"Klara and the Sun" by Kazuo Ishiguro

THE FIRST-PERSON NARRATOR in this novel is immediately likeable. Klara is an Artificial Friend, designed to keep children company as they are homeschooled by “screen professors” in a much polluted future America.

Through Klara's eyes, we see a society where genetic perfection means “high-rank” class while those not “lifted” are denied education. It is also through her observation that a mother's hidden agenda is revealed, leading us to reflect on the meaning of being human.

We are invited to ask: “What does it mean to love?” As Klara is solar-powered, she “naturally” recognises the Sun as a great, benevolent living entity capable of offering nourishment to all that he shines upon.

Such mixture of intelligence and naivety is what makes Klara's narration fascinating. Her language is simple yet sincere, her attention to details amazing, her perceptions of the world occasionally glitching out. But she never talks about love – she simply does.

The novel subtly alarms us about the danger of unchecked technological advances while alerting us of the remarkable beauty and fragility of humanity in a refreshing way.