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!

Thank you to the publishers, author and NetGalley for the free copy of this book.

I wasn't expecting to like this one as much as I did! It hooked me right in from the start. Horrified and drawn in at the same time. Definitely would recommend!

Annie Bot by Sierra Greer
5/5 ⭐🤖🚲💗
(if I could give it more, I would)

This book, this book, this book! As soon as I started the audiobook (thank you Libro.fm) I knew I was done for. You're going to start this and not be able to put it down. The complexities in this novel are part of what kept drawing me back in; Annie is so incredibly compelling and she broke my heart over and over again. I had to know what was going to happen and this story was constantly on my brain.

For me to dive into this story would be to ruin YOUR experience of it, so I'm not going to say a lot about it. You'll find yourself grappling with the topic of ownership, both about AI and real life. The similarities between some of the experiences of this book were suffocatingly familiar with life as a woman living in a post-Roe America. You'll find yourself examining the complexities of power dynamics, autonomy and how it relates to control, our humanity and how we often find ourselves objectifying others; and a very large one that I'm sure you're all too familiar with... Toxic masculinity. I found myself hating Doug with the utmost passion throughout this story. The rage I would feel when he'd treat Annie like a piece of AI garbage... Again, it's going to be about your experience when reading this, not mine.

Annie Bot is going to make you uncomfortable in the most horrendous of ways, but they're also incredibly important to examine. This book will stay with me forever and is one that I will recommend to everyone. I also think that this book would be the perfect one to hand to someone to read, with the only intention being to get their opinion on it once they've finished reading it. What they have to say is going to tell you a lot about their character.

Thank you to the author, Sierra Greer, publisher Mariner Books, and NetGalley for providing me with the opportunity to read and review this ARC. Annie Bot publishes on March 19, 2024!

Annie Bot is an absolutely stunning, complex read about the relationship between an AI robot and her owner. Annie was built to Doug’s specifications as a Cuddle Bunny (essentially a s3x bot) but she’s set to autodidactic mode, which means she can learn and develop emotional intelligence. Annie desperately wants to please Doug, constantly adjusting her libido, her temperature, her words, and the general household based on Doug’s whims. Sometimes Doug is kind to Annie, but more often, he is thoughtless or cruel, wounding her with words or actions. As Annie’s learning evolves and she becomes more humanlike, she experiences more complicated emotions, leading her to question the very nature of her own existence.

WOW. Wow, wow, wow! I have so many feelings about this book, and I hardly know how to put them into words. This story is so rich and multilayered. On its surface, it’s a story about AI relationships, ownership, and ethics, but it’s also an allegory for real life abusive relationships. Through the lens of Annie and Doug’s relationship, the author examines themes of power dynamics, control, autonomy, humanity, objectification, and toxic masculinity, just to name a few. Annie is depicted so masterfully with a depth of feeling that is almost human, and I felt like I was feeling all of her emotions along with her. This book is often deeply uncomfortable to read, but in a way that is so utterly captivating and thought-provoking that I couldn’t put it down. Incredibly compelling and one I won’t stop thinking about for a long time!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Mariner Books for providing me an advance copy of this book.

I was uncomfortable the entire time but I was also fascinated the entire time. No matter how seemingly pleasant the tone of a scene was, there was an underlying dystopian feeling. Throughout this book, every interaction Annie and Doug had was a double edged sword. The control and power Doug had over Annie was so imbedded in her every thought and action that you could sit and analyze her every action, considering how that control was influencing her actions even when she wasn’t with him..

Captivating and emotionally intelligent. This story really explores the complexity of human wants and needs and Greer does an excellent job of navigating those stormy seas.

Thank you Netgalley and Mariner Books for the digital ARC!

Wow. Just wow.

I was not expecting this one to do me like this.
I did not anticipate this one to break my heart.

Annie Bot takes us on a ride of love, romance, self confidence, and intimacy between a human man and a female AI robot. The FMC being an AI robot really allows us to reflect on unhealthy aspects of relationships from a strictly logical perspective. And woof can that be hard. This book really forced me to think on some thoughts and feelings I've had that were relatable. I loved this book so much.

I can't wait to push this book on everyone I know

I wish this novel went deeper. The story seemed like it was headed that way, but the last half of the book stayed surface and then just stopped.

Nuanced and heartbreaking, this is exactly what I look for in literature about AI...

Rating: 5/5 ✰

Background:
Annie Bot is the story of a live-in girlfriend AI who was recently switched over to settings that allow her to learn and grow on her own. Everything about her is easily customizable, from hair color to weight, and Annie's owner, Doug, definitely takes advantage of that. Made to look like his ex-wife but whiter (since race caused some problems in their relationship), Annie is taught to act like a perfect girlfriend. Her settings cause her to be hyper attuned to his moods, and she is programmed to prioritize his pleasure, so she can never truly think freely even if she is supposedly able to learn on her own. I loved the way this played out in her thoughts, and having her struggle with becoming real and staying someone that Doug would like felt so brutal.

As someone who tends to change themselves depending on whatever relationship I'm in at the time, while also having been in a controlling relationship before, I definitely found her story incredibly sympathetic and powerful. While there are messages in here about AI and how far it's coming along, or how far we should let it come along, I do think this is primarily an exploration of power imbalance in relationships with science fiction being more of a backdrop. If you're looking for in-depth descriptions about how the AI work, or the way society changed, you should know this isn't that sort of book (I say lovingly). I definitely think those details would detract from the overall story, since the nuances in programming work better as feelings and thoughts in her mind than as spelled-out technical ideas.

Characters:
The story is told through the sole perspective of Annie, and we get to see how her thoughts and actions shift over time as she experiences new things and grows into her own being. I really liked how she had her own personality for herself even early on, and seeing how those aspects sharpened over time felt really satisfying. Even though she's constantly forging her own path, everyone in the story - Annie included - credit her incredible growth to Doug; this felt like such a real look into their power dynamic and outsider opinions on AI and how it contrasts with her own internal monologue and actions. She may be programmed to try really hard to appeal to him and act in a pleasing manner, but that's definitely not all there is to her. This story is really told best with a female AI - after all, who among us hasn't had situations where we've been reduced and simplified by society?

Doug is exactly what he needs to be for the story; while they could have taken him into deeper extremes, I liked the subtlety in their dynamic and how it made the bigger moments between them hit even harder. He's the perfect representative for bigger societal concepts. He consistently nitpicks her figure, controls the ways in which she interacts with the world, expects her to keep up with his mercurial temperament, becomes insecure easily, feels entitled to all her thoughts, and everyone around him normalized the behavior or thinks it's justified. In some ways he's sympathetic, which makes my skin crawl even more. Basically, he's incredibly realistic. I appreciated that he didn't feel like some cartoon villain.

Closing thoughts:
This made me think a lot about whether I would want some kind of AI if this technology was available, and whether there is a moral answer to that question or not. Would it be bad to say yes? If not, at what point would they feel too much like real people where it would seem wrong to keep them as a sort of household object? Even as a person who wouldn't normally be considered controlling or manipulative, I feel like it would be difficult to be unbiased and unattached in this kind of situation. You paid for them, but are they always really yours? Should they even be?

Thank you so much to NetGalley for providing the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own and not sponsored in any way.

"Annie Bot" by Sierra Greer presents a fascinating premise that seems uncannily close to our reality.

Sierra Greer skillfully portrays what abusive relationships are like through the lens of a robot (Annie). Annie experiencing pain when she disappoints Doug echoes the toxic power dynamics where women feel compelled to cater to their male partners’ needs and desires at the expense of their own well-being. I found Sierra Greer’s writing to be particularly clever especially when it comes to Annie gradually learning what it’s like to be human/free.

While the story is (for the most part) well executed and thought provoking, Annie Bot falls short in certain aspects. The ending feels rushed and underdeveloped. In addition, it would have been interesting if the plot had been darker and more fleshed out, especially when the Stellas Company is concerned. One notable downside is the lack of exploration of the theme of race, which could have given more depth to the narrative.

Nevertheless, "Annie Bot" remains a compelling and relevant read which prompts reflection on the ethical implications of the relationship between AI and humans.

****I also listened to and reviewed the audio, so I've copy and pasted my review.

I loved this book. I cheered for Annie the whole time, eagerly waiting for Doug to get what was coming to him. Frankly, I think he deserved worse but good for Annie for being a nice human, I guess. This book got a lot of emotional response out of me. I hated Doug (and pretty much anyone who wasn't Annie, Delta, and sometimes Cody, let's be honest here) and I was angry for Annie and sad for her. Pretty much anything Annie felt, I felt too. Even those kinder moments toward Doug, even though I'm pretty sure that was mostly just pity.

I want everyone to read this book and I'll be forcing it on as many people as I can.

The concept of this book is fascinating: Annie was created to be a perfect girlfriend for her owner, but when does a robot start to own herself? This book takes place from Annie's perspective, which I think was so well done. As her awareness grows she starts to question her existence and her place in the world. We watch this robot interact and learn from the world. I like the idea of AI existing among us and people are unaware, and I thought the story telling here was excellent.
The story seems to start in the middle. There is no backstory, no relationship or world building. I'm torn on if I enjoyed this aspect. On the one hand it helped build the stress Annie is experiencing in her relationship with Doug, but on the other hand it didn't give me anything to root for, or any good memories to look back on. There were moments in the book where Doug would say things like "remember when I taught you to yawn?", but the reader did not get to see any of those moments play out.
I was also a little disappointed with the ending. The book felt like we were building up to something sinister, but it was almost the opposite of that?
All in all, I'm so glad I read this and it's something I will think about and want to talk about with other readers. This is a solid debut and I can't wait to read what Greer writes next!

Thank you to NetGalley and Mariner Books for providing this book, with my honest review below.

A must read book, Annie Bot by Sierra Greer is disturbing, thought provoking, provocative, and above all heartbreaking. Part sci fi, part women’s fiction, you may think this book is a look at AI in the future but it goes deeper. As a woman, this stays with you, because it could very well be you as Annie. Her life with Doug may very well be your life. For countless woman it likely is assured.

This wrenched every emotion out of you it feasibly could, I would recommend this to any reader and will continue to. Simple in execution but you’ll not long forget this one.

Trigger warning: this novel presents a sexual situation as if it’s a “choice” for a character completely without autonomy, and that happens pretty early on. In the reality of the novel, all parties treat Annie (the sex slave robot) as if she cheated on her partner (the human who owns her) when she was preyed upon by a guest in his house. I know this is an intentional thread throughout the novel so we can see the abuse of power and it clearly drives the plot and serves a purpose, but it feels so bad I wanted to include it here.

It’s hard to describe what reading this novel feels like. It’s watching your friend go back to an abusive relationship over and over again, but in this case they literally have no choice because they’re a sentient robot designed to please the owner. It’s also like watching a riveting drama like JLo’s Enough, when Annie Bot gains so many human characteristics and thoughts that she begins to understand her situation and plots her freedom. I couldn’t put it down, but it also made me torturously cringe. I loved it, but I don’t know how to recommend it because it feels so…bad? Read this if you’re a messy bench, I guess.

Really enjoyed this story of a hyper-realistic, auto-didactic “cuddle bunny” bot discovering herself, her quasi-humanity, and her fulfillment. Annie is an excellent, compelling character and the book draws out a lot of thought-provoking questions about personhood and meaning. I wish the plot had a bit more intensity and drama - it felt like the third act was lacking or repetitive. But still a compelling read! perfect for fans of Her or Deus Ex Machina.

I found the blurb for this book interesting. As I have just recently been introduced to all the possibilities of AI, I was interested to read Greer’s take on the future. She did not disappoint!

The story is told from Annie’s point of view. Annie is a robot, owned by Doug, who exists to cook, clean, and satisfy her owner’s every need and want. Annie is the perfect companion for Doug until she starts to question true emotions and what a real life could mean for her.

Doug was a jerk and at no time during the book did I like him. However, I truly enjoyed reading how Annie ‘thinks’ and processes what is going on around her. This book is imaginative and compelling. Although it is not a genre I would typically read, I really enjoyed this book and looked forward to reading how it would end.

Thank you, NetGalley and Mariner Books, for the digital ARC in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed above are my own.

This was a very interesting and thought provoking book about artificial intelligence in the not so far away future. Bots can be customized by hair color, skin color and shape as well as by use. The problem is what happens when they increasingly become more than an AI. Annie becomes a self thinking machine who knows that she doesn’t want to be owned or directed to act by her owner who has fallen in love with her. She believes that she is not alone in her desire to be free.
She runs away and vows to help other bots reach their potential. I foresee a sequel!

This book will stay with me for a long time. A very interesting study into the autonomy of AI with a powerful feminist message. It made me angry and sad, but it also moved me in a way I haven’t felt since I first read Herland by Charlotte Perkins Gilman. My only critique is that the ending felt a little rushed, and the chapters were quite long. I really enjoyed the book overall- even if it left me disturbed and with a lot to think about.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Annie Bot is an absolutely fascinating story about an AI bot in a relationship with a human. Annie is an AI put in a humanoid body created to be in a relationship with her human, Doug. Annie does everything that she can to please Doug, until one day when she has a secret of her own and everything changes. The book explores power dynamics in relationships, the possibilities of artificial intelligence, and what it means to be human. The story was gripping so it was difficult to put down and it was absolutely fascinating to see how Annie's character changed and grew throughout the story. Would highly recommend for fans of Never Let Me Go or Margaret Atwood.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
"You want to know danger? she thinks. Try living with a man who creates you just so he can eat your soul."
Science fiction is not my usual genre, but the summary was interesting enough for me to give it a try (And I'm very glad I did). Annie is a robot owned by a man named Doug, and she's expected to do all of the housework that women have been stereotypically subject to. On top of cooking, cleaning, etc, they have an intimate relationship. This book explored not only the AI/human relationships, but gender roles as well. While yes, she is a robot, the expectations placed on her are not alien to real life women. I typically really love books with some sort of female rage written into them, so to see even a non-human main character go through these situations and how she struggled with them was really interesting.