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Fallow
Slyly funny and disarmingly tender, Fallow is the story of a young woman who signs up to be the world’s first in-house corporate surrogate, then finds herself caught up in a social experiment of another kind.
Natalie knows one truth: There is no such thing as a good job.
As the clock ticks away at the workplace harassment call center, she tries to ignore the increasing pain in her jaw. She has no dental insurance. She has no skills or ambitions. She has student loans. And, minute by minute, she hears the many ways workers are not just not getting by, but actually getting hustled.
Then, at the blood bank where she sells her plasma, a mysterious flyer leads her to The Company. Natalie turns out to be the perfect candidate for their pilot in-house surrogate. The Company pitches it as an opportunity to help women access greater gender equity, motherhood without maternity leave. Finally, she will be adequately—generously—compensated.
For years, her every need is stacks of healthy meals in the refrigerator of a luxury condo, fitness coaches and nutritionists, around-the-clock healthcare. Between deliveries, she takes time off—no obligations or expectations. For the first time in her life, she is good at her job; for the first time, she feels free.
But just as she’s about to fulfill the terms of her contract, a staffing decision upends everything and drags her deep into another social experiment. There she meets new questions about her future, her freedom, her purpose, and what she can expect from the world.
Woundingly funny and deeply moving, Sarah Anderson’s Fallow is a tender, hilarious, alarmingly real vision of a woman balancing on the knife-edge of capitalism as she comes to realize who she wants to be.
Natalie knows one truth: There is no such thing as a good job.
As the clock ticks away at the workplace harassment call center, she tries to ignore the increasing pain in her jaw. She has no dental insurance. She has no skills or ambitions. She has student loans. And, minute by minute, she hears the many ways workers are not just not getting by, but actually getting hustled.
Then, at the blood bank where she sells her plasma, a mysterious flyer leads her to The Company. Natalie turns out to be the perfect candidate for their pilot in-house surrogate. The Company pitches it as an opportunity to help women access greater gender equity, motherhood without maternity leave. Finally, she will be adequately—generously—compensated.
For years, her every need is stacks of healthy meals in the refrigerator of a luxury condo, fitness coaches and nutritionists, around-the-clock healthcare. Between deliveries, she takes time off—no obligations or expectations. For the first time in her life, she is good at her job; for the first time, she feels free.
But just as she’s about to fulfill the terms of her contract, a staffing decision upends everything and drags her deep into another social experiment. There she meets new questions about her future, her freedom, her purpose, and what she can expect from the world.
Woundingly funny and deeply moving, Sarah Anderson’s Fallow is a tender, hilarious, alarmingly real vision of a woman balancing on the knife-edge of capitalism as she comes to realize who she wants to be.
336 pages, Hardcover
First published September 15, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,312 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Book of the Month
reading this while being pregnant was….. interesting! not in a negative way, but the entire book revolves around pregnancy just keep that in mind! it’s about a girl who becomes the first ever in-house surrogate for a massive corporation. really liked the first 60-70%, but the ending kind of lost me. overall, loved the way the main character was written, she was so nonchalant about everything thrown her way, and this was just a fascinating read in general! one of those books that won’t be for everyone, but i’m glad i read & enjoyed it
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I wondered if Dr. X and Shane were actually onto something—if I had a little bit of trad wife in my genetic code. Maybe what I'd told Phoebe was right. Maybe this was something I was just good at.
No idea why this is tagged as "horror" on Goodreads. It is not a horror novel— in fact, it's barely a dystopian novel —but about a near future where a company offers surrogacy as part of their hiring package, ensuring that pregnancy doesn't mean a motherhood penalty for working women.
Natalie, sick and tired of her current job, seizes the opportunity to be a surrogate, to escape soul-sucking work culture and get paid to do almost nothing for nine months.
I've been very interested in the ethics around surrogacy ever since I read The Farm some years ago. Is it a noble venture? Or just another way of commodifying women's bodies? It also, of course, further complicates the already tense issue of whose rights have priority.
The way I would describe Fallow is very much a novel of two halves, and the first was much more to my tastes. I found Natalie funny and charming. While she is perhaps naive in some ways, I think her desire to escape from the rat race and indignity of corporate America is easily understandable. She essentially buys herself time and freedom by selling her body… is it worth it? I'd say Anderson gives a fairly balanced view on it.
It explores what happens when a surrogate becomes emotionally attached to the family they are carrying for, and also what happens when it is decided that a pregnancy should be terminated. If you are interested in ethical issues, surrogacy is drowning in them.
I do think, however, that it reaches a point where it is clear that the author has explored the topic she wanted to and doesn't really know where to go with it or how to finish it. Years go by in a sentence, and, at one point, Natalie makes a decision that I would have liked more introspection on. It was not really clear why she was doing it, what drove her to make that decision.
The last third or so was why I could not rate higher than 3 stars. Everything after got sillier and boring. The entire farm commune aspect was uninteresting to me, even though I did get the point Anderson was reaching for— the longing for a simpler life, finding pleasure in work again.
Lots to like in the first half, but a difficult one to find a satisfying finish for.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
⭐️ 4.5 ⭐️ I enjoyed this a lot. This is a speculative, literary fiction novel about a woman and her freedoms. It's not exactly a satire but more of dystopian concept that nails the commentary about workplace/corporate culture, woman's autonomy and reproductive rights. Its strange yet philosophical, it ask great questions and offers accurate insight into what work, life and benefits are for pregnant women or mothers in general in corporate America. I thought that Anderson wrote a sharp, darkly funny concept and I know many people will compare this to Yesteryear. I am someone who LOVED Yesteryear and while the books have a lot of similarities, they are quite different in the points they are trying to make. Fallow is more about the moral compass and personal freedoms, our outlooks on life and how we want to live it. Natalie, our protagonist is such a complex character! She is complicated, selfish, lazy even yet she feels like an actual person. What makes this story amazing is how accurately it captures the issues and critiques of corporate America: how in America, the corporate culture penalizes motherhood or pregnancy. Women post pregnancy are more likely to be let go or are never fairly compensated. The system offers ZERO benefits or time off or guarantees job security past the first 12 weeks postpartum. Some of us are lucky to get FMLA for the first 12 weeks, while most women are expected to return after 6-8 weeks back to work as if newborns don't need to be raised. What a joke!
What's it about?
A 23-year old woman becomes a part of a corporate-surrogacy experiment, where women become in-house corporate surrogates. She agrees to a 10 year contact involving 7 pregnancies. In exchange, she gets financial security, best medical care, great housing, personal fitness, safety and food security. Sounds like paradise right? Well, even thought the company gives her plenty material freedoms, the company also takes away her bodily freedom. The Company controls everything in her life. From what she can drink and eat, her health is monitored, there are rules about sex and relationships. After completion of her 7 pregnancies, Natalie unexpectedly enters a second social experiment with which Natalie struggles to embrace. In this part of the novel, Natalie is faced with a dilemma that poses many questions about human value, choice and freedoms once again.
Modern workplace is not for Natalie. At least not the Natalie which we initially meet. She hates working, she hates her low paying job or the freedoms and luxuries of life she cannot afford. Natalie is disinterested in everything that is conventional like career, achievement and even self-improvement. She's selfish and cynical and when she is presented with a bizarre opportunity, she obviously takes it! Who wouldn't want six figure compensation or a laissez-faire lifestyle? So Natalie accepts and thinks of these pregnancies as a 'job'. Well.. she goes on to have seven of those and she's even promised a mommy make over after her contract ends. Isn't that sweet?
But what about attachment? What about emotional, human attachment. Or the effect the pregnancy has on the person? Surrogacy is a one of the most selfless things one can do for another family. There is beauty and light but no one speaks about its darkness. Natalie finds herself emotionally affected, seeking for simple human connection to families and even imagines growing close to them post birth. One family promises her rainbow and butterflies but all their promises never really come to fruition. The baby is still someone else's and Natalie is just a carrier. So this is where the book shines by showing how regardless of money, the corporations still wants a postpartum new mother and women in general (because its us who actually do the 'reproductive' work) to work and behave like a spreadsheet. Corporate America wants us to forget that we just birthed a new life and wants us to believe that pregnancy doesn't hurt women careers. But it does, childbirth does cause women to lose their jobs. Companies are more likely to let go of pregnant employees more likely than non-pregnant women. How many times have you heard a new mother lost her job? I hear it all the time. Women shouldn't have to pick between careers and motherhood. Women are constantly judged and judged harshly in all aspects of their performance. Corporate America should do better.
The novel in the later part of the story takes a huge turning point where Natalie, after completion of her pregnancies, is pushed into another social experiment without the luxuries of the life she was once given. Here, Natalie discovers the true value of human connection, capitalistic exploitation and what it really means to have a choice. While this part of the novel might feel far-fetched, I enjoyed this contrast very much. We are given two sides of the spectrum, one dystopian and the other more communal. We get a sense of life from both sides, the positive and negatives, as well as what 'freedom' really means. Overall, I thought this was a very thought provoking book and shouldn't be compared to Yesteryear but rather be appreciated for a refreshingly interesting content it carried and all the philosophical/social takes it offered on corporate America. Definitely an eye-opener and a great book for bookclubs!
If the body becomes an occupation, would you do it to get freedom from economic pressures and anxieties of life?
This is featured on BOTM for September! Very easy to sign up & cancel at no additional cost to you.
Get your $5 copy here: https://www.mybotm.com/bgnrjn6qk0o
BOTM features early releases and has great quality books. You can get audiobooks too!
Many thanks to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio and the author, Sarah Anderson for an early copy.
Publication: September 15, 2025
What's it about?
A 23-year old woman becomes a part of a corporate-surrogacy experiment, where women become in-house corporate surrogates. She agrees to a 10 year contact involving 7 pregnancies. In exchange, she gets financial security, best medical care, great housing, personal fitness, safety and food security. Sounds like paradise right? Well, even thought the company gives her plenty material freedoms, the company also takes away her bodily freedom. The Company controls everything in her life. From what she can drink and eat, her health is monitored, there are rules about sex and relationships. After completion of her 7 pregnancies, Natalie unexpectedly enters a second social experiment with which Natalie struggles to embrace. In this part of the novel, Natalie is faced with a dilemma that poses many questions about human value, choice and freedoms once again.
Modern workplace is not for Natalie. At least not the Natalie which we initially meet. She hates working, she hates her low paying job or the freedoms and luxuries of life she cannot afford. Natalie is disinterested in everything that is conventional like career, achievement and even self-improvement. She's selfish and cynical and when she is presented with a bizarre opportunity, she obviously takes it! Who wouldn't want six figure compensation or a laissez-faire lifestyle? So Natalie accepts and thinks of these pregnancies as a 'job'. Well.. she goes on to have seven of those and she's even promised a mommy make over after her contract ends. Isn't that sweet?
But what about attachment? What about emotional, human attachment. Or the effect the pregnancy has on the person? Surrogacy is a one of the most selfless things one can do for another family. There is beauty and light but no one speaks about its darkness. Natalie finds herself emotionally affected, seeking for simple human connection to families and even imagines growing close to them post birth. One family promises her rainbow and butterflies but all their promises never really come to fruition. The baby is still someone else's and Natalie is just a carrier. So this is where the book shines by showing how regardless of money, the corporations still wants a postpartum new mother and women in general (because its us who actually do the 'reproductive' work) to work and behave like a spreadsheet. Corporate America wants us to forget that we just birthed a new life and wants us to believe that pregnancy doesn't hurt women careers. But it does, childbirth does cause women to lose their jobs. Companies are more likely to let go of pregnant employees more likely than non-pregnant women. How many times have you heard a new mother lost her job? I hear it all the time. Women shouldn't have to pick between careers and motherhood. Women are constantly judged and judged harshly in all aspects of their performance. Corporate America should do better.
The novel in the later part of the story takes a huge turning point where Natalie, after completion of her pregnancies, is pushed into another social experiment without the luxuries of the life she was once given. Here, Natalie discovers the true value of human connection, capitalistic exploitation and what it really means to have a choice. While this part of the novel might feel far-fetched, I enjoyed this contrast very much. We are given two sides of the spectrum, one dystopian and the other more communal. We get a sense of life from both sides, the positive and negatives, as well as what 'freedom' really means. Overall, I thought this was a very thought provoking book and shouldn't be compared to Yesteryear but rather be appreciated for a refreshingly interesting content it carried and all the philosophical/social takes it offered on corporate America. Definitely an eye-opener and a great book for bookclubs!
If the body becomes an occupation, would you do it to get freedom from economic pressures and anxieties of life?
This is featured on BOTM for September! Very easy to sign up & cancel at no additional cost to you.
Get your $5 copy here: https://www.mybotm.com/bgnrjn6qk0o
BOTM features early releases and has great quality books. You can get audiobooks too!
Many thanks to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio and the author, Sarah Anderson for an early copy.
Publication: September 15, 2025
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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September 15, 2026ALC provided by Macmillan Audio
Fallow had me really intrigued for the first half. I was curious about the concept and where the story was going, but somewhere along the way my interest started to drop.
I understood what the book was exploring with corporations, control, women’s bodies, motherhood, and how much choice you really have when money is involved. I just don’t think the story did enough with those ideas for me. By the end, I was left wondering what the point of it all was.
The narration was great and easy to follow, but unfortunately the story itself lost me in the second half.
I recommend this for readers who enjoy speculative fiction centered around bodily autonomy, capitalism, and stories that are more interested in raising questions than giving you clear answers.
Fallow had me really intrigued for the first half. I was curious about the concept and where the story was going, but somewhere along the way my interest started to drop.
I understood what the book was exploring with corporations, control, women’s bodies, motherhood, and how much choice you really have when money is involved. I just don’t think the story did enough with those ideas for me. By the end, I was left wondering what the point of it all was.
The narration was great and easy to follow, but unfortunately the story itself lost me in the second half.
I recommend this for readers who enjoy speculative fiction centered around bodily autonomy, capitalism, and stories that are more interested in raising questions than giving you clear answers.
September 3, 2026
Thank you to Macmillan Audio for the ALC! This book had an interesting premise and raised an important question: How far would you go to achieve complete financial security?
I was super intrigued by the first half which showcased a sharp, witty, (sometimes funny) capitalistic take on society and kept me on the edge of my seat to know what would happen next. But the second half felt like a completely different story, as it shifted into a strange hippie/commune/cult-ish direction that didn’t work for me because there was (in my opinion) a lack of tension and stakes.
I kept expecting the plot to build toward something bigger, especially with the fascinating moral question surrounding corporate control and reproduction. The story lost momentum and fizzled out instead.
I did appreciate how the author didn’t shame the women in the story for the positions they were in, but rather presented them in a normal and neutral way, showing that the real enemy in the story was capitalism and greed.
Overall, I enjoyed the concept and the first half A LOT and really wish it wouldn’t have ultimately switched directions in the way it did. Was it bad? No. I just expected it to deliver on the potential of its premise and it didn’t for me. Also, I expected more cows. Lol.
I was super intrigued by the first half which showcased a sharp, witty, (sometimes funny) capitalistic take on society and kept me on the edge of my seat to know what would happen next. But the second half felt like a completely different story, as it shifted into a strange hippie/commune/cult-ish direction that didn’t work for me because there was (in my opinion) a lack of tension and stakes.
I kept expecting the plot to build toward something bigger, especially with the fascinating moral question surrounding corporate control and reproduction. The story lost momentum and fizzled out instead.
I did appreciate how the author didn’t shame the women in the story for the positions they were in, but rather presented them in a normal and neutral way, showing that the real enemy in the story was capitalism and greed.
Overall, I enjoyed the concept and the first half A LOT and really wish it wouldn’t have ultimately switched directions in the way it did. Was it bad? No. I just expected it to deliver on the potential of its premise and it didn’t for me. Also, I expected more cows. Lol.
September 20, 2026
What if The Handmaid’s Tale was repurposed for the modern age, rife with satire and corporate ‘feminism’ (yes, I mean that in a derogatory sense)?
This read like an answering call to Yesteryear.
Natalie is debt-burdened and sick of trying to balance life and work, health and the grind. She takes a job as an in-house corporate surrogate for a company that advocates that this is for the best of their women employees - reducing maternity leave and everything that comes with pregnancy.
To Natalie, it is a non-brainer: she must deliver seven babies over ten years in exchange for generous compensation. She lives in a luxury condo stocked with healthy meals, around-the-clock medical care, and fitness experts.
If you have read Vanishing World by Sayaka Murata, this reminded me of the absurd take on a prevalent topic. Where well-meaning interference results in further restrictions.
Natalie is a pretty unlikable character, but who we all harbour aspects of: lazy, selfish, judging. That’s what made this so fascinating. We all want to be able to relax, to not worry about future, to be taken care of. However, this book makes us interrogate capitalistic culture that has forced us to think of a decent work/life balance and compensation as a ‘dream’.
I loved the first two parts, but the latter end changed tone and didn’t quite work for me. It served as a contrast - dystopian (importantly: seemingly utopian until challenged), then communal. However, the change was too abrupt and the switch up felt even more bizarre than the rest of the book.
The audiobook is well-performed and the narrator nailed Natalie’s voice. I just realised both Yesteryear and Fallow have protagonists called Natalie!
3.75 stars for the first 65%, 3.25 stars for the latter part.⭐️
Physical arc gifted by Penguin Vintage.
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This read like an answering call to Yesteryear.
Natalie is debt-burdened and sick of trying to balance life and work, health and the grind. She takes a job as an in-house corporate surrogate for a company that advocates that this is for the best of their women employees - reducing maternity leave and everything that comes with pregnancy.
To Natalie, it is a non-brainer: she must deliver seven babies over ten years in exchange for generous compensation. She lives in a luxury condo stocked with healthy meals, around-the-clock medical care, and fitness experts.
If you have read Vanishing World by Sayaka Murata, this reminded me of the absurd take on a prevalent topic. Where well-meaning interference results in further restrictions.
Natalie is a pretty unlikable character, but who we all harbour aspects of: lazy, selfish, judging. That’s what made this so fascinating. We all want to be able to relax, to not worry about future, to be taken care of. However, this book makes us interrogate capitalistic culture that has forced us to think of a decent work/life balance and compensation as a ‘dream’.
I loved the first two parts, but the latter end changed tone and didn’t quite work for me. It served as a contrast - dystopian (importantly: seemingly utopian until challenged), then communal. However, the change was too abrupt and the switch up felt even more bizarre than the rest of the book.
The audiobook is well-performed and the narrator nailed Natalie’s voice. I just realised both Yesteryear and Fallow have protagonists called Natalie!
3.75 stars for the first 65%, 3.25 stars for the latter part.⭐️
Physical arc gifted by Penguin Vintage.
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September 21, 2026
When she was younger, Natalie’s sisters would all dream of being astronauts and nurses while she dreamed of naps and vacations. The lack of motivation has followed her into adult life and into a rut at her current job. It is during this rut that her wisdom teeth decide to pop in, and she needs to get emergency dental surgery. She has no insurance. Trying to hustle up some extra cash via donating plasma, she stumbles across a flyer looking for people to work for them. It’s extremely vague, but she figures why not. The job involves being a surrogate for the corporate executives. This way, the executives can focus on their jobs without, according to the company, worrying about the side effects of pregnancy, etc. Natalie signs up immediately.
This was such an interesting concept and thought-provoking at that. Most of us can probably relate to the work versus home life balance. This surrogacy would allow the executive to continue working and not be affected by the side effects of pregnancy. A win for the company for sure. However, is this really a win for the executive/parent? It definitely would tip the scales and the work versus home life balance. Like I said, plenty to think about with us.
The first half of the novel, I was unable to put this book down. I was completely drawn into Natalie’s world. I found her lack of motivation, compulsiveness, and way of thinking kind of fascinating. Then the second half took a turn that I quite wasn’t expecting. From an enjoyment standpoint, I definitely didn’t enjoy it as much as the first half, but I like how it focused on Natalie and pulled the story together from a character standpoint.
I would rate the first half higher than the second half, but the whole thing definitely was really good. I’m not sure of the best genre tag for this book. It’s definitely not a thriller, nor horror… I suppose, maybe just literary fiction? Definitely worth checking out though for sure!
This was such an interesting concept and thought-provoking at that. Most of us can probably relate to the work versus home life balance. This surrogacy would allow the executive to continue working and not be affected by the side effects of pregnancy. A win for the company for sure. However, is this really a win for the executive/parent? It definitely would tip the scales and the work versus home life balance. Like I said, plenty to think about with us.
The first half of the novel, I was unable to put this book down. I was completely drawn into Natalie’s world. I found her lack of motivation, compulsiveness, and way of thinking kind of fascinating. Then the second half took a turn that I quite wasn’t expecting. From an enjoyment standpoint, I definitely didn’t enjoy it as much as the first half, but I like how it focused on Natalie and pulled the story together from a character standpoint.
I would rate the first half higher than the second half, but the whole thing definitely was really good. I’m not sure of the best genre tag for this book. It’s definitely not a thriller, nor horror… I suppose, maybe just literary fiction? Definitely worth checking out though for sure!
September 16, 2026
What an absolutely engaging, funny, emotional read that somehow manages to be a scathing critique of capitalism while also espousing the need for community, sisterhood, and dental insurance.
My read immediately preceding this book was one that was sold to me as a satire and it failed miserably so I was apprehensive starting this one but this nailed everything the other failed in. The best satirical novels, to me, attack a target, expose societal vice, and demand reflection. Mocking and ridiculing isn’t satire, it’s just low hanging fruit.
Fallow has a clear through line of what it’s criticizing and it stays on the path from beginning to end. Even as the second half of the book shifts in tone, it’s in direct response to the first half of the book. It feels like a singular, cohesive book rather than two smashed together.
I absolutely loved this book and the audiobook was fantastic. Natalie Naudus is brilliant. The way she’s able to change her inflections, tone, and pitch to bring multiple characters to life is sheer magic. She’s the reason this book landed on my radar in the first place. I highly recommend this book, especially in audiobook format.
My read immediately preceding this book was one that was sold to me as a satire and it failed miserably so I was apprehensive starting this one but this nailed everything the other failed in. The best satirical novels, to me, attack a target, expose societal vice, and demand reflection. Mocking and ridiculing isn’t satire, it’s just low hanging fruit.
Fallow has a clear through line of what it’s criticizing and it stays on the path from beginning to end. Even as the second half of the book shifts in tone, it’s in direct response to the first half of the book. It feels like a singular, cohesive book rather than two smashed together.
I absolutely loved this book and the audiobook was fantastic. Natalie Naudus is brilliant. The way she’s able to change her inflections, tone, and pitch to bring multiple characters to life is sheer magic. She’s the reason this book landed on my radar in the first place. I highly recommend this book, especially in audiobook format.
June 28, 2026
There are some books that you go into knowing you’ll just enjoy it, so it’s a giant relief when they don’t disappoint me. This is my kind of book in every way. Literary, darkly comedic, a bit of a grounded science fiction or speculative trip, a bit political, sarcasm heavy.
Sarah Anderson is coming in hot with her debut and I’m already so excited for her release and to see what she does next. Fallow follows our main character Natalie through an experimental first foray into surrogacy programs for tech companies who are desperate to even the ground for women wanting to give birth. The company clearly is wanting to put women first, allow them to keep their bottom line, their cultural and societal impact on the company and not lose the many sad benefits of staying at work during pregnancy and maternity leave. Are you catching my tone??
I’m utterly in love with Natalie and her neutrality in the beginning of this seemingly too good to be true program. The ramifications on her life, money, health and friendships. What happens when you can’t be honest 9 months out of 16? This reads like a Black Mirror episode with a little less horror and science fiction and is made for readers just like me.
Sarah Anderson is coming in hot with her debut and I’m already so excited for her release and to see what she does next. Fallow follows our main character Natalie through an experimental first foray into surrogacy programs for tech companies who are desperate to even the ground for women wanting to give birth. The company clearly is wanting to put women first, allow them to keep their bottom line, their cultural and societal impact on the company and not lose the many sad benefits of staying at work during pregnancy and maternity leave. Are you catching my tone??
I’m utterly in love with Natalie and her neutrality in the beginning of this seemingly too good to be true program. The ramifications on her life, money, health and friendships. What happens when you can’t be honest 9 months out of 16? This reads like a Black Mirror episode with a little less horror and science fiction and is made for readers just like me.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
There is no such thing as a good job.
…
“You’re not actually stuck here. You’re choosing to be stuck because it’s easier than admitting you’ve nothing worth to go back to.”
…
“It’s amazing to me,” she said, “how you’ve managed to grow seven babies and never grow up.”
Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for sending me an ARC of Fallow in exchange for an honest review.
Fallow is told in three parts. In the first two parts, Natalie has never liked working, and falls into a job as a surrogate for executives at a huge corporation, alleged “designed to accelerate gender equity through gestational outsourcing.” For the first time in her life, she has money, good health care, and housing. Not everyone would make the trade off she has chosen, but it works for her, mostly. Then, as her contract is nearing its end, one surrogacy goes sideways, and Natalie’s role with the company goes viral. There are some interesting ideas in this portion of the book about capitalism, Gen Z in the workplace, and women and the workplace. In other books, the remainder of the story would have fleshed those ideas out and resolved the remaining threads of what exactly was happening with Natalie’s pregnancies.
But the third part of Fallow goes in a completely different direction, as a plot twist allows Natalie to consider whether she’d be happier living in a communist, rather than capitalist, society. Even on its own terms, it’s very weird, so different in tone and pacing. And you can’t look too closely at the twist or the logic of it falls apart. Worse, though, by choosing to move Natalie into this new locale, the story is forced to abruptly drop many of the threads developed in the first two-thirds of the book.
Fallow has a great premise. It starts off well. And the audiobook has a great narrator whose voice draws you into the story. But the story falls apart in the back third. Ultimately, a bit disappointing.
September 11, 2026
Damn, I hate to say it but the first half of this was a 4/5 and the second half 2.5-3. Overall for me it sits somewhere between a 3 and 3.5. I really was enjoying Fallow and where it was going, I appreciated the writing style a lot and the chaotic type B MC Natalie was entertaining to read. I liked her weird relationships with the mothers and was excited to see where that was going to end up because I knew it couldn’t be good!
..But then the second half came along and it really lost me. The second half felt like an entirely different book and took a turn that seemed very silly, out of nowhere and just didn’t work for me. It reminded me of the commune in Patricia Wants to Cuddle a little bit but seemed very out of place in this particular book. Also what the hell was that ending..? That had to be the most boring, corny and dissatisfying ending I have read in a long time. As a whole this book was entertaining enough and the first half was great, but unfortunately in the end I was just hoping it would be over. I thank the publisher for my review copy!
..But then the second half came along and it really lost me. The second half felt like an entirely different book and took a turn that seemed very silly, out of nowhere and just didn’t work for me. It reminded me of the commune in Patricia Wants to Cuddle a little bit but seemed very out of place in this particular book. Also what the hell was that ending..? That had to be the most boring, corny and dissatisfying ending I have read in a long time. As a whole this book was entertaining enough and the first half was great, but unfortunately in the end I was just hoping it would be over. I thank the publisher for my review copy!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Fallow, centered on a passive young woman who becomes a surrogate for a corporation, hooked me right away. Anderson slyly pokes at corporate and consumer greed with her unlikely heroine's journey through multiple pregnancies. Natalie has no ambition or passions and is almost cow-like in her complacency. Yet I was fascinated by her. An impressive debut - a combination of unputdownable and thought-provoking. The audiobook narration was terrific.
Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the advance audiobook.
Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the advance audiobook.
Review of advance copy received from Book of the Month
My kind of book. If you liked The Compound or Severance, this is a combination of both. Constantly hunting for gems like this.
September 9, 2026
God this lost all of its steam in the last third. Really amazing set up for virtually no payoff.
June 7, 2026
I thought it was aight! A book in two parts really. The first more my speed. Cynical and critical and examining systematic control albeit through a lazy and avoidant character. The second half is a pretty hard swerve into the pastoral that felt pretty alien for our narrator. Meh!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Loved her short stories, Take Me to Kirkland (Joyland) and Left (Epiphany SS20), so I am super excited to read her novel!
Update: It’s fantastic! The premise seems far-fetched on paper, but the way the story and characters developed, it felt totally plausible. I think millennials are so desperate for financial relief that a lot more people would sign up to be surrogates than you might think. I loved the main character and her dynamic relationship with her mom and sisters. Anderson’s prose isn’t flowery, it’s simple and accessible, but she manages to use details and build narrative that feels full and rich in ways that more lyrical fiction can ultimately feel hollow. I’d be surprised if this book doesn’t end up in my top 5 for the year. I think there will be a great response from readers. It feels like a book you can recommend to anyone. Excited to read more from Anderson in the future.
Thank you NetGalley and FSG for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Update: It’s fantastic! The premise seems far-fetched on paper, but the way the story and characters developed, it felt totally plausible. I think millennials are so desperate for financial relief that a lot more people would sign up to be surrogates than you might think. I loved the main character and her dynamic relationship with her mom and sisters. Anderson’s prose isn’t flowery, it’s simple and accessible, but she manages to use details and build narrative that feels full and rich in ways that more lyrical fiction can ultimately feel hollow. I’d be surprised if this book doesn’t end up in my top 5 for the year. I think there will be a great response from readers. It feels like a book you can recommend to anyone. Excited to read more from Anderson in the future.
Thank you NetGalley and FSG for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Currently Reading
September 22, 2026𐙚⋆°. preread
Im not gonna lie I’m quite intrigued. It’s been slowly showing up on my feed so I guess it’s finally time to read it.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this arc in exchange for an honest review.
Im not gonna lie I’m quite intrigued. It’s been slowly showing up on my feed so I guess it’s finally time to read it.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this arc in exchange for an honest review.
September 15, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ALC (Advance Listening Copy) of Fallow by Sarah Anderson, narrated by Natalie Naudus. I wasn't sure what to expect with this one and I really enjoyed it. The narrator, Natalie Naudus was exceptional! This was a very unique novel. A dystopian community which makes you think, "How far would you go for you to be financially stable?" It is quite far fetched but I enjoyed listening to this audiobook. This story was written in two parts. The first part really intrigued me, and the second part could almost have been a sequel. It is worth listening to. I gave it a 4 star rating. #NetGalley #SarahAnderson #NatalieNaudus #MacmillanAudio
September 16, 2026
A dystopian and cruelly funny look at the gig economy and the horror of capitalism. Natalie, a call center worker with no insurance, decides to take a position as a corporate surrogate to enable C Suite execs to skip maternity leave, optimization rebranded as diversity and inclusion. I loved the first half of this, watching Natalie exist as a Millennial faildaughter, a toxic party girl, an avoidant disaster.
The back half of this book takes a big, big swing. As always, your mileage may vary.
The back half of this book takes a big, big swing. As always, your mileage may vary.
September 17, 2026
I don't think "unhinged" is the word to describe this book...but there was just something about it that scratched at my brain in the most unique way 🧠🧐. The story follows Natalie as life circumstances lead her to becoming the world's first in-house corporate surrogate. I thought I knew how the story was pretty much going to flow, but I did not 😅. But it turned out to be a good thing because this author explores so many different themes: motherhood, maternal healthcare, career, community and all the labels in between that society forces on women just trying to live their lives.
Broken up into 3 parts, the pacing moves pretty quickly and it only got a little slow towards the end of part 1. After that, it was all gas and no brakes. I was confused at times, I was kept going back and forth on whether I even liked Natalie's character, and at the end I think I finally understood the central thesis of what this author was trying to communicate. I think 😆. I see people comparing this book to Yesteryear, and I kinda see why, but this book takes a different approach to conveying the message. I think if you enjoyed Yesteryear then you'll likely understand what the author was trying to say in this book.
🎧: I am wondering how I've listened to so many audiobooks and have yet to experience narrator Natalie Naudus. She's incredible. I enjoyed her voice SO MUCH and will now be on the hunt for more books where she is narrating. She had a heavy lift with a variety of accents and languages, but she nailed it, in my opinion. I did immersive reading with this book and it was very enjoyable listening to this story while reading along.
This book made me THINK. A LOT. Without spoiling anything (because you truly should go in blind when reading this book), one of the main point s that stuck with ME is that you are allowed to choose whatever life path you want, whatever feels the most authentic to YOU. But you HAVE TO CHOOSE. Don't let external circumstances or people choose for you. Because they will. And you probably won't like it. I have a lot of other thoughts, but I'm avoiding spoilers. I'll just say I appreciate how the author illustrated all the difficult choices women have to make in their daily lives and all the undue pressure to live up to societal norms.
Thank you to NetGalley and Farrar, Straus and Giroux for the ARC, and Macmillan Audio for the ALC 💞
🎧: 5⭐️
📖: 4.25 ⭐️
Broken up into 3 parts, the pacing moves pretty quickly and it only got a little slow towards the end of part 1. After that, it was all gas and no brakes. I was confused at times, I was kept going back and forth on whether I even liked Natalie's character, and at the end I think I finally understood the central thesis of what this author was trying to communicate. I think 😆. I see people comparing this book to Yesteryear, and I kinda see why, but this book takes a different approach to conveying the message. I think if you enjoyed Yesteryear then you'll likely understand what the author was trying to say in this book.
🎧: I am wondering how I've listened to so many audiobooks and have yet to experience narrator Natalie Naudus. She's incredible. I enjoyed her voice SO MUCH and will now be on the hunt for more books where she is narrating. She had a heavy lift with a variety of accents and languages, but she nailed it, in my opinion. I did immersive reading with this book and it was very enjoyable listening to this story while reading along.
This book made me THINK. A LOT. Without spoiling anything (because you truly should go in blind when reading this book), one of the main point s that stuck with ME is that you are allowed to choose whatever life path you want, whatever feels the most authentic to YOU. But you HAVE TO CHOOSE. Don't let external circumstances or people choose for you. Because they will. And you probably won't like it. I have a lot of other thoughts, but I'm avoiding spoilers. I'll just say I appreciate how the author illustrated all the difficult choices women have to make in their daily lives and all the undue pressure to live up to societal norms.
Thank you to NetGalley and Farrar, Straus and Giroux for the ARC, and Macmillan Audio for the ALC 💞
🎧: 5⭐️
📖: 4.25 ⭐️
September 13, 2026
Fallow had a promising premise, and for the first two parts, I was genuinely engaged. The story kept me wondering what would happen next, and I was invested enough to keep turning the pages.
Then came Part Three.
It hit like cold water when you’re sleeping. Suddenly, it felt like I was reading an entirely different book. The connections to the first two parts felt thin, and instead of pulling everything together, they left me wondering, Where exactly is this going?
There are some funny and snarky moments sprinkled throughout, and I appreciated those, but unfortunately, they weren’t enough to overcome how disconnected the final section felt. By the time I reached the ending, I was hoping for something that would bring everything together, but it landed with more of a shrug than a satisfying conclusion.
One other thing that threw me off: Goodreads categorizes this as horror, and honestly, I’m not sure where the horror is. I didn’t find much, if anything, that felt remotely like horror. Unless they’re referring to Part Three, in which case... well, that would certainly explain something.
Not the worst book I’ve read, but definitely not the best. For me, Fallow started strong and then lost me somewhere along the way.
Thank you, NetGalley, Sarah Anderson, and Farrar, Straus and Giroux for the ARC. All comments and opinions are my own.
Then came Part Three.
It hit like cold water when you’re sleeping. Suddenly, it felt like I was reading an entirely different book. The connections to the first two parts felt thin, and instead of pulling everything together, they left me wondering, Where exactly is this going?
There are some funny and snarky moments sprinkled throughout, and I appreciated those, but unfortunately, they weren’t enough to overcome how disconnected the final section felt. By the time I reached the ending, I was hoping for something that would bring everything together, but it landed with more of a shrug than a satisfying conclusion.
One other thing that threw me off: Goodreads categorizes this as horror, and honestly, I’m not sure where the horror is. I didn’t find much, if anything, that felt remotely like horror. Unless they’re referring to Part Three, in which case... well, that would certainly explain something.
Not the worst book I’ve read, but definitely not the best. For me, Fallow started strong and then lost me somewhere along the way.
Thank you, NetGalley, Sarah Anderson, and Farrar, Straus and Giroux for the ARC. All comments and opinions are my own.
March 16, 2026
Damn
Banger after banger.
I am so thankful to FSG Books, NetGalley, and Sarah Anderson for advanced digital access before this beauty hits shelves on September 15, 2026.
Natalie has found herself in a sticky situation. She desperately needs her wisdom teeth removed, and doesn’t have health insurance… so what does she do?? Becomes an in-house, contractual surrogate for a massive tech company, pops out 7 babies in 10 years, deposits hundreds of thousands of dollars, and loses all connection with the real world as she’s hidden beneath NDAs and strict rules.
Woof.
There were times where I read this novel and thought, heck, I could do that.
But no pregnancy is like the other, and some experiences leave her scarred, and longing for a connection she didn’t previously anticipate.
Darkly funny and horrifically spun, Fallow played with my emotions and sent me spiraling. I’m so excited to see what everyone else thinks!!
Banger after banger.
I am so thankful to FSG Books, NetGalley, and Sarah Anderson for advanced digital access before this beauty hits shelves on September 15, 2026.
Natalie has found herself in a sticky situation. She desperately needs her wisdom teeth removed, and doesn’t have health insurance… so what does she do?? Becomes an in-house, contractual surrogate for a massive tech company, pops out 7 babies in 10 years, deposits hundreds of thousands of dollars, and loses all connection with the real world as she’s hidden beneath NDAs and strict rules.
Woof.
There were times where I read this novel and thought, heck, I could do that.
But no pregnancy is like the other, and some experiences leave her scarred, and longing for a connection she didn’t previously anticipate.
Darkly funny and horrifically spun, Fallow played with my emotions and sent me spiraling. I’m so excited to see what everyone else thinks!!
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
I picked Fallow as one of my Macmillan Audio selections this month for one very simple reason: Natalie Naudus narrates it.
She is my favorite audiobook narrator, and at this point, if I see her name attached to a book, that is pretty much an automatic yes for me. I have loved every performance of hers I’ve listened to, and somehow she may have outdone herself here. There are so many women in this story, and Naudus gives them genuinely distinct voices and personalities—including a fantastic French accent—without ever making the performance feel gimmicky.
And then there is Natalie, our main character, who also happens to be named Natalie. Her voice is closest to Naudus’s natural narration, and I loved what she did with this character because Natalie is decidedly not an aspirational heroine.
Natalie is lazy. She’s a little entitled. She has very little ambition. She would be perfectly content to lie around watching reality television, go clubbing when she feels like it, and generally avoid having a traditional job for as long as humanly possible.
I kind of loved her.
Natalie comes from an enormous family and is working a job she hates when she is recruited by a mysterious corporation for an unusual position: becoming its in-house surrogate. The Company wants her to carry babies for high-level female executives, allowing those women to become mothers without pregnancy interfering with their careers.
And this is where Fallow gets REALLY interesting.
Natalie signs an incredibly detailed contract. Her health and behavior are constantly monitored. She has a smartwatch, smart ring, smart scale, nutritionists, excellent healthcare, prepared meals, and essentially everything she could need to produce the healthiest possible pregnancy. There are even financial incentives tied to certain pregnancy and delivery outcomes.
In return, Natalie doesn’t really have to do anything except be pregnant.
And honestly? Natalie thinks this is a pretty great deal.
That’s what makes this book so much more interesting than a straightforward reproductive dystopia. Nobody has to drag Natalie kicking and screaming into The Company. Late-stage capitalism has simply created a situation in which surrendering control over her body comes with better pay, better healthcare, better food, and a nicer lifestyle than she could access on her own.
It asks some fascinating questions about the way corporations view pregnancy, motherhood, women’s bodies, and productivity. What happens when pregnancy becomes another workplace function to optimize? What happens when corporations decide the problem isn’t that workplaces aren’t designed to accommodate pregnancy—but that pregnancy itself is interfering with productivity?
There are shades of Severance, The Dream Hotel, and Baby X here. It’s speculative, but only slightly. This isn’t science fiction that feels removed from our world. It’s more like someone took our current relationship with work, technology, women’s bodies, and corporate wellness programs and pushed everything about three uncomfortable steps further.
And somehow, this book is also hilarious.
I laughed out loud multiple times. Natalie is such a strange, funny, flawed character, and I loved being inside her head.
I also cannot believe this is Sarah Anderson’s debut.
I don’t necessarily think Fallow will be universally loved. It’s weird. Natalie is weird. The story eventually goes in directions I absolutely did not anticipate, and I can easily imagine some readers wondering what on earth they just read.
But THAT is exactly why I think this would make an incredible book club selection.
Even if half the book club hates it, they’re still showing up to the meeting with something to say. There is so much here to discuss about bodily autonomy, motherhood, ambition, capitalism, privilege, healthcare, work, and what we are willing to exchange for comfort and security.
Basically, I desperately need other people to read this because I NEED TO TALK ABOUT IT.
If your book club is reading Fallow, please invite me. I’m serious.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🎧 Audiobook: 5/5 — Natalie Naudus is phenomenal. One of my favorite performances from my favorite narrator.
Thank you to Macmillan Audio for the advanced listening copy.
Fallow by Sarah Anderson publishes September 15, 2026 from Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
She is my favorite audiobook narrator, and at this point, if I see her name attached to a book, that is pretty much an automatic yes for me. I have loved every performance of hers I’ve listened to, and somehow she may have outdone herself here. There are so many women in this story, and Naudus gives them genuinely distinct voices and personalities—including a fantastic French accent—without ever making the performance feel gimmicky.
And then there is Natalie, our main character, who also happens to be named Natalie. Her voice is closest to Naudus’s natural narration, and I loved what she did with this character because Natalie is decidedly not an aspirational heroine.
Natalie is lazy. She’s a little entitled. She has very little ambition. She would be perfectly content to lie around watching reality television, go clubbing when she feels like it, and generally avoid having a traditional job for as long as humanly possible.
I kind of loved her.
Natalie comes from an enormous family and is working a job she hates when she is recruited by a mysterious corporation for an unusual position: becoming its in-house surrogate. The Company wants her to carry babies for high-level female executives, allowing those women to become mothers without pregnancy interfering with their careers.
And this is where Fallow gets REALLY interesting.
Natalie signs an incredibly detailed contract. Her health and behavior are constantly monitored. She has a smartwatch, smart ring, smart scale, nutritionists, excellent healthcare, prepared meals, and essentially everything she could need to produce the healthiest possible pregnancy. There are even financial incentives tied to certain pregnancy and delivery outcomes.
In return, Natalie doesn’t really have to do anything except be pregnant.
And honestly? Natalie thinks this is a pretty great deal.
That’s what makes this book so much more interesting than a straightforward reproductive dystopia. Nobody has to drag Natalie kicking and screaming into The Company. Late-stage capitalism has simply created a situation in which surrendering control over her body comes with better pay, better healthcare, better food, and a nicer lifestyle than she could access on her own.
It asks some fascinating questions about the way corporations view pregnancy, motherhood, women’s bodies, and productivity. What happens when pregnancy becomes another workplace function to optimize? What happens when corporations decide the problem isn’t that workplaces aren’t designed to accommodate pregnancy—but that pregnancy itself is interfering with productivity?
There are shades of Severance, The Dream Hotel, and Baby X here. It’s speculative, but only slightly. This isn’t science fiction that feels removed from our world. It’s more like someone took our current relationship with work, technology, women’s bodies, and corporate wellness programs and pushed everything about three uncomfortable steps further.
And somehow, this book is also hilarious.
I laughed out loud multiple times. Natalie is such a strange, funny, flawed character, and I loved being inside her head.
I also cannot believe this is Sarah Anderson’s debut.
I don’t necessarily think Fallow will be universally loved. It’s weird. Natalie is weird. The story eventually goes in directions I absolutely did not anticipate, and I can easily imagine some readers wondering what on earth they just read.
But THAT is exactly why I think this would make an incredible book club selection.
Even if half the book club hates it, they’re still showing up to the meeting with something to say. There is so much here to discuss about bodily autonomy, motherhood, ambition, capitalism, privilege, healthcare, work, and what we are willing to exchange for comfort and security.
Basically, I desperately need other people to read this because I NEED TO TALK ABOUT IT.
If your book club is reading Fallow, please invite me. I’m serious.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🎧 Audiobook: 5/5 — Natalie Naudus is phenomenal. One of my favorite performances from my favorite narrator.
Thank you to Macmillan Audio for the advanced listening copy.
Fallow by Sarah Anderson publishes September 15, 2026 from Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
September 8, 2026
Fallow (audio) 4 ⭐️
I loved the writing and narration. I just wish there was a better overall flow of the storyline. It felt so close to being the whole package and was on track with eerily realistic themes, especially moral dilemmas and corporate greed. But something was missing/lacking. After introducing the premise, the book flies through majority of her pregnancies/fallow periods, gives a little more umph for the 2nd to last pregnancy, and then draaaaags the final pregnancy out in what feels like a completely different book. And the second half of the book isn’t bad, I just struggled to adapt from the first half. I think this may have felt more complete to me as a series. The author is very talented and I look forward to reading more of her books.
Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this ALC. This review will be shared on NetGalley and Goodreads.
Pub Date Sep 15 2026
I loved the writing and narration. I just wish there was a better overall flow of the storyline. It felt so close to being the whole package and was on track with eerily realistic themes, especially moral dilemmas and corporate greed. But something was missing/lacking. After introducing the premise, the book flies through majority of her pregnancies/fallow periods, gives a little more umph for the 2nd to last pregnancy, and then draaaaags the final pregnancy out in what feels like a completely different book. And the second half of the book isn’t bad, I just struggled to adapt from the first half. I think this may have felt more complete to me as a series. The author is very talented and I look forward to reading more of her books.
Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this ALC. This review will be shared on NetGalley and Goodreads.
Pub Date Sep 15 2026
July 18, 2026
Fallow started out as commentary about capitalism, the patriarchy, and corporate greed. From student loan debt to low wages, skyrocketing housing costs, and a subpar healthcare system, the book shows us firsthand how difficult it is for young people to survive in the modern world.
When Natalie is faced with needing a painful and expensive dental procedure, she turns to plasma donation to supplement her low-paying call center job. At the plasma center, she learns of a job as a corporate surrogate, which could be the answer to all of her financial problems.
Without giving too much away, about the middle of the book the narrative takes a dramatic turn away from the urban commentary and shifts toward something much more pastoral. The cow on the cover is a metaphor, but it's also literal.
Overall, this book was interesting, and I appreciated the questions about society invoked by the text. At points the pacing felt a little slow, and the book felt disjointed — the first half had a very different vibe than the second half.
Through it all, our main character was untethered floating along wherever the wind took her. She was so passive and indifferent; life was something that happened to her. She was a victim. I think her character arc could've been delivered more strongly, as this was clearly meant to be a coming-of-age story, because in the end, "she gave birth to herself."
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
When Natalie is faced with needing a painful and expensive dental procedure, she turns to plasma donation to supplement her low-paying call center job. At the plasma center, she learns of a job as a corporate surrogate, which could be the answer to all of her financial problems.
Without giving too much away, about the middle of the book the narrative takes a dramatic turn away from the urban commentary and shifts toward something much more pastoral. The cow on the cover is a metaphor, but it's also literal.
Overall, this book was interesting, and I appreciated the questions about society invoked by the text. At points the pacing felt a little slow, and the book felt disjointed — the first half had a very different vibe than the second half.
Through it all, our main character was untethered floating along wherever the wind took her. She was so passive and indifferent; life was something that happened to her. She was a victim. I think her character arc could've been delivered more strongly, as this was clearly meant to be a coming-of-age story, because in the end, "she gave birth to herself."
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
September 18, 2026
Fallow had all the ingredients I love in my fiction. It’s face paced & speculative mixed with a HEAVY dose of dystopian weird girl lit. Once I’d started this was such a compulsive read, I couldn’t put it down.
We meet Natalie, she hates her job and is barely making ends meet when she realises her dental work is going to cost money she simply doesn’t have she reaches for quick ways to raise the cash. She doesn’t have time to sell herself online and has no skills to offer, so when she finds a flyer offering an opportunity at ‘The Company’ her interest is piqued. No daily work, the only objective is to be an in-house surrogate and deliver 7 healthy babies in 10 years. Does it sound too easy? Maybe too good to be true?
There’s a lot of questions this book raised in my mind. Can surrogacy ever be considered feminist in women’s choice of how to use their body? Or would it always slightly prey on women who needed money and those who have it could be the ones to gain access. Whats more is, if a major corporation turned it into a perk, how soon would it go from being a choice to just another way people have control over your body. And once that contract ends, what’s left for you and where do you go?
A very thought provoking read, but also captures darkly funny humour in something that right now feels like a future too far away, but also alarmingly within reach as we see many companies looking for ways to save money & keep you working more in the name of profit margin. How long before basic human experience is something to be bought or sacrificed.
This is a mesmerising debut and I cannot wait to see what Sarah Anderson has lined up in the future for us, because this is a wild output for a first release.
Huge thank you to the Vintage team for sending me this through so early for review & just look at those pink edges. Excellent level of detailing start to finish, and this book deserves it all.
We meet Natalie, she hates her job and is barely making ends meet when she realises her dental work is going to cost money she simply doesn’t have she reaches for quick ways to raise the cash. She doesn’t have time to sell herself online and has no skills to offer, so when she finds a flyer offering an opportunity at ‘The Company’ her interest is piqued. No daily work, the only objective is to be an in-house surrogate and deliver 7 healthy babies in 10 years. Does it sound too easy? Maybe too good to be true?
There’s a lot of questions this book raised in my mind. Can surrogacy ever be considered feminist in women’s choice of how to use their body? Or would it always slightly prey on women who needed money and those who have it could be the ones to gain access. Whats more is, if a major corporation turned it into a perk, how soon would it go from being a choice to just another way people have control over your body. And once that contract ends, what’s left for you and where do you go?
A very thought provoking read, but also captures darkly funny humour in something that right now feels like a future too far away, but also alarmingly within reach as we see many companies looking for ways to save money & keep you working more in the name of profit margin. How long before basic human experience is something to be bought or sacrificed.
This is a mesmerising debut and I cannot wait to see what Sarah Anderson has lined up in the future for us, because this is a wild output for a first release.
Huge thank you to the Vintage team for sending me this through so early for review & just look at those pink edges. Excellent level of detailing start to finish, and this book deserves it all.
September 13, 2026
It’s hard for me to say where this went wrong for me, mainly because there was very little that went right. Still, I’ll try to be somewhat constructive and talk about some positives.
This book is split into multiple parts, but it really feels like two entirely different stories. I’m going to avoid spoilers and just refer to them as parts one and two.
Part one is basically the blurb. Natalie is a shiftless twenty-something working a crap job who gets the opportunity to become a corporate surrogate. The summary compared this to The Handmaid’s Tale, which I can kind of see? But it is not that. This was the part that had potential, though, and the reason I requested the book in the first place.
Unfortunately, it never really does anything with that potential. Nat is neither unlikable enough to be an antihero nor naive enough to be pitiable. That in itself could actually be interesting, but, like most things in this book, it just isn’t explored enough. I kept wishing Anderson would commit to something. Make it a more disturbing dark comedy, a smarter satire, a more emotional drama, or a more developed dystopia and I think it could have worked. As it is, it never digs deeply enough into any of those things to say much of anything.
Still, part one was quickly readable in the way reality TV is. Not good, exactly, but entertaining. And then it just sort of…ends. Almost like the author got sick of that story and decided to shift gears entirely.
Part two was so confusingly pointless to me and felt like it was giving an entirely different message. I kept waiting for it to meaningfully tie back into part one, and it never really did. It was just more of Natalie’s noncommittal character in a different setting. What I think was supposed to be character growth happened so quickly and with so little justification that it was pretty much lost on me. Then the ending was saccharine and neat, which this book was definitely not asking for.
I can’t recommend this one, which is a bummer because I really did think the premise had potential. If there was a larger message here, it was lost on me.
Thank you to Farrar, Straus and Giroux and NetGallley for providing an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
This book is split into multiple parts, but it really feels like two entirely different stories. I’m going to avoid spoilers and just refer to them as parts one and two.
Part one is basically the blurb. Natalie is a shiftless twenty-something working a crap job who gets the opportunity to become a corporate surrogate. The summary compared this to The Handmaid’s Tale, which I can kind of see? But it is not that. This was the part that had potential, though, and the reason I requested the book in the first place.
Unfortunately, it never really does anything with that potential. Nat is neither unlikable enough to be an antihero nor naive enough to be pitiable. That in itself could actually be interesting, but, like most things in this book, it just isn’t explored enough. I kept wishing Anderson would commit to something. Make it a more disturbing dark comedy, a smarter satire, a more emotional drama, or a more developed dystopia and I think it could have worked. As it is, it never digs deeply enough into any of those things to say much of anything.
Still, part one was quickly readable in the way reality TV is. Not good, exactly, but entertaining. And then it just sort of…ends. Almost like the author got sick of that story and decided to shift gears entirely.
Part two was so confusingly pointless to me and felt like it was giving an entirely different message. I kept waiting for it to meaningfully tie back into part one, and it never really did. It was just more of Natalie’s noncommittal character in a different setting. What I think was supposed to be character growth happened so quickly and with so little justification that it was pretty much lost on me. Then the ending was saccharine and neat, which this book was definitely not asking for.
I can’t recommend this one, which is a bummer because I really did think the premise had potential. If there was a larger message here, it was lost on me.
Thank you to Farrar, Straus and Giroux and NetGallley for providing an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
September 21, 2026
4.25 stars
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