Imagine a world where teenage boys sit in front of computer screens for hours every day playing games and fantasizing over digital avatars before heading to the woods or to parties to get drunk and lose their virginity. Imagine a world where teenage girls try to live up to the expectations of boys who want them to be beautiful and sexually available more than they want them to be funny or smart or caring. So far, this has not been a real test of the imagination. But now imagine that these same teenage boys are prescribed a “Companion,” a beautiful female robot who is in love with them but has a built-in Intimacy Clock so that in order to touch her without being shocked, the boy must get to know her first. Now you have the premise of John M. Cusick's bittersweet first novel, GIRL PARTS.

David Sun, scion of Sun Enterprises, is a popular guy at Saint Sebastian's Catholic school. He has lots of friends, female admirers, and has even had a beautiful girlfriend. But when his parents learn he watched Nora Vogel commit suicide online, they speak to the school counselor, Dr. Rogers, who believes David is “disassociated.” The key to overcoming this emotional alienation, suggests the doctor, just may be a companion robot.

Charlie Nuvola lives across the lake from David and is a student at the same school, but their lives are very different. Charlie is shy and socially unsure of himself. He still aches from the loss of his mother and hopes to connect with a girl with brains and personality, and even musters the courage to take out Rebecca, a bold theater girl who has insecurities of her own. Dr. Rogers also suggests a Companion for Charlie, but Charlie is dubious and agrees to meet with the doctor for counseling sessions instead.

Enter Rose. Rose is the Companion robot programmed especially for David. They begin to bond, but he is unable to shake his hormonal drive for sex; when he realizes he will never be able to consummate his relationship with Rose, he dumps her. Rose, who has started to gain more and more human emotion, is humiliated and heartbroken. She throws herself in a lake in an attempt to shut herself down and forget all about David. But she is rescued by Charlie, and the two form their own bond. All the while, the Sakora authorities are after Rose and want to put her out of commission. Will she escape their clutches, mend her broken heart and find true love with Charlie? And is there a conspiracy to pair all the Westtown boys with Companions? What of the work of the mysterious May Poling, who assures the boys she can override the Intimacy Clocks and promises Rose the girl parts she’s missing?

GIRL PARTS is a short novel, but one that tackles a number of issues: adolescent sexuality, the dangers of technology, the emotional differences between boys and girls and types of teens, and what it is that makes people “real.” David and Charlie are on either end of a spectrum, and because they are types, they verge on becoming stereotypes. But Cusick mostly avoids that pitfall. Rose is by far the most compelling and interesting because her lack of humanness leads to a thoughtful examination of humanity. Not all readers will like Cusick's conclusion (spoiler alert: it has to do with girl parts), and he doesn't fully explore all the avenues he opens up in the story. Still, his voice is strong and his ideas are intriguing, making for an entertaining debut.

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