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Spinetinglers #23
Gimme Back My Brain
Max offers to help two odd scientists who want to clone his brain, but after the procedure, his brain is transferred to a robot's body, and Max, now trapped inside a robot's body, must find a way to get his brain back into his human body. Original.
122 pages, Paperback
First published July 1, 1997
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
August 25, 2021
I was excited to finally get back to Spinetinglers, after the one I reviewed so solid and different from the usual for these. The randomizer picked this and the title and premise intrigued me. I figured I was in for an interesting and hopefully fun read, maybe a bit wild but nothing super nuts. Instead what I got was...nuts, I'm not even sure what to make of it.
To back up a bit, this book's actual author is Robert Hawks. Can't find much, but he has done some YA books that the Goodreads reviews say are better/different from the typical fare. Of his 3 Spinetinglers, I hear Snow Day is really out there, and kinda deep. I have no access to it, but it seems like he wanted to do different things with the format.
This somewhat has that. For one, the chapters have titles. They don't add much but it's different. The first is called My Name is Max and I almost expected it to follow that up by saying he can't tell us his last name of where he lives lol. Anyway, Max is 13 (!) year old boy who considers himself an idea guy, although that doesn't go anywhere.
His school is visited by these scientists, Mr. and Mrs. Abott who used to work for NASA, creating robots that they had no use for. Their latest creation is ARTHUR, who they want to be a more sophisticated AI. It has a robot brain but needs one with more human element so it can pass off as a person.
They ask Max to be a volunteer. They want to "copy" his brain and put the copy into Arthur, using Max as an ideal human template. He finds that a bit off but is basically forced into doing it, with at least some parental permission. However, something goes wrong and Max switches bodies with the robot.
It spirals from there, as Max finds himself on the run in his new big robot body. He needs to find some way to get his body back, all while eventually having cops and military folks on his back. This was a different one for sure.
The writing was a bit odd, trying a bit too hard to be cheeky with jokes Max makes, but some are funny and kind of work. There's some introspective moments that work well too. I can see some being turned off by this, but as it goes along it does get better and there are standout moments in there.
Like our last one, this has a bigger-ish scale, as the town does find out a robot is going around., Of course, they are scared because it's different, although he gets some nice allies. It gets started a bit too quickly, we don't get much time to know Max or any others before we jump into this.
It mostly flows alright after that are more obstacles are thrown in, but even at only like 113 pages, it kind of drags. Still, the main bulk does work, and they have some fun with what the robot brain can do. There's a part with a helicopter that was...interesting. It has that Frankenstein vibe with a mob going after a creature that does freak out simply because people are going after them.
But the most interesting aspect is the twist ending. I don't wanna give it away but it flips everything on its head in a way I did expect. It even adds a more tragic wrinkle to it all that would make re-reading this interesting. It's honestly up there as one of the best/most out there twists I've seen in these.
The downside is that it causes a very abrupt ending, and there isn't really a climax. The final line also confuses me. Overall, Gimme Back My Brain is an odd duck. I mostly say it's good. It's enjoyable with solid stakes and a bigger feel that works.
Robert Hawks is an interesting writer, and there are some smart things going on here, beyond the more cheeky moments. (Too many parenthesis though, seriously). The twist along adds a layer I don't usually see. I wish I had his other ones but hopefully someday I can see how they compare, as this alone shows he's not the same as George Edward Stanley.
I wish some of the clunky aspects were cleaned up, because I feel like there's something special in here. As it is, it was a solid read, just very odd and low key confusing at times. It took me slightly longer than usual because I had to pay more attention and not skip much, even it is under 120 pages.
It's nice to already see the variety these can have at least. It's an interesting one. Anyway, we'll finish up this round with another Galaxy of Fear. Hopefully that one is easier on my brain.
(Also, given they say "Gimme back my body" a few times instead of the actual title, I think there was a title change...)
To back up a bit, this book's actual author is Robert Hawks. Can't find much, but he has done some YA books that the Goodreads reviews say are better/different from the typical fare. Of his 3 Spinetinglers, I hear Snow Day is really out there, and kinda deep. I have no access to it, but it seems like he wanted to do different things with the format.
This somewhat has that. For one, the chapters have titles. They don't add much but it's different. The first is called My Name is Max and I almost expected it to follow that up by saying he can't tell us his last name of where he lives lol. Anyway, Max is 13 (!) year old boy who considers himself an idea guy, although that doesn't go anywhere.
His school is visited by these scientists, Mr. and Mrs. Abott who used to work for NASA, creating robots that they had no use for. Their latest creation is ARTHUR, who they want to be a more sophisticated AI. It has a robot brain but needs one with more human element so it can pass off as a person.
They ask Max to be a volunteer. They want to "copy" his brain and put the copy into Arthur, using Max as an ideal human template. He finds that a bit off but is basically forced into doing it, with at least some parental permission. However, something goes wrong and Max switches bodies with the robot.
It spirals from there, as Max finds himself on the run in his new big robot body. He needs to find some way to get his body back, all while eventually having cops and military folks on his back. This was a different one for sure.
The writing was a bit odd, trying a bit too hard to be cheeky with jokes Max makes, but some are funny and kind of work. There's some introspective moments that work well too. I can see some being turned off by this, but as it goes along it does get better and there are standout moments in there.
Like our last one, this has a bigger-ish scale, as the town does find out a robot is going around., Of course, they are scared because it's different, although he gets some nice allies. It gets started a bit too quickly, we don't get much time to know Max or any others before we jump into this.
It mostly flows alright after that are more obstacles are thrown in, but even at only like 113 pages, it kind of drags. Still, the main bulk does work, and they have some fun with what the robot brain can do. There's a part with a helicopter that was...interesting. It has that Frankenstein vibe with a mob going after a creature that does freak out simply because people are going after them.
But the most interesting aspect is the twist ending. I don't wanna give it away but it flips everything on its head in a way I did expect. It even adds a more tragic wrinkle to it all that would make re-reading this interesting. It's honestly up there as one of the best/most out there twists I've seen in these.
The downside is that it causes a very abrupt ending, and there isn't really a climax. The final line also confuses me. Overall, Gimme Back My Brain is an odd duck. I mostly say it's good. It's enjoyable with solid stakes and a bigger feel that works.
Robert Hawks is an interesting writer, and there are some smart things going on here, beyond the more cheeky moments. (Too many parenthesis though, seriously). The twist along adds a layer I don't usually see. I wish I had his other ones but hopefully someday I can see how they compare, as this alone shows he's not the same as George Edward Stanley.
I wish some of the clunky aspects were cleaned up, because I feel like there's something special in here. As it is, it was a solid read, just very odd and low key confusing at times. It took me slightly longer than usual because I had to pay more attention and not skip much, even it is under 120 pages.
It's nice to already see the variety these can have at least. It's an interesting one. Anyway, we'll finish up this round with another Galaxy of Fear. Hopefully that one is easier on my brain.
(Also, given they say "Gimme back my body" a few times instead of the actual title, I think there was a title change...)
January 11, 2026
Robert Hawks—author of the best kids horror book ever, “Snow Day (Spinetinglers #7)”—returns to the series for his third book, of which is again Sci-Fi heavy, though this time advertised as such. My love for Snow Day runs deep into my heart. It’s fascinating to me, with all the complex ideas it brings, crazy twists, and that stinger ending that makes you question reality. Naturally, I was anticipating this volume HIGHLY after hearing who wrote it, and by god, this was a bizarre one. Out of love for Robert Hawks, I’m going to format this review more professionally; it’s the least I can do, and this book deserves it, anyways.
Positives:
• The Writing
Robert Hawks’ great writing shines through again with his well-crafted work here. This is technically the longest Spinetingler if I had to bet, with the font being far smaller than the previous entries, even that of Wear and Scare—an entry yet to release at the time of this books drop. And with this long word count, we got Robert Hawks’ great writing in plentiful form.
• The Story
It’s a bit basic but also a bit bonkers. I loved the ideas at play here, and I called the twist from the get-go: the robot (Arthur) thinks he’s a real person, and more particularly Max, the kid whose brain had been copied into him. It’s a depressing story, as the robot is so utterly convinced that they’re Max—when they aren’t—that this digitalized version of Max thinks some entity had infiltrated the very much alive and well Max, stemming from his iron shell. The story goes to avenues I wasn’t expecting but loved no less, and it introduces some great characters, has awesome beats and dialogue (again, great writing), and a nice relinquishing close. Not to mention it’s all very, very entertaining and was wholly up my alley of interest.
• The Characters
There’s some quirky characters thrown in here that don’t do a whole lot but have enough of an impact on me that they’re memorable. There’s a hobo, and sentient chopper (made by the main character), a pair of mad scientists, and even some human kids. And, don’t forget the main. They drive the story when needed and they’re all well written and pretty neat additions.
Negatives:
• Mild Meandering
Sorry, Robert Hawks, but it’s time for some quick criticism. The story feels a bit directionless; I know where it’s leading, I have a good idea of how it’s gonna end, but getting there was a bit unorthodox. Just a bit, and fun no less, but again, unorthodox.
• Underused/Pointless Additions
There’s a girl character thrown in here in the first half that wasn’t ever mentioned or seen again. There’s also the whole captured by the military segment that felt rather unnecessary. Not to mention Cory’s inclusion at the end; what did that even do? But I can forgive these… mostly.
Score:
Overall, 9.5/10. Rounded to five stars indeed. This book is great, not quite Snow Day though. If you liked Robert Hawk’s other books for this series and are into robots and allat, then give this book a try. And yeah, this book is really something bizarre, and I enjoyed the craziness of this entry. Robert Hawks—adopt me, please, and same goes for Engle and Barnes.
Positives:
• The Writing
Robert Hawks’ great writing shines through again with his well-crafted work here. This is technically the longest Spinetingler if I had to bet, with the font being far smaller than the previous entries, even that of Wear and Scare—an entry yet to release at the time of this books drop. And with this long word count, we got Robert Hawks’ great writing in plentiful form.
• The Story
It’s a bit basic but also a bit bonkers. I loved the ideas at play here, and I called the twist from the get-go: the robot (Arthur) thinks he’s a real person, and more particularly Max, the kid whose brain had been copied into him. It’s a depressing story, as the robot is so utterly convinced that they’re Max—when they aren’t—that this digitalized version of Max thinks some entity had infiltrated the very much alive and well Max, stemming from his iron shell. The story goes to avenues I wasn’t expecting but loved no less, and it introduces some great characters, has awesome beats and dialogue (again, great writing), and a nice relinquishing close. Not to mention it’s all very, very entertaining and was wholly up my alley of interest.
• The Characters
There’s some quirky characters thrown in here that don’t do a whole lot but have enough of an impact on me that they’re memorable. There’s a hobo, and sentient chopper (made by the main character), a pair of mad scientists, and even some human kids. And, don’t forget the main. They drive the story when needed and they’re all well written and pretty neat additions.
Negatives:
• Mild Meandering
Sorry, Robert Hawks, but it’s time for some quick criticism. The story feels a bit directionless; I know where it’s leading, I have a good idea of how it’s gonna end, but getting there was a bit unorthodox. Just a bit, and fun no less, but again, unorthodox.
• Underused/Pointless Additions
There’s a girl character thrown in here in the first half that wasn’t ever mentioned or seen again. There’s also the whole captured by the military segment that felt rather unnecessary. Not to mention Cory’s inclusion at the end; what did that even do? But I can forgive these… mostly.
Score:
Overall, 9.5/10. Rounded to five stars indeed. This book is great, not quite Snow Day though. If you liked Robert Hawk’s other books for this series and are into robots and allat, then give this book a try. And yeah, this book is really something bizarre, and I enjoyed the craziness of this entry. Robert Hawks—adopt me, please, and same goes for Engle and Barnes.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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