I’m still in two minds whether I enjoyed this book or not! It certainly made me think about what it means to be human and have feelings, but I have to admit, I found Jared a little grating. I did find myself routing for him though and would really like to read this with my book group so that we could discuss all the points it raised.

Sorry but I did not get very far with this one. I liked the blurb and really thought I would enjoy this story but after only a couple of chapters I gave myself permission to stop reading. Perhaps I'll come back to it one day...

I really wanted to love this novel - but unfortunately I really struggled to get into it. The language was too stilted (I get that it’s the point!) and the overuse of exclamation marks was just too much meaning I couldn’t become absorbed in the story. I usually love novels like this, but it just didn’t click for me.

Beautiful story that left me quite shaken. Well written. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher!!

This wasn't entirely my usual choice of book but having read and enjoyed several YA novels set in a dystopian future during the past year, it appealed and I was fascinated to read about how feelings and emotions could arise within the ever increasing presence of AI in our world.
I did enjoy the story, especially from the main character's point of view. In a way it reminded me a bit of "The Humans" by Matt Haig which I love. I found it quite hard to get into but then I am a senior and imagine it would be a lot easier for younger people to immediately switch into the premise.
I am sure it will be a popular read both among science fiction fans (not sure it will remain in that genre for that long though!) and the YA group and because of this I would definitely consider it for suggested reading for teens.

This is a love letter for movie lovers.

Jared the bot develops complicated feelings after seeing a bunch of "old movies". These are classics that any movie love would have watched. He doesn't reference them by the titles, but by plots. And he describes them in a hilarious way.

There are also many references to rules of screenwriting. And I for a weird reason, actually know quite a bit about those. (If you never read a book about screenwriting, you won't get the "little girl survives" reference.)

This book is great, but it's for a specific group of people. Luckily I'm one of those. I guess it could be for the majority of readers if the author just decided to shorten it a bit and take out some of the movie references. But those are part of the story, too.

I loved the metaphors in the book, too. Angry people almost burned down Detroit and Panda refusing to reproduce are two of my favorites. Seriously, the author has an unique sense of humor.

I have a complaint regarding the formatting of the copy I received from Netgalley, though. The parts written as screenplays are all jumbled up. They seriously need some more formatting and editing.

All in all, great book for beginners of Sci-fi genre. It'll be even better if you love movies and have some knowledge about screenplays.

Thanks to netgalley I had a chance to read a book which slightly is not my style but felt good to be reading for a change! Funny and emotional! This books shows what is love and emotions! It's set in a futuristic America and the main character is an android but the main point is still about how important and lovely is to have feelings

This book is written in the first person as if talking to himself, I found this difficult to begin with but as I tried to continue it became irritating. I must admit I didn’t enjoy it but the story within is interesting and the title of the book will be understood.

I enjoyed this one! It's a really sweet story about emotions, love, and what it means to be human. The main character was very likeable and I grew to love his style of speech. Good plot and very funny in places.

One of the advantages of reviewing through Netgalley is trying out books that I wouldn't normally read. Initially I really wasn't sure about this book which tells the story of Jared, an android 'bot in a post catastrophic America. As an android he is grown in a human form, with an artificial brain which should have no emotions, however he does start having symptoms that he finds out are actual emotions.
As he is likely to be reprogrammed or even destroyed due to this development he decides to run away. The story tells of his emotional development and what he decides to do to try to change the human perception of robots, which is driven by films along the lines of the Terminator series.
An interesting, thought provoking story which is very relevant with the rapid growth of Artificial Intelligence and how Mankind may deal with any evolution of these beings.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance copy of this book, however this did not influence my review.

10/10 in love with Jared! (If you've read it - you'll know!)

A sublime delve into what it means to be human. Jared's journey of self-discovery (a bot discovering he has developed human emotions and feelings) is one I didn't want to end. It made me want to be a more humane human. I laughed out loud and cried along with every step he took. Jared's 'awakening is so precious and perfectly written. His use of the Feelings Wheel makes us question what we are actually feeling at any given time. His descriptions of the nuances of human politeness are hilarious;
Ha!
Humans!
I cannot!
Discussing the very real topic of AI and the fear that bots may well one day 'take over the world' and possibly mimic us sentient beings so realistically that we cannot tell the difference between real and artificial... This book is one I will be recommending time and time again. I will be using it as a' class reader' with my Year 6 children this term. I can't wait to see what Simon Stephenson writes next.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a free ebook to read and review.

Thank you to netgalley.co.uk for giving me a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This was really lovely book to read, I felt like I haven't read anything like this in so long. I enjoyed reading about the characters, the only thing that pulled me out of this was the text abbreviations.

This a heart-warming and insightful book that explores humanity but in the confines of a bot learning how to be human. There's a lot of poking fun at the illogical decisions that humans make throughout, but by and large it's the story of one small bot with a mission to change how humans view bots. Within the side-shots at humanity are some really shrewd observations as well, which give it depth. It's cleverly portrayed with a short, sharp writing style that initially felt odd but became easy to fly through as Jared continues his journey of self-discovery.

This is a very relaxed novel and isn't one that will overly tax your brain cells, but that doesn't mean it isn't enjoyable in and of it's own right. One of the things I did find tedious as we went on was the continued descriptions of movie scripts - some of which I recognised, many of which I didn't. Not being a huge movie fan, I found these sections quite boring and certainly, if I didn't recognise the film, I ended up skipping over sections. That said though, the importance of movies to Jared is quite sweet, and the lessons he learns from them impact on both his journey and his own script writing.

Despite its simplicity, this is also a book that explores technology and its role in human life. The fears surrounding the potential of sentient technology are neatly wound into the narrative and Jared's journey. Humans fear what they don't understand, and this is a central theme as Jared struggles to understand the reactions and events around him. Well written in a quirky, humorous style, I can see this appealing to a wide range of individuals. It would certainly fit the young adult market although I don't think it was specifically aimed at this demographic. So, one I enjoyed. The film references could have been toned down, but it's still an interesting and intriguing debut novel.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for my free review copy of this novel.

A sincere thank you to the publisher, author and Netgalley for providing me an ebook copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. I enjoyed this story very much and felt like I knew each character personally due to the description of them. I enjoyed the storyline. This is not my usual genre but in this instance I am extremely pleased and grateful for opening up my mind to something totally different. Thanks again.

What a unique story. Sort of like Westworld meets social media. I wasn’t expecting this book to be this good, even with the blurb describing it. I think this would also make a great Netflix show! 5 stars

What an interesting and original book. At first I thought it was going tro be like The Incident of the Dog in the Night, as the writing was so simplistic and the main character, Jared, was a naive soul, not used to the real world. It is only later on that you realise what is going on. It wasn't really a book that I would have read under different cir4cumstances but I'm glad that I did as it gave some fascinating aspects of human life in the future.

This was not what I expected! Set in 2054, when the world has undergone catastrophic change and scientists have created 'bots' - robots who are human in every way except the ability to feel emotion - to undertake most jobs (apart from a few reserved occupations still performed by humans).
Jared, a bot who works as a dentist, starts to feel dissatisfied with his life (which, as a bot, he should not, as he is not meant to feel any emotion). He speaks to a friendly human - most humans distrust and dislike bots - who tells him he is depressed, and needs to discover his emotions. The book follows Jared's journey of discovery...
An interesting concept, and a more enjoyable read than I thought it would be after the first few pages

A really interesting book that looks at human life, with both its beauty and failings, through the eyes of Jared who is a bot with a difference!
It took me a while to settle into the book and initially I thought it would not be for me but you soon settle into the distinctive style and take Jared into your (seems appropriate) heart.
I loved the reflections on the quirks of human life as well as the assessments of the movies that we all love. Jared meets a variety of people that show us different sides of human life and whilst the novel is humorously written, it is also thought provoking and moving whilst still being endearing. Life with Jared is as hopeful as it is hopeless and he did set my heart to five!

This was such a heart warming story about love and life with great characterisation. The writing was superb. I really enjoyed it. I'd recommend if you're looking to read something funny and warm.

Thanks a lot to the publisher and NetGalley for this copy in exchange for an honest review.

Many thanks to 4th Estate and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A profound, original meditation on what it means to be human. Utterly sublime.

Normally 'high-concept' novels leave me cold. Either the theory isn't executed very well in practice, or they are gimmicky, with no real plot. There are also a glut of novels on the market currently that utilise technology as a plot device, but some of these feel like a sop to the media savvy 21st century reader - a 'USP', rather than the true propelling force of narrative. The best of these often highlight the nefarious uses of technology in our surveillance society. Many play on our very real fears over the gradual erasure of our privacy - not only in the public realm with cctv etc., but also in the home - the private realm, with the advent of smart technology. There are also concerns - sometimes prophetic, and popularised by the likes of Phillip K. Dick, and more recently, Robert Harris in "The Fear Index", that technology is evolving to such an extent that one day it may mimic us as sentient beings, with the terrifying implication that whereas once we were the masters of technology, one day technology could master us. "Set My Heart to Five" is the flip-side of this coin, with its original take on the potential for self-evolving, sentient technology. This funny and beautifully written book focuses on Jared 'the bot', and his journey of self-discovery and evolution in understanding of what it means to be human. Though this awakening is gradual, and in his observation of humans, baffling at best, by the end of his journey it could be said that Jared - a product of cold, hard, impersonal technology, has become equally as human, if not more so, than the seething mass of humanity he seeks to understand. Of course, to be human does not necessarily equate to being humane, and what does it meant to be human anyway? Can we as sentient human beings lay sole claim to those very qualities that put us in a commanding, unrivalled position at the top of the food chain? These are questions without easy answers; perhaps more so when we are locked in the self-serving, self-reinforcing argument that humans can lay claim to unique characteristics merely because they deem it so. Simon Stephenson, via the wonderfully realised Jared, forces us to rethink our assumptions about what it means to be human, to be sentient, to be alive. By doing so maybe we can become better, more humane humans with respect for all life, sentient or not. Well, we can only hope so...