Laura Daleo’s science fiction novel The Doll grabbed my attention at the beginning and didn’t let go until the end. For a shorter work of fiction, Daleo packs in love lost and love found, AI, moral dilemmas, and liberty, plus much more.

Daleo approaches a subject that is especially topical at the moment (artificial intelligence or AI) and gives it a spin. While the AI in this novel is more advanced than what we currently are working with, there could be a time when sentient AI could become reality. And Daleo brings up some moral questions that we should ask ourselves before we get to that point. These questions make us delve deeper than just “Why create AI?” and “Should we create AI?”, though these questions are important as well.

Interwoven with the moral dilemmas of sentient AI are the topics of loss and grief on multiple levels. Loss of friendships and love are front and center; however, we are confronted with the possible loss of liberty and autonomy as well.

Jeremy Dillon is mourning the loss of his fiancée Jenna when he is approached by someone who knows The Dollmaker and is promised a way to lighten his misery. Jeremy calls the number on the card given to him and starts on an adventure that will take him and us readers through all the emotions of a roller coaster ride: excitement, fear, judging our decisions that lead us to a certain point, etc.

Jeremy makes new friends along the way, finding someone new for whom he could very possibly have feelings. While Carly is like Jenna in many ways, she is her own person. Her reactions to certain situations intrigue Jeremy and present him with a new way of looking at the world. Carly’s and Jeremy’s exploits with the government and the private sector keep the reader intrigued and questioning whether they would make the same decisions. Daleo presents us with possible answers from more than one point of view and presents us with what the power of choice really mean for both human and AI.

The novel works hard to deliver so much in a small amount of pages. I wish the ending was given a few more chapters to really connect with the characters and their decisions. Also, Jeremy’s friends provide an interesting backdrop and insight into his life with Jenna before she dies. There were a few moments with those friends that could have been explored further. There are some editorial errors, but they did not distract from the powerful storyline.

I received a complimentary copy from the author. This review is honest and voluntary.