A review by poisoned_icecream
Casual by Koji A. Dae

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative reflective sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Valya is seven months pregnant and has depression and anxiety. She gets an implant game called Casual that helps her to feel relaxed. However she is expected to have it shut down as she gets closer to her due date. If she wants to continue using Casual, then she has to have to sign up for a trial that would mean an implant would get put into her baby's brain.

It took me a while to finish this because I'm tokophobic and childfree, and I hate human babies. However this is definitely a thought-provoking scifi book about motherhood and mental illness. Also it was annoying having to read "everyone wants sex" and "everyone settles down" because neither of those statements are true. Even though I didn't always like this I'd still recommend it and I will read more by Koji A. Dae.
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