Ava by Victoria Dillon REVIEW

Summary:

Ten years after Roe v. Wade is overturned, twenty-two-year-old biologist Larkin finds herself unexpectedly pregnant in a country where choice is no longer an option. Initially uncertain, she embraces motherhood - until a devastating diagnosis changes everything. Trapped by Tennessee's strict abortion laws, she is forced to carry her baby to term, only to endure the heartbreak of losing her hours after birth.

Years later, Larkin joins a radical scientific movement that could change everything: a groundbreaking technology that replaces gestation with incubation, allowing women true control over their reproduction. When she uses it to bring her second daughter, Ava, into the world, she believes she has finally reclaimed her autonomy. But as Ava grows and begins to question the very choice that created her, Larkin is challenged in ways she never imagined. 

My Thoughts:

I was thoroughly impressed with this book. The story envisions a possible world with women's choices becoming obsolete, and how science could help provide an alternative. Larkin becomes unexpectedly pregnant after getting married. Initially, she and her husband are elated with the news. But when they find out the baby has a condition in which the brain will not develop and will die shortly after birth, the couple is devastated. Unable to get an abortion, Larkin becomes increasingly aware of the rights that are slowly being taken away from women. When her boss, Dr. Davis, shows her his research on creating a way for humans to reproduce by incubation, Larkin dives in to help out, even volunteering as a test subject in order to have a baby without the concerns of the same devastating diagnosis her first child had. What follows is the birth - or hatching - of Ava. Growing up, Ava has to learn about herself differently than other kids, and even questions why her mother went to such extremes to have her.

What's scary about the premise of this book is that some of the problems are actively occurring in America. Women being denied abortion even for ectopic pregnancies, and even dying as a result of their rights being taken away. The novel takes this a step further, imagining where birth control becomes illegal, and pregnancy tests are monitored and reported. Despite genuinely scaring me, I very much liked reading this. It was well-written, and you can tell that the author did her research when it comes to the scientific side of things. My only disappointment is that the ending felt rushed. Most of the novel is about Larkin, despite being named after her daughter. We barely get to know Ava, and despite her valid concerns about the way she was born, it feels like she moved on too quickly, especially for a teenager. I would still recommend giving this book a chance!

My Rating: 4 stars