Two-Week Wait

A amazing journey about a couple trying to have a child. It’s an emotional journey but sweet and realistic. It looks at the heartbreak and the hope that medicine has. It was a beautiful read! The artwork was really great too!

*Thanks Netgalley and Scribe UK for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

Thank you to Netgalley for sending me an ARC of my first ever graphic novel in exchange for my honest opinion.

Overall stars: 5

Conrad and Jo decide to have kids, somewhat hesitantly on Conrad's part, but after a year of trying, they worry that they can't conceive on their own. The author deals so tenderly and so graciously with the strain it puts on a marriage, the pain of a woman faced with societal norms, and the joys of bringing life into this world. I would really love to hear the opinion of someone who has dealt with fertility struggles.

Characters: 5 - they are REAL! Conrad is impatient, at first doing something that he doesn't much care for. Jo is sharp under the weight of her burden. But in both of those things, they are so love-able and you just cheer so hard for them.
Plot and pacing: 5 - quick, 20 minute read. They don't have a baby first go round, which seems much more appropriate.
Worldbuilding: NA
“Wow”-factor: 5 - brought tears to my eyes.
Likelihood of recommending: 5


My Star Rating Guide:
5 – This book absolutely “wow”-ed me in all five aspects. I am likely to recommend this to many of my friends or students. I will also likely follow this author’s career and read their future books.
4 – This was a better than solid read. Excelled in most categories but did not leave me desperate to pick it back up. I am still likely to recommend this to a friend in conversation.
3 – This was a solid read. I enjoyed the time I spent reading it and I don’t regret it. I wouldn’t purchase this myself, but if asked for a recommendation in this genre, I might mention it.
2 – This book did not rank well in the five chosen aspects. I will likely not recommend this book, but it probably had one to two redeeming qualities.
1 – None of this story appealed to me personally, I will not recommend this book.

Two-Week Wait is an emotional book about a couple's journey through IVF. The husband-wife author duo have based it on their personal experience and research into other couples struggling with pregnancy. And their research shows.

Conrad and Joanne, a married couple in their mid-thirties, have been struggling to conceive for over a year and soon they realise that their option of becoming parents narrows down to IVF. All the trials and tribulations associated with IVF - medical, financial, emotional - are depicted accurately. In a society where the woman feels the greater pressure to become a mother, Joanne's personal upheavals will touch a chord with every woman. At the same time, the pressure on Conrad to stay strong and his struggles with his self-confidence are also shown very honestly.

The illustrations are very simplistic sketches without much finishing and in basic tones of dull orange and grey. I'm not sure if this is because I read the ARC version of the graphic novel. These stark sketches created a greater impact on me as the artwork didn't take away from the story. Rather, it lent a distinctive panache to the book by not having any distractions away from the main topic at hand: the struggles of a couple to become pregnant.

Thank you to NetGalley and Scribe UK for the ARC.

Thank you to Scribe UK and NetGalley for providing me with the ARC of Two-Week Wait: an IVF story. All opinions are my own.

In the autobiographical graphic novel Two-Week Wait: an IVF story Luke and Kelly Jackson tell their very personal story about them going through IVF. It is a heartfelt story that is very honest about the physical, emotional and financial challenges IVF may give couples. I hope their story will help a lot of people who also went through an IVF procedure and that they may recognise themselves in it.

The art is done in a simple style and is done beautifully.

If you love non-fiction graphic novels or want to know more about assisted fertility, Two-Week Wait might be the graphic novel for you.

As a woman who will someday have to choose between IVF; adoption; or remaining childless, this beautiful graphic novel really spoke to me.

I appreciated how honest this husband and wife duo were about their journey - and how much of your life can become consumed by IVF.

As an added bonus, I loved the color scheme used for the illustrations!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me the chance to learn from this book!

A graphic novel that beautifully captures the struggles of conceiving by a couple. This story illustrates the small and big changes that overcome them emotionally, physically, mentally and financially as they find it increasingly difficult to cope with the journey in their method to conceive via I.V.F. It is a graphic novel that will relate to not only couples who are trying to have a baby, but it provides an insight on how challenging the circumstances become when a couple is unable to conceive easily. From repeated appointments with various doctors to feeling like an outcast slowly while others move on with their families, this will stir up emotions in you at many instances in the story. Kudos to the authors for depicting such a personal journey that can be a taboo to discuss openly even today.

Thank you #NetGalley and Scribe Publications for kindly providing me with a digital copy of this book for an honest review.

Trying to conceive is really hard, especially if you are close to 35 years old, and Kelly is in this story. Your eggs start getting old, and like chickens, you don't produce quite as much as you did when you were younger. And the world makes you check your temperature, and harvest eggs and take drugs to produce more eggs. And each two week wait after you have gone through whatever you have gone through, while waiting to find out if you are pregnant is the worst time you could ever spend. You want to not think about it constantly, and you do.

I never had to go through IVF, but I did have to go through bits of it, such as the drugs for the egg producing, and the being artificially inseminated.

It is grueling, because you want to keep it to yourself, and not share until it is good news. And Kelly and Luke go through all the roller coaster that this is. That the heartache. All the pain.

Very truthful, and very tearing at the heart strings. Good book.

<em>Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.</em>

Two-Week Wait combines the experiences of the authors and couples around the world as they struggle with infertility and the many pressures, stresses, and disappointments that often accompany the condition. I found myself relating with Conrad and Joanne, as my wife and I and many of our friends and family have experienced very similar circumstances and found the portrayal of Conrad and Joanne honest and compelling.

Though the ending is abrupt and somewhat unresolved in important ways for the reader, the journey is a series of dashed hopes, emotional blows, as well as high-points and optimism, all written and illustrated in a casual, accessible style. I imagine the book will resonate with many readers as a solace, a balm, and—above all else—a kindred spirit.

I wasn’t sure how much of an emotional journey this graphic novel was going to take m, but the journey was a wonderful one to take. The main couples stress and happiness jumped at me through the pages as they went in semi-detail about their journey to conceive a child through out all means. The story was a beautiful one and the illustrations were nice and pleasing to the eye without overwhelming the reader. Highly recommended.

I have never read a graphic novel and my first one did not disappoint. 'Two-Week Wait follows' the IVF journey of a husband and wife and how IVF impacts emotionally and physically. I loved how Luke and Kelly portrayed the raw emotions between the two, their complexities of marriage and the unsolicited advice from friends and family.
To be perfectly honest there is not enough material out there to describe IVF and its impact so I found this incredibly insightful. I have friends who are experiencing IVF right now so wanted to understand how to better support them and this book highlights exactly that. Totally recommend for anyone - it's an important topic that we ought to know more about.

Wow. This one is tough. It's like watching your own life or that of a close friend. You're in the room, you're feeling all of the feelings and seeing every moment. It's painful yet lighthearted and tender. The illustration is delightful and touching - it gives a certain sincerity to the characters. The storyline is all too real. Great read.

This was a lovely graphic novel about a couple struggling to get pregnant and their journey and experiences with IVF. IVF is a topic I have tried to become more familiar with but there is always something I could learn and seeing it in a graphic novel is especially important. IVF is a topic not talked about enough so seeing it here is important to help normalize and educate about it.

I really felt the emotion in here and felt as it was a good representation of how I imagine going through all of this is like. I do wish some spots were explored a little bit more and that it was a little short. I enjoyed the art work and the writing.

First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes trouble making the baby to place in the baby carriage. Two-Week Wait is that story. As someone who’s on an IVF waiting list, I found this book very informative. If I didn’t have anyone to talk to about the IVF process, I would d want this book. This books explores all of the factors, emotional, financial, physical and social, related to making this decision. I found that it provided a lot more clarity than the pamphlets they give you at your first fertility appointment. I really liked that it addressed conversations about the stigma surrounding not being able to conceive naturally. I also appreciated that it demystified some of the medical procedures part of the IVF process. Most of all, I admired how the storyline was so upfront about how communication is key, because the procedure can be so emotionally draining. My only gripe is that in a couple of frames I couldn’t figure out who the speaker was. Overall though, this is a very impressive work and I would recommend it to my friends going through IVF.

The journey of IVF, couple, emotion & education on what many face.

Being in my mid-twenties, I have plenty of friends who are thinking about kids and only finding out about the trouble with fertility. I myself barely know anything, and this graphic novel was essential, informative and emotionally compelling.

I felt myself go on this journey with this couple -and who knows I might experience in a real-life one day.
I recommend young adults or older teens read this; it's never too early to look into your health for the future.

Arc kindly received from NetGalley and the Publisher in exchange for an honest review.

This book blew me away.

It took a very difficult and sensitive subject and handled it with so much delicacy and honesty. The artwork was simple but beautiful, and I think that is exactly what was needed to balance the heaviness of the topic.

Infertility is still seen by some as a taboo subject, and certainly isn’t spoken about enough. I think this book shows a snapshot of just how difficult and painful the journey can be, and hopefully shows we shouldn’t be scared to talk about it and lean on others.

While I can’t relate to the situation as a whole, there certainly were elements in the story that I could. I was a little worried I would find this triggering, but the topic was so well handled!

Just a stunning, heartbreaking, hopeful tale.

Title: Two-Week Wait
Author: Luke Jackson; Kelly Jackson
Genre: Graphic Novel
Pages: 160
Publication Date: 5/4/2021

Two-Week Wait is a beautiful graphic novel that tells the story of Conrad and Joanne’s relationship. It begins with their initial meeting and then proceeds to when they are attempting to start a family. They are unable to conceive naturally so they go to a fertility specialist and pursue in-vitro fertilization. The graphic novel follows them through several rounds of IVF.

This was a well-done graphic novel about an incredibly sensitive topic. As someone not terribly familiar with the process, I learned a lot about all aspects of the in-vitro process including the emotional challenges and the toll it takes on the relationship. While I have opted not to have children, I do have many friends who starting families. I’d highly recommend this to folks to build empathy and understanding of the feelings and experience of IVF. It provides a general overview of the medical aspect of it as well.

The illustrations and color palate are subdued but striking. These selections fit nicely with the plot of the graphic novel. The novel uses baby blues and pinks which feels appropriate. There was also an excellent balance of text to graphics. I love when graphic novels allow the illustrations to help tell the story.

The book also explores the idea of having a child being one’s life mission and how to make meaning in your life if that is not possible. Joanne and Conrad meet a couple that teaches in India that opens their eyes to possibilities. I wish it had gone a little further with this topic as it was a fascinating discussion of motherhood. I also liked the exploration of what having children means to each spouse and how one may go along with the other to make them happy.

I’d highly recommend this book for readers looking for a different format of a memoir about a really important topic. This would be a great book for folks who have never read a graphic novel and want to see what this medium is all about.

ARC provided to me by Scribe UK, via Net Galley, in exchange for an honest review.

#TwoWeekWait #NetGalley

Book: Two-Week Wait
an IVF story
Author: Luke Jackson; Kelly Jackson
Illustrator: Mara Wild
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Description:
Conrad and Joanne met in their final year of university and have been virtually inseparable since then. For a while, it felt like they had all the time in the world. Yet now, when they are finally ready to have kids, they find that getting pregnant isn’t always so easy.

Ahead of them lies a difficult, expensive, and emotional journey into the world of assisted fertility, where each ‘successful’ implantation is followed by a two-week wait to see if the pregnancy takes. Join Joanne and Conrad, their friends, their family, their coworkers, and a stream of expert medical practitioners as they experience the highs and the lows, the tears and the laughter in this sensitive but unflinching portrayal of the hope and heartbreak offered to so many by modern medicine.
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🌼 The book was very heartwarming but heartbreaking at the same time. The illustrations were in pastel colour and the art was so good.
🌼 Pregnancy is something that is thought as very normal and easy for couples but the case isn't always the same. There are couples who need a baby but there is nothing they can do about it. The process of IVF, the hectic routine, debt and several serious issues a couple face to have something that is seen very easy by others is really heartbreaking but the best thing to do is to stick together and go through it together with love and peace.
🌼 There were numerous emotions which were portrayed very well. The waiting, the disappointment, frustation, the love despite everything the couple went through, everything was wonderful about it. It felt like a genuine story. It is a story of love, dreams and staying together.
In short:
🌼 Plot- Something new and fresh
🌼 Illustration- Meaningful and pretty
🌼Cover- Beautiful and apt

This was amazing! It covered topics I've rarely seen before in graphic novels such as endometriosis and IVF. The story follows a couple as they share their experience with IVF treatments and how it affects their daily lives and relationships. It's incredibly honest, both in the art and the text. It was so emotional and real it had me tearing up multiple times. It was absolutely incredible.

It's a powerful story and an important story.

Thanks to #Netgalley and Scribe Publications for making this book available to me.

This book was so heart-wrenching and at the same time comforting to me. We follow a trail or a footpath of Conrad and Joanne's life. As they start their relationship and their inability to have children. The heartbreaking rounds of IVF and the expense and stain that placed on their relationship. They had to struggle with money have IVF treatments are expensive, there was also the strain that is placed on their mental health as the pregnancy did not take and even losing the one they had. It was very painful for them, that it began to reflect on their work at their place of work. This book was packed with the experience of all their friends and family even the doctors who were in charge of their case.

It was uplighting to see the support they got from their friends and family. Even coworker understanding the need to give them a break when needed.

I would highly recommend this book.

this was a gorgeous read, but it broke my heart. it's obviously an account of IVF and the associated struggles: how worries about fertility and the treatment itself affect people, and the resultant toll it can take, not just physically, but mentally and emotionally. The illustration was lovely and, I thought, fitting for what was happening. I particularly noted the use of colours and shading and sometimes I ended up grasping at my chest.

This was heartfelt and honest and, I think, an incredibly brave thing to put out in the world. It's beautiful, too. It seems gauche to say I enjoyed it, but I did nonetheless. It's incredible.

This was so beautiful and moving! Showing ups and downs of relationships when a couple is trying to get pregnant and going through IVF. I was tearing up by the end of the book and now I need a cup of tea to calm down.
The art is really simple but fits the story so well. It allows you to stay focused on the story and doesn't distract the reader.

Review copy provided by the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Two Week Wait: An IVF Story is a graphic novel about a couple, Conrad and Joanne, who met at university, fell in love and were inseperable ever since. As they grow comfortably in love, marriage, careers, and financial stability, they are ready to embark into another adventure together: parenthood!

What comes naturally for other people and their own family and friends is proven to be difficult for them. It turns out that the act of baby-making doesn't really make babies! Coming to term with their infertility, they decided that they need help in conceiving and started on their IVF journey. The story of Conrad and Jo take readers are on a ride through IVF processes with the whole package of medical, financial and emotional parts of it.
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This book is a raw, emotional and factual story of an IVF journey and it was written by a couple who went through the ordeal themselves. It feels very personal. I could connect with the first part of the story- you know, the coupling, being-in-love, usual married couple parts up til the deciding to get pregnant part. While I can't confess to deeply relate to IVF part of the story, I feel Conrad and Jo's pain because since I was a little girl, being a mom is one of the important things I want to be when I grow up. To imagine that being out of reach is heart-wrenching for me.

The illustrations are in hues of grey, black, orange and white - it's simple. To me it represents the sombre mood of going through infertility. While I wish there were more of Conrad and Jo's pregnancy journey, I understand that that will shift the focus on the real subject here; the IVF journey. Deeply moving, severely emotional, thoroughly factual, it's a must read for anyone age 21 and above. Even if you can't relate to it, it might remind you to have empathy for couples who are yet to be parents. Maybe they are trying, or maybe kids are not in their plan so we should just zip it 🤐

Thank you @netgalley for an eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I thought this was great! As someone who knows little about IVF and the fertility journey, I think that this was a great way to show real experience.

This was a truthful and beautifully told account of struggling with infertility.
The title comes form the 2 week wait after transferring the embryo into the womb. The wait, as shown in the book, is the final hurdle to get over after which it is the hope to get a positive pregnancy test to say it all worked.
Luke and Kelly used their own experiences to tell this story and it shows. From when they started trying, to the specialist, to the treatment and the failed attempts and finally having a much longed for baby. There are moments of very raw emotion, the struggle mentally and physically that they went through when having IVF and the little things that get you down when dealing with infertility. As someone who has endometriosis, I was very pleased to see this spoken as its a condition that affects many but is often neglected. .
Knowing people who've gone through IVF this book felt like an insight into the very real turmoil of it and I am so glad this book exists, to show what they go through but also to teach those that haven't dealt with infertility, how it really feels.
The illustrations and colour pallet complimented the story and completed the tone of of the story.
All round an education and touching story and I am so glad it had a happy ending.