The Wild Robot

Received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Cover image and summary from Goodreads:

When robot Roz opens her eyes for the first time, she discovers that she is alone on a remote, wild island. Why is she there? Where did she come from? And, most important, how will she survive in her harsh surroundings? Roz's only hope is to learn from the island's hostile animal inhabitants. When she tries to care for an orphaned gosling, the other animals finally decide to help, and the island starts to feel like home. Until one day, the robot's mysterious past comes back to haunt her....

This is a book that I received as an ARC at this year’s Ottawa book blogger meet up. I loved the cover art and concept, but I don’t read middle grade, so I wasn’t sure if/when I’d get around to it.

I picked it up on a Friday when I felt like something that would be fun and light, and for some reason, I thought The Wild Robot would be that kind of book. It turned out to be much more moving and heart-wrenching than I expected, but I loved it! The story of Roz and her life on the island, and developing friendship with the animals and deciding to look after an orphaned gosling, was full of so much heart. There was also humour and I’m not going to lie, there were a few tears on my part!

This ARC had some illustrations in it, but had many placeholders indicating that the final art was still to come. I’d love to get a finished copy for my shelf and see the final art!

Not my usual read, but definitely recommended!