Ben Chambers is a mess: unable to accept his parents’ accidental death six years ago, unable to keep his job and unable to understand his wife, Amy. When they discover a broken robot, Tang, in the garden, an unlikely friendship develops and the pair set off on a globetrotting road trip to find Tang’s creator.
Set in a technologically advanced, yet recognisable future, Install’s debut novel is a sweet metaphor for parenthood, with Tang’s increasing sentience and innocent confusion mimicking a toddler’s tantrums and
joy.
While not delicately crafted, Install addresses several issues of modern society: the emasculating effect of powerful women, the ‘extended adolescence’ of adults and the terror of not meeting expectations –
from others or yourself.
The travel buddy concept is fun but a little weak, and the big reveal in the second third of the novel is cartoonish, but the book’s strength is Tang, who – like Pixar’s Wall-E -captures the imagination.
Hardback by Doubleday, £12.99 (ebook £8.64)
Book Review: A Robot In The Garden by Deborah Install
