Bionic by Suzanne Weyn (review)

Mira thinks she has life figured out, until a terrible accident leaves her severely injured. She’s lucky that she qualifies for an experimental new program that gives her a new arm and leg plus new brain enhancements that allow her to do things she could never do before. Initially it’s worth it, even with the headaches, alienation from people who think her remarkable abilities are unfair (her position on the swim team is challenged even after she removes her leg prosthetic), and all of the tweaking surgeries, but ultimately, Mira is just too superhuman for her own brain wiring to handle. The philosophical questions about what makes one human are handled adroitly—Mira is speaking from inside herself, sure that she is still her, while others grapple only with what they can see, which are drastic changes. Unfortunately, both before and after her surgery Mira is fairly unlikable, prone to stringing people along and carrying a significant sense of entitlement. In addition, the conclusion comes abruptly, with complex issues suddenly either resolved or dropped. Pearson’s similarly themed The Adoration of Jenna Fox (BCCB 4/08) handled these ethical questions better, but readers seeking a look into how medical technology, love and loss, and questions about human versus cyborgs all converge into the body of one teen who just wants to live a full life may also want to check this title out.