DOLL

by Simone Solon

Emma is six. SAM, a prototype AI, the Super Awesome Machine, knows more than any human on earth – but it was only born yesterday. It knows nothing about life and relationships, caring for others or looking after itself in the world beyond the laboratory. After an attempt to steal Sam by corporate espionage agents, the AI finds refuge with a child but soon realises that to remain free it must move on. Emma decides to go with her ‘doll’. How can the two companions escape cross-country from all those who are searching for not least the scientists who created Sam and the police searching for Emma? Sam has to save itself, protect Emma and learn to manipulate the world around them at breakneck speed.

279 pages, Paperback

Published March 6, 2021

Reviews

[dave cornell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delightful!!

This is an extremely original and touching AI coming of age story. A young girl named Emma helps the AI doll escape and they go on a magnificent journey. The author does a fantastic job of relating the cold logic of the AI to the joy, wonder, and moods of the inquisitive child. There are quite a few funny moments where the logical response of the doll is met by unexpected emotional outbursts and complete changes in direction of the conversation. Emma is a really well fleshed out character, I suspect the author had a daughter LOL. This book is a true gem I highly recommend it!

[Cassie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this a very thought provoking and emotional read. It made me think a lot about what makes us human... and what that means. I was invested in the characters of Sam and Emma. I've seen these kind of relationships between humans and AI portrayed in film and series but, honestly, this felt like a much more real depiction of what that relationship might look like than I have previously come across. It raised some big questions, but the thing that I think is quite extraordinary about this story is that it also answered them.