Annie Bot

I absolutely loved this. It’s short (just 220 pages) but had me thinking about it for weeks afterward. I missed Annie and felt sad when the book was over! I have a hard time classifying this book. It reads light, but is extremely smart. And it’s a little bit sci-fi too. Annie Bot is a Stella: a robot that can pass for human, created to be the perfect girlfriend for her human owner, Doug. Annie’s AI makes her seem real. And she satisfies all of his needs: dinner on the table every night, a libido that suits his needs, etc. She is trying to please him, trying her best, and she feels real pain when he is upset. One day, Annie does something she regrets. She has a secret, and is told that by having a secret, she’ll be more real. But as she becomes more real and human-like, she also becomes less perfect. Doug says he loves that she seems like a real woman, but does he really? As their relationship grows more intricate and difficult, Annie finds herself confused: does Doug really want what he says he wants? Writing this description doesn’t do the book justice. It’s smart, creative, and thought-provoking. I really enjoyed it.