Delicate Condition

Product Information

This book is the basis for the newest season of American Horror Story and its clear how this book would fit perfectly into the lore of the series. I haven't watched AHS I'm years...I think Hotel was the last season I watched and I probably won't watch this season either.

Oh, well I planned to reincarnate into your baby, but then you miscarried, so I did a spell to make it live again, but now if I for sure don't reincarnate into the fetus then it will definitely come out "off"' I had a lot of impostor syndrome where I was like, ‘Oh, maybe I’m not good enough; maybe I’m only a YA writer,’” she recalls. “I felt intimidated.” It didn’t help that she’d put more than a year and a half of her life into writing a different adult book, only to “hit a wall” and realize she needed to shelve the manuscript. The experience left her “in a dark place,” she says (which certainly wasn’t aided by the fact that she was six months pregnant at the time and experiencing a whirlwind of hormonal changes). Warning! If you are pregnant right now or planning to become pregnant this might not be the time to read this horror story because it just might influence your thinking or possibly give you non-stop nightmares!For the most part, it was an addictive read. The dark themes were well-done, though the ending was mildly underwhelming. Delicate Condition is pitched as Feminist Rosemary's Baby. I haven't watched or read Rosemary's Baby( stay tuned) but given its classic stature I obviously know the basic plot and I think this is a good update. I won't say much about the plot but if you know Rosemary's Baby than you can guess most of the plot. The Push meets The Silent Patient in a gripping thriller that follows a woman convinced a sinister figure is going to great lengths to make sure her pregnancy never happens—while the men in her life refuse to believe a word she says.

Originally, Valentine worried that Delicate Condition would be “too weird for publishing,” she admits. But she’s been pleased to see it resonate with readers, including both those who’ve been pregnant and can relate to (some of) Anna’s struggles and those who’ve never shared that experience. “From people who don’t want or aren’t able to have children, it’s this feeling of ‘Yeah, I’m glad I don’t have to go through that,’” Valentine says. “And for people who have been through it, the thing I hear is that they feel seen. They’re like, ‘That’s what it’s like.’” From the very first chapter, this book ensnared me, captivating me with its brilliance. The plot is nothing short of mindblowing, taking unexpected twists and turns that kept me on the edge of my seat throughout the journey. It is a masterful portrayal of ambition and adversity intertwining in a roller-coaster of emotions. The plot really worked with twists that made my head spin. I wanted to write a story where the reader was at times being like, ‘This can’t be what’s happening to her,’ and really have you faced with the choice of ‘Do I trust her? The other people in her life don’t trust her. So, what do I believe? s ɪᴠғ ᴘʀᴇɢɴᴀɴᴄʏ ᴊᴏᴜʀɴᴇʏ ᴛʜʀᴏᴜɢʜᴏᴜᴛ ɪs ғᴇᴀʀ ɪɴᴅᴜᴄɪɴɢ. ᴛʜᴀᴛ ɪs ᴡʜʏ ɪ ᴘᴜᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ᴛʀɪɢɢᴇʀ ᴡᴀʀɴɪɴɢ ʙᴇᴄᴀᴜsᴇ ɪғ ɪᴛ ᴀғғᴇᴄᴛᴇᴅ ᴍᴇ ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴛʜᴀᴛ - ɪ ᴄᴀɴ ᴏɴʟʏ ɪᴍᴀɢɪɴᴇ ʜᴏᴡ ᴍᴏᴍs ᴏʀ sᴏᴏɴ ᴛᴏ ʙᴇ ᴍᴏᴍs ᴏᴜᴛ ᴛʜᴇʀᴇ ᴡᴏᴜʟᴅ ғᴇᴇʟ ʀᴇᴀᴅɪɴɢ ᴛʜɪs. ᴅᴀɴɪᴇʟʟᴇ’s ᴡʀɪᴛɪɴɢ ɪs ʙʀɪʟʟɪᴀɴᴛ! sʜᴇ ᴍᴀᴋᴇs ʏᴏᴜ ғᴇᴇʟ ʟɪᴋᴇ ʏᴏᴜ ᴀʀᴇ ʟɪᴠɪɴɢ ᴇᴀᴄʜ ᴀɴᴅ ᴇᴠᴇʀʏ ᴍᴏᴍᴇɴᴛ ʜᴇʀ ᴄʜᴀʀᴀᴄᴛᴇʀ’s ᴇɴᴅᴜʀᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ᴀs ᴀ ʀᴇsᴜʟᴛ - ɪ sᴛᴀʏᴇᴅ ᴜᴘ ᴡᴀʏ ᴛᴏᴏ ʟᴀᴛᴇ ᴍᴀɴʏ ɴɪɢʜᴛs ᴀs ɪ ᴡᴀs ᴇᴀɢᴇʀ ᴛᴏ ғɪɢᴜʀᴇ ᴛʜɪɴɢs ᴏᴜᴛ!!! Overall, it was a slow paced, creepy horror read that will keep you reading until the very end. While I was invested and had to know how it would end I am thankful its over. Phew! 😮‍💨😅🤣After months and months of trying, Anna finally conceives. However, during this IVF process, strange things started to occur. Appointments were missed/rescheduled, medications were not being properly stored, and was someone following Anna? Was Anna really becoming forgetful and careless about the most important things in her life? First, I have to say "I loved This Book"! In many ways some might think this is reminiscent of " Rosemary's Baby" and it does have those vibes at time in a much current, updated version although there are many unique twists to this wonderfully blunt and gruesome (at times) story that are completely unique to the writer "Danielle Valentine". I enjoyed everything about this novel. The storytelling and writing just flowed from one situation to another and the tension of not knowing what was really happening with Anna drove me crazy where I couldn't put the book down. This was a truly frightening story with brutal savagery and eerie, creepiness taking place from beginning to end. The feminist touch was wonderful and I believe many women will be able to relate to many of her experiences as many doctors who have downplayed any of our own troubling symptoms when we felt there was something not right with our pregnancies and symptoms and would just brush us off without giving us anything for our pain or concise answers to our questions. I, for one know well that happened to me with one of my pregnancies and also the birth of my beautiful daughter but I felt I was truly butchered (also gave stitches without any novocaine or anesthesia), Why? and His response: "These things sometimes happen so just do as I say and don't worry about it". The ending also had an exciting and unexpected twist. There was not one dull or boring part to this fantastic book. I can't wait to read more from this author! Anna Alcott is desperate to be pregnant. But as she tries to balance her increasingly public life with a grueling IVF journey, she starts to suspect that someone is going to great lengths to make sure her pregnancy never happens. Crucial medicines are lost. Appointments get swapped without her knowledge. And even when she finally manages to get pregnant, not even her husband is willing to believe that someone's playing a twisted game with her. One of Delicate Condition’s most powerful elements is Anna’s increasing belief that when it comes to advocating for herself, she’s entirely on her own. As supportive as her husband, doctor, and friends may be, none of them is as convinced as she is that her baby is in imminent danger. While the situation is obviously exaggerated (most pregnant women aren’t worried their fetus might actually be a demon), the gaslighting Anna faces is all too real. DELICATE CONDITION is centered around actress Anna Alcott and her struggle with getting pregnant. Her husband Dex and she are trying to get pregnant via IVF after countless struggles, but as Anna's career begins to blossom, she also finds that her journey at the fertility clinic has been a disaster. Her meetings have been cancelled, medicine for IVF procedures lost, Anna feels that someone is trying to sabotage her. When she starts believing that she's being stalked, Anna and Dex go into hiding in the Hamptons. Sadly, Anna suffers a miscarriage but she is convinced that she's still pregnant. In fact, she's beginning to show and is having unorthodox food cravings (to say the least). Anna knows that she's pregnant, but something sinister is also at play. Why won't anyone listen to Anna's concerns?

First off, thank you NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Landmark for granting me access to this book in exchange for an honest review.Even the author herself wasn’t always sure what the answer was going to be. “There was a really big period of time where I didn’t know how it was going to end,” she admits. “Was I going to end it with: This is all in her head; this was all her imagining these symptoms being bigger? Or was it actually the supernatural or a monster or something like that? That was a question I really played with a lot.” You know those children's books and programs where the kids think something evil is happening and from their perspective all the evidence seems legit? That's exactly what this book is for all the women characters involved. But then the end comes and everyone is happy and they have a good laugh because nothing was macabre or evil, it was all for the better if everyone. Ha ha ha silly woman shouldn't have felt afraid. Before I start my review, I would like to begin by saying that there was nothing ‘delicate’ about this book. 😬 This was definitely different, and a little strange. But I couldn’t stop reading, because I had to know what happened next and of course how things would end. Anna Alcott is desperate to have a family. But as she tries to balance her increasingly public life as an indie actress with a gruelling IVF regime, she starts to suspect that someone is going to great lengths to make sure that never happens. Crucial medicines are lost. Appointments are moved without her knowledge. She's sure she's being followed. And when she finally does get pregnant, someone breaks into her house and steals the ultrasound photograph of her baby. But despite everything she's gone through, not even her husband is willing to believe that someone is playing twisted games with her.

When I first read the synopsis, I wanted to read this, but I also wondered if it was going to be cheesy. Saying a book is like “The Push” and “The Silent Patient” is a very bold statement to make. In this case, it’s also a very true statement! Add a little bit of “Nightbitch” and “Motherthing”, and we get this crazy, yet somehow beautiful, story… This books starts as a psychological thriller but eventually morphs into horror. It’s a heart-pounding read where you’re not sure what’s real and what’s not. Anna and Dex desperately want to have a baby. After multiple IVF treatments, they learn that it was successful and Anna is pregnant. Simultaneously, strange things start to happen! For instance, her appointment times are changed, medications misplaced, stolen items and someone is following her. Is she going crazy and getting forgetful or is it someone else doing all this and why?? Following their move to a temporary location of safety, Anna is told she has had a miscarriage. Or is she still pregnant? s ɴᴀʀʀᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ɪs ᴀʟsᴏ ʙᴇᴀᴜᴛɪғᴜʟʟʏ ᴅᴏɴᴇ. ᴛʜᴇ ᴘᴀᴄᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ᴛᴏɴᴇ ᴏғ ʜᴇʀ ᴠᴏɪᴄᴇ ᴀᴅᴅᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ᴛʜᴇ ᴛᴇɴsɪᴏɴ ᴀɴᴅ sᴜsᴘᴇɴsᴇ ɪɴ ᴛʜɪs ʙᴏᴏᴋ. ɪ ᴅᴇғɪɴɪᴛᴇʟʏ ʀᴇᴄᴏᴍᴍᴇɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ᴀᴜᴅɪᴏʙᴏᴏᴋ ᴠᴇʀsɪᴏɴ, ʙᴜᴛ ʙᴇ ᴘʀᴇᴘᴀʀᴇᴅ ғᴏʀ sᴏᴍᴇ ᴄʀᴀᴢʏ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍs ɪғ ʏᴏᴜ ʟɪsᴛᴇɴ ʙᴇғᴏʀᴇ ʙᴇᴅ.Then her doctors tell her she's lost the baby. Despite her grief, Anna ignores the grave-faced men lecturing her - because she can still feel the baby moving, can see the toll it's taking on her weakened body. Isolated in a remote snowbound town, Anna is sure that whoever has been following her is closing in on her and her unborn child. And as her symptoms become more terrifying, she can't help but wonder what exactly is growing inside her... and why no-one will listen when she says that something is horribly wrong. Enter: Delicate Condition, Valentine’s heart-pounding and unputdownable 12th novel (which is soon to inspire the newest season of American Horror Story). Following Anna Alcott, an actress who’s filled with joy over her long-awaited pregnancy until she begins suspecting that someone (or some thing) may be doing everything in their power to stop her from having the baby, it’s one of the summer’s most propulsive thrillers. And while the possible supernatural force messing with Anna certainly adds some tension, the book’s biggest scares come from the (only slightly exaggerated) realities of being pregnant: both the often-uncomfortable physical changes as well as the burdensome mental toll. Longtime readers of the author’s other works, like her 2022 hit How to Survive Your Murder and the nail-biting anthology series The Merciless, are all too familiar with just how dark she can truly get. Although all of Valentine’s books prior to Delicate Condition fall under the YA genre, they offer enough thrills to frighten even the hardiest adult readers. Yet while her books’ fear levels may be similar regardless of audience, Valentine said she had “a lot of nerves” switching to adult literature after more than a decade writing for teens. You may think you know where this is heading, but you'd be wrong. Whip smart and enjoyably gruesome I don’t want to say what aspect of horror this is for spoiler purposes, but it’s not a horror sub-genre that I usually go for. With this book, I absolutely loved it. This book starts as a thriller, then crescendos into horror as the book goes on. It has really cool little stories from centuries ago interspersed, of women who have also been affected by Anna’s maladies, and that just added to the suspense.