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soymagu7's review
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
A very original take on a motherhood tale. Gave me a lot to think about. Very speculative and lyrical
Graphic: Miscarriage
playfulplatypus's review
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.75
I’ll start by saying that I don’t think I was the target audience for this book, so I understand that likely shapes my feelings about it. I enjoyed this read and even learned some things about pregnancy and the challenges therein. It was deeply reflective and provided some poignant thoughts on the particular pains someone with a uterus may face. Still, with all of the deep excavation of feelings and perspectives, I never felt like I really got to understand our main character’s driving motivation and that made me feel a degree of disconnection from her struggle. Seriously, after so much trauma, why not go a different route? Adoption? Surrogacy, if the genetics are the real issue? Yes, these are expensive but so are repeated procedures to deal with failed pregnancies. Not to mention the risk of death and leaving her daughter without a mother. In the end, it seems she came to peace with the size of her family and let go of striving for more, so that was comforting.
Side note: I would love to read a story with Anna as the main character. That woman is fascinating and mysterious.
Side note: I would love to read a story with Anna as the main character. That woman is fascinating and mysterious.
Graphic: Miscarriage, Medical trauma, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Abortion and Pandemic/Epidemic
ratstar5's review
emotional
informative
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
katmackie's review against another edition
5.0
Spellbinding and incredibly creative. I’ve never read anything like this. Not an easy read, but I couldn’t put it down.
llvaralli's review
dark
emotional
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Moderate: Miscarriage, Blood, and Abortion
mcmorrdog's review
dark
informative
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
annafr's review
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Body horror, Miscarriage, Medical trauma, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence
Minor: Domestic abuse
samanthatully's review
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
kimchifairy's review against another edition
Quirky, formally inventive, intriguing. The Frankenstein intertext - exploring the novel as a proxy for Mary Shelley's trauma around mothers and motherhood - is extremely well-trodden and has probably been much more convincingly explored elsewhere. A little bit bland, even clunky, at the sentence level. But the elements of body horror, against the backdrop of the Trump-era USA, and the strange, bleary perspectives on relationships, are enough to keep things interesting.