Abigail has started a new job and knows she can’t be picky about her colleagues. But what if her newly assigned partner is an android? A machine’s human behavior proves confusing to human emotions in the gentle science fiction of Mary Schlegel’s The PRISM Conspiracy. Founded on futuristic technology, the story is yet warm and human in its focus. Its tone is set by the heroine’s well-apportioned mix of sincerity, buoyancy, and naivete. The novel’s limited cast makes its story cozier, and the similarity of the world to our own lends familiarity. Two happy coincidences save the failure of the heroes’ plans, which seems one coincidence too many. Still, The PRISM Conspiracy offers an attractive blend of sci-fi possibility and sweet romance.

Best for: Young adult audiences, especially young women, as well as fans of romance and sci-fi.

Discern: Attempted kidnapping, unethical medical experimentation, threats made against vulnerable patients, two or three vulgar words.