and when Audrey’s life falls apart, redemption may come from an unexpected place.
There are many themes woven seamlessly into the narrative – love, loss, the pursuit of power, the ethical arguments on scientific breakthroughs and what they can be used for, all wrapped up in a story about life. What it means to BE alive.
For Young Adult readers it has some familiar twists – Boy Meets Girl but heck it aint easy, a future world that is harsh yet recognizable, the bad guys, the good guys, and a classic battle to survive in an untenable environment. So as far as that goes you can tick all the boxes and say, yep, young readers are going to love this one. They have protagonists they can root for, a book adventure to be had, an easy flowing narrative that keeps you involved and both some emotional moments and some full on action..Everyone is happy. Not everyone will love it of course. I’m sure that there will be more “picky” reviews than mine popping up but I would have no hesitation in recommending it as a top notch example of Young Adult fiction that Adults can also get their teeth into. And that would usually be that. But this is me reading and Matt Haig writing soooooooo….
Lets talk about me. Its one of my favourite subjects. I bring a little bit of me to each of my reviews I hope and in this case its more important than ever that I do so. For me more than for anyone else. So bear with me…
Like Stephen King, Matt Haig is one of my absolute Idols when it comes to the written word, hence the Panic button and the faith and all those things that happened prior to me staying up until 3.30 am this morning reading this on and off, and getting up at stupid o’ clock on a Saturday morning to finish it. I knew without actually thinking about it that there would be something in there to feed my soul. I think every reader has a writer that does that for them. I have two. Oh lucky me. Truly.
This book is not The Humans. That kind of thing probably only happens once in a lifetime and I’ve had mine – but still, in a lot of ways it IS. About humanity anyway…and for that reason this one will also stay with me, just in different ways.
Every so often, in amongst the story and the action and the compelling fascinating tale, one character would think or say something that just spoke to the very living heart of me. Things that are FELT but not vocalised because they are hard to put into words. Mr Haig can do it though. Oh boy can he. And I now have a few more quotes added to my life rules that I took from “The Humans” that will help me in the darker moments that still plague me. To remember that to feel is to be alive. And to be alive is one of the most amazing gifts we have.
A Book is a Map…
So thank you Matt Haig.
Killing me softly with his words. Again.
Happy Reading!
September 5, 2019
Ein Buch über Menschlichkeit, technischen Fortschritt und eine Zukunft, die so glaubwürdig wie erschreckend ist. Die Hauptperson wächst einem sofort ans Herz. Ihre Trauer wird so einfühlsam beschrieben, dass es fast körperlich wehtut und auch die Actionpassagen lassen einen kaum zu Atem kommen. Das Geheimnis um ihren Onkel war leider ziemlich offensichtlich und auch die Liebesgeschichte kam etwas aus dem nichts, aber dafür entfaltet sich ganz nebenbei eine realitätsnahe Zukunft, die schon fast greifbar ist. Gerade in Hinblick auf die Klimakrise, werden hier die Folgen davon schon als Alltag gesehen. Es sind genau diese Kleinigkeiten, die die Welt im Kopf entstehen und einen bis zum Ende mitfiebern lassen. Und die wichtigsten Fragen bleiben auch danach noch im Kopf: Wie wird zukünftig ein Mensch definiert? Was macht uns aus? Wie gehen wir mit anderen Lebensformen um? Heute so aktuell wie in Zukunft.
June 7, 2020
We both belonged nowhere in this world except, maybe, with each other.
Audrey's parents raised her on art and philosophy, taught her to love books and music. To stay human in a world where technology has exceeded people's humanity, she keeps the values her parents passed on to her close to her heart.
Daniel is an Echo - a machine made in a lab, designed to look human, created to serve a master. But he's more than that. Daniel can feel pain and love and wonder and curiosity, and that makes him human in the ways that matter.
When Audrey and Daniel meet, they form a connection. They realise they have no one in this world but each other.
'Maybe you are the start of a revolution.'
I really liked the concept of Echo Boy, but I didn't love the execution. I enjoyed reading the chapters from Daniel's point of view a lot more than I enjoyed the ones from Audrey's. Something about the way she narrated things just didn't click with me. And, sadly, most of the story was narrated by her. I would have preferred a balance between the two narrators.
I felt that the world itself, our world in that distant future, could have been explored more and the pacing was a little off, but my main issue with this story was the romance. It was insta-love and felt forced. Audrey and Daniel had no chemistry, did not truly understand or even know each other, and their interactions were not nearly enough for them to form the kind of connection they supposedly had. I also think it would have been much better if both main characters had been of the same gender so their similarities and differences would be more prominent.
Ideally, I believe this book shouldn't have had a romantic plot line at all. It just wasn't needed. This book could have resonated with a young adult audience without having a romance at the forefront. Its target audience are young people, a lot of whom haven't experienced romantic love and cannot relate to it or are simply not interested in it. What I think this book should have focused on are other, arguably more important values that would have felt far more realistic and attainable in Echo Boy's timeline: tolerance and friendship, things that all people need and crave. A strong friendship would have been more important than a poorly developed love story. If there had to be a romance, I would have at least preferred a more gradual transition into love so their relationship could develop more naturally.
Without truth, no one can ever be free.
*Trigger Warnings* Depictions of anxiety and panic attacks, psychological, emotional and physical abuse, drug addiction, self-harm, torture, slavery, suicidal thoughts, animal abuse, discussions of depression and alcohol abuse.
Audrey's parents raised her on art and philosophy, taught her to love books and music. To stay human in a world where technology has exceeded people's humanity, she keeps the values her parents passed on to her close to her heart.
Daniel is an Echo - a machine made in a lab, designed to look human, created to serve a master. But he's more than that. Daniel can feel pain and love and wonder and curiosity, and that makes him human in the ways that matter.
When Audrey and Daniel meet, they form a connection. They realise they have no one in this world but each other.
'Maybe you are the start of a revolution.'
I really liked the concept of Echo Boy, but I didn't love the execution. I enjoyed reading the chapters from Daniel's point of view a lot more than I enjoyed the ones from Audrey's. Something about the way she narrated things just didn't click with me. And, sadly, most of the story was narrated by her. I would have preferred a balance between the two narrators.
I felt that the world itself, our world in that distant future, could have been explored more and the pacing was a little off, but my main issue with this story was the romance. It was insta-love and felt forced. Audrey and Daniel had no chemistry, did not truly understand or even know each other, and their interactions were not nearly enough for them to form the kind of connection they supposedly had. I also think it would have been much better if both main characters had been of the same gender so their similarities and differences would be more prominent.
Ideally, I believe this book shouldn't have had a romantic plot line at all. It just wasn't needed. This book could have resonated with a young adult audience without having a romance at the forefront. Its target audience are young people, a lot of whom haven't experienced romantic love and cannot relate to it or are simply not interested in it. What I think this book should have focused on are other, arguably more important values that would have felt far more realistic and attainable in Echo Boy's timeline: tolerance and friendship, things that all people need and crave. A strong friendship would have been more important than a poorly developed love story. If there had to be a romance, I would have at least preferred a more gradual transition into love so their relationship could develop more naturally.
Without truth, no one can ever be free.
*Trigger Warnings* Depictions of anxiety and panic attacks, psychological, emotional and physical abuse, drug addiction, self-harm, torture, slavery, suicidal thoughts, animal abuse, discussions of depression and alcohol abuse.
June 7, 2019
Het is 2115. En een aantal voorspellingen voor de toekomst van nu zijn waarheid geworden. De zeespiegel is flink gestegen, een groot gedeelte van Engeland en de rest van Europa is onderwater gelopen. Italië en Spanje zijn oververhit en één grote woestijn met restanten van vroegere betere tijden en wat overgebleven desperados. Tegelijkertijd heeft de techniek niet stil gestaan en weet de mensheid zich prima te handhaven in deze nieuwe wereld.
.
Een heerlijke vlot lezende science fiction, van de soort die ik eigenlijk het engst vind omdat het een realistische mogelijke toekomst schetst. Zo'n toekomst waar je langzaam naar toe groeit en tegelijkertijd helemaal niet wilt. Ik tenminste niet. Matt Haig zou Matt Haig niet zijn als hij de daarin niet de voor hem bekende en belangrijke thema's verwerkt: wat betekent het om mens te zijn, humanisme, hoe blijf je dichtbij jezelf en lief voor elkaar. En dat alles met een vlotte pen, invoelend en met gevoel voor humor. Echt genoten van dit boek.
.
Een heerlijke vlot lezende science fiction, van de soort die ik eigenlijk het engst vind omdat het een realistische mogelijke toekomst schetst. Zo'n toekomst waar je langzaam naar toe groeit en tegelijkertijd helemaal niet wilt. Ik tenminste niet. Matt Haig zou Matt Haig niet zijn als hij de daarin niet de voor hem bekende en belangrijke thema's verwerkt: wat betekent het om mens te zijn, humanisme, hoe blijf je dichtbij jezelf en lief voor elkaar. En dat alles met een vlotte pen, invoelend en met gevoel voor humor. Echt genoten van dit boek.
'As a writer, I think that one of the reasons we have and like stories is because we like exploring human beings. Every book is a map. And the thing we are looking for, really, is ourselves. For me, there is no better way of looking at humans than by placing them up against something non-human.
That way we can ask the biggest questions of all: what does it mean to be us? It's a serious question but also very fun to explore in fiction. In fact, I don't think I've ever had such fun writing a book. I loved creating this world. And, despite my fears, it isn't a post=apocalyptic one. It's just a world like ours. One full of problems but also hope.'
zzz-books-not-for-me
January 27, 2016Read from December 18 to 22, 2015
Arrrgghhhh! Echo Boy is a tough one to review... Earlier this year I read a book called The Humans by Matt Haig and it was one of my top 10 favorite book for 2015! Without a doubt, The Humans was written by an alien, because it was just too perfect for me! So perfect, that I couldn't even find the right words to review it (and I was a little bit lazy, I admit). So the moment I got my hands on Echo Boy, I was squealing with joy, expecting another spiritual and though-provoking sci-fi adventure that would leave me contemplating my existence for weeks to come.
The Setting
Echo boy is set just about 200 years in the future - the climate has altered the landscape, Spain is mostly a desert now, other countries are half or completely flooded by the ocean, however that's no biggie for us humans - the most adaptable species on the planet. We even have a colony on the moon and people can travel to there for less than a day. The technology is super impressive and I'm not going to say much about it so I don't spoil the fun! One major addition to our society is the Echoes- human-like robots that are made to serve their masters and perform any task they're given, including housework, education and...pretty much any job that could've been given to a human...
The story
The story follows Audrey, the daughter of a man who is strongly against the echoes and the more advanced technology that happens to be produced by his brother's company - Castle. Long story short - one day, Audrey finds her parents murdered by an Echo produced by Castle's main competitor, she flees the scene and ends up living with her uncle in a big mansion served by many echoes. One of them is different though, Damien can feel pain, disobey orders and he keeps trying to warn her about something. Should Audrey trust another malfunctioning echo?
My problem
Ughhh... I really don't want to criticize this book. I understand I'm not the target audience and Romance in books has never been my favorite genre. I'll just point out a few things that bothered me, but if the plot sounds interesting to you, give Echo Boy a try.
1. Very obvious plot - yep. We know who the bad guy is, but it takes hours of the Audiobook for Audrey to finally get it. The whole time she comments on how strange this person is acting and how weird his words are, but she never freaking DOES anything! In fact, the only thing she DOES is what her uncle or Damien tell her. Aaaarrrgggghhh!
2.So cheesy - The romance is kind of annoying. There is one scene
3. Pacing - excruciatingly slow.
What I enjoyed
The world-building is phenomenal, the writing is beautiful and the research the author must've done is truly impressive. I might not be the right person for this book, but if you enjoy slow-building romance, Sci-Fi and teen angst, Echo boy might be the right book for you.
Arrrgghhhh! Echo Boy is a tough one to review... Earlier this year I read a book called The Humans by Matt Haig and it was one of my top 10 favorite book for 2015! Without a doubt, The Humans was written by an alien, because it was just too perfect for me! So perfect, that I couldn't even find the right words to review it (and I was a little bit lazy, I admit). So the moment I got my hands on Echo Boy, I was squealing with joy, expecting another spiritual and though-provoking sci-fi adventure that would leave me contemplating my existence for weeks to come.
The Setting
Echo boy is set just about 200 years in the future - the climate has altered the landscape, Spain is mostly a desert now, other countries are half or completely flooded by the ocean, however that's no biggie for us humans - the most adaptable species on the planet. We even have a colony on the moon and people can travel to there for less than a day. The technology is super impressive and I'm not going to say much about it so I don't spoil the fun! One major addition to our society is the Echoes- human-like robots that are made to serve their masters and perform any task they're given, including housework, education and...pretty much any job that could've been given to a human...
The story
The story follows Audrey, the daughter of a man who is strongly against the echoes and the more advanced technology that happens to be produced by his brother's company - Castle. Long story short - one day, Audrey finds her parents murdered by an Echo produced by Castle's main competitor, she flees the scene and ends up living with her uncle in a big mansion served by many echoes. One of them is different though, Damien can feel pain, disobey orders and he keeps trying to warn her about something. Should Audrey trust another malfunctioning echo?
My problem
Ughhh... I really don't want to criticize this book. I understand I'm not the target audience and Romance in books has never been my favorite genre. I'll just point out a few things that bothered me, but if the plot sounds interesting to you, give Echo Boy a try.
1. Very obvious plot - yep. We know who the bad guy is, but it takes hours of the Audiobook for Audrey to finally get it. The whole time she comments on how strange this person is acting and how weird his words are, but she never freaking DOES anything! In fact, the only thing she DOES is what her uncle or Damien tell her. Aaaarrrgggghhh!
2.So cheesy - The romance is kind of annoying. There is one scene
3. Pacing - excruciatingly slow.
What I enjoyed
The world-building is phenomenal, the writing is beautiful and the research the author must've done is truly impressive. I might not be the right person for this book, but if you enjoy slow-building romance, Sci-Fi and teen angst, Echo boy might be the right book for you.
May 12, 2014
A perfectly fine teenage novel with a rather good concept. However, for me, I felt Matt Haig tried to repeatedly bludgeon me over the head with his Sci-Fi concepts. A serious lack of subtlety. I get it Matt Haig, its in the future, its all technologically weird etc etc etc - but the ideas are not perhaps as clever as you think they are; there's really no need to reference them constantly. Please give your readers a little more credit. Reign it in a bit and you've got a far better book!
November 6, 2022
3,5 🌟
Dit verhaal speelt zich af in de nabije toekomst — de aarde is overstroomt en iedereen leeft in enorm hoge gebouwen om aan het water te ontsnappen. ECHO’s zijn een soort robot-mensen, ze hebben menselijk bloed maar kennen geen pijn of emotie. Ze zijn gemaakt op de bevelen van mensen op te volgen. Audrey gelooft dit, tot de ECHO van haar gezin haar ouders vermoord. Ze vlucht naar haar oom, waar ze de ECHO Daniël ontmoet. Hij is anders dan andere ECHOs…
Ik vond het een hele interessante wereld om te leren kennen. Onze huidige zeespiegelstijging zorgt er voor dat dit wellicht een wereld is waar wij ooit ook in zullen leven, wat dit ontzettend interessant maakt om te lezen. Het hele verhaal draait om de ethische kwestie van ECHOs. Zijn robots gelijk aan mensen? Verdienen ze rechten? In hoeverre zijn ze anders dan mensen?
Wat mij betreft had het verhaal in het midden korter gekund, en aan het einde juist iets langer. Het einde kwam heel snel en voelde enigszins gehaast. Al met al heb ik wel ontzettend genoten van het boek en heeft het mij heel erg aan het denken gezet. Een boek hoeft niet perfect te zijn om er van te genieten, en het feit dat dit boek mij aan het denken heeft gezet doet mij deugd.
Dit is het tweede boek dat ik van Matt Haig heb gelezen (de eerste is The Midnight Library). Haig houdt duidelijk van ethische kwesties en filosofische uitspraken, wat in dit boek ook heel erg naar voren kwam. Een goede aanrader voor liefhebbers van sci-fi, dystopische werelden, en liefdesverhalen.
Dit verhaal speelt zich af in de nabije toekomst — de aarde is overstroomt en iedereen leeft in enorm hoge gebouwen om aan het water te ontsnappen. ECHO’s zijn een soort robot-mensen, ze hebben menselijk bloed maar kennen geen pijn of emotie. Ze zijn gemaakt op de bevelen van mensen op te volgen. Audrey gelooft dit, tot de ECHO van haar gezin haar ouders vermoord. Ze vlucht naar haar oom, waar ze de ECHO Daniël ontmoet. Hij is anders dan andere ECHOs…
Ik vond het een hele interessante wereld om te leren kennen. Onze huidige zeespiegelstijging zorgt er voor dat dit wellicht een wereld is waar wij ooit ook in zullen leven, wat dit ontzettend interessant maakt om te lezen. Het hele verhaal draait om de ethische kwestie van ECHOs. Zijn robots gelijk aan mensen? Verdienen ze rechten? In hoeverre zijn ze anders dan mensen?
Wat mij betreft had het verhaal in het midden korter gekund, en aan het einde juist iets langer. Het einde kwam heel snel en voelde enigszins gehaast. Al met al heb ik wel ontzettend genoten van het boek en heeft het mij heel erg aan het denken gezet. Een boek hoeft niet perfect te zijn om er van te genieten, en het feit dat dit boek mij aan het denken heeft gezet doet mij deugd.
Dit is het tweede boek dat ik van Matt Haig heb gelezen (de eerste is The Midnight Library). Haig houdt duidelijk van ethische kwesties en filosofische uitspraken, wat in dit boek ook heel erg naar voren kwam. Een goede aanrader voor liefhebbers van sci-fi, dystopische werelden, en liefdesverhalen.
March 9, 2014
3.5 stars
Echo Boy is a futuristic novel set in a world where global warming has caused drastic changes to the landscape as we know it now. Technology has come far enough that people can travel anywhere in the world in under an hour and that nearly every home has it's own echo (an android) to carry out chores. The echoes are designed to look human and come covered in real flesh, the only way to tell them apart is that they are slightly too perfect to be real.
Audrey's father is strongly against the use of echoes, he believes that technology is making us lose our humanity and he worries that the echoes could pose a danger to us. He has raised Audrey to have the same beliefs but it is only after the worst possible tragedy occurs that she really starts to understand why he had so many reservations. Now Audrey is terrified, she has lost everything she ever cared about and has been forced to leave home and seek safety with her uncle but everywhere she looks there are echoes going about their daily chores. It would be bad enough if they would just say out of her sight but one echo in particular seems determined to seek her out.
Daniel is an echo but he's different from the others, he has thoughts and feelings that the other echoes don't understand and can't relate to. He knows that Audrey is in danger and he wants to help her but she won't even talk to him let alone trust him to help her. Can Audrey get past her prejudice to see that Daniel is different and can they figure out what caused the terrifying events that turned Audrey's life upside down?
Echo Boy is a fab read and one I thoroughly enjoyed, the future that Matt Haig has envisioned seems scarily believable and isn't one I'd want to find myself living in. This is a story about finding out who you really are, it's about finding your path in life and learning to trust your instincts. It's about love, loss, grief, hope and everything in between - what does it really mean to be human? Audrey will come to realise that sometimes the machines aren't the monsters and it's people that she needs to be wary of but she'll have to learn how to tell who deserves her trust. This is a fast paced story that will have you on the edge of your seat and leave you desperate for more. Thankfully there isn't a cliffhanger ending but I was still left wanting to know what would happen next so I was very grateful to discover there will be a sequel. YA sci-fi fans will love this one & it's definitely a book I'm going to be recommending.
Echo Boy is a futuristic novel set in a world where global warming has caused drastic changes to the landscape as we know it now. Technology has come far enough that people can travel anywhere in the world in under an hour and that nearly every home has it's own echo (an android) to carry out chores. The echoes are designed to look human and come covered in real flesh, the only way to tell them apart is that they are slightly too perfect to be real.
Audrey's father is strongly against the use of echoes, he believes that technology is making us lose our humanity and he worries that the echoes could pose a danger to us. He has raised Audrey to have the same beliefs but it is only after the worst possible tragedy occurs that she really starts to understand why he had so many reservations. Now Audrey is terrified, she has lost everything she ever cared about and has been forced to leave home and seek safety with her uncle but everywhere she looks there are echoes going about their daily chores. It would be bad enough if they would just say out of her sight but one echo in particular seems determined to seek her out.
Daniel is an echo but he's different from the others, he has thoughts and feelings that the other echoes don't understand and can't relate to. He knows that Audrey is in danger and he wants to help her but she won't even talk to him let alone trust him to help her. Can Audrey get past her prejudice to see that Daniel is different and can they figure out what caused the terrifying events that turned Audrey's life upside down?
Echo Boy is a fab read and one I thoroughly enjoyed, the future that Matt Haig has envisioned seems scarily believable and isn't one I'd want to find myself living in. This is a story about finding out who you really are, it's about finding your path in life and learning to trust your instincts. It's about love, loss, grief, hope and everything in between - what does it really mean to be human? Audrey will come to realise that sometimes the machines aren't the monsters and it's people that she needs to be wary of but she'll have to learn how to tell who deserves her trust. This is a fast paced story that will have you on the edge of your seat and leave you desperate for more. Thankfully there isn't a cliffhanger ending but I was still left wanting to know what would happen next so I was very grateful to discover there will be a sequel. YA sci-fi fans will love this one & it's definitely a book I'm going to be recommending.
March 10, 2014
From the moment I started Echo Boy, I didn't want to put it down. And that was annoying, because I had a very busy week, so my sleep has suffered a bit. But the joy of reading this book was worth those lost hours of sleep.
What impressed me most with Echo Boy was Haig's desire to work out what it truly means to be human, and at what point is something classified as being "alive". Haig has a real understanding of how humans feel and portray emotion, and also how confusing certain feelings can be, particularly when they go against all logic. This is a book that you can really get into and enjoy, even though it may leave you asking much bigger questions. Echo Boy is a gripping read, not just for the need to find out what will happen, but discovering why everything else has.
Full review here: http://transatlanticbibliophilia.blog...
What impressed me most with Echo Boy was Haig's desire to work out what it truly means to be human, and at what point is something classified as being "alive". Haig has a real understanding of how humans feel and portray emotion, and also how confusing certain feelings can be, particularly when they go against all logic. This is a book that you can really get into and enjoy, even though it may leave you asking much bigger questions. Echo Boy is a gripping read, not just for the need to find out what will happen, but discovering why everything else has.
Full review here: http://transatlanticbibliophilia.blog...
January 28, 2014
I have made no secret of my love for Matt Haig's previous book, The Humans - not only was it my favourite book last year, it's also one of my favourite books ever. So I have been eagerly looking forward to reading Echo Boy ever since Matt first announced it was to be his next book. It's not due to be published until March but thankfully I was able to acquire an advance copy through Netgalley (I could pretend that I didn't obsessively check to see if my request was approved several times over the weekend but that would be a lie!) I downloaded it to my Kindle yesterday and finished it this morning and I'm happy to say that whilst this isn't The Humans it's a wonderful and moving book in its own right.
Echo Boy is set about two hundred years in the future, in a vastly different world to ours, climate change has meant some countries are partly or wholly underwater and some have become almost uninhabitable deserts, it's possible to cross the Atlantic in minutes, humans have colonised the moon and families are served by Echos (Enhanced Computerised Humanoid Organism), flesh and blood cyborgs hardwired to unquestionably obey orders. It follows the story of Audrey a fifteen year old girl who is forced to consider and reconsider everything she has been taught and learned to believe following the death of her parents, and Daniel an Echo who should be emotionless but instead feels a connection to Audrey and a desire to protect her from terrible danger. So it's going to be categorised as a sci-fi YA novel but genres really just tell you where to look for a title in a bookstore. What Echo Boy is actually about is love, loss, the fear of being alone, belief, pain and trust. It's about what makes some people monsters and what it is to be human. Matt Haig writes sentences that pierce my heart in one chapter and envelop me in a warm blanket of hope in another. Echo Boy is both a warning of what could happen if we allow technology to take the place of actual human interaction and a reminder of just how wonderfully flawed and complicated we can be. I loved it.
Echo Boy is set about two hundred years in the future, in a vastly different world to ours, climate change has meant some countries are partly or wholly underwater and some have become almost uninhabitable deserts, it's possible to cross the Atlantic in minutes, humans have colonised the moon and families are served by Echos (Enhanced Computerised Humanoid Organism), flesh and blood cyborgs hardwired to unquestionably obey orders. It follows the story of Audrey a fifteen year old girl who is forced to consider and reconsider everything she has been taught and learned to believe following the death of her parents, and Daniel an Echo who should be emotionless but instead feels a connection to Audrey and a desire to protect her from terrible danger. So it's going to be categorised as a sci-fi YA novel but genres really just tell you where to look for a title in a bookstore. What Echo Boy is actually about is love, loss, the fear of being alone, belief, pain and trust. It's about what makes some people monsters and what it is to be human. Matt Haig writes sentences that pierce my heart in one chapter and envelop me in a warm blanket of hope in another. Echo Boy is both a warning of what could happen if we allow technology to take the place of actual human interaction and a reminder of just how wonderfully flawed and complicated we can be. I loved it.
May 4, 2025
Noul roman al lu iMatt Haig nu m-a dezamagit, ba dimpotriva.
Chiar as vrea sa vad si un film facut pe baza lui. Povestea fetei (om) Audrey si androidului Echo merita efortul
Chiar as vrea sa vad si un film facut pe baza lui. Povestea fetei (om) Audrey si androidului Echo merita efortul
March 7, 2015
Matt Haig is one of those rare authors where I will pick up any book he has written without the need to even read the synopsis. What the book is about is not so much of a concern to me any more – I know it is Matt Haig, and therefore I trust that I will love it.
That was exactly what happened with Echo Boy. I loved his last book, The Humans, so much that I didn't even read the synopsis before I bought it, and I still didn't look at it before I started reading.
I trust Matt to write an amazing story, and this book cemented that trust further.
Echo Boy is set just over a hundred years in the future, where global warming has made some areas of the planet too hot and hostile to inhabit. Some areas are flooded, completely submerged under water – areas like the north of Britain, for example, where Audrey lives with her parents, in a house on stilts. Thanks to the invention of these 'floating' buildings and magrails (a bit like tram rails, but much better, where you can travel from London to New New York – the original was destroyed by the extreme weather conditions – in less than an hour in a good magcar) it is still possible to live in some of these places.
Audrey Castle, niece of Alex Castle (one of the most powerful people in the world, owning even the police force), daughter of Leo Castle (one of the most prominent anti-Echo protestors, and Alex Castle's brother) lives with her parents in a 'floating' home above the water in the north of England. But Audrey's world is about to be turned upside-down, and she will have to face things far more frightening than she ever imagined. But what she finds the most frightening is not what she expected.
Echo Boy is one of the most imaginative books I have ever read. It is punctuated throughout by Matt Haig's awesome command of the English language and by his seemingly limitless wit.
I have not come across many authors who are as great a wordsmith as he is. The story is beautifully written; emotive, so descriptive that I can easily picture the strange futuristic world in my mind, and incredibly compelling.
But the imagination behind the story is especially striking. The picture of the future world in which this story takes place is incredibly vivid; there are cars that travels at thousands of miles per hour, info-lenses that give details of the world around you (and can even take pictures of what you see), pods that allow you to travel anywhere in space and history, and (this is my favourite) low fat foods are known to be bad for you and chocolate is an acceptable breakfast choice. Everything about the world feels alien and strange, and yet it also feels incredibly real. It feels alive.
And this goes for the story too. Although I saw some things coming (and these were really just the logical way for the book to go), I still enjoyed seeing them happen, and I was still kept engaged in the story. I loved every moment of it.
Not only did the world feel real, so did the characters. Audrey was incredibly real, and I found myself thinking about her even when I wasn't reading the book at the time. The same goes for Daniel, the Echo boy who seems to be more than just a little different.
There are good guys and bad guys, but not all of them are as clear-cut as you might think, and I had fun trying to work out which side some of the characters were on.
The characters really bought this book to life.
Sometimes it can be hard to write a review for a book I really love. I feel pressured to get across just how much I loved it and exactly why I feel the way I do; to make other people want to read it too. There are some books that I love so much that I worry my review does not do them justice. This is one of them. All of Matt Haig's books belong to this category. If I had to choose just one author who really stands up above the rest, for me, it would be Matt. For oh, so many reasons.
Echo Boy is yet another of Matt Haig's masterpieces. It is compelling, it is imaginative and it is intelligent. And above all it is beautiful. If you are going to choose just one book to read this summer, or even this year, I implore you to make it one by Matt Haig. You can thank me later.
Another beautiful Haig masterpiece.
(Originally reviewed on my blog, Pen to Paper).
That was exactly what happened with Echo Boy. I loved his last book, The Humans, so much that I didn't even read the synopsis before I bought it, and I still didn't look at it before I started reading.
I trust Matt to write an amazing story, and this book cemented that trust further.
Echo Boy is set just over a hundred years in the future, where global warming has made some areas of the planet too hot and hostile to inhabit. Some areas are flooded, completely submerged under water – areas like the north of Britain, for example, where Audrey lives with her parents, in a house on stilts. Thanks to the invention of these 'floating' buildings and magrails (a bit like tram rails, but much better, where you can travel from London to New New York – the original was destroyed by the extreme weather conditions – in less than an hour in a good magcar) it is still possible to live in some of these places.
Audrey Castle, niece of Alex Castle (one of the most powerful people in the world, owning even the police force), daughter of Leo Castle (one of the most prominent anti-Echo protestors, and Alex Castle's brother) lives with her parents in a 'floating' home above the water in the north of England. But Audrey's world is about to be turned upside-down, and she will have to face things far more frightening than she ever imagined. But what she finds the most frightening is not what she expected.
Echo Boy is one of the most imaginative books I have ever read. It is punctuated throughout by Matt Haig's awesome command of the English language and by his seemingly limitless wit.
I have not come across many authors who are as great a wordsmith as he is. The story is beautifully written; emotive, so descriptive that I can easily picture the strange futuristic world in my mind, and incredibly compelling.
But the imagination behind the story is especially striking. The picture of the future world in which this story takes place is incredibly vivid; there are cars that travels at thousands of miles per hour, info-lenses that give details of the world around you (and can even take pictures of what you see), pods that allow you to travel anywhere in space and history, and (this is my favourite) low fat foods are known to be bad for you and chocolate is an acceptable breakfast choice. Everything about the world feels alien and strange, and yet it also feels incredibly real. It feels alive.
And this goes for the story too. Although I saw some things coming (and these were really just the logical way for the book to go), I still enjoyed seeing them happen, and I was still kept engaged in the story. I loved every moment of it.
Not only did the world feel real, so did the characters. Audrey was incredibly real, and I found myself thinking about her even when I wasn't reading the book at the time. The same goes for Daniel, the Echo boy who seems to be more than just a little different.
There are good guys and bad guys, but not all of them are as clear-cut as you might think, and I had fun trying to work out which side some of the characters were on.
The characters really bought this book to life.
Sometimes it can be hard to write a review for a book I really love. I feel pressured to get across just how much I loved it and exactly why I feel the way I do; to make other people want to read it too. There are some books that I love so much that I worry my review does not do them justice. This is one of them. All of Matt Haig's books belong to this category. If I had to choose just one author who really stands up above the rest, for me, it would be Matt. For oh, so many reasons.
Echo Boy is yet another of Matt Haig's masterpieces. It is compelling, it is imaginative and it is intelligent. And above all it is beautiful. If you are going to choose just one book to read this summer, or even this year, I implore you to make it one by Matt Haig. You can thank me later.
Another beautiful Haig masterpiece.
(Originally reviewed on my blog, Pen to Paper).
November 28, 2015
3.5/5
I did not planned buying this book but it was on a sale for about 2$, I gave it a try and I was quite pleasantly surprised.
Of course this is a young adult book with a light writing style and because of that half of the book was read in the bus. You also get your teenager character, some with the classic rebellious principles and actions. You might also find the mystery rather shallow and predictable and the suspense on the dull side.
Behind all of these aspects there is plenty for those who want more. At the beginning of the book your start with a utopian view of the world: triple expectancy of life, lightning fast transportation, assistant robots that can do anything from housekeeping and teaching to police enforcing. As you continue reading the book this world starts to fall apart, every life concession evolution brought is paid in full more than people can afford to. It's a dystopia no one wants to be in.
Of course in many dystopian worlds we find this idea of robots, androids taking over human society and enslaving us. In this novel people get less and less human through body augmentations and all kind of technologies that take their humanity away (for example neuropads that have a similar but enhanced effect like neuroleptics, taking away your ability to have emotions and interact out of empathy).
Meanwhile the robots (echoes) get more and more human: they are made of flesh, they can bleed, and their appearances is fully humanoid to the extent the only way to differentiate them from humans is to look at their perfection. Of course they can't feel or have imagination but this is a thin line that can be surpassed and when it does Echoes become human and people are something less humane, something to have pity on and, maybe, annihilate forever out of the same pity.
The writer was so excited to share with us all kind of future technologies from all kind of fields, but because of this he often shifts his attention from the plot to describing some kind of cool device and whatnot. Considering how often this occurs it left me with the feeling of pushing the plot until a point then abandoning it. Even the end of the book feels abandoned at an unusual spot; I don’t mind leaving things for the reader to imagine at the end, but it was like the headless horseman: I can put a head on this horseman but give me at least a pumpkin!
Overall I think it is a light novel even non-YA fans can enjoy and find interesting ideas as long as they don’t have a lot of expectations.
I did not planned buying this book but it was on a sale for about 2$, I gave it a try and I was quite pleasantly surprised.
Of course this is a young adult book with a light writing style and because of that half of the book was read in the bus. You also get your teenager character, some with the classic rebellious principles and actions. You might also find the mystery rather shallow and predictable and the suspense on the dull side.
Behind all of these aspects there is plenty for those who want more. At the beginning of the book your start with a utopian view of the world: triple expectancy of life, lightning fast transportation, assistant robots that can do anything from housekeeping and teaching to police enforcing. As you continue reading the book this world starts to fall apart, every life concession evolution brought is paid in full more than people can afford to. It's a dystopia no one wants to be in.
Of course in many dystopian worlds we find this idea of robots, androids taking over human society and enslaving us. In this novel people get less and less human through body augmentations and all kind of technologies that take their humanity away (for example neuropads that have a similar but enhanced effect like neuroleptics, taking away your ability to have emotions and interact out of empathy).
Meanwhile the robots (echoes) get more and more human: they are made of flesh, they can bleed, and their appearances is fully humanoid to the extent the only way to differentiate them from humans is to look at their perfection. Of course they can't feel or have imagination but this is a thin line that can be surpassed and when it does Echoes become human and people are something less humane, something to have pity on and, maybe, annihilate forever out of the same pity.
The writer was so excited to share with us all kind of future technologies from all kind of fields, but because of this he often shifts his attention from the plot to describing some kind of cool device and whatnot. Considering how often this occurs it left me with the feeling of pushing the plot until a point then abandoning it. Even the end of the book feels abandoned at an unusual spot; I don’t mind leaving things for the reader to imagine at the end, but it was like the headless horseman: I can put a head on this horseman but give me at least a pumpkin!
Overall I think it is a light novel even non-YA fans can enjoy and find interesting ideas as long as they don’t have a lot of expectations.
May 29, 2021
Matt Haig is a creative & talented writer, with a number of interesting & wondrous ideas. I’ve enjoyed How to Stop Time, and I think I will read each of his books I come across (though I will not search for them).
This sci-fi imagines a distant future where beings smarter than robots, almost human in nature, and we live alongside. The world Haig has created is fantastic and absorbing. I will absolutely watch the movie because I’m sure it will be engrossing and slick.
My criticism of his writing is that it’s always seemed juvenile to me, a but cliched, blunt, obvious. The brilliant ideas are not executed with the level of finesse they deserve. Style is slightly above average at best. Sometimes it’s just one mundane, slightly cringe-worthy sentence after the other. Things that are meant to be deep and life-changing but are just noise.
An example: ‘Things happen, and they are not the same but nearly the same.’
Another example: ‘She was as alive as anyone had ever been alive. And being alive meant possibility and uncertainty. Life was irrational, and irrationality could never be mapped. So in each life - each true life - there were lots of other lives branching out...’ etc.
And yet, even though I do not really enjoy sci-fi as a genre, I found the novel interesting & entertaining enough for one read. Would recommend to sci-fi lovers, particularly young readers (though Haig rightly says there should be no categorization of books & readership).
This sci-fi imagines a distant future where beings smarter than robots, almost human in nature, and we live alongside. The world Haig has created is fantastic and absorbing. I will absolutely watch the movie because I’m sure it will be engrossing and slick.
My criticism of his writing is that it’s always seemed juvenile to me, a but cliched, blunt, obvious. The brilliant ideas are not executed with the level of finesse they deserve. Style is slightly above average at best. Sometimes it’s just one mundane, slightly cringe-worthy sentence after the other. Things that are meant to be deep and life-changing but are just noise.
An example: ‘Things happen, and they are not the same but nearly the same.’
Another example: ‘She was as alive as anyone had ever been alive. And being alive meant possibility and uncertainty. Life was irrational, and irrationality could never be mapped. So in each life - each true life - there were lots of other lives branching out...’ etc.
And yet, even though I do not really enjoy sci-fi as a genre, I found the novel interesting & entertaining enough for one read. Would recommend to sci-fi lovers, particularly young readers (though Haig rightly says there should be no categorization of books & readership).
February 4, 2016
I picked this book up for a cheap price because the cover was pretty and I thought the blurb sounded interesting. If I could I would give this book 3.5 stars because I did enjoy the story line. The idea of the book was unique and interesting and I have never read anything like it before. I liked how it was fast paced and short (it only took me a day to read) but there are limitations to a short and fast paced book.
I felt like some things just randomly happened; for example there was a certain kiss that just came out of no where and I was quite confused. I wish that the romantic interest between Daniel and Audrey had more of a development, rather than going straight from Audrey hating all Echo's to randomly falling in love with Daniel. I knew it was bound to happen, but there was no real story line for this love.
That being said, I loved the characters and grew great connections to them. I also really enjoyed the ending. It didn't end on a cliff hanger, but it could still be open for a possible second book.
I felt like some things just randomly happened; for example there was a certain kiss that just came out of no where and I was quite confused. I wish that the romantic interest between Daniel and Audrey had more of a development, rather than going straight from Audrey hating all Echo's to randomly falling in love with Daniel. I knew it was bound to happen, but there was no real story line for this love.
That being said, I loved the characters and grew great connections to them. I also really enjoyed the ending. It didn't end on a cliff hanger, but it could still be open for a possible second book.
October 22, 2015
Итак, Одри и Дэниел.
Девушка, потерявшая родителей и вынужденная перебраться к дяде. И Эхо, не человек - вещь, созданная, чтобы служить человеку.
Извечные вопросы о душе, о масках и чувствах. О техническом прогрессе и окружающем нас мире.
О человеческой жестокости и совершенстве несовершенных вещей.
От книги сложно оторваться, и хотя при желании я могла бы позанудствовать - желания как-то не возникло.
Тяжело не поддаться автору, который умело давит на болевые точки и показывает нам всю историю под определенным углом. Я обычно такое не люблю, предпочитаю сама решать, что такое хорошо, а что такое плохо, но Хейг мастер своего дела)) Он без проблем влезает в шкуру персонажей и водит их по заданным декорациям. Голоса не сливаются в один (как часто бывает, когда авторы пытаются писать от разных лиц), а звучат четко, каждый со своей интонацией.
Вопрос рассматривается не новый, но роман все равно заставляет задуматься, потому что... потому что все это не так уж фантастично.
Девушка, потерявшая родителей и вынужденная перебраться к дяде. И Эхо, не человек - вещь, созданная, чтобы служить человеку.
Извечные вопросы о душе, о масках и чувствах. О техническом прогрессе и окружающем нас мире.
О человеческой жестокости и совершенстве несовершенных вещей.
От книги сложно оторваться, и хотя при желании я могла бы позанудствовать - желания как-то не возникло.
Тяжело не поддаться автору, который умело давит на болевые точки и показывает нам всю историю под определенным углом. Я обычно такое не люблю, предпочитаю сама решать, что такое хорошо, а что такое плохо, но Хейг мастер своего дела)) Он без проблем влезает в шкуру персонажей и водит их по заданным декорациям. Голоса не сливаются в один (как часто бывает, когда авторы пытаются писать от разных лиц), а звучат четко, каждый со своей интонацией.
Вопрос рассматривается не новый, но роман все равно заставляет задуматься, потому что... потому что все это не так уж фантастично.
December 25, 2017
Die Lovestory hat mir jetzt nicht so richtig gefallen, weil sie nicht ganz plausibel war und auch sehr plötzlich kam, ohne dass die beiden viel miteinander gesprochen oder generell viel miteinander zu tun gehabt haben vorher. Zum Glück stand sie nicht im Vordergrund. Alles andere drumherum fand ich aber sehr schön gestaltet und die Frage nach der Menschlichkeit, die der Autor aufwirft, toll herausgearbeitet. Es hat sich super schön lesen lassen und ich fand es interessant, mich in dieser hochentwickelten Zukunftsvision zu bewegen. 3,5 Sterne von mir.
March 8, 2019
3,5 Sterne. Eine interessante, spannende Zukunftsvision, die allerdings auch ziemlich erschreckend ist. Genau genommen möchte ich so eine Welt im Jahr 2100 nicht haben. (Mal davon abgesehen, dass ich es nicht erleben würde). Als Leser hab ich mich hier allerdings gefragt, welche Zielgruppe angesprochen werden soll. Es war locker geschrieben wie ein Jugendbuch (die Heldin ist 15), aber gleichzeitig waren auch viele Szenen enthalten, die ich in einem Buch für junge Leser nicht erwarten würde (insbesondere Gewaltszenen einer sehr mitleidslosen, kindlichen Figur und Tierquälerei).
July 20, 2017
Aceasta carte ne da o lectie despre umanitate, despre ce inseamna sa simti cu adevarat. Mi-a placut extrem de mult. Mai multe pe blog: https://cartidereferinta.wordpress.co... ^.^
April 27, 2017
O carte care m-a impresionat profund. Un roman foarte bine scris, emotionant, cu multa intriga, iar povestea dintre Audrey si Daniel mi-a mers la suflet. Viata, emotia si tristetea au fost tulburatoare.
February 21, 2018
Spannende Zukunftsvision, aber das Ende hat mich ein wenig enttäuscht. Da hätte ich mir eine richtige Lösung gewünscht.
January 27, 2024
Kutboek. Ik dacht dit is wel leuk want Matt Haig is ook van de midnight library, maar het gaat over allemaal rare robots enzo dus niet mijn dingg
February 2, 2023
Robots geven mij vaak een griezelig gevoel. Zie ik een filmpje van een nieuwe robot die uitgevonden is, dan krijg ik kippenvel. Soms lijken ze zo menselijk, maar dan zonder een bepaald stuk emotie. Ik ben ook altijd zo bang dat ze een eigen wil krijgen, en afschuwelijke dingen gaan doen.
En dat is wat in het boek gebeurd. Brrrr. Ik moest en zou door blijven lezen, want ik wilde weten wat er gebeurde in de moderne, futuristische wereld die Matt Haig heeft weten te creëren. Een wereld vol ECHO's, een soort robots.
Maar gelukkig lees je ook de andere kant van het verhaal, een ECHO die een connectie voelt met een mens, en haar wil redden.
De schrijfstijl van Matt Haig is geweldig in dit boek. Beeldend en vlot. Ik ging als een speer door dit boek!
Ook bestaat het boek uit korte hoofdstukken, daar hou ik altijd van. Want ik wil nooit stoppen met lezen in het midden van een hoofdstuk haha.
En dat is wat in het boek gebeurd. Brrrr. Ik moest en zou door blijven lezen, want ik wilde weten wat er gebeurde in de moderne, futuristische wereld die Matt Haig heeft weten te creëren. Een wereld vol ECHO's, een soort robots.
Maar gelukkig lees je ook de andere kant van het verhaal, een ECHO die een connectie voelt met een mens, en haar wil redden.
De schrijfstijl van Matt Haig is geweldig in dit boek. Beeldend en vlot. Ik ging als een speer door dit boek!
Ook bestaat het boek uit korte hoofdstukken, daar hou ik altijd van. Want ik wil nooit stoppen met lezen in het midden van een hoofdstuk haha.
October 9, 2023
Dit boek was verrassend goed! Nooit gedacht dat ik het leuk zou vinden om over de toekomst te lezen waarin robots (in dit geval echo's) een grote rol spelen.
Matt Haig slaagt erin om het verhaal boeiend te houden door de afwisseling in perspectieven en voldoende spanning te creëren. Het verhaal leest ook enorm gemakkelijk en vlot. Ondanks dat het over de toekomst gaat is het verhaal gemakkelijk te begrijpen en te volgen.
Daarnaast laat hij je nadenken over het leven nu en wat er ons (mogelijks) te wachten staat. Hij schrijft niet over een onrealistische sciencefiction toekomst, maar over een toekomst die best wel eens realistisch zou kunnen zijn...
Dit is het 1ste, maar zeker niet het laatste boek dat ik van hem lees!
Matt Haig slaagt erin om het verhaal boeiend te houden door de afwisseling in perspectieven en voldoende spanning te creëren. Het verhaal leest ook enorm gemakkelijk en vlot. Ondanks dat het over de toekomst gaat is het verhaal gemakkelijk te begrijpen en te volgen.
Daarnaast laat hij je nadenken over het leven nu en wat er ons (mogelijks) te wachten staat. Hij schrijft niet over een onrealistische sciencefiction toekomst, maar over een toekomst die best wel eens realistisch zou kunnen zijn...
Dit is het 1ste, maar zeker niet het laatste boek dat ik van hem lees!
March 27, 2019
It's sad to rate a Matt Haig book like this but I don't feel like I have a choice.
This book falls into a lot of common troupes. You have the girl who lost her parents, the uncle that may or may not be evil, the robot that has emotions, the robot that malfunctions, the question of emotions in machines and so on. This book has a lot in common with the film Bicentennial Man (RIP Robin Williams, that film is so underrated). I usually don't read much sci-fi so it says something that I predicted the ending.
That said, this book is extremely compelling to read. It's my last day in Zagreb and I really am so in love with this city. I would love to live here for a few months. Despite this, I stayed in my hostel bed till 11:30 reading this because I just couldn't stop. Daniel's narrative was so good, so well crafted.
This book's biggest problem, in my opinion, is that it doesn't draw the mystery right. Like, as a reader, I'm there screaming from the sidelines "THIS IS THE MURDERER", and Audrey just doesn't get it. That bit when she realizes Daniel isn't an ordinary robot was such a great moment and then, by adding Daniel's perspective, all that mystery died as well. We the readers knew much more than Audrey and that makes an imbalance.
I really do want to explore Zagreb a bit more (COFFEE CULTURE IS THE BEST THING EVER HERE, EVEN BETTER THAN VIENNA). I'm happy that I read this because it looks like this year I have an actual shot at finishing my reading challenge.
What I'm Taking with Me:
- Matt Haig's self help book and How to Stop Time were so good that I'll forgive him for this. -
- The writing was so accessible and I just, how did he do this
- Can we talk about how Daniel is such a ray of sunshine and I would read a book describe him taking down this system.
Okay, spoilers from here. I'm just gonna fill up this paragraph with text reminding that this is going to get very spoilery so if you haven't read the book and intend to, don't read after this. Spoilers, lots of them.
That ending was so bad. Like, they go to the moon (which is where Audrey had thought she'd go from the beginning). Nothing gets resolved, I was sure there'd be a sequel because what. Nothing happens to Alex, nothing happens with the reporter, nothing happens with Iago (which is like such a pointless character with zero development). The author owes his readers more than this.
If they're such outlaws and Alex has so much power, obviously the moon isn't a safe place. The RZ thing will still keep going on, Alex will still do his shenanigans (and like, is Audrey against them now? The robots didn't malfunction, it was a planned murder so what is Audrey's opinion on them now?).
Not to mention that I don't see what's the problem with their technology. The author plays around with the idea that Alex is trying to control everyone (like the stuff that calms you down) but this isn't developed enough and so we don't really know. Rosella creating human life is very cool but again, nothing happens with this. Is this bad or good for society? Somehow the book says that it's bad but doesn't give an explanation.
There isn't much of a relationship between Daniel and Audrey and now they're going to live together?? With her grandmother who is apparently a drug addict?? What the heck? How is the a resolution? I'm not sure I'd read a sequel for this but I can't believe that this is the ending.
I also don't get why the bad guy enjoys hurting robots. Like, especially robots who are human-looking. I mean, sadists are a thing but can you be a sadist if the person you're hurting doesn't feel the pain? I can understand why people would want to watch a robot fight a tiger but I really can't understand this guy and so, to me it seems like an easy way to get Daniel angry and to make Castle's company even more evil.
No one regulates what I do to my laptop (and as I spilled some coffee on it a few minutes ago, maybe someone should) so I don't understand why they care so much, why the society is also treating them as humans.
Anyway, yeah. Read How To Stop Time.
This book falls into a lot of common troupes. You have the girl who lost her parents, the uncle that may or may not be evil, the robot that has emotions, the robot that malfunctions, the question of emotions in machines and so on. This book has a lot in common with the film Bicentennial Man (RIP Robin Williams, that film is so underrated). I usually don't read much sci-fi so it says something that I predicted the ending.
That said, this book is extremely compelling to read. It's my last day in Zagreb and I really am so in love with this city. I would love to live here for a few months. Despite this, I stayed in my hostel bed till 11:30 reading this because I just couldn't stop. Daniel's narrative was so good, so well crafted.
This book's biggest problem, in my opinion, is that it doesn't draw the mystery right. Like, as a reader, I'm there screaming from the sidelines "THIS IS THE MURDERER", and Audrey just doesn't get it. That bit when she realizes Daniel isn't an ordinary robot was such a great moment and then, by adding Daniel's perspective, all that mystery died as well. We the readers knew much more than Audrey and that makes an imbalance.
I really do want to explore Zagreb a bit more (COFFEE CULTURE IS THE BEST THING EVER HERE, EVEN BETTER THAN VIENNA). I'm happy that I read this because it looks like this year I have an actual shot at finishing my reading challenge.
What I'm Taking with Me:
- Matt Haig's self help book and How to Stop Time were so good that I'll forgive him for this. -
- The writing was so accessible and I just, how did he do this
- Can we talk about how Daniel is such a ray of sunshine and I would read a book describe him taking down this system.
Okay, spoilers from here. I'm just gonna fill up this paragraph with text reminding that this is going to get very spoilery so if you haven't read the book and intend to, don't read after this. Spoilers, lots of them.
That ending was so bad. Like, they go to the moon (which is where Audrey had thought she'd go from the beginning). Nothing gets resolved, I was sure there'd be a sequel because what. Nothing happens to Alex, nothing happens with the reporter, nothing happens with Iago (which is like such a pointless character with zero development). The author owes his readers more than this.
If they're such outlaws and Alex has so much power, obviously the moon isn't a safe place. The RZ thing will still keep going on, Alex will still do his shenanigans (and like, is Audrey against them now? The robots didn't malfunction, it was a planned murder so what is Audrey's opinion on them now?).
Not to mention that I don't see what's the problem with their technology. The author plays around with the idea that Alex is trying to control everyone (like the stuff that calms you down) but this isn't developed enough and so we don't really know. Rosella creating human life is very cool but again, nothing happens with this. Is this bad or good for society? Somehow the book says that it's bad but doesn't give an explanation.
There isn't much of a relationship between Daniel and Audrey and now they're going to live together?? With her grandmother who is apparently a drug addict?? What the heck? How is the a resolution? I'm not sure I'd read a sequel for this but I can't believe that this is the ending.
I also don't get why the bad guy enjoys hurting robots. Like, especially robots who are human-looking. I mean, sadists are a thing but can you be a sadist if the person you're hurting doesn't feel the pain? I can understand why people would want to watch a robot fight a tiger but I really can't understand this guy and so, to me it seems like an easy way to get Daniel angry and to make Castle's company even more evil.
No one regulates what I do to my laptop (and as I spilled some coffee on it a few minutes ago, maybe someone should) so I don't understand why they care so much, why the society is also treating them as humans.
Anyway, yeah. Read How To Stop Time.
July 8, 2022
The future can be terrifiying but we must look forward to it:)
February 6, 2017
Auf den ersten Jugendroman von Matt Haig war ich gespannt, letzten Frühling habe ich "Ziemlich Gute Gründe am Leben zu bleiben" von ihm gelesen, ein sehr persönliches Buch. Auch in Echo Boy bringt der Autor wieder viel von sich ein.
Der Punkt, an dem eine Maschine weinen will, ist der Punkt, an dem sie nicht länger als Maschine zu betrachten ist. Seite 366
Das Cover finde ich richtig schön. Der riesige Mond und das Pärchen davor, beide mehr Schatten wie Mensch. Dazu das Universum im Hintergrund. Und der farblich passende Schriftzug. Alles sehr schön und auch zum Inhalt passend.
Die Geschichte spielt im Jahre 2115, also gar nicht so arg in der Zukunft. Wenn man sich den Zeitlichen unterschied, der nur knappen 100 Jahre ist, beim Lesen vor Augen führt, ist die Geschichte noch erschreckender. Die Technologie ist weit vorangeschritten, genauso wie der Klimawandel. Viele Teile Europas sind unbewohnbar. Dafür gibt es praktische Hilfen für den Alltag, nämlich Echos ( Elektronischer Computerisierter Humanoider Organismus). Sie können nicht eigenständig Denken und nicht fühlen. Doch warum greift dann ein Echo einfach Audreys Familie an. Und wieso ist Daniel ein Echo im Haus ihres Onkel so anders, warum sucht er ihren Kontakt....
Den Schreibstil von Matt Haig mag ich sehr. Er ist äußerst flüssig zu lesen, bietet aber viel zum Nachdenken und reflektieren. Der Roman wird aus der Ich-Perspektive erzählt, mein Lieblingserzähltstil. Unterteilt ist er in größere Abschnitte, in denen wir entweder aus der Sicht von Audrey oder aus der von Daniel lesen. Letztere waren mir die lieberen. Es wird nicht geradlinig erzählt, sondern bei der Vergangenheit begonnen, bis die Geschichte sich sozusagen einholt und dann in der Gegenwart verläuft.
Es ist besser, das Leben zu leben, anstatt wie ein Schlafwandler durch den Tag zu stolpern. Es ist besser, sich zu erinnern, als zu vergessen. Es ist besser, Gefühle zu haben, als betäubt zu sein. Lieber ein trauriger Dichter als ein leereres Blatt Papier. Seite 159
Audrey erlebt zu Beginn etwas Traumatisierendes und ist erst mal aus der Bahn geworfen. Außerdem ist sie mit ihren knapp 16 Jahren noch sehr jung. Dies spiegelt sich auch in ihrem Charakter wieder, weswegen ich die Kapitel aus Sicht von Daniel mehr genossen habe. Audrey entwickelt sich aber weiter und kann aus ihrer Starre ausbrechen. Trotzdem fand ich den Echo Daniel viel interessanter. Wieso kann er fühlen und selbstständig Denken? Was ist er?
Die Handlung ist leider leicht zu durchschauen. Aber vielleicht war dies auch Absicht, dass der Leser eigentlich schon weiß, wer sich wohinter verbirgt. Damit er auf die Zwischentöne achten kann. Die Aufmerksamkeit nicht auf die Frage "Wer war es" verschwendet, sondern sie in die Richtung "Was macht Mensch sein aus" lenkt. Den müsst ich in einem Satz sagen, um was es in Echo Boy geht, würde ich sagen, um das Mensch sein und was es ausmacht, mit all seinen Facetten.
Fazit:
Leider vorhersehbar, aber vielleicht war dies Absicht, damit man auf die Zwischentöne achtet.
"Was macht Mensch sein aus"
Berührend und regt zum Nachdenken an.
Matt Haig hat einen sehr schönen Sprachstil.
4,5 Weingummis
Der Punkt, an dem eine Maschine weinen will, ist der Punkt, an dem sie nicht länger als Maschine zu betrachten ist. Seite 366
Das Cover finde ich richtig schön. Der riesige Mond und das Pärchen davor, beide mehr Schatten wie Mensch. Dazu das Universum im Hintergrund. Und der farblich passende Schriftzug. Alles sehr schön und auch zum Inhalt passend.
Die Geschichte spielt im Jahre 2115, also gar nicht so arg in der Zukunft. Wenn man sich den Zeitlichen unterschied, der nur knappen 100 Jahre ist, beim Lesen vor Augen führt, ist die Geschichte noch erschreckender. Die Technologie ist weit vorangeschritten, genauso wie der Klimawandel. Viele Teile Europas sind unbewohnbar. Dafür gibt es praktische Hilfen für den Alltag, nämlich Echos ( Elektronischer Computerisierter Humanoider Organismus). Sie können nicht eigenständig Denken und nicht fühlen. Doch warum greift dann ein Echo einfach Audreys Familie an. Und wieso ist Daniel ein Echo im Haus ihres Onkel so anders, warum sucht er ihren Kontakt....
Den Schreibstil von Matt Haig mag ich sehr. Er ist äußerst flüssig zu lesen, bietet aber viel zum Nachdenken und reflektieren. Der Roman wird aus der Ich-Perspektive erzählt, mein Lieblingserzähltstil. Unterteilt ist er in größere Abschnitte, in denen wir entweder aus der Sicht von Audrey oder aus der von Daniel lesen. Letztere waren mir die lieberen. Es wird nicht geradlinig erzählt, sondern bei der Vergangenheit begonnen, bis die Geschichte sich sozusagen einholt und dann in der Gegenwart verläuft.
Es ist besser, das Leben zu leben, anstatt wie ein Schlafwandler durch den Tag zu stolpern. Es ist besser, sich zu erinnern, als zu vergessen. Es ist besser, Gefühle zu haben, als betäubt zu sein. Lieber ein trauriger Dichter als ein leereres Blatt Papier. Seite 159
Audrey erlebt zu Beginn etwas Traumatisierendes und ist erst mal aus der Bahn geworfen. Außerdem ist sie mit ihren knapp 16 Jahren noch sehr jung. Dies spiegelt sich auch in ihrem Charakter wieder, weswegen ich die Kapitel aus Sicht von Daniel mehr genossen habe. Audrey entwickelt sich aber weiter und kann aus ihrer Starre ausbrechen. Trotzdem fand ich den Echo Daniel viel interessanter. Wieso kann er fühlen und selbstständig Denken? Was ist er?
Die Handlung ist leider leicht zu durchschauen. Aber vielleicht war dies auch Absicht, dass der Leser eigentlich schon weiß, wer sich wohinter verbirgt. Damit er auf die Zwischentöne achten kann. Die Aufmerksamkeit nicht auf die Frage "Wer war es" verschwendet, sondern sie in die Richtung "Was macht Mensch sein aus" lenkt. Den müsst ich in einem Satz sagen, um was es in Echo Boy geht, würde ich sagen, um das Mensch sein und was es ausmacht, mit all seinen Facetten.
Fazit:
Leider vorhersehbar, aber vielleicht war dies Absicht, damit man auf die Zwischentöne achtet.
"Was macht Mensch sein aus"
Berührend und regt zum Nachdenken an.
Matt Haig hat einen sehr schönen Sprachstil.
4,5 Weingummis
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