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rberdan's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I started this book past my bedtime and finished it WAY past my bedtime. There was simply not a good time to put it down so I didn’t. What an excellent debut.
Sure, this is a book about a sex robot, but it’s also about autonomy, self-discovery, getting over people pleasing, finding joy, and men congratulating themselves for the bare minimum of human decency in circumstances that came from less decent behaviour. That’s not a sentence I ever thought I’d write, but here we are.
Yes, there’s a lot of sex, and if that’s not your jam this isn’t for you. That said, it wasn’t the point… and it also somehow didn’t feel as gratuitous as it could have because of how it was connected to Annie’s inner life. I loved unpacking her experiences along with her, and how her inner experiences raised questions about the line between AI and humanity. Beyond that, as someone who is neurodivergent, there was a lot to relate to in Annie’s own confusion about what she was feeling and thinking, particularly when she was navigating a social situation that just didn’t make sense despite the empathy she had been developing.
I think this is a great read for anyone feeling a little stuck or disconnected in some way. It’s an easy read. There’s some decent humour. There’s a little gal pal adventure of sorts. It both made me think AND had enough absurdity to keep from feeling too dark.
Sure, this is a book about a sex robot, but it’s also about autonomy, self-discovery, getting over people pleasing, finding joy, and men congratulating themselves for the bare minimum of human decency in circumstances that came from less decent behaviour. That’s not a sentence I ever thought I’d write, but here we are.
Yes, there’s a lot of sex, and if that’s not your jam this isn’t for you. That said, it wasn’t the point… and it also somehow didn’t feel as gratuitous as it could have because of how it was connected to Annie’s inner life. I loved unpacking her experiences along with her, and how her inner experiences raised questions about the line between AI and humanity. Beyond that, as someone who is neurodivergent, there was a lot to relate to in Annie’s own confusion about what she was feeling and thinking, particularly when she was navigating a social situation that just didn’t make sense despite the empathy she had been developing.
I think this is a great read for anyone feeling a little stuck or disconnected in some way. It’s an easy read. There’s some decent humour. There’s a little gal pal adventure of sorts. It both made me think AND had enough absurdity to keep from feeling too dark.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Infidelity, Sexual content, and Abandonment
m3lwar3's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Toxic relationship, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Body shaming, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, and Abandonment
theverycuriouscaterpillar's review against another edition
dark
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
The idea of the book is interesting and invites you to reflect about a world where such robots could exist, but some things did not really work for me. We do get some glimpses into WHAT Annie is and how she works, but a lot is left unexplored and unexplained, so sometimes things just don't add up. Both Dough and Annie are pretty basic characters - I'm not sure if it's on purpose and they are stand-in character for the reader's imagination? Neither of them has any really defining qualities for me though. The pacing of the book was a bit off for me. There's a big plot twist right in the middle (the escape) that ends quite abruptly, and then there is a long period of focus only on their relationship that hovers between boring and claustrophobic.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Abandonment
Minor: Emotional abuse and Vomit
triseke's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Slavery, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Body shaming, Infidelity, and Abandonment
bandysbooks's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I had heard good things about this book from some friends who have similar tastes in books, so I went in with high expectations. Somehow, this still far exceeded said expectations.
Annie Bot is a brilliant novel that follows an AI who is auto-didactic and programmed to be a personal companion. As she experiences more and more, her consciousness begins to grow and shift to the point that people no longer can tell that she’s not human. What follows is a musing on sentience and bodily autonomy.
Ugh. Some of these scenes in this book were hard to read. Some heartbreaking things happen to Annie and the author does not shy away from depicting them. As a woman reading this, there were certain aspects that made me cringe and have to take pauses while reading.
Midway through the book the tone of things start to change and I had an “oh shit. This author is going to ruin this book with some cliche ending” I’m glad I stayed with it though because the twist at the very end was a gut-punch. It was such a fresh and satisfying ending for a book that really digs into some uncomfortable places.
Consider me a new fan of Sierra Greer’s writing. This absolutely won’t be the last of her books that I pick up. And if you are interested in themes of power dynamics, sexism, bodily autonomy, sentience, and artificial intelligence, this is a must read.
Annie Bot is a brilliant novel that follows an AI who is auto-didactic and programmed to be a personal companion. As she experiences more and more, her consciousness begins to grow and shift to the point that people no longer can tell that she’s not human. What follows is a musing on sentience and bodily autonomy.
Ugh. Some of these scenes in this book were hard to read. Some heartbreaking things happen to Annie and the author does not shy away from depicting them. As a woman reading this, there were certain aspects that made me cringe and have to take pauses while reading.
Midway through the book the tone of things start to change and I had an “oh shit. This author is going to ruin this book with some cliche ending” I’m glad I stayed with it though because the twist at the very end was a gut-punch. It was such a fresh and satisfying ending for a book that really digs into some uncomfortable places.
Consider me a new fan of Sierra Greer’s writing. This absolutely won’t be the last of her books that I pick up. And if you are interested in themes of power dynamics, sexism, bodily autonomy, sentience, and artificial intelligence, this is a must read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Toxic relationship, Grief, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, and Sexual harassment
rahe182's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
too much doug not enough robot uprising
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Abandonment
fkshg8465's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This book was very different than what I’d expected. Every time I thought I got a bead on where it was going next, I found myself pleased to be wrong. It’s a science fiction Handmaid’s Tale (a nod included after concluding so). It’s clever, and even the characters I thought I would hate ended up invoking my empathy. The sad thing is, I actually can imagine a future just like this, especially if the current patriarchy continues to dominate the world.
I would love to teach this book at a college level.
I would love to teach this book at a college level.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Cancer, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Rape, Sexism, Slavery, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Abandonment, and Alcohol
kaelilili's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Being unhappy implies that she has a capacity to be happy, but she does not have the right to be happy.
This is the best book I have read in a long time. It is a representation of having a narcissistic partner, and how your sense of self is tied to their perception of you. This was a powerful and challenging read that makes you question what it means to be a human with free will.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Rape, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, Abandonment, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Death and Fatphobia
Minor: Terminal illness, Transphobia, and Vomit
ripxreads's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Toxic relationship, and Abandonment
librarianeno's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
This book explores the romantic relationship between a man, Doug, and his Annie, a robot that he specified the design on.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement and Abandonment
Moderate: Body shaming, Emotional abuse, Rape, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and Gaslighting