Bug

More about the book

Growing up deaf, the young narrator is acutely aware of the vibrations around him and the emotions of those nearby. Struggling to meet adult expectations, he sometimes reacts by biting when agitated. His family is equally unique: his tech-savvy older brother, known as IQ or Robin Hood in the hacking world, targets the pesticide company harming their mother’s bees. Their estranged father, an engineer for Nutella, secretly profiles consumers while pretending to combat terrorism. After his divorce, he returns to live in a converted chicken coop with the family. Their grandfather, a retired anarchist, is focused on writing a grand work about worms. The family's dynamics shift dramatically when their mother is involved in a tragic accident, leaving her comatose. In her silence, the narrator believes that improving his behavior will help her wake up. He shares his daily experiences and thoughts with her through his speech therapist, Logo, who helps him communicate in sign language. He recounts stories about his brother's AI project, conflicts with a pesticide-using neighbor, and their innovative smart beehive. Additionally, he encounters a mysterious friend named Bug, who seems to know the family well. With warm humor and intelligence, the narrative explores complex themes of technology, nature, and familial relationships.