Scan barcode
kaihanks's review
3.0
Honestly I would give this book a ?/5 if I could.
We follow a young deaf boy who also struggles with a number of behavioral issues and his strange family. A super genius older brother, anarchist worm scientist grandfather, immature tech worker father, and bee-keeping Buddhist mother. A car accident in the first 10 pages ends with the mother in a Coma, which places incredible strain on the family and our narrator.
Eventually the titular 'Bug' shows up; a super advanced AI created by the narrator's older brother that starts to grow and eventually cause some mischief and havoc for the family and around the world.
The writing style can be overwhelming; the narrator struggles to communicate with others due to his deafness and other problems, but his inner monologue is a tidal wave of imagery and metaphors that can be a little much at times.
Thematically I think the book is about communication; the narrator struggles to communicate with anyone until BUG shows up and he finds a compatriot also struggling to learn how to interact with the outside world. The narrator and BUG are parallels; they're both stuck not being to interact with the outside world and face intense pressure from others to control their actions; the narrator from his family and school and BUG from the narrator.
Again, a very weird book and I'm still not sure if I like it or not, but I do think it will grow on me.
We follow a young deaf boy who also struggles with a number of behavioral issues and his strange family. A super genius older brother, anarchist worm scientist grandfather, immature tech worker father, and bee-keeping Buddhist mother. A car accident in the first 10 pages ends with the mother in a Coma, which places incredible strain on the family and our narrator.
Eventually the titular 'Bug' shows up; a super advanced AI created by the narrator's older brother that starts to grow and eventually cause some mischief and havoc for the family and around the world.
The writing style can be overwhelming; the narrator struggles to communicate with others due to his deafness and other problems, but his inner monologue is a tidal wave of imagery and metaphors that can be a little much at times.
Thematically I think the book is about communication; the narrator struggles to communicate with anyone until BUG shows up and he finds a compatriot also struggling to learn how to interact with the outside world. The narrator and BUG are parallels; they're both stuck not being to interact with the outside world and face intense pressure from others to control their actions; the narrator from his family and school and BUG from the narrator.
Again, a very weird book and I'm still not sure if I like it or not, but I do think it will grow on me.
zakalwe's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
luftschlosseule's review
4.0
trigger warning
child neglect, grief, mental illness, self harm
While his mother is in coma, her deaf son compiles descriptions of what has been going on, partly told her through sign language he's sure she'll understand even with her eyes closed, and partly written down.
There is a lot of the last topic mentioned in the trigger warnings going on when our protagonist gets overwhelmed. He has ADHD, and might even fall on the autistic spectrum. I am not the right person to diagnose this.
We see everything through his lens, which means that if he's not aware of something, you have to piece together hints of what you're getting.
This family is weird. His mother is an activist because the concern Bayer is killing bees, and she's a beekeeper. His father officially sells Nutella but secretly is involved in an anti spy program. His grandfather is a hippie with opinions and finally, his brother is a child prodigy and hacker, acting under the name Robin Hood.
Bug is a slow paced and characterdriven book, and this is one example of where it works for me. Once I got in I had fun, and getting in only took time because I was sooo tired. Nothing I can fault the book for.
I am not sure if I would reach for other books by the same author, to be honest, but this was fun.
The arc was provided by the publisher.
While his mother is in coma, her deaf son compiles descriptions of what has been going on, partly told her through sign language he's sure she'll understand even with her eyes closed, and partly written down.
There is a lot of the last topic mentioned in the trigger warnings going on when our protagonist gets overwhelmed. He has ADHD, and might even fall on the autistic spectrum. I am not the right person to diagnose this.
We see everything through his lens, which means that if he's not aware of something, you have to piece together hints of what you're getting.
This family is weird. His mother is an activist because the concern Bayer is killing bees, and she's a beekeeper. His father officially sells Nutella but secretly is involved in an anti spy program. His grandfather is a hippie with opinions and finally, his brother is a child prodigy and hacker, acting under the name Robin Hood.
Bug is a slow paced and characterdriven book, and this is one example of where it works for me. Once I got in I had fun, and getting in only took time because I was sooo tired. Nothing I can fault the book for.
I am not sure if I would reach for other books by the same author, to be honest, but this was fun.
The arc was provided by the publisher.
More...