I have loved Sarah Crossan's writing in the past, but unfortunately this one just wasn't for me. As always, the line level prose is absolutely beautiful, but something about the way the book is written felt like it was holding me at arms length - I could never quite connect with the characters, especially Dolores, and this made it quite hard to feel empathy for the decisions she makes. It also felt a little disjointed, like it was trying to be too many things at once. I'll definitely still read anything Sarah Crossan writes, but this particular book sadly didn't live up to my expectations.

Hey, Zoey by Sarah Crossan caught my eye for two reasons. The first is that I was totally bowled over by a previous book I read by Sarah Crossan, Here is the Beehive and the second is that the theme of Hey, Zoey is unlike anything I’ve read before. Dolores finds her world turned upside down when she discovers that her husband has secretly purchased an AI sex doll…

Yes, Zoey is the name of the sex doll and Dolores is the 43-year-old woman whose husband purchased her. When David moves out and leaves Zoey, Dolores finds herself forming an unlikely friendship with her. This is such an interesting story-angle. Aside from being built with ample breasts and, um, holes, Zoey’s AI brain answers questions, never argues and is a constant non-judgmental companion. You can see her appeal as a friend, right?

Dolores is such a well-drawn character that I just felt for from page one. Zoey has made her think about how she communicates and sparks conversations between herself and David that wouldn’t have otherwise happened.

She’s a school-teacher, so dealing with the pressures of that role, her mum’s dementia, her relationship with her sister Jacinta and secrets from the past that can’t stay buried anymore.

Beautifully written with poetic prose, intriguing structure, little asides and often causticly funny, I loved going on Dolores’ thought-process with her as she tries to understand what such a random act of betrayal means for her. Hey, Zoey is a truly unique read (and what a cover!) that really emotionally connected, loved it.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC. This has not influenced my review.

My summary of what happened in this book: Sarah Crossan reached inside of me with cold hands, gently jimmied my heart from it's rightful place, and before I really knew what was happening, threw it on the floor, stamped on it, then lovingly gave it back to me. In a good way, of course.

I found this book really compulsively unsettling from the start and did not know what to make of Dolores at all. I found her to be a very convincing and readable character. I found the author's take on the situations Dolores had been in to be breathtakingly nuanced.

Beautiful prose and a book that will stay with me.

I have a lot of mixed feelings about Hey, Zoe. On one side I thought this was a brilliant book in its own genre, but on the other it did not meet the expectations.

The premise of this book is that Dolores finds an animatronic sex doll hidden in the garage and her marriage eventually ends because of it. This is also in the Computer and Science category (even though it’s also in General Fiction (Adult) and Women's Fiction). So I was expecting said doll to have a lit bit more influence over the story and to go deeper into the themes. There were a couple of moments in the book, specially as the communication between Dolores and Zoe developed, that made me hope for the topic of AI and sex robot topics to be more developed, but it was never fully explored.

As it was, this was a very sad story of a marriage falling apart and a woman who comes to terms with her traumatic past, layer by layer. It’s a book about trauma, coping mechanisms and human relationships. Turns out, the sex doll was not the problem at all but a catalyst for everything that happened next.

This was a rollercoaster of emotions, a loaded story that tells so much between the lines, but I honestly think that it was advertised correctly and, because of that, it’s probably going to receive a bad rating.

Thank you so much to Bloomsbury Publishing and NetGallery for providing me this ARC.

Dolores works in a comprehensive and David is anaesthethist. They have a nice house and good friends. They’re also in a bit of rut. Said rut becomes a rift, when Dolores discovers her husband's animatronic sex doll Zoey bagged up in the garage.

It’s an ingenious idea and one that has massive potential. Sadly, it isn’t explored to the full extent of that. The discovery of Zoey leads Dolores to re-evaluate her relationship (conclusion: not that great in the first place), plus the other aspects of her life (a sister with a burgeoning career in the New York art scene/in a mental health crisis/ a mother with dementia). The creepiest parts of the book is where Zoey becomes a BFF. But again, the novel’s tone seems conversational, where it should be confrontational, seeming content to hint at things where it could and should have explored them further (IE Dolores considering taking her relationship with Zoey to a different level).

It’s a high concept novel, in a year full of them. Another fault is the novel seems glossy, yet unfinished. And at 163 pages, some may admire the gloss, but others may feel as if playtime has ended prematurely. It’s published by Bloomsbury on 23rd May and I thank them for a preview copy.

The blurb stood out to me and I instantly knew I wanted to read this. I thought it would be more AI based and we’d see more of Zoey, but that isn’t what the story was. I had to stop reading at 33% as this was not the story I thought I was going to read.

Dolores and David's marriage takes an unexpected turn when Dolores discovers her husband’s £10,000 animatronic sex doll in the garage - her name is Zoey.
David leaves the marital home and Dolores, initially shocked and embarrassed, becomes fascinated by and forms an unusual bond with Zoey.
Despite the title, the focus of the book is Dolores' life, her personal struggles, past traumas and her interactions with Zoey rather than Zoey as a persona.
Hey, Zoey is the first book that I have read by the author, and I found it to be an engaging and enjoyable read.

Dolores and David have been married for a while when she finds Zoey in the garage. Zoey is an animatronic sex doll and she puts more strain on a marriage that is already struggling. Dolores then forms an unusual bond with the doll. I loved the concept of this book but I just didn't enjoy it. It's a quick read but I couldn't get into it at all.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bloomsbury Publishing for providing me this eARC to review.

I’ve read Sarah Crossan’s work before, really enjoying it but this one just didn’t grip me as much as her previous work. I was excited about the premise of the book but even though the book was titled “hey, Zoey” Zoey was barely in it. I wish there was more of her and the interaction with AI. Instead we had a very sad story of a marriage falling apart and a traumatic past. The story itself wasn’t bad at all and I’m use to how Sarah writes so the jumping around in scenes and past/present didn’t phase me. I just feel like I was expecting more, which could just be my expectations of what the story was going to be wasn’t achieved. Overall, I wouldn’t read this one again but I will always recommend Sarah’s work.

"Hey, Zoey" by Sarah Crossan is like stumbling upon a hidden treasure chest of emotions. Picture this: Dolores finds an unexpected guest in her garage – an animatronic sex doll named Zoey. At first, Dolores shrugs it off, thinking it's her husband's secret. But then, conversations spark, revealing layers deeper than Dolores ever imagined. Crossan's novel isn't just provocative; it's a rollercoaster ride of emotions, exploring modern connections and the unexpected twists of love. With wit and tenderness, "Hey, Zoey" keeps you hooked till the very end, leaving you pondering the intricacies of human relationships long after you've turned the last page.

I read this in one sitting, it was really gripping, raw, page turner, good pace and good characterisation. It really focuses on Dolores past and present, which I didn’t enjoy as much as there was no clear separation between memory and present time, so often I felt confused. But I still enjoyed it Sarah’s first Adult novel and she certainly didn’t disappoint.

Going by the title, I was exoecting Zoey to be really on this book and in a different way than it actually. It really focuses on Dolores past and present than anything else and those time jumps drove me mad as there were no clear separation between one memory and curre t events. The concept of the story sounded different but I found it a bit weird and didn't really gel with me. It is ao different from previous books I read by Sarah.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC to review!

3 stars!!

Honestly, with house the premise is written and how this went from the start to midway I was going to give this a lower rating. I was expecting to see more of Dolores and Zoey interact. I was ready to see what things Zoey knew and how heir relationship would build or go from Dolores finding her. Zoey isn’t really in the book like I expected from the summary. It’s more of a look into Dolores‘ life both past and present. The time jumps can get confusing as there’s no indication with headings, chapters, etc to show where we are other than finding out as you read.

The more I read this, the more I started to like it despite the disappointment of my expectations. I liked Dolores as a character and seeing what she went through, and how she lives really did make me feel for her.

Quite surprised how much I did like this given how I felt during the start and middle.

Gripping and textured, I found the pace and characterisation in this impeccable. Crossan is a wonderful writer and her first prose offering for adults is a masterclass in how to keep the reader challenged and engrossed.

10/10, absolutely loved it. I look forward to seeing this list for the Women’s Prize. Probably the best depiction of working in a school I’ve seen.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bloomsbury for a digital ARC in exchange for a review.

Sarah Crossan is a popular author in our school library, and this is sure to also be a hit with older students. This book often felt like reading Dolores' inner monologue, with random thoughts and memories scattered in among the story of her marriage disintegrating. The writing was really well-done, and a step up from the YA novels that are so popular with our students. Before beginning the book, I thought it'd lean more into sci-fi, but I enjoyed the fantastical nature of Dolores and Zoey's relationship. Dolores didn't feel like a total mess of a character, which made her more likeable, and I enjoyed seeing her develop as a character and move through her trauma through her 'relationship' with Zoey.

As a fan of Sarah Crossan I had high hopes for this one and it didn't disappoint. Weird and moving but in Sarah's characteristic subtle and gentle way. Really a great read.

The book is well-written and a real page-turner. The protagonist’s discussions with the companion doll are interesting and well done but the fundamental theme of the book, which is fully revealed at the end, made me question the whole story. It is smart but maybe it is just too stark for my taste.

Wow, wow, wow. This book was everything I wanted and more if I'm being honest. I absolutely and utterly adored it. It delved into what it means to be a woman, what it means to be human and what it means to be in a family. Truly one of the best books of the year.

Unfortunately I think I went into this one with the completely wrong expectations. This was less about Zoey the robot and more about the disintegration of a marriage and all the angst and self reflection that comes with it. Zoey ended up being a non compliant therapist to Dolores and David's maritable struggles, and also Dolores' family history and rather traumatic childhood with stepbrother Gavin.

I also really disliked all the jumping around time wise for the plot. I was constantly thrown out of the story, trying to mental place where I was in terms of Dolores and David's relationship, and Dolores's past. There's also no definitive conclusion, no resolution, which is a personal bugbear of mine, which to me just made the whole plot feel a bit pointless.

I'm a bit disappointed to be honest. Sarah Crossan has written some really wonderful stories in the past, including ones in verse which aren't normally my thing, but Hello, Zoey just feels a bit gratuitous and lost in one it wants to be.