SCRAP

On a planet populated by machines, a battered robot helps two human sisters.

There are no humans on the planet Somewhere 513—not since the last colonists were kicked to the curb in the robot rebellion. But energetic 5-year-old Gnat and pragmatic 10-year-old Paige, the human children of Dandelion Brightside, the robots’ creator, secretly remained behind, hiding in their underground home, the Foxhole. The sisters, who have “brownish skin” and “reddish hair,” emerge in search of aid from the elusive K1-NG, the only robot who sided with humans during the war. They find him living on the Pile with other discarded “junk cases,” and call him Scrap. Although Scrap denies being the humans’ King of the Robots, he begrudgingly accompanies the girls. As the ragtag group evades discovery by robot society, Scrap forms a parental bond with his young companions. He must ultimately embrace his role as King of the Robots along with his responsibility to protect the girls. Despite a sluggish beginning, the story gains momentum as events progress, building to a gripping climax. Paige, Gnat, and Scrap are likeable protagonists with a charming family dynamic, although the uneven development of their relationship makes some of the heartfelt moments feel unearned. The worldbuilding is digestible yet still complex enough to be engaging. Trunfio’s grayscale illustrations, which are interspersed throughout, are wonderfully crafted and provide inspired visuals of the characters and their world.

A beautifully illustrated but unevenly paced science-fiction adventure centering on found family.