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How to Say Goodbye in Robot
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 grade. Something about him, though, gets to Bea, and soon they form an unexpected friendship. It's not romance, exactly - but it's definitely love. Still, Bea can't quite dispel Jonah's gloom and doom - and as she finds out his family history, she understands why. Can Bea help Jonah? Or is he destined to vanish?
288 pages, Hardcover
First published October 1, 2009
86 people are currently reading
14514 people want to read
About the author
Natalie Standiford
45 books415 followersNatalie Standiford, author of "Astrid Sees All," "How to Say Goodbye in Robot," "Confessions of the Sullivan Sisters," "The Secret Tree," "Switched at Birthday," "The Boy on the Bridge," and "The Only Girl in School," has written picture books, nonfiction, chapter books, teen novels, an entry in the 39 Clues series, 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.
Find out more at her web site, www.nataliestandiford.com.
Find out more at her web site, www.nataliestandiford.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,075 reviews
July 19, 2009
The best favor I can do to everyone considering reading this book is to tell them that it's not a YA romance. Once you get that out of the way, you can enjoy this book for what it is: a quirky, intelligent YA novel about two lost teens finding their way back to normalcy -- or not.
While the two main characters -- nicknamed "Ghost Boy" and "Robot Girl" -- in this book are earnestly 3D, the real star of this novel is the late night radio program that both of them listen to. The quirky and sincere and bizarre and fascinating callers enchant both the narrator and the reader, and ultimately, this book ended up on my five star list because the show and the ending remained in my head for longer than it took me to read the book.
I think this one also goes on my top five YAs that ought to be movies list -- I can see it perfectly in my head.
***wondering why all my reviews are five stars? Because I'm only reviewing my favorite books -- not every book I read. Consider a novel's presence on my Goodreads bookshelf as a hearty endorsement. I can't believe I just said "hearty." It sounds like a stew.***
While the two main characters -- nicknamed "Ghost Boy" and "Robot Girl" -- in this book are earnestly 3D, the real star of this novel is the late night radio program that both of them listen to. The quirky and sincere and bizarre and fascinating callers enchant both the narrator and the reader, and ultimately, this book ended up on my five star list because the show and the ending remained in my head for longer than it took me to read the book.
I think this one also goes on my top five YAs that ought to be movies list -- I can see it perfectly in my head.
***wondering why all my reviews are five stars? Because I'm only reviewing my favorite books -- not every book I read. Consider a novel's presence on my Goodreads bookshelf as a hearty endorsement. I can't believe I just said "hearty." It sounds like a stew.***
August 18, 2016
Find all of my reviews at: http://52bookminimum.blogspot.com/
My library copy expires from my Kindle today so I figured I better barf up a review before I lost all of my notes and highlights and whatnot. Turns out I didn’t add any . . . .
This is a story about Beatrice, a high schooler who is new to town. While “Mean Girls” stories have become the norm, How To Say Goodbye In Robot was quite the opposite. Yes, there were “mean girls” (and boys) who had been calling fellow student Jonah “Ghost Boy” since they were wee little children, but somehow Beatrice was able to balance a relationship with the cool kids as well as the social leper (and amazingly she did it all without magic powers).
This story obviously didn’t resonate with me very much at all. I enjoyed the idea behind trying something new in the world of YA, but I can’t say I really liked the end product. While I realize angst and strife are going to sell a lot more books, I think the majority of kids probably float pretty freely through the world of high school and don’t experience a lot of the hardcore bullying which makes for juicy reading and I appreciated that this book didn’t try to capitalize on that kind of drama. I also appreciated that this wasn’t a “love” story. Sure, Jonah and Beatrice loved each other, but it wasn’t really a romance. That being said, the drama that was contained regarding Jonah’s family situation and Beatrice’s cray-cray mother as well as the way their relationship progressed actually became quite co-dependent and not a friendship someone should actually strive for.
Buuuuuuuuuuuut, I probably read it wrong. Go read my friend Rachel’s review for a non-geezer perspective.
My library copy expires from my Kindle today so I figured I better barf up a review before I lost all of my notes and highlights and whatnot. Turns out I didn’t add any . . . .
This is a story about Beatrice, a high schooler who is new to town. While “Mean Girls” stories have become the norm, How To Say Goodbye In Robot was quite the opposite. Yes, there were “mean girls” (and boys) who had been calling fellow student Jonah “Ghost Boy” since they were wee little children, but somehow Beatrice was able to balance a relationship with the cool kids as well as the social leper (and amazingly she did it all without magic powers).
This story obviously didn’t resonate with me very much at all. I enjoyed the idea behind trying something new in the world of YA, but I can’t say I really liked the end product. While I realize angst and strife are going to sell a lot more books, I think the majority of kids probably float pretty freely through the world of high school and don’t experience a lot of the hardcore bullying which makes for juicy reading and I appreciated that this book didn’t try to capitalize on that kind of drama. I also appreciated that this wasn’t a “love” story. Sure, Jonah and Beatrice loved each other, but it wasn’t really a romance. That being said, the drama that was contained regarding Jonah’s family situation and Beatrice’s cray-cray mother as well as the way their relationship progressed actually became quite co-dependent and not a friendship someone should actually strive for.
Buuuuuuuuuuuut, I probably read it wrong. Go read my friend Rachel’s review for a non-geezer perspective.
April 29, 2017
I really loved "How to Say Goodbye in Robot" by Natalie Standiford because it was so unlike other YA fiction that's out there. I thought it was refreshing that the friendship between Beatrice (the protagonist) and Jonah never turned into something romantic (so cliché and overdone). I usually hate quirky characters (because of John Green's novels, sorry, Green fans) but Beatrice was delightfully odd. Beatrice is unfairly criticized by her kooky mom for being emotionless (like a robot) when she's nothing of the kind. Beatrice is just not a social butterfly and neither is her new, equally odd friend, Jonah (he's nicknamed "Ghost Boy" by his snarky, shallow classmates) who meet their senior year in high school. There's a part of me that felt Jonah was downright manipulative when it came to his friendship with Beatrice. Sometimes the things he said and did were uncalled for, but of course there's deep-seated reasons why he behaves the way he does (he suffered a childhood trauma). I really felt bad for Beatrice because I don't think she was fully aware of Jonah's mistreatment towards her, but overall, I thought this underrated and well-written novel was sweet, offbeat, unique, and incredibly heartbreaking. I felt so many different emotions thanks in part to Standiford's moving and effortless prose. I loved the banter between Beatrice and Jonah. It felt so real. I'm very picky when it comes to YA fiction and I'm happy to say this novel was "all that and a bag of chips". Enjoy!
January 17, 2011
"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.
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.
September 8, 2010
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 and thoughts because somehow the burden of his emotional well-being has fallen to you. And even though you aren't getting much back in this platonic relationship, because he picked you, you take that burden and feel special that you have been given something so personal.
Amidst all these unrealistic fantasy relationships, this one is authentic teenage girl without being stupid or obsessive or fake and yet Bea is still somehow stupid and obsessive and fake in a real, non-obnoxious way. No matter how much I wanted to hate Jonah or shake Bea and tell her to let him cope with his own problems, I couldn't do it without being a hypocrite. And really, I couldn't hate Jonah anyway because he was so broken and I could feel that natural instinct in me to protect him too. In the end, Bea's behavior errs on the side of "this would make the protagonist sympathetic" instead of "this is how a real teenager would act," but all-in-all an honest look at the off-balance dependency in teenage relationships.
I love the title, but the pink cover has got to go. This isn't fluff romance. In fact, there isn't really any romance in it. Unless you consider friends that creep into your soul and change you romantic. Love maybe, but not romance. And despite what the title sounds like, there is no fantasy, unless you count some guy who calls into the radio claiming he can travel time fantasy.
Amidst all these unrealistic fantasy relationships, this one is authentic teenage girl without being stupid or obsessive or fake and yet Bea is still somehow stupid and obsessive and fake in a real, non-obnoxious way. No matter how much I wanted to hate Jonah or shake Bea and tell her to let him cope with his own problems, I couldn't do it without being a hypocrite. And really, I couldn't hate Jonah anyway because he was so broken and I could feel that natural instinct in me to protect him too. In the end, Bea's behavior errs on the side of "this would make the protagonist sympathetic" instead of "this is how a real teenager would act," but all-in-all an honest look at the off-balance dependency in teenage relationships.
I love the title, but the pink cover has got to go. This isn't fluff romance. In fact, there isn't really any romance in it. Unless you consider friends that creep into your soul and change you romantic. Love maybe, but not romance. And despite what the title sounds like, there is no fantasy, unless you count some guy who calls into the radio claiming he can travel time fantasy.
October 7, 2024
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 than it already does.
I'm mad at Jonah for being so selfish at times. But also mad for him, all those things happening to him ... The horrors he had to go through ... *shakesHeadSadly* No one should have to go through things like these. His father definitely was an as*, I'm not sure what he did was forgiveable in any way. Apparently Jonah saw it the same way.
Bea's mother was awful, calling her OWN daughter a heartless robot, every time Bea didn't feel or act the same way she did (her father isn't without faults either), though she (aka Bea) did a few times remind me of a certain someone ... You might know her (or not)
I'm finished writing. And STILL mad. And sad.
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 than it already does.
I'm mad at Jonah for being so selfish at times. But also mad for him, all those things happening to him ... The horrors he had to go through ... *shakesHeadSadly* No one should have to go through things like these. His father definitely was an as*, I'm not sure what he did was forgiveable in any way. Apparently Jonah saw it the same way.
Bea's mother was awful, calling her OWN daughter a heartless robot, every time Bea didn't feel or act the same way she did (her father isn't without faults either), though she (aka Bea) did a few times remind me of a certain someone ... You might know her (or not)
I'm finished writing. And STILL mad. And sad.
March 1, 2015
The best YA book that I have read in a long time. The end of this book, the sadness and the wisdom of it, kind of destroyed any ability that I have to write about it coherently. Here are things that I loved about it in list form:
a.) High school is a time of insecurity, but thankfully a lot of this book is about acceptance: accepting that boys and girls can be just friends, accepting that true love is not always romantic, accepting that you don't always have to find lost things. Bea and Jonah have off-kilter interests for 17 year olds (the John Waters film Female Trouble and hanging out with older people from an old-fashioned nighttime radio show, to name a few) and this also seems totally normal and unquestioned. I like that.
b.) Speaking of John Waters, the kids' interests kind of gave this book a throwback, Hairspray-sort of feel. I wonder if that's what Sandiford was going for, since it is set in Baltimore and though I've never been to Ocean City, MD, her description of it made it seem vividly kitschy. I want to live in Bea and Jonah's world.
c.) Oh, that whole sadness and wisdom thing. Standiford's take on the natural cycle of a friendship is heartbreakingly smart. I hope that it will help heal teens growing apart from someone they love. This book didn't end up on my "cried" shelf, but it would have made the "swallowed down the lump in my throat" shelf easily.
Which, I guess, is a good lead-in for the only criticism I had of the book. I felt Bea and Jonah's closeness was authentic in the middle through the end of the book, but it seemed rushed in the beginning. Bea talks to Jonah at the party, listens to his radio show recommendation, and in the next month they're inseparable. What propels this attraction between them? That wasn't really explored too much but it is an interesting subject, especially since a large point of the book was that boys and girls can love each other and want to be together always without being in love.
That aside, this is one book I'll definitely be recommending at work if given the chance.
a.) High school is a time of insecurity, but thankfully a lot of this book is about acceptance: accepting that boys and girls can be just friends, accepting that true love is not always romantic, accepting that you don't always have to find lost things. Bea and Jonah have off-kilter interests for 17 year olds (the John Waters film Female Trouble and hanging out with older people from an old-fashioned nighttime radio show, to name a few) and this also seems totally normal and unquestioned. I like that.
b.) Speaking of John Waters, the kids' interests kind of gave this book a throwback, Hairspray-sort of feel. I wonder if that's what Sandiford was going for, since it is set in Baltimore and though I've never been to Ocean City, MD, her description of it made it seem vividly kitschy. I want to live in Bea and Jonah's world.
c.) Oh, that whole sadness and wisdom thing. Standiford's take on the natural cycle of a friendship is heartbreakingly smart. I hope that it will help heal teens growing apart from someone they love. This book didn't end up on my "cried" shelf, but it would have made the "swallowed down the lump in my throat" shelf easily.
Which, I guess, is a good lead-in for the only criticism I had of the book. I felt Bea and Jonah's closeness was authentic in the middle through the end of the book, but it seemed rushed in the beginning. Bea talks to Jonah at the party, listens to his radio show recommendation, and in the next month they're inseparable. What propels this attraction between them? That wasn't really explored too much but it is an interesting subject, especially since a large point of the book was that boys and girls can love each other and want to be together always without being in love.
That aside, this is one book I'll definitely be recommending at work if given the chance.
April 16, 2015
WHAT IS IT ABOUT?
Natalie Standiford’s realistic young adult novel “How to Say Goodbye in Robot” centers around Beatrice Szabo, who just moved to Baltimore, MD and has to start her senior year in high school as a “new girl.” Because of Mr. Szabo’s job as a biology professor, Bea’s family never stays in one place for too long. As a result, Bea has learned not to get too attached to anything, let it be her house, neighborhood or friends. However, at the new school she develops an unexpectedly strong friendship with Jonah, a.k.a. Ghost Boy, who hasn’t made new friends since the third grade. They listen to The Night Lights, a late night radio show, share secrets, make future plans, and help each other more than they can imagine.
THUMBS UP:
1) Not simply black and white.
In “How to Say Goodbye in Robot,” there are no heroes or villains; the teen characters are not perfect as they do dumb, mean or selfish things, but they also have some redeeming qualities, which make then realistic and often likable. For example, Bea’s classmates - Anne Sweeney, AWAE (Ann Without An E) and Tom Garber - are nice and friendly enough but, just like typical teenagers, sometimes can be rather callous. Even Bea herself is far away from perfect but she is genuine, honest and thus very likable.
2) Unique.
The Night Lights radio show with its quirky, unique and very lovable listeners is by far my favorite part of “How to Say Goodbye in Robot.” However, recurring radio show transcripts are not the only unique feature of this book. Bea and Jonah’s relationship is also quite unusual. In fact, it is so unusual that I am struggling to find the right word to describe it: it’s not a romance yet it’s definitely love.
3) Surprising ending.
The ending is nothing I could have ever anticipated: it’s messy and incomplete, infuriating and heartbreaking but strangely apt and also somewhat hopeful.
COULD BE BETTER:
1) Hard to connect.
Although I understood the seriousness and depth of the book, and appreciated realistic and multidimensional teen characters, I had a hard time connecting with the story and relating to the characters. It might have something to do with the fact that I didn’t really like Jonah and the way he treats other people, especially Bea. I understand that the life hasn’t been easy for him, but it’s not an excuse to hurt your only friend, or anyone else, for that matter - it’s just mean and simply selfish. At times I was also annoyed by Beatrice’s attachment to Jonah - he is clearly not worth it!
2) Negative portrayal of parents.
Although the teens in “How to Say Goodbye in Robot” are multidimensional and realistic, their parents are portrayed mostly negatively: they are distant, oblivious and quite selfish with few to none redeeming qualities. I especially disliked Bea’s mom: all she cares about is herself! Jonah’s dad is terrible as well but at least he thinks he is doing what is best for Jonah…
VERDICT: 3 out of 5
“How to Say Goodbye in Robot” by Natalie Standiford is a heartbreaking story about a unique friendship, but although teen characters are realistic and multidimensional, not all of them are likable or easy to relate to. Plus, the portrayal of their parents is mostly negative.
Natalie Standiford’s realistic young adult novel “How to Say Goodbye in Robot” centers around Beatrice Szabo, who just moved to Baltimore, MD and has to start her senior year in high school as a “new girl.” Because of Mr. Szabo’s job as a biology professor, Bea’s family never stays in one place for too long. As a result, Bea has learned not to get too attached to anything, let it be her house, neighborhood or friends. However, at the new school she develops an unexpectedly strong friendship with Jonah, a.k.a. Ghost Boy, who hasn’t made new friends since the third grade. They listen to The Night Lights, a late night radio show, share secrets, make future plans, and help each other more than they can imagine.
THUMBS UP:
1) Not simply black and white.
In “How to Say Goodbye in Robot,” there are no heroes or villains; the teen characters are not perfect as they do dumb, mean or selfish things, but they also have some redeeming qualities, which make then realistic and often likable. For example, Bea’s classmates - Anne Sweeney, AWAE (Ann Without An E) and Tom Garber - are nice and friendly enough but, just like typical teenagers, sometimes can be rather callous. Even Bea herself is far away from perfect but she is genuine, honest and thus very likable.
2) Unique.
The Night Lights radio show with its quirky, unique and very lovable listeners is by far my favorite part of “How to Say Goodbye in Robot.” However, recurring radio show transcripts are not the only unique feature of this book. Bea and Jonah’s relationship is also quite unusual. In fact, it is so unusual that I am struggling to find the right word to describe it: it’s not a romance yet it’s definitely love.
3) Surprising ending.
The ending is nothing I could have ever anticipated: it’s messy and incomplete, infuriating and heartbreaking but strangely apt and also somewhat hopeful.
COULD BE BETTER:
1) Hard to connect.
Although I understood the seriousness and depth of the book, and appreciated realistic and multidimensional teen characters, I had a hard time connecting with the story and relating to the characters. It might have something to do with the fact that I didn’t really like Jonah and the way he treats other people, especially Bea. I understand that the life hasn’t been easy for him, but it’s not an excuse to hurt your only friend, or anyone else, for that matter - it’s just mean and simply selfish. At times I was also annoyed by Beatrice’s attachment to Jonah - he is clearly not worth it!
2) Negative portrayal of parents.
Although the teens in “How to Say Goodbye in Robot” are multidimensional and realistic, their parents are portrayed mostly negatively: they are distant, oblivious and quite selfish with few to none redeeming qualities. I especially disliked Bea’s mom: all she cares about is herself! Jonah’s dad is terrible as well but at least he thinks he is doing what is best for Jonah…
VERDICT: 3 out of 5
“How to Say Goodbye in Robot” by Natalie Standiford is a heartbreaking story about a unique friendship, but although teen characters are realistic and multidimensional, not all of them are likable or easy to relate to. Plus, the portrayal of their parents is mostly negative.
May 3, 2012
This book revolves around Beatrice's intense, demanding relationship with Jonah. They're not exactly dating, and their relationship is too emotionally loaded to call it simply friendship. Not that it's a great relationship. Jonah is codependent and demanding, and can lash out at Bea for things that aren't her fault. But he makes her feel special and understood when others don't. I have to give Standiford a lot of credit for writing this relationship realistically, without making Jonah a villain or romantic hero.
I also really liked Bea's voice, which was so honest and real. I especially felt for her when dealing with her mother. That situation is, realistically, not resolved neatly. Also not neatly resolved are her relationship with Jonah, and her feelings towards him. Jonah himself remains somewhat mysterious to the end. The supporting cast at their high school are also nicely done. There are no saintly new friends, or thoroughly evil bullies. There are, however, teenagers who are sometimes warm and friendly, but also sometimes callous.
The Night Lights radio show was a fun and different addition. I liked the characters Jonah and Bea encountered through the show. Especially Myrna, whose heart still belongs to Elvis.
I was really impressed with this book, and I'll be happy to read more from Standiford in the future.
I also really liked Bea's voice, which was so honest and real. I especially felt for her when dealing with her mother. That situation is, realistically, not resolved neatly. Also not neatly resolved are her relationship with Jonah, and her feelings towards him. Jonah himself remains somewhat mysterious to the end. The supporting cast at their high school are also nicely done. There are no saintly new friends, or thoroughly evil bullies. There are, however, teenagers who are sometimes warm and friendly, but also sometimes callous.
The Night Lights radio show was a fun and different addition. I liked the characters Jonah and Bea encountered through the show. Especially Myrna, whose heart still belongs to Elvis.
I was really impressed with this book, and I'll be happy to read more from Standiford in the future.
June 26, 2011
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 professor), but I don't understand how her and Jonah's relationship is anything but unhealthy. Jonah is a loner and has some major family issues--his father told him his mentally disabled twin brother died when actually he's been locked away in an institution for ten years--and he's been bullied by his schoolmates and called "Ghost Boy" because he doesn't really interact with the world and has no friends. Yes, I feel sorry for Jonah... his dad is an asshole. But I didn't like how he dealt with it, and took away all of Beatrice's decision-making. Sorry dude, you are no Cameron Quick.
Anyway, he forms a bond with Beatrice by inviting her to listen to this late night radio show where listeners can call in. I don't really know what they see in each other... it's not romance, it's something else, like they are each other's lifelines. Well, maybe Beatrice is his, but what does she see in him? Does she want to save him? (You can guess how I feel about those books.)
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 professor), but I don't understand how her and Jonah's relationship is anything but unhealthy. Jonah is a loner and has some major family issues--his father told him his mentally disabled twin brother died when actually he's been locked away in an institution for ten years--and he's been bullied by his schoolmates and called "Ghost Boy" because he doesn't really interact with the world and has no friends. Yes, I feel sorry for Jonah... his dad is an asshole. But I didn't like how he dealt with it, and took away all of Beatrice's decision-making. Sorry dude, you are no Cameron Quick.
Anyway, he forms a bond with Beatrice by inviting her to listen to this late night radio show where listeners can call in. I don't really know what they see in each other... it's not romance, it's something else, like they are each other's lifelines. Well, maybe Beatrice is his, but what does she see in him? Does she want to save him? (You can guess how I feel about those books.)
January 30, 2014
This is the third Natalie Standiford book I've read, and I believe it was her debut. I enjoy her writing style - it's direct and concise, like the journalist that she is. She also writes about quirky things and quirky characters, which I also list. But I felt like I just didn't connect with this book - even though the concept of platonic friends and self-discovery is one I usually like.
A big part of this was the characters - while they were well-developed and authentic, I personally didn't have a connection with Bea or Jonah. Both characters are very stand-offish, and it was hard for me to love them. In fact, I found Jonah to be quite unlikeable and rather whiny. He does have reason to be this way, but because the book relies so heavily on their friendship, and the reader being charmed or drawn into that relationship, I felt like I was reading as an observer more than as someone who was really into the story.
That said, two things stood out to me: one was the late-night lonely souls radio show that Jonah and Bea listened to every night. I admit to being very charmed by the callers, and I liked that Standiford gave us more than just their voices - we really got to see the characters behind them and how they affected Bea and Jonah. The other thing that was done really well were the relationships between Bea, her parents, her other school friends, and Jonah and his family. The storylines and characters wove together nicely, and it was interesting to see the parallels between the relationships.
Bonuses:
Credit: jonasaddict2
Friendship vs. Romance - you know how sometimes you're just not sure whether you're in a relationship or not, but whatever you're in feels much more meaningful than "boyfriend" or "girlfriend"? That's what Bea and Jonah have, and it's refreshing to read a book about that rather than just straight romance.
The Final Word:
HOW TO SAY GOODBYE IN ROBOT is a solid read - I can see people really loving it, and others feeling the same as I did. Ultimately, I think whether you like the book or not comes down to how much you like and connect with the extremely quirky characters.
Are you into quirky, sometimes unlikeable characters in your books? Do your books have to have romance, or are you okay with just friendship or maybe even something in between? Would you pick up HOW TO SAY GOODBYE in ROBOT? Let me know in the comments!
Review originally posted at Mostly YA Lit
A big part of this was the characters - while they were well-developed and authentic, I personally didn't have a connection with Bea or Jonah. Both characters are very stand-offish, and it was hard for me to love them. In fact, I found Jonah to be quite unlikeable and rather whiny. He does have reason to be this way, but because the book relies so heavily on their friendship, and the reader being charmed or drawn into that relationship, I felt like I was reading as an observer more than as someone who was really into the story.
That said, two things stood out to me: one was the late-night lonely souls radio show that Jonah and Bea listened to every night. I admit to being very charmed by the callers, and I liked that Standiford gave us more than just their voices - we really got to see the characters behind them and how they affected Bea and Jonah. The other thing that was done really well were the relationships between Bea, her parents, her other school friends, and Jonah and his family. The storylines and characters wove together nicely, and it was interesting to see the parallels between the relationships.
Bonuses:
Credit: jonasaddict2
Friendship vs. Romance - you know how sometimes you're just not sure whether you're in a relationship or not, but whatever you're in feels much more meaningful than "boyfriend" or "girlfriend"? That's what Bea and Jonah have, and it's refreshing to read a book about that rather than just straight romance.
The Final Word:
HOW TO SAY GOODBYE IN ROBOT is a solid read - I can see people really loving it, and others feeling the same as I did. Ultimately, I think whether you like the book or not comes down to how much you like and connect with the extremely quirky characters.
Are you into quirky, sometimes unlikeable characters in your books? Do your books have to have romance, or are you okay with just friendship or maybe even something in between? Would you pick up HOW TO SAY GOODBYE in ROBOT? Let me know in the comments!
Review originally posted at Mostly YA Lit
October 17, 2013
How to Say Goodbye in Robot is the book that broke my heart. And by broke it, I mean, I haven't smiled or felt so much or cried so hard since I read Hold Still by Nina LaCour. I couldn't stop reading it until I'd finished it at two in the morning and then I couldn't sleep afterwards because I was thinking about it so much. That's not to say that my heart is a particularly fragile affair, but it a heart that isn't too easy to sway. So when a book takes it and gives it a big, hard squeeze, I feel obligated to advise my fellow book worms that yes, this book is AMAZING. Funny and sad and hope-filled and amazing.
Beatrice is a great character and her relationship with Jonah is such a strange and lovely aspect of the book. I found her funny, sarcastic but not obnoxious, and completely likable. I find that the more and more I read, the harder I am to please when it comes to YA novels, or any other type of book, particularly in regards to character development. I find myself searching for flaws, placing them in my imagination like, "if you were a real person, would I like you? Do you act or talk like a real person? Do I care about your journey?" And with both Beatrice and Jonah, the answer is yes. Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes *descends into tears*..
I didn't intend to have the emotional response that I did to this book. I thought, well, isn't this pleasant, I'm enjoying myself, but then, oh boy, did I get involved. It really is the mark of a good book if the reader gets so invested that they feel like this fictional world is *their* world. I was a HOT MESS after I finished this book. It struck a chord so deep inside me that I immediately messaged my best friend to tell them how much I love and appreciate him. But even though I was like, sobbing into my pillow at two in the morning, I was so filled with bitter sweet hope and jittery love and the fresh memory of a beautiful tale that it didn't matter that I was upset. I feel like I've achieved something, just by reading this story that broke my heart, and I think I may even be better for it. *THAT's* how good I found it. *THAT's* how much it touched and inspired me.
Beep boop beep beep bop beep boop. That's how you say, I loved this book. In Robot.
Beatrice is a great character and her relationship with Jonah is such a strange and lovely aspect of the book. I found her funny, sarcastic but not obnoxious, and completely likable. I find that the more and more I read, the harder I am to please when it comes to YA novels, or any other type of book, particularly in regards to character development. I find myself searching for flaws, placing them in my imagination like, "if you were a real person, would I like you? Do you act or talk like a real person? Do I care about your journey?" And with both Beatrice and Jonah, the answer is yes. Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes *descends into tears*..
I didn't intend to have the emotional response that I did to this book. I thought, well, isn't this pleasant, I'm enjoying myself, but then, oh boy, did I get involved. It really is the mark of a good book if the reader gets so invested that they feel like this fictional world is *their* world. I was a HOT MESS after I finished this book. It struck a chord so deep inside me that I immediately messaged my best friend to tell them how much I love and appreciate him. But even though I was like, sobbing into my pillow at two in the morning, I was so filled with bitter sweet hope and jittery love and the fresh memory of a beautiful tale that it didn't matter that I was upset. I feel like I've achieved something, just by reading this story that broke my heart, and I think I may even be better for it. *THAT's* how good I found it. *THAT's* how much it touched and inspired me.
Beep boop beep beep bop beep boop. That's how you say, I loved this book. In Robot.
January 14, 2016
আসলেই পুরোপুরি না পড়ে কিংবা শুধু কাহিনী সংক্ষেপ পড়ে কোন বই কে বিচার করা ঠিক না। বইটা যেরকম ভাবে শুরু হয়েছিল আমার মনেই হয় নাই যে শেষটা এমন ভাবে হবে। আমি মনে করেছিলাম যে টিপিকাল ইয়াং এডাল্ট রোমান্স হবে। কিন্তু সামনের দিকে আরো বেশী পড়ার সাথে সাথে বইটা সম্পরকে আমার ভাবনাও পালট��� গেছে। দুই জন টিনেজার এর অন্ধকারাচ্ছন্ন, ডিপ্রেসড লাইফ থেকে আলোর দিকে আসার গল্প, সাথে আছে চমতকার একটা রেডিও শো। অনেক দিন মনে থাকবে কাহিনীটা।
February 2, 2016
as of February 1st: I underestimated the power of this book because I'm still in this weird limbo of a book hangover and I keep thinking about it.
Well, this was definitely something. I just finished it not even half an hour ago and I'm mad and sad and heartbroken and I feel like drinking three cups of tea and sleeping.
First off, I'm removing all and any expectations of romance—the summary says it, flat out, that what Bea and Jonah find in each other isn't really romance (at all, honestly), but it is love in a very quirky, peculiar and deep kind of way. Second off (I don't think I've ever heard someone use that so oops), I think this book might be an acquired taste because it's just that, everything Bea and Jonah had together: strange and complicated and deep and not at all what you think it's going to be. The writing style has its own unique kind of poetry to it, but it's written in first person (Bea being the narrator) and the characters are bizarre some (most) times—especially some of the callers on the radio show.
Nevertheless, the entire story is told with a strong voice that seems to echo around somehow. The relationships between characters were so tangled yet so tightly woven that it was heartbreaking when things fell apart and even when things came together. The ending shattered something inside of me. Not to the point where I cried or anything, but in the way that I had to sit here and take it in slowly, like I had to steep on it and reread the last chapter two times, the second time being much slower than the first, and then all I could say was, "Oh." Because it hurt.
“The whole world is pressing in on me, like a weight on my chest, slowly pushing me down and down. And there’s nothing between me and this weight but my flimsy skin. It’s not enough. It won’t protect me. It doesn’t keep anything out. The outside will keep pressing in until my ribs are crushed, and then my organs, my heart and liver and stomach...”
“Jonah—”
“It hurts, Bea. It really hurts.”
Everything was believable, though—Bea, Jonah, the girls at school, Bea's parents and especially the Night Lights. These characters were so real and so deep, I feel like I lived it and that is such a fantastic feeling. As heartbreaking as the book might have been in the end. I wanted to feel some kind of hope and it hurt to have none, but when I think about it, I think it was the most fitting. It's a warning: it's going to hurt. You're going to love these characters, be intrigued and even mesmerized by some, and it's going to hurt a lot, but I wouldn't change it for anything. There's no other way this book could have possibly ended. It would have never felt right if everything was okay and hopeful and cotton candy in the end.
So yes. I would recommend this to people and as I did, I would tell them that urban legend about razor blades in Halloween candy, and then tell them to go nuts. Because that was this book.
January 3, 2015
This is the kind of book that takes me almost two months to finish because I just cannot be bothered.
It's quirky and sad and sombre, and that's what makes it the sort of thing that should blow my mind and hit me hard, but every single emotion it tackles is so abstract and generic that the MCs never quite managed to turn into real live meat beings for me.
It's potentially interesting, but it is also very concise, and the character and relationship development are uncreative and superficial, compared to what the blurb would have you think.
It is atmospheric, and it did leave me sad and emotional, but not because I gave a damn about the actual characters.
Also, at times things happen. Things that shouldn't happen.
Like this one:
It's quirky and sad and sombre, and that's what makes it the sort of thing that should blow my mind and hit me hard, but every single emotion it tackles is so abstract and generic that the MCs never quite managed to turn into real live meat beings for me.
It's potentially interesting, but it is also very concise, and the character and relationship development are uncreative and superficial, compared to what the blurb would have you think.
It is atmospheric, and it did leave me sad and emotional, but not because I gave a damn about the actual characters.
Also, at times things happen. Things that shouldn't happen.
Like this one:
I had more to say to Jonah, but I wanted to say it without making noise. [They are in a library.] So I stiffened my torso and bowed from the waist, jerking my arms [...].And that, girls and boys, is how you settle an argument like a serious, rational person.
"I'm yelling at you," I said. "In Robot."
October 28, 2009
This book is a little hard to review without giving spoilers, but the last thing I want to do is take away from your reading because you're going to want to read this one. There's just something about it... Maybe it's the fact that it captures that high school feeling of being displaced and unsettled so perfectly - displaced when you move from town to town, and displaced by things happening in your own family. It's a book about outcasts and how they can sometimes find one another and be more than they were before. It's about lonely voices in the night, calling into a midnight radio show (this was my favorite part of this book, hands down!). And it's about the people who touch our lives and make a difference, even if they can't stay.
There. Now that I've thoroughly confused you, go read the book. It's funny and poignant and wonderful.
There. Now that I've thoroughly confused you, go read the book. It's funny and poignant and wonderful.
January 13, 2010
Reviewed by Sally Kruger aka "Readingjunky" for TeensReadToo.com
If you are looking for something a little different for your next reading experience, pick up a copy of HOW TO SAY GOODBYE IN ROBOT by Natalie Standiford.
Bea is used to moving around. Her father, a college professor, is always on the lookout for new challenges, so they have moved from one college town to another over the years. This move is a bit more unsettling since it's Bea's senior year, and for some unknown reason, her mother is acting strange.
After basically deciding to just coast through this final year of high school and just bide her time until she can head off to college on her own, Bea is pleasantly surprised when she actually makes a few friends. One of the most interesting people is someone everyone calls Ghost Boy. His name is Jonah, but since elementary school his quiet manner and pale complexion have made him the target of ridicule.
A friendship begins to develop between Bea and Jonah when he leaves her a note suggesting that she tune in to a late night radio talk show called Night Lights. As Bea listens to the odd characters who call in every night, she imagines Jonah in his darkened room listening, too. They find they have more and more in common and both feel comfortable when they are together.
As they grow closer, Jonah confides in Bea and tells her about his twin brother, killed years before in a car accident along with their mother. He is convinced that Matthew is really still alive and asks Bea's help in the search to find him.
There are many unique twists and turns to keep readers interested. Both Bea and Jonah have parent issues. Bea's mother's behavior is increasingly bizarre, which both annoys and worries Bea. Jonah has lived with his unemotional father all these years, but now emotions are running on high as Jonah questions the truth about his long-lost twin. Scattered throughout the narrative are glimpses into the Night Lights radio program in the form of dialogue sections highlighting the callers' comments and questions.
Overall, HOW TO SAY GOODBYE IN ROBOT is a captivating book just unique enough to make it stand apart from the usual adventure, drinking/sex party, vampire romance books that seem to be filling the YA shelves of late. This book is a worthy addition to any library, classroom, or personal collection.
If you are looking for something a little different for your next reading experience, pick up a copy of HOW TO SAY GOODBYE IN ROBOT by Natalie Standiford.
Bea is used to moving around. Her father, a college professor, is always on the lookout for new challenges, so they have moved from one college town to another over the years. This move is a bit more unsettling since it's Bea's senior year, and for some unknown reason, her mother is acting strange.
After basically deciding to just coast through this final year of high school and just bide her time until she can head off to college on her own, Bea is pleasantly surprised when she actually makes a few friends. One of the most interesting people is someone everyone calls Ghost Boy. His name is Jonah, but since elementary school his quiet manner and pale complexion have made him the target of ridicule.
A friendship begins to develop between Bea and Jonah when he leaves her a note suggesting that she tune in to a late night radio talk show called Night Lights. As Bea listens to the odd characters who call in every night, she imagines Jonah in his darkened room listening, too. They find they have more and more in common and both feel comfortable when they are together.
As they grow closer, Jonah confides in Bea and tells her about his twin brother, killed years before in a car accident along with their mother. He is convinced that Matthew is really still alive and asks Bea's help in the search to find him.
There are many unique twists and turns to keep readers interested. Both Bea and Jonah have parent issues. Bea's mother's behavior is increasingly bizarre, which both annoys and worries Bea. Jonah has lived with his unemotional father all these years, but now emotions are running on high as Jonah questions the truth about his long-lost twin. Scattered throughout the narrative are glimpses into the Night Lights radio program in the form of dialogue sections highlighting the callers' comments and questions.
Overall, HOW TO SAY GOODBYE IN ROBOT is a captivating book just unique enough to make it stand apart from the usual adventure, drinking/sex party, vampire romance books that seem to be filling the YA shelves of late. This book is a worthy addition to any library, classroom, or personal collection.
October 3, 2009
This first standalone book by the author of the Dating Game series is odd, but definitely heart-wrenching. With a cast of unusual and quirky characters, it’ll bring out the subconscious desire in all of us to explore all of our eccentricities.
Bea is a wonderful narrator, caught in between troubles at home, the cookie-cutter Barbie girls at school who try to draw her into their folds, and Jonah. She considers herself inhuman, lacking in human emotions—that’s why she calls herself “Robot Girl”—and yet we’re able to empathize with her and still root for her. Jonah may seem like your average high school misfit, the one no one wants to talk to because he’s that antisocial, but somehow we still care about him and want to help him be happier. Standiford creates characters that are flawed but still sympathetic, which never ceases to be an incredible accomplishment.
However, I had some difficulty believing in Bea and Jonah’s relationship. It seemed to me to start really quickly and suddenly transform into an inexplicably intense and life-transforming friendship. Pray, where was the development of the relationship? Why are Bea’s feelings for Jonah so strong when he constantly treats her cruelly? I liked Bea and Jonah at separate characters, but I was never able to figure out how they were supposed to work as a platonic “couple.”
Nevertheless, HOW TO SAY GOODBYE IN ROBOT is a read that will stay with you because of its defiance of conventions in YA lit. It’s not your typical romance, it doesn’t have your usual kinds of characters, and it certainly does not have an ideal ending. And yet it all works. HOW TO SAY GOODBYE IN ROBOT will leave you with your heart clenched and fists pressed against your eyes to prevent the tears from coming out. It is truly original and poignant in all its weirdness.
Bea is a wonderful narrator, caught in between troubles at home, the cookie-cutter Barbie girls at school who try to draw her into their folds, and Jonah. She considers herself inhuman, lacking in human emotions—that’s why she calls herself “Robot Girl”—and yet we’re able to empathize with her and still root for her. Jonah may seem like your average high school misfit, the one no one wants to talk to because he’s that antisocial, but somehow we still care about him and want to help him be happier. Standiford creates characters that are flawed but still sympathetic, which never ceases to be an incredible accomplishment.
However, I had some difficulty believing in Bea and Jonah’s relationship. It seemed to me to start really quickly and suddenly transform into an inexplicably intense and life-transforming friendship. Pray, where was the development of the relationship? Why are Bea’s feelings for Jonah so strong when he constantly treats her cruelly? I liked Bea and Jonah at separate characters, but I was never able to figure out how they were supposed to work as a platonic “couple.”
Nevertheless, HOW TO SAY GOODBYE IN ROBOT is a read that will stay with you because of its defiance of conventions in YA lit. It’s not your typical romance, it doesn’t have your usual kinds of characters, and it certainly does not have an ideal ending. And yet it all works. HOW TO SAY GOODBYE IN ROBOT will leave you with your heart clenched and fists pressed against your eyes to prevent the tears from coming out. It is truly original and poignant in all its weirdness.
August 26, 2016
3.5 stars Beatrice and her family relocate to Baltimore just in time for her senior year in high school. She attends a small private school with only 40 seniors so everyone pretty much hangs out together by default. So even though the rest of the class has been together since kindergarten, there is none of that "you're an outsider" stuff here. There is one exception to this; Jonah, also known as Ghost Boy. He's been a loner since his mother and twin brother died in a car accident when he was around 7. He lives with his father. The two are not very close.
Jonah and Bea become inseparable best friends. They spend their days together at school and their nights together(each in their own bedroom)listening to a late night talk radio show which attracts loners and offbeat characters. My favorite scene in the book was when the radio host took a few lucky listeners on an imaginary magic carpet ride high over Baltimore. It was sad and beautiful at the same time.
There's lots of teen angst. Not surprising with all the issues that go along with the end of something crashing into the beginning of something new and different. At the same time, Bea's parents are struggling with their marriage. Her father deals with it by disappearing into his job. Her mother deals with it by going a little wacky.
The writing is wonderful and fun.I love bea's voice. Here's her description of the hot boy at school: Before he sat down, my internal heat-seekers sensed what was coming my way: deep blue eyes that melted girls like Velveeta in a microwave. I tried to resist those microwave eyes, but sometimes there's no defense against them.
This book is quietly special. A lot of character development at a leisurely pace.
Jonah and Bea become inseparable best friends. They spend their days together at school and their nights together(each in their own bedroom)listening to a late night talk radio show which attracts loners and offbeat characters. My favorite scene in the book was when the radio host took a few lucky listeners on an imaginary magic carpet ride high over Baltimore. It was sad and beautiful at the same time.
There's lots of teen angst. Not surprising with all the issues that go along with the end of something crashing into the beginning of something new and different. At the same time, Bea's parents are struggling with their marriage. Her father deals with it by disappearing into his job. Her mother deals with it by going a little wacky.
The writing is wonderful and fun.I love bea's voice. Here's her description of the hot boy at school: Before he sat down, my internal heat-seekers sensed what was coming my way: deep blue eyes that melted girls like Velveeta in a microwave. I tried to resist those microwave eyes, but sometimes there's no defense against them.
This book is quietly special. A lot of character development at a leisurely pace.
December 2, 2015
I was hopeful with how this books started, but so disappointed now that I am done with it.
It starts off with a girl who moves and starts a new school. She has an interesting outlook on life for a teenage girl, and a great quirky relationship with her mom. Or, so I thought.
Warning of spoilers, even though I'm not even sure if it would be spoiling anything.
She meets Jonah, who is her boyfriend-friend-not boyfriend (so confusing). The way that their relationship is written is so puzzling. Why go back and forth? It wasn't creating any other emotion other than confusion. Then her mom starts getting sick and acting strange, which I took as she was hiding the fact that she had a severe illness from her child. Instead, they throw in that fact that she had an affair, and now her dad is moving out. What?
Jonah goes on a search for answers about his dead brother, who ends of not being dead, but then dies. Then Jonah disappears and that is the end.
I really don't even know the purpose of this story, there wasn't really any development. I could have abandoned this book about 50 pages in, if it weren't for my weird need to finish things.
It starts off with a girl who moves and starts a new school. She has an interesting outlook on life for a teenage girl, and a great quirky relationship with her mom. Or, so I thought.
Warning of spoilers, even though I'm not even sure if it would be spoiling anything.
She meets Jonah, who is her boyfriend-friend-not boyfriend (so confusing). The way that their relationship is written is so puzzling. Why go back and forth? It wasn't creating any other emotion other than confusion. Then her mom starts getting sick and acting strange, which I took as she was hiding the fact that she had a severe illness from her child. Instead, they throw in that fact that she had an affair, and now her dad is moving out. What?
Jonah goes on a search for answers about his dead brother, who ends of not being dead, but then dies. Then Jonah disappears and that is the end.
I really don't even know the purpose of this story, there wasn't really any development. I could have abandoned this book about 50 pages in, if it weren't for my weird need to finish things.
March 5, 2015
I was prepared to give this book 2 stars, and then... THAT ENDING! I almost gave it 4 stars just for it!
But I couldn't... I mean, I started liking the book, but fall out of it pretty fast, this is a sad story and I couldn't empathize with the characters :/ which is strange for me... And I still don't know if it was because of the way it was written or if it was the personality of the main character... I'm still confused. Still, maybe it was just me... I've been very busy lately, and felt like I was dragging it, like I wanted to finished it because I was so bored and wanted to get over it already so I could move on to a more interesting book...
But again WOW, THAT ENDING! It was worth it.
But I couldn't... I mean, I started liking the book, but fall out of it pretty fast, this is a sad story and I couldn't empathize with the characters :/ which is strange for me... And I still don't know if it was because of the way it was written or if it was the personality of the main character... I'm still confused. Still, maybe it was just me... I've been very busy lately, and felt like I was dragging it, like I wanted to finished it because I was so bored and wanted to get over it already so I could move on to a more interesting book...
But again WOW, THAT ENDING! It was worth it.
May 30, 2014
brutally honest and absolutely beautiful. I never read anything like this and I couldn't put the book down.
June 16, 2012
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 pretty pink cover of How to Say Goodbye in Robot (seriously, this is the main reason why Scholastic is tied for top of my dream publisher list - gorgeous cover work), and Maggie enthusiastically endorses it as one of those books that can be totally seen in your mind as a movie.
Just another piece of evidence to prove that Maggie is awesome.
You should know that already.
So, as our heroine, we have Bea. She's just moved to a new town with her 'rents (both of whom are strange and broken in their own right, in my honest opinion). The thing that caught my attention about Bea straight away was the way she reacts to her mother calling her heartless and a robot. I don't know about you, but I think most teenagers go through this constant second-guessing of themselves - if they're feeling the right way, reacting the right way, thinking the right things as everyone else. Bea's really considering herself as a robot girl really touched a chord somehow, somewhere.
Of course, a true-to-life teenage girl like Bea can't just wind up with a cliche friend who crushes on Zac Efron and paints her toenails Sunset Passion. So, we are introduced to Ghost Boy - a.k.a. Jonah, who is pretty much ignored by the rest of the student body, but has some hidden skeletons in his family closet and a mutual passion that pulls Bea into his small, isolated world.
A radio station.
And not just any radio station. A quirky, local station, run by a man that calls himself Herb. A station where it isn't unusual for callers to ring in for an evening ride on "the magic carpet", or read poems they wrote themselves, or obsess over Elvis Presley. It's a little family of its own, united by being outsiders, for embracing their quirks whether others would rather hide it away and be part of the norm.
Yes. You really want to read this now, don't you?
Even in a novel, though, friendship doesn't run smoothly. The world doesn't stop turning for happy little moments of mutual radio-station listens or ditching prom or art contests. The ways that Bea and Jonah get pulled in opposite directions are depicted so accurately, it can't help but make your heart ache. In particular, Jonah's struggle with his father over his brain-dead twin, Matthew, really made me wish that it would all work out, because it's fiction and it's just got to have a happy ending...right?
I won't tell you whether it does or doesn't, but I will tell you that it is a bit sad. Definite hanky warning for this one.
The one thing I must return to in this novel, again and again, is how the author keeps it real. Of course, I did wish she'd avoided the cliche underage drinking party, where the protagonist wanders about bemoaning his/her existence and wondering why he/she even came and seeing the guy/girl he/she is/was interested in macking on another person. But besides that little snag, the rest of it pretty much is authentic. Bea and Jonah could be that quiet pair in the cafeteria you don't say hi to, or idling away their time on the lawn of some closed appliance store, speaking to themselves in voices that don't carry to your curious ears.
It's the beauty of being a YA writer when you can actually see these things come to life, on a sheet of white paper. Maggie is right. How to Say Goodbye in Robot would make a wonderful movie.
Just, again, I feel the need to warn you: it's not all rainbows and butterflies. I felt the need to smack one or both of Bea's parents at different intervals while I read. Jonah's dad isn't much better, and the high school kids...well, I think after reading YA for a while, you know how some of them can behave. And don't expect all the i's to be dotted and t's crossed and everyone to drift away on a breeze of soft, scented air and bright smiles as the credits roll across the screen.
This is not a Disney Channel Original movie sort of wonderful.
I think you have to read it for yourself to see what I mean. I can't think of how else to explain it.
I still wish she'd made Jonah a girl, though.
Warnings (or, stuff that makes me cringe into my popcorn bucket at the movies): Language. Of course. And then there's a character death, a parent indulges in infidelity, some flaunting of authority and lying and changing names, and, of course, underage debauchery.
Just another piece of evidence to prove that Maggie is awesome.
You should know that already.
So, as our heroine, we have Bea. She's just moved to a new town with her 'rents (both of whom are strange and broken in their own right, in my honest opinion). The thing that caught my attention about Bea straight away was the way she reacts to her mother calling her heartless and a robot. I don't know about you, but I think most teenagers go through this constant second-guessing of themselves - if they're feeling the right way, reacting the right way, thinking the right things as everyone else. Bea's really considering herself as a robot girl really touched a chord somehow, somewhere.
Of course, a true-to-life teenage girl like Bea can't just wind up with a cliche friend who crushes on Zac Efron and paints her toenails Sunset Passion. So, we are introduced to Ghost Boy - a.k.a. Jonah, who is pretty much ignored by the rest of the student body, but has some hidden skeletons in his family closet and a mutual passion that pulls Bea into his small, isolated world.
A radio station.
And not just any radio station. A quirky, local station, run by a man that calls himself Herb. A station where it isn't unusual for callers to ring in for an evening ride on "the magic carpet", or read poems they wrote themselves, or obsess over Elvis Presley. It's a little family of its own, united by being outsiders, for embracing their quirks whether others would rather hide it away and be part of the norm.
Yes. You really want to read this now, don't you?
Even in a novel, though, friendship doesn't run smoothly. The world doesn't stop turning for happy little moments of mutual radio-station listens or ditching prom or art contests. The ways that Bea and Jonah get pulled in opposite directions are depicted so accurately, it can't help but make your heart ache. In particular, Jonah's struggle with his father over his brain-dead twin, Matthew, really made me wish that it would all work out, because it's fiction and it's just got to have a happy ending...right?
I won't tell you whether it does or doesn't, but I will tell you that it is a bit sad. Definite hanky warning for this one.
The one thing I must return to in this novel, again and again, is how the author keeps it real. Of course, I did wish she'd avoided the cliche underage drinking party, where the protagonist wanders about bemoaning his/her existence and wondering why he/she even came and seeing the guy/girl he/she is/was interested in macking on another person. But besides that little snag, the rest of it pretty much is authentic. Bea and Jonah could be that quiet pair in the cafeteria you don't say hi to, or idling away their time on the lawn of some closed appliance store, speaking to themselves in voices that don't carry to your curious ears.
It's the beauty of being a YA writer when you can actually see these things come to life, on a sheet of white paper. Maggie is right. How to Say Goodbye in Robot would make a wonderful movie.
Just, again, I feel the need to warn you: it's not all rainbows and butterflies. I felt the need to smack one or both of Bea's parents at different intervals while I read. Jonah's dad isn't much better, and the high school kids...well, I think after reading YA for a while, you know how some of them can behave. And don't expect all the i's to be dotted and t's crossed and everyone to drift away on a breeze of soft, scented air and bright smiles as the credits roll across the screen.
This is not a Disney Channel Original movie sort of wonderful.
I think you have to read it for yourself to see what I mean. I can't think of how else to explain it.
I still wish she'd made Jonah a girl, though.
Warnings (or, stuff that makes me cringe into my popcorn bucket at the movies): Language. Of course. And then there's a character death, a parent indulges in infidelity, some flaunting of authority and lying and changing names, and, of course, underage debauchery.
April 28, 2010
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
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
March 27, 2017
What a sad, depressing, even obscene book. I don't know why Scholastic--of all entities--published this, or even how they got away with publishing this. For starters, the main characters (who are 17-18 year old high schoolers) explicitly swear (even the F-word several times), smoke cigarettes, drink alcohol, and watch obscene movies. Peripheral characters also smoke marijuana. All of these happen repeatedly, and none of it is met with any consequences from either the adults or the narrative. Consider what impact even just that holds for young adult readers. Then throw in abandonment, extramarital affair, death, and reciprocal abandonment. See if reading about that trash in this book makes your life better, let alone the lives of young people you care about.
Listened to the unabridged audiobook by Brilliance narrated by Kate Rudd.
Thematically, this book makes me think of a cross between the novel "Bridge to Terabithia" and the movie "Cruel Intentions." (I do enjoy "Bridge to Terabithia.") But the subject matter and plot of this book is even more depressing than both of them combined.
I do not recommend this book to anyone--no child, no young adult, no adult. Even if you *have* been through hard experiences in life like the characters in this book, don't use this book to fill your life with more of it. I can count on 3 fingers the number of books I have literally thrown away because I didn't want anyone else to read them as secondhand. This is one of them.
Listened to the unabridged audiobook by Brilliance narrated by Kate Rudd.
Thematically, this book makes me think of a cross between the novel "Bridge to Terabithia" and the movie "Cruel Intentions." (I do enjoy "Bridge to Terabithia.") But the subject matter and plot of this book is even more depressing than both of them combined.
I do not recommend this book to anyone--no child, no young adult, no adult. Even if you *have* been through hard experiences in life like the characters in this book, don't use this book to fill your life with more of it. I can count on 3 fingers the number of books I have literally thrown away because I didn't want anyone else to read them as secondhand. This is one of them.
February 22, 2023
Lots of potential here, but I was just so disconnected from this book. I read it up to the 50% mark and skimmed it (but I don’t think I missed anything). The characters would probably only appeal to a very niche demographic. I'm not in that demographic.
First, neither of the characters is likable. I get that Beatrice isn’t necessarily relatable as she’s a robot, but she’s just so annoying. Jonah is lowkey a jerk. I don’t get what either of them sees in the other, and the way their friendship grows didn’t feel natural or realistic.
The radio show thingy was interesting and I lowkey liked it, however, I kind of tapped out at the first party when people were talking about being from the future and experimenting with shrooms. Perhaps this is a metaphor for something, but I didn’t care. Not my thing.
The whole brother thing with Matthew (Jonah's brother) was bizarre imo and a bit unbelievable.
I do appreciate that this wasn’t a romance novel and focused more on their friendship. The friendship just wasn’t believable or relatable. Getting immersed in the book was difficult. Perhaps I just needed to approach this with a more open mind.
First, neither of the characters is likable. I get that Beatrice isn’t necessarily relatable as she’s a robot, but she’s just so annoying. Jonah is lowkey a jerk. I don’t get what either of them sees in the other, and the way their friendship grows didn’t feel natural or realistic.
The radio show thingy was interesting and I lowkey liked it, however, I kind of tapped out at the first party when people were talking about being from the future and experimenting with shrooms. Perhaps this is a metaphor for something, but I didn’t care. Not my thing.
The whole brother thing with Matthew (Jonah's brother) was bizarre imo and a bit unbelievable.
I do appreciate that this wasn’t a romance novel and focused more on their friendship. The friendship just wasn’t believable or relatable. Getting immersed in the book was difficult. Perhaps I just needed to approach this with a more open mind.
August 2, 2014
Another great book given to me by my daughter. She's been picking my books for me this summer and, so far, she's 3 for 3.
I really liked the quirky characters in this book and the night-time radio call in show that is an integral part of the story. The radio show was interesting because as a YA writer, all the advice for writing to teens is not to use any pop culture references or dated references. This book had older characters and older music, and my daughter read it twice and loved it. I thought it gave the story a depth that some of the more popular YA titles lack.
The ending was very realistic and not rushed.
Overall, worth the read!
I really liked the quirky characters in this book and the night-time radio call in show that is an integral part of the story. The radio show was interesting because as a YA writer, all the advice for writing to teens is not to use any pop culture references or dated references. This book had older characters and older music, and my daughter read it twice and loved it. I thought it gave the story a depth that some of the more popular YA titles lack.
The ending was very realistic and not rushed.
Overall, worth the read!
February 6, 2015
This book was literal crap. How does it have such a relatively high rating? The characters were ridiculously unrealistic and dull, the plot was all over the freakin' place, and some scenes were super unbelievable. Oh, there's a bar in town that serves underage kids? That's pretty sketchy. But wait - you're telling me that they can go to any other random bar and they magically forget to I.D. them too? Ridiculous. There were so many offensive jokes in this book (including some on sexual assault, like, excuse me?) and Jonah was such an ass! I have no clue why the main character, Bea, was so drawn to him. The writing was elementary and super stereotypical, and the ending was a giant disappointment. Such. A. Bore.
January 9, 2023
I LOVE THIS BOOK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! oh my heaven. i can't even put into words how much this world standiford creates stuck with me. every character is marvelous. there's just the right amount of conflict. the LATE NIGHT RADIO SHOW!!!!!! i read it for the first time a few years ago in the middle of a serious depression and it was so deeply wonderful and uplifting i just. wow. i'm usually a lot more coherent than this in my reviews but i love love love this book so deeply and passionately it is my Favorite i just. wow i can't handle it please read this book it's so perfect
December 14, 2017
this book messed me up. it triggered another midnight Sob Session™. please please please read it.
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