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alannashelfhelp's review against another edition
dark
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Honestly nothing robot related will have the emotional impact on me that 2001’s A.I. Artificial Intelligence did. I just thought this was a bit trite. We’ve been sitting with this sentient robot genre for decades and the book thinks it’s doing more than it actually is. Could’ve been weirder!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism and Sexual assault
kirstym25's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Sexual assault and Confinement
mirifairy's review
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
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? Yes
5.0
this book made my skin crawl. that is a compliment. it has a very litfic ending and i'm just going to have to live with that
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Sexual content, and Sexual assault
courtneyfox's review
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
5.0
A tough read but an emotionally rewarding one
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault
beckyremillard's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
fast-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
4.5
I don’t normally read science fiction but I could stop. This book was definitely thought provoking and intense.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Vomit, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Domestic abuse, Sexual violence, Physical abuse, Body shaming, Cancer, Confinement, Death, Gaslighting, Infidelity, and Toxic relationship
oddpilot97's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
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? It's complicated
5.0
HOLYYYYY COW, this was good. And I’m not someone who says that lightly (I don’t hesitate to DNF and haven’t had a 5 star book in ages)
Lately I’ve been on a streak of reading books with amazing concepts, that I end up giving up on because it doesn’t deliver on that. This was almost the opposite. The plot line caught my eye, but I wondered if it was going to get either too one-note or too triggering. I don’t know where your mind goes when you think about someone who owns a sex robot, but mine automatically goes to a mega creep. Instead, the owner character had layers, and was more than just purely detestable.
The author added SO much nuance and complexity. I was eagerly wondering what the end result would be with every twist and turn. I was screaming for the protagonist to make the right choice the whole time, even as things got more and more complicated on which decision was truly best for her.
when I described some of the plot to my mom, she said “this isn’t just about robots is it?” she hit the nail right on the head. the story aptly draws a parallel to oppressive gender roles.
Annie’s owner treats her better than almost any other. even the techs at the company Who made her tell her she is lucky that he is her owner. But are you truly lucky if you are the most well treated slave?
Doug does horrible things —without a doubt. he modeled Annie after his ex girlfriend, a blatant crossing of boundaries. he is at times cruel, particularly when he locked her in the closet with her libido set at a 10. I hated him at so many points of the book. And at other times, I wondered if Annie did truly desire to be with him or if it was just programming. I was curious if there was any redemption possible for Doug.
P.S. what happened to Delta??? Justice for her.
There’s so much more I could say, and perhaps I will reflect on more of the themes and how they impacted me and return to update this at a later time.
TLDR: read it. It’s worth it.
Lately I’ve been on a streak of reading books with amazing concepts, that I end up giving up on because it doesn’t deliver on that. This was almost the opposite. The plot line caught my eye, but I wondered if it was going to get either too one-note or too triggering. I don’t know where your mind goes when you think about someone who owns a sex robot, but mine automatically goes to a mega creep. Instead, the owner character had layers, and was more than just purely detestable.
The author added SO much nuance and complexity. I was eagerly wondering what the end result would be with every twist and turn. I was screaming for the protagonist to make the right choice the whole time, even as things got more and more complicated on which decision was truly best for her.
when I described some of the plot to my mom, she said “this isn’t just about robots is it?” she hit the nail right on the head. the story aptly draws a parallel to oppressive gender roles.
Doug does horrible things —without a doubt. he modeled Annie after his ex girlfriend, a blatant crossing of boundaries. he is at times cruel, particularly when he locked her in the closet with her libido set at a 10. I hated him at so many points of the book. And at other times, I wondered if Annie did truly desire to be with him or if it was just programming. I was curious if there was any redemption possible for Doug.
P.S. what happened to Delta??? Justice for her.
There’s so much more I could say, and perhaps I will reflect on more of the themes and how they impacted me and return to update this at a later time.
TLDR: read it. It’s worth it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Sexual content, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Gaslighting, Eating disorder, Body shaming, Infidelity, Misogyny, Fatphobia, and Sexual assault
Minor: Vomit, Alcohol, and Body horror
lauren_shilling's review
emotional
hopeful
reflective
fast-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
3.25
This book was good, but it wasn't a new favorite or anything. It was a very fast read, and I did enjoy it, but it wasn't groundbreaking to me. It had a great idea that invites a lot of questions and commentary on individuals and the control women have over their own bodies, and I did enjoy how the book made me think, but it didn't invite any new ideas into my life. I like when a book like this makes me think about an aspect I may not have considered before, makes me reflect on myself or the people around me, or gives me a perspective I haven't really thought about before. While this book did provide an interesting perspective of a robot, it didn't do so in a way that made me consider something new or reconsider something familiar. It presented ideas I had already thought about, and didn't really give me anything new to think about. I did really enjoy the main character. Annie was a great protagonist, and I did like that she isn't perfect 100% of the time, despite how hard she tries to be. She's still learning, and she's very sheltered too, so some things that seem easy and obvious to many people aren't to her. I thought that was handled and portrayed really well in the book, and I loved watching her journey. I also thought that Doug was an interesting character. He gave a very nuanced look at the men that are present in so many women's lives and how even someone who isn't pure evil can still be very bad for you. Doug is not the epitome of an evil man, but that doesn't take away from the fact that he is not good for her, he is still oftentimes controlling, he is still abusive in a lot of ways, and that he does inhibit her growth. He's a great character to explore through Annie's eyes. Again, I did like this book a lot, it just wasn't a new favorite and it is a bit forgettable. I would still recommend it to anyone thinking about trying it, as it does have a lot of interesting points and ideas.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Emotional abuse, and Domestic abuse
Moderate: Confinement, Body shaming, and Sexual assault
Minor: Death of parent, Vomit, and Cancer
frances_frances's review
challenging
emotional
reflective
tense
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
4.5
It was with some reluctance that I started this book. The premise felt overdone and I was wary of another story where the relationship between an infantilized dependent and a more powerful person goes unexamined and normalizes/romanticizes such power imbalances (think the movies Splash and Overboard). Refreshingly, Annie Bot wasn't like that at all. The entire book is interrogating power dynamics, autonomy, and personhood. Annie isn't childlike. It's true that she isn't familiar with human culture, but she isn't depicted as naive or helpless, just learning. There were many difficult scenes that were often understated or subtly creepy/tense. It felt realistic and conveyed the insidious nature of intimate abuse. A great book club pick
My favorite passage from page 229:
She has to laugh at herself. She does not know the most basic guidelines for a life. Despite Doug's constant guiding and correcting, she knows nothing of value. He taught her to yawn and stretch. He trained her to clean right. He locked her in the closet with her libido jacked up to ten. He loved her enough to want to raise a family with her. He expected her to lie about herself forever.
My favorite passage from page 229:
She has to laugh at herself. She does not know the most basic guidelines for a life. Despite Doug's constant guiding and correcting, she knows nothing of value. He taught her to yawn and stretch. He trained her to clean right. He locked her in the closet with her libido jacked up to ten. He loved her enough to want to raise a family with her. He expected her to lie about herself forever.
And then he set her free so she could love him?
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Sexual assault, Misogyny, Toxic relationship, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Infidelity, and Body shaming
Minor: Eating disorder and Vomit
evelikesbooks's review against another edition
challenging
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Domestic abuse, Fatphobia, Sexual violence, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, Infidelity, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Slavery, and Torture
maya_seu's review
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
I could not put this book down. A fierce examination of bodily autonomy, relationship dynamics and artificial intelligence. I was furious on behalf of Annie and this book moved me more than anything I have read in recent memory.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual assault and Rape