The Starlight Watchmaker

I gave this book five stars! Man oh man did I love this book! I didn't know what to expect having never read anything by Lauren James, but I was seriously impressed. In a nutshell, this book centralizes on the life of an android named Hugo, who works as a watchmaker/repairer on a university campus on a distant planet. When a student brings a time-travelling watch to be repaired, it sets forth a journey of self discovery that will forever change Hugo's life. How do I love this book? Let me count the ways. Obviously the star of this book is Hugo. Oh, Hugo, you amazing android spirit. I sympathized with Hugo from the get go. This guy's had a tough life and is just scraping by. Alone, Hugo does what he knows best, watchmaking. His story reminded me of the Velveteen Rabbit and in spots really tugged at my heart strings. Hugo isn't used to the waking world and has suffered abandonment in the past, so I was rooting for him the entire time. Great character progression. I also enjoyed Dorian and how he progressed throughout. Ada gets the vote as a solid support character. The plot was pretty simple in concept. Dorian brings Hugo a broken time-travelling watch and the plot thickens from there. At first I thought this would be a simple adventure, a whodunit, but it turned out to be so much more. The plot got deeper and plucked at my heartstrings. I was totally surprised at the reveals that happened along the way. The writing was simple and easy to follow, and I appreciated that. The KISS method works, people!But ultimately it is the tenderheartedness of this story that really impacted me. It left a warm feeling in my heart, and I definitely won't forget it in the years to come. I highly recommend checking this book out. You'll be glad you did!

Vivid worldbuilding, which is always high up on my list of important things! A great first read for anyone wanting to try sci fi, and a charming short ish story for those who love it. Unique aliens, friendships and humour in a compelling tale. Overall a wonderful read and highly recommended.

Fab