Like a lot of women, Annie struggles to understand her boyfriend. Doug is often very sweet and caring, but he’s prone to these mysterious mood swings. Out of nowhere, his anger skyrockets sometimes and for the life of her Annie can’t retrace her steps to see how she could have set him off. Asking Doug himself is no good, it just makes him angrier. When Doug is in the mood, their sex life is very good, but when he’s not Annie feels distant from him, worried that her appearance is no longer pleasing to him.
As the title probably tipped you off, Annie is actually a lifelike humanoid robot, so her worry over Doug’s mood levels is not theoretical. Her directive is to please him and keep him pleased. Annie is a “Stella,” a product of the Stella-Handy corporation purchased by Doug for his personal use and renamed Annie by him. Stellas have several possible settings, including Cleaner and Nanny, but Annie is a Cuddle Bunny meant primarily for, well, you know.
Over the course of her time with Doug, Annie comes to realize some uncomfortable truths about him and about her existence. For instance, that she’s been styled to look a lot like Doug’s ex-wife Gwen. This intel comes to her from Doug’s best friend Roland, whose fascination with Annie’s inner life leads to some complications between her and Doug.
The main problem, however, is Doug himself. Even though he chose to purchase a Stella, Doug is embarrassed to be using one in place of a real woman, and determined that no one except Roland should find out. He trains Annie to behave more like a human in the presence of others, which includes eating food she just has to regurgitate later and even little things like periodically yawning. But despite this obsession with making Annie appear human to others, he still relishes being able to control her. As much as he pretends to want her to be a real girlfriend, he can’t help but remind her frequently that he is actually her owner.
Sierra Greer, actually the pen name of YA author Caragh O’Brien, does a wonderful job making Annie relatable but clearly distinct from actual human beings. Her curiosity endears her to the reader and makes them empathize with her as she struggles to please Doug. Meanwhile, Doug is a withering satirical portrait of male ego and neediness. His pathetic requests for “improvements” to Annie’s physique, wardrobe, and personality settings will make readers cringe in recognition of the worst men they know.
Greer’s plot steers Annie toward greater recognition of her own consciousness, which leads to her alternately repelling Doug and making him more intrigued by her. The closer she gets to being a real woman, the more Doug desires her, but it also makes him more desperate to remain in control.
Annie Bot is a combination sci-fi novel and relationship satire. It’s an unusual and alluring combination.