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.

Oh my GOD. ANNIE BOT is genius. It's a razor sharp gasp of a novel, multilayered in ways that will leave you reeling. I read it in less than a day because it's absolutely impossible to put down.

This book is so current and timely. AI is already a scary topic and this book delved into a relationship between a human and his bot.

I was hooked from the first page and couldn't put it down. This reads like a cautionary tale to me. I was both horrified and mesmerized by this book.

Wow, this book. It made me feel so much that it's hard to put into words. I feel a bit like Annie sorting through the confusion of human-like emotions.

This book is excellent even if I can't quite find the words to explain why. It's about power-dynamics between a couple (even if one is a human man and the other a female robot). It's about what it means to gain consciousness and awareness and learn. And it's about a terrible bully, The worst kind in my mind -- the ones who tell you they're 'doing this for your own good' or say 'why do you make be act like this' when they're really selfish and insecure and enjoy hurting others.

I was very anxious about the way the book would end since I'd become so invested in Annie and wanted her to be safe and happy. It's a rare book that can make be that concerned for a fictional robot!

Ok, no spoilers, but this was so perfect from start to finish! Creepy if you really think about it, but satisfying and light! SO good!

SHEW. That was a ride. I am so thankful to Sierra Greer, Mariner Books, and Librofm for the advanced listener copy of Annie Bot before this twisted tale hits shelves on March 19, 2024. Annie is a robot who specializes in "cuddle bunny," so essentially, she's a s3x doll for her owner, who is very ashamed of her, I might add. Annie's owner, Doug, has gotten angry with his pet for not being better at cleaning up after his messes, but that's just not in her programming to be able to compute, so thus goes the long story of abuse, gaslighting, and manipulation as Annie grows more and more sentient as time goes on, learning to hate her captor and long for an escape.

I wanted to punch Doug in the face so many times because he was so wrong to Annie, flaunting his money and his insecurities around like they were defining features in their sick and twisted relationship, if you could call it that. I read that other readers have compared this one to My Dark Vanessa, and that's so realistic of comparison because readers are sitting right next to Annie in her trapped and helpless state.

RATING: 4/5 STARS

Wow, my 2024 has started with a bang with this very complex and interesting sci-fi novel! ANNIE BOT is like nothing I've read before. The closest comparison I have is to the TV series Humans, but this novel delves even deeper into the idea of artificial consciousness. Annie is a sympathetic and very dynamic protagonist. She was created to serve her owner and is unfortunately mistreated and manipulated by him. Some parts were frankly quite sad and infuriating to read. As the book progresses, Annie grapples with her relationship to humanity, experience of emotions, and sense of identity. The ending was somewhat abrupt but I think it fit the story and characters' trajectory. With AI being such a hot topic right now, this book posed a fascinating narrative and contemplated some intriguing existential questions around this technology.

This was such an interesting look into how artificial intelligence can merge with human relationships. The author did an incredible job of fleshing out the character of Annie and giving us a deep look into her thought process as well as her learning process throughout the novel. For some reason, she rarely felt like a robot except when we were reminded of things such as her need to charge herself or being able to sense someone else's frustration levels. I don't think I've read a book that gave us such a nuanced look into the mindset of a non-human character but also making the character feel very much human. I would definitely read more by this author, or hopefully a sequel.

This novel totally captivated me. I read it slowly, wanting it to last as long as possible and thinking a lot about Annie. Annie is a robot that her owner bought to meet his personal needs. She comes from a line of AI robots called Stellas, where owners can choose a mode from three main types: Abigail (who cooks and performs housework), a Nanny one to look after children, and a Cuddle Bunny mode to provide sexual and emotional pleasure for the owner.
Annie is designed to learn from her experiences, and as she tries to learn how to please Doug, she adjusts her libido to his, simulates orgasms in response to his, and tries to meet his needs, she grows more confused. Why? Because Doug is human, and not predictable. When he gets an unexpected visit from an old friend, Roland, Annie meets someone new for the first time, and is exposed to more information, including that she resembles Doug's ex-wife Gwen. Annie is learning for the first time about this woman's existence and she struggles to figure out how she compares to her, causing her some grief from Doug.
As Annie gains secrets, and tries to figure out not only how to please Doug, but also how the world works, and how she herself works, she is becoming more human, and finds herself experiencing what seem like emotions to herself.
It is telling to see that Doug has modelled her on a woman he was previously in a serious relationship, yet one he has more control over. Doug can tell her what she's allowed to say about him or their relationship. He can punish her. He can ignore her for days and then just expect to have her play her role again. But because she is autodidactic and learns from her experiences, she grows more confused, and feels hurt, jealous, and even angry.
Seeing her develop was fascinating. Doug was a man who thinks he knows what he wants, but when he gets it, he still isn't happy. There is gaslighting, manipulation, and a lot of other relationship stuff going on here that made me root for and fear for Annie more and more. I hated him more and more as I got further into the book.
It also made me think about AI a lot and how it works, and where it will appear in our lives. It gave me a lot to think about.
An amazing read.

To be a woman is to perform.

To be a woman is to learn to do everything just right for one person while also making sure you have an escape route.

To be a woman is to be a robot?
This was a thrilling read, reminded me a lot of HER the movie, it was written very well. Combining the futuristic idea of robots that can provide physical intimacy, emotional intimacy, be a nanny, be a housekeeper, but also gain consciousness, fight back, have feelings, need something. need more than what one man who doesn’t deserve all the best can provide.

The ending could’ve gone better, maybe more spontaneously? but overall this was a great read, and i really enjoyed most of it.

a very fun, unnverving premise, interesting & easy to read. sounded like it'd be right up my alley and for the most part it was. just wouldn't call it a favorite! probably a 3.5 rounded down.

i really loved annie bot. although the writing wasn’t particularly notable, i absolutely loved the story and read the book in 2 days, i loved the exploration of what makes a person a person, and the illustration of the expectations placed on women.

I quite literally read this book in the span of two (2) hours because I couldn't stop myself from turning the pages to find out what happened next!!!

As someone who's a HUGE fan of exploring the butterfly effect scenarios that inevitably arise when it comes to AI/androids/robots with sentience (see: Detroit Become Human) , this story really resonated with me. On top of that, being a woman & knowing how it feels to be "trapped" in what appears to be a great relationship on the outside but is really just toxic and manipulative made everything so much more anxiety-inducing in the most delicious way possible. I was rooting for Annie from the very beginning, and the ending definitely left me satisfied.

This author's pacing was amazing and while the prose was simple, it was very easy to immerse myself in the story and understand Stella's point of view. I would 100% read more from her in the future and I really do look forward to seeing what she comes out with!