Reviews tagging 'Medical content'

The Farm by Joanne Ramos

12 reviews

saskiahill's review against another edition

• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pregnancy and Classism

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Cancer, Infertility, Racism, Sexual content, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Abortion, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Miscarriage and Panic attacks/disorders

sarahb919's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

Masterfully written. I couldn’t put the book down! I loved all of the main characters but was a bit conflicted by the character Ate though that may be due to Jane’s POV and her suspicions about her cousin. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Animal cruelty, Chronic illness, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Sexism, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Medical content, Dementia, Grief, Abortion, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Ableism, Addiction, Body shaming, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Infertility, Blood, Vomit, and Alcohol

jillaay_h's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Grief, Abortion, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, and Classism

steveatwaywords's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

Writing about government/corporate control of pregnancy in the shadow of Atwood is a brave act, but Ramos has a unique angle on this story, almost backgrounding the dystopic element (not in plot but in theme) in order to paint other characters in social relief. While her protagonist Jane is Filipino, most of those around her come largely from backgrounds of extraordinary wealth and privilege: navigating these petty and powerful structures is a delicate and sometimes mysterious matter, where any in a service industry find success at whim rather than merely hard or competent work. Troublesome, then, is a Jane who desires a future for her daughter, but who is not altogether competent in her judgment.

The action of the story is fair enough, with plenty of expected scenes from holding a large number of pregnant women in captivity (hardly a spoiler for being on the dust jacket!); and each of the primary characters is drawn to serve a social-political function rather than one of real nuance: the rebellious and narcissistic one, the privileged and compassionate one, etc.  These are weaknesses in the crafting of the novel, but they aren't deal-breaking. 

More difficult for me was a resolution that did not address these functions adequately, at least in that the groundwork laid (again, that background dystopia) is not s0 fully addressed that the resolution is satisfying.

(Horrifying? Fulfilling? What are we to make of a grand vision of enterprise against women growing still, but at its heart two characters who find a positive future only because one was motivated by shame and guilt? And both admonish us to change our attitudes?)

 

Yes, capitalism is a powerful force--so much so, that every character bows before it, from beginning to end. The semi-competent Jane doesn't stand a prayer; but neither do her antagonists, in the end.

And while a good number of pages are spent rationalizing a "happy" domestic ending for some of them,

I can't help thinking that the horror of the novel is that very little effort is spent actually reflecting on its implications here. Morality is found only in legalese and enterprising policy-making. 

In short, there is something in this novel to enrage just about everyone outside of its story--from characters as ironically blind at its end as they were at its start to the finger Ramos points at each of its readers for their part in a future we are all working so hard to reach. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism and Pregnancy

Moderate: Medical content

badvision's review against another edition

challenging emotional slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Infertility, Medical content, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, and Classism

Moderate: Death, Infertility, Miscarriage, Sexual content, Terminal illness, and Abortion

vivboyd98's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical content, Medical trauma, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Miscarriage and Toxic friendship

Minor: Panic attacks/disorders

zombiezami's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

This was a fascinating book that I could hardly put down. The descriptive writing, themes, and characters were wonderful. The premise and execution reminded me a lot of The Stepford Wives. The author didn't quite stick the landing at the end, though, in my opinion. It's not just that

it wasn't a happy ending. The ending just felt a little anti-climactic. Maybe that was the point, but in the realm of sci fi, I feel like the author could have pushed the envelope a little more.I also feel that the time skips made the book feel rushed at times, rather than helping the narrative. Even, so, I was legitimately stunned when we found out that Regan met an actor and not the real client. That was truly sinister.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Vomit, Medical content, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, and Classism

Moderate: Cancer, Infertility, Miscarriage, Racism, Sexual content, Xenophobia, Blood, Abortion, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Animal cruelty, Infidelity, Slavery, and Excrement

Eugenics, Colorism

lpdx's review against another edition

emotional mysterious reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infertility, Miscarriage, Sexual content, Medical content, and Pregnancy

mytearsricochet_'s review

challenging dark reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Miscarriage, Sexual content, Medical content, Dementia, Abortion, and Pregnancy

canadabooks's review

dark emotional reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.25

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Confinement, Pregnancy, and Gaslighting

Minor: Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Infertility, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Sexual content, Slavery, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Abortion, and Toxic friendship