Monday, April 22, 2013

Review: How To Repair A Mechanical Heart by J.C Lillis

How To Repair A Mechanical Heart by J.C Lillis
Self-Published
Novel: 255pgs
5+ Pants Off

Blurb:
Eighteen-year-old Castaway Planet fans Brandon and Abel hate bad fan fiction—especially when it pairs their number-one TV crushes of all time, dashing space captain Cadmus and dapper android Sim. As co-runners of the Internet’s third most popular Castaway Planet vlog, they love to spar with the “Cadsim” fangirls who think Cadmus will melt Sim’s mechanical heart by the Season 5 finale. This summer, Brandon and Abel have a mission: hit the road in an RV to follow the traveling Castaway Planet convention, interview the actors and showrunner, and uncover proof that a legit Cadsim romance will NEVER, EVER HAPPEN.

A Brandon and Abel romance: also not happening. Brandon’s sick of his struggle to make “gay and Catholic” compute, so it’s safer to love a TV android. Plus Abel’s got a hot new boyfriend with a phoenix tattoo, and how can Brandon compete with that? But when mysterious messages about them start popping up in the fan community, they make a shocking discovery that slowly forces their real feelings to the surface. Before they get to the last Castaway Planet convention, Brandon’s going to find out the truth: can a mechanical heart be reprogrammed, or will his first shot at love be a full system failure?


Review:
I am legit happy out of mind for this book, excuse me while I go rabid fangirl and try to put down in words all my feels. This is by far my most favest YA book EVA, filled with so much love that captures that in between from young and carefree to adulthood. But mostly it’s so perfectly fandom that my fanfic loving heart was so super happy. How To Repair A Mechanical Heart is shiniest of gems.

Brandon & Abel are huge Castaway Planet fans, and they're planning to do a roadtrip along with their friend Bec, and be at every stop for the Castie-con to ask the most important question: "Is there a legit possibility that Cadmus & Sim could hook-up?" the awesome attractive leads of CP. Brandon and Able are very against Cadsim, and has started an online war with fangirls about their fanfiction and how totally bogus an actual hook-up is. While that all sounds exciting, there’s a war raging inside of Brandon, first he lied to his parents about Abel tagging along, and second his lies to Abel has made him into a person he's not. Yes, his parents know about him being gay, but they're not 100% ok with it and most importantly Brandon isn't sure he's 100% ok with it himself.

So the summer comes down to battling fanfic fangirls, and Brandon struggling to control the voices inside while fighting the feelings he may or may not be having for Abel. Things take an interesting turn when Hells Bells appear on the scene, first it seems they might be fanatics turn crazy stalker spies but Abel and Brandon get the shock of their life when they find out that they HB is actually Shipping them (say what the actual feck now?) and they're calling it Abandon. Abel is completely stokes on the idea but Brandon is a little apprehensive cus its like some of the writers went into his very soul and started writing words on paper. One thing is for sure, this summer all secrets get revealed and maybe Abandon was meant to be after all.

There is so much to love about this story, just so freaking much! First, Brandon & Abel are awesome interesting characters that fill the pages with their youth. Where Abel don't gives a fuck attitude is amazing, Brandon's somewhat introverted ways create a perfect balance. It’s like "what the hella" that they aren't together during most of the books (to me though they were always together and just needed some push). Second, their online war with the fangirls is what Awesmazing is made of, plus with the Church of Abandon shit got very real. I laughed so freaking hard and totally got real fangirl feels (it was like reading me on pages). Third, Brandon's very real in your face emotions. His expressions are raw, and he's messed up on a level that is total teenage boy angsty and it really draws the reader in he’s relatable on so many levels.

This book made me filled with rainbows and sunshine wrapped in sprinkling of unicorn dust. One of the very best YA books out there, for originality and being made of total Geek. As a lover of fanfic myself this book really hit hard on many a levels (fangirls know what I'm talking bout).

I just have one thing to say to J.C Lillis "I NOW WORSHIP YOU, NEVER STOP WRITING WORDS!”  :D

Geek Level: On a scale of 1 to 5, this is most definitely a 5 of epic proportions. This book is geek layered in geek and then wrapped up in more geek for the road. Brandon and Abel fully carry around Action figures of their favourite Castaway Planet Characters, and recite lines from the show to add into their daily lives. If that isn't geek...then I don't know how to help you. Gawww, this book is freaking amazing I wanna rip of my clothes cus of so many feels.

5+ Pants Off
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1 comment:

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