Thank you to the publisher for allowing me to read and review this ARC. Full review to be found on Goodreads and on my website.

I received an ARC of this book thanks to NetGalley and publisher Scribe UK in exchange for an honest review.

It feels almost criminal to give a book like this 3 stars because it is anything but average, but I am not sure how else to represent my feelings about it.

Baby is the very weird story of two women who spontaneously decide to run off together. One of them is a 21 year old named Cynthia, who acts more like an 18 year old. This boat is sort of her dream, and most of the book focuses on things from her perspective. Anahera is her older ex-yoga instructor turned mother figure turned inappropriate crush. The book focuses on this very uncomfortable relationship dynamic, as well as what happens when they are joined by a mysterious man who upsets their dynamic.

This book is incredibly unique and not entirely coherent. I think I wanted a more coherent experience to be honest; I love stories about dark female friendships, and this had a lot of promise, but it remains a little too out there and disconnected from reality for any of the unpleasant elements to hit right. Cynthia is a deeply disturbed woman who is emotionally juvenile. You never quite learn what Anahera's deal with, which I think is a real shame. There are hints that Cynthia's viewpoint is skewing things at various points, but it's missing that other side which would really make the horror-esque elements hit home.

The other thing to mention about this book is that it's incredibly disgusting with its description. I get nauseated quite easily and large passages of this book were deeply unpleasant, with no real reason for it. There's a lot of stuff revolving around physical description or bodily fluids that I could have done without.

Finally, the ending was the most disappointing aspect of this book for me. If it had a punchier ending, I think I would have given this book 4 stars despite its flaws. But it just kind of ends with no real bite, and while I get what it was going for, I wanted something more.

Overall, I think there are books which do this concept better (Social Creature springs to mind) but I can't say I regret reading it. It's a bizarre time and I think it will stand out in my memory for that fact alone. Some people will absolutely love this book because it's not the kind of story you can be 'indifferent' to really. If you think you might be one of them, give it a try

Overall Rating: 3/5 stars

There was much to enjoy here, but I found I couldn't connect with it. I'd read more from this author in the future though.

Baby by Annaleese Jochems was a surprising, swirling mass of dreary darkness. The anti-heroine Cynthia made my skin crawl in the best possible way and her obsessiveness shadows other fictional villains I have spent my time with within 2020. Baby proclaims that not all female friendships are powerful or chock-filled with love. Baby in fact shows us how society has warped our perception of friendship as well as ourselves. What is self-love and what is neurotic behavior? There is a lot to unpack with Baby - especially when considering the dynamics of power, truth, love, and performative behavior. Let's just say I would not want to be in their shoes... But isn't everyone in their own way?

Incredibly bizarre and unique, this is like nothing I've read before - in a good way. It's incredibly hard to even categorize this book - it's not really a romance, not really a thriller, just an incredibly interesting adventure story with fascinating characters. Really recommend if you're looking to read something 'different'.

An oddly absorbing little book.

A darkly written satire of self-obsession and entitlement.

It is intense, disturbing and l didn't like any of the characters. But still, it is a bizarrely fascinating read, I'm not really sure if I loved it or hated it but I suspect that is the true genius of it.

It got my attention, I couldn't stop turning the pages and the writing itself is brilliant, Jochems is a talented writer and I'm intrigued to see what she does next.

A huge thanks to Scribe & NetGalley for gifting me a copy in return for an open & honest review.

⭐⭐⭐

Like a slice of reality TV (in the best possible sense, I mean this as a compliment!), this is a gripping, disturbing and laugh-out-loud book..

Struggling between 2 and 3 stars...as I'm still unsure if I liked this. It was (ironically) similar to over-the-top reality tv you can't look away from. The way it is written, the plot, and the characters themselves are all so weird. The story starts off rather normal and to be honest, boring. Neither of the characters we are introduced to are likeable. As the novel goes on, it becomes more surreal and a third main character is introduced (he too is unlikable).

I don't agree with the reviews I have read that talk about how this is a great commentary on the millennial experience through the eyes of out main character, Cynthia - for one neither she or the author are millennials. Secondly, I don't think it delved too much into the issues of social media and celebrity idolisation to be a commentary on them. I would even argue that it is not a generational issue but an age issue; before social media to follow your favourite celebrity there were celebrity gossip sites and magazines, and socialites who were famous for being famous. Big Brother was first conceptualised when the even the oldest millennials were not yet adults. There may be a slight commentary on the gap between millennials and zoomers, or those who fall somewhere in between. The ages of our two other main characters are not given to us, but given their life situation I assumed they are in their early 30s. But honestly, that is a small part of the story. All three characters, despite their generational grouping are all self-absorbed narcissists, and the novel is a portrayal of how awful they are.

I like reading about unlikable characters, I love reading character driven novels but I didn't love this. None of the characters were really memorable, and I had to read some sections twice to be sure of what character was speaking.

I gave this book my full attention for at least 35% of the story but I just could not get into it. The writing style wasn’t very intriguing to me and the plot....well there didn’t really seem to be one? I really wanted to love this book but it just really fell flat for me.

Baby was an interesting read.
I had high hopes for it and unfortunately, it did not deliver the way I wanted it to.
The writing was extremely hard to read and the plot wasn't very great.

If you like books that have humour, which at times is dark, meeting characters who are simply outrageous then you will adore this book. At times I was going to give up, however it was addictive and just had to carry on. I certainly was not bored, just very confused at times. A fitness instructor, Anaheera, turns up out of the blue on the door step of one of the women, Cynthia, who attended her class, as Annaheera had just finished with her husband. Cynthia suggested that they go off together. After raiding her father's bank account she takes Annaheera and they buy a boat. The antics they get up to are extremely unbelievable but makes you think. The book is written through the eyes of Cynthia who is very self obsessed. The author definitely has a toilet fettish. I do feel that it is worth a try. Like me, you will want to read to the end to find out how it finishes.

Baby by Annaleese Jochems felt incredibly unique in the ever expanding psychological thriller genre, it was a brand new take on a story that I'd never heard before. It's incredibly smart and funny in a dark way.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review.

The plot seemed a bit more intriguing and interesting on paper, but the execution was a bit boring for me. Sometimes a bit too uncomfortable to read, but I did enjoy the aspect of living on a boat, since I have also lived on one once. A very different and strange read, but that makes some interesting points about relationships.

I have a very difficult time not finishing a book, but I think it was more difficult to finish this one.

There was no plot. The characters were terribly unlikable and bizarre (not like fun and quirky). The dialogue was boring. Nothing happened besides Cynthia stealing money from her father and buying a boat for her and Anahera to live on. Even the "exciting" thing, was not exciting. Maybe I'm just missing something artistic.

The mere fact that Cynthia gave up her dog for a love interest is just spectacularly unbelievable...an animal lover would not do that.

A special thank you to NetGalley, Scribe UK, and Annaleese Jochems for providing me with a copy.

This book was tough to read. I got through 25% (right after they leave snot head at the school) and decided not to finish.

I didn’t understand the point of the story or see where it was going. Both characters were so bizarre and the dialogue was so odd and would just end on such weird notes! Examples:
-I don’t drive “ok”
- Sorry about in there? “What for?” I don’t know
-Still want kfc “nah”
- We’ll sell undies online (end of conversation)
-How do you think a sharks stomache feels on the inside? “I think they must stretch”

I didn’t see the value in the dog being there at all or why it was decided naming him Snot-Head was a good idea. The dog pukes, sleeps and moves in and out of the cabin. It brings tension between the characters but other than that didn’t see the point of the dog.

It is not really obvious on the first 25% if Anahera a love interest of Cynthia or a wannabe sister figure? Every time I thought something might happen to bring clarity, the interaction ends.

If you like books that have humour, which at times is dark, meeting characters who are simply outrageous then you will adore this book. At times I was going to give up, however it was addictive and just had to carry on. I certainly was not bored, just very confused at times. A fitness instructor, Anaheera, turns up out of the blue on the door step of one of the women, Cynthia, who attended her class, as Annaheera had just finished with her husband. Cynthia suggested that they go off together. After raiding her father's bank account she takes Annaheera and they buy a boat. The antics they get up to are extremely unbelievable but makes you think. The book is written through the eyes of Cynthia who is very self obsessed. The author definitely has a toilet fettish. I do feel that it is worth a try. Like me, you will want to read to the end to find out how it finishes.

*** ARC provided by NetGalley via the publisher in exchange for an honest review. ***

Honestly? This is a strange book with unlikeable characters which seems to be a trend amongst novels published recently. Think Eleanor Oliphant with no redeemable qualities and described in a more grotesque way (it reminded me of Humbert Humbert describing Lolita.)

Cynthia is a childish, 21 year old women who, on the whim of Anahera (her gym teacher crush,) runs away, with Anahera, draining her father’s bank account of all of his savings. It’s set in New Zealand where Cynthia and Anahera end up in Bay of Islands where they buy a small, rickety boat called Baby. That’s where this non story begins, I suspect if it was a film you’d call it a character study and it would be filmed using sepia tones!

The writing seemed strange and this left me with as many questions as I started with but, you know, I think that’s how it’s supposed to be. I think the book is intended to be a little enigma. Was it for me? I’m not sure. Did I continue to think about and be frustrated by it for days after finishing? Yes. Is that the mark of a good book? Who really knows? What I can say is that at 219 pages it’s a quick read that left me thinking.

I am just not quite sure what to say
Reading the storyline or summary was intrigued but a few chapters in I wasn't quite sure what was happening, the dialogue was robotic I tried to like the characters O was just so confused
I read a review that she believes the concept was to be disturbed and I guess looking back I can agree
Unfortunately I would have to say 2 stars
Thank you netgalley for the opportunity

Baby is a darkly ridiculous novel about obsession and boredom, and what happens when people are caught together. Cynthia is a twenty one year old with no job who lives with her father and doesn't have much going on in her life, apart from her fitness classes with her instructor Anahera, who is older and has captivated Cynthia. When Anahera leaves her husband, her and Cynthia end up running away with Cynthia's dad's money to live on a boat. Cynthia believes it'll all work out perfectly and that they're in love, but things don't quite go that way, and after events on a small island complicate matters, it's clear there's no equilibrium to be had on the boat.

This novel feels modern, with a style and tone similar to other recent authors and a tendency to highlight elements of contemporary culture (for example, Cynthia is constantly watching reality shows on her phone, even though she doesn't seem to enjoy half of them). The way Cynthia sees the world and what she does is creepy and well-created, though often to the extent that it was infuriating to read her immaturity and not bothering to do things. The narrative has an intriguing premise, but it felt like there was too much left unused, and once you knew the tone of the book the events weren't particularly surprising.

It isn't hard to imagine Baby as a quirky dark comedy film, and the tone of the book is carefully crafted, so it'll appeal to people who like bleakly funny looks at modern life and obsession. However, the plot felt lacking and it ended up dragging a bit, so it didn't quite live up to the premise.

Ok a bit on the weird side. Quite an odd book but captivating at times. I received a copy from Net Galley for an honest review. I would give it 3 stars.