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Gail B. (Albuquerque, NM)
Not Recommended for PG Women
Husband Dex is a jerk from page 1, wife Anna insecure and a mental wreck from page 2. Once the reader steps into the fantasy, Delicate Condition is somewhat persuasive, although not my cup of tea -- too many spooky flashbacks to witchy women. But... eventually, the story fell into place, given the author's personal frame of mind and research. I just wish I'd read page 405 first.
Donna W. (Wauwatosa, WI)
Delicate Condition
The story had a slow start for me, but I did get caught up in Anna's story.....her IVF problems, her pregnancy issues, and the story did become a bit of a thriller. However, I never connected with the characters and the short vignettes that were interspersed were supposed to add to the story, but instead they were just interruptions. The constant pregnancy problems got to be a bit too much, and took away from the flow of the story.
The book was just ok for me, and I definitely wouldn't recommend it to anyone who is pregnant, or thinking of becoming pregnant.
Gwen C. (Clearfield, PA)
A Delicate Condition
Danielle Valentines's book Delicate Condition is unnerving, engrossing, and downright scary. The cover mentions Rosemary's Baby. Yes, Rosemary's Baby on steroids with Gaslight included. We're transported into the hurly burly current world of overaggressive media followers, IVF woes, B list actors hoping for a break, pushy agents, placating doctors ignoring women's very real pain, and a woman wanting to achieve motherhood. Anna, her friend Siobhan, her agent Emily, her maybe not trustworthy husband Dex, the inserts of short tales of women throughout the ages, mysterious strangers and maybe Anna's own shaky grasp
…more of reality made this book a real puzzle. Who could she trust? I could only read it in short snatches as parts were so disturbing to me. I suspected a crucial plot development but the ending still left me wondering.
The plot is imaginative but the writing is, at times, awkward and unpolished. I don't think my book club would care for this novel. (less)If baby making is NOT on your mind…give this book a go. The story is told by an unreliable narrator, who knows she's unreliable, but it seems everyone else in this story is quite unreliable too!
Is Ms Alcott losing her mind or the victim of some really awful people driving her into crazy? That's one very compelling part of this story. The main character is constantly doubting what's real vs what's imagined in her life and it's a fun bit of intrigue for the reader. I willingly let the author take me on a wild ride and for the most part I really enjoyed it. I found this psychological thriller (mostly) set in modern
…more America centered around a woman with fertility problems to be fast paced and suspenseful. Creepy flows into horrific as the plot is tinged with supernatural/elements of the occult. I wasn't too impressed with the ending, but that could be a personal taste issue. There were lots of different ways to wrap up the story, but the grand finale just didn't appeal to me. (less)Not gonna lie, this book lost me on so many levels. It claims to be a portrayal of rampant misogyny in the medical establishment and how women are left helpless when dealing with issues of infertility, IVF, pregnancy, and childbirth. In reality, it's a book about magic and spells and things that go bump in the night.
The reader is offered confusing snippets throughout the book of moments from the 1600s to today illustrating midwives being tried as witches, folk healers using dark magic to enable fertility, "voodoo dolls", women seeking terminations, and even mention of the horrific experiments performed on
…more enslaved women by J. Marion Sims in the 19th century.
Meanwhile, the story takes us through the progression of Anna's pregnancy, from IVF to birth with many unexplained happenings that only become clear when recounted by a member of a mysterious birthing center who visits Anna in the hospital after the birth. There's also some random adultery and a death or two included in the mix.
All in all, I feel the book is more about mysterious women lurking in the dark and less about how women's feelings are discounted by the medical profession. (less)The book was certainly a page turner, but it took so many convoluted twists, it just became too unrealistic, or insufficiently researched, even for speculative fiction. Advertised as a modern Rosemary's baby, a young actor desperate for a baby, goes through a highly "speculative" IVF and pregnancy. Many twists and turns later leave the reader questioning what's going on. Is this the devil's baby? Who is involved? The husband, best friend, agent, doctors. The writer is obviously talented, but I question if the author did her homework on IVF, pregnancies, breast cancer, because some of her descriptions seemed off.
…more While the main character, Anna, is forever whining about no one believing her, when frankly, she should be questioning how stupid her husband and friends are. Some scenes make it obvious that she is right. One scene I note. Anna sees someone outside; the security guard responds because the outdoor camera detects motion. Her husband thinks she is making it up! In addition, the author takes swipes at the medical establishments' misogyny. However, the cases she notes seem off and certainly not written well. Also, so many red herrings, you start spinning! Anyway, the basic story line shows promise, the writer is good. I just thought the book was not there yet. (less)In trying to formulate my thoughts to give a fair and accurate review I can only say there are a lot of themes to unpack here and one very big author agenda.
Delicate Condition is about an actor who is trying her best to get pregnant through fertility treatments. Anna Victoria Alcott who is in her late 30's is regretful that she has skipped her prime fertility years chasing her career. As she and her husband go through multiple bouts of IVF, the possibility of having a baby becomes more dear to her and yet more elusive. Anna learns that her husband Dex left his first wife because she didn't want children,
…more something she didn't share with him until after they were married. When Anna finally becomes pregnant, she has to deal with a stalker who is threatening her life.
Interspersed with Anna's story are chapters about other women from the past who have gone through childbirth and have delivered monsters. There is a very non sequitur chapter about a young med student at Columbia University who spits gum on a statue of a doctor who led the way in obstetrics by experimenting on slave women.
The author then introduces themes of Satanism and witchcraft to add a little more confusion or tension to the story.
To tell more about this book would be to introduce spoilers and I don't want to do that. As a psychological thriller the book is good, not great. The author's agenda (not theme) of poor women's health care is unmistakable and at the forefront throughout the book. It seems as if she has a real ax to grind about American health care in general and about doctors specifically. If you can get past the agenda and the multiple themes, you may enjoy the book. (less)I had a very difficult time rating this book. The author does a very good job of creating suspense. I raced through this book, but was it because I wanted to know the ending OR because I couldn't stand the book and wanted to be done with it? It was both reasons.
Her biased slant overwhelms the narrative. Doctors don't listen to or believe their pregnant patients. The ending is very unsatisfying. The book appears to be a diatribe. Her bizarre symptoms negate her narrative of not believing. A normal person, much less a Doctor would never believe what she is saying.
I would suggest this only be read by those who
…more are past having anymore pregnancies. (less)
