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paperbackposts's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
caseygrace's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
So creepy, and kept me guessing. Loved the ending, though not everyone will.
lauren2112's review against another edition
4.0
Took me mad long to get into but this was teaaaaa I’m about to binge the AHS series
laneyvonhall's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
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
4.0
candyms's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
katiecentabar's review against another edition
3.75
I’m not sure what’s scarier: knowing how horrific pregnancy and childbirth actually are or how little we actually know about those things or the female body generally or how terribly doctors treat women or the body horror of this book
Content Warnings
Graphic: Miscarriage and Medical trauma
cassie7e's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
This book explores what it's like if everything that can go wrong during pregnancy, does go wrong. Or might be going wrong. The pull between a woman's intuition about her body and the gaslighting or pure lack of understanding from people around her. It takes all the normal fears and symptoms and heightens them, embellishes them, dismisses them.
The book moved rather slowly and felt so convoluted until I figured a few things out, and had the rest explained at the end. I think it could've been tightened up a bit but the story itself was interesting. I've never been pregnant or "desperate" for a baby so I couldn't really relate to Anna (I'm also not a privileged actor), but the feeling of isolation, the rage at dismissal from men, the frustration that the medical establishment has so drastically understudied women's bodies, was deeply familiar. And that compelled me through.
I wish the audiobook version I read had the author's note at the end that others seem to have appreciated!
The book moved rather slowly and felt so convoluted until I figured a few things out, and had the rest explained at the end. I think it could've been tightened up a bit but the story itself was interesting. I've never been pregnant or "desperate" for a baby so I couldn't really relate to Anna (I'm also not a privileged actor), but the feeling of isolation, the rage at dismissal from men, the frustration that the medical establishment has so drastically understudied women's bodies, was deeply familiar. And that compelled me through.
I wish the audiobook version I read had the author's note at the end that others seem to have appreciated!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Miscarriage, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Pregnancy
Moderate: Blood, Vomit, Medical content, and Medical trauma
jenfantoni's review against another edition
4.0
Deliciously creepy while also poignantly feminist. I may have been at four stars until I read the author’s note and acknowledgements so I finished at 4.5. This book, while weird and perhaps not everyone’s cup of tea, was an excellent read.