I think there’s a direct correlation between my reading of this book and my increased stress levels.

From the beginning, this book established a dark intensity that had me genuinely scared for what was to come.
If I had to choose one word to describe the majority of this book it would be: Gaslighting. From the beginning Anna is ignored and talked down to, and then the people around her try ti convince her that her experience is not right, not the way it is. The book spends a very long time (maybe too long?) on medical gaslighting, never believing her even when physical signs are obvious.
One strong element of this story is its ability to make you question everything. Who can be trusted? Who is on Anna’s side and who is working against her? What is really happening to her? Are her own memories real or are they hallucinations? It’s a mind game that she won’t fully understand until the very end. But that ending is dramatic and eye opening.

Danielle Valentine warned readers that this could be difficult for people who ever plan on having children in the future, but I am happy to say that it has not totally scarred me. Although a warning is wise as this book covers a multitude of bodily horrors involving pregnancy and childbirth.