Illustrated by Alessia Trunfio.

Published by Little Tiger, 2023.

I absolutely loved Scrap. It’s an exciting futuristic story, set against a sci-fi backdrop, with lovable characters and powerful themes.

When the humans arrive on Somewhere 513, they discover that the robots sent to prepare the planet for Humanity’s arrival have chosen to keep it for themselves. Only one robot remains loyal – K1-NG, aka King of the Robots. But, even with the most powerful robot on their side, the outlawed humans don’t stand a chance.

Ten years on, Gnat and her sister Paige are the only humans left on the planet and have spent their lives hidden underground. Now they must venture out in search of the one robot that stood by the humans. There’s just one problem – the once mighty K1-NG is living as an outcast on a robot scrap heap and has vowed never to help another human for as long as he lives…

Scrap gave me strong Wall-E vibes with robots in service to humans and being used to make planets habitable for humankind. While the book’s opening quote, “Not All Robots Are Created Equal” brought Animal Farm to mind. Indeed, some complex themes are explored in the book. Greed and consumerism, underpinned by vanity and one-upmanship, have come to dominate many of the robots’ lives as they chase the perfect case and purchase one body upgrade after another. The whole premise of artificial life forms exercising free will is also extremely fascinating. While the practice of “charging for charge” (robot charging, servicing and repair) makes an interesting analogy with the privatisation of healthcare.

I loved Scrap (K1-NG) from the outset. Gnat and Paige are terrific characters too. I loved the relationship between the three of them – initially fractious and strained but ultimately one rooted in loyalty and friendship. The story is pacy and exciting and the children have a worthy adversary in Harmony Highshine.

This is the first book in a trilogy and I can’t wait for more.

Rating: 💙💙💙💙💙

Suitable for children aged 8+

Thank you to Little Tiger for sending me this book to review.