Delicate Condition

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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! s ɴᴀʀʀᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ɪs ᴀʟsᴏ ʙᴇᴀᴜᴛɪғᴜʟʟʏ ᴅᴏɴᴇ. ᴛʜᴇ ᴘᴀᴄᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ᴛᴏɴᴇ ᴏғ ʜᴇʀ ᴠᴏɪᴄᴇ ᴀᴅᴅᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ᴛʜᴇ ᴛᴇɴsɪᴏɴ ᴀɴᴅ sᴜsᴘᴇɴsᴇ ɪɴ ᴛʜɪs ʙᴏᴏᴋ. ɪ ᴅᴇғɪɴɪᴛᴇʟʏ ʀᴇᴄᴏᴍᴍᴇɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ᴀᴜᴅɪᴏʙᴏᴏᴋ ᴠᴇʀsɪᴏɴ, ʙᴜᴛ ʙᴇ ᴘʀᴇᴘᴀʀᴇᴅ ғᴏʀ sᴏᴍᴇ ᴄʀᴀᴢʏ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍs ɪғ ʏᴏᴜ ʟɪsᴛᴇɴ ʙᴇғᴏʀᴇ ʙᴇᴅ. During this time we also find out that Anna has an online stalker (I mean she is quite famous). Then someone breaks into their NY apartment. This is all too much for Anna and Dex, so they go and stay at a friend’s private beach house. Anna needs to take care of herself and the growing baby inside of her. While at this beach house, Anna starts to crave bizarre foods/meats, she develops a horrible rash on her body, her hair starts to fall out in clumps, she hears noises in the attic and outside her window, the baby moves and gives her sharp pains throughout her body. Nobody believes Anna, and isn’t there anyone out there who can help her? This book is the basis for the newest season of American Horror Story and its clear how this book would fit perfectly into the lore of the series. I haven't watched AHS I'm years...I think Hotel was the last season I watched and I probably won't watch this season either.

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.What a wild ride this was! I will say that some parts were a bit redundant and repetitive, and I was ready for this book to move along- or maybe because I was just so curious as to how this story would end. Either way, I really enjoyed the Author’s Note at the end of the book, which I would even recommend reading before you start reading Delicate Condition. You get an idea as to why the author wrote this book, and where her ideas came from.

The Push meets The Silent Patient in a gripping thriller that follows a woman convinced a sinister figure is going to great lengths to make sure her pregnancy never happens—while the men in her life refuse to believe a word she says. Danielle Valentine's 2022 YA mystery/thriller, How to Survive Your Murder, was a very popular release and many thriller aficionados loved it, so I was really excited for her adult novel release, DELICATE CONDITION. When I first saw the cover, I thought "omg I need to read this", but when I heard it's the basis for Season 12 of American Horror Story, I definitely knew this needed to be prioritized. I usually steer away from stories involving the importance of pregnancy, but I trusted that if this book was good enough to be subject matter for one of my favorite shows, that it would be a fun time. 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? When Anna finally gets pregnant, these interferences escalate but no one, including her husband, believes her. Still, they retreat to the Hamptons, only for things to take a more sinister turn.One of Delicate Condition’s most powerful elements is Anna’s increasing belief that when it comes to advocating for herself, she’s entirely on her own. As supportive as her husband, doctor, and friends may be, none of them is as convinced as she is that her baby is in imminent danger. While the situation is obviously exaggerated (most pregnant women aren’t worried their fetus might actually be a demon), the gaslighting Anna faces is all too real.

WOW! ALL RIGHT!! Delicate Condition was not at all what I was expecting! The synopsis compared this book to Silent Patient and The Push and that is extremely misleading. The Silent Patient is one of my all time favorite psychological thrillers and this book was more on the pregnancy HORROR genre. The only thing I found similar with The Push is the pregnancy aspect. If you are a fan of the horror genre then you might enjoy this one. Unfortunately, I do not consider horror in my wheelhouse of genres.😳😬 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.’”

We are drawn into the compelling world of Anna, a renowned actress who longs for nothing more than to have a baby. However, her fame proves to be a double-edged sword, as it attracts the unwanted attention of a relentless stalker determined to shatter Anna's dreams. I didn't know this then, but the truth is, there is no such thing as an uncomplicated pregnancy. We all give something up in exchange for our babies. Nearly everyone on this planet was welcomed by the sounds of a woman screaming. s ɪᴠғ ᴘʀᴇɢɴᴀɴᴄʏ ᴊᴏᴜʀɴᴇʏ ᴛʜʀᴏᴜɢʜᴏᴜᴛ ɪs ғᴇᴀʀ ɪɴᴅᴜᴄɪɴɢ. ᴛʜᴀᴛ ɪs ᴡʜʏ ɪ ᴘᴜᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ᴛʀɪɢɢᴇʀ ᴡᴀʀɴɪɴɢ ʙᴇᴄᴀᴜsᴇ ɪғ ɪᴛ ᴀғғᴇᴄᴛᴇᴅ ᴍᴇ ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴛʜᴀᴛ - ɪ ᴄᴀɴ ᴏɴʟʏ ɪᴍᴀɢɪɴᴇ ʜᴏᴡ ᴍᴏᴍs ᴏʀ sᴏᴏɴ ᴛᴏ ʙᴇ ᴍᴏᴍs ᴏᴜᴛ ᴛʜᴇʀᴇ ᴡᴏᴜʟᴅ ғᴇᴇʟ ʀᴇᴀᴅɪɴɢ ᴛʜɪs. ᴅᴀɴɪᴇʟʟᴇ’s ᴡʀɪᴛɪɴɢ ɪs ʙʀɪʟʟɪᴀɴᴛ! sʜᴇ ᴍᴀᴋᴇs ʏᴏᴜ ғᴇᴇʟ ʟɪᴋᴇ ʏᴏᴜ ᴀʀᴇ ʟɪᴠɪɴɢ ᴇᴀᴄʜ ᴀɴᴅ ᴇᴠᴇʀʏ ᴍᴏᴍᴇɴᴛ ʜᴇʀ ᴄʜᴀʀᴀᴄᴛᴇʀ’s ᴇɴᴅᴜʀᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ᴀs ᴀ ʀᴇsᴜʟᴛ - ɪ sᴛᴀʏᴇᴅ ᴜᴘ ᴡᴀʏ ᴛᴏᴏ ʟᴀᴛᴇ ᴍᴀɴʏ ɴɪɢʜᴛs ᴀs ɪ ᴡᴀs ᴇᴀɢᴇʀ ᴛᴏ ғɪɢᴜʀᴇ ᴛʜɪɴɢs ᴏᴜᴛ!!! 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? 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.