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Maternal Instinct

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dystopian novels about parenting are always tough to read. I can't tell If I disliked it because it wasn't good or because it made me uncomfortable.

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Thank you Netgalley for the chance to read and review this title. I will review this title at a different date.

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Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for giving me a chance to read Maternal Instinct. Sadly I did not finish the book after 10%. I couldn’t get into it at the time but may try again!

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While the concept of this storyline intrigued me, there seemed to be a lack of depth in the telling. Ultimately I soon lost any desire to continue reading as I failed to connect with the characters, leading me to lose interest in their story. I was unable to persist past the first third of this novel.

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Thank you to netgalley and publisher for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

A very dystopian story that kept my attention the entire time. I could not put this book down. It characters are likeable and relatable and the plot was easy to follow. I really enjoyed it and cannot believe I waited so long to read it.

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Maternal Instinct by Rebecca Bowyer is a near future science fiction novel that examines a future in which the process of having children is highly regulated in Australia. The extreme system could be read as either dystopian or utopian, depending on you point of view, but the plot pushes it towards dystopian.

Australia 2040. No child lives in poverty and every child is safe. But at what cost?

19-year-old Monica never wanted a baby but the laws require her to give birth twice before she can move on with her life.

Now that her first son, Oscar, has arrived she's not so sure she wants to hand him over to be raised by professional parents: the Maters and Paters.

When Monica turns to her birth mother, Alice, for help, she triggers a series of events that force Alice to confront her own dark past. Alice must decide - help her daughter break the law, or persuade her to accept her fate and do what's best for the nation's children?

The two protagonists in this book are Monica, 19 and currently in the breastfeeding for six months portion of her national service, and her biological mother, Alice, who is 40 and just returning to work after time off for cancer treatment. The book alternates between the two women's perspectives, giving us a broad view of the future society. The fact that Alice works for the government department in charge of reproduction and genetic diversity allows us to see a couple of different governmental views on the system. And of course, when things start to go not according to plan, that very same government position is the cause of extra tension.

I found the social worldbuilding presented in this novel interesting but also sort of implausible. All the events that took place in the context of a society where children were raised communally more or less made sense, but I couldn't quite fathom how, in just twenty years, society would get to that point. Also, the book leaned into the horror of having to give up your babies after six months to be raised by professional parents (with biological parents allowed to visit them on Sundays). But for me the more horrific thing was being forced to bear children at 19ish. In the book we see this situation as the status quo, but I cannot imagine that the first set of kids being forced into maternity homes after graduating high school would have gone quietly. On the bright side, young men also had to do baby-related national service with their roles involving doing all the cooking and cleaning for the expectant and young mothers in their maternity homes. That aspect I can get behind. But the rest was a bit off-putting.

Overall, I found aspects of this novel interesting, but found that it was a bit slow to keep me consistently excited about the ideas in it. While the plot definitely engaged with the worldbuilding, it didn't quite go far enough, in some aspects, for my personal tastes. I don't think I've read a dystopian novel where the unusual baby-making practices were due to social pressures only (and not some sort of infertility plague), so it is an interesting concept from that perspective. But of course others might feel differently. I recommend reading this book if the blurb and premise sound interesting.

3.5 / 5 stars

First published: Story Addict, 2019
Series: Don't think so
Format read: eARC
Source: Author via NetGalley

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Australia 2040. No child lives in poverty and every child is safe. But at what cost? 19-year-old Monica never wanted a baby but the laws require her to give birth twice before she can move on with her life. Now that her first son, Oscar, has arrived she’s not so sure she wants to hand him over to be raised by professional parents: the Maters and Paters. When Monica turns to her birth mother, Alice, for help, she triggers a series of events that force Alice to confront her own dark past. Alice must decide – help her daughter break the law, or persuade her to accept her fate and do what’s best for the nation’s children?
This was definitely a book different from what I normally read. Except for ads, I’m not familiar with The Handmade’s Tale so I have no basis for comparison. It was a very interesting story. I liked that for being a dystopic work, it was trying to make a better future even though it was at forced measures. I really liked it and can’t wait to read more from this author.
**I voluntarily read and reviewed this book

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**Received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley**

I blasted through this. It's totally my jam. I love dystopian fiction and I thought the premise was unique and interesting. I was, however, disappointed by the ending. It felt rushed and was super unsatisfying. That said, up until the end I was highly entertained and invested in the narrative! If I could, I'd give it 3.5 stars, but that's not possible with GR's rating system :|

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This was an interesting story that I personally found chilling based on the concept. Kind of gave an edge of the seat vibe. Made me think some of the Handmaid’s Tale.

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I really enjoyed a great many things about this book. Characters were fleshed out and the plot was well spaced. Some of the secondary storylines could've used a bit more page space but all in all an enjoyable read!

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Maternal Instinct is set in Australia in the year 2040. The government has laws in place that state that all women are to have two children. They are expected to do so in their late teens to early twenties. They don't get to pick the fathers. The babies are genetically screened for diseases by the Genetic Diversification System. Then, they are to move into a birthing house for the length of the pregnancy, plus raise the child for 6 months, before turning them over to the system of Maters and Paters to raise. Mothers are allowed to see their children on Sundays, if they wish it.

Monica has had a baby that she names Oscar. Despite not wanting to have a baby, once he is born and the time to surrender him gets close, she realizes that she loves him and does not want to give him up. She turns to her mother Alice for help.

Alice is one of the first to be born under this system and works in the organization. She ends up finding out something that changes her outlook on the whole situation. Now she and her daughter must try to change the system.

While I enjoyed this book, I thought the ending was abrupt. Overall a decent read that makes you think how easy it would be for this to happen.

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I think I liked this book when I could turn off some of my English major mind, but I'm still trying to figure out the message it portrays. Parts of it make me think of it as an anti-feminist book... Complain about being a woman, having to carry children, use daycare to go back to work, cook, clean, do laundry? Well here's what can happen to make it worse... We'll force teenagers and young adult women to have two children each and then give them up to the government to raise so they can go back to work and be a productive member of society. And by the way, the government is going to be just as corrupt as always since you're all just pawns in making officials wealthier anyway.

I think it's harder to figure out the message because the book seemed to end halfway through the story. The book ended abruptly after almost 200 pages, but nothing is solved, nothing is wrapped up, no message is given. It seemed like they were trying to set it up for a sequel, but it would have been better to keep going and finish this story.

The characters were fine, but again, if the author had finished the book, I'd have anymore finished opinion of the book.

I enjoyed the basic premise behind the story and the built up suspense as we reached the end, but didn't enjoy the lack of real ending. It would have been rated higher if the second half had been written.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a free ARC of this book. It did not influence my review.

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Received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for a honest review. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own

I did not like the story. Feels like they’re trying to hard to be compared with the Handmaids tale. The plot is very similar to that, would have like it more if they went more their own way

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DNF @ 10%

Aside from not being a fan of the writing style, I think it's not great to have a book about eugenics not touch on themes of race, class, and disability. Every character so far has been white and I'm not interested in reading stories about white women having perfect pregnancies in perfect dystopias.

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I received a complimentary copy of this book through Netgalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
In 2040 Australia, natural conception is against the law and every woman is required to conceive two babies genetically screened for diseases by the G.D.S. or Genetic Diversification System. After graduation the women move into group homes where their pregnancies are supervised, and are required to raise their babies for six months before handing them over to qualified child raisers.
Alice has been a believer in this new child raising system for the good of society...until her own daughter faces giving up her child. Monica never wanted children, but after being forced to birth Oscar, she now can't imagine giving him away. Giving advice to Monica makes Alice face her own past and she begins to question the system.
I thought this was similar to the Handmaid's Tale, but based more on a government regimented system. The women are still considered the children's mothers, but aren't trusted to raise them and only allowed visitation on Sundays. Using true stories of child abuse and neglect in other countries to support their need for a safe and regulated child raising system, the rights of the parents are taken away. I liked this book, it really made me think about how far we let the government control us for "the good of society". I like how much Alice changed from government robot in the beginning to the biggest advocate for change by the end.

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I really enjoyed this book. It is the year 2040 and in Australia women are giving birth twice as part of their responsibility to the government. They live in birth homes with the children for six months and then the children are moved into homes with certified maters and paters until the age of majority. The birth mothers are allowed to parent on Sunday. The executive director ends up getting pregnant after cancer treatment when all of the women have been given permanent birth control. It brings all of the government regulations and conspiracies about gene explusion resulting in perfect children. The girls are injected with these embryos to become pregnant since birth based on love is outlawed. This was one of those books that really made me think and was so different. Thanks for the ARC, Net Galley.

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Maternal Instinct is a fantastic dystopian read centered on reproductive rights and parenting abilities. Using the difficulties of balancing work and family as well as the statistics for child abuse, the Australian government has developed a program that requires older teens to submit to at least 2 years of "reproductive service". Females are required to have two births and males volunteer their time serving in Birth Houses where pregnant and newly delivered mothers live during their service. At the age of 6 months, the children are then taken from their mothers and placed in the care of a Mater and Pater in a child's home. Being a Mater or a Pater is an occupation that requires skilled training and they are responsible for raising the children in a video supervised environment. Birth parents are allowed relationships with their children, but only via visitation on Sundays.

This is honestly a semi-creepy read when you begin to consider the possible ramifications. The idea does seem to have some merits as you read through the story, but the system is emotionally horrific. It all feels quite Stepford and, when the darker side of the system becomes evident, things start taking a gripping turn.

Something of a blend of The Handmaid's Tale and 1984, this is a fantastic book. I was hooked early on and didn't want to put this one down. I read it over the course of a family vacation and stayed up far too late at night because I NEEDED to know what was going to happen.

The development of the dystopian government is fantastic and well-constructed. The presentation of the system in a semi-balanced manner, giving the pros and cons from the direct voices of the characters, was brilliantly done and made it have a realistic feel. I was reminded of Margaret Atwood's saying that “Nothing makes me more nervous than people who say, ‘It can’t happen here.’ Anything can happen anywhere, given the right circumstances.” The slow slip from policies based on idealism and happiness into a culture of oppression and manipulation can be so stealthily done. Bowyer uses that approach to her advantage and creates a world that is both believable and horrific. It's this approach that makes Maternal Instinct both intriguing and frightening.

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My review is broken down into sections. Characters - Plot - Ending - Conclusion.
Characters

Alice - Alice doesn't come off like a model character of what she was intended to be; very mechanical in her actions. She attempts emotions as times but they fall flat. It is interesting to dissect her as a character but not as one of the main narrators.

Monica - Monica was a strange detached character who I grew to respect because of her evolving love of her baby Oscar. She gives me the impression of someone who was raised well but suffered from enduring neglect and in a sense, she had. She was deprived of the emotional attachment between her and her mother. A downside to the System?

She actually reminded me a lot of my husband because he does not make emotional attachments to people who are deemed nonessential to him. It is less of a choice more just how his brain works. When we had our first child 13 years ago, he shifted a lot to make room for her and two more. 

Oliver - Oliver was sweet but ridiculously naive for a grown-ass man. I understand that as a full-time "Pater" his job is to raise children from six months to eighteen years of age but at times he seemed ill-fit to even take care of himself. Don't get me wrong, he was adorably sweet at times but his lack of forethought was annoying. You could call him whimsical but that'd be too gentle for how much of a polar opposite he was to his wife, Alice. His character could be to show how either the system works or how it has failed and I'm not sure which.

Mary - Mary comes off as a strong character, brusk, assertive, unfriendly but caring IF she decides you're worthy of her attention. She should have played a larger role than just a peon because she had more personality than all of the other main characters put together. She would have added more when it was needed as long as she wasn't over-utilized. Because her role wasn't larger, I'm not sure why she was so explosive. She comes off as unnecessarily volatile throughout but often without purpose? Just to have some reaction? She hated her kids, didn't want to visit them on her allotted Sundays and I know there are plenty of parents right now who wish that had this setup.

I am curious as to why there appear to be no non-white people within this book. This is always something I notice or look for in modern literature. And considering more than 25% of Australia's population was born overseas, I find it hard to believe that there wouldn't be any similarities here in 2040. Whether this was an oversight by the author or a plot problem, I don't know but this heavily bothered me.

Plot

I would never call this Australian Dystopian "chilling". It was interesting and unique with feministic commentary but felt rushed at times and slooooow most of the time. I struggled to get through this story. The beginning was slow and underwhelming. It doesn't really explain much to you, just expects you to go with the emotionless Sunday visitation/meeting between Alice, her daughter Monica and Monica's newborn son, Oscar.

I suspect that the New Government also did away with racial diversity, as well as this was never mentioned in the story and race never comes up as if no one outside of their race exists. For a piece of literature also attempting to touch on feminist tones, where is the intersectionality? It is also completely devoid of anything remotely LGBTQ about it which goes to the plot device of the Party which clearly wants to control all aspects of lives but I find it hard to find people would want a system due to poor mental health and various other health reasons when you factor in non-white persons, and anyone LGBTQ. We aren't even talking several generations into the future where they won't remember such things. No, we are talking just over twenty years from now, they completely erased a part of their society without blinking.

This story makes you think. Is it intentional or unintentional? Are these just plot devices or author oversight? I have my opinions but like to sit with my questions before coming to a conclusion.

The Ending

The ending was abrupt. Almost as soon as the story kicks it into high gear and the society is on a struggle with newfound information about one of its leaders, the story ends. Alice has made a decision that wasn't shocking but wasn't satisfying to me as a reader. She as a subject of their system was a failure and ultimately, in the end, a success. The ending makes sense but the rebel in me would have liked to had seen more fight from Alice. She gave in too much still making her a project success. It saddens me in a strange way because its an idealist ending.

Conclusion

It's okay. The story also didn't surprise me in any of the ways a good dystopian should. It had explosive dialogue at times that didn't seem necessary, characters that didn't make sense in their behavior. In my mind, it reminded me of the stiffness of poorly done claymation, the movements mechanical, as if someone was controlling them, rather than them acting in what would be natural to them. The writing felt mechanical and unnatural so the characters ended up feeling this way too.

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A very thought-provoking novel set in near-future Australia, where government regulates births and children are separated from their birth parents to be raised by others.
What I hoped for going into this book was to get some food for thought, and I did get it. The premise was very intriguing. I enjoyed the read but did have a hard time with the pacing, and though some things were well detailed, other parts of the book didn't feel detailed enough to be believable, leaving me confused by some of the plot twists. The ending was abrupt... Maybe this might lead to a sequel?
I do think this is a good debut novel, leaving room for improvement, and would be interested to read the author's next works.

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The year is 2040 and in Australia society has moved on in a very surprising way. Through a change in social policy young women are now expected to give birth twice in their late teens and early twenties, then hand the babies over to professional "Maters" and "Paters" whose function is to raise these children in small group homes . If the birth mother wishes , she can spend time with her children on Sundays, but if not , she can carry on with her life and career , secure in the knowledge that they are being well cared for. This policy has been in effect for almost twenty years, and has evolved in such a way that now parents are being genetically matched and the resultant embryos screened before implantation, something that is causing some concern among the general population. No child lives in poverty and every child is safe, but what are the real costs, and who is really paying them?
This book follows the stories of two women , Monica and Alice. Monica is nineteen and is one of the mothers in the program, having recently given birth to a son, Oscar. Dreaming of a career in science , she never felt the desire to have a family, but as the time to surrender her son is drawing closer she is beginning to have second thoughts and turns to her mother, Alice for help. Alice is one of the earliest products of the new social system , and is now a big wig in its organisation, but she is about to make a discovery that will shake it to its very foundations., and leave her with some very big decisions of her own to make.
I found the central premise of this book fascinating but I do wish that more of the focus had been on the initial implementation of the reproductive program and how the Australian society as a whole was convinced that it was a good and necessary idea. This feels like a missed opportunity, and would have added an interesting dimension to the story. Both of the central characters , Alice and Monica, were sympathetic for different reasons, and several of the secondary characters were really well executed, most notably Ellie, a young girl cared for by Alice's husband Oliver, a Pater. I found the ending just a little rushed , but there does seem to be potential for the author to revisit this dystopian future, and if she chooses to do so, I will be eager to see where she takes it.
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.

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