Cog

 

Cog looks like a normal 12-year-old boy, but he is actually an android who was built to learn.  He has always lived with Gina, one of the scientists who helped to create him, in a home where he spends his days learning.  After he makes a mistake, Gina tells him it's ok because mistakes lead to learning.  In an attempt to make a big mistake and do some serious learning, he is involved in an accident. 

When he wakes up, he is not at home, and Gina is gone.  He is at a uniMind lab where they want to remove his brain to get to something called an X module.  Cog doesn't know what that is, but he does know he doesn't want anyone to remove his brain!  He decides to escape with a trashbot, a robotic dog, and ADA, his "sister."  Of course, they will need a means of transportation, so they convince a self-driving car to be their getaway vehicle.

Cog wants to find Gina because he know she won't let uniMind remove his brain, but the uniMind scientists have other plans.  Will they be able to escape the cruel scientists in time?

This novel by Greg Van Eekhout surprised me with its humor and heart.  Cog and his robotic friends are endearing characters, and the questions about free will and cruelty to those with less power will stay with readers after the last page.  Recommended.