I have read a few of Lapinska's children's books, including Jamie, Stepfather Christmas, and the sequel The Biggest Christmas Secret Ever. I also own Artezans: The Forgotten Magic. I love their work, even if it has been directed at children up 'til now, and so I was thrilled to see that they had written an adult's book. I love their kids books, but this gives them a chance to stretch their writing abilities and some of the work in this book is so poetic that it's clear they have the potential to write for anyone.

Yes it is fiction, fantasy, sci-fi. But with the advances in technology and AI and robotics etc. I don't think it's that far away from being a reality, which is quite worrying.

It is narrated by the 'robot' Abigail, which was a fresh viewpoint for me. I don't think I've ever read a book narrated by a machine as opposed to a human, and so this really stood out for me. It does have another viewpoint for a section in the middle, but I won't spoil that, but for the most of it, it is the 'robot' Abigail we hear from.

It is very female heavy. I don't mean that in a "women rule, down with men" kind of vibe. But in my opinion, whilst there are male characters, the female ones shine the brightest off of the page, they are directing the narrative.

It is an interesting thought, humans vs robots. If a robot has been made to look like, speak like, feel like, and for all intents and purposes be a person, do they not deserve the same respect as a human? Could you, say, shoot a robot that wore the face, and spoke the voice of your late mother, any more than you could shoot your real-life mother? That may be an extreme example but it's these questions that made this book so interesting.

I will never understand why humanity is so hellbent on creating AI/robots that are so human-like, and are able to do, feel, and think. Why do we want to get to a stage where humans start to be controlled by robots? It freaks me out.

It isn't an easy read. I don't mean in sense of bad writing or anything, no. But in terms of content, violence, death, abuse - it's very heavy, but I think it's important for the story.

I did feel at times that the narrative was a bit clunky. Because it's sci-fi, the author has to explain things to give context to the reader as they're obviously new to this world. At times it felt like the characters were explaining things to each other that they would obviously already know, but because the reader needs to know, it's added, and it just made it feel a little odd in places.

I did feel it was slightly like two books. Yes it was obviously the same story and characters, but there was a definite change in feeling between the first half and second which was a little stumbling block.

I had a couple of small issues with it, but as a whole it was a well thought out, well written story, with a lot to think about; well created if not always pleasant characters, and I think it bodes well for Lucy's future books if they want to expand further into other genres.

I really enjoyed this sci-fi debut by Lapinski! I've been a big fan of their other works and this one is no exception!
The jump from children's writing to something more mature has really allowed Lapinski's writing to flourish.
In many ways, this is a novel about connection, how we connect with one another and how we connect with those who are different to ourselves. Through the authors writing I felt brilliantly connected to the central character and her struggles as she navigates a world that was previously locked off to her.

I really would love to talk more at length about this one but it's not out yet and I really don't want to spoil anything! Get it on your TBRs

I have enjoyed the author's middle grade novels in the past, but I don't think anything could have prepared me for how superb this was! It's completely different from their children's books, showing a skill at writing for different age groups that not all possess. This book is sensitive, contemplative, and philosophical, as well as being chock full of humanity. Lapinska gives both narrators a distinct voice and identity and I was fascinated by both the human and the PCC perspective.

The comparisons to Klara and the Sun are inevitable, but I think they both scratch different itches. Some Body Like Me gives a level of detail that I just love: it felt like every little intricate detail had been thoughtfully considered, for example the climate considerations, technology, and intimacy. As a result the world felt real, something I was able to get fully absorbed in. The PCCs at the station I will be thinking about for a long time.

Thanks to #NetGalley for providing this arc in exchange for an honest review!

I'm reading a grownup book for a change - Some Body Like Me by Lucy Lapinska - on NetGalley thought provoking, first 1/3 pretty bleak reflection on humanity, am totally gripped.

Forgot to share that I finished this a few days ago...still thinking about it. The world is a bleak dystopia but the ideas of finding joy & being yourself & what it means to be human & alive are so thought provoking and beautifully written.

I’m a big fan of Lapinski’s middle grade books so I was intrigued to read this

Definitely a book for adults, Some Body Like Me is a sci-if book with a difference that really made me think.

Set in a future world where humans are dying out and robots are becoming the dominant force, the emancipation of PCCs changes everything. What begins as a story of control and domination becomes a tale of the exploration of love and what it means to be human.

A book to be a savoured and one to find somebody to talk about after you’ve finished reading, Some Body Like Me is guaranteed to be a success when it publishes in the 17th April and I’m looking forward to seeing what Lapinski writes next.

A wonderful book - as in all the best sci-fi this isn't a book about the future, but about the present. It is about treating others as less than human, whether that is expressed through sexism, domestic violence, or exploiting the emotional labour of others. It feels all too real, with environmental catastrophe looming and sophisticated robots being used to replace a dying population. Abigail's story is gripping and beautifully written, and I enjoyed reading about how she sought connections and love. I do enjoy dystopian sci-fi and world-building, and this was like an earthier, more adult version of Klara and the Sun, with more description of real-life consequences and relationships.

Abigail Fuller spends her days dedicated to caring for her husband David as the world around them is slowly falling apart. But Abigail is a robot replacement for David’s wife who died 16 years ago. As the emancipation date for all of her kind approaches she must contemplate her freedom and what she will do with her life going forward.

I adored this. This is exactly how I want to experience a beautiful and tender romance, with a fascinating dystopian backdrop of the end of humanity. I’m serious. This reminded me a little of Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro but drew me in emotionally a lot more than I remember that book doing. It’s a fascinating exploration of what makes us human, what constitutes a person. It’s a story about loss and both the dark and light side of human nature. It’s about finding joy in the abandonment of societal norms and expectations. The journey of Abigail as she is at the beginning was really absorbing and it really takes you on a huge emotional arc. If you enjoy thoughtful dystopian books, and especially enjoy scifi with a tender romance snuggled in on the side this book is 100% for you

...Wow. This will likely be one of my top reads of the year. I knew nothing about it going in, and that's probably the best way to experience it. I've read plenty of bot fiction before, but this story felt deeper. Didn't want it to end.

Although David Fuller's wife Abigail has actually been dead for over a decade and a half, some remnant of her continues to live on and live in David's life in the form of an AI version of Abigail.

An intelligent and timely offering in the looming era of AI, this book examines what could happen when the long predicted collapse of human society finally takes place.

Speaking of which, I have never understood humanity's determination to render ourselves utterly redundant by promoting the rise of artificial intelligence which we will most likely lose control of at some point in the distant or not so distant future.

Be that as it may, Abigail Fuller 2.0's situation gives rise to both curiosity and an interesting degree of empathy in the reader. Earning an easy 3.5 stars, this one is what checking out.

As the world falls apart around them, Abigail looks after her husband David.

But Abigail isn’t David’s wife. She’s not even human. She’s a replacement PCC, a robot, for a woman who died sixteen years ago.

And in three weeks, when the law changes, Abigail will no longer have to do anything David says. She’ll be free to go where she likes, do whatever she wants to do.

Review:

Long time followers will know that Lapinska’s children’s books hold a special place in my heart. Their mastery of the voice of a child is perfection, so would a leap into adult fiction would be achievable?

It is certainly a wild departure from their previous works, and is most definitely a book for adults. Abigail is an interesting choice for main character, a curious mix of emotion and programming, testing her own boundaries of where science ends and sentience and free will begin.

The world Lapinska has created is an environmental future dystopia, where humans are dying out due to our own pollution and mismanagement. The PCC’s are about to be given freedom from our rules and custody of the planet. Who are we when we are no longer dominant?

The novel is urgent and pensive, the ticking clock to Abigail’s emancipation provide a tenseness in the first part leading to a more languid exploration of mortality, sexuality and legacy in the latter sections. There are sections about ageing and changes to your body that are beautiful.

Lapinska’s departure from children’s fiction comes in the move from plot and whimsy to the exploration of ideas, feelings and themes. The focus on character and ideas and the meaning of humanity makes me think of Ishiguro, the seamless future world building with analogies to present day make me think of Becky Chambers and Emily St John Mandel.

The book made me think and question a lot of my own opinions, and left me feeling a mix of hope and melancholy. I thoroughly enjoyed this meditative, mood based writing, and can’t wait to see what weird and twisted place the author takes me to next.

This book, THIS BOOK and THEM. When I started reading SOME BODY LIKE ME I thought "oh fun, a horrible book about horrible humans" and then, AND THEN. Lapinska switches into one of the most beautiful books I've read in recent years. A stunning look at what it means to be human and alive, and loving yourself.

This is one of the most beautiful books I have ever read.

Told at the end of the world when humans are dying out and robots have been emancipated, where a robot and a human meet in unlikely circumstances and have to confront what being a person really means.

A gorgeous exploration of what it is to live, to love and to be human.

Genuinely one of the most gorgeous books I have read.

This book for me was out of my comfort zone because it is not my usual go to genre for adult fiction. Loving LD Lapinski's children's books though, I was really intrigued. I did find it difficult to get into at first, but that was absolutely nothing to do with Lucy's writing. It was the whole sci-fi dystopian, actually it could well happen future setting because it is so far from my usual of crime and mystery. I am so pleased I read this though and actually I spoke about it with a lot of people. Imagine a world where you can create a robot/human in any image you want - with memories and looks to exactly match an exwife. That is exactly what David did when he made Abigail Fuller. When the emancipation comes Abigail goes on a journey to meet her name and image sake and what follows is an exploration of love and sexuality in a world of fear and distrust which is essentially ending for human kind. There are lots of comments in this book about the damage that humans have done to the planet and it really struck a chord of what if. What if this is the future for Planet Earth and humanity.

This is the first adult title from LD and it reads initially quite distanced from the subject matter, in a matter of fact way. But as it’s narrated by a robot, this fits. And as we learn more and more about her, we like her and we learn just as she does. This is a book built on a premise familiar to anyone who has watched Blade Runner but it’s developed a little for modern times and still has much to say that we should consider. With the rise of AI and the imminent destruction of the planet (I’m typing as Trump has just been re-elected), we can only sit back and watch the rise of the machines and hope that somewhere in there, they will do better than us, just as Autumn does. This is a really fascinating and intricately researched book, all aspects of tech have been looked at, and it is also a very sweet love story.

Perhaps led astray by the Detroit: Become Human quote at the beginning, Some Body Like Me had quite a different tone to what I was expecting. However, I found what it actually presented to be wonderful - a slow and tender meditation on selfhood, with some considerations of love and romance as it progresses. The science fiction veneer is used to grapple with life, love, and loss. I was initially unsure when the narrative took a more intimate turn part way through, but was profoundly moved by the time the ending came. It has stayed with me after reading, and I can see myself returning to it again.