Blog Tour: A Robot In The Garden by Deborah Install

Title: A Robot In The Garden
Author: Deborah Install 
Published: 23rd April 2015
Publisher: Doubleday

Today I am so delighted to be part of the Blog Tour for A Robot in the Garden by Deborah Install with a review. The other stops on the tour are listed below, so please do stop by their blogs for some other great content.

Review
This is one of those books where I really had no idea what story I was in for. The title is enough to make you curious, but I could not see where the robot was going to fit in. However once I started I pleasantly surprised where this story took me.
A Robot in the Garden tells us Ben and Tang the robot's story. Ben wakes up one day to be told by his wife Amy that there is, quite simply a robot in the garden. Ben quickly discovers that Tang is broken and as he seems something in Tang that is special, he takes him on a global trip to find his maker and get him fixed. What follows is a fun, self-discovery journey for Ben, full of humour and awkward situations.
I liked how that despite this being set in the near future with walking, talking robots all around, it didn't feel massively into the future and it took away any sci-fi aspect to it. Although I like sci-fi, by Deborah doing this she has opened up the story to a wider variety of readers that can enjoy a truly wonderful, endearing story that focuses on friendship.
I loved Tang the robot soooooooooo much! He is unbelievably cute and has that childlike quality about him that just makes you want to care for him. He is now officially my favourtie fictional robot character out there, sorry R2D2. 
I loved the unpredictability of this. I really had no idea where it was going to take us next and if I'm honest I thought I knew what the ending would be, but the story carried on, much to my delight. I always know when a story is good as I can very quickly settle myself back in like I am there with the characters and also when I finish it quickly despite other time constraints, and this I finished in one working day!
Whilst this book deals with some sad, more serious issues, it is made lighthearted by the overall humour and Tang is so funny without even meaning to be. There is some great humour all the way through the book. It's a story that I think everyone will fall in love with.
Deborah has created a truly wonderful, heartfelt story of friendship that completely melted my heart. This is without a doubt one of the best books that I have read this year.