What I liked about this novel, not unlike Ishiguro’s Never Let Me Go, is that it is much more than simply a work of dystopian or feminist fiction. It’s a coming of age tale, a love story, an escape thriller after Phoebe’s conviction. By the same token, this mixture is partly what makes it an uneven read, some sections being definitely more successful or tightly-knit than others.

Although the novel is quite prescient in its depiction of a society where Roe vs Wade has been overturned, I would hesitate to describe it as militant. Phoebe is unsure about her motives if not her actions, constantly questioning whether she's acting out of principle or only to emulate the sister whose approval she’s always craved. Her truth is a tentative one:

“It was this feeling I picked up on. Like there was nothing worse than to be at war with something inside of you. That if women couldn’t be left alone to fight this fight, they’d pick another enemy—children, maybe, or themselves, or men—and fight those things instead.”

By the end of the novel doubts have slowly cleared and Phoebe finds her happiness not in a happy ending but in knowingly choosing her own path.

WHOA. SpecFic from the 90s that is wildly relevant and kind of strange to be reading during this time. It's so incredibly hard to swallow, hard to see so much of this playing out in real time. The story is terrifying, the characters are extremely complex, and the author presents the reader with challenges I was not expecting. My rating is a little lower than I would have liked it to be, but the beginning is slow.

"The Misconceiver" by Ferriss navigates a complex emotional landscape. With a blend of wit and sensitivity, Ferriss delves into the protagonist's journey through fertility challenges. The book offers insightful moments, but occasionally loses narrative momentum. Overall, an intimate exploration of a topic often left unspoken.

Where do I start?? As a woman, this book is scary. Phoebe performs misconceptions, just as her mother and sister did before her. In the time of this book, abortions (or misconceptions) are illegal everywhere in the US. Women don’t have that many rights. It started with Roe v Wade being repealed. Women like Phoebe perform these illegally so women can be safe. Phoebe gets caught and sent to jail, but escapes.

There’s so much more to the story. Feelings, relationships, nuances… some things are futuristic. The writing was dry and difficult to read at first. I had to stick with it and adapt. There wasn’t a lot of emotion in the writing or the story. But things would happen and I wouldn’t realize it. I’d have to go back over it. But I feel like this contributed to the overall feel of the story. I think this is a must read for women. Whether you are pro life or pro choice, this is a great read showing it’s not always about what they’re saying it’s about and it’s certainly not black or white

This book was scary look into our future. A future that is all to real given current events. It was a visceral and engaging read. Hard to look at and hard NOT to look at. In general made me sad to think this could be how far womens rights can be set back.

This was originally published in 1997, and republished in November 2022 — for a fitting reason.

In the world of this book, it's 2026. Roe v. Wade has long been overturned (about two decades now) and every state has chosen to make abortion illegal. But as long as there has been pregnancy, women have found a way to control when they have children. So "misconceptions" and "misconceivers" still exist, providing a choice, providing a door, providing another path for those who don't want to have a child right now.

Phoebe comes from a family of misconceivers: first, her mother, who worked at one of the last clinics in the country that legally provided abortions. She was killed by a bomb that destroyed the whole clinic. Then, her sister Marie took up the reins when it became fully illegal, working out of their father's basement. Marie died in prison after being arrested. So the responsibility of providing women a choice sits on Phoebe, who seems to be one of the few misconceivers left. That's where the novel opens.

This was difficult for me to read. Firstly, because the society (not the plot, but the underlying society) feels just close enough to reality that I had to keep going, "Okay, maybe I don't read this right now." But secondly, it moves so uneven. The first 25% seemed to go incredibly slowly, but then 25-50% was incredibly interesting and zoomed by. The next quarter of the book started to get a little too complicated and political-intrigue for me to completely understand what was happening, and the final quarter felt heavy-handed and preachy.

I so firmly believe in the right to choose that any character against that was an immediate Go Away for me, and Ferriss could have chosen to push a reader to see more of how they believed what they believed. Instead, she makes them villains (which, to be clear, they are to me) but it just felt like I wasn't being challenged at all.

Thanks to the publishers, Netgalley and the author for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. Full disclosure - I live in the Southern Hemisphere, but of course I know of the current debate regarding the overturning of Roe vs Wade and what the possible repercussions this has on women and control over their own choices. And usually what happens in the US filters its way throughout the world.
This will be a controversial review.
Do not read this book (or this review) if you are a so called 'Pro-Lifer'. This book, written I believe somewhat prophetically many years ago, is sympathetic to the rights of women and their choices to have a baby or not.
It is set in an imaginable future where abortion is outlawed and abortionists, who call themselves misconceivers, now work underground. Phoebe, who has lost her sister to a malformed justice system that prosecuted her for being a misconceiver, has become one herself. The story is about her, the people she trusts and those she should not.
It's also about repression and bigotry in all forms - about hiding ones true self to fit into a society that you don't really want to be a part of. I read this book and had the same feeling I had when I read the Handmaid's Tale. That feeling of dread that this could come true and somehow future generations, my children and my children's children could somehow become part of a horrific misogynistic, bigoted society. What way out would they have? What would they have to force themselves to be?
Its a chilling read and one I will think about and talk about for a long time to come.

I was excited to read this book given the recent Roe v Wade decision. Unfortunately, it didn't quite land for me. I had to give it a second chance; my first try stopping quickly after the first graphic scene, but looking back it wasn't worth the time. The worldbuilding was too vague for my tastes, I had trouble knowing which character was speaking, and it was just too long. The main character kind of reminded me of the artist Grimes a little, a formerly interesting, progressive young woman who now just drones on about her boring boyfriend.

On the other hand and to its credit, this book really does make you think, no matter what your beliefs are.

Note: I received a free ebook copy of The Misconceiver from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book was dystopian before dystopian was dystopian. It was interesting seeing the perspective of what the future would like on the 1990's. We are not too far from the future date of the book for the year 2026 and sadly this could play out fairly similarly. Phoebe never really questions her role in things until she realizes that she may pay for her involvement. I can definitely stomach a flawed character, however it is ridiculous that we are expected to believe that morality has completely flown the coop by 2026. I think a lot of readers will probably equate the idea of this novel being similar to The Handmaid's Tale, however just to assure people, it is definitely not, I struggled a bit with this read not because of subject matter, but this book kept losing me after the halfway mark. The plot line was just blurry and I almost completely lost all interest. I can see why this was rereleased, however I think it was better off to stay buried in the 1990's where it belongs. Thanks for the ARC, NetGalley.

The speculative fiction novel The Misconceiver by Lucy Ferriss is an unflinching exploration of the individual and social consequences of severe restriction of reproductive choice. Phoebe Masters, the story’s narrator, is a provider of illegal abortion services living in the United States in the 2020s, after the recent (fictional) overturning of Roe v. Wade has led to a nationwide ban on abortions. The novel, originally published in 1997, has been re-released due to its heightened relevance in the wake of the (non-fictional) overturning of Roe v. Wade in 2022.

From its very first scene, in which 15-year-old Phoebe performs an abortion on her older sister, The Misconceiver refuses to avert its eyes from the physiological realities, emotional impacts, and moral questions surrounding abortion. The author never indulges in euphemism, never relies on political or ideological stereotypes, and never reduces complex issues to pat answers. The storytelling is equal parts courageous and troubling, as a result. Readers hoping to reinforce their pre-existing positions on issues of reproductive choice will not find this story easy to read. Whatever your beliefs, whatever your experiences, whatever your positions—The Misconceiver will push you outside your comfort zone.

As a story, The Misconceiver offers complex characters and relationships, a fast-paced plot with a whodunnit framing, and surprising resolutions. As an exploration of the larger question of reproductive choice, The Misconceiver offers a provocative, nuanced perspective that demands deep thought and questioning by the reader. This would be an excellent book club selection for a group of respectful and open-minded readers. (Fans of Margaret Atwood and Octavia Butler may also find this book particularly up their alley.)

Only through meaningful conversations on the topic of reproductive choice can we as a society creature culture and policy that support the health of everyone in our communities. Somewhere in this complex and fractured landscape of fervently-held opinions and deeply-entrenched political views, I truly believe there is common ground. Wouldn’t all of us choose, if we could, to live in a society of wanted children, loving families, and dignified lives and livelihoods for all people?

The Misconceiver challenges the reader to think deeply about how we, as individuals and as a society, should wield our power to create and destroy lives. I highly recommend this book to any reader comfortable facing provocative questions with an open mind.

LOL - of all the times to be reading this book.....

What timing!

It's scary, to be quite honest. This is basically more of guide to the future if 50% of the government has anything to do with it. I guess I should just start looking into the underground.....

Lucy Ferriss sees into a possible future and it's terrifying.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity.

This ARC was provided to me via Kindle, from Wandering Aengus Press and #NetGalley. Thank you for the opportunity to preview and review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

This novel will make you think.

I was interested in reading this book due to the current political climate. Once I started it, it just made me depressed. I DNF. I will go back and give it another try sometime in the future when hopefully the world is less crazy.

I received this book from NetGalley/the publisher upon its rerelease. This feels particularly relevant as this book was initially published in 1997 and is now being rereleased due to its obvious relevancy post-Dobbs. It seems like a few details have been updated throughout the book to change the year (I saw some older reviews mention 2011 but now the year is 2026?) while keeping the general structure in tact. This is most innocuous but it is a little weird to read a book that paints 2026 as the future and references the 90s but does not reference any of our current technologies or COVID despite 2026 not being that far off. It’s fiction, I can suspend my disbelief but in that vein, it could have just stayed as a faux-2011.

Logistics aside, I think the most obvious comparator to this novel would be A Handmaid’s Tale and I’m sure many will make the connection and find this book unable to compare. That’s fair but this book is also very different—or at least I thought it was trying to just show the world of the main character until it became clear that the character is trying to be a hero. I enjoyed this book as a character study of just one person in this world until about halfway through or so when things started to get convoluted and the cast of characters started to expand so much that it got confusing. There are a lot of small subplots that ultimately feel a little disconnected and by the end, I felt confused about the character I had just spent pages getting to know.

I enjoyed this book, but I’m not sure it was what I was expecting. I think it’s a good read given the current political climate and I actually do appreciate that the political messaging in the book is nuanced (almost all of the characters have complex, conflicting beliefs) though probably not for folks who aren’t pro-choice.

This is definitely an important novel for the times we are living in and I'm happy to have read it. However, for some reason it fell flat for me. I enjoyed the content, but the writing was just not up to par for me, and the ending wasn't my favourite either