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Danielle Valentine
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Delicate Condition Hardcover – August 1, 2023

by Danielle Valentine (Author)
4.1 out of 5 stars 2,107
See all formats and editions
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Hush little baby, don't say a word…

A GOOD MORNING AMERICA BUZZ PICK!

As seen in People, Vanity Fair, Entertainment Weekly, USA Today, Shondaland, Goodreads, and more!

…Mama's going to show you the horrors she's endured.

Anna Alcott is desperate to have a family. But as she tries to balance her increasingly public life as an indie actress with a grueling IVF journey, she starts to suspect that someone is going to great lengths to make sure that never happens. Crucial medicines are lost. Appointments get swapped without her knowledge. Cryptic warnings have her jumping at shadows. And despite everything she's gone through to make this pregnancy a reality, not even her husband is willing to believe that someone is playing twisted games with her.

Then her doctor tells her she's had a miscarriage―except Anna's convinced she's still pregnant despite everything the grave-faced men around her claim. She can feel the baby moving inside her, can see the strain it's taking on her weakening body. Vague warnings become direct threats as someone stalks her through the bleak ghost town of the snowy Hamptons. As her symptoms and sense of danger grow ever more horrifying, Anna can't help but wonder what exactly she's carrying inside of her…and why no one will listen when she says something is horribly, painfully wrong.

DELICATE CONDITION IS:

"A twisty, page-turner with unsettling details and crackling writing that's also a timely critique of sexism in modern medicine." ―Andrea Bartz, New York Times bestselling author of We Were Never Here

"A spooky, devour-in-one-sitting story that's guaranteed to have everyone talking."―Leah Konen, author of You Should Have Told Me

"A frightening, propulsive read brimming with brutal truths about motherhood, autonomy, and the everyday horror of not being believed. This twisty horror thriller will have you guessing until the staggering end." ―Rachel Harrison, National Bestselling author of Cackle and Such Sharp teeth

"Beautifully written, unbearably tense, and deeply scary. A modern fairy tale that asks what we'd be willing to sacrifice for the thing we want most." ―Katie Gutierrez, National Bestselling author of More Than You'll Ever Know

Previous page
  1. Print length
    432 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Sourcebooks Landmark
  4. Publication date
    August 1, 2023
  5. Dimensions
    6.25 x 1.33 x 9.25 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    1728276888
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1728276885
  8. See all details
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Popular Highlights in this book
What are popular highlights?
Previous page
  1. The things that made you lucky could also be the things that made you suffer. Io wished people would stop telling women they should be grateful for their suffering instead of trying to help them with it.
    Highlighted by 221 Kindle readers
  2. “I’ve always hated how people separate women who want kids from women who don’t, like we’re two separate species. It’s infuriating how people insist on defining cis women’s entire lives by this one choice.”
    Highlighted by 157 Kindle readers
  3. Sometimes it felt like the continuation of our species was an ongoing experiment being performed on the backs of women. Or on our wombs.
    Highlighted by 134 Kindle readers
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From the Publisher

What is she carrying inside her?
"The feminist update to Rosemary's Baby we all needed - a twisty, page-turner" from Andrea Bartz

"Will have you guessing until the staggering end." - Rachel Harrison

"Beautifully written, unbearably tense, and deeply scary." - Katie Gutierrez

"Terrifying... I devoured it in one sitting." - Chris Whitaker

Editorial Reviews

Review

"[A] truly excellent thriller." ― Rolling Stone

"Readers will devour the book to find out what’s going on...[the] ending, with an interesting twist, comes out of nowhere." ― Booklist, STARRED review

"A fast-paced, chilling, perfect-for-spooky-season thriller...I promise the ending will leave you breathless." ― Condé Nast Traveler

"Twisty, wicked, and as dark as it gets." ― Scary Mommy

"Unflinching…Valentine successfully mines pregnancy’s horrors for dramatic effect while condemning condescension toward, and ignorance of, women’s struggles with fertility and childbearing. It adds up to a fiercely feminist millennial heir to Rosemary’s Baby." ― Publishers Weekly

"Delicate Condition is the feminist update to Rosemary's Baby we all needed―a twisty, page-turner with unsettling details and crackling writing that's also a timely critique of sexism in modern medicine." ― Andrea Bartz, New York Times bestselling author of We Were Never Here

"A visceral rallying cry against the horrors of medical gaslighting, our culture's indifference to birthing people's pain, and the complete terror of creating and sustaining life―Delicate Condition is beautifully written, unbearably tense, and deeply scary. A modern fairy tale that asks what we'd be willing to sacrifice for the thing we want most. Danielle Valentine will sit on my shelf beside Julia Fine, Jessamine Chan, and Rachel Yoder--writers who remind us of the monster inside every mother." ― Katie Gutierrez, bestselling author of More Than You’ll Ever Know

"A propulsive modern update on classic horror with a clever ending that lets no one off the hook." ― Anne Heltzel, author of Just Like Mother

"A frightening, propulsive read brimming with brutal truths about motherhood, autonomy, and the everyday horror of not being believed. This twisty horror thriller will have you guessing until the staggering end." ― Rachel Harrison, National Bestselling author of Cackle and Such Sharp Teeth

"Heartbreakingly visceral, eerie and intense, reading Delicate Condition is feeling, with every new turn of the page, what it’s like for your body to no longer be your own. A masterful musing on the horrors of pregnancy, loss and what it means to be a woman when the medical world fails you. A spooky, devour-in-one-sitting story that’s guaranteed to have everyone talking." ― Leah Konen, author of You Should Have Told Me

"Both disturbing and unrelentingly captivating, Delicate Condition grabbed me and didn't let go until its final page." ― Darcy Coates, USA Today bestselling author

"A darkly visceral and magically evocative novel. You won’t be able to put this one down until you’ve absorbed every last terrifying word." ― Sarah Lawton, author of All The Little Things

"An absolute cracker of a read, one to be read by all women, everywhere. I could not put it down." ― Lisa Hall, author of Between You and Me

"Pitch black horror meets smart psychological thriller in this fantastically moreish debut. I devoured it, feeling simultaneously sick and thrilled. And that ending... just perfect." ― SJI Holliday, author of The Deaths of December

"Fabulously original. A deeply unsettling read that plays on women's darkest fears of pregnancy." ― Gemma Rogers, author of The Secret

"A timely, terrifying, heartfelt thriller. I devoured it in one sitting." ― Chris Whitaker, bestselling author of We Begin at the End

"Both a scathing indictment of the treatment of women by medical professionals and a breathless thriller, Delicate Condition paints an unyielding and heart-wrenching portrait of pregnancy that reaches like a clawed hand inside your chest. I could not put it down." ― Katrina Monroe, author of Graveyard of Lost Children

"So many reader emotions, I didn't know who to trust; if anyone! Delicate Condition is a thriller, a horror, a mystery and it's lingering in my mind, an aftereffect of a chilling read!" ― J.M. Hewitt, author of The Life She Wants

"What a thrilling, visceral read. So dark, and very fast paced." ― Heather Darwent, author of The Things We Do to Our Friends

About the Author

Danielle Valentine is a pseudonym for the young adult novelist Danielle Vega. Her work, which includes The Merciless series and HOW TO SURVIVE YOUR MURDER, has been optioned for film and television by Lionsgate and Warner Bros, and has been translated into dozens of languages worldwide. Danielle lives outside of New York city with her husband, daughter, and two ornery cats. DELICATE CONDITION is her first adult novel.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Sourcebooks Landmark (August 1, 2023)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 432 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1728276888
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1728276885
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.35 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.25 x 1.33 x 9.25 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.1 out of 5 stars 2,107

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Danielle Valentine

Danielle Valentine

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Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Danielle Valentine is a pseudonym for the young adult novelist Danielle Vega. Her work,

which includes The Merciless series and How to Survive Your Murder, has been optioned for film and television

by Lionsgate and Warner Bros, and has been translated into dozens of languages worldwide. Danielle lives

outside of New York City with her husband, daughter, and two ornery cats. Delicate Condition is her first adult

novel.

Customer reviews

4.1 out of 5 stars
4.1 out of 5
2,107 global ratings
I enjoyed it, but not really a horror story
4 Stars
I enjoyed it, but not really a horror story
Like a lot of people, I got this book because of American Horror Story. Overall, this was an enjoyable read. I especially like how it touches on how women are treated by doctors. I myself have been told that a strong pain I was having "wasn't an issue" because it didn't hurt 100% of the time. I wasn't sure I'd like the book because I'm not a breeder. I read the second half of the book in one sitting. I really was hoping the story was more of a give up your baby to evil witches to get glory kind of deal, but it's not. I'd call this book a mystery/thriller, not horror. This author should do a book on how women who DON'T want children get treated and viewed by society- now that'd be different!
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Top reviews from the United States

MissKailynM
5.0 out of 5 stars It’s 50/50
Reviewed in the United States on March 13, 2024
Verified Purchase
I disliked the beginning to mid part as a fan of AHS it’s nothing like the book and I put it down for a minute but I picked it Back up because it had me guessing how the show gonna do the book . The book is much better but it has a Rosemary baby feel to it but updated and I’m iffy with picking up another book by her but last couple of chapters were mind blowing and listening to it on Audiobook was great especially when chemo is bad and you can’t sleep. I’m giving it a five stars because it’s a great book to listen to and very unsuspecting bc of the overhyped bc of Ahs but I believe that they did the book wrong
4 people found this helpful
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Vanessa Jacuinde
4.0 out of 5 stars Anxiety-filled horror but amazing
Reviewed in the United States on March 30, 2024
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The story seemed so bizarre and scary at timea but stil could not put the book down. The story was so engaging and I love all the pieces about women's health being something we suffer with alone and in silence sometimes. Great read
3 people found this helpful
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Meg Lee
3.0 out of 5 stars excellent start, then consistently loses steam culminating in deeply unsatisfying end
Reviewed in the United States on November 2, 2023
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I thought I loved this book until I was about halfway through. Then it became a chore to finish the rest (I cannot leave a book half-read). The ending felt like a cop out. Overall it reminded me of LOST. It seemed great, until the sinking feeling you get when you finally realize that the writers had no idea how to solve their own mystery.
8 people found this helpful
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Cisme
5.0 out of 5 stars I Devoured This Book!
Reviewed in the United States on August 26, 2023
Verified Purchase
Let me start by saying that Rosemary's Baby is one of my favorite books/movies (I am also a huge horror fan). This book had similarities, yes, but it was also its own individual. I LOVED it! I read it as fast as I could.

Being a mother myself, I related to the character of Anna and all her doubts and concerns throughout the pregnancy. Felt very real. Her fears, her desires, and feeling like no one listens (ex: doctors and her husband hushing her worries). This part was much like Rosemary's Baby, of course.

I found the interstitial stories interesting and a nice add-in. Despite another reviewer saying that they didn't tie in, they clearly did. It was easy to grasp the correlation. I think these added to the mystery and spookiness of the book. Then they all made sense and came together in the end.

It was easy to read and I couldn’t stop. Super thrilling and I did keep guessing (some of my assumptions even proven wrong). There were some errors here and there (a couple I am not sure were due to her delusions or were actual errors on the author’s part), but I wonder if there was a rush for release before AHS and things got missed. Didn’t bother me enough to dwell on it like a couple reviewers.

It was spooky. It was fun. It was cringy gross at times (much like Rosemary eating raw meat type of gross). It was relatable. Then a little occult thrown it. I loved the combination.

Anyone who has been pregnant or wanted to be a mother, would feel for the character, but I would warn that it may possibly be upsetting to anyone who has experienced a pregnancy loss.

Overall, I am SUPER happy and pleased with this book and I will be keeping it on my bookshelf. I am also soooo excited for the new season of AHS based on, "Delicate Condition!" Please write more adult books, Danielle! I want more!
29 people found this helpful
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Nurse Punkin
4.0 out of 5 stars I enjoyed it, but not really a horror story
Reviewed in the United States on November 30, 2023
Verified Purchase
Like a lot of people, I got this book because of American Horror Story. Overall, this was an enjoyable read. I especially like how it touches on how women are treated by doctors. I myself have been told that a strong pain I was having "wasn't an issue" because it didn't hurt 100% of the time. I wasn't sure I'd like the book because I'm not a breeder. I read the second half of the book in one sitting. I really was hoping the story was more of a give up your baby to evil witches to get glory kind of deal, but it's not. I'd call this book a mystery/thriller, not horror. This author should do a book on how women who DON'T want children get treated and viewed by society- now that'd be different!
Customer image
Nurse Punkin
4.0 out of 5 stars I enjoyed it, but not really a horror story
Reviewed in the United States on November 30, 2023
Like a lot of people, I got this book because of American Horror Story. Overall, this was an enjoyable read. I especially like how it touches on how women are treated by doctors. I myself have been told that a strong pain I was having "wasn't an issue" because it didn't hurt 100% of the time. I wasn't sure I'd like the book because I'm not a breeder. I read the second half of the book in one sitting. I really was hoping the story was more of a give up your baby to evil witches to get glory kind of deal, but it's not. I'd call this book a mystery/thriller, not horror. This author should do a book on how women who DON'T want children get treated and viewed by society- now that'd be different!
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18 people found this helpful
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Leila
5.0 out of 5 stars amazing!
Reviewed in the United States on April 9, 2024
Verified Purchase
The ending left my jaw hanging. It was a little slow and hard to keep up with at first but once you hit the middle I couldn’t stop reading. Such a plot twist at the end. Such a good read!
One person found this helpful
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Karen
4.0 out of 5 stars Page-Turning Thriller, Grounding Discomfort in Women's Pain
Reviewed in the United States on August 7, 2023
Verified Purchase
Delicate Condition lives up to the anticipation, and the story was gripping and eerie while all the while more terrifying when you realize the basis among realities that women face in even present-day pregnancy and childbirth.

I imagine many readers were like myself in reading this in preparation for the upcoming newest season of American Horror Story. While I thoroughly enjoyed the book, I question how faithfully the source material will be translated to a television series, especially with the sudden sped up pace and twists and turns of the latter quarter of the book.

Also added a couple of typographical errors that threw me off a bit in the cadence of reading. Not sure why on p188 (Ch18) Anna refers to her baby as "him" when she referred to it as "her" throughout the rest of the book. And then a very minor typo on p.270 (Ch25) -- nothing egregious, but just a small note!
Customer image
Karen
4.0 out of 5 stars Page-Turning Thriller, Grounding Discomfort in Women's Pain
Reviewed in the United States on August 7, 2023
Delicate Condition lives up to the anticipation, and the story was gripping and eerie while all the while more terrifying when you realize the basis among realities that women face in even present-day pregnancy and childbirth.

I imagine many readers were like myself in reading this in preparation for the upcoming newest season of American Horror Story. While I thoroughly enjoyed the book, I question how faithfully the source material will be translated to a television series, especially with the sudden sped up pace and twists and turns of the latter quarter of the book.

Also added a couple of typographical errors that threw me off a bit in the cadence of reading. Not sure why on p188 (Ch18) Anna refers to her baby as "him" when she referred to it as "her" throughout the rest of the book. And then a very minor typo on p.270 (Ch25) -- nothing egregious, but just a small note!
Images in this review
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11 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

Kindle Customer
4.0 out of 5 stars I read this book because of the new AHS season...
Reviewed in Canada on November 14, 2023
Verified Purchase
... And I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book!

I am not a mother myself, so it was interesting to read the story from the characters perspective.
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sleepless
5.0 out of 5 stars Didn’t disappoint.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 18, 2024
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Excellent read. Couldn’t put it down.
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Cliente Kindle
5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing
Reviewed in Australia on February 8, 2024
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Amazing
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J Spin
1.0 out of 5 stars So frustrating to read!
Reviewed in Canada on February 6, 2024
Verified Purchase
This book obviously never went through a proofreader or an editor. There are SO MANY inconsistencies in the details that I was literally fuming as I read it. I felt like I was being gaslit, and was constantly going back to see if I had misremembered what I just read, but no, somehow the author had forgotten what she wrote. The season changes throughout the book, but the author continues to describe ‘the winter wind’ even when we are told it’s June. It is constantly storming, or about to storm. A driveway that is described as a twisting drive is later written as straight and tree lined…
A major event (no spoilers) takes place and while it should be the next day, it is described as happening weeks ago, only a few pages later to be described as days ago, making timelines hard to follow. My favourite is the magical gift basket that has two clementines and a banana in it 63 pages after we are specifically told that the main character had eaten all the fruit and there was only chocolates left. The descriptions are painfully repetitive, and redundant.
Two sentences in a row start exactly the same with ‘I clicked on her username’… just lazy writing, and really annoying to read.
If you don’t pay attention to details as you read, the story is well paced and interesting enough, but if you are an analytical reader, save yourself the grief! If you are a very anxious person, I might skip it as well, because most of the story is a paranoid fever dream and the neurosis of the unreliable narrator will leave you on the verge of a panic attack.
One person found this helpful
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SMNZ
4.0 out of 5 stars ROSEMARY'S BABY meets television's EVIL
Reviewed in Australia on August 20, 2023
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A mashup of the classic novel ROSEMARY's BABY with the brilliantly droll contemporary tv show EVIL, DELICATE CONDITION almost sticks the landing. Almost. The red herrings are a little too obvious and the feminist messaging a little too heavy handed which gives the unfortunate impression of this being written for women who have never considered self-advocacy in health or the privilege being white, rich, educated and cis gender brings. Still, an enjoyable enough book and absolutely ripe for a Ryan Murphy adaptation - though isn't Emma Roberts a little too young to play an actress pilloried for being over the hill?!
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