Scan barcode
A review by literaryintersections
Annie Bot by Sierra Greer
challenging
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Read Annie Bot if you like a book that:
- is unputdownable (is that a word?)
- is under 250 pages
- will challenge your idea of what it means to be human
- will make your blood boil (fucking Doug!)
I got an arc of this from @marinerbooks because I was so intrigued but then never actually started it until @mackinstyle was like - Jess watch this review from @tellthebeees on TT and then read this book. And it was the best choice. This book was WILD, horrifying, at times really disturbing, and riveting. I blew through it because I needed to know what happens to Annie.
Annie is a robot made to give sexual pleasure to her owner. There are different kinds of bots (for cleaning, for caregiving, and for sex) and Annie was created for and is owned by Doug (🗑️🗑️🗑️🗑️). But then Annie becomes autodidactic, meaning she starts learning and and teaching herself, she has her own thoughts, and her ideas of the world, who she is, and what her purpose is start to become more intricate and complex. It asks the question “what does it mean to be human?”
What I loved about this book is how it made me think. Throughout this book Annie is dehumanized, because in the eyes of many of the characters Annie is a robot, she’s not human. But for me as a reader, she is 100% human. She has humanity. So everything done to her can be excused in the book because she’s a “machine”. But when you think of her as human??? Everything done to her is violent, horrifying, disgusting. Reducing someone or a group of people to “animals” or “less than human” means we as a society are better able to dismiss or disregard horrible atrocities done to them (think Chain-Gang All Stars). When reading this book you will be forced to think about what humanity means to you. And even if Annie is just a “machine”, does it make it any less horrible what is done to her?
There is also some interesting pieces about race and gender that I need more time to think about, and know, I will be thinking about this book for a long time.
- is unputdownable (is that a word?)
- is under 250 pages
- will challenge your idea of what it means to be human
- will make your blood boil (fucking Doug!)
I got an arc of this from @marinerbooks because I was so intrigued but then never actually started it until @mackinstyle was like - Jess watch this review from @tellthebeees on TT and then read this book. And it was the best choice. This book was WILD, horrifying, at times really disturbing, and riveting. I blew through it because I needed to know what happens to Annie.
Annie is a robot made to give sexual pleasure to her owner. There are different kinds of bots (for cleaning, for caregiving, and for sex) and Annie was created for and is owned by Doug (🗑️🗑️🗑️🗑️). But then Annie becomes autodidactic, meaning she starts learning and and teaching herself, she has her own thoughts, and her ideas of the world, who she is, and what her purpose is start to become more intricate and complex. It asks the question “what does it mean to be human?”
What I loved about this book is how it made me think. Throughout this book Annie is dehumanized, because in the eyes of many of the characters Annie is a robot, she’s not human. But for me as a reader, she is 100% human. She has humanity. So everything done to her can be excused in the book because she’s a “machine”. But when you think of her as human??? Everything done to her is violent, horrifying, disgusting. Reducing someone or a group of people to “animals” or “less than human” means we as a society are better able to dismiss or disregard horrible atrocities done to them (think Chain-Gang All Stars). When reading this book you will be forced to think about what humanity means to you. And even if Annie is just a “machine”, does it make it any less horrible what is done to her?
There is also some interesting pieces about race and gender that I need more time to think about, and know, I will be thinking about this book for a long time.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual violence and Sexual assault
Moderate: Racism and Torture