0 Reactions

Bubblegum (novel)Bubblegum is a 2020 science fiction novel by Adam Levin. The novel takes place in Illinois, though in a reality where "curios" � flesh-based robots � are common, and the internet does not exist.

Plot
The novel is a first-person narrative told by the protagonist, Belt Magnet, or "Billy." It begins in the 1980s with Belt's childhood memories of growing up near Chicago and developing friendships in school using derogatory family phrases to defend one's honor or to get a laugh. One of Belt's phrases become a hit among the kids in school because of Jonboat, a new blonde-haired rich kid in town. The two decide to make t-shirts and have a detailed discussion of what the shirts should look like - arguing down to the specific grammar on the shirt. This in-depth grammatical discussion is an example of Belt's mental process during his life.

As an adult, Belt still lives with and depends on his father, Clyde. He smokes a large number of cigarettes daily and justifies this as a memorial to his deceased mother who smoked. After his mother's passing, Belt wrote a book called No Please Don�t which was not a big hit but is mentioned many times throughout the novel. Belt is always pleasantly surprised when he finds out people have appreciated his work, even if not in the way he intended. Much of Belt's thoughts focus on meditations around family, friendship, and intimate relationships.

Belt believes he can (and possibly actually can) communicate with inanimate objects, called "inans," and as a young teen helps several local swing sets "end their suffering" by bashing them with a baseball bat. No one presses charges after Belt agrees never to do it again and he promises his mother he will not destroy other people's property, even with that property's permission.

Shortly after the last swing set murder, Belt's mother begins having issues due to the tumor growing in her brain and Belt is selected to be among the first people given a new type of pet aimed at helping people with mental health issues.

These pets, called a "Botimal" or "Curio" are a newly engineered flesh-and-bone "robot" that fits in your hand and purports to help people cope with issues like depression. "Cures," as they are eventually called, can dance, do tricks, mimic sounds, are exceedingly cute, and can even clone themselves. Most people believe they are not sentient creatures and Belt develops a significant attachment to his Curio, which he names Blank. There are times when Belt chooses to show off Blank and other times when he refuses to let anyone see it.

Curios become very popular and a huge industry emerges, selling supplies, habitats, and eventually supplemental drugs that can change or enhance the curios or their clones. It seems that everyone owns one or more curios and older ones are worth more money because they keep getting cuter and cuter as they age. Very few live more than a few years, though, since most people view curios as a non-sentient being, and have no qualms in "overloading" on their curios, which is killing them and enjoying the "pain-song" they sing as they die. Belt's curio Blank eventually becomes the oldest living curio in the world but Belt does not allow anyone to know this.

In 2013 (present day), Jonboat has become a billionaire astronaut married to Fondajane Henry, one of the most beautiful people in the world, and his 15-year old son "Triple J" experiments with new and innovative ways to kill and injure curios. Triple J has created a video collage of clips showing Curios being experimented on, tortured, and changed to make them even cuter or to do new things. He accidentally beats up Belt before learning that Belt is the author of his favorite book, and the childhood friend of his father. He reaches out to apologize and later asks Belt to write the transcript of his video collage, which he claims will be a major new work of art when it is presented to the world. Belt is given a video copy of the collage, but he does not watch all the way to the end, which includes video footage from the initial trial he participated in with other children, including a girl named Lissette.

Belt is invited to brunch with Jonboat's family to give feedback on the video collage. Belt's father provides a gift for Belt to give to Jonboat when they meet again: one of the old t-shirts that Jonboat created using Belt's catchphrase. Belt finally hugs his father for the first time in twenty years. After this, Belt tries to watch more of the video collage with his father, but his father leaves and remarks that this sort of video isn't for him. Belt shares the same sentiment but must keep watching to enable his critique. He eventually skips through several clips to get a general idea and hurries off to the brunch.

Belt, Triple J, and Fondajane watch the rest of Trip's collage. When they get to the end, and Belt sees the footage that includes Belt with the other children, Belt runs out of the room to calm himself. He then overhears Triple J being confused about Belt's feelings. Triple J mentions to Fondajane that the last clip was of Belt when he was younger and full of pain but Triple J does not understanding Belt's reaction and Fondajane becoming angry at Trip's ignorance.

Jonboat arrives, and Belt gets to hear about his astronaut adventures and they catch up. We learn that Jonboat was able to explore space but he refuses to provide further information. Belt gets to wear Jonboat's space helmet, but the helmet begs Belt to kill it because it wishes to be in space and not stuck on a shelf in an office. Jonboat writes Belt a check for one hundred thousand dollars for the transcription work he will do for Triple J.

Belt leaves and goes to a tavern, where he tells his father about the exchange and the check he has received. Belt talks to a man named Herb, a private investigator and he hires Herb to try and find Lisette, the girl he knew from the pet therapy trial years ago, along with another girl he knew in Middle School.

Belt finishes writing the transcript for Triple J quickly because he does not enjoy watching the clips. Everything about the clips disgusts him. Belt argues with himself for accepting money at the cost of his morality but continues the work. To calm himself after each day�s viewing, Belt plays games with Blank. But after a while, Belt struggles with the urge to overload on Blank and these thoughts force Belt to limit his contact with his Curio in order to keep it safe.

After finishing the transcript, Belt goes shopping for a gift for Blank. The clerk suggests an �Executioner�s Set,

Free books android app tbrJar TBR JAR Read Free books online gutenberg

Load Full (0)