Puppet
Puppet has a very interesting premise. Definitely a different twist on the Pinocchio tales. More opposite in fact. Pauline C Harris lays out an interesting foundation for storytelling. Sadly, though, I feel it fell a bit short of it's potential.Penelope (Pen for short) is an orphan girl taken in by a man named Jed. In return for a home, she had agreed to his experiments on her. Now she is a living marionette. Now I fell this is a bit of a futuristic time because marionettes are not dolls on strings. They are instead control by remote control. They are faster and stronger than humans. But Pen her has a mind and heart of her own.
When Jeb starts showing her off to the public, the authorities begin to view her as a threat. So to attempt to erase some of that threat Jeb "programs" her so that she cannot lie. As things go from bad to worse, Pen feels like she is losing her rights as a person.
It is obvious she is, She cares, loves and has a sense of being that a doll would not have. The one she loves most is Jeb's son, James. Even though they have been raised together for a period of time, she in no way looks to him as a sibling. He is her romantic interest and to protect him, she may have to reveal more than is smart to.
Again, like I said, potential with the marionette concept but I feel that so many questions were overlooked. Things that come into question are her time at the orphanage. Does she have human limbs or now looking more like the cover? How does the science work? What is up with the government? I felt that so many things were glossed over and the time should have been taken to go over more. It is a very short read and more information would have added so much to the story. As it is, I often felt very confused in the purpose of everything.
**I received a copy of this book from Patchwork Press in exchange for a fair/honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.**
