Cover Image: Human Blues

Human Blues

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Member Reviews

Elisa Albert remains one of our most original and bold writers and this story of a rock musician struggling with infertility is one of her most riotous and profound books yet. Loved it!

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๐˜๐˜ถ๐˜ฎ๐˜ข๐˜ฏ ๐˜‰๐˜ญ๐˜ถ๐˜ฆ๐˜ด
Elisa Albert
Avid Reader Press
Publication date: 5 July 2022

In ๐˜๐˜ถ๐˜ฎ๐˜ข๐˜ฏ ๐˜‰๐˜ญ๐˜ถ๐˜ฆ๐˜ด, Elisa Albert delves into the heart-wrenching experience of infertility, intertwining it with themes of womanhood and societal expectations. This thought-provoking novel takes readers on an emotional journey through the eyes of funny, bold and unapologetically feminist singer-songwriter Rosner Aviva, a fiercely determined woman grappling with the devastating reality of her infertility.

The narrative revolves around Aviva's passionate desire to become a mother while adamantly opposing technological interventions in conception. Through her fourth studio album, ๐˜ž๐˜ฐ๐˜ฎ๐˜ฃ ๐˜š๐˜ฆ๐˜ณ๐˜ท๐˜ช๐˜ค๐˜ฆ, Aviva channels her frustrations and fears surrounding infertility, creating music that resonates with a wider audience. As her songs gain popularity, Aviva finds herself caught in a whirlwind of public attention, with her infertility becoming a defining aspect of her identity.

๐˜๐˜ถ๐˜ฎ๐˜ข๐˜ฏ ๐˜‰๐˜ญ๐˜ถ๐˜ฆ๐˜ด follows the course of nine menstrual cycles. This imitates the cyclical nature of both womanhood and the emotional roller coaster of infertility. It provides readers with an intimate understanding of Aviva's struggle, capturing the immense physical and psychological pressures she faces.

Through Aviva's story, Elisa Albert challenges conventional notions of motherhood and womanhood. Her novel invites readers to question deeply ingrained assumptions and expectations surrounding fertility, while exploring the multifaceted experiences and hardships encountered by women. By combining Aviva's personal story with broader social commentary, Albert adeptly addresses themes of self-identity and the complexities of female reproductive health.

The prose in ๐˜๐˜ถ๐˜ฎ๐˜ข๐˜ฏ ๐˜‰๐˜ญ๐˜ถ๐˜ฆ๐˜ด mirrors the raw emotions experienced by Aviva. Albertโ€™s skillful storytelling draws readers into Aviva's world, allowing us to empathize with her pain, frustration, and unwavering determination. The characters are well-developed, their struggles and relationships adding depth and authenticity to the narrative.

The novel's exploration of infertility is handled with sensitivity and compassion. Albert highlights the isolation and heartbreak that accompanies this experience, shedding light on the emotional toll it takes on individuals and relationships. Aviva's story is heartfelt and nuanced, providing a platform for discussions about infertility that are both insightful and empathetic.

๐˜๐˜ถ๐˜ฎ๐˜ข๐˜ฏ ๐˜‰๐˜ญ๐˜ถ๐˜ฆ๐˜ด is a remarkable novel about motherhood and the inherent value of women beyond their reproductive capabilities. It is a powerful testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the complexities of the female experience. I enjoyed all the musical references, too.

A huge thank you to #AvidReaderPress and #NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC. All opinions expressed are my own.

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Thanks to NetGalley for providing me this ARC

I picked up this book because the cover art is gorgeous. This book was all over the place with a raging anti-feminist who was beyond insufferable.

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This book was long, and I'm grateful I was able to read it all in one sitting, because I was so sucked into the world of it. Losing yourself in the mind of the protagonist, Aviva, is such a gift. It's a wild, emotional ride. She's complicated and strong willed and interesting. She lives and breathes like a real person. She sucks, she's a legend. She is so many things and I loved hearing her thoughts, even when they were wrong and potentially offensive. That's a good book, y'all.

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I like funny and snarky, I didn't feel like this was it, I felt like this was chaotic and angry. I thought I would identify more after having been through 2 years of infertility myself but I just didn't connect, there were moments that I liked the main character but too many that I didn't.

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What can I even say about this one? Elisa Albert is a new author to me, and her writing simply blew me away. I like to describe some books as panic attacks. This is more like... a manic episode? A fever dream? It's unlike anything I've read before, and burrowed deep under my skin. I couldn't stop thinking about it when I would put it down, and immediately had to listen to podcast episodes she appeared on because I wanted to hear about how this story came to be.

Aviva Rosner is a character that should go down in history. She is fully-formed and jumps off the page and right into your brain. She is a 30-something singer-songwriter who is about to release her 4th album and gaining more and more success. She is also desperately trying to have a baby, and coming up against all the pressure of being unable to. The book is more like a monologue inside her head with her singular voice. She is funny, brassy, bold, and unapologetic. The book is loudly feminist and will make you question things you never thought twice about (like the implications and ramifications of IVF). I don't always do trigger warnings, but if you have any hang-ups about being pregnant or getting pregnant, best to stay away from this one. But, if you love Amy Winehouse? Read it for sure!!

It's an emotional, chaotic roller coaster, and I don't say that lightly, but it is also certainly not a criticism. It is dense and fun, but also melancholy and infuriating. I loved and hated Aviva, which I'm sure was the intention. I also loved her as an artist, and all the references to the real life singer-songwriters that I adore. Albert is an incredible author and this is an incredible book that I won't soon forget.

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I think this is an excellent read for music lovers, and those who enjoy deep character driven stories. The book is divided into 9 chapters, following various menstrual cycles and their relation to the main characters narrative. Unfortunately, I found this to be too detailed and cerebral for me, but especially believe someone with great context into music history, women's rights and women's literature would eat this up!

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To read this book, the week after Roe vs Wade was overturned, could not have been better timed.

Human Blues by Elisa Albert is a masterpiece of autonomy, feminism, art, reproduction, women, children, ambivalence, obsession, and humanity. It's modern, it's the future, it's the past. It's high art. It's pop culture.

It's perfection.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read this book.

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I made it through 10% of this before deciding it just wasn't for me. Not sure if it's a mood thing or what but I could just tell getting through it would be a slog. I found the little bit I read to be pretty engaging with a touch of humor, but seeing that this book is over 400 pages confirmed that I wasn't enjoying it enough to push through.

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this was an exhausting and chaotic story, i wasn't a huge fan of the central character. beautiful cover though.

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An interesting perspective from a singer/songwriter on being infertile/barren and all the emotional space that takes up for her, all while going on with life and living her true self. Would recommend even if you have no desire to have children, like me.

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"Human Blues" was a very long-winded and odd little novel. I really wanted to connect with this story better. I just didn't care for the main character. She was constantly whining, and she would go off on little rants out of nowhere. I felt the character's desperation to have a baby, but I'm still wondering why she wanted to be a mother at all? The musical career aspect was interesting, but Aviva talks about Amy Winehouse to death! I felt like I didn't need a social commentary about Winehouse's life and drug use. Aviva seemed much younger than her years. She read like a moody and impulsive teenager. She was very grating at times. This is so-so novel. That cover art is stunning though.

Thank you, Netgalley and Avid Reader Press for the digital ARC.

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Admittedly, I'm still thinking if I enjoyed this book or not. The first half exhausted me a little with Aviva's caustic & constant social commentary. Though sometimes she made me think about the the way that I have always interacted with doctors and their recommendations for potentially fertility-threatening side effects.

Aviva definitely does not seem like someone I'd like to hang with in person, but I did like the rock & roll star on tour element to the story. The Amy Winehouse tie-in was interesting and I'm not sure entirely necessary. I did think the relationship & meeting with Aviva & her parents was really sweet.

The second half of the book I was really hoping for her and feeling Aviva's desperation and then finally acceptance with her body. I definitely feel & echo the stress of the pressure to procreate by a certain age and how your life can't possibly be fulfilled without children.

Very good writing in between feminist rants, another good example of contemporary fiction highlighting the female struggle with motherhood.

More like a 2.5 instead of 3 stars.

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