Hey, Zoey by Sarah Crossan is a book that is very relevant to our times, not just with the advent of AI, but the burgeoning trade in real-life looking "pleasure" dolls

Imagine finding your partners pleasure doll secreted in your home, in your garage. What questions would it raise, if any? Dolores thinks her marriage is perfect, ofcourse there is keeping the public profile pristine, keeping up with the Joneses, causing no ripples in the community, but behind closed doors, hidden away, she finds this doll, Zoey, a doll that talks, a doll that exposes a lot of secrets belonging to Dolores' husband David

This is the premise of the book, not just the doll, but why, and what ramificiations will arise from David's desire for an alternative to satisfy his carnal needs.

The concept was well thought out and the characters relatable. I was not expecting the storyline to trave the way it did, but that made for a very enjoyable read. This book is not just about finding a doll, but the thought processes and impact on the relationship, even the main characters self-image. Thought provoking and intriguing. Would highly recommend

Thank you to Netgalley, Bloomsbury Publishing Plc (UK & ANZ) | Bloomsbury Circus, and Sarah Crossan for this fascinating ARC. My review is left voluntarily and all opinions are my own

I adore the way Sarah Crossan writes and was eager to get started with Hey, Zoey. It’s such a unique topic for a book and I was captivated from the start. I felt that the characters were well fleshed out and I relished the sometimes dark and humorous exchanges between the main character and Zoey. The book went in a slightly different direction to how expected towards the end and I really enjoyed reading such a unique and brilliant book.

Hey, Zoey turned out to be quite different from what I was expecting. While I anticipated a story centered around an AI sex doll, the book delved deeply into marriage problems and childhood trauma instead. This shift in focus brought an unexpected layer of depth to the narrative. The exploration of these heavy themes was sad and depressing at times, but incredibly well-written. The characters were richly developed, and the emotional weight of their struggles felt very real. Overall, a poignant and thought-provoking read, even if it wasn't what I initially anticipated.

I started this one and it just wasn't for me at all. DNF'd at 25%. I really love Sarah Crossans free verse but this was not what I was expecting at all

I love Sarah Crossan's writing so was intrigued to read Hey Zoey. Unfortunately this book just didn't really work for me. I found it surprisingly flat, it felt like the themes of the novel - a woman finding her husband's AI sex doll - should be fascinating but it just wasn't. Once Dolores decided to get to know more about Zoey, the doll, I thought there would be some interesting insights but there just wasn't. It didn't even make sense that Zoey was AI as she didn't seem to have much ability to learn and converse with Dolores. I wasn't sure that all the scenes with Dolores at work as a teacher were all that relevant to the story. I just couldn't connect with this one. I am still a fan of the way Sarah Crossan writes and will read more by her in the future but this one just didn't connect with me.

Unfortunately, what sounded like an intriguing premise fell pretty flat for me with Hey Zoey, the new novel from Sarah Crossan.

Dolores, a school administrator, is married to doctor David, somewhat unhappily it would seem, when Dolores happens upon a bag in their garage containing a sex doll (Zoey) stuffed in with a Christmas tree.

Dolores confronts David, and has to find a way to navigate through their problems, while at the same time confronting her past and the root cause of her unhappiness.

The story moves from past to present and back again in short vignettes. There’s
no humour or levity whatsoever to the story, I found it relentlessly grim.

The book also lacked a hook. It drifted in parts with some extraneous school scenes that could have been omitted without the story really losing anything of value. I found the scenes between Dolores and Zoey disappointing, with no particular insights over and above what Alexa might tell you. Zoey serves a specific purpose in the story and it’s a bit heavy-handed, making the reveal predictable in the end.

A disappointing read. Not bad, but not a book I would be rushing to read. 2.5/5 stars

*Many thanks to the author and publisher @bloomsburypublishing for the arc via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely adore Sarah Crossan's YA books and I am eagerly awaiting the day I can say the same about her adult books, unfortunately today isn't it!

To be honest I thought Hey Zoey was about a wife finding her husband's AI sex doll (Zoey) and dealing with the fallout of that. So it was about that and also it wasn't, but it was so drawn out and all over the place that I really found it hard to know what this story was about until the final quarter.

The pace is slow, it jumps from situation to situation to a different time from one paragraph to the next which, along with the dreadful netgalley formatting of random 0s and 1s scattered all over the pages, made it hard to understand what was going on half the time.

By the last quarter, where the pace picks up and it becomes slightly more interesting, the rest of the book does fall into place (what I could remember from the beginning anyway as it took me around 2 weeks to read this book!) but by then I had lost interest.

I would have loved more of an exploration of Dolores and David's marriage, David is barely featured in the book, when he does it's just to say a line then disappear again. I understand that Dolores's hidden trauma had obviously impacted their marriage but I think this would have been the more interesting story to read about. I think the sister Jacinta was the most interesting character in this book so it's a shame she wasn't featured a bit more.

The AI sex doll seemed to barely need to be in the book. It worked well for Dolores to compare herself to and I can see why she would react the way she did. But the stilted conversations between her and Zoey were painful to read, particularly when Oliver was involved.

I get what Crossan was trying to do but I don't think it worked with such sparse detail and random time jumping paragraphs. I definitely prefer Crossan's YA books to this one.

I am such a big fan of Sarah Crossan's writing, but I seem to get on better with her YA books than her adult ones.
This one fell a little short for me.
It jumped about alot with the timelines and was full of characters that I really struggled to find likeable in any way.
It did grow on me slightly the further I got in to the story and was pretty quick to read but is one of only two of SC books that I didn't love.

This was quite unusual and different but also interesting. I felt it was confusing at times the different time lines and such and wasn't as invested as I probably could have been. Just average for me sadly.

Hey, Zooey is Sarah Crosson's second book for adults after Here Is the Beehive. Once again it deals with an extra marital affair, but in this case a woman finds out her husband has bought a "companion" doll, or "sexbot". The book is more interested in the character's life leading up to this discovery and the immediate aftermath rather than the fight or breakup itself.

Distressing as it is that this and Annie Bot are being published within a few months of each other, in this case the robot “companion” in question being found by an understandably enraged wife, there’s definitely something in the zeitgeist about the growing role of AI in our lives - and I am pretty engrossed, which can’t be surprising as Her, directed by Spike Lee, is one of my favourite films of all time.

I really enjoyed the parts of the novel in which the main character and Zooey hung out and grew closer, and it took me a while to appreciate the careful lines Crosson drew with the other relationships in the book, such as her childhood growing up with her sister and half brother and all of the secrets in that house, her relationships with her students, and in a way, least of all, her relationship with her husband.

I think the ending of this book was really strong, but unfortunately I wasn't as big a fan of this one as I had hoped. I would still read Crossan again and commend her for taking on some very difficult topics in this book.

Dolores discovers a sex doll hidden in the garage. As their relationship is strained, Dolores assumes it belongs to her husband. She brings it inside wondering what to do about it, finally confronting her husband who simply tells her its name. Dolores is hiding secrets of her own and soon finds herself talking to the doll named Zoey as if it were her best friend. Zoey is the friend she wishes she had in whom to confide.
There are many relationships explored in this novel, none of which are straightforward and the one between Dolores and Zoey is no different. Through their relationship we discover Dolores’ frustrations and sadness, despite her not being entirely perfect – as none of us are.
With many people investing much in their online presence, friendship with an AI character is not so far removed yet makes us question our own choices. Certainly an unusual read.

After reading Annie Bot earlier this year, I was intrigued by this book too as we explore how AI and technology becomes part of our daily lives, especially in relationships and I feel these books do sit at the same table but with different perspectives that makes Hey, Zoey an intriguing and a sometimes poignant read.

Though I think the focus is more on Dolores in this book as she comes to terms with this doll existing in her garage, I feel what makes this book a strong read is the reflection that takes place and the moving between past and present, however I do feel the conversations that take place seem to go round in circles and can sometimes make for awkward reading.

I wish there was more between Dolores and Zoey - the characterisation is pretty good, I just wish there had been more exploration of the relationship between them. However how this book deals with how Delores comes to terms with her own trauma through the bond she forms with Zoey, that is excellently written and allows you to explore yourself about why Delores feels how she does about herself and it makes for compulsive reading.

(Irecieved an ARC from Netgalley for honest review).

Adult themes from a favourite YA author, Crossan confidently approaches some quite deep and dark subject matter.

4.5 stars

The book doesn't move the way you expect at the outset, when Dolores finds her husband's sex doll in their garage. It's darkly humorous, as Dolores decides what action to take, and what to do with 'Zoey', the realistic doll she brings into the house as her doctor husband leaves it.

Less a portrait of a failing marriage than what led to that (possibly inevitable) failure in the first place, there are hints at the past throughout as we learn of Dolores' and her family's past as she finds talking to Zoey is actually at times therapeutic.

Some connected stories involving Dolores teaching job and students also veered in directions I wasn't expecting, but again Zoey plays a role as the unchanging centre that manages to bring about change and decision around her.

Could be quite upsetting, though Zoey and Dolores' relationship manages to keep a lighter touch to proceedings.

Another thoughtful and poignant winner.

With thanks to Netgalley for providing a sample reading copy.

I enjoyed this, it’s really beautifully written and it’s a quiet and quite devastating read . It’s absolutely not the book I thought it was going to be and I don’t think its premise reflects the story. I actually think this will put off some readers who would love this book and possibly put off others who come to this book by its synopsis.

In saying that; this is a moving story about one woman’s disappointments, hurts , frustrations as she finds herself at a point in a life she never imagined.

An unusual read, humourous in parts but overwhelmingly sad. I love Crossan’s writing I’m just not sure this one worked for me as I never got over that it was a wholly different book to what I thought I was going to read.

I was quite disappointed in this book because it was very different to the writers previous books. It was funny in places, and written well but not my kind of book.
Thanks to Netgalley for an advanced copy

Trigger warnings: <spoiler>depictions of r*pe.</spoiler>

I was expecting Annie Bot/Klara and the Sun kinda vibes where the AI is sentient but Hey, Zoey was not that at all. The structure is unusual, a lot happens from chapter to chapter across multiple timelines. It can be quite jarring at first but once you know which timeline you’re in it gets easier to follow.

It’s not what I was expecting but I’m not mad.

Thank you to Bloomsbury Publishing Plc + NetGalley for the ARC!

I was initially drawn to this book with it's premise of exploring sentience in humans and AI, delving into emotion and sex and relationships. However there is so much going on beneath the surface of this book that was so tender, heartbreaking and at times, hilarious — I was captivated from the first couple of pages and devoured this in less than 24 hours. Truly an excellent book. I was utterly blown away. Will be recommending this to everyone on my IG @orchardstreetbookclub!

I usually love Sarah Crossan's books - but I was left really disappointed with this one.
I just didn't enjoy the plot - but Crossan's writing was as brilliant as ever.

This book wasn't for me, I found it very slow and dare I say it - dull.

Bring on the next one as this one didn't do it for me!

Hey, Zoey wasn’t at all what I was expecting, but I loved it all the same. Sarah Crossan has always been a fantastic writer, whether she’s writing for adults or teenagers, and I’m so glad I read this book.

What starts off as a strange premise revolving around a wife’s discovery of an animatronic sex doll, or ‘companion’, soon careens headfirst into an exploration of an unusual life and the many relationships within it.

Dolores is a brilliant character, so layered and flawed that it’s difficult not to immediately fall in love with her. She’s funny and headstrong, but underneath the surface she’s dealing with hidden secrets and memories that could destroy everything. Talking to Zoey, the companion doll she finds, opens up a whole new world for Dolores, and as they forge an unlikely friendship (if you can call it that), various truths and lies begin to surface.

Hey, Zoey absolutely fascinated me, and it took me quite a while until I guessed what might be going on. It explores many dark, topical themes and issues, including that of artificial intelligence, and is so much deeper than I initially thought. It’s unlike any other book I’ve read in this genre, and I hope it finds its audience. It’s not as weird as it sounds, I promise!

Hey Zoey is a short book that really packs a punch. After reading Sarah Crossan’s books for younger readers I was looking forward to reading her adult fiction. The premise of this story is very intriguing, Dolores O’Shea’s marriage collapses when she discovers her husband’s AI ‘companion’ doll in the garage. However, this story is more than the sum of its parts. It is a slice of life tale about loneliness and the exploration of past trauma. There are some darkly funny parts sprinkled throughout but there is an underlying sadness to this story as we follow Dolores through the mundanity of her daily life. The writing is almost poetic at times and there are depictions of human nature skillfully woven throughout the narrative that are so simple and understated yet incredibly powerful. The timeline jumps backwards and forwards with very little signposting, which could put some readers off, however I found the erratic nature of the internal monologue style really helped me understand Dolores’ perspective as she grappled with coming to terms with her past and present. This is a hard-hitting but poignant story which will stick with me for a long time.
I would advise checking content warnings if necessary.

Thanks to Bloomsbury Publishing Plc and Netgalley for the opportunity to read an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.