What if pregnancy, in this case surrogacy, became a moneymaking venture? How much would the world's millionaires and billionaires be willing to pay for a healthy surrogate? Who benefits and who loses from such a situation.

The Farm by Joanne Ramos attempts to answer these questions and the premise is intriguing, however, the novel falls flat. There are a plethora of recent novels that center around pregnancy, power dynamics, individual autonomy, etc. (The Red Clocks, Future Home of the Living God, and more), perhaps so many so that this novel did not feel unique or all that interesting. There is nothing particularly bad about it, so perhaps it deserves a three-star rating, but if you have read similar books The Farm will strike you as nothing special. I think it could make a good book club book because there are a lot of issues for discussion that are raised in the novel.

I received this book free from NetGalley/Random House in exchange for an honest review

The premise is good. It has so much more potential that could have been explored.

The story itself has some lose ends and questionable decisions. However, I did mostly enjoy it. I liked the characters though I think they are one dimensional (Jane - poor immigrant, in search if anything to support herself and her young daughter; Reagan - white wealthy girl concerned with world changing questions but unable to commit to anything).

At first, I didn’t like the ending, but more I though about it, more it seemed appropriate for the story and characters it portrayed.

Thank you Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group for this e-ARC in return of my honest review.

This was my most anticipated read of 2019, but it left me hugely disappointed. I was so fascinated by the premise of this book, but I found it extremely slow, and the ending was extremely disappointing- not only was it anti-climacu, but it frustrated me that Jane still seemed hold herself to no higher standard than a life of indentured servitude. Unfortunately, this one left me feeling underwhelmed.

This was phenomenal. The character development was consistent and rich, I truly felt like I knew these women. There is nothing I love more than a story where no one is the good guy or the bad guy, but that humanity is just flawed and wonderful all at once. The only issue I have is that at times it seemed like it tried to veer a little into suspense / imply something more would happen with the mystery of which Host had the baby, but it never fully developed or took off which left me feeling vaguely dissatisfied.

What an interesting story. It took a little while to get into, but once the characters were established, I couldnt get enough. This was a fun read being a mother, it gives a diffetent perspective of child rearing. A mist read for those who are fascinated by parenting and woman friendships.

This book doesn’t start how I thought it would, at the farm. For the first few chapters I thought I was reading a different book.
Amazing idea but the execution is a bit lacking. I’m not sure I like or connect to any of the characters. Something is missing but I can’t put my finger on what.
This story could have been awesome but it just didn’t get there. The ending kind of soured me. The middle is great though.
3.5 stars.
ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Farm is a unique premise, and a book written by a very talented author. This story of a place where surrogate mothers for wealthy clients is a terrific, engaging story that I could not stop reading!

There was so much about this story that I enjoyed. The characters were developed so well that I felt as if I really knew them. While some characters may have had some unlikable actions, I truly felt for their reasoning. I think that can be really difficult to convey and the author did so marvelously.

The beginning of story was slow and almost made me lose interest but I understand the need to build the background of Jane and the situation that she is in that forces her to make the decisions she makes. Some of the chapters were also incredibly long and I felt as if there were some things that could have been shortened or eliminated to keep the story fluent and continually engaging.

While I enjoyed the ending, I was hoping for more of a gripping and thrilling type of ending. There was quite a bit of a build up and then things sort of fizzled out. However, I am content with the ending but I would have enjoyed it much better if there was more oomph. It just left me thinking to myself, "Okay..." while shrugging my shoulders.

This novel focus on surrogacy, specifically on a company who hires and tends to poor and often immigrant surrogates carrying babies for extremely wealthy clients who physically can't (or prefer not to) carry to term. Many issues explored about race and class in society and as the title implies the "farming" of humans much like the breeding of other animals (albeit a nicer environment). Interesting exploration, does not end the way you might expect (and I wish it had ended a bit differently!) and overall an enjoyable read. This is not a 'Handmaids Tale" dystopian novel, and in some ways leaves you feeling that this setup is a little too possible (as in questioning if a company such as Golden Oaks may already be up and running!) but does elicit ponderings on what is ethical in today's society. I enjoyed it!

The Farm was okay for me but it fell flat and could've been better. It is centered around a place where women go and act as surrogates for the wealthy and essentially have every move monitored during their time there. A lot of important themes are touched on throughout the story such as inequality and race. A lot of people will enjoy this one but it just wasn't one that I connected with and was eager to finish.

I am really conflicted about this book. The premise was intriguing and had a lot of promise. The characters are well written, and the book starts out well. However, I didn't think that switching characters as narrators did this one any favors. I think the book would have been better suited from one person's perspective, and perhaps later books could have someone else's perspective. Anyway. The description is good. However, the plot really drags. And the end is the absolute worst.. not spoiling anything.. it was as if the author had no idea how to end it so it just petered out. So much wasted potential here.

The Farm has such an intriguing premise; I wasn’t sure what to expect - maybe a touch of dystopia, some rich people drama - and I went into it with an open mind. There were several elements of this novel that I really enjoyed: learning more about Filipino culture, exploring the lengths to which some may go (and this all seemed way too realistic, by the way!) to make childbearing and childcare much more convenient. I think the execution of the story could have been a little more succinct, and I have some issues with the ending, but I’m really glad I read this one!

New author for me but pleasantly surprised. Thank you for the approval and look forward to a book relationship with other reads in the future,

I’ve seen a lot of mixed reviews on this one. I thoroughly enjoyed the premise of this book - I thought it was really original! This just wasn't believable for me. I expected it to read more like a dystopian novel than it really did.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This novel is dystopic, but also not far from an imaginable situation - a "farm" where disadvantaged women are surrogate mothers for wealthy families. The hosts' behavior is tightly controlled and surveilled, and they are manipulated by the system. The Farm is a very readable novel, and I was caught up in the stories of the main characters almost right away. There's a strong critique here of inequality, the nannying industry, and the ways in which immigrant labor (both physical and emotional) is exploited.

My main dissatisfaction with this book comes with the ending. I don't want to give anything away, but I felt like there was a lost opportunity in terms of the social critique.

In straightforward prose, Joanne Ramos tells a truly frightening story about a farm where surrogates give birth to babies for rich entitled clients. The author tells the story though several diverse characters with varying points of view. The characters are a bit stereotypical, but it's an enjoyable read. It explores many current issues: immigration, privilege, a woman's right to her own body. The most frightening aspect of the novel is how close to reality it comes. All in all, it's an easy read for a serious subject. It has somewhat of a "fairy tale" ending, but worth reading. Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read the book.

Joanne Ramos's novel The Farm tells the intertwining stories of four women and their relationship to a fictional surrogacy "Farm" where women are consensually employed to host the babies of rich clients in a controlled spa-like environment. Jane, a Filipino single mother, is encouraged by her cousin, Ate, to sign a contract to host a baby at Golden Oaks to give her own biological baby a leg up in life through the generous delivery bonus. Jane soon learns that the majority of the Hosts are other immigrants of color desperate for work. Other perspectives come from Mae, the facility's ambitious director, and Reagan, a sensitive millennial host from a privileged white background looking for meaning in life.

While the premise is fascinating and the book has been compared to Atwood's much scarier The Handmaid's Tale, this book never quite crosses into thriller territory. The story moved at a slow pace, only picking up toward the very last bit of the book. The themes seem especially timely with current events pertaining to women's rights over their own bodies and fertility, as well as the role of capitalism, race, and privilege. However, I never quite felt that Ramos took a stance on any of these topics.

Despite these shortcomings, I think this book would be perfect for book clubs and is an easy summer pool-side read.

(Note: Many thanks to Netgalley and Random House for the advanced readers copy)

I stopped reading 20% in. I couldn’t get past the boring nanny and baby talk in the beginning. I thought this book would be something different.

I loved reading the farm. Part Handmaids Tale (without the dystopian future), part commentary on socioeconomic division, fully engrossing novel. I’ve been recommending this one to my friends!

I received this a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. Thanks!

The premise of The Farm drew me in, and in this aspect it definitely did not disappoint. This book touches on class, immigration, gender, and the wild world of reproduction, reproductive rights, and the woman’s place in all of this.

I found the characters to be interesting, but I had a hard time connecting to them on a personal level. They are certainly designed to reflect certain stereotypes or archetypes, and because of that I found them less nuanced than I would have preferred.

I was not expecting the twists and turns that this novel provided. It was an interesting read that I’ll probably think about for awhile, but I felt a little cold about it - it just didn’t have that draw of an excellent book.