The summer after high school graduation, two cute and snarky boys hit the road in an RV. Their mission: follow the traveling fan convention for Castaway Planet, the cult sci-fi show they’re both obsessed with.
BRANDON irons his t-shirts, loves the dapper and reserved Castaway android Sim, and hides his pesky Catholic guilt from his out-and-proud roadtrip partner, Abel.
ABEL collects funny belt buckles, loves Castaway‘s brave and dashing Captain Cadmus, has a hot boyfriend with a phoenix tattoo, and has nothing to hide—except his epic crush on Brandon.
During their six-week cross-country adventure, Brandon and Abel post new entries on their Castaway Planet fan vlog, spar with an online community of slash fiction writers, meet their TV idols, play with their action figures, uncover big secrets, and maybe possibly fall in love. Can two fanboys face down their obstacles and write themselves a real-life romance—or is fiction the only thing bringing them together?
FUN MECHANICAL HEART STUFF
“GO READ IT! Because it is just that good. Like the kind of good where you stall for days on the last 30% because you know that it is going to end soon and maybe if you read slowly enough you can stretch it indefinitely. The story is such a wonderful mix of sweet and tender, romantic and loving, funny and clever, and poignant and a bit heart wrenching. I loved this book and want to keep it under my pillow forever.”—Joyfully Jay m/m romance blog
“From the first word I fell in love with this book . . . Best LGBT Young Adult book I’ve read this year, and in my all time top five . . . I laughed my ass off, cried until I heaved, cringed, nodded along, smiled like a loon, LOVED EVERY SINGLE WORD. PERFECT.”—Adriana Herrera, author of AMERICAN DREAMER
“Hands down one of the best YA books I’ve read this year.”—Binge on Books
“Finding How to Repair a Mechanical Heart was at least, at least, eleventeen kinds of awesome for me . . . Just when I’ve become complacent in the belief there can’t possibly be any more original ways to tell me a coming-of-age story, J.C. Lillis happens along and not only tells it but sells it in a colorfully wrapped package of humor and pop-cultural icon worship and maybe even just a smidgen of satire, then plops a big red bow of characters I unashamedly fell in love with smack-dab on top of this ginormous gift. I can’t even recommend this book highly enough.”—Lisa Horan, The Novel Approach blog (five stars)
“I am legit happy out of mind for this book . . . One of the very best YA books out there, for originality and being made of total Geek. As a lover of fanfic myself this book really hit hard on many levels (fangirls know what I’m talking ‘bout).”—Darien Moya, Pants off Reviews (5+ pants off)
Follow the occasional adventures of Brandon and Abel’s plastic counterparts as they vacation in Wildwood, build lopsided snowmen, and celebrate major holidays in appropriately themed sweaters.
Christmas post, part I
Christmas post, part II
I post Plastic Brandon & Abel pics on Instagram sometimes too. Come join me there (@jclillis)!