A review by starrysteph
Delicate Condition by Danielle Valentine

challenging dark emotional tense medium-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? Yes

5.0

Delicate Condition truly scared me - and brought out a compulsive need to devour this story so I could pass back through the threshold to my safer reality. 

But the thing is … this novel feels so close to home. It elevates things that I’ve already experienced just by existing as a woman (and especially as a person with a chronic illness). Danielle Valentine pointed to an existing fear - a historical crisis, really - and widened it into a pit of terror; the slightly supernatural elements of this story live just a shimmering level above our truth. And that’s why it was all so incredibly effective.

“All mothers have one thing in common: pain.”

We follow actor Anna Alcott, who desperately wants to be a mother. She’s nearing 40 and knows the journey will be difficult, especially balancing demanding IVF treatments with her new commercial success. 

But things are much harder than they should be, and though her husband Dex is dismissive, Anna fears that someone is sabotaging her pregnancy. As threats and ominous mishaps increase, the couple flees to the Hamptons: a silent place in the winter & ideally a safe place to have a baby.

But then – Anna miscarries. Or at least, that’s what her doctor claims. Anna knows she’s still pregnant, but her world starts to shift and warp in terrifying ways and nobody will truly listen to her. Is it all in her head? Is her baby in danger? Or is there something wrong with the being growing inside of her?

Anna is aware of her own unreliable narration, and Valentine misdirects and builds suspense brilliantly. I felt like I was always a beat behind, scrambling to make sense of the terror just like Anna. The dismissive men in her life and the medical gaslighting were violently frustrating - but also effectively planted seeds of doubt. What if none of it was real? What if it’s just another mystery pregnant people are forced to accept? 

It’s a visceral nightmare and a dark fairytale. The slow-rising suspense was effective, and I tensed up even during seemingly-innocuous moments. Anna’s paranoia is so clearly cemented in truth (medical dismissals/gaslighting), and that makes the horror so much more nuanced and clever. 

The characterization was superb; I felt completely immersed in Anna’s head and also had a detailed understanding of Dex, Siobhan, Talia, and other supporting players. 

Laced into the story are short historical peeks into the lives of other pregnant folks and mothers - and their own pain and terror. From suspicions of witchcraft to righteously wounded Black women looking up at statues of men who tortured Black bodies for ‘medical advancement’, these segments were compelling & fascinating & elevated the main plotline.

This was a unique reading experience for me - and if you have a sturdy stomach and can handle immersing yourself in the terror (and maybe questioning your own autonomy), definitely pick it up. The brilliant writing and razor-sharp commentary is worth it.

(Also - lolz at the comparison to The Silent Patient because this was infinitely better.)

CW: pregnancy, miscarriage, psychosis, gaslighting, animal cruelty, animal death, death, car accident, blood, medical trauma, body horror, cancer, racism & medical racism, stalking, infidelity, sexism, vomit

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(I received an advance reader copy of this book; this is my honest review.)
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