Soul

A Robot with Heart

Children - Fantasy/Sci-Fi
83 Pages
Reviewed on 05/21/2023
Buy on Amazon

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    Book Review

Reviewed by Pikasho Deka for Readers' Favorite

Soul: A Robot with Heart is a sci-fi adventure story by Viki de Lieme. Soul is a thirteen-year-old robot living in the iron country of Roboland with his M.O.M. and D.A.D. Roboland is full of robots who do everything perfectly, leaving no room for feelings or mistakes. But for some reason, Soul's operating system is built differently. Unlike other robots, he feels things, likes to wash his stainless steel hands with soap and water, and reads books. One day, while hovering home from RoboSchool, Soul stumbles upon a fluffy puppy that turns his worldview upside down. He names her Nova, and now he must find a way to reveal her to his parents. How will they react? Will Soul be able to bring back feelings for everyone in Roboland?

A heartwarming tale full of humor and drama, Soul is a short story for kids and adults alike. Viki de Lieme gives a poignant social commentary on the relentless pursuit of material possessions and success that sometimes take the joy and feelings out of people's lives, those same feelings that make them human and differentiate us from being just mindless and efficient robots. The story is narrated through the perspective of Soul, a young robot who always felt different from his people and, eventually, works his way to change the world. I enjoyed Soul's relationship dynamics with his parents and Nova, who is adorable. So grab a copy and treat yourselves to a fun-filled sci-fi adventure tale!

Emily-Jane Hills Orford

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be a robot? Wouldn’t it be cool to be perfect and to be able to do just about everything and anything? But what if you couldn’t be like that? What if you couldn’t feel and you were not allowed to feel? What if you were not allowed to read books just for entertainment? Soul: A Robot with Heart by Viki de Lieme tells readers that Soul is a young robot who lives with his robot family in Roboland. Somehow, Soul has feelings and it makes him different from the other robots. He even makes mistakes and asks questions, which robots generally don’t do, because they are perfect. This sets Soul on a quest to find a way to be who and what he wants to be – human. He also decides it’s his mission to help other robots do the same thing.

Soul by Viki de Lieme is a science fiction adventure about courage and hope, one bordering on fantasy, but also on reality. It’s a story that looks at the world from the opposite direction, through the eyes of machines where everything is perfect. The account follows Soul as he nurtures his desire to read books, think for himself, feel, and question everything. Normal robots don’t do any of that. It makes Soul feel different, like an outsider. As he struggles to accept his differences, he realizes that there is another way to live and his journey begins. The story follows his quest to become a unique individual, and to be human. Is this a story for young people or a satirical look at the modern world? Nothing is ever what it appears to be. A fun, insightful, and thought-provoking read.

Joe Wisinski

Soul: A Robot with Heart, by Viki de Lieme, is about a 13-year-old robot who lives with his parents in Roboland. Soul is different from other robots; he prefers to spend his time as people used to, reading books. He even talks instead of using a communicator to interact with others and eats real food instead of swallowing a pill to get his nutrition. Most importantly, Soul has feelings, which nobody else does. One day Soul finds a dog, takes him home, and hides him from his parents. Eventually, the dog, named Nova, is discovered, and Soul is surprised at his parents' reaction. There is a twist I won’t mention so as not to spoil it for middle graders at which the story is aimed.

I enjoyed reading Soul by Viki de Lieme. The protagonist is well depicted, and those in the author’s target range of middle graders will identify with him. Most importantly, they will learn that they are not alone in their feelings of sometimes thinking that they don’t belong to a like-minded group. The need to belong is critically important to people of that age, and kudos to de Lieme for writing a story that will help deal with those feelings. Those who read it will experience what Soul does and be entertained and encouraged, knowing they are not alone. I’m happy to recommend it to anyone, young or old, who wants to read an entertaining tale told with compassion and imagination.