Reviews tagging 'Medical content'

The Farm by Joanne Ramos

9 reviews

steveatwaywords's review

adventurous dark tense medium-paced

• 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

Writing about government/corporate control of pregnancy in the shadow of Atwood is a brave act, but Ramos has a unique angle on this story, almost backgrounding the dystopic element (not in plot but in theme) in order to paint other characters in social relief. While her protagonist Jane is Filipino, most of those around her come largely from backgrounds of extraordinary wealth and privilege: navigating these petty and powerful structures is a delicate and sometimes mysterious matter, where any in a service industry find success at whim rather than merely hard or competent work. Troublesome, then, is a Jane who desires a future for her daughter, but who is not altogether competent in her judgment.

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.

(Horrifying? Fulfilling? What are we to make of a grand vision of enterprise against women growing still, but at its heart two characters who find a positive future only because one was motivated by shame and guilt? And both admonish us to change our attitudes?)

 

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.

And while a good number of pages are spent rationalizing a "happy" domestic ending for some of them,

I can't help thinking that the horror of the novel is that very little effort is spent actually reflecting on its implications here. Morality is found only in legalese and enterprising policy-making. 

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. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism and Pregnancy

Moderate: Medical content

badvision's review against another edition

challenging emotional slow-paced

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

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Classism, Confinement, Gaslighting, Infertility, Medical content, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Abortion, Death, Infertility, Miscarriage, Sexual content, and Terminal illness

vivboyd98's review

challenging dark emotional reflective tense medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pregnancy, Medical content, and Medical trauma

Moderate: Toxic friendship and Miscarriage

Minor: Panic attacks/disorders

zombiezami's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

• 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

This was a fascinating book that I could hardly put down. The descriptive writing, themes, and characters were wonderful. The premise and execution reminded me a lot of The Stepford Wives. The author didn't quite stick the landing at the end, though, in my opinion. It's not just that

it wasn't a happy ending. The ending just felt a little anti-climactic. Maybe that was the point, but in the realm of sci fi, I feel like the author could have pushed the envelope a little more.I also feel that the time skips made the book feel rushed at times, rather than helping the narrative. Even, so, I was legitimately stunned when we found out that Regan met an actor and not the real client. That was truly sinister.

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Content Warnings

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, Colorism

lpdx's review against another edition

emotional mysterious reflective slow-paced

• 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infertility, Medical content, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, and Sexual content

mytearsricochet_'s review against another edition

challenging dark reflective slow-paced

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

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Miscarriage, Pregnancy, Abortion, Dementia, Medical content, and Sexual content

canadabooks's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective medium-paced

• 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

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Content Warnings

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

mmatti300's review against another edition

dark reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

The blurb gave the whole plot away, which was really frustrating. I found myself waiting for key parts of the blurb to happen (even up to the last page ugh). I think this book was better than I had anticipated based on some other reviews; however, the end and the unfortunate way that the blurb gave so much away really made it a meh book for me. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Abandonment, Child abuse, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Medical trauma, Medical content, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, and Trafficking

Minor: Abortion

madisonfrank's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional informative mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abortion, Body shaming, Bullying, Cancer, Car accident, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Infertility, Medical content, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, and Pregnancy