What do you think?
Rate this book
Not Quite Human #2
All Geared Up
When Chip, a young android replaces the drummer in the school rock band, Nails, the former drummer, creates his own group and uses some very dirty tricks to destroy his old group
149 pages, Hardcover
First published October 1, 1985
3 people are currently reading
34 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
December 7, 2010
Now Chip, the robot boy sent to middle school, is asked to join a band. Programmed to have excellent drumming skills and a random song generator in case he's asked to write songs, he's ready to show how good a job he can do.
Thing is, I'm not into "band" stories. They just aren't and never were my thing. But fortunately, this entry stands well on its own by containing the usual elements of the Not Quite Human series. Chip's android antics, unintentional botching of social skills, disasters, mystery, suspense, and the usual heavy dose of humor all work together well.
This time the main problem concerns Nails, the former drummer for the band Chip joins, who is not only a bully but also a criminal. As Nails becomes increasingly violent and aggressive, Chip has to deal with trickier and trickier situations he wasn't programmed for, and Becky has to help out more.
On the other hand, Chip gets a chance to really show off what he can do. For example, he has the ability to mimic other people's voices, which was normally done only as a "record and play back" feature used to allow him to recall conversations. But here, he gets to use the ability in more clever ways, using it to trick people intentionally, so he can sneak past them or trick them into helping him. Since Chip was programmed only to use his abilities for good, he of course doesn't trick anyone for selfish gain.
I also like how every time Chip does something unusual, we're shown his reasoning for it. He's a robot after all, and his methods are very strange. It's fun to see how his misinterpretation of Becky saying "I'll die without my piano", which he of course takes totally literally, ultimately leads to him saving the day.
The fact that these books mix a mystery, comedy (mostly regarding Chip's odd behaviors), and everyday life together means ultimately that whatever the story is, I can still enjoy it even if I don't care much for the main plot. No matter what's happening, Chip's antics and misunderstandings entertain, even when the core plot, in this case, the band competition, doesn't interest me. Ultimately, I was still entertained.
Thing is, I'm not into "band" stories. They just aren't and never were my thing. But fortunately, this entry stands well on its own by containing the usual elements of the Not Quite Human series. Chip's android antics, unintentional botching of social skills, disasters, mystery, suspense, and the usual heavy dose of humor all work together well.
This time the main problem concerns Nails, the former drummer for the band Chip joins, who is not only a bully but also a criminal. As Nails becomes increasingly violent and aggressive, Chip has to deal with trickier and trickier situations he wasn't programmed for, and Becky has to help out more.
On the other hand, Chip gets a chance to really show off what he can do. For example, he has the ability to mimic other people's voices, which was normally done only as a "record and play back" feature used to allow him to recall conversations. But here, he gets to use the ability in more clever ways, using it to trick people intentionally, so he can sneak past them or trick them into helping him. Since Chip was programmed only to use his abilities for good, he of course doesn't trick anyone for selfish gain.
I also like how every time Chip does something unusual, we're shown his reasoning for it. He's a robot after all, and his methods are very strange. It's fun to see how his misinterpretation of Becky saying "I'll die without my piano", which he of course takes totally literally, ultimately leads to him saving the day.
The fact that these books mix a mystery, comedy (mostly regarding Chip's odd behaviors), and everyday life together means ultimately that whatever the story is, I can still enjoy it even if I don't care much for the main plot. No matter what's happening, Chip's antics and misunderstandings entertain, even when the core plot, in this case, the band competition, doesn't interest me. Ultimately, I was still entertained.
September 17, 2013
These are not good by any means of modern standards, but I will still give them 5 stars because of their significance to me when reading them for the first time. It was a book about a family that loved each other so much they were willing to fight, tooth and nail, to protect the secret of their robot son/ brother. I didn't have much of that at home, and McEvoy gave it to me.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews