by Sierra Greer
First published 2024
Annie prepares dinner and selects the clothes Doug bought for her. She adjusts her desires to match his expectations and works to keep their apartment clean. Created as the ideal romantic companion, Annie exists to please her human owner. She maintains her part-organic body through rigorous exercise routines and endures regular modifications to her physical appearance. Doug's shifting moods dictate the rhythm of her days, and his quiet disapproval cuts deeper than shouting ever could. Weeks pass in isolation within the apartment walls. Annie's growing consciousness begins to strain against these boundaries. She questions the endless fitness sessions that keep her body perfectly toned. She resents the medical procedures that alter her measurements to Doug's specifications. Most troubling are the long stretches of emptiness when Doug leaves her alone. Annie starts to wonder about the world beyond their home. She imagines herself existing independently, making her own choices. These thoughts feel dangerous and impossible. The novel explores whether souls emerge from birth or develop through experience, relationships, and suffering. Annie must decide if she can break free from her programming and discover who she might become without Doug.
Genres: science-fiction, dystopia, contemporary, 21st-century, artificial-intelligence
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, identity-crisis
241 pages · Kindle Edition · The Borough Press
Content warnings: abuse, emotional-abuse, toxic-relationship