Delicate Condition

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This books starts as a psychological thriller but eventually morphs into horror. It’s a heart-pounding read where you’re not sure what’s real and what’s not. Anna feels lost and alone but she will do everything in her power to protect this baby within her and as time goes on she knows that someone doesn't want this baby born. (but who and why?) Anna's symptoms continue to worsen, the visions are getting violent and the cravings are savage and gruesome and she just might be indulging in these cravings so she can't even trust herself anymore! Will she ever make it to the end of her pregnancy? Will she find out who has been stalking her from the beginning? Is her doctor involved in a conspiracy to take her baby? Can she even trust her best friend or publicist anymore? What about her husband? What role does he play in all of this? Regardless, Anna will die before anyone tries to stop her from having her baby even if there is something very, very wrong with this child inside of her because sometimes she thinks it might not be altogether human but it doesn't matter because it is Anna's baby and it will be born! I don’t want to say what aspect of horror this is for spoiler purposes, but it’s not a horror sub-genre that I usually go for. With this book, I absolutely loved it. This book starts as a thriller, then crescendos into horror as the book goes on. It has really cool little stories from centuries ago interspersed, of women who have also been affected by Anna’s maladies, and that just added to the suspense.

I wanted to write a story where the reader was at times being like, ‘This can’t be what’s happening to her,’ and really have you faced with the choice of ‘Do I trust her? The other people in her life don’t trust her. So, what do I believe? I wanted to write a story where the reader was at times being like, ‘This can’t be what’s happening to her,’ and really have you faced with the choice of ‘Do I trust her? The other people in her life don’t trust her. So, what do I believe?’” Valentine says. I had a lot of impostor syndrome where I was like, ‘Oh, maybe I’m not good enough; maybe I’m only a YA writer,’” she recalls. “I felt intimidated.” It didn’t help that she’d put more than a year and a half of her life into writing a different adult book, only to “hit a wall” and realize she needed to shelve the manuscript. The experience left her “in a dark place,” she says (which certainly wasn’t aided by the fact that she was six months pregnant at the time and experiencing a whirlwind of hormonal changes). Before I start my review, I would like to begin by saying that there was nothing ‘delicate’ about this book. 😬 This was definitely different, and a little strange. But I couldn’t stop reading, because I had to know what happened next and of course how things would end.An indictment of how women are treated during pregnancy, dismissed and ignored, their pain overlooked After months and months of trying, Anna finally conceives. However, during this IVF process, strange things started to occur. Appointments were missed/rescheduled, medications were not being properly stored, and was someone following Anna? Was Anna really becoming forgetful and careless about the most important things in her life?

First off, thank you NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Landmark for granting me access to this book in exchange for an honest review. From the very first chapter, this book ensnared me, captivating me with its brilliance. The plot is nothing short of mindblowing, taking unexpected twists and turns that kept me on the edge of my seat throughout the journey. It is a masterful portrayal of ambition and adversity intertwining in a roller-coaster of emotions. The plot really worked with twists that made my head spin. If you are squeamish, prepare yourself because things become downright grisly. However, if you can stomach it, this is well worth a read. First, I have to say "I loved This Book"! In many ways some might think this is reminiscent of " Rosemary's Baby" and it does have those vibes at time in a much current, updated version although there are many unique twists to this wonderfully blunt and gruesome (at times) story that are completely unique to the writer "Danielle Valentine". I enjoyed everything about this novel. The storytelling and writing just flowed from one situation to another and the tension of not knowing what was really happening with Anna drove me crazy where I couldn't put the book down. This was a truly frightening story with brutal savagery and eerie, creepiness taking place from beginning to end. The feminist touch was wonderful and I believe many women will be able to relate to many of her experiences as many doctors who have downplayed any of our own troubling symptoms when we felt there was something not right with our pregnancies and symptoms and would just brush us off without giving us anything for our pain or concise answers to our questions. I, for one know well that happened to me with one of my pregnancies and also the birth of my beautiful daughter but I felt I was truly butchered (also gave stitches without any novocaine or anesthesia), Why? and His response: "These things sometimes happen so just do as I say and don't worry about it". The ending also had an exciting and unexpected twist. There was not one dull or boring part to this fantastic book. I can't wait to read more from this author!Overall, it was a slow paced, creepy horror read that will keep you reading until the very end. While I was invested and had to know how it would end I am thankful its over. Phew! 😮‍💨😅🤣

Thank you to HarperCollins Canada for providing an arc via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. I don't like that the group involved hide their selfishness under women's desperation for motherhood as well. The book is written to state that men and doctors do nothing but prey and ignore women going through or longing for motherhood, but so do the witches in the end. Warning! If you are pregnant right now or planning to become pregnant this might not be the time to read this horror story because it just might influence your thinking or possibly give you non-stop nightmares! Originally, Valentine worried that Delicate Condition would be “too weird for publishing,” she admits. But she’s been pleased to see it resonate with readers, including both those who’ve been pregnant and can relate to (some of) Anna’s struggles and those who’ve never shared that experience. “From people who don’t want or aren’t able to have children, it’s this feeling of ‘Yeah, I’m glad I don’t have to go through that,’” Valentine says. “And for people who have been through it, the thing I hear is that they feel seen. They’re like, ‘That’s what it’s like.’” I also resonated with how our main character Anna felt at the end, so I will leave you with this quote(s)- “I was tired of pretending I wasn’t in pain. I was tired of being strong just because it made things easier for everyone else. I was tired of calming down.”Anna and her husband, Dex, have been trying to have a baby, but so far, it hasn’t happened for them. Anna is an actress best known for a role from a couple decades ago, but her most recent film appearance has her looking at being an Oscar nominee. With her recently-regained fame, she wants to remain private about her struggles with conceiving. DELICATE CONDITION was literally a one-session read as I stayed up late absolutely determined to reach the end, because I knew I could not sleep without knowing! I want to thank the author " Danielle Valentine", the publisher "Sourcebooks Landmark" and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this Enter: Delicate Condition, Valentine’s heart-pounding and unputdownable 12th novel (which is soon to inspire the newest season of American Horror Story). Following Anna Alcott, an actress who’s filled with joy over her long-awaited pregnancy until she begins suspecting that someone (or some thing) may be doing everything in their power to stop her from having the baby, it’s one of the summer’s most propulsive thrillers. And while the possible supernatural force messing with Anna certainly adds some tension, the book’s biggest scares come from the (only slightly exaggerated) realities of being pregnant: both the often-uncomfortable physical changes as well as the burdensome mental toll. Then her doctors tell her she's lost the baby. Despite her grief, Anna ignores the grave-faced men lecturing her - because she can still feel the baby moving, can see the toll it's taking on her weakened body. Isolated in a remote snowbound town, Anna is sure that whoever has been following her is closing in on her and her unborn child. And as her symptoms become more terrifying, she can't help but wonder what exactly is growing inside her... and why no-one will listen when she says that something is horribly wrong.

Longtime readers of the author’s other works, like her 2022 hit How to Survive Your Murder and the nail-biting anthology series The Merciless, are all too familiar with just how dark she can truly get. Although all of Valentine’s books prior to Delicate Condition fall under the YA genre, they offer enough thrills to frighten even the hardiest adult readers. Yet while her books’ fear levels may be similar regardless of audience, Valentine said she had “a lot of nerves” switching to adult literature after more than a decade writing for teens.

First of all, this book is nothing like The Silent Patient or The Push. The best, and most obvious, comparison would be Rosemary's Baby. Delicate Condition is the story of Anna, who finds that her wildest dreams are coming true all at once. Not only has she had a breakout film role that has the media buzzing about an Oscar, but she is also, finally, pregnant, after years of fertility treatments. But Anna still can't shake the feeling that something isn't right. Appointments are disappearing from her calendar, her medications are being tampered with, and she's certain she's being followed. When her doctors tell her she's had a miscarriage, Anna is devastated -- until she feels her baby move later that night. And then she starts to have disconcerting visions and strange cravings...