What do you think?
Rate this book
Bionic
Mira has always almost had it all...until it all crashes and burns. She's hurt in a horrible car accident, and the only way the doctors can help is to try experimental prosthetics and chips that are implanted directly into her brain. It's a huge risk, but after months of testing and therapy, Mira is back, and better than ever. But soon her friends turn against her as their parents call her on unfair advantages and get her cut from lacrosse and the scholarships she was depending on for college. And with her enhanced hearing, she knows how many people in her school and her town are calling her a robot, a cyborg. Is that true? Is Mira human, or is she somehow something other? How can she overcome the ways people see her and just be herself...especially if she's not really sure who that is anymore?
Suzanne Weyn is always at the cutting edge when it comes to new tech and the questions it raises about the world we live in.
Suzanne Weyn is always at the cutting edge when it comes to new tech and the questions it raises about the world we live in.
240 pages, Hardcover
First published October 25, 2016
16 people are currently reading
677 people want to read
About the author
Suzanne Weyn
206 books648 followersSuzanne Weyn grew up in Williston Park, Long Island, New York. She has three sisters and a brother. As a girl, she was very interested in theatre and in reading. Louisa May Alcott was her favorite author, but she also read every Sherlock Holmes story. Suzanne lived pretty close to the ocean and going to Jones Beach was one of her favorite activities. Even today, if she goes too long without seeing the ocean, she starts feeling restless.
Suzanne now lives in upper New York State with her husband, two teen daughters and Abby the cat. Her house is at the edge of the woods and is nearly 200 years old. She graduated from State University of New York at Binghamton and received her master's degree from Pace University. She teaches part-time at City College in New York.
Suzanne's other books for Simon Pulse include South Beach Sizzle, a romantic comedy written with Diana Gonzalez. Her novels for the Simon Pulse line "Once Upon a Time" are The Night Dance: A Retelling of the Twelve Dancing Princesses, Water Song: A Retelling of the Frog Prince, and The Crimson Thread: A Retelling of Rumplestiltskin. She very much enjoys rethinking these classic tales from an original point of view, always looking for the real psychological underpinning of the story. Suzanne is currently doing revisions on her fourth book in the line, which will be coming in 2009.
Suzanne's other recent novels are include The Bar Code Tattoo (2004) and its sequel, The Bar Code Rebellion (2006). The Bar Code Tattoo was selected by the American Library Assoc. (ALA) as a 2005 Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers and was a 2007 Nevada Library nominee for Best Young Adult Fiction. It is currently translated into German and was nominated for the 2007 Jugenliteraturpreis for Young People's Literature.
Suzanne now lives in upper New York State with her husband, two teen daughters and Abby the cat. Her house is at the edge of the woods and is nearly 200 years old. She graduated from State University of New York at Binghamton and received her master's degree from Pace University. She teaches part-time at City College in New York.
Suzanne's other books for Simon Pulse include South Beach Sizzle, a romantic comedy written with Diana Gonzalez. Her novels for the Simon Pulse line "Once Upon a Time" are The Night Dance: A Retelling of the Twelve Dancing Princesses, Water Song: A Retelling of the Frog Prince, and The Crimson Thread: A Retelling of Rumplestiltskin. She very much enjoys rethinking these classic tales from an original point of view, always looking for the real psychological underpinning of the story. Suzanne is currently doing revisions on her fourth book in the line, which will be coming in 2009.
Suzanne's other recent novels are include The Bar Code Tattoo (2004) and its sequel, The Bar Code Rebellion (2006). The Bar Code Tattoo was selected by the American Library Assoc. (ALA) as a 2005 Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers and was a 2007 Nevada Library nominee for Best Young Adult Fiction. It is currently translated into German and was nominated for the 2007 Jugenliteraturpreis for Young People's Literature.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 62 reviews
abandoned
September 17, 2017Got about a third through this...
I really liked the idea of it, but the main character was really whiny, and it all seemed to be focused on teen angst and love drama.....
Great potential, but did not live up to my expectations :/
I really liked the idea of it, but the main character was really whiny, and it all seemed to be focused on teen angst and love drama.....
Great potential, but did not live up to my expectations :/
April 19, 2017
The plot was really cool but I didn't really like the character. This book taught me that a life can change in a simple instant, where Mira had to go from a normal teenager to a crippled car crash survivor. Needless to say, she was really lucky, the doctors made her a cyborg with amazing capabilities. It really annoyed me how Mira was still so whiny even after everything the doctor has done for her, she can be so selfish sometimes. Other than that, the book was really cool and I enjoyed reading it fairly well.
December 23, 2017
This one's in my classroom library. Bionic is that really cool kind of science fiction that isn't out of the realm of possibility for today's technology. I really like that the protagonist is a teenaged girl. The story is one of unintended consequences - for everything that goes right for the main character, there's an unraveling of other parts of her life. I'll definitely be recommending this book to the girls in my class that haven't had much experience with science fiction.
February 25, 2019
This one was actually pretty interesting for the first half or so, I was invested and actually cared about our protagonist. After about that midway point, it completely flat-lined for me. The action and direction the story ended up taking felt forced and just didn't do it for me. Horribly disappointed in the ending; did not seem to fit at all. Hardcore readers might push through with it but don't hand this one to a reluctant reader.
December 16, 2019
1...Maybe if it didn't come across so very childish...The premise is...well, far-fetched...But I think it could be done well, if right...Unfortunately, this one isn't for me!
February 26, 2017
Life can change in an instant, never to be the same again. The main character of Suzanne Weyn’s Bionic, Mira, is the ideal American teenager: she is a star lacrosse player, has great friends, a hot boyfriend, and is the lead singer of a blossoming garageband. Her biggest dilemma is whether to continue pursuing music or to follow her coach's advice and focus solely on lacrosse in order to receive a college scholarship. However, after a horrible car crash leaves her severely injured, Mira is forced to fight for her life. Luckily, she is picked for a clinical trial that allows her to receive state of the art prostheses and suddenly finds her old abilities restored and even enhanced. Nevertheless, nothing is the same and Mira is forced to grapple with her new identity: how much of the old Mira is left or will the new one forever take her place?
Overall, I enjoyed this novel’s perspective on the current issue of biotechnology. As our scientific knowledge advances it is important to consider the ethical implications of using technology to repair the human body. Is it ethical to completely replace a person’s body with wires and metal and if yes until what point can they still be classified as human? Bionic deals with issue by providing a real life example of the impact biotechnology can have. Mira would have died without medical intervention and never been able to regain her independence without biotechnology. Yet, she still faces alienation from her friends and community due to her seemingly enhanced abilities. I also enjoyed the development of Mira’s character because she is not portrayed as an ideal heroine, but rather as an individual who struggles to overcome her faults. She portrays herself, often rightfully so, as the victim, but also neglects others who may feel the same.
My only complaint would be that at times the heroine comes across as inconsiderate and self-absorbed, which given her situation is understandable. Nonetheless, these characteristics made harder for me to connect with her. Also, the writing itself, although not bad by any means, was somewhat lackluster and did not keep me at the edge of my seat like other books.
This novel could be used in a science classroom to debate the ethics of biotechnology and biomedical engineering. Since it provides a real life example to which students can easily relate to. Also, it could be used to discuss how people cope in the aftermath of a traumatic event, as each character in the novel deals with the trauma in a different way.
Overall, I enjoyed this novel’s perspective on the current issue of biotechnology. As our scientific knowledge advances it is important to consider the ethical implications of using technology to repair the human body. Is it ethical to completely replace a person’s body with wires and metal and if yes until what point can they still be classified as human? Bionic deals with issue by providing a real life example of the impact biotechnology can have. Mira would have died without medical intervention and never been able to regain her independence without biotechnology. Yet, she still faces alienation from her friends and community due to her seemingly enhanced abilities. I also enjoyed the development of Mira’s character because she is not portrayed as an ideal heroine, but rather as an individual who struggles to overcome her faults. She portrays herself, often rightfully so, as the victim, but also neglects others who may feel the same.
My only complaint would be that at times the heroine comes across as inconsiderate and self-absorbed, which given her situation is understandable. Nonetheless, these characteristics made harder for me to connect with her. Also, the writing itself, although not bad by any means, was somewhat lackluster and did not keep me at the edge of my seat like other books.
This novel could be used in a science classroom to debate the ethics of biotechnology and biomedical engineering. Since it provides a real life example to which students can easily relate to. Also, it could be used to discuss how people cope in the aftermath of a traumatic event, as each character in the novel deals with the trauma in a different way.
March 8, 2017
I was really excited to start reading this book. The plot sounded cool and I hadn't read anything like this before. I was extremely disappointed when the main character was needy, spoiled and embarrassed of who she was. Despite being given these enhanced abilities, she continuously complains and whines even though others around her are suffering more than she is. I wish the author had portrayed Mira as a strong female protagonist instead of a desperate, whiny, stereotypical teenage girl. In summary, the plot idea was good but was executed poorly due to a lack of character development.
January 11, 2017
So, it's not that I didn't enjoy this book as I was reading, but I kept thinking there was going to be more substance. Something would happen and I would think, oh, she's going to see how she can connect with her brother.... nope. Or, oh, she's going to find out how important her mind and education is.... nope. Oh, she's going to find out fame sucks... nope. And then it just kind of ended. ? I think the best part was the beginning when she is just trying to come to terms with being different.
November 17, 2017
At times it drug on for me and then there were threads of a story that were just dropped. I'm glad it wasn't longer. I would have put it down, but I was interested to see who it played out. there were no surprises.
March 15, 2018
🎧Bionic by Suzanne Weyn * 4 Stars* 03/06/2018
.
.
I am quite surprised with my own reaction to this audiobook. I started listening expecting nothing since my past experience with Suzanne Weyn’s book was not the best. But somehow, I ended up listening Bionic while walking at morning before work. And I will tell you something, I'm trying to lose weight and I'm not a morning person, so, to wake up at 6am to walk, totally not my thing, but still, I have been doing for the past 2 weeks. At the moment I started to listen how Mira, the main character, get into a car accident that will change her life forever, I realized know much we take for granted in our lives. The simply ability to walk, talk, see, that can be taken any minute . Then I realized I was running, because the character couldn't and I could. I had a very positive and productive day, simply because I could and should. The book is not perfect, the character should be more grateful for the opportunities presented to her, but hey, how many times I'm my life have I whined for something I should not? Depression is also mentioned, and a very interesting phrase was written when the character start to wonder if taking the anti depression pills and feeling happier, if she was still being herself. How many times I made the question myself? I lost count. I do know that I'm still me, it is still my personality somewhere under the pills, but questions like that will always cross minds of people who are at the receiving end of the news that the best option for them is starting anti depression pills. It was inspiring to see how Mira overcame her fears and obstacles ahead of her. I really really admire persistent people that can focus on their goals and make what seems impossible to happen. People who loses part of their bodies and overcome their loss , becoming even para- athletes definitely leave a mark in my soul. There is also the polemic created regarding how much advantage or disadvantage someone may have if a part of their body is modified by technology and science. How far it goes the barrier that defines a person as human? The book is short and fast paced, talking in terms of development I found the end a little bit abrupt, the characters are not the best on terms or reader-character quimic, but still a good lesson if you know how to read between the lines.
.
.
I am quite surprised with my own reaction to this audiobook. I started listening expecting nothing since my past experience with Suzanne Weyn’s book was not the best. But somehow, I ended up listening Bionic while walking at morning before work. And I will tell you something, I'm trying to lose weight and I'm not a morning person, so, to wake up at 6am to walk, totally not my thing, but still, I have been doing for the past 2 weeks. At the moment I started to listen how Mira, the main character, get into a car accident that will change her life forever, I realized know much we take for granted in our lives. The simply ability to walk, talk, see, that can be taken any minute . Then I realized I was running, because the character couldn't and I could. I had a very positive and productive day, simply because I could and should. The book is not perfect, the character should be more grateful for the opportunities presented to her, but hey, how many times I'm my life have I whined for something I should not? Depression is also mentioned, and a very interesting phrase was written when the character start to wonder if taking the anti depression pills and feeling happier, if she was still being herself. How many times I made the question myself? I lost count. I do know that I'm still me, it is still my personality somewhere under the pills, but questions like that will always cross minds of people who are at the receiving end of the news that the best option for them is starting anti depression pills. It was inspiring to see how Mira overcame her fears and obstacles ahead of her. I really really admire persistent people that can focus on their goals and make what seems impossible to happen. People who loses part of their bodies and overcome their loss , becoming even para- athletes definitely leave a mark in my soul. There is also the polemic created regarding how much advantage or disadvantage someone may have if a part of their body is modified by technology and science. How far it goes the barrier that defines a person as human? The book is short and fast paced, talking in terms of development I found the end a little bit abrupt, the characters are not the best on terms or reader-character quimic, but still a good lesson if you know how to read between the lines.
March 27, 2022
This book.
I started this book after reading a 650 page book because I knew that I would have a reading slump. Small books normally help me with slumps. Anyway, the MC is super annoying and is just simply overpowered. They are perfect at everything they do, let alone Competitive swimmer.
I myself am a competitive swimmer and the way the author wrote the sport and how easy it was for the MC to win is embarrassing.
The cliché rock band that the MC is a main character. Really?
MC is a top grade lacrosse player, star band player, and star Swimmer.
The chip in the MC’s brain makes her perfect. Her hair is nicer, her skin is clearer. Now she plays guitar with her bionic hand.
Aside from the overpowered main character, the writing is terrible. Everything is super rushed and the humour sounds like something a sixth grader would say. I hardly had any idea who the characters were until we were thrown into the next scene.
I feel zero connection to any characters in this book at all, and it was frankly a waste of my time. Save you’re time and disregard this book.
I started this book after reading a 650 page book because I knew that I would have a reading slump. Small books normally help me with slumps. Anyway, the MC is super annoying and is just simply overpowered. They are perfect at everything they do, let alone Competitive swimmer.
I myself am a competitive swimmer and the way the author wrote the sport and how easy it was for the MC to win is embarrassing.
The cliché rock band that the MC is a main character. Really?
MC is a top grade lacrosse player, star band player, and star Swimmer.
The chip in the MC’s brain makes her perfect. Her hair is nicer, her skin is clearer. Now she plays guitar with her bionic hand.
Aside from the overpowered main character, the writing is terrible. Everything is super rushed and the humour sounds like something a sixth grader would say. I hardly had any idea who the characters were until we were thrown into the next scene.
I feel zero connection to any characters in this book at all, and it was frankly a waste of my time. Save you’re time and disregard this book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 19, 2018
After a horrific car crash, Mira goes from being the girl who has it all - lead singer in a band, great lacrosse player looking for a scholarship - to being the girl who has almost lost everything. Mira loses a leg, an arm, her other knee is shattered and her jawbone is shattered on one side. Doctors offer her a chance to be the recipient of some experimental medical prothesis. The new limbs actually make her better than before. She joins the swimming team and goes back to singing with the band. There is literally nothing that she can't do. And, she looks better than she did before the accident. However, she is beginning to hear whispers of cyborg and the other teams think she has an unfair advantage with her new limbs. With everything spinning out of control, Mira must decide who she is and where the robotics stop. Fans of The Adoration of Jenna Fox will enjoy this one.
February 9, 2018
After a horrific accident leaves her severely injured, Mira has a chip implanted in her brain to control her state of the art prosthetic arm and leg. As she learns how to use her new limbs, she also has to deal with the people who think she has an unfair advantage because of them. Friends, family, classmates, everyone looks at her differently. Some see her as a hero, others a freak. Mira has to decide who she is and who she wants to be.
I enjoyed the overall story of this book, but there were some moments that seemed a bit over the top. I also felt the book ended rather abruptly without really resolving some of the things that happen. Consequences of certain actions seem to be missing as well. Overall an interesting plot, it just fell a bit flat for me.
I enjoyed the overall story of this book, but there were some moments that seemed a bit over the top. I also felt the book ended rather abruptly without really resolving some of the things that happen. Consequences of certain actions seem to be missing as well. Overall an interesting plot, it just fell a bit flat for me.
June 5, 2018
Well written, clean and engaging. The plot makes you ponder, you want to cheer for the characters and the pace is just right. I appreciated that the author brings up some of the moral dilemma of Mira's medical situation without really discussing it in the book. Leaves plenty of room for the reader to think through the different facets of the story. Impressively a YA book with romantic relationships that skips the sex. Thank you Miss Weyn! Will be sharing this with my teens and searching out her other works.
May 2, 2019
Mira is a normal high school student ... until the horrible car accident. The doctors try an experimental prosthetics and chips that are implanted into her brain. Mira is back. She's really back. School and friends turn against her because of her superhuman condition.
We've probably all wondered how it would be if we had a superpower. Mira does and it doesn't go as she would like.
Great story of what if technology gives us advantages. It creates a lot of questions that I'll have bouncing around in my head. Great read.
We've probably all wondered how it would be if we had a superpower. Mira does and it doesn't go as she would like.
Great story of what if technology gives us advantages. It creates a lot of questions that I'll have bouncing around in my head. Great read.
November 15, 2017
This book was a quick, but rather uneventful read. It is about a high school girl who was in a terrible accident, which resulted in amputation of two limbs. She is then given experimental limbs and a chip in her brain which turn her into an almost bionic girl. The public views her as a cyborg and this takes a toll on her emotionally. She learns a few things however, about herself and other people along the way.
December 27, 2017
I don't know if the lack of connection with the Mira was intentional, I think some of the writing Weyn used was to demonstrate what the changes were doing, or was this book hurriedly written without a way to connect to the main character.
When she got in the accident I didn't care about her and I never really got to a point where I did care.
I would recommend this book to reluctant readers who like lots of action.
When she got in the accident I didn't care about her and I never really got to a point where I did care.
I would recommend this book to reluctant readers who like lots of action.
January 18, 2018
Interesting exploration of the science of future bionics and prosthetics. It talked about the emotional results of such things and touched briefly on soldiers. I felt it was too rushed and some of the events seemed highly unrealistic, but could be good for discussions! Mira was a wishy-washy selfish character.
Read
July 19, 2017It was ok. Interesting plot idea, but some of the action and characters are lacking... I didn't feel like the character depth was there, some of the plot seemed choppy and it lacked intensity- no intense conflict...
November 15, 2017
First book I have read, I believe, since my baby was born back in March. Entertaining enough to get me to read it in one day. I feel that the ending was sort of rushed and that there wasn't much closure...or enough for it to end? But not really worth having a sequel.
June 27, 2018
Interesting! End felt a little rushed compared to the rest of the book. There characters were easy to keep up with. There were a lot of characters so this is very good. I was looking forward to how it would end.
Super cute all in all.
Super cute all in all.
Read
May 19, 2021It was not exactly what I thought it would be. I was picturing a sci fi adventure where Miranda becomes a secret agent. What I got was a story about a girl who overcomes the injuries of a bad accident. It was fun and well-written.
December 20, 2022
It was alright the first part was great but after a fit it got really boring and it was easy to predict what would happen 98% of the time I was right at the end not one of my favorites but I didn’t hate it
December 20, 2023
THIS. BOOK. this book represents that no matter what, who you are, how you look, love will find you and that even if your life changes in the blink of an eye the good things in life will always make their way to you.
June 3, 2017
Amazing plot
July 6, 2017
Amazing. It is a book about what it really means to be human, science over humanity, and, I quote from the book "the dangers of playing with god". It is a quick read but it will captivate you.
August 23, 2017
WAS a very good book, thought it would have more lacrosse in it though. Was very fantasy and unreal but it was still a good book.
September 24, 2017
I do not recommend reading the first 5 chapters if you don't have a hard stomach. Other than that this is one of the best books ever!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 62 reviews