Thank you Netgalley for the chance to read and review this title. I will review this title at a different date.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for giving me a chance to read Maternal Instinct. Sadly I did not finish the book after 10%. I couldn’t get into it at the time but may try again!

While the concept of this storyline intrigued me, there seemed to be a lack of depth in the telling. Ultimately I soon lost any desire to continue reading as I failed to connect with the characters, leading me to lose interest in their story. I was unable to persist past the first third of this novel.

Thank you to netgalley and publisher for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

A very dystopian story that kept my attention the entire time. I could not put this book down. It characters are likeable and relatable and the plot was easy to follow. I really enjoyed it and cannot believe I waited so long to read it.

Maternal Instinct by Rebecca Bowyer is a near future science fiction novel that examines a future in which the process of having children is highly regulated in Australia. The extreme system could be read as either dystopian or utopian, depending on you point of view, but the plot pushes it towards dystopian.

Australia 2040. No child lives in poverty and every child is safe. But at what cost?

19-year-old Monica never wanted a baby but the laws require her to give birth twice before she can move on with her life.

Now that her first son, Oscar, has arrived she's not so sure she wants to hand him over to be raised by professional parents: the Maters and Paters.

When Monica turns to her birth mother, Alice, for help, she triggers a series of events that force Alice to confront her own dark past. Alice must decide - help her daughter break the law, or persuade her to accept her fate and do what's best for the nation's children?

The two protagonists in this book are Monica, 19 and currently in the breastfeeding for six months portion of her national service, and her biological mother, Alice, who is 40 and just returning to work after time off for cancer treatment. The book alternates between the two women's perspectives, giving us a broad view of the future society. The fact that Alice works for the government department in charge of reproduction and genetic diversity allows us to see a couple of different governmental views on the system. And of course, when things start to go not according to plan, that very same government position is the cause of extra tension.

I found the social worldbuilding presented in this novel interesting but also sort of implausible. All the events that took place in the context of a society where children were raised communally more or less made sense, but I couldn't quite fathom how, in just twenty years, society would get to that point. Also, the book leaned into the horror of having to give up your babies after six months to be raised by professional parents (with biological parents allowed to visit them on Sundays). But for me the more horrific thing was being forced to bear children at 19ish. In the book we see this situation as the status quo, but I cannot imagine that the first set of kids being forced into maternity homes after graduating high school would have gone quietly. On the bright side, young men also had to do baby-related national service with their roles involving doing all the cooking and cleaning for the expectant and young mothers in their maternity homes. That aspect I can get behind. But the rest was a bit off-putting.

Overall, I found aspects of this novel interesting, but found that it was a bit slow to keep me consistently excited about the ideas in it. While the plot definitely engaged with the worldbuilding, it didn't quite go far enough, in some aspects, for my personal tastes. I don't think I've read a dystopian novel where the unusual baby-making practices were due to social pressures only (and not some sort of infertility plague), so it is an interesting concept from that perspective. But of course others might feel differently. I recommend reading this book if the blurb and premise sound interesting.

3.5 / 5 stars

First published: Story Addict, 2019
Series: Don't think so
Format read: eARC
Source: Author via NetGalley

Australia 2040. No child lives in poverty and every child is safe. But at what cost? 19-year-old Monica never wanted a baby but the laws require her to give birth twice before she can move on with her life. Now that her first son, Oscar, has arrived she’s not so sure she wants to hand him over to be raised by professional parents: the Maters and Paters. When Monica turns to her birth mother, Alice, for help, she triggers a series of events that force Alice to confront her own dark past. Alice must decide – help her daughter break the law, or persuade her to accept her fate and do what’s best for the nation’s children?
This was definitely a book different from what I normally read. Except for ads, I’m not familiar with The Handmade’s Tale so I have no basis for comparison. It was a very interesting story. I liked that for being a dystopic work, it was trying to make a better future even though it was at forced measures. I really liked it and can’t wait to read more from this author.
**I voluntarily read and reviewed this book

**Received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley**

I blasted through this. It's totally my jam. I love dystopian fiction and I thought the premise was unique and interesting. I was, however, disappointed by the ending. It felt rushed and was super unsatisfying. That said, up until the end I was highly entertained and invested in the narrative! If I could, I'd give it 3.5 stars, but that's not possible with GR's rating system :|

This was an interesting story that I personally found chilling based on the concept. Kind of gave an edge of the seat vibe. Made me think some of the Handmaid’s Tale.

I really enjoyed a great many things about this book. Characters were fleshed out and the plot was well spaced. Some of the secondary storylines could've used a bit more page space but all in all an enjoyable read!

Maternal Instinct is set in Australia in the year 2040. The government has laws in place that state that all women are to have two children. They are expected to do so in their late teens to early twenties. They don't get to pick the fathers. The babies are genetically screened for diseases by the Genetic Diversification System. Then, they are to move into a birthing house for the length of the pregnancy, plus raise the child for 6 months, before turning them over to the system of Maters and Paters to raise. Mothers are allowed to see their children on Sundays, if they wish it.

Monica has had a baby that she names Oscar. Despite not wanting to have a baby, once he is born and the time to surrender him gets close, she realizes that she loves him and does not want to give him up. She turns to her mother Alice for help.

Alice is one of the first to be born under this system and works in the organization. She ends up finding out something that changes her outlook on the whole situation. Now she and her daughter must try to change the system.

While I enjoyed this book, I thought the ending was abrupt. Overall a decent read that makes you think how easy it would be for this to happen.

I think I liked this book when I could turn off some of my English major mind, but I'm still trying to figure out the message it portrays. Parts of it make me think of it as an anti-feminist book... Complain about being a woman, having to carry children, use daycare to go back to work, cook, clean, do laundry? Well here's what can happen to make it worse... We'll force teenagers and young adult women to have two children each and then give them up to the government to raise so they can go back to work and be a productive member of society. And by the way, the government is going to be just as corrupt as always since you're all just pawns in making officials wealthier anyway.

I think it's harder to figure out the message because the book seemed to end halfway through the story. The book ended abruptly after almost 200 pages, but nothing is solved, nothing is wrapped up, no message is given. It seemed like they were trying to set it up for a sequel, but it would have been better to keep going and finish this story.

The characters were fine, but again, if the author had finished the book, I'd have anymore finished opinion of the book.

I enjoyed the basic premise behind the story and the built up suspense as we reached the end, but didn't enjoy the lack of real ending. It would have been rated higher if the second half had been written.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a free ARC of this book. It did not influence my review.

Received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for a honest review. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own

I did not like the story. Feels like they’re trying to hard to be compared with the Handmaids tale. The plot is very similar to that, would have like it more if they went more their own way

I received a complimentary copy of this book through Netgalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
In 2040 Australia, natural conception is against the law and every woman is required to conceive two babies genetically screened for diseases by the G.D.S. or Genetic Diversification System. After graduation the women move into group homes where their pregnancies are supervised, and are required to raise their babies for six months before handing them over to qualified child raisers.
Alice has been a believer in this new child raising system for the good of society...until her own daughter faces giving up her child. Monica never wanted children, but after being forced to birth Oscar, she now can't imagine giving him away. Giving advice to Monica makes Alice face her own past and she begins to question the system.
I thought this was similar to the Handmaid's Tale, but based more on a government regimented system. The women are still considered the children's mothers, but aren't trusted to raise them and only allowed visitation on Sundays. Using true stories of child abuse and neglect in other countries to support their need for a safe and regulated child raising system, the rights of the parents are taken away. I liked this book, it really made me think about how far we let the government control us for "the good of society". I like how much Alice changed from government robot in the beginning to the biggest advocate for change by the end.

I really enjoyed this book. It is the year 2040 and in Australia women are giving birth twice as part of their responsibility to the government. They live in birth homes with the children for six months and then the children are moved into homes with certified maters and paters until the age of majority. The birth mothers are allowed to parent on Sunday. The executive director ends up getting pregnant after cancer treatment when all of the women have been given permanent birth control. It brings all of the government regulations and conspiracies about gene explusion resulting in perfect children. The girls are injected with these embryos to become pregnant since birth based on love is outlawed. This was one of those books that really made me think and was so different. Thanks for the ARC, Net Galley.

Maternal Instinct is a fantastic dystopian read centered on reproductive rights and parenting abilities. Using the difficulties of balancing work and family as well as the statistics for child abuse, the Australian government has developed a program that requires older teens to submit to at least 2 years of "reproductive service". Females are required to have two births and males volunteer their time serving in Birth Houses where pregnant and newly delivered mothers live during their service. At the age of 6 months, the children are then taken from their mothers and placed in the care of a Mater and Pater in a child's home. Being a Mater or a Pater is an occupation that requires skilled training and they are responsible for raising the children in a video supervised environment. Birth parents are allowed relationships with their children, but only via visitation on Sundays.

This is honestly a semi-creepy read when you begin to consider the possible ramifications. The idea does seem to have some merits as you read through the story, but the system is emotionally horrific. It all feels quite Stepford and, when the darker side of the system becomes evident, things start taking a gripping turn.

Something of a blend of The Handmaid's Tale and 1984, this is a fantastic book. I was hooked early on and didn't want to put this one down. I read it over the course of a family vacation and stayed up far too late at night because I NEEDED to know what was going to happen.

The development of the dystopian government is fantastic and well-constructed. The presentation of the system in a semi-balanced manner, giving the pros and cons from the direct voices of the characters, was brilliantly done and made it have a realistic feel. I was reminded of Margaret Atwood's saying that “Nothing makes me more nervous than people who say, ‘It can’t happen here.’ Anything can happen anywhere, given the right circumstances.” The slow slip from policies based on idealism and happiness into a culture of oppression and manipulation can be so stealthily done. Bowyer uses that approach to her advantage and creates a world that is both believable and horrific. It's this approach that makes Maternal Instinct both intriguing and frightening.

A very thought-provoking novel set in near-future Australia, where government regulates births and children are separated from their birth parents to be raised by others.
What I hoped for going into this book was to get some food for thought, and I did get it. The premise was very intriguing. I enjoyed the read but did have a hard time with the pacing, and though some things were well detailed, other parts of the book didn't feel detailed enough to be believable, leaving me confused by some of the plot twists. The ending was abrupt... Maybe this might lead to a sequel?
I do think this is a good debut novel, leaving room for improvement, and would be interested to read the author's next works.

The year is 2040 and in Australia society has moved on in a very surprising way. Through a change in social policy young women are now expected to give birth twice in their late teens and early twenties, then hand the babies over to professional "Maters" and "Paters" whose function is to raise these children in small group homes . If the birth mother wishes , she can spend time with her children on Sundays, but if not , she can carry on with her life and career , secure in the knowledge that they are being well cared for. This policy has been in effect for almost twenty years, and has evolved in such a way that now parents are being genetically matched and the resultant embryos screened before implantation, something that is causing some concern among the general population. No child lives in poverty and every child is safe, but what are the real costs, and who is really paying them?
This book follows the stories of two women , Monica and Alice. Monica is nineteen and is one of the mothers in the program, having recently given birth to a son, Oscar. Dreaming of a career in science , she never felt the desire to have a family, but as the time to surrender her son is drawing closer she is beginning to have second thoughts and turns to her mother, Alice for help. Alice is one of the earliest products of the new social system , and is now a big wig in its organisation, but she is about to make a discovery that will shake it to its very foundations., and leave her with some very big decisions of her own to make.
I found the central premise of this book fascinating but I do wish that more of the focus had been on the initial implementation of the reproductive program and how the Australian society as a whole was convinced that it was a good and necessary idea. This feels like a missed opportunity, and would have added an interesting dimension to the story. Both of the central characters , Alice and Monica, were sympathetic for different reasons, and several of the secondary characters were really well executed, most notably Ellie, a young girl cared for by Alice's husband Oliver, a Pater. I found the ending just a little rushed , but there does seem to be potential for the author to revisit this dystopian future, and if she chooses to do so, I will be eager to see where she takes it.
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.

4 1/2 stars. This debut novel was a fascinating look into a dystopian world where women must have 2 children each. No more, no less. They live in a group home from pregnancy until the child is 6 months old where they receive the best care possible. The men also take their turns of living at the group homes to care for the mothers-to-be/new mothers. When the child turns 6 months old, he/she moves to their permanent "family" where they are raised by professional maters and paters. All of this is designed to give each child a perfect childhood and ensure they become healthy and happy adults. The parents then move on to their chosen careers, although they can choose to be a part of their childrens' lives, spending Sundays with them.

Although the story is a little reminiscent of The Handmaid's Tale, for me it was closer to The Giver. I could barely put it down.

The story takes place in a near future Australia and the society actually seems to be working. The problem is when the maternal instinct takes over and the woman can't bear to be parted from their child.

Throughout the book, I kept reflecting back to my own experience of motherhood knowing I could never have given up my child. But it was definitely an interesting premise for a dystopian story.

*Thank you so much to NetGalley for the advance copy!*

I wanted so badly to like this book but I just could not get into it. The whole premise just was not for me and yes I know, it is a book and set in the future, but it just turned me off.

This book was not bad. It definitely pit me in the mind of The Handmaid's Tale. The government is policing women's bodies and controlling how many babies they can have. Alice works for the Genetics and Reproduction Department of government. This Department requires women to have 2 children, give them to assigned Maters and Paters, who are trained parents, and move on their lives. Alice's son died but she has a living daughter, Monica. Monica annoys me because she is petulant at times. She has a son and at first she's eager to go back to her life and give Oscar up but then changes her mind and decides to keep him. I felt for her because I could not imagine giving up my children because the government says I wont be able to parent them as efficiently as Maters and Paters. Monica makes the decision to jeep Oscar and run away with him. Alice doesnt care for the idea until she forms an attachment to her own soon to arrive baby. The pregnancy comes a s a shock to her husband, a Pater, and her job. Her job wants her to terminate the pregnancy and when she doesn't they seem to get a little nasty with her. Alice starts to rethink the purpose of the GRD. Is it really helpful to society? She starts to dig into her own background and digs into the death of her son as well as her mother's mental health issues.
Theres a couple of conspiracy theories but I find that they weren't thoroughly flushed out and things wrapped up too quickly. I did like the relationship between Monica and her husband, Ollie. He was supportive of Alice keeping her pregnancy. I loved Alice's brother,Pete. He was like a 007 type who also had his sister's back while keeping her grounded in her thinking about dismantling this government program that may be doing more harm than good.
Overall, not a bad read,but not as fleshed out as I would have liked. I think maybe there should be a part 2 to see how the GRD is destroyed, as it should be.