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sarahmarie094's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Graphic: Pregnancy
Moderate: Classism, Trafficking, and Racism
steveatwaywords's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
The action of the story is fair enough, with plenty of expected scenes from holding a large number of pregnant women in captivity (hardly a spoiler for being on the dust jacket!); and each of the primary characters is drawn to serve a social-political function rather than one of real nuance: the rebellious and narcissistic one, the privileged and compassionate one, etc. These are weaknesses in the crafting of the novel, but they aren't deal-breaking.
More difficult for me was a resolution that did not address these functions adequately, at least in that the groundwork laid (again, that background dystopia) is not s0 fully addressed that the resolution is satisfying.
Yes, capitalism is a powerful force--so much so, that every character bows before it, from beginning to end. The semi-competent Jane doesn't stand a prayer; but neither do her antagonists, in the end.
In short, there is something in this novel to enrage just about everyone outside of its story--from characters as ironically blind at its end as they were at its start to the finger Ramos points at each of its readers for their part in a future we are all working so hard to reach.
Graphic: Racism and Pregnancy
Moderate: Medical content
brotestantethic's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Graphic: Racism
Moderate: Abortion and Sexual content
fbzcab's review against another edition
Graphic: Pregnancy, Confinement, Gaslighting, and Racism
Minor: Abortion, Dementia, and Cancer
dizzymissliz's review
- 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
4.0
Graphic: Pregnancy
Moderate: Racism and Xenophobia
epellicci's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Sexism, Emotional abuse, Racism, Gaslighting, and Confinement
Moderate: Abortion and Toxic friendship
Minor: Terminal illness, Sexual content, and Slavery
kelly_e's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Author: Joanne Ramos
Genre: Fiction
Rating: 2.5
Pub Date: May 7, 2019
T H R E E • W O R D S
Provocative • Underwhelming • Measured
📖 S Y N O P S I S
"The Farm" is a high end facility offering amazing amenities and top notch care to women they've recruited to be surrogates for wealthy wannabe parents. The "hosts" offer their bodies in return for a big payout when they deliver the babies, a payout that promises to change their lives. Meet June, a single mother from the Philippines, who strongly encourage by her Aunt, decides to apply to be a 'host' in order to offer her daughter a better future in America.
💭 T H O U G H T S
The premise for The Farm, Joanne Ramos' debut novel, sounded so intriguing I couldn't stop myself from picking up a copy. The concept was amazing, and the themes of motherhood, capitalism, immigration and reproductive right were thought-provoking, however, the execution was unsatisfying. This supposed dystopian world seemed way too plausible, and although the characters felt real, I took very little interest in any of the perspectives.
What really irked me was that the whole way through there was this underlying sense building of something awful happening at the farm, but that turned out to be nothing and I was left feeling very underwhelmed. The one thing this book did do well was raise lively discussion around a variety of topics.
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• bookclubs
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"She always said that worst thing you can do to a child is raise it with too much softness, because the world is hard. But Jane is not sure. There are people who move through the world like they own it, and the world seems to bend to their demands."
Graphic: Pregnancy and Classism
Moderate: Racism, Miscarriage, Abortion, and Child death
zombiezami's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Vomit, Gaslighting, Medical content, Pregnancy, and Classism
Moderate: Death of parent, Cancer, Racism, Xenophobia, Infertility, Injury/Injury detail, Abortion, Blood, Miscarriage, and Sexual content
Minor: Infidelity, Excrement, Animal cruelty, and Slavery
Eugenics, Colorismegmamaril's review against another edition
- 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
4.5
Graphic: Pregnancy
Moderate: Ableism, Racism, and Dementia
Minor: Abortion
Eugenicscanadabooks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
Moderate: Confinement, Gaslighting, and Pregnancy
Minor: Abortion, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Infertility, Infidelity, Medical content, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Sexual content, Slavery, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, and Toxic friendship