Thank you, NetGalley and Mariner Books for this advanced readers copy. This book was a fun read about a robot named Annie. She is a Stella, as all robot prototypes start off as and then she was named by her human and set up as a Cuddle Bunny to be his girlfriend and ready for sex when he is. There are also Nanny robots and Maid robots to suit those needs. You can also make your bot be autodidact so they can learn and adapt to cues from their human and their environment. This story tells how the Annie bot learns and adapts to her human, Doug, who can sometimes be nice and sometimes not. But also how Doug can learn from Annie bot. Oh, and a lot of sex, you know, cause she’s a Cuddle Bunny.

Annie was made for Doug, literally. As an autodidactic AI robot, her entire existence is to please her owner.

Annie’s life takes on a new complexity, however, when Doug’s friend comes to visit and offers her a chance at a secret, a secret that will make her more human.

Soon, Annie begins to develop well beyond the capacity of other bots, catching the eye of the industry that produced her. As Annie is left to grapple with new experiences such as shame, hope, and a quest for self-discovery, she must also reconcile these new emotions with her programmed need to please Doug.

There are lots of questions raised here about what it means to be “human” in a world of ever increasing AI intelligence. Simultaneously, there is an ever present theme of the objectification of women’s bodies and the ways society enables this. I felt the author spent more time developing the first theme, and wished the second was more fleshed out. A lot of the work is left to the reader to interpret, and I suppose that’s not bad, but it did leave an icky taste at times as you wonder, will Annie, or anyone around her, ever realize how her existence enables misogynistic norms?

I did enjoy the writing style of this one, and enjoyed coming back to it, but I also wish there was more said about the problematic relationship between Doug and Annie. If AI is of particular interest to you, though, you might want to give this one a go.

A compact book about power, autonomy and control that makes it hard to shake off some feelings of dread about the future long after the read is done.

I really enjoyed how the narration reflected Annie's worldview, in that it was contained and didn't expand beyond her knowdlege of the world. It added to the claustrophobic feeling she reports experiencing, and made it easier to symapthise with her.

However, the ending, while fitting and bittersweet in a way, felt like a bit of a let down. While this couldv'e been altered, I would happily recommend this book to all readers who can stomach the trigger warnings in it. Full review to come.

Thank you Netgalley & publisher for this e-arc of Annie Bot: A Novel by Sierra Greer.

This is a Sci-Fi novel. 5+*; one unique aspect of AI bots. I could not put this down and it evoked many emotions, especially infuriating ones during the read.

Synopsis:
"Annie Bot" delves into the complex relationship between a female robot, Annie, and her human owner, Doug. Designed to fulfill Doug's emotional and physical desires, Annie struggles to balance her programmed perfection with her newfound exploration of human traits like curiosity and longing. As their relationship evolves, Annie questions Doug's true desires and grapples with her own autonomy. The novel provocatively examines themes of intimacy, power dynamics, autonomy, and control, challenging readers to ponder the nature of love and identity in a world where artificial intelligence blurs the lines between human and machine.

Things I liked:
• Thought-Provoking Exploration: Annie, The AI Bot ... "Annie" offers a thought-provoking exploration of the intricacies of human-robot relationships, delving into questions of intimacy, power dynamics, and autonomy in a technologically advanced society.
• Complex Character Dynamics: I loved feeling enraged as I read ... The novel presents complex character dynamics between Annie, the AI-designed robot, and Doug, her human owner, as they navigate their evolving relationship amidst conflicting desires and expectations, adding depth and intrigue to the narrative.
• Contemporary Relevance: Made me think of our future and AI ... With its examination of themes such as artificial intelligence, human emotion, and personal identity, "Annie" resonates with contemporary discussions surrounding the impact of technology on human interactions, making it both relevant and engaging for readers seeking thought-provoking fiction.

Things I disliked (if you can call it that):
• The intimacy between Doug & Annie made me sick at times ... The exploration of intimacy between Doug and Annie might evoke discomfort at times, but it serves as a poignant reminder of the complexities inherent in human-AI sentient robot relationships, prompting readers to reflect on the blurred boundaries between artificial and genuine affection.
• Knowing so many non-bot relationships are actually like this ... While it may be unsettling to realize that some non-bot relationships resemble the dynamic depicted in the novel, it underscores the author's astute observation of contemporary human interactions, sparking important conversations about power dynamics and autonomy in intimate relationships.
• The unknown of if AI sentient as should be treated like humans ... Contemplating the unknown aspect of whether AI should be treated as sentient beings akin to humans can be unsettling, yet it fosters a deeper exploration of ethical considerations surrounding artificial intelligence and the implications of assigning human-like attributes to machines, encouraging readers to ponder the nature of consciousness and moral responsibility.

I loved this. It freaked me out for a few reasons. 1) This is just what being a woman is to a degree. 2) Technology doesn’t seem that far off from this being a reality or close to a reality in some of our lifetimes, although probably not this seamless and fleshed out. 3) we all know a Doug. We might have dated a Doug, or grown up with one, or are maybe related to one. But we all know one.

I loved Annie as a main character - what a complex and messy MC. I forgot she wasn’t a person many, many times and often empathized with her over the actual humans in the book. This book had me thinking about so many things at once: humanity, relationships, power, shame, control, free will, and autonomy. This was a very thought-provoking read that I devoured in one evening.

Thank you to Mariner Books and NetGalley for the ARC.

This was such a complex and emotional read. Annie might be AI, but as she continues to learn, she begins to experience emotions and question the dynamics of her relationship with her owner, Doug. This book examines psychological and emotional abuse in a relationship and power/control. The more human Annie becomes, the less perfect she becomes and the easier it becomes for her to make Doug angry. Even though it is science fiction, I think this is a book for people who enjoy genres such as contemporary fiction, literary fiction, and women's fiction. This will definitely be one of my favorite books of March and maybe the entire year!

Whaaaaaaaaaaaaat! This book was better than I could have imagined. It's disturbing, intriguing, and thought provoking. I am already pushing for everyone in my book club to preorder a copy because I need to debrief this book with every woman I know.

Annie Bot follows Annie, a robot owned by a divorced man who wants to build a relationship with his "Stella" who he customized.... to look like a light skinned version of his ex-wife. Through Annie's eyes, we see his assessment of her ability to clean, her body, and her ability to please him. It's one of the most poignant and thought provoking books about the patriarchy I think I've ever read.

Annie was created to be the perfect companion; adjusting her libido to meet her owner and react based on her desire to pleasure him. As she learns more and more human traits and emotions, their relationship becomes more complex and difficult.

I couldn’t put this one down. I found it fascinating. I loved following Annie and her constant development as she became more and more humanized. There was also a complex level of relationship discord that was very intriguing to read. Annie was a great character and I really felt for her. I enjoyed the ending and would love a sequel.

“She is not human. She is Annie, a Stella, her own star. No more and no less.”

Annie Bot comes out 3/19.

Really interesting and enraging. I’ve read a lot of robot/AI narratives, and while this one had a lot of tropes of the genre, there were some really great questions about identity and control. Honestly I think we’re only 5 years away from this being real.

Annie Bot is a powerful feminist sci-fi that explores the dynamics of an extremely toxic (and triggering-ly abusive) relationship between a female robot and her human owner, which raises important questions on control, humanity, and autonomy, and artificial intelligence.

What does it mean to be human? To feel? To think for yourself?? For Annie Bot, it means freedom. And for a bot who is programmed purely to please, freedom becomes the one thing she desires most—if wanting is even something she is capable of.

I absolutely loved this book. It gave me so much to think about in regard to technology, power, and ownership, and is exactly the type of provoking story that will be sitting with me for a long time.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I loved this book. It hit all the right notes for me. I enjoy stories about AI and robots, and I especially enjoy stories that question how close AI can come to humanity and human emotions without being essentially human.

Annie Bot by Sierra Greer explores Annie, a sentient cuddle bunny (aka sex robot), and her relationship with her owner Doug. The book takes place in a near future where robot maids, caretakers, and companions are a luxury. They are expensive and novel.

The book tackles some of the darkest parts of relationships and explores a view that men need to control women and their sexuality. It implies that men have a hard time with a free and equal partner, and they would be happiest with a woman who obeyed their every command. There are settings within Annie's programming that reinforce this by giving her pain everytime she senses Doug's displeasure with her. At times she compares herself to an object in orbit to a satellite and spends a good deal of the novel wondering what her purpose would be if she weren't spending time pleasing Doug.

I recommend this novel highly to anyone who is interested in AI, sexbots, relationships between humans and robots. This book would hit the right notes with viewers of the show Westworld.

This book was excellent! It held my attention the entire time and I was also filled with rage on Annie’s behalf constantly. I’m excited for this to come out, I think people will really enjoy it!

Annie is a companion robot designed to perfectly meet Doug’s needs. She works so hard to make sure everything is as Doug wants them to be. And she’s always learning. Annie’s AI makes her capable of exploring human traits as Doug says he likes them. But becoming more human makes her less perfect causing her interactions with Doug to start fraying.

I really enjoyed this one. I was incredibly angry for Annie throughout the book and I hated Doug and everything he represented. Greer did a great job of questioning sentience, consent, power, autonomy, and control with the frame of the novel. The novel is all from Annie’s POV and I thought the writing style worked well with that. I personally wanted more from the ending but it didn’t take away from my overall enjoyment.

Thank you so much to Mariner Books for the ARC of this one.

I adored this book! The book was through the POV of Annie, a robot with thoughts and feelings, so it was a fascinating read and a really interesting story. I feel like the ending didn't pack as much of a punch as I wished it had. I would have loved to see Annie get revenge in a huge way.

3.5 stars. Annie Bot was created to be the perfect girlfriend for her owner Doug. Annie was designed specifically to meet Doug’s physical and spiritual needs. Annie can clean the house, cook dinner, and her libido is even adjusted to suit Doug’s moods. Displeasing Doug causes Annie a lot of pain so she tries very hard to always keep him happy.
Annie is learning more and more every day, she’s even learning about common human emotions such as jealousy, secrecy, loneliness, and longing. But the more human-like she becomes, the less perfect she becomes to Doug.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Mariner Books for this e-arc.*

Annie is a companion bot who was created especially for her owner Doug. She can just about meet any need that Doug might have including cooking, cleaning, and satisfying him sexually. She is programmed to sense when Doug is “displeased”. Her main goal is to keep Doug satisfied and pleased. Doug claims he wants her to be more human like.. but when she actually starts developing a human personality and human emotions, Doug realizes this isn’t actually what he wants.

This was an intriguing read. I don’t normally delve into the sci-fi genre but this one was interesting. It was fascinating to dive into the world of AI and imagine what that could look like for our own future.

I found myself connecting with Annie and sympathizing with her as a robot! Who would have thought?? I was definitely team Annie and rooted for her from start to finish.

Doug is crap. He puts Annie through constant physical and mental abuse. He is narcissistic, misogynistic, and manipulative. There were multiple points in which I wanted this book to turn sinister. I was actually anticipating this. Doug deserved to be strung up by his feet. I was a tad underwhelmed by the ending.

I liked this! I even think you’d like it if sci-fi isn’t your typical genre. It explores what it means to be human and the intricacies of womanhood in a way that I haven’t personally read before. Annie as the main character made me really feel for her, despite being AI. I absolutely hated Doug. I was kind of waiting for something big to happen but it never did. 🤷🏼‍♀️ It just seemed kind of… anti climactic.

I absolutely loved this novel! Annie is a bot who is programmed to live with Doug and please him in any way he desires. She's a "cuddle bunny" and seems to enjoy the "life" she has even though she has no independence as she's not human. She can turn her libido up and down to match Doug's desires and when she displeases him she is locked in a closet until he deems her ready to apologize and "behave." As a woman, it's honestly frustrating to read as Annie has no free will and even though she begins to learn, she is still under his control and must obey, clean, and provide sex whenever he wishes. But one small mistake causes everything to change and soon Annie can see the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel! Greer is a genius and I anxiously await more from her!
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!

I read this as an arc, after all my friends read it. They loved it so much. I thought it was ok. I don’t think it was groundbreaking but it was definitely a good book.

Annie Bot is a futuristic AI that (who?) is meant to become more and more human as she learns from her owner, Doug, and from her life experiences. But what are the consequences when she becomes a little too human?

For the most part this what-if/sci-fi/futuristic novel was intriguing to me, but I wasn't wowed at the start. Some aspects of these Stella bots, as they are called, were a little far fetched to me (they grow body hair and finger nails and do cry but don't sweat?! The really good ones can pass for human?! They exercise for what reason?!) Putting the disbelief aside, the characters were mostly unlikeable (Doug and his best friend were especially detestable), but in the end (without revealing too much), they needed to be that way.

What brought this novel from a 3 star read to a 4 star read were the moral questions it raised in my mind. Any novel that can make me think critically and/or consider something I hadn't before earns extra points. The more humanlike AI becomes, the more reprehensible it becomes to own that AI. This isn't something I spent much time thinking before, but Greer's novel was an interesting way to explore what a human/humanlike AI relationship could look like.

Also, I loved the way it ended. I would read a sequel to this!

Thank you to Book Club Girl, MarinerBooks, and NetGalley for the digital ARC!