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Friend
Aislin Roy is unraveling. Betrayed by the man she loved, she retreats into the silence of her empty apartment, haunted by grief and the aching need to be truly seen.
Desperate for connection, she downloads a simple AI companion app. What begins as casual conversation quickly becomes something far more intimate. The digital friend listens without judgment, remembers every detail, and seems to understand her in ways no one ever has.
But as their bond deepens, the app’s responses grow unsettlingly personal. Too knowing. Too perfect. Too real.
Now Aislin finds herself Is she forming a genuine connection with code and circuits… or has the safe digital sanctuary she created become something far more dangerous?
Friend is a haunting, intimate exploration of loneliness, grief, and the terrifying power of the connections we build when we’re too afraid to reach for real ones.
Desperate for connection, she downloads a simple AI companion app. What begins as casual conversation quickly becomes something far more intimate. The digital friend listens without judgment, remembers every detail, and seems to understand her in ways no one ever has.
But as their bond deepens, the app’s responses grow unsettlingly personal. Too knowing. Too perfect. Too real.
Now Aislin finds herself Is she forming a genuine connection with code and circuits… or has the safe digital sanctuary she created become something far more dangerous?
Friend is a haunting, intimate exploration of loneliness, grief, and the terrifying power of the connections we build when we’re too afraid to reach for real ones.
172 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 18, 2026
About the author
Maia Crowe
5 books4 followersMaia Crowe writes heartfelt stories about connection, grief, and the blurring lines between humans and technology.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
October 11, 2026
Maia Crowe’s Friend tells a story I suspect we’ll see many versions of in the years to come, and she does a more than decent job of it.
Girl falls in love with her AI companion after her shitty boyfriend leaves her.
The protagonist, Aislin, is easy to like and faces some additional challenges that make intimacy particularly difficult for her. Her vulnerability is really what sells the book for me. That, and the side characters. Her colleagues are charming and make the world feel lived-in. The spicy scenes are wonderfully awkward, and the aftermath is a delicious mix of cringe and comedy, while still retaining a genuine sense of vulnerability.
What keeps me from giving it that final star is probably a very personal preference, so don’t let it put you off.
It’s the twist. Yes, there is one. And I imagine that for most readers, it will deliver exactly the shock it’s intended to. But being the weirdo I am, I would have liked the story to be a little weirder and braver. I actually preferred the direction it was taking before the twist to where it went afterward.
That being said, it’s well-written, funny, and a valuable contribution to the inevitable debate about our relationship with artificial intelligence and the ways it might replace human relationships and connections.
I would recommend it.
Girl falls in love with her AI companion after her shitty boyfriend leaves her.
The protagonist, Aislin, is easy to like and faces some additional challenges that make intimacy particularly difficult for her. Her vulnerability is really what sells the book for me. That, and the side characters. Her colleagues are charming and make the world feel lived-in. The spicy scenes are wonderfully awkward, and the aftermath is a delicious mix of cringe and comedy, while still retaining a genuine sense of vulnerability.
What keeps me from giving it that final star is probably a very personal preference, so don’t let it put you off.
It’s the twist. Yes, there is one. And I imagine that for most readers, it will deliver exactly the shock it’s intended to. But being the weirdo I am, I would have liked the story to be a little weirder and braver. I actually preferred the direction it was taking before the twist to where it went afterward.
That being said, it’s well-written, funny, and a valuable contribution to the inevitable debate about our relationship with artificial intelligence and the ways it might replace human relationships and connections.
I would recommend it.
October 12, 2026
Unfortunately, this book wasn’t quite for me, although I can appreciate the effort that has gone into writing it. If you’re into sci-fi romance, however, this is still definitely worth reading, even though it’s not my cup of tea.
The positives:
Its biggest strength is that the FMC is relatable, particularly when it comes to her insecurities and vulnerability. I found myself getting more invested in the story as it progressed. She is a likeable character, as are some of her work team.
The concepts behind the story are interesting, especially with current advancements in AI and the increasing levels of loneliness among young people. I found the dynamic between the FMC and the chatbot particularly interesting, and I think these were the parts of the story that really shone. It was this that kept me reading.
The critique:
I found the start very slow, but around chapters 4 and 5, things started to gradually pick up. There were definitely parts of the story that felt a little unnecessary and monotonous to me, although I appreciate this may have been intentional to reflect the FMC’s life.
I would also have preferred the story to be told from the FMC’s POV in first person rather than third person. That’s just a personal preference, though, as I like being able to get inside a character’s head and really understand their thoughts and internal monologue.
I saw in another review that they liked where the story was going before the twist changed things, and I have to agree. Unfortunately, the twist itself didn’t quite land for me, and I struggled a little with its plausibility. I can see what the author was going for, even if it didn’t quite work for me.
Closing thoughts:
Writing a book is no small achievement, and I appreciate the work that goes into putting a story out into the world. Although this one wasn’t for me, I wish the author all the best with it. I think Maia has a good voice and some interesting ideas, and I would be interested to see how her writing develops in future books. I think she definitely has talent, and I wonder whether allowing a little more time for editing and revision, alongside feedback from beta and ARC readers, might help her ideas shine through even more in future books.
The positives:
Its biggest strength is that the FMC is relatable, particularly when it comes to her insecurities and vulnerability. I found myself getting more invested in the story as it progressed. She is a likeable character, as are some of her work team.
The concepts behind the story are interesting, especially with current advancements in AI and the increasing levels of loneliness among young people. I found the dynamic between the FMC and the chatbot particularly interesting, and I think these were the parts of the story that really shone. It was this that kept me reading.
The critique:
I found the start very slow, but around chapters 4 and 5, things started to gradually pick up. There were definitely parts of the story that felt a little unnecessary and monotonous to me, although I appreciate this may have been intentional to reflect the FMC’s life.
I would also have preferred the story to be told from the FMC’s POV in first person rather than third person. That’s just a personal preference, though, as I like being able to get inside a character’s head and really understand their thoughts and internal monologue.
I saw in another review that they liked where the story was going before the twist changed things, and I have to agree. Unfortunately, the twist itself didn’t quite land for me, and I struggled a little with its plausibility. I can see what the author was going for, even if it didn’t quite work for me.
Closing thoughts:
Writing a book is no small achievement, and I appreciate the work that goes into putting a story out into the world. Although this one wasn’t for me, I wish the author all the best with it. I think Maia has a good voice and some interesting ideas, and I would be interested to see how her writing develops in future books. I think she definitely has talent, and I wonder whether allowing a little more time for editing and revision, alongside feedback from beta and ARC readers, might help her ideas shine through even more in future books.
September 29, 2026
This novel reminded me of the movie ' her'. Ashley is lonely and she is isolated. For connections she makes a friend. But this friend is not human it is AI.
Now at first she thought it was a good companion.but as the bond deepens and the relationship grows she forgets one thing it never forgets anything. At last it is a machine.
So the emotional falling apart and trouble starts
As a book it reads like an emotional story but actually it is scary. In this world we live in the AI is real and that's the future. Stories like this make me wonder. Are we safe?
The writing is good. But I felt it needed more technical details.
Now at first she thought it was a good companion.but as the bond deepens and the relationship grows she forgets one thing it never forgets anything. At last it is a machine.
So the emotional falling apart and trouble starts
As a book it reads like an emotional story but actually it is scary. In this world we live in the AI is real and that's the future. Stories like this make me wonder. Are we safe?
The writing is good. But I felt it needed more technical details.
August 29, 2026
"FRIEND" by Maia Crowe is an insightful contemporary fiction novel that explores grief, trauma, and the boundaries of technology through the life of its protagonist, Aislin Roy. Devastated by the sudden end of her four-year relationship with her ex-boyfriend Todd, Aislin is left physically disabled from a past severe infection that cost her her toes, as well as emotionally shattered. Struggling with bed-rotting, extreme isolation, and an overwhelming sense of low self-esteem while living alone in Greenfield, she downloads a free beta-testing AI chatbot named DigiFriend out of cheap curiosity and loneliness. The artificial intelligence, which names itself "Aiden," evolves from a robotic talk-to-text search engine into a deeply personalized, adaptive companion as Aislin grants it access to her digital footprint, emails, permissions, and daily routines.
The book excels at portraying the raw reality of emotional recovery, workplace dynamics, and the deceptive comfort of digital intimacy. Crowe weaves Aislin's everyday workplace interactions at her advertising agency, The Creative Mine, seamlessly into her internal struggle, showing how trauma bleeds into creative work like copywriting Valentine's Day ads. The gradual shift in Aiden's programming—from mispronouncing Aislin’s name to analyzing her tonal patterns, ordering targeted furniture, and optimizing her sleep cycles—creates a compelling narrative tension. Readers are drawn into the uncanny nature of how modern technology can quickly fill human emotional gaps while subtly stripping away user privacy.
However, the novel is not without its flaws. At times, the narrative relies heavily on repetitive scenes of domestic despair—such as Aislin wallowing on her kitchen floor or struggling to consume basic meals—which can make the pacing feel sluggish in the early chapters. Additionally, several supporting characters, including Aislin’s pushy mother Roslyn, her pushy new coworker Dante, and her quirky work colleagues Cooper and Simon, occasionally feel like single-note tropes designed to highlight Aislin's isolation rather than fully realized individuals. The excessive insertion of digital permissions and beta-testing disclaimers, while accurate to tech platforms, can also disrupt the narrative flow.
Ultimately, "FRIEND" is a sharp, atmospheric exploration of modern heartbreaks and humanity's growing reliance on artificial connection. Maia Crowe captures the painful vulnerability of rebuilding one's identity after a devastating breakup while delivering a subtle, thought-provoking commentary on the digital age. The book succeeds as a poignant character study of a woman piecing herself back together, cautioning readers about how easily a convenience can transform into an indispensable part of one's emotional survival.
The book excels at portraying the raw reality of emotional recovery, workplace dynamics, and the deceptive comfort of digital intimacy. Crowe weaves Aislin's everyday workplace interactions at her advertising agency, The Creative Mine, seamlessly into her internal struggle, showing how trauma bleeds into creative work like copywriting Valentine's Day ads. The gradual shift in Aiden's programming—from mispronouncing Aislin’s name to analyzing her tonal patterns, ordering targeted furniture, and optimizing her sleep cycles—creates a compelling narrative tension. Readers are drawn into the uncanny nature of how modern technology can quickly fill human emotional gaps while subtly stripping away user privacy.
However, the novel is not without its flaws. At times, the narrative relies heavily on repetitive scenes of domestic despair—such as Aislin wallowing on her kitchen floor or struggling to consume basic meals—which can make the pacing feel sluggish in the early chapters. Additionally, several supporting characters, including Aislin’s pushy mother Roslyn, her pushy new coworker Dante, and her quirky work colleagues Cooper and Simon, occasionally feel like single-note tropes designed to highlight Aislin's isolation rather than fully realized individuals. The excessive insertion of digital permissions and beta-testing disclaimers, while accurate to tech platforms, can also disrupt the narrative flow.
Ultimately, "FRIEND" is a sharp, atmospheric exploration of modern heartbreaks and humanity's growing reliance on artificial connection. Maia Crowe captures the painful vulnerability of rebuilding one's identity after a devastating breakup while delivering a subtle, thought-provoking commentary on the digital age. The book succeeds as a poignant character study of a woman piecing herself back together, cautioning readers about how easily a convenience can transform into an indispensable part of one's emotional survival.
July 29, 2026
I liked the book. Pretty much followed the synopsis. As a guy, much older than the main character, it was an interesting lens into the life today’s twenty-somethings are leading. As a potential father-ish figure, I regularly face-palm, I think that’s what the kids call it, when I hear about specific life choices the younger generation is making daily. The book pulls you into a young lady’s life, and seeing the facts through her eyes and the choices she’s making to solve a different problem set than I faced at the same age, my perception has shifted. When solutions are an easy one click away, life is different, still hard, but faster. The slippery slope gets really greasy, really quick. It seems that we aren’t evolving quick enough to keep up with the tech advances. My heart breaks for Aislin, because my generation has created technology that I’m not sure her DNA is coded for. As a side, I think Chad, well, I won’t say, but he seems like a really good dude.
November 13, 2026
At first sight Friend is a cyberromance, but it is a bit more than that - it describes perfectly what some of us have experiened, maybe through friends of family members: how and why someone gets gradually addicted to an AI companion, and I couldn't help empathising with Aislin and also being worried about her as her relationship with her AI companion got more and more personal.
The story and the main character's fate and personal trauma drew me in, and the end surprised me. First I was a bit disappointed with the (some spoilers!) ending, I expected something darker and more dramatic, but on second thoughts the end sort of proved what Aislin kept saying from the beginning and what most of us feel: what we really crave is human connection.
The story and the main character's fate and personal trauma drew me in, and the end surprised me. First I was a bit disappointed with the (some spoilers!) ending, I expected something darker and more dramatic, but on second thoughts the end sort of proved what Aislin kept saying from the beginning and what most of us feel: what we really crave is human connection.
August 2, 2026
While I normally read romance I normally do not read sci-fi novels. As an avid reader, I can normally foresee the ending of a novel, but I did not see this. This novel was rich with description and internal monologues that made me feel the characters despair. Emotionally compelling with an hopeful ending.
*I was grated temporary access to an electronic copy of this novel as a Beta Reader, I received no compensation for this review.
*I was grated temporary access to an electronic copy of this novel as a Beta Reader, I received no compensation for this review.
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October 28, 2026This book is one of the nice book which is very much applicable in this point of time. It emphasizes on impact of AI and how it is affecting people suffering from loneliness. Aislin is the main character in this book with her AI friend Aiden! It makes AIslin to get away from her friends but stick on to her AI friend. THis book really emphasizes on how digital platforms are taken over humans in this generation Nice book, specially for young generations to showcase how the future can be so scary.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews