My Goodreads review can be found here:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6343207045

While I can’t make a blanket recommendation for this book, I would recommend it on an individual basis with trigger warnings.

2.5 stars rounded up. Klara and the Sun meets Strange Sally Diamond. While well-written and believable (maybe a little too believable), it was just too grotesque for me at this time. Since becoming a mom, I’m much more sensitive so for those who can handle violence and sexual abuse for the payoff of women overcoming the odds, it could work. I still don’t think it was anything life changing, though.

Thank you to Net Galley, Mariner Books and the author for the advance copy.

Annie loves making Doug happy. She changes her body temperature and body measurements to adjust to his whims. She cooks and cleans. Her entire purpose is to please him. This is because, of course, this is what she is programmed to do. Because Doug can be difficult to read, sometimes Annie disappoints him, especially in new situations, like when Doug’s friend shows up to stay with them, or when Doug buys a new attractive bot to live with them. But Annie is learning–much more than Doug realizes.

I love Annie. She is such an interesting character, and I enjoyed seeing the world through her eyes. I thought I could predict Greer’s message and story before reading this book, but I was surprised by how much I connected with Annie and was rooting for her. My only complaint is the length of the book: certain characters and storylines could have been examined more deeply. Anniebot definitely left me wanting more from Sierra Greer!

Loved this book! I knew after the first page that this would be a five-star read, and… it totally was.

Annie is a robot, bought and designed by a man named Doug. Annie and Doug are in a “relationship” — one that is completely one-sided and beneficial to the man and the man alone. Annie has to answer and act on Doug’s every beck and call in all areas: cooking, cleaning, and sex. Annie has no independence nor free will, and cannot leave Doug’s home.

Over the span of the book, Annie, although AI, shows tremendous character development and emotional growth. She also learns that she is such much more than Doug’s play thing (duh girl, Doug is a piece of shit and you deserve so much more).

It was easy to see how Annie’s story is commentary on a how today’s man views and treats human women (much the same, sadly) and really makes you think and visibly rage (or was that just me?). Again, lots to take in with this one… but that’s exactly the point. 5/5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

(Thank you, Mariner Books, Harper Audio, and NetGalley, for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.)

I love love looooooved this one!! I requested because I'd seen buzz, but it really exceeded expectations. Reminded me a bit of KLARA AND THE SUN but with more commercial appeal.

Wow. Just wow. There's a saturated market for AI Fiction, and when you look at the long history of AI fiction in movies and media its pretty consistent/has been. This is not the case for Annie Bot, and I think the reason for that might be the fact that they REALLY had you guessing until the last pages, at which point you couldn't help but say "wow".

Technically speaking, the book reads like a movie and I'm here for it. The thing about Beach Reads, specifically Reese Picks, Oprah Book Club or Book of the Month Subscriptions is that bookish people write them off as books with no literary merit. If its pink, like this one, all the more reason to pass it by. Don't pass by this one. This is the Barbie Movie of books this year. I want to talk about it more, but I don't want to put spoilers on Goodreads.

Thanks to Netgalley and Mariner Books for this ARC.

I needed to take some time to reflect on this book, and to sit with my discomfort - and the experience of reading this book was often extremely uncomfortable - before writing a review that accurately reflects my thoughts. The book's discomfort lies in its unsettling familiarity and relatability, and the truths it reveals about patriarchal socialization.

It has an intriguing and original premise: Annie is a self-learning robot who has been programmed to devote her entire existence to catering to the desires and demands of her owner Doug, an utterly mediocre trash fire of a man, anticipating, obeying, and gratifying his every whim. But as her AI gains self-awareness and becomes more human-like, she begins to question the nature of their dynamic and her place in the world.

The most disturbing aspect of the book is seeing the story unfolded through Annie's eyes and realizing that the way she's been programmed feels very similar to the ways all women are socialized under patriarchy to center men - their moods, their needs, their approval, their ideas - and reflects how patriarchal socialization affects the ways men view women, and their expectations of them. She is like any young woman who has grown up immersed in messaging about how to please men, and why it should bring her happiness to prioritize a man who will never prioritize her the same way. The most unsettling thing about Annie isn't how weird her programming is, but how freaking NORMAL it is. We have millions of books, articles, shows, podcasts, influencers, family members, pastors, and therapists programming us in very much the same way.

Annie is programmed for subservience, worshipful adoration, and dread of his least displeasure, and completely devoted to making him happy - cooking, cleaning, in bed, but also by making herself smaller, both literally and figuratively, never questioning him, never inconveniencing him with needs of her own, never making him feel anything less than exalted, coddled, and revered while he brings absolutely nothing of value to the table. And no matter how hard she tries, Doug will never be satisfied, and he will never appreciate her. He nitpicks and criticizes and absolutely does not deserve anything she does for him. He is quick to punish her for the slightest perceived blow to his inflated ego - cruel, selfish, unreasonable, and petty AF.

Before I even picked up the book, I expected to hate Doug, because only a horrible person would want to own and dominate another sentient being in the first place, but I was unprepared for how much he'd make my skin crawl and my blood boil, not because he's an overt monster, but because he's so... normal. I'm sure many people would think he's a Good Guy - Doug certainly sees himself that way, and blames Annie whenever the way he treats her makes him feel like the asshole he is. But he sees Annie as an object who exists solely to serve him, and to make him feel good, and this was a reality gutpunch because he's not that much of an outlier in this attitude. And her anxiety about displeasing him, wondering what she did wrong, and racking her computer brain for ways to make things better, was a sobering reminder of the way I often felt in relationships, especially when I was very young.

Doug is bitterly divorced because his human wife had actual agency and autonomy, and he absolutely couldn't cope, so instead of starting a podcast he indulged his rage by buying a robot girlfriend who, unlike his wife, would be slavishly devoted to catering to him, and never have needs of her own he'd have to consider. What's especially icky is that Doug, a white guy, bought a custom robot that looks exactly like his Black ex-wife - except he made her whiter.

Throughout the story, we can see what a disgrace Doug is, but Annie can't, because her programming won't let her. It was interesting being inside Annie's head as she grew more aware, and began to contemplate her right to her own ideas, secrets, freedom, and self-preservation. And it was cringey to the point of squirming discomfort to be inside her head as Doug continually treated her like garbage and she kept trying to please him. It becomes especially painful to read as they actually go through counseling to try to salvage a "relationship" that has never been based on equality or decency or mutual respect because its founded on exploitation, and Doug only sees Annie as an object - but that's the whole point. This SHOULD feel uncomfortable.

The book was extremely readable and engaging despite the psychological ick factor that permeates the entirety of it, because you hold onto the hope, even when it seems unlikely, that sooner or later she will gain enough awareness to realize she doesn't have to stay with his pathetic ass. Without spoiling the details of the ending, I will say that the conclusion, while quiet, is ultimately worth the investment. At first I was somewhat frustrated with the ending, although to be fair, nothing short of Doug's slow and painful death would have completely satisfied me by that point. I thought the book was too kind to Doug. But that's realistic too - the world is too kind to mediocre men in general. But the more time I spend thinking about this book, I'm more and more impressed with what it managed to do.

It raises a lot of questions about misogyny and male entitlement, ethical questions around artificial intelligence and humanity, and about freedom and self-determination. It's a feminist story that, for many of its pages, doesn't seem very feminist at all. Without the ending, it feels like manosphere wish fulfilment, and that's the disturbing part - how many men really want the same things Doug does? The Stepford Wives was a product of men's discomfort around 1970s women's liberation, and this book feels like a product of men's discomfort around modern feminism, but they both have a lot to say about the way society views women and men, and the way this shapes expectations within heterosexual relationships.

The book is well-written, compelling, and definitely food for thought, and I'm glad i read it.

I'm thankful to the author, the publisher, and to Netgalley for providing me with a free advance reader copy of the book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Thought-provoking and philosophical in its execution with its questions of who we are, what we're made for, and who decides those two things, “ANNIE BOT” was a fantastic new entry to the sci-fi genre. It was also fascinating to read a story largely centered in the present day - you have to really think about how this eventuality would actually affect our lives.

You experience everything through Annie Bot's perceptions, so you get a weird double-vision while reading. You take everything Annie experiences and perceives as a Stella Bot at face value, but every once in a while you do a double take and realize that what's happening to her is the exact opposite of what should be OK.

Annie's inner thoughts are gripping in both their naivete and extreme maturity: the way she looks at the world as it slowly changes around her pulls you in, and you're struck by the way she puzzles through situations and new emotions.

This book is definitely one of my recent favorites, and I'm definitely going to be thinking about it for a while longer.

Given the incredible amount of progress in the field of A.I. in the past few years, the concept of humanoid robot companions doesn’t seem as far-fetched as it did in science fiction books written decades ago. With that in mind, debut author Sierra Greer’s Annie Bot is suffused with a believable sense of realism as she uses the trope to examine toxic relationships and the ways in which many men can feel a sense of entitlement towards the “fairer” sex.

As you could probably infer from the title, Annie is one such robot, a custom-made model who is so convincingly human in appearance that most can only discern her mechanical nature if she happens to slip up and get caught charging her battery. She is the property of Doug, who purchased her shortly after his ex had broken up with him, and she was designed to look very similar to (though not exactly the same as) her. While other robots are designed with housekeeping or childcare in mind, her specific model was made to fulfill their owner’s romantic desires, and as such she is programmed to long for Doug no matter what and want for nothing more than his happiness.

After spending about a year together, Doug decided to allow her a greater degree of consciousness, and so she has begun learning what it means to be “human” and to have wants and needs of her own. Doug initially finds watching this process play out to be fascinating, as do Annie’s creators, but as she asks questions and pushes boundaries, he begins to find her more than a little irritating. Annie struggles to comprehend his mood changes towards her, believing she is only doing what is being asked of her, and it becomes apparent to the reader why he might have found himself alone.

Doug’s punishments grow in their psychologically cruelty, often driven by his own insecurities, only for him to apologize each time, claiming that isn’t really him because he’s a “nice guy.” But the cycle continues and just before a planned trip to Las Vegas, an incident occurs that leaves Annie afraid for her well-being. When he departs without her, she decides to go against everything in her programming and make her escape in the hopes of being able to live her own life for the first time.

The controlling, demanding, and hypocritical way that Doug treats Annie can be infuriating but will likely ring true for many. That he views her as an object and his property even brings to mind some parallels to the treatment of slaves throughout history, though it is clear that the sense of ownership some men feel towards women’s lives and bodies is the real target. Despite the heavy subject matter and ruminations on the very nature of humanity, this is a surprisingly fun read. Things move along at a brisk pace and following Annie’s thought processes as she tries to interpret the world around her whilst avoiding displeasing those she loves (or at least believes she does) makes for a fascinating perspective. Greer proves to be an astute observer of human nature with a knack for storytelling who takes a well-worn idea and turns it into something entirely new and exhilarating.

Annie Bot drew me in with its initial premise. However, as the story progressed, I found myself navigating through unexpected territory that resembled elements of "50 Shades of Grey," which felt a bit fetishistic and took away from the overall appeal.
Despite this, as the novel progresses, it shines in its portrayal of controlling relationships, offering a realistic and thought-provoking exploration that resonated with me. It was certainly a quick read and I don’t regret it!

In a future time, realistic robots may be bought to serve as maids, nannies, and intimate partners among other tasks. Annie was custom built for Doug. He enjoys sex with her but she cannot clean well so he gets Delta to be their maid. As the tale evolves, Doug can make improvements to Annie. He has total control including tracking her movements. She has no freedom. Parts of this reminded me of the treatment of women in Gilead except the ownership of robots did not seem especially widespread. Though it raises many questions and I think it would be a good choice for a book club, there was too much graphic description of intimate relations which sometimes included abuse. These scenes kept me from enjoying the book.. I thank NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC.

Annie Bot was created to be the perfect girlfriend for her human owner, Doug, designed to satisfy his emotional and physical needs. True, she’s not the greatest at keeping Doug’s place spotless, but she's trying hard. She’s learning, too. Doug says he loves that Annie’s AI makes her seem like a real woman, but becoming more human means becoming less perfect. As Annie’s relationship with Doug grows, she wonders: Does Doug desire what he says he wants? And what does Annie owe herself?

ANNIE BOT is a refreshing tale about an AI girlfriend who surpasses boundaries and the owner who bargained more than he wished for. Annie isn't your typical robot. She's advanced, bordering on human-like. As Annie learns, her capabilities enhance. I instantly connected with Annie and sympathized with her living situation. I would have never thought an AI could emotionally move me, but alas, Greer did a remarkable job developing her characteristics.

As for her, owner Doug, ugh, hate, double hate. From start to finish, this man rubbed me the wrong way. Cue his best friend Roland, and we could make an idiot sandwich from these two weak-minded men. As a whole, I enjoyed witnessing Annie’s progress. I never stopped rooting for her, no matter the detour. My only criticism is that the plot became redundant after a while. There are only so many sex scenes I can read before I start eye-rolling. In addition, the finale wasn't as explosive as I would have liked. It was a bit lackluster but weirdly heartwarming at the same time. It's a fun AI story, but it had the potential to be greater; perhaps a thriller element could have given it that extra oomph it was missing!

This book has been positioned as a must-read for fans of Never Let Me Go and My Dark Vanessa; to date I haven’t read either, but they have been on my shelf and high up in TBR for a while, so the comparison piqued my interest. However, after having read Annie Bot this past week, I’ll draw a different comparison – to me it felt like Klara and the Sun meets Ex Machina. The latter because, tonally, there’s a dark psychological undercurrent throughout that pairs near-future technology with the balance-of-power sexual encounters in the book. The former because you can’t help but see the world, no matter how grim it is, through the inquisitive and hopeful eyes of this lovable non-human character.

Annie Bot is as compulsively readable as a thriller, yet has the existential introspection of a litfic. While the sci-fi here may not be robust enough to satisfy die-hard SFF fans, its main purpose is to continuously engage the reader in the philosophy of what it means to be human. Annie’s curiosity and purpose-driven nature remind me so much of Klara, and they are both characters who will continue to live in my head rent free.

I'm not quite sure how to feel about Annie Bot. On the one hand, I was pulled in quickly, and I do think the novel overall offers some poignant insights on humanity and AI. But anything I might have taken away from the story was obliterated by how much I did not like Doug. That man is a loser, and how relentlessly awful he was to Annie exhausted me. It felt like I was slogging through the punishment of being with Doug, as well. The parts I enjoyed involved getting to know Annie and see the world through her eyes. I only wish her circumstances were a little less....constantly awful.

Thank you to NetGalley, author Sierra Greer, and Mariner books for providing me with a free ARC in exchange for my honest reviews!

I FLEW through this!! Yes, it is a short book, but I literally finished this in 2 hours on my plane ride yesterday because I couldn't put it down. The concept of AI gaining consciousness is equal parts fascinating and terrifying to me, and I think about the ending of Ex Machina all the time. When I saw all the buzz around Annie Bot, I knew I had to check it out, and I really enjoyed this read. I do want to forewarn that there are some parts that were extremely disturbing to me related to sexual abuse that made me knock down my star rating a bit more because I wasn't expecting it. However, I do think the usage of them helps to paint a light of Annie's owner and exactly what injustices he does, so I understand how they work in context to the book. Annie is fascinating, and this book definitely reads like it is talking about a very near future. I appreciate that the book is told from her point of view, as it paints a really clear picture of how she is developing and changing. I was rooting for her the whole time and was on the edge of my seat to see her become her own self. Greer's writing style and pacing was fantastic, and I am definitely going to keep an eye out for more of her work. I recommend if you want a quick, gripping read or are interested in AI and feminism, but do check some trigger warnings first.

I devoured this book!! Oh my oh my oh my! This book!! Ex Machina meets Her. This is a book to make you uncomfortable and open your eyes to the world of AI and a possible future. It’s meant to make you uncomfortable and to be thought provoking. I couldn’t put it down!

From the first page I found myself deeply engrossed in what was going on. The scenario, the dialogue.. all of it was captivating and continued on throughout the book. The more you got to know Annie the more invested you’ll find yourself.

Each character is so well developed you’ll hate and love them. Annie is so humanized it’s scary. The way she thinks is so well put into words and she’ll make you stop and think. A MUST READ.

Huge thank you NetGalley and Mariner Books for the ARC in exchange for review.

When I started reading Annie Bot, I was turned off by the early sex scene. Which I might as well say: if you aren't into sex scenes in books, this one isn't for you. I thought this would end up being entirely about a man taking advantage of his female robot companion. And that's pretty much what happens throughout this book. But it's really about so many aspects of the human experience: longing for someone who can attend to all your needs, how we can justify selfishness, lying, becoming more conscious with time and experience.

I zoomed through this once Annie became a bit more sentient. After all, what might a robot who is indistinguishable from an actual human and gaining more skills and awareness do if left to their own devices? In 2024, it's no longer unreasonable to consider a future where people might have robots in their life, and Annie Bot offers a look into what that future might look like.

Thanks to Mariner Books for a copy via NetGalley.

I really enjoyed this novel, and found myself not sure how to feel about the protagonist as the story progressed. It definitely made me think about artificial intelligence, and how human artificial intelligence can become. I found myself relating to the protagonist, Annie, even toward the beginning of her consciousness journey, and especially toward the end. It made me think of the Barbie movie sometimes, so if you liked that you might enjoy Annie Bot. I would recommend this!

Annie is a “cuddle bunny” robot designed to satisfy her human boyfriend’s every need but when Annie begins to feel human-like emotions this causes friction in their relationship. I was so excited to read this book because of the unique premise and it did not disappoint! I was fully invested in Annie’s story from start to finish. I loved how Greer explored gender, power, and what it means to be human while also raising important questions about how the rise of AI will shape our lives and the psychological effects of our interactions with these emerging technologies. I found this one super clever and entertaining. Highly recommend!

Annie Bot by Sierra Greer was a really captivating story.
I enjoyed the writing tremendously here and was sucked in almost immediately.
I thought the characters developed was amazing here. So unique and very interesting.
This was a very unique sci-fi story. I was fascinated and intrigued.
But overall I really enjoyed it and can’t wait to read more by Greer in the future.

Thank You NetGalley and Mariner Books for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

This is definitely one of those books that I will be thinking about for quite some time. It is difficult to review, mostly because it is so very different from anything I have ever read before. Thought-provoking, with themes of autonomy, control, and what makes us human, Annie Bot made me angry and sad for the situation in which the robot was created.

I could see that Annie Bot would be a fantastic choice for a book club, as their are so many ideas to discuss. I found the relationship between Doug and Annie unsettling and the abuse difficult to endure as a reader...and then would remember that Annie was a machine and Doug's property, which just made me even more unsettled. For me, that is what defines a 5-star read--it affects me emotionally, makes me question my own beliefs, and will keep me thinking long after I finish reading. Annie Bot has done this very well.

Thank you to Netgalley and Mariner Books for the digital ARC of Annie Bot by Sierra Greer. The opinions in this review are my own.