This is by far the most challenging novella I read in 2024. Titmouse does zero hand-holding when it comes to the themes around autonomy, agency, loneliness, connection, and the responsibility humanity has towards the technology they developed and in their position. There is an eerie closeness in the prose from protagonist to protagonist, and the vignettes leave room for the reader to make their own consideration around how much is owed to the robots themselves. The illustrations are fantastic as always, but the bright colors and cheery faces add a necessary layer of horror to this science fiction.
I will be spinning it around my head for quite some time.