The Farm

If you're someone who still reads magazines (which I am), you'll be reading all about this book this spring and summer (which I had.) I have tried my best to save money on my book habit by checking out at the library instead of buying hardcover books, but the hype got me on this one. I caved. I bought. I read.

So, does it live up to the hype?

Almost.

When I rated this book on Good Reads, I started with 4 stars. Just now, I went back and changed to 3 stars. In reality, I'd like to make it a strong 3.5 stars. Maybe 3.75 stars (which is the score a young Britney Spears got on Star Search, which is neither here nor there.) The point is, I thought so much of this book was fascinating, but it just fell slightly short of what it could have been.

The premise is what got me. The book is about a placed called Golden Oaks, which is a high-end retreat for surrogates. The women there, many of them immigrants, are called Hosts. They're carrying the babies of the super rich who either can't carry their own babies or simply don't have time to let pregnancy interfere with their lives and careers. The surrogates have everything they could possibly need for healthy, relaxing pregnancies. They have cashmere pajamas, massages on demand, weekly ultrasounds and the best food and vitamins money can buy. What they don't have is, you guessed it, any freedom at all. Their phone calls, emails and internet use are closely monitored and most don't even know whose babies they are carrying. They leave their lives behind for those nine months with the hope of a large paycheck at the end. All they have to do is successfully deliver healthy babies.

What could possibly go wrong?

What does go wrong, without giving too much away, is that their very human choices and urges and emotional needs get in the way. Some of the Hosts start to regret the contracts they signed and the lives they left behind. Some resent the control the Clients have over their bodies. Others, the immigrants specifically, start to realize that no matter what happens inside Golden Oaks, their lives will always be lived at the mercy of others.

The concept here is fascinating - and, timely. The characters are compelling and well drawn. It was interesting and well-paced enough that I finished it in three days. There is drama implicit in the plot, but I feel like Ramos could have pushed even further. That said, this could easily be a movie or miniseries with a little juicing up of some of the storylines that carry through.

So, is it 3 stars or 4? Today, it's 3.5 stars (which is one quarter star more than Justin Timberlake received on Star Search, if you're keeping track.)

All in all, a good summer read. Just like the magazines told me it would be.