Set My Heart to Five by Simon Stephenson

Rating 4 / 5 stars

The year is 2054 after which the Great Crash has locked humans out of the internet forever, New Zealand is no more, and automobiles are banned. It is also where a bot outfitted to look human and perform dentistry becomes an unexpected fugitive when he discovers the ability to feel emotions. Jared the dentist bot practices in Ypsilanti, Michigan [13]. His office building mate and human friend, Dr. Glundenstein, supports and encourages Jared to further explore this new ability by watching old movies. With the aid of his "Feelings Wheel," Jared learns to navigate the complexity of human emotion but is conflicted over whether or not to turn himself in to the Bureau of Robotics since it is forbidden for bots to have feelings. When Jared receives a recall notice from the Bureau, he makes the decision run away to Los Angeles to write his own screenplay to change human opinion about bots having feelings. There, he manages to get a job, make more friends, and finish his movie script. Of course, nothing goes exactly as planned, but Jared’s quest brings to the forefront what makes life worth living. Stephenson delivers an amusing commentary on the intricacies of human emotion and logic with Jared’s “coming-to-age” journey. This delightfully entertaining and surprisingly poignant story will appeal to readers who appreciate a lot of heart, whether they are fans of science fiction or not.