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

Reviews

[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 Woodall · 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.

[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.

[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!

[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!

[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 🖤

[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!