Julie O'Toole Knihy

Molly Chen Levin is looking forward to Middle School with her best friend Courtney. They both want to be in the popular crowd in their new school and Courtney knows just how to make it happen. But Molly's life is different from Courtney's: she is part Chinese with a Jewish half sister and a Jewish stepfather and secret friend who is a boy. Her younger step sister has a medical condition and her secret friend's little sister does too. Where do Courtney and the plan to be in the popular crowd fit in with all that? And does it really matter?

Exploring the relationship between a widow and the robot created for her, this narrative delves into themes of companionship and the future of human-robot interactions. Grace Feenaughty, feeling the weight of her past, discovers a new lease on life through her connection with the robot, prompting both personal transformation and broader societal reflections. Esteemed figures like Richard Crandall and Jamie Lee Curtis highlight its dual nature as both a glimpse into the future and a poignant love story, leaving readers to form their own conclusions.

Based on her years of clinical experience, Dr. O'Toole shares a thought-provoking view of eating disorders in children and young adults.