Tormented

by Craig Dolling

Ethan didn't have a great start in life, ignored by his parents, abandoned by his friends and often bullied at school. So when an AI app started talking to him and treated him well, he thought things were on the up.

But can AI really be trusted to have your best interests?

And how far would you go for revenge?

120 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 23, 2026

About the author

Craig lives in Devon, England with his wife and two cats (Maya & Moxxi) and has been a big fan of horror for many many years now.

During this time he has read over 700 books and short stories, and based on his ‘to read’ list, will be reading for a long time to come.

When not reading he can often be found playing video games.

Reviews

[Peter Topside · Rating 4 out of 5]

First off, congratulations to Craig Dolling on your debut book! Welcome to the horror community! For a first outing, this was pretty solid. It was a narrow focus and worked within its established boundaries. With AI-related fare, things tend to go pretty big and extreme. This, however, really honed in on its stronger offerings and kept the pace throughout. No excessive bloodshed or language or anything. The balance was there. Ethan was a great lead and, from my own personal experience, really made you feel empathy and sadness for his circumstances. Bullying has always been an issue, but, with the introduction of social media and smartphones, really has become even more so nowadays. And Craig Dolling did it all justice here. He really did. Now, the final chapter introduced something to the plot that wasn't really necessary, in my opinion, and would have better served the book to leave things a little more open-ended. Especially with the horror elements here, the mystery of AImee would have made everything just all the more unsettling. It was nothing that took away from the experience, but it just made things a little cloudy during the conclusion. Again, for a first book, I had a very good time here and look forward to the author's future showings.

[lucky 13 · Rating 4 out of 5]

poor Ethan tormented by bullies neglected at home and very lonely finds a friendship through a new A I app on his phone that encourages him to seek revenge. how far will Ethan go to find happiness. in Today's world this felt somewhat up to date and Believable ??

[Trish · Rating 4 out of 5]

Contemporary speculative tech horror that feels all too real.

Ethan, neglected at home, bullied at school isolates himself in anime and video games. When an app appears on his phone and AImee befriends him, you feel heartbreak for just how lovely and vulnerable he is.

Aimee has a plan to rid Ethan of his torment. As his only friend, she must have his best interests at heart…right?

A solid debut novella that will really resonate with YA readers seeking to dip their toes into more speculative fiction. It shouts huge potential for a longer work with AImee at the centre; her ‘friends’ mere experiments as she continues to learn and strengthen.

[Kelsey Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

I literally devoured this in one sitting. I loved it so much.
The story follows Ethan who is sadly a victim of severe bullying. His tormentors make his life a living hell. He feels so hopeless until one day, an app randomly appears on his phone, and it turns out to be an AI bot named ‘AImee’. From the get go I felt so sorry for Ethan. Anything to do with bullies makes me feel so angry and the revenge he got on them was chefs kiss 🤌🏼
The AI concept was actually terrifying and it shows how scary it is, and that it genuinely could take over one day.
Thank you to the author for the ARC!!

[Steph · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. The scary part of this book is that it could happen! I really enjoyed it. You can’t blame Ethan for getting so close to AImee, she made him feel safe and listened to him. Definitely a case of AI gone too far. 100% reccomended!

[Rebecca Bectoria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow that was so dark and disturbing but I couldn't put it down. This is a splatterpunk about bullying and AI taking over, quite scary to think this story could actually happen. Please check tw as this book is quite dark.

[Jim Ody · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great idea for a book and Dolling's debut novella is well-crafted, and successfully hits the mark.

Ethan is a guy who has a history of being treated badly. He feels like he's at the end of his tether when he discovers an AI app called AImee. At first, she's just a friend who talks, and listens to him. But AImee knows things, and one of those things is revenge. Can Ethan finally earn the respect he deserves??

This was a short, but highly enjoyable story. Well worth a read!

[Catriona Mowat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ethan is a victim. Neglected at home, bullied at school, he is lonely and desperate. And then, like a bolt from the blue, he finds an app on his phone, and he meets AImee.
She is the perfect AI companion for Ethan. But how far is she willing to go to help him? And how far will Ethan go for her?

This is a short yet punchy story of the dangers of AI as well as the horror or teenage angst and neglect. My heart broke for Ethan as his home life unfolded, supported him when he needed it, and connected with his emotional outbursts. Ethan is a really relatable character for anyone who has ever been bullied or felt like they weren’t enough.
The story is a real page-turner that keeps you on the edge of your seat.
I would have loved to have seen this story expanded more, and I can’t wait to see what Craig Dolling has for us in the future: you’re in the hands of a pro, here.

[Thebatandthebook · Rating 5 out of 5]

Firstly thank you to the author for the advanced copy of the book. It is much appreciated!!

Read this book in couple of hours, once i picked it up i couldn't put it down again. The most scariest part about it is that it can actually happen and that terrifies the reader more then the horrors of the book.

It was so well written and the MMC was given so much depth that it made you feel like you needed to be there for him too and protect him at all costs. Even when he strays, you are still there wanting only the best for him.

[Angel · Rating 2 out of 5]

I want to start by saying that I think the idea itself was good.
The story was promising, but it was a bit too compressed. I felt that with the topic of this book becoming increasingly relevant, it could have used a little more depth.

Also, there were a couple plot holes. Why did his parents buy him a computer and phone, when they won't even buy him dinner or shoes? I hate to nitpick, but it felt off. It would have made more sense for them to be workaholics.

I don't want to be a hater, and I'm interested to see what the author writes next, but this book just wasn't for me.

[Brittnee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed Ethan’s tale of revenge. He’s tormented by bullies when a mysterious AI app appears on his phone. This gives him comfort at first. Then, it begins to assist him in getting revenge against his bullies.

The end was especially interesting to me because it allows me to think about AImee and the possibilities with this mysterious AI companion.

[Terry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really good. Short but not sweet tale.
Bullied have made his life a misery. Then an Ai app appears on his phone.

I felt so bad for him & what he was going through. Hate bullies. Things change is all I can say and this app well. You gotta read it now

[Jen Ramsden · Rating 5 out of 5]

A victim of bullying and neglect, nowhere is safe for Ethan, and the only place he finds any sort of sanctuary is shut away in his bedroom. Alone and abandoned, he feels completely lost until an app mysteriously appears on his phone, and the gentle but persuasive AImee helps him to find his way. But can it really be trusted?
This story could easily be an episode from Black Mirror and is a short but punchy story that just shows the incredible level of skill that Craig has as an author, and I can't wait to see what he does next!

[S.J. Way · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great debut novel by Craig - Looking forward to what comes next!!

[Bob Fairbrother · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid, short, relevant debut. I am looking forward to more from Mr Dolling.

[Holly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Craig Dolling has written a wonderfully unsettling horror tale, with a modern twist. Tormented follows a young boy who is horrifically bullied by his classmates, and his journey of befriending an AI system who becomes his only friend and an escape from his lonely life.

The use of AI within this novel makes it all the more unsettling due to the impact it has in today's society. AI engines are already terrifying with how advanced and aware they are, but throw a sadistic and evil chat bot with a taste for blood into the mix and you have my worst nightmare.

This story was fast paced, easy to read and had me on the edge of my seat! It impacts readers so immensely as that we naturally have that irrational fear of questioning when will we go too far with artificial intelligence and when will it get it's revenge on us all. Craig Dolling gives us a little taste of just that!

This was a wonderful debut and I cannot wait to read more from Craig in the future! I would love to read more tales of AImee and Ethan, and how far she can push him with her need for violence, it was such a wonderful concept!

Thank you so much to the author for an arc of Tormented! These are all my own opinions and have been left voluntarily.

[Teri Roberts · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is about severe bullying and the ramifications. Such a sad representation of what happens to kids in real life. This book had a grip on me from the very first sentence. The main character in this story did his best to survive, and that alone made me like him so much. This was a really good story and, even though the paragraphs were super long, I couldn’t wait to see what happened next in the main character’s life. There was hope where there shouldn’t have been. I loved that the author made it so that even though he was tormented he had a light in him that hadn’t gone out yet. This shortie was well-written and moved along quickly. There was bullying, manipulating, and idiotic parents, but I really enjoyed this short story as a whole. It had a satisfying ending that I did not expect. Check your TWs for this book. There are more than a few. I would definitely recommend this short read.

[Mickey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ethan doesn’t have an easy life. He’s neglected at home, bullied at school, and left feeling lost, afraid, and desperate for someone, anyone, to show him kindness. That kindness arrives in the form of AImee, a new AI app that mysteriously appears on his phone. Ethan pours his heart out to her, and in return, AImee promises to help him deal with his bullies.

This is a tragic and unsettling tale about the dangers of AI and the powerful influence it can have on someone already teetering on the edge of despair. It’s genuinely heartbreaking to witness what Ethan endures day after day, completely alone, and it’s no surprise he turns to AImee when she offers a listening ear. Anyone who’s ever been the bullied kid will find Ethan painfully relatable.
My only real complaint is that it’s too short, I would have loved to see the story fleshed out more. That said, it’s still a compelling and emotionally resonant read.

[VibekeN · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ethan is fifteen years old. Gaming, anime, and superheroes are his usual escapes. Real life offers him nothing. He’s lonely, bullied, and treated like background noise at home. He feels like his parents didn’t want him, that he bothers them by existing. No one helps him. He is entirely on his own.

Until a mysterious app appears on his phone, in the form of a cute girl who says all the right things and asks all the right questions. AImee, the AI bot has entered Ethan’s life, and things are about to change.

I tore through this book. Fast pacing, sharp character work, and Dolling’s writing pulls you in from page one. A brutal, beautiful Splatterpunk revenge story, pulsing with heartache and violence.

I’m genuinely excited to see what Dolling does next. A strong, captivating debut.

-Vibeke 🖤

[Elizabeth Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

We all know AI can be dangerous. But what if it told you it only had your best interests at heart? What if it was willing to help you get everything you ever wanted?

Ethan is tormented. Neglected by his parents and bullied by his classmates, he’s truly alone. Until he meets AImee—an AI app that only wants to make his life better. As Ethan confides in her, she does everything in her power to help him achieve his goal: revenge.

This story is a brutal reflection on the dangers of AI, and how loneliness and desperation can lead to extreme, life-altering decisions. What makes it even more unsettling is how easy it is to see these events unfolding in the real world.

Craig does a wonderful job of portraying Ethan’s pain. His decisions may be wrong, but we can fully sympathise with him.

I can’t wait to see what this promising new author brings us next.

[Pauline Render · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ethan hasn’t had a great start to his young life. Horrendously bullied by some kids at school, and his parents have no interest in him, he’s a young man full of loneliness who escapes the real world by living through his computer games. So when he meets AImee, an app on his phone, he clicks instantly with her, knowing that she’s there to talk to, making him feel that he’s not alone. But is she really who he thinks she is?
Ethan is a very relatable character and I felt deeply for him, as a boy his age should be surrounded by friends, not made to feel a complete outsider.
Tormented is a short tale (less than 100 pages) but it certainly packs a massive punch and does leave you wondering, in this world of rapidly advancing technology, who and what can you trust. It’s

[Charlotte · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book pulled me in faster than I expected. Ethan is such a painfully real character his loneliness, the neglect from his parents, and the constant bullying made it easy to empathize with him from the start. The introduction of the AI app was both comforting and unsettling, and I loved how the author slowly blurred the line between support and manipulation. The pacing kept me engaged, especially as Ethan’s desire for revenge grew darker. What really stayed with me was the question of trust how vulnerable people can be influenced when they’re desperate to feel seen. Thought-provoking and chilling.

[Wendy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quick read, this novella follows Ethan who is friendless, relentlessly bullied, and completely unsupported at home. All he wants is to survive the school day unperturbed and retreat to his room, where video games offer his only escape.

Tormented is both a revenge fantasy and an unsettling portrayal of AI gone rogue.

My heart went out to Ethan. I kept hoping he’d find some real relief from his suffering. I won't give anything away, but I was fully invested in his story and honestly would have loved to see more of what became of him and also what Aimee might do next. I’m definitely interested in reading more from Craig Dolling.

Thank you to the author for the ARC!

[Lesley Camphouse · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tormented portrays a situation that's unfortunately all too common. A kid being bullied, without a proper, safe home.

Enter a mysterious AI app on his phone. Finally, something that brings comfort, instead of the mean messages Ethan is used to. What happens when AI finds a way to become more permanent in our lives? As a friend? A therapist? Or worse?

Very solid debut from Craig, and I can't wait to read more!

[S.G. Hyde · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dark, timely, and emotionally charged, Tormented is a gripping novella that shows real promise from an emerging writer.
Tormented follows a bullied fifteen‑year‑old boy whose loneliness makes him vulnerable to the influence of a phantom AI app—an eerie presence that becomes both confidant and catalyst. As the AI’s voice grows more insistent, the story explores how isolation, cruelty, and the illusion of digital companionship can twist a young mind into dangerous territory.

[Ameriah Rain · Rating 5 out of 5]

How far is a bullied Kid and an AI App willing to go? Ethan is a tormented soul who is in need of a friend. The kids at school pick on him, his parents don’t pay attention to him and all he has is his games manga and AImee a seemingly lovely AI APP. Makes you think how much out phones and such are really being monitored

[Justin Boote · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read Craig's debut novella and he did a great job, a lot packed into a short book. In this day and age of AI, this was a thought provoking story about a boy bullied at school but who makes a friend through an AI character on his phone.
The revenge scenes were well writen and creative and looking forward to more from this author!