Love Machine – Neveah Hor

In the year, 2050, among the humans on the streets, there were these very few others. Others who were made in the biggest technology company, AITA (artificial intelligence and technological advancements), what humans call, the guardians. They were crossbreeds of humans and animals which had the highest Intelligent Quotient (IQ). They were created to protect all citizens with their special abilities. However, they had one enemy. The citizens called them the poachers. They are from another company, The Royal AI. This company was the second most advanced company and they wanted all the glory of AITA. To win them over, The Royal AI had to prove themselves worthy and they resolved to hunt down the guardians to kill them all off by creating their own crossbreeds. Life for the guardians was not that easy. Humans just did not understand one thing. These guardians they so often talk about did not want fame. They wanted something else…

When ambitious thirteen-year-old Neveah Hor emailed to ask if I would review her debut novel, I did take time to debate whether it would be a good idea.  In the end after Crissy encouraged it, reasoning that it was something different to read and an interesting exercise for me, I caved in and decided to give it a go.  And as the saying goes, an honest review in exchange a free book.

The story is one centred around love, heavy on the relationships from the off, it’s very much a coming of age story, with life lessons about friendship and loyalty.  There is lots of action and romance, but Love Machine didn’t grab me, which may perhaps not be surprising to anyone who has read this blog.

The cast of the book at the beginning with a brief overview of their personality and so forth wasn’t really needed. I prefer a much more show rather than tell approach to a story.  The centred text was also an interesting choice but not my preferred choice of style.

Straightaway the reader is treated to a whole raft of characters who are introduced incredibly quickly, and then the action starts.  I felt it was too much too soon before this reader had found his feet.  For fans of fast paced stories this may fit the bill as it’s a noisy book told at term where characters wear their emotions on their sleeve and the reader is pulled along in their wake.

An important thing for authors of any age to know, is that those who enjoy the genres you write in are best placed to review your books.  Love Machine is not for me, it’s aimed squarely at the YA crowd, and isn’t the type of book that I would read again.  Having said that, at thirteen, neveah is getting her work out there and if she continues writing and reading, and learning her craft, who knows where her writing journey will take her.