The Hierarchies by Ros Anderson

"I am a humanoid pleasure doll. An intelligent embodied...please call me Sylv.ie. I have been designed to be an instrument for male pleasure."

I had only a vague idea from the synopsis of what this book would be about, and honestly, that description tells only a very small part of the story within the pages. In fact, the time that Sylv.ie spends with her "Husband" is the least interesting part and the tale became so much more than a female robot trope. Set in a vague futuristic society where women are either "Born" or "Created", the themes of possession and control loom large. As always, the subjugated class is female and they serve at the whim of men with only the most wealthy able to afford a personally crafted Doll. The Dolls are not meant to be independent nor do they have any freedom of choice about what happens to them, how they are treated, or when they might be sent to the Doll Hospital after a perceived malfunction. Resented by humans both male and female -- "It is an all-too-Human failing...to wish to improve the object of desire, then to shrink from the creature one creates." It's an unusual narrative told from the point of view of Sylvi.ie as she "becomes" over the course of her experiences with her Husband and with the world outside of that prison. NO SPOILERS.

I really enjoyed this much more than I thought I would. I worried that it would disappoint and fall into predictability but it surprised me. This is an excellent debut and definitely has a dystopian bent that should serve to remind us all of what it means to be human and the need to both respect and fear coming technological "advances" that could ultimately result in many negative changes. There was a lot of sex talk but it was not erotica in any way; beware in case that offends you. I can't wait to read more reviews and hear other reactions to this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Dutton for this e-book ARC to read, review, and recommend.

This is a standalone and is not part of any series.
Genre - scifi, dystopian, futuristic, treatment of women