Effortless read. Despite the fact that all major plot points are predictable from the first ten pages, there's an archetypical resonance to the plight of the heroine that's hard to resist. The novel ends on a surprisingly misanthropic note for YA material, which I found very refreshing. ( )

My lecturer booktalked this in class, and I just about ran home with it. Since the death of her parents, Olwen has lived alone with her robot Guardian on a remote plant for from earth. When a ship full of colonists arrive, everything about Olwen's life will change, as she experiences friendship, loss, and conversation for the first time.
I wanted to read just a little before bed, but I devoured the whole thing, desperate to know how Olwen would cope with the new arrivals on her world.
This story is beautiful, heartbreaking, and hopeful. I'd recommend it to fans of science fiction, or of romance. It's easy tore ad and the plot pulls you along, but there are some big ideas about the nature of humanity and our need for other people. I think this is suitable for reluctant and sophisticated readers. ( )

I first discovered this book in high school, and it made a lasting impression on me. It vividly portrays the life of an isolated girl living on a desolate planet with only a few companions, and how her life changes when a ship full of colonists arrives. There's a twist in the middle of the story that really took me by surprise! Years later I was delighted to rediscover it, and I still found the book very enjoyable. ( )

Not a good ending; it ends the way you least suspect it will. It's about a girl and a robot on Isis who have to help a group of colonists. The girl, Olwen, falls in love with a boy who loves her until he sees what she really looks like. Big disappointment. ( )

Unique story. Quick read. ( )