This book had a very interesting premise: an AI ‘sex doll’ is allowed to develop her own thoughts and feelings and grows more and more toward actual sentience. The progression of Annie from just existing to please her owner/boyfriend to realising that she has worth and agency in her own right is well handled, and aside from the sci-fi element, is very much a study of a woman in a controlling relationship learning how to survive and protect herself.
Just when the book was starting to get interesting, I realised that it was almost over, and the ending felt wrong – like it can’t just stop there – I wanted to know what was going to happen next and what the consequences of the choices Annie made would lead to both for her and for the wider world. Maybe it is the first in a series, which may or may not be interesting – I don’t want it to be dragged out like a futuristic soap opera, but I would like to have seen Annie’s journey developed further.
Sarah Wray Writer 