"Sarah's gorgeous language draws you into her frighteningly believable near-future. This story is a dark and fierce thing, but one that also has much to say about hope and human ingenuity." -- Joseph Fink, author of Welcome to Night Vale "Griffin explores the ethical quandaries of progress, love, class, and ambition in language as ornate as the characters' decorated prostheses.the plot is compelling, full of secrets, blackmail, and betrayals that resolve at just the right moment.this poetic, Frankenstein-esque tale forms a page-turning whole." -- Kirkus Reviews "Griffin's richly descriptive writing exquisitely evokes a dark, dank, dystopian world destroyed by humans' obsession with computers.Griffin's strength lies in her ability to perfectly convey the mood and tone of her Burton-esque world." -- School Library Journal "Part Pinocchio, part Frankenstein's monster, Nell's construction allows the story authentic depths of horror and moral disquiet.

The author's unusual prose is lush enough to provide thorough world-building and spare enough to carry the main character's emotions without overstatement." -- Horn Book Magazine "Lovely.a quietly effective cautionary tale about a world still reeling from past mistakes. The steady ticking of Nell's heart provides a drumbeat for her aching loneliness, her grief over the death of her mother, and her quest.to understand what it means to be alive." -- Publishers Weekly "Griffin is pretty crafty as she builds her world, mostly using dialogue to establish the backstory of the plague and its current effects. A twist ending . brings all the disparate elements together in fine form.

" -- Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books.