Genres:
Science Fiction, Feminism, “Romance”, Dystopia, AI
Pages:
231
Published:
March 19, 2024
Annie Bot was created to be the perfect girlfriend for her human owner, Doug. Designed to satisfy his emotional and physical needs, she has dinner ready for him every night, wears the cute outfits he orders for her, and adjusts her libido to suit his moods. True, she’s not the greatest at keeping Doug’s place spotless, but she’s trying to please him. She’s trying hard.
She’s learning, too.
Doug says he loves that Annie’s artificial intelligence makes her seem more like a real woman, but the more human Annie becomes, the less perfectly she behaves. As Annie’s relationship with Doug grows more intricate and difficult, she starts to wonder whether Doug truly desires what he says he does. In such an impossible paradox, what does Annie owe herself?
✧ Overall Score✧
9/10
I went into this book fully expecting to hate it, and thought my hatred was confirmed by the very first paragraph. But damn, did this turn out to be far more nuanced than I had thought. This is an in-depth portrait of an abusive relationship, of womanhood and what it means to be a person, and how it feels to live being treated as less than one. This book was heartfelt and horrifying.
✧ Enjoyment Score✧
8/10
Man, I could not put this book down. It had me hooked and I was really drawn along for the ride. Took off a few points for the fact that it made me uncomfortable, but I don’t think anyone should feel fully comfortable reading a story like this.
✧ Writing Style✧
7/10
Well constructed sentences, but not the kind of thing that winds up quoted as people’s statuses or made into hipster posts. That being said, I think the rather utilitarian prose was very much to the benefit of the story. Annie Bot had a very narrow frame of reference, and I feel that the writing became more flowing and expansive as her inner world grew.
✧ Plot✧
9/10
The plot was simple, but the beats were well structured. It leaves you feeling just as off balance as Annie herself, struggling to understand and to please in the situation that she finds herself. The only real loose end to me was the possible Zennith bot she meets on a walk, but that was interesting in its own way without having to truly tie into the rest of things. I think helped to tie into the ending and Annie’s ultimate decision.
✧ Characterization✧
10/10
Perhaps it was just that it was locked into a single point of view, but I feel I truly got a sense of the kind of person that Annie built herself into. You could feel her heartbreak and her confusion and the way her mind struggled for answers. I found my opinion of Doug shifting with her own, trying to make excuses… She was very human and very not at the same time.
✧ Spice✧
5/10
The sex scenes were well written, and not overly porny They served a purpose, showing a state of mind and showing a balance of power. And DAMN if I did not sympathize with Annie after the closet incident. That depiction felt very realistic and true, in the way that only stories can be. I wouldn’t say they were hot, but they were not meant to be. And bless this novel for that.