The Six by Mark Alpert

The Six is the first book in a YA trilogy about terminal illness and artificial intelligence. Adam has muscular dystrophy, and in less than a year his life will end. He spends his days in virtual reality computer games where he can be free, run and move like he used to. Adam's father created Sigma, an artificial intelligence program. When it became dangerous, Sigma was locked away. But it escapes and hacks into Russia's nuclear base, threatening to bomb the major cities of the world. Adam's father and the military create a top-secret operation for six terminally ill kids to sacrifice their bodies and be uploaded in weaponized robots that can do everything Sigma can.

I loved this book! I've read many books with robots taking over and humans vs technology, but I've never read anything like this! Humans sacrificing themselves to become a machine is a brave feat, and their adventure of transforming their minds and bodies was fascinating to watch! It would be really amazing as a movie.

Honestly, I have no clue what I would do if I was given this choice, but I do know that this book made me think. What does it mean to be human? Especially for Adam's mother, who believes that Adam won't be her son anymore if he's not connected to his body. On the other hand, it's one's thoughts and beliefs that make them human. For these kids, their internal conflict of who they are is huge, not to mention what the world would think of them. I loved that over the course of this book Sigma actually experiences emotion of its own, sparking another debate similar to the one in Willful Machines.

I love how The Six shows the challenges of living with disability and terminal diseases, not just the physical side of it, but the isolation and loss of relationships and independence. These kids are still just kids, forced to take on a challenge that the old military guys can't handle. Adam and the other teens don't have relationships, and are forced to work as a team and actually interact with each other. They are under so much stress, and the bonds that the characters end up forming are extraordinary to witness. 

I highly recommend this book, and I cannot wait to read the next book, The Siege!

Title: The Six

Author: Mark Alpert

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire

Pages: 400

Series: Yes, Book 1

Rating: 5 Stars

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