This book completely wrecked me in the best way. Buzzard is unsettling, emotional, and way too close to reality to be comfortable, which is exactly why it works. The world feels brutal and believable, and Mae’s story stayed with me long after I finished.

I couldn’t stop thinking about the choices she’s forced to make, the fear threaded through every page, and how much love and resilience can still exist in a place designed to strip people of both. It’s sharp, angry, heartbreaking, and necessary.

This is one of those books you read quickly but sit with for a long time after. Inez Ray did not play it safe and I’m really glad she didn’t.

Buzzard is raw representation of a post apocalyptic world defined by women’s lack of rights to choose. This nearly knocks it put of the park with eerie sentiments that echo current unwavering decisions today. Think of Inez Ray’s writing as The Outer Worlds game meets Handmaids Tale. A modern narrative of the fear of women existing to be property in a post-apocalyptic environment that only cares about their bottom dollar. Spine chilling writing that comes alive through expressive diction and a poetic register that enhances the narrative.
What does it mean to lose your agency? This is what Buzzard explores as it shows the dangers that agency removal implores. A well constructed narrative with the right pacing to keep you hooked without giving away too much information. Absolutely loved every chilling moment that is written here. The immersive blend of weaving advertisements from Obsityan and local dissidents was remarkable. What does it look like to revolt from the confines of an unjustified court room?
Bindery Books chooses beautiful covers that really deploy the narrative’s themes. You see yellow and think of this cheerful environment- however the world is anything but. Remember how yellow also stands for fear. It is a fear driven society that allows for agency to be revoked willingly. This book is a conversation starter to avoid a world written in blood. Thank you Inez Ray, Bindery Books, and Netgalley for this advanced digital copy. All opinions are my own.

For tarot readings, recommendations, and reviews, visit my blog https://brujerialibrary.wordpress.com

Mad Max x Handmaids Tale x Chain Gang All Stars.

This is a dystopian that follows the last woman alive who can perform abortions. She’s currently in a prison rehab…. For giving abortions.

The ownership of women’s bodies, corporate greed and destruction and a future we all fear is too close.

This book is the moment.

Incredible storytelling. A visual and visceral experience. Heart-wrenching. Gutting. A 2026 must read.

This book was WILD. Like The Handmaids Tale and Brave New World, I was so uncomfortable with how close the dystopian world was to current reality. It was unsettling (but in a way that was good/important), and was just so good. I felt like this was so intense, but I also couldn't stop reading it either. Loved it, and would highly recommend if you think your brain can handle that in this current world climate!

I’m surprised yet again, Buzzard had a hard task to accomplish, as this genre of dystopian novels has had so many strong stories over the years, how could another be added!? (The home of the ever living god and, handmaids tale to name two)

I really appreciated the authors perspective as a doula and midwife, it really helped MAE solidify as a character for me. Highly recommend.

A devastating and haunting dystopian novel that feels unsettlingly close to reality. That uncomfortable familiarity is exactly what makes it such an essential read.

What good is the evidence without real action? Yeah, Buzzard is a must read. Also if you’ve ever worked with kiddos (or have been a kiddo) in the system; just be aware because there will be triggers. For the book itself I like the different formats it used to tell its story. It felt as if you were falling down a rabbit hole while doing research on a juvenile detention center and the entities it’s linked to.

This book unnerved me in the best way. The dystopian world felt both chilling and disturbingly plausible, and Mae’s struggle to protect her family while navigating a corrupt system kept me on edge throughout. The story is intense, thought provoking, and emotionally gripping, with themes of morality, resilience, and the lengths we go to for those we love. It’s a powerful debut that lingered with me long after I finished it.

I want to start by saying this is a courageous debut novel. Set in a not-so-far-fetched dystopian future, the story follows Mae during her time at Buzzard (not a prison, according to RONDA) after being sentenced for performing abortions. Mae is an incredibly believable character, and I found her easy to connect with throughout the story.

My main qualm with the book is that I wanted more development of the dystopian world. I was curious about what led to the great divide and hoped for more details about Obsityan and Infinicity. In particular, I wanted to learn more about Buzzard itself and how it functions within this society.

I also didn’t mind that the book addresses the sensitive topic of abortion, as it was handled thoughtfully and with care.

Overall, this is a solid four-star debut novel. I would definitely recommend it and look forward to reading more of this author’s work.

This was one of those rare books where I had to space myself, because I was enjoying it so much that I didn’t want it to end. I’m a sucker for a good dystopian story and this had everything I could want from one. Well written characters, societal problems that mirror real life problems going on right now, multiple timelines and storyline that keeps you hooked.

The whole theme of women having bodily autonomy is especially now very relevant and I was disgusted by the male characters and the systematic oppression of women in this book. I also enjoyed how many queer characters there were.

An amazing debut novel and can’t wait to read more work from the author in the future.

Thank you so much. This novel floored me. The women were powerful, the writing was beautiful and the message was relevant and necessary.

Buzzard is a ferocious and unsettling debut that imagines a near future where corporations control fertility and bodily autonomy has all but vanished. Set in 2086, the story follows imprisoned midwife Mae Bastet as she navigates life inside a brutal desert facility run by Obsityan, uncovering disturbing secrets along the way. The premise feels chillingly plausible, and the moral tension at the heart of Mae’s choices gives the narrative real emotional weight. It’s a sharp, timely dystopian novel that lingers long after the final page.

What happens when an authoritative government values greed and power over bodily autonomy and human rights? Welcome to modern day America, oop I mean the dystopian future where we follow the journey of Mae, one of the last know midwives, as she escapes an experimental private prison and goes into hiding.

Buzzard is a book that took me by surprise. What I expected to be an action packed sci-fi novel ended up being emotional, gut-wrenching, and scarily realistic.

Overall it was a really good and easy read. I loved the author’s writing style and honestly wished it was longer. The prologue was formatted differently than the rest of the book and almost put me off from continuing, but I’m so happy I pushed through. If you like dystopian stories like the Handmaid’s Tale you should definitely pick this one up.

Present day Mae lives alone on the fringes of society caring for her neighbors and holding knowledge others have long since forgotten.
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Told threw interviews and flashbacks, Buzzard explores Mae's history as she learned and utilized midwife training to perform illegal abortions in a war torn nation. Her eventual arrest and imprisonment brings her into a world she never could have imagined.
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A heartbreaking tale of corruption, evil corporations, and a system designed for profit over wellbeing. You cheer Mae on while simultaneously feeling horrified at what you're reading.

I both enjoyed and hated this book. I liked it for the story telling, the believable characters and the message. But hated it for how chillingly similar it feels to aspects of real life in current times. Just look at the world around you and you can see echoes of these issues within this book's pages.


Buzzard depicts a dystopian future where corporate power and greed has taken over personal autonomy and human rights. Communities are split, fertility is monitored, abortion is illegal, and midwives like Mae Bastet are hunted and charged as criminals.

I loved the way this book was written; at some points being back in time with Mae at Buzzard, and at other times giving us an interview transcript in present times recalling things that happened and more of the thought process behind them. It helps keep the story at a good pace, and keeps things interesting.

My only issue with the book is that I wanted more! You get this big climax, filled with action, and then it almost feels like a rush to wrap up the rest of the book. So many questions are left unanswered, and characters futures left uncertain, so I can only hope a sequel is in the works.


Overall a really good read, I enjoyed it a lot.
If you feel like a futuristic handmaid's tale-esque story will be up your alley, then definitely give this book a go!

A friend of mine, a cis man, has recently asked me why so much of what he called "women's fiction" (I would not call Buzzard women's fiction, but we will ignore that) has to do with sexual assault and unwanted pregnancy. As a woman, such a question put me in a state of great surprise, and without hesitation, I said, Because rape is a central theme in women's lives. It sticks with you. Whether you experience it, or hear about it, or see it happen somehow, it changes the way you think (ahem kinda spoiler but Sona..?). A sad admission, perhaps. He then asked why we would ever want to read about it. A loaded question, is it to see the injustice of the system reflected at us, to see ourselves represented, or is it to prepare ourselves for the worst? I do not know.

What I do know, however, is that despite my friend's judgment, Buzzard is not about rape at all. It is about women's ability to persevere through it, the desire to improve the system, and the importance of reproductive care and its accessibility. Buzzard is about abortion, yes, something you might not think you agree with or need until you suddenly do—Mae does say the Christians and Mormons were her best customers. It's about motherhood, and understanding that motherhood is not always the best choice, and, even when it is chosen, it is a tough path. It's about the heroism of the medical workers who follow their oath of "do no harm" in the face of the law, even when it means performing an illegal abortion. A hand can let go of the oppressed, a cage can rust and fall apart, but a human can not be replaced. Mato would agree.

"Buzzard is not a prison," RONDA, the stupid but friendly AI assistant, will tell you. And it's not technically, I suppose, in the same way, it was not Gilead that imprisoned Offred, not the house that the Waterfords inhabited, but rather the ideology of the regime. Mae's crimes are ideological in the same way as eating pork or killing spiders would be in some religions. Many people, myself included, I suppose, are comparing this work to Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale, but I would actually say it is more similar to The Testaments, both in its structure and the general ideas. Regardless, if you enjoyed either of those works, or 1984, or even works of different genres dealing with reproductive rights, like Ernaux's Happening, you will enjoy Ray's work. It's a good mix of plot and character development, futuristic technologies, climate awareness, and, of course, questions of reproductive care.

At times, the world of the novel is uncomfortably close to our own. One change here, one change there, and we are in Buzzard ourselves. Honestly, I don't discount the possibility of an already existing "Buzzard" in the US in 2026.

I would have appreciated more resolution on InfiniCity and more of a backstory/timeline on the original split/cessation of AZT, and the establishment of other mentioned territories. But I would have preferred more information on the history and ideology. While those are not necessarily essential for the plot of the novel and the central themes, considering this work is futuristic/dystopian fiction, such contextualizations might enrich the world (consider The Handmaid's Tale and the flashbacks detailing the onset of Gilead).

Overall, an excellent debut. I applaud Ray for writing something so touching and noteworthy in the oversaturated world of today's dystopian fiction, and particularly appreciate her commitment to the reproductive rights cause and the detail in which she goes into, both on the medical side and the thought process of the workers.

Thank you to the Bindery and to Netgalley for an advanced digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

In Buzzard by Inez Ray, the year is 2086, abortions are illegal, corporations are monitoring fertility and parts of the world are under constant surveillance. Mae Bastet, our FMC, is a mother and a midwife and the last person alive who can perform medical abortions. Mae is now living in hiding after being arrested for infanticide (while performing healthcare to women in need) and escaping incarceration at Buzzard (an experimental privately owned juvenile detention center in the Sonoran Desert) run by the paramilitary corporation Obsityan. While serving her time at Buzzard, she performed healthcare to the minors who were there training as Drone Pilots, and she uncovered some deep dark secrets with potential to bring down Obsityan for good. One day a woman named Sonadorah, aka Sona, arrives at her secret home where she’s been living without Buzzard’s knowledge for 7 years, with plans to get Mae to open up about her time at Buzzard. Sona hopes she can use it for her own leverage. Mae who has been struggling for some time with C-PTSD, doesn’t trust this woman, but she is desperate to reunite with her sons. So she obliges under the condition that she get to tell her story from start to finish and that Sona use her resources to help her find her sons (whether they are now dead or alive). After years of silence and complicity, Mae has the chance to finally do right and seek justice for those at Buzzard. The story is told through multiple POVs, two distinct timelines, multiple tenses as well as through dreams and flashbacks.

While technically a dystopian setting, Buzzard is as haunting as it is unsettling by how close it comes to reality. It’s a bit Handmaid’s Tale meets Brave New World, sprinkled with Mad Max and 1984. The story takes on very heavy and sensitive subject matter as it explores women's bodily autonomy and agency, and is gut-wrenching at times. Admittedly, I did find it somewhat confusing to follow along in some instances as it switched through the different POVs, timelines and tenses, but not enough to take me out of the story completely or ruin my experience. This book is definitely the moment and Mae is a beautifully written character with a lot of heart and soul. This is an essential read and will stick with me for a while.

Trigger warnings: forced institutionalization, child sexual assault, rape, suicide, violence, military violence, somewhat graphic detail of a second trimester abortion

Thank you Inez Ray, Bindery Books, Left Unread and NetGalley for the early eARC in exchange for my honest review!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy of this book.

Buzzard is the kind of dystopian story that lingers long after the last page. What makes it so unsettling is that the world it presents doesn’t feel impossibly far away.

The government holds overwhelming power, everyday life is dictated by strict rules disguised as “guidance,” and what remains of personal freedom is tightly controlled.
At the center of the story is Mae, a forbidden midwife who has spent years helping people in quiet, hidden ways. In a world where compassion itself can become illegal, Mae’s work places her directly at odds with the system. Through her story, we see the lives of the people the government has forgotten or erased—those who exist on the edges of society while the official narrative insists everything is under control.

Mae’s choice to help others and speak about what she has seen comes with consequences. In this world, even acknowledging suffering can lead to punishment or exile. Yet through it all, there remains a thread of hope woven into the story, carried by people who refuse to stop caring about one another.

Buzzard is unsettling, thoughtful, and feels less like a distant future and more like a warning about what happens when power goes unchecked.

For fans of The Handmaid's Tale, Buzzard is a dark and incredibly timely addition to the dystopian genre!

This book is a fascinating exploration of moral injury and systemic complicity in the guise of a thriller. The novel is a visceral, fast-paced read that brilliantly uses speculative fiction to examine the psychological toll of navigating impossible choices within broken institutions. I enjoyed it a great deal, even when it made me uncomfortable to apply its lessons to current events. Give it a shot!

Huge thanks to NetGalley and Bindery Books for another amazing story and for the chance to read it early!

*Buzzard* was an easy 4.5 stars for me, and honestly, one of those reads that will still be turning over in my head days later. It's tense and unsettling in all the right ways, but what really hooked me was how personal and grounded it feels. This isn't just a "big idea" dystopian story; it's about one person trying to live with themselves in a world that keeps asking for smaller and smaller compromises. The near-future setting feels uncomfortably close to our reality, which made every scene hit that much harder.

Every plot choice feels loaded, even the small ones, and I found myself holding my breath, hoping they'd find a way through without losing too much of who they are. The internal conflict is just as gripping as the external danger, and that balance made the story really hard to put down.

The relationships were a huge standout for me. They're messy and complicated in a very believable way, full of unspoken tensions, mixed motives, and moments of unexpected tenderness. I especially appreciated how the book shows the different ways people try to protect each other when the system is stacked against them. There are no easy answers here, but there are genuine moments of connection that keep the story from feeling hopeless.

The worldbuilding is also really well done. Instead of dumping a ton of background information, the book lets the world unfold through conversations, small details, and the characters' everyday choices. That slow reveal made the whole thing feel more real and more frightening, because you start to see how this world could grow out of our own. It's the kind of story that makes you think about where we are right now and where we might be headed.

Overall, *Buzzard* is dark, thought-provoking, and surprisingly full of heart. It's the rare book that works as both a gripping, character-driven story and a sharp warning about what happens when we look away for too long. Easy 4.5 stars from me, and I'll definitely be thinking about this one for a long time.

Set in a chilling near future where corporations control fertility and abortion is outlawed, this novel delivers a tense and unsettling look at reproductive autonomy. Mae Bastet, a midwife imprisoned for providing care to women in need, is a compelling and quietly defiant protagonist trying to survive inside a brutal desert prison run by a powerful corporation.

When unexplained pregnancies begin appearing among the teenage drone pilots she’s tasked with caring for, Mae uncovers a disturbing conspiracy that forces her to confront the system that destroyed her life. The story blends dystopian world-building with moral urgency, exploring power, control, and the cost of standing by one’s principles.

Dark, thought-provoking, and eerily plausible, it’s a gripping dystopian thriller that raises unsettling questions about who controls our bodies—and what happens when that control is taken away.

The publisher provided ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to Bindery Books and Netgalley for an eARC of Buzzard by Inez Ray. I loved everything about this very dark dystopian novel about what happens when women lose the right to choose. Mae is a wonderful protagonist whom you sympathize with and respect. If you love dark and hard-hitting sci-fi, Buzzard is definitely for you.

This was a terrifying book to read in the current political climate of the US. The year is 2077, 2080, the year is 2086 and yet somehow also the year is now—as if I can already see the groundwork of Buzzard's events being laid, while also hoping very much to be wrong. I almost want to describe it as prescient, but calling it prescient sounds like I'm thinking things will turn out this way for the US and I would really love to be incorrect on that topic...

Honestly, I feel like saying I "enjoyed" this read would be the wrong word to choose, but it was definitely propulsive, and it captured my attention from the start. The alternating timelines and points of view were used well, in my opinion, and I liked the way the story was allowed to unfold slowly, in a way that combined both plot and character. Everyone in this book felt real in a very messy, very complicated way, and even the conclusion isn't tidy, which I feel really suits a story like this one. There are bits of storyline that don't get neatly wrapped up at the end, but to me that felt like the right way for the story to end, rather than with a bow tied up and put on top of the narrative.

If Buzzard was attempting to be an unflinching, speculative look at a future where reproductive rights are not only threatened but actively dismantled, and how determination and hope and community can thrive even in such desperate circumstances, then I feel as a reader like it succeeded in that aim.

This was a hard book to read in some ways, mostly because it is quite graphic and doesn't shy away from frank descriptions of acts of sexual violence or the medical processes involved in terminating a pregnancy. It also didn't feel gratutious, but I would advise readers to mind the warnings and be careful of their triggers.

Wow, this was a difficult read, but I'm still glad to have read it. We follow Mae, a midwife arrested for providing illegal abortions in a near-future USA. Mae is forced to work for a prison/corporation thats training youths with prior criminal activity who are also being forced to work for this prison/corporation as drone pilots. While Mae is working at this facility, she starts to notice pregnancies happening to the young girls who are pilots in training, and soon realizes this is a bigger and deeper issue than just a few teen pregnancies. She puts her own life on the line to try to stop the abuse of power that is happening at this facility, but at what cost?

Despite this book having really dark, difficult elements such as child sexual assault, descriptions of abortions and miscarriages, and child loss, the author did write these scenes with integrity to the women and children, and there wasn't unnecessary depth to the descriptions of abuse. As someone who's experienced some of this, reading it was difficult but I appreciated how it was handled. Please be sure to check trigger warnings for this one.

Overall this was a fast-paced and suspenseful read. I enjoyed how the story was wrapped up and look forward to reading more from Inez Ray.

I ABSOLUTELY LOVED THIS BOOK! Holy moly I actually went through and read this book twice before leaving my review. It’s dystopian, futuristic, and oh so rebellious. I loved the future re-imagined through strict laws and the willingness of the main character to bend these laws for her own belief and moral compass. I will definitely be recommending this book!