Simon Curtis was born in Michigan and raised in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He was diagnosed with leukemia at age ten and began performing in musical theater and opera that same year. He was the happiest bald, chemotherapy-addled cancer patient ever seen on the stage. At eighteen, he moved to Los Angeles. After various roles on Nickelodeon and Disney Channel, Simon left acting to pursue music, releasing his first album, 8bit Heart, as a free download, followed by his second album, RA, which landed at number twenty on Billboard's Dance & Electronic Albums chart. Simon continues to write and release music as an independent recording artist. Above all else, he strives to inspire hope in young people.
"A fascinating premise and plenty of action." --Kirkus Reviews
A cyber-dystopian future America is the scene of musician Curtis's
heartrending but uneven first novel. The lead-up to Isaak's 18th
birthday has involved a killer headache and dreams of other kids
being chased by agents in black. After a wound heals itself far too
quickly to be natural and Isaak's adoptive mother kicks him out of
the house, he finds out that he is a "Robot"; government-made
synthetic humans created for war and released into the population
as babies by a scientist with a shady agenda, Isaak's kind are
being hunted and are forming an underground resistance. From there,
Curtis's adventure story of teens on the run becomes a tad
predictable, but Isaak's narration and a possible romance with a
human male companion keep things interesting. Flashbacks of the
other characters' lives before joining the underground include
graphic descriptions of transphobic and homophobic trauma, as well
as sexual assault, to a point that sometimes feels gratuitous but
also gives real insight into each teen's situation, and certainly
aims for empathy. A tension-filled ending leaves readers hanging on
for a sequel. Ages 14-up. --Publishers Weekly "August 2016"
"Simon Curtis's first novel is infused with intelligence and
empathy. Boy Robot is a propulsive, action-packed tale that
explores what it means to be human."--Ernest Cline, bestselling
author of Ready Player One and Armada
 |
Ask a Question About this Product More... |
|
