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A review by rberdan
Annie Bot by Sierra Greer
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