The Second Life of Snap by Erin Entrada Kelly

What worked:

The author creates a dynamic relationship between Zuzu and Snap. Zuzu hates robots, especially when her teacher tells the class they’ll eventually take over the world. Her father brings one home after losing his job and says it will become Zuzu’s guardian. That means it will go everywhere she goes and tell her father when she wants to go to the salvage yard, or the Sal. It cannot lie. However, something happens to it, and it protects Zuzu by not telling the truth. Zuzu starts calling it Snap, and she becomes more protective of the robot. Zuzu and her three friends call themselves Valley Cats, and they enjoy visiting the Sal. Snap comes along to help collect and carry trashed items, and he wants to learn more about being human. He competes in a storytelling game and asks about the taste of pears. Snap is naïve about life, but his blunt statements and questions help Zuzu navigate her issues.

The author makes a clear distinction between the society’s haves and have-nots. The wealthy citizens reside in Bountiful where they are shielded from harsh weather elements and enjoy a life of leisure. The have-nots live in Barren where the dusties’ flimsy, tin homes do little to keep out the Texas heat and dust. The whole story is set in Barren, so the only information about Bountiful is learned from the characters. Drones monitor citizens’ behaviors and zoom in to notify them when they’ve violated a rule or law. The one Barren doctor is punished for visiting patients in their homes. Speaking against the government is prohibited, with Dusty settlements widely separated and no way to communicate. Society is organized to keep the Dusties oppressed and suppressed. However, Zuzu hears rumors about something coming soon that will change everything.

What didn’t work as well:

The “climax” and resolution are not satisfying. The plot is building toward a major event to change society, but it never happens. It skips that part and ends six months later.

The final verdict:

The dynamic relationship between Zuzu and Snap is heartwarming, and readers will feel a sense of sadness as Snap’s battery runs down. However, the end of the book will have many readers feeling cheated, since the result is anticlimactic. Readers are left to fill in the blanks themselves.