XX

Angela Chadwick's XX details a terrifying yet all too real reality wherein women and readers alike are reminded that, even today, we live in a world where our bodies are not our own. This book was excellent; the written style was fine in its simplicity, but I think when a book deals with a subject matter such as this, simplicity is key. Chadwick's novel danced around the various social, economical, personal AND political aspects of woman/woman conception. This as brilliantly pulled off, particularly for today's political landscape and how it acts within literary borders. Other feminist novels such as Alderman's The Power still channel their feminist arguments through antiquated views such as, in Alderman's case, basing the novel on the wildly toxic and outdated ideal that strength and power are divisions of gender. What Chadwick instead does is wholly overturn the idea of the patriarchy in a world where women are granted total control (to an extent) over their bodily autonomy. Unsurprisingly, and partially what made this novel more terrifying to read, was that even some women were threatened by the semi-collapse (or perhaps threat towards) the patriarchal systems that unfortunately still uphold society today. What is more, set in England, this book proves as a stark reminder that even in 2018, in a developed country such as the UK, the autonomy of women's bodies is still a political issue, and despite being an autocratic government that is supposed to separate church and state, religion is still called upon by politicians to settle matters it should have no hand in. I hope there are more novels like this to come, and feel that if Alderman's antiquated notions of feminism can win a women's fiction prize, then I think this novel will win out even more so.

What a complex concept that I absolutely loved exploring and have subsequently had many conversations about the moral dilemma of natural selection versus science. Brilliantly written with great depth of characterisation. The story is not just a simple tale but a journey through one couple’s experiences during a science assisted pregnancy. I loved the tension, depicted so accurately, that often occurs between couples pre conception and during pregnancy - the insecurities and fear were sensitively described. The other element of this story is the intense media pressure which was an omnipresent and integral part of the story. A well deserved 5 stars

Really interesting - honest, topical and relevant. The characters and settings felt very realistic - believable in the world we live in.

Such an interesting book and a layered, sensitively told story. The story weaves a topical issue, the effects it has in the public and private sphere, and the range of emotions felt by the people just struggling to live, in a really compelling way. Will be recommending this to loads of people.

What a wonderfully provocative and stimulating book this is! There’s a danger than novels based around ‘issues’ can lose their creative edge, that thing that makes them an act of storytelling rather than polemic, but Chadwick doesn’t fall into that trap. She also doesn’t tie up all the ends so that difficult issues remain problematic, open to discussion, rather than being closed down in a narrow-minded fashion. Indeed, the book has little time for the aggressively easy answers being put forward by the Tory politician, the tabloid newspapers and the less salubrious side of social media where any woman who steps out of line is threatened with physical violence and rape to put her back into ‘her place’.

I don’t want to say much about the plot which would be too spoilery but the originating premise is that researchers at a UK university have discovered a way to fertilise a human egg with the DNA taken from another egg: ovum-to-ovum fertilisation which, because it doesn’t involve male Y chromosomes, always result in a baby girl. Cue some rabid scaremongering from the media about feminist/lesbian conspiracies to eradicate men...

From this starting point, however, unweaves a story that takes in issues of class and sexuality, gender politics and Westminster politics, the popular media, ‘fake news’ and the frightening phenomenon of people ditching expert and rational factual discourse for something far more emotive and irrational. It’s not all ‘issues’ either: through the relationship of Jules and Rosie, this also looks at how a couple cope under crisis, and what happens when one of them wants a child the other just isn’t sure about.

Through it all Chadwick keeps a tight hold on her material so that plot and debate unfurl hand-in-hand. This is the kind of book you’ll want to press on all your friends if only to have someone to discuss it with. And I even cried a bit at the end!

What a wonderful thought provoking storyline- could it really happen in the future, I don’t think so?? It was beautifully written, full of hope, love and fear.

Amazing.

A slow burning book - I admit that whilst I was highly intrigued with the premise, I did find the book difficult to get into at first - however as the storyline picked up I was absolutely gripped and read the last quarter through the night because I couldn’t put it down.

A book which really makes you think, whilst being an enjoyable, challenging read. Highly recommended.

Very intriguing, well paced contemplation of a plausible future concept. XX explores the implications of female/female IVF. This means a lesbian couple can conceive a baby that is entirely their combined genetics....no more sperm donors needed. Jules is a reporter with a complicated background, a massive chip on her shoulder but a big heart. Her gorgeous girlfriend is more free-spirited, from a stable, privileged home. Together they decide to apply for the first trial of Ovum-to-Ovum fertilization. Their baby could make history.

I love how the author considers the 360 degree reaction to the idea, from the potential clients, to the media, to the general public and even politics. It brings the influence of the media into focus and made me question my own views. The pace is well set, and the characters well-rounded. In fact, the book was very thorough at filling the gaps and considering many alternative angles and reactions.

It was so thorough that I feel some magic is missing. Nevertheless I enjoyed this solid 4 star book.

I was drawn to this book by the central premise of a scientific breakthrough which allows women, via a form of IVF, to have children with each other, without the input of men. Eerily, this was the subject of a dream I had many years ago and I was curious to see where the idea would be taken by the writer.

The main character was a complicated one. Sometimes I liked her; sometimes I wanted to knock some sense into her! The extended cast of characters was reasonably interesting, although some of them were a little one dimensional. A betrayal early in the storyline led to intrigue about the perpetrator which kept me guessing right up to the final reveal near the end of the novel, although the character it seemed the writer wanted readers to initially suspect was too obviously there as a red herring, in my opinion.

Whilst a little slow to get going, once I got through the initial chapters I found the story gripping and finished it in one sitting. Although this obviously touches on science which does not currently exist, there is no scientific detail and the novel is definitely more of a thriller than science fiction for me.

Imagine a world where men have been eradicated.

...then forget about that, because that's not what this book is about. It is about the development of a new form of IVF called ovum to ovum fertilisation, which means that babies can be born without the need for a man and Juliet and Rosie are lucky enough (or so they think) to be chosen to take part in the clinical trial. This is an excellent book which tackles a topic which could be possible in the not-too-distant future and focuses on the backlash and critics of such a venture, with so many obvious parallels to protests against abortion, gay marriage, and other things used to control people (especially women). I would highly recommend this book which despite the not-yet-existing subject matter is still incredibly relevant for the world we live in today. I've seen it described at sci-fi on Goodreads but would definitely argue that it isn't. Despite the fact the technology doesn't exist, this book is an excellent commentary on our current social and political climate.

(Thanks to the publishers for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review)

Interesting read! Maybe this is what would happen in real life!? I found the story interesting, I engaged with and cared about the characters, I enjoyed to route of the story and the way jules dealt with the publicity, her feelings and Rosie. I also liked her thoughts on becoming a new mother and the difficulties faced by 2 women couples and trying conceive. A very enjoyable read!

A truly fascinating read. I was hooked from beginning to end and was totally consumed in the story, even when I wasn't reading it.

Jules has found her perfect partner and is blissfully happy after a childhood deprived of her Mother and a struggling Father who gave her love but was battling his own grief. Her partner, Rosie, would like a baby but Jules has resisted until a magical holiday sees the joy a baby can bring. On return, a ground breaking trial is announced using cells from 2 females to create an embryo to implant, thereby offering the chance of both Mothers being genetically linked to their baby. We follow the pair through the pre-tests, the subsequent acceptance onto the trial and the outcome. Yes, it's controversial, but the sheer opposition the couple endure is staggering. I had to keep reminding myself this was fiction as it was so immediate and believable. I was compelled to race through to finish the book to find out what happened. The characters and their emotions were so well defined. But the underlying message of press intrusion and manipulation of people came across just as strongly as the emotion and I almost got a petition up to protest. This is a book of love, hope, despair and intolerance. If the ending had been left hanging I would have complained to the author, as although I didn't expect a 'happy-ever-after' ending I did want a satisfactory conclusion which Angela Chadwick managed to provide.

A thought provoking exploration of a world in which women could have children with other women. The book explores both viewpoints well and the characters are well developed and relatable.

I enjoyed this book, and I appreciated how it focused on individual approaches to pregnancy as well as the reception to O-O conception.

The premise of this novel is fascinating - what if science could find a way to enable two women to conceive a baby together that is biologically theirs, without the need for any male involvement? But what the novel really deals with is more fascinating still - how would society react to this? Well written, perfectly paced and so timely, in XX Chadwick explores how this development might be received by the UK (and the rest of the world) today. The novel focuses on Jules and Rosie, a lesbian couple participating in the first clinical trial of the new method. Their names are leaked to the press and the resulting public reaction and outcry leaves them exposed and vulnerable. Through excellent character development, Chadwick manages to explore the social, ethical and political questions raised, while still telling what is at its core a beautifully human story.

I have never read anything like this before. The idea is fantastic. We follow Rosie and Jules on their journey to become parent's. They hear of a ground breaking clinical trial that can help two women the chance to become parent's to a female baby that would genetically be theirs. Once news breaks of this trial they have to deal with the hate and backlash from people who think it is wrong and would lead to the end of man...

I was really intrigued when I read the synopsis for this book. Imagine a world in which scientists can use two women's eggs to produce a baby girl. It's such a interesting concept and one which would completely change the world if it were true.

From the beginning I was drawn into Jules and Rosie's relationship and I felt a part of their struggles. Sometimes books which feature science as their plot are too science-heavy, whereas XX very much focuses on the humans involved in the science- what's it like for them, what are they experiencing and feeling and how they would cope with the events that unfurl.

I found this meant I gobbled up page after page eager to know what happened next, personally invested in whether Rosie and Jules would get their happy ending. It also avoided the author getting anything too scientific incorrect, which is important as it wouldn't have worked to make up the science involved in this process.

I had real problems liking Jules as a person. I felt she consistantly made the wrong choices when she could so easily have made the right one. She was quite infuriating as a character but this did work within the plot of the book as Jules frequently makes reference to the fact she knows she's less personable and easy to like than her partner Rosie.

I thought the exploration of what makes a child yours and the feelings Jules and Rosie had about the baby all the way through the book was really believable and honestly whilst I was reading I had no idea how it was all going to end.

I also really enjoyed the fact it was set in Petersfield and surrounding areas as that's near where I'm from. It was nice to see familiar names and areas being referenced. I think only people who live near Leigh Park will properly understand the relevance of Jules's father being raised there!

I really enjoyed this book.

A phenomenal work of speculative fiction, XX follows the story of Jules and Rosie, one of the first female-only couples to have their own baby without the help of a man.
When a place opens up on a ground-breaking clinical trial to allow two women to have a baby, Jules and Rosie jump at the chance to join, but as the media storm descends the pressure threatens to break them apart.
I loved this book for several reasons; a minority perspective; probing of male/female roles in society; questions on motherhood; portrayal of media and a story that is rooted in reality, despite its speculative setting. Jules as the narrator is wonderfully flawed, in a way that is incredibly readable and relatable throughout. Her voice stays strong, trying to cope with changes and stresses that could happen to anyone, and I think Angela Chadwick has captured her humanity perfectly. Jules sees her partner through rose-tinted glasses, she is overwhelmed and second guesses herself, she strives to do what is best – these are all attributes everyone can relate to, and it creates an important empathy with the reader. We see, through Jules’ eyes, a toxicity of societal views and values that threaten her and her family in a way that shakes your faith in humanity. Hers is a voice and a story that will make you want to scream at the ignorance of the other characters.
The main theme of the story centres around men and women’s place in society and their roles within it, and it is incredibly provocative and timely. It forces you to question the ‘what if’s’ of your own values, and also shows the circus of the media- obsessed world. In this era of ‘fake news’ and gender roles in constant flux, what would happen if this kind of option were available? What would the media narrative be? Chadwick takes these questions and forms an utterly stimulating plot that doesn’t just feel issue-led. It’s thought-provoking whilst remaining believable and absorbing as a story, and she avoids narrow-mindedness within a first-person narrative with her inclusion of the rhetoric and arguments around the clinical trial. There are several characters with differing opinions who raise issues in their own way, exactly as it would be in real life.
Motherhood is also central to the plot and I really think Chadwick has captured the voice of different mothers and mothers-to-be expertly. Dreams, doubts and troubles invade from all angles and I think it’s a powerful exploration of how parents might actually feel as opposed to how they should feel. There’s an assortment of different family set-ups shown as well which adds even more depth to the dynamics portrayed, and results in a colourful variety of viewpoints scattered through the story. Tying into that theme also is Chadwick’s snippets of the male-gaze and many of the male characters’ defensiveness when they feel threatened. We read disgusting threats to Jules on social media and hear abusive shouts and insults as she goes about her work. They are short but insidious and act as an exposé of hatred within society of something that challenges the ‘norm’. Chadwick’s inclusion of these is incredibly powerful and important, driving home the sometimes poisonous nature of other’s views on personal matters.
I think the plot of his novel is fantastic, with sympathetic characters, thought-provoking issues and ultimately a hopeful outlook for the future. I will be recommending this powerful and timely novel to everyone I know, and I can definitely see many debates around the issues covered arising.

Review to be posted on STORGY.com

Jules, a journalist and her partner Rosie are given the opportunity to become the biological parents of a baby. New technology and research from a university means that o-o (ovum to ovum) fertilisation is now possible meaning women in relation would no longer need to rely on sperm donations in order to have children. Unfortunately Rosie and Jules are faced with hatred and vitriol from the public and press and their relationship is tested to the limit. XX is actually an extremely powerful novel, obviously the science at this point yet but the social media intrusion and the way that women are perceived and treated is very relevant in this current climate.

XY makes male, XX makes female; in vivo, in vitro, the rules are the same, the basic principles which govern human reproduction and embryology however it is arranged, through natural conception, through a donor or a surrogate. But what if there was another way, ovum to ovum fertilisation, a process whereby endangered species who have low reproductive rates could have their numbers increased?

By default rather than by design, such offspring would invariably be female, an X chromosome inherited from each of their mothers, but for some couples this would also be an ideal if unexpected and unsought realisation of their desires, a child of their own without need for the genetic contribution of an outsider, be it an anonymous stranger or a family friend.

Juliet Curtis never wanted children in the same way her girlfriend Rosie Barcombe did; on holiday with strangers’ children, in her work at the bookshop, it was always Rosie who was at ease at making young friends, but neither of them expected the question to come into their lives so directly or suddenly.

The human trials announced at Portsmouth University’s Centre for Reproductive Medicine, it is on their doorstep, and Rosie wants to apply; pages of questions on them and their families to ascertain their suitability and the possibility of inherited diseases, the interviews, the tests, the possibility they will not be accepted, the chance that, as with many IVF cycles, Rosie will not become pregnant; all this they are aware of and understand.

What they are not prepared for is the barrage of hatred, abuse, disinformation and distortion of truth, betrayal by those closest to them and the invasion of their privacy as their identity is leaked to the press and they become the bête noire of a local politicial aiming for the big time who needs a cause upon which he can pin his ambition to stir up national outrage.

The debut novel of Angela Chadwick, like Jules she trained as a journalist and worked as a reporter and conveys the sense of how the drive to be honest and truthful is compromised by the demands of big media and editors whose goal is selling papers, irrespective of who is hurt or defamed.

Like Chadwick, Jules has a voice and has chosen to tell her story in her way, awkward, disappointed, exhausted but determined and hopeful despite the forces arrayed against her and Rosie and their unborn daughter, the screaming headlines proclaiming the trial as unnatural, a strike against men who will become obsolete if the scientists and the lesbians have their way.

The representation of science in the media notorious for unsupported and alarmist prognostications, rational debate is sidelined, the self-evident fact ignored that even if the trial is successful and the process approved it will only represent a fraction of IVF births which are a fraction of natural births, that the shape of the world will not change to a dominant matriarchy; all that matters is fanning the flames.

An informed and measured work of slipstream science fiction, Chadwick does not make her characters superhuman; Jules is flawed, apprehensive about the process and her part in it, subjected to taunts at work and feeling marginalised even as her girlfriend carries their child, and XX is easy to read and relate to despite the apparent strangeness of the situation, the focus always on the characters rather than medical terminology or genetics.

Isolated from her few friends Jules has no one to assure her that it is entirely normal for any prospective parent to have doubts during a huge adjustment in priorities and responsibilities, and despite their portrayal by the Alliance for Natural Reproduction she and Rosie have more in common with those who “honour God’s way and trust in him to create our children” than sets them apart, all of them prospective parents who want health and happiness for their child; fortunately, Chadwick’s firstborn is a winner.

This book was a complete change from my usual genre of crime fiction. I think it is bang on topic about same-sex couples having children,it's a topic that is definitely a conversation changer. I found the book a really interesting read,and thought the xploration of all the relationship's where very well written and researched. I certainly didn't expect to see the twist in the story,and it really made me catch my breath . It really does make you think about the possibility of this actually happening . A brilliant book.

I couldn’t put this book down. I found it to be utterly heart-wrenching.
The characters were written so realistically - the reader feels like they know them, are part of their circle. I really felt for Jules and Rosie, and although they both annoyed me at times, at the same time their actions were completely understandable.

The plot was an interesting insight into what the world could be like if female same-sex couples could procreate, and it was well thought out and researched. I could completely believe all the processes that they went through, and all the politics they faced.

Now I just want the experiment to be realised (sans angry homophobic backlash) and implemented. I want real-life Emmelines.

This is an incredibly important and timely book, and a fantastic study of society. Thanks to Little Brown and Netgalley for the ARC ☺️

My thanks to Dialogue Books/Little Brown for an ARC via NetGalley. I found it hard to put down this innovative work of speculative fiction and I am recommending it without reservation.

Written in the first person the narrative has a strong sense of immediacy and intimacy as Juliet (Jules) shares her thoughts and experiences. The premise of ovum-to-ovum fertilisation seems credible as do the negative responses to it by the media and various conservative voices.

While common sense indicates that such pregnancies would hardly threaten the conventional way of reproduction or create a world where males become the minority, there are scaremongering voices in the press and social media inciting harassment and threats of violence that feel all too plausible. Spot on that The Guardian, one of the non-fictional newspapers included in the novel, struggle in vain to be a voice of reason.

Chadwick does not allow the issues to swamp her story and Jules and Rosie remain at its heart. It is a stunning debut. A novel bound to stimulate discussion and be an excellent choice for reading groups given its accessibility and the issues raised.

Wow!!!

A very interesting debut novel by Angela Chadwick. Not something that I would normally pick up to read but after reading the description on NetGalley I knew I had to request it.  

The book covers an interesting topic of lesbian couples who could become pregnant and have a biological baby which would always be a girl with the help of scientists who can use eggs from the two women without the need of  sperm donors, an interesting concept that could be all too real in the future.

The book takes us on a journey with a couple who take part in this new trial. It focuses on the couple and what’s it like for them along with what they are feeling and experiencing and how they are coping with the events that unfold while taking part with the trial.

I found the story very intriguing. I did struggle with it a little at the very beginning but the story picks up and from then on I was so gripped. I thought it was well written and the characters felt so real and believable. I felt I could empathise with some of the characters in this book.  

An overall enjoyable book that is thought provoking, while at the same a little challenging. I can just imagine the topic covered in this book becoming possible in the future. I look forward to reading more books by this author in the near future I hope. I highly recommend this book.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK/Dialogue Books for my eARC in return for an honest and unbiased review.

An amazing novel about the advances in fertility treatment, specifically ovum to ovum feritilisation. Rosie and Jules are the first couple to conceive this way. However, it means any children born this way will only ever be female- which is a threat to the existence of males. This was such an original but completely plausible narrative with brilliant arguments for and against contained within.

This read us very different from anything that I have read before and really interesting. It pit's a moral dilemma in the backdrop of a story, and looks at different views of the dilemma from different charcaters points of view. It is a dynamic story,:well written and the characters are very likeable. I thoroughly enjoyed the book and would read another from this author. It made me think what would my view be, what would my fears be. .. very interesting. .

A fantastic book that takes a clever idea and runs with it , using it cleverly to examine the complex dynamics of several relationships. In a version of our world that is not so very different scientists have discovered a way to fuse two ova to create a female embryo, meaning that two women can now choose to have a baby together, where they are both genetic parents. The story follows Rosie and Jules, a couple who become part of the clinical trial . At first everything is perfect, they are happily planning a future for their family, buying a larger home etc, but when their details are leaked and they are forced into the public eye they become the focus of vitriol, bullying and even a political campaign to have the procedure banned. As the stress builds, putting an inevitable strain on their relationship, Jules begins to have second thoughts about the whole idea.
Aside from the clever conceit on which the plot of the book is based, the real strength of this story is the characters at the heart of it, particularly Jules, and her struggle and journey as the book unfolds. It is impossible not to feel a degree of empathy for her, and it is this emotional connection that kept me completely engaged as a reader, The author looks at a number of family relationships, particularly parental ones, and the story of Jules fractured relationship with her father adds yet another layer of emotional depth to an already compelling book.
Thought provoking and memorable, this is one that kept me thinking long after I turned the last page.
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own,

A brilliant, highly probable storyline and extremely controversial storyline. This is the future in science, two women being able to have a baby without the need of a man!
Jules and Rosie a couple in a loving lesbian relationship decide to volunteer for this groundbreaking experimental procedure, making them both biologically related to their baby, the story really touches on not only the ethics behind this type of experimental science but also the dynamics of their relationship when faced with the backlash and negativity from their decision.

Excellently written, I was totally sucked into this future that in reality isn’t all that far away.

A very clever and enjoyable read.

What an amazing-and timely!-book 'Xx' is. In it, a pioneering technique allows women to have babies with each other and explores what the consequences of 'ovum to ovum' technology could mean through the eyes of a lesbian couple-Rosie and Jules. Running against this scientific advance is a local MP whose election campaign is based on a return to the family values where women are seen and not heard. It is not too far fetched to imagine a world where this technique is science fact not fiction, and given the current political and social climate between the sexes, a world where men are obsolete-Xx chromosomes can only produce female children-however, Angela Chadwick does not beat a moralistic drum throughout her novel.
She tackles gender inequality, sexism and IVF through her characters leaving scope for the reader to think long and hard about where they stand. What I really enjoyed was the political, scientific and social discussion of 'just because we can, should we?'
It is an absorbing read , a thoughtful read and something I would 100% recommend to anyone.
Many thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for letting me read this in return for an honest review.