MMGM: BOT WARS by J.V. Kade

Title: BOT WARS
Author: J.V. Kade
Publisher: Dial Books for Young Readers (a Penguin imprint)
Release Date: March 21, 2013
Number of Pages: 368
Source of Book: ARC from author

Twelve-year-old Trout St. Kroix has been searching for his missing father for the last two years, after his dad disappeared while fighting in the Bot Wars. The Bot Wars began after robots became so advanced that they revolted and demanded more workers’ rights, causing the government to declare all robots terrorists and ban them from the Districts. Trout never questioned anything the government told him–even when his own nanny bot was banished–until a vid he posts about his missing dad goes viral and new information pops up. At first Trout is wrenched his dad might be alive, but when his brother disappears, Trout learns nothing is what it seems . . . not even his own father.

Percy Jackson meets Transformers in this heart-stopping, futuristic adventure that will make you question everything you know–and look at robots in a whole new light

I’ve already shown this to two of my middle school boys in class, and had them read the summary to see what they thought, and they both said they would read the book because it sounds good to them.

BOT WARS by J.V. Kade (who also writes YA as Jennifer Rush-ALTERED) is an intriguing sci-fi look into the future. The robots are advanced, as is the American society, but is it really all as it seems? In true dystopic fashion, the main character finds out maybe he doesn’t know as much as he thought he did, and maybe there are some people out there fighting against the government that created a “better” world. There are intriguing allegories that can be made about slavery/working class and how those groups are treated.

In BOT WARS, Kade has created an exciting book full of non-stop action that has a bit of a rescue/heist feeling to it. It is an enjoyable, suspenseful read. It’s full of fun characters – both human and robot – who are very entertaining. But what really makes the heart of this book are the family ties that make it an even stronger book than just the story of the robots vs. humans. Beyond all of the fighting and political aspects, it’s about a young boy searching for the father he has been missing for two years, and his inability to give up hope that he’s out there somewhere just waiting to be found and reunited with him. A boy needs his dad, and a dad needs his son…but how can they each keep each other safe in a world of robots? This is an action-packed, cleverly imagined middle grade book with strong boy appeal. Hand this off to those who want futuristic books, those who love science-fiction, and those who would like reading a book about a boy who won’t give up hope.