Reviews with content warning for Pregnancy - Delicate Condition

Reviews tagging 'Pregnancy'

Delicate Condition by Danielle Valentine

76 reviews

lydiavsbooks's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

5.0

Powerful, terrifying and twisted, this book was incredible. I took my time reading it and i enjoyed every page, not once wanting to rush through it or get it over with.

With inspiration from Rosemary's Baby and the Push, this is a story of IVF, miscarriage, and a pregnancy that starts to go very wrong. This was a brilliant reflection on medical gaslighting, motherhood, and the way women have been neglected by the medical field that claims to be the experts over our bodies. Brilliant, claustrophobic and just a little bit gory, this was the perfect type of horror book for me, but one I would definitely recommend checking the triggers for.

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theangrystackrat's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

2.0

A decent body horror story stretched over a poorly executed mystery frame. A mother desperate to have a baby, doctors who don't listen, and a husband who is just as bad. Anna is trying to have a baby via IFV when things mysteriously start to go sinisterly wrong. This was okay - but I couldn't stand the MC or really anyone in the novel. The ending felt bland. While I think the body horror was done well - that was about the only thing I was enjoying.

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elisawarren's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.75

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thegayestghost's review against another edition

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dark sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

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rashelg's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious 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? Yes

5.0

At first I added this book because I saw that it inspired the new season of AHS. Personally, I disliked the season but decided to give the book a chance and honestly the show did not do justice to the book at all. I loved the themes that women have to face in real life such as having their pain ignored by physicians and those around them. Especially, when it comes to things that individuals that experience child rearing and child birth go through.

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saphira7's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced

3.5

This book let me down. The writing style wasn’t really for me. I will say the body horror was on point. The build up of suspense and mystery had me on a hold.

The story itself was great. It’s just the execution that lost me.

Although I understand the choice of everything not actually being attributed to some supernatural force in the end (as to highlight the experience women go through being gaslighted in medical care, but also in general, by mirroring it back to the reader) I can’t help but feel disappointed.

There are still many unanswered questions. The ending was a bit rushed. I remember being around the 100 pages left mark and thinking that it wouldn’t be enough to tie the loose ends. What happened to all the women in those change of POV chapters? Also the underlying message of women having to stick together came off very flat to me (in the sense of white feminism). It was a lot of talk but nothing shown.

Overall it was a nice read. I just didn’t like how everything was tied up, or lack thereof for some things, at the end

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