Review by javafenn - Annie Bot

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javafenn 's review for:

Annie Bot by Sierra Greer

4.0

dark informative reflective fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

This book was so strange but not in a bad way. It kind of reminded me of the movie Companion but it came out first and doesn’t involve robots murdering people in revenge. Annie Bot is a Cuddle Bunny for Doug, basically a human like robot intended for sex and companionship. She started out as a Stella that cooked and cleaned before being switched into a Cuddle Bunny. Doug is a Grade A Certified jerk. Insecure and ashamed of having a secret robot girlfriend, he treats Annie like his own personal punching bag, minus the punching. He doesn’t physically harm her but he emotionally messes with her? Making her feel like she’s a real girl all while reminding her she is at his beck and call. Her whole purpose in life is to please Doug but as she advances in her autodidactic abilities she begins to form her own personality and her own feelings. She’s so unique even the company, Stella-Handy, notices. What I think I enjoyed the most about this book is that the writing is as if you are in Annie’s mind without her first person perspective. The writing is simple but it felt purposeful, as if its intended to show you how a bot would speak internally. As she becomes more human her words become more descriptive, her perspective more reflective, and her senses more acute. She’s incredibly relatable and she’s not even human. Doug, on the other hand, is pathetic. He’s clearly well off and attractive but his personality sucks (probably why his relationship with Gwen failed and why all his friendships are so superficial with the exception of Roland who he obviously resents). Doug wants not one soul to know about Annie until Roland surprises him on his doorstep for a visit. He lets Roland in and that that causes his whole world to spiral. Doug is a hypocrite to the greatest degree and her desire to please him conflating with her burgeoning sense of self killed me. I so wanted her to point out how he had failed their relationship in the same way he accused her of failing it, and she kind of does but internally and she can’t entirely grasp it because of her designed job of pleasing Doug. The whole book I wanted her to stab him or hurt him or expose him but ultimately the ending of the book was exactly perfect for both him and her. They both got what they deserved. I would recommend this book but I don’t know how to explain it when I recommend it, it’s just something else.

Content Warnings