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In a world where everything can be bought and sold, even pregnancy has a value in The Farm by Joanne Ramos. Make no mistake: this isn’t dystopian fiction. In fact it’s probably closer to what is actually happening than we could imagine.
Jane (a Filipino immigrant to the USA) has been persuaded by her aunt, that the easiest way to provide for her infant daughter is to become a surrogate for someone else’s baby. Mae runs Golden Oaks (nicknamed The Farm by Lisa, another of the surrogates), a luxury resort set in woodland, far from prying residents of Golden Oaks are all young women. And they’re all pregnant with the babies of wealthy parents. It came as no surprise to me that the vast majority of these women were immigrants from The Philippines or Eastern Europe. Mae has just started to look at a more ‘luxury’ host: women who have very good educations. The future parents are willing to pay a premium rate for women like Reagan. Not that it could make any difference, because all of the surrogates are merely incubators (referred to by their numbers, not their names, when staff are talking about them out of earshot), and carry embryos made from their parents sperm and eggs. These are mainly people who don’t want to waste their time with pregnancy, childbirth and recovery. This part really didn’t sit well with me: pregnant women reduced to numbers, and parents who didn’t have time to be pregnant (how could they have time to be parents? Would their babies be like a new designer handbag?). The other thing, was that they largely speaking didn’t have time to even visit the women who were carrying their children. At one point in the book, an ultrasound technician doesn’t even acknowledge the pregnant woman that she’s seeing (or isn’t!), angles the screen away from her as she shows the picture of the baby to its parent who isn’t even in the room. The pregnant woman is a non-person - merely a walking incubator.
Make no mistake, this is a pretty damning insight in to class and race. I felt so sorry for Jane. She is cut off from her daughter. None of the women have regular contact with friends or family on the outside. And seeing foetuses and babies being used as commodities and benchmarks of profit really made me uncomfortable.
I did really enjoy this though. I liked the women who were the main characters - they all had valid reasons for their choices. And I liked that this wasn’t written as an alternative dystopian novel à la Handmaids Tale. It’s all so frighteningly plausible.
Jane (a Filipino immigrant to the USA) has been persuaded by her aunt, that the easiest way to provide for her infant daughter is to become a surrogate for someone else’s baby. Mae runs Golden Oaks (nicknamed The Farm by Lisa, another of the surrogates), a luxury resort set in woodland, far from prying residents of Golden Oaks are all young women. And they’re all pregnant with the babies of wealthy parents. It came as no surprise to me that the vast majority of these women were immigrants from The Philippines or Eastern Europe. Mae has just started to look at a more ‘luxury’ host: women who have very good educations. The future parents are willing to pay a premium rate for women like Reagan. Not that it could make any difference, because all of the surrogates are merely incubators (referred to by their numbers, not their names, when staff are talking about them out of earshot), and carry embryos made from their parents sperm and eggs. These are mainly people who don’t want to waste their time with pregnancy, childbirth and recovery. This part really didn’t sit well with me: pregnant women reduced to numbers, and parents who didn’t have time to be pregnant (how could they have time to be parents? Would their babies be like a new designer handbag?). The other thing, was that they largely speaking didn’t have time to even visit the women who were carrying their children. At one point in the book, an ultrasound technician doesn’t even acknowledge the pregnant woman that she’s seeing (or isn’t!), angles the screen away from her as she shows the picture of the baby to its parent who isn’t even in the room. The pregnant woman is a non-person - merely a walking incubator.
Make no mistake, this is a pretty damning insight in to class and race. I felt so sorry for Jane. She is cut off from her daughter. None of the women have regular contact with friends or family on the outside. And seeing foetuses and babies being used as commodities and benchmarks of profit really made me uncomfortable.
I did really enjoy this though. I liked the women who were the main characters - they all had valid reasons for their choices. And I liked that this wasn’t written as an alternative dystopian novel à la Handmaids Tale. It’s all so frighteningly plausible.
Becs (244 KP) rated Mom's Perfect Boyfriend in Books
Sep 4, 2019
Not what I was expecting but overall decent read
You can also find this review on my blog: bookingwayreads.wordpress.com
TRIGGER WARNINGS: fixation on weight and appearance
Review:
Thank you to Galbadia Press for sending me an Advanced Reader's Copy of Mom's Perfect Boyfriend for review purposes and my honest opinion.
Mom's Perfect Boyfriend is a fast-paced romantic comedy set in an epistolary format that tells the story of a mother-daughter relationship and the pitfalls of trying to please overly demanding parents. It's told through mostly emails, texts, and journal entries and makes for a perfect summer read! It released on July 16, 2019 and is similar to Where'd You Go, Bernadette and Bridget Jones. Mom's Perfect Boyfriend is also perfect for those who are fans of Sophie Kinsella and Meg Cabot.
Crystal and her mother, Margot are at the core of this story and it follows their relationship with one another and others. Margot is a bit demanding of her daughter Crystal, calling and texting all the time. She wants to be in the middle of everything in Crystal's life but Crystal wants limits and to live her own life without having an overbearing mother. One day her boyfriend leaves on an adventure by himself and Crystal loses her job, resulting in her having to move back in with her mom.
I ended up giving Mom's Perfect Boyfriend a 3.5 out of 5 star rating because I found it to be a really strange read. It wasn't a bad type of strange, but I also don't think it was generally a style of book I'd normally pick up.
This was supposed to be a book about a cyborg boyfriend and that didn't come into play until almost halfway through the book. Once it did though, nothing really interesting happened. This wasn't a detriment though as I stilled pretty much enjoyed the read. I did enjoy watching Crystal and Margot grow not only closer but also within themselves as well. They both had their own journeys and watching them navigate through their relationship was a fun perspective!
Mom's Perfect Boyfriend was a fun read at times but I also found it a bit boring in other parts. One thing that really urked me was how the characters fixated on their weights and appearances and I know that's a reality that most people go through, but it was a bit too much at times.
When I first read the synopsis of Mom's Perfect Boyfriend I was intrigued and was not expecting how the story actually unfolded. It was fun in parts and the messages were comical at times. The pacing could have used a bit of oomph, but the different formats provided an easy and light read.
TRIGGER WARNINGS: fixation on weight and appearance
Review:
Thank you to Galbadia Press for sending me an Advanced Reader's Copy of Mom's Perfect Boyfriend for review purposes and my honest opinion.
Mom's Perfect Boyfriend is a fast-paced romantic comedy set in an epistolary format that tells the story of a mother-daughter relationship and the pitfalls of trying to please overly demanding parents. It's told through mostly emails, texts, and journal entries and makes for a perfect summer read! It released on July 16, 2019 and is similar to Where'd You Go, Bernadette and Bridget Jones. Mom's Perfect Boyfriend is also perfect for those who are fans of Sophie Kinsella and Meg Cabot.
Crystal and her mother, Margot are at the core of this story and it follows their relationship with one another and others. Margot is a bit demanding of her daughter Crystal, calling and texting all the time. She wants to be in the middle of everything in Crystal's life but Crystal wants limits and to live her own life without having an overbearing mother. One day her boyfriend leaves on an adventure by himself and Crystal loses her job, resulting in her having to move back in with her mom.
I ended up giving Mom's Perfect Boyfriend a 3.5 out of 5 star rating because I found it to be a really strange read. It wasn't a bad type of strange, but I also don't think it was generally a style of book I'd normally pick up.
This was supposed to be a book about a cyborg boyfriend and that didn't come into play until almost halfway through the book. Once it did though, nothing really interesting happened. This wasn't a detriment though as I stilled pretty much enjoyed the read. I did enjoy watching Crystal and Margot grow not only closer but also within themselves as well. They both had their own journeys and watching them navigate through their relationship was a fun perspective!
Mom's Perfect Boyfriend was a fun read at times but I also found it a bit boring in other parts. One thing that really urked me was how the characters fixated on their weights and appearances and I know that's a reality that most people go through, but it was a bit too much at times.
When I first read the synopsis of Mom's Perfect Boyfriend I was intrigued and was not expecting how the story actually unfolded. It was fun in parts and the messages were comical at times. The pacing could have used a bit of oomph, but the different formats provided an easy and light read.
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Named most anticipated book of 2020 by Cosmopolitan, Women's Wear Daily, Woman's Day, She Reads, The...
Suswatibasu (1703 KP) rated Little Fires Everywhere in Books
Nov 11, 2017
An evocative and complex portrait of suburbia
A highly readable, wonderfully absorbing tale about motherhood, secrets and lies, set in the affluent, verdant perfection of Shaker Heights - a purpose built suburb on the edge of Cleveland, Ohio.
The plot centres around two families, the well-heeled, comfortably complacent Richardsons - mother, father and four children - and the hard-up Warrens, single mother Mia and her daughter Pearl, tenants of the Richardsons with little known past. In between is a tug-of-love court case surrounding an abandoned Chinese baby adopted by friends of the Richardsons. This sparks high and conflicting emotions in Shaker Heights, forcing the town to take sides between the baby's birth mother, a desperate Chinese immigrant, and the McCulloughs. It leads nearly into the unwanted revealing of well-concealed secrets for both the Warrens and the Richardsons.
The story is skilfully told, weaving various narratives together. It is a character-led tale, well observed. The novel opens at the end, as the Richardsons' perfect home burns to the ground then takes us back to the beginning when the Warrens first arrive. The plot picks up pace as events take their toll and deeds have dire consequences. Lives begin to unravel and skeletons are revealed, and perfection of the family structure splits apart. It is a multifaceted novel full of interesting dimensions.
The plot centres around two families, the well-heeled, comfortably complacent Richardsons - mother, father and four children - and the hard-up Warrens, single mother Mia and her daughter Pearl, tenants of the Richardsons with little known past. In between is a tug-of-love court case surrounding an abandoned Chinese baby adopted by friends of the Richardsons. This sparks high and conflicting emotions in Shaker Heights, forcing the town to take sides between the baby's birth mother, a desperate Chinese immigrant, and the McCulloughs. It leads nearly into the unwanted revealing of well-concealed secrets for both the Warrens and the Richardsons.
The story is skilfully told, weaving various narratives together. It is a character-led tale, well observed. The novel opens at the end, as the Richardsons' perfect home burns to the ground then takes us back to the beginning when the Warrens first arrive. The plot picks up pace as events take their toll and deeds have dire consequences. Lives begin to unravel and skeletons are revealed, and perfection of the family structure splits apart. It is a multifaceted novel full of interesting dimensions.
Suswatibasu (1703 KP) rated Creepy (Kuripi: Itsuwari no rinjin) (2016) in Movies
Nov 29, 2017 (Updated Nov 29, 2017)
The title spells it out to a tee
This absolutely stomach-wrenching film from the masters of Japanese cinema, literally blows your socks off. It is understatedly creepy, no dramatic background music and a deeply horrifying body count. For fans of psychological thrillers such as @Sympathy for Lady Vengeance (2014) and @Oldboy (2013) (Korean version) this is another expertly crafted movie that leaves you in knots.
It begins with a detective interviewing a psychopathic suspect, who then manages to escape the police interview room and hold a woman hostage. In the process, the detective is badly injured and as a result leaves the force to pursue an academic career in criminal psychology. Shaken by his time as a detective, he and his wife move to a leafy suburb of Japan with incredibly unsocial neighbours. Soon after moving, he is approached by a former colleague asking for help in a particular case, in which three members of a family mysteriously disappeared six years ago, leaving only a daughter behind. The case was never solved as the daughter's constantly changing statements were seen as inadmissible evidence. And soon after he realises that the case is much closer to home than expected.
Sharp storytelling despite a few plot holes which is left to your imagination. Totally recommended for followers of Eastern cinema.
It begins with a detective interviewing a psychopathic suspect, who then manages to escape the police interview room and hold a woman hostage. In the process, the detective is badly injured and as a result leaves the force to pursue an academic career in criminal psychology. Shaken by his time as a detective, he and his wife move to a leafy suburb of Japan with incredibly unsocial neighbours. Soon after moving, he is approached by a former colleague asking for help in a particular case, in which three members of a family mysteriously disappeared six years ago, leaving only a daughter behind. The case was never solved as the daughter's constantly changing statements were seen as inadmissible evidence. And soon after he realises that the case is much closer to home than expected.
Sharp storytelling despite a few plot holes which is left to your imagination. Totally recommended for followers of Eastern cinema.
Whatchareadin (174 KP) rated Better Than I Know Myself in Books
May 10, 2018
Did you ever have a friend who was more like family? For Regina Foster, Jewel Prescott, and Carmen Webb this is exactly true. Better Than I Know Myself starts in the late 70's when the girls are seniors in high school and making the decision on where to go to college. Three different girls from three very different backgrounds. Jewel, a former child star. Regina, the daughter of two college educated parents and little sister to older brothers who had all attended and graduated from college. And Carmen whose parents had left her at a young age.
The story progresses through their meeting in New York at Barnard and continues through their graduation. Regina and Jewel were already roommates when they met Carmen at the university library. They all got stuck in an elevator together and as they say, "The rest is history." They lived together through the early 80's as they grew into women and started to become independent.
The book covers twenty years of friendship and sisterhood and all the trials and tribulations that entails.
This book made me laugh out loud and brought a tear or two to my eyes. It also made me want to get together with my closest girlfriends. This is a book that you have to read until the end.
The story progresses through their meeting in New York at Barnard and continues through their graduation. Regina and Jewel were already roommates when they met Carmen at the university library. They all got stuck in an elevator together and as they say, "The rest is history." They lived together through the early 80's as they grew into women and started to become independent.
The book covers twenty years of friendship and sisterhood and all the trials and tribulations that entails.
This book made me laugh out loud and brought a tear or two to my eyes. It also made me want to get together with my closest girlfriends. This is a book that you have to read until the end.
Whatchareadin (174 KP) rated A Deeper Love Inside: The Porsche Santiaga Story in Books
May 10, 2018
What happens to kids when both of their parents are taken from them? Do they learn to survive with the situations they are given or do they find a new way to live their lives?
Porsche Santiaga was the middle daughter of Ricky and Lana Santiaga. When her parents were both arrested one night, and she her younger twin sisters were snatched up by the Bureau of Child Welfare. After being tossed from foster home to foster home and no word from her family, Porsche found herself in upstate New York in a juvenile detention center. There she met Siri(the gentle girl who was always there to protect her), Riot(the head of the Diamond Needles), and other members of the Diamond Needles to help her through her sentence.
When she is finally out on her own, she tries to find and help her family the best way she could. She is a natural born hustler so finding work for a fair wage was not a problem for her. She was only 12 years old and making over $1000 a week. She wasn't selling her body, or drugs. Just being the best person she could be and helping people in the neighborhood.
Porsche's story is a very sad one, but it has a happy ending.
Porsche Santiaga was the middle daughter of Ricky and Lana Santiaga. When her parents were both arrested one night, and she her younger twin sisters were snatched up by the Bureau of Child Welfare. After being tossed from foster home to foster home and no word from her family, Porsche found herself in upstate New York in a juvenile detention center. There she met Siri(the gentle girl who was always there to protect her), Riot(the head of the Diamond Needles), and other members of the Diamond Needles to help her through her sentence.
When she is finally out on her own, she tries to find and help her family the best way she could. She is a natural born hustler so finding work for a fair wage was not a problem for her. She was only 12 years old and making over $1000 a week. She wasn't selling her body, or drugs. Just being the best person she could be and helping people in the neighborhood.
Porsche's story is a very sad one, but it has a happy ending.
Goddess in the Stacks (553 KP) rated The Merry Spinster: Tales of Everyday Horror in Books
May 17, 2018 (Updated May 18, 2018)
So this JUST came out. I'd had my eye on it for a few months, and put a request in as soon as my library ordered it. The author recently came out as trans, so it's also part of my effort to read more inclusively. Ortberg definitely played with gender and sexuality in several of these tales; in one of them people decided whether to be the husband or the wife, independent of their gender, in their marriage. (One party to the marriage in the story stated "I've been trained for both roles.") In another all of a man's daughters used male pronouns and that was never explored further. That was slightly odd.
These were dark, twisted versions of these stories. "Our Friend Mr. Toad," for example, involved gaslighting and psychologically torturing poor Mr. Toad. I found that one particularly disturbing. I enjoyed the title story, Ortberg's version of Beauty and the Beast, which has a very different ending from expected. I also really liked "The Daughter Cells", inspired by The Little Mermaid. I LOVED "Fear Not: An Incident Log."
I think this was a great, albeit strange, little book. It's unique, for sure, and a quick read. If you're looking for a fairy tale collection that is VERY different, try this one.
You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.wordpress.com
These were dark, twisted versions of these stories. "Our Friend Mr. Toad," for example, involved gaslighting and psychologically torturing poor Mr. Toad. I found that one particularly disturbing. I enjoyed the title story, Ortberg's version of Beauty and the Beast, which has a very different ending from expected. I also really liked "The Daughter Cells", inspired by The Little Mermaid. I LOVED "Fear Not: An Incident Log."
I think this was a great, albeit strange, little book. It's unique, for sure, and a quick read. If you're looking for a fairy tale collection that is VERY different, try this one.
You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.wordpress.com