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ksabol's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Miscarriage and Pregnancy
Moderate: Medical trauma, Adult/minor relationship, Child death, and Medical content
Minor: Rape and Incest
dmagboul's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
sad
tense
fast-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? Yes
5.0
This boook, let me tell you about this booooook!!!! This book had me feeling all kinds of emotions. I was angry, I was sad, happy, wanting to bawl my eyes out throughout this book. The main character Lorraine was such a sweet but naive girl I couldn’t help but root for her. Clint one of the main characters I wanted to flick him out of existence. Alan the other main character I was completely rooting for the whole time. He made me happy. If you’re looking for a book that will kick you in the feelers and make you feel every emotion this is the book for you. I’m sad that Lorraine didn’t get the ending that I wanted for her but I loved this book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Pregnancy, Grief, Abandonment, Gaslighting, Incest, Infertility, Medical trauma, and Miscarriage
designatedbanana's review
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
**I read this as an ARC from Macmillan Audio**
“Drowning doesn’t look like what you think it should”
This book is BEAUTIFUL. It is devastating and heartbreaking and just so well written. Nothing about this book is what I normally gravitate towards, the only reason I wanted to read it was because I’ve been trying to get outside my comfort zone and I love women’s fiction. I am so happy I gave it a chance.
It’s a simple enough story we’ve all heard before, a young girl with a bright future ahead of her that finds herself pregnant. Everyone in her life turns against her, shuns her, her parents even send her away to a maternity home so she can’t bring any more shame to the family. The beauty of this particular story is how Meagan Church creates a character so real and so complex you can so easily fall right into her mind and emotions. I am confident in my desire to not have children but even I was able to feel and understand the choices and emotions Lorraine was facing. The side characters were equally as complex and beautifully written, especially her mother and the girls she befriends at the maternity house. Alongside such wonderfully written characters, there were also so many themes that were woven into the story so beautifully it gave the book almost a poetic feel at times. I truly cannot say enough good things about the writing, I wanted to devour this book as soon as I started it and I couldn’t stop thinking about it when I wasn’t reading it.
I listened to this as an audiobook narrated by Susan Bennett, she did a wonderful job reading. I would absolutely recommend giving it a listen. Just don’t be like me and listen to it at work because I kept having to choke down tears so my coworkers wouldn’t be concerned.
“Drowning doesn’t look like what you think it should”
This book is BEAUTIFUL. It is devastating and heartbreaking and just so well written. Nothing about this book is what I normally gravitate towards, the only reason I wanted to read it was because I’ve been trying to get outside my comfort zone and I love women’s fiction. I am so happy I gave it a chance.
It’s a simple enough story we’ve all heard before, a young girl with a bright future ahead of her that finds herself pregnant. Everyone in her life turns against her, shuns her, her parents even send her away to a maternity home so she can’t bring any more shame to the family. The beauty of this particular story is how Meagan Church creates a character so real and so complex you can so easily fall right into her mind and emotions. I am confident in my desire to not have children but even I was able to feel and understand the choices and emotions Lorraine was facing. The side characters were equally as complex and beautifully written, especially her mother and the girls she befriends at the maternity house. Alongside such wonderfully written characters, there were also so many themes that were woven into the story so beautifully it gave the book almost a poetic feel at times. I truly cannot say enough good things about the writing, I wanted to devour this book as soon as I started it and I couldn’t stop thinking about it when I wasn’t reading it.
I listened to this as an audiobook narrated by Susan Bennett, she did a wonderful job reading. I would absolutely recommend giving it a listen. Just don’t be like me and listen to it at work because I kept having to choke down tears so my coworkers wouldn’t be concerned.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death and Miscarriage
daniellereadslikealot_'s review
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
This was such a beautiful and heartbreaking book and the fact that this is a part of our history is really devastating. Set during the 1960s in the Baby Scoop era and the Space Race, we get a look at a “maternity home” for unwed mothers. The lack of consideration and agency these women had was so frustrating to read, but there’s still so much hope in these pages. I feel such a connection with Lorraine and all the other women at the home. I liked that while she was our main character, we got a few other POVs like Lorraine’s parents and the woman in charge of the home. It really helped show all the different viewpoints people in that time had about pregnancy and women even though some of them were infuriating. I think this book will affect anyone who reads it, but especially if you’re a woman or a parent. I think I would have loved it, pre motherhood, but it hit even harder now. The ending made me so sad, but it was also beautiful in its own way. Books like these are so important to stress why women need the right to make decisions for themselves. Have tissues (and I mean A LOT) of tissues on hand for this one. And absolutely read the author’s note. I will definitely be reading whatever she writes next.
CW: mentions of incest, infant death, descriptions of pregnancy and childbirth, medical trauma
Thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark for an advanced digital reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Pregnancy, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, and Medical trauma
Minor: Incest
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