Raw Content follows Grace, who becomes unexpectedly pregnant and has to try and accommodate her new boyfriend and baby into her life. But after the relief and strange joy of the birth, Grace starts to imagine all sorts of terrible injuries and deaths befalling her child.

This is a tough read, showing the darker side of motherhood, with Grace’s intrusive thoughts causing anxiety as she is left alone with her new baby. I really felt for her throughout the novel as she became more isolated from family, struggling to cope with irrational fears and wanting to protect her child. It’s heartbreaking and emotional, reflecting on family trauma and relationships, while showing the impact repressed memories can have.

I loved the writing style, with the raw and gritty stream of consciousness allowing the reader to get inside Grace’s head and empathise with what she was going through. There was so much to think about within such a short book and it’ll definitely be one I come back to.

Thank you to Little Brown Book Group for the chance to read this early!

its a side of motherhood not often talked about. its not the side many mothers or other probably want to talk about. as many would find it far to scary. and for some who are lacking it would also make them more uncomfortable about the complexities of motherhood. far too many are passive and ignorant to our new mothers. but this is a stark leveler of what can happen. what does happen. and means we need to enfold and not judge new mothers. and instead be very very aware and give credit to the huge life change that happens. and also aware of what can happen that can make them very poorly indeed. and its not their fault. and we need to be more supportive.
this covers new motherhood extremely well. but more importantly the next stages of how it can all go to the pits when fear,strange thoughts, intrusive thoughts and other things creep in. the way the protective mind goes into overdrive and how that can haunt the mother more. and actually puts her and sometimes others in harms way.
i felt so much for this woman. it was so painful to see her pain and struggle. she was a good person who came across something awful. partially because i think her past was never healed. and of course we all know things catch up or trauma catches up often with illness later. motherhood could have been a huge trigger for this happening.
mental illness goes deeper. there's the "why" that needs healing. and that journey is not easy. and the way it manifests can feel horrific for those suffering. and its something we need to understand more. and be far more empathetic towards. this needs to happen soon. because we are letting suffers down. and in the case of new mothers like our main character this can have tragic circumstance.
i wanted to wrap her up and help her be ok.i hope b reading and better understanding these things i might be helping. of sorts. even if for now its just to be more aware.

raw content is a beautifully real and at times gripping novel about a woman's life and her journey into motherhood. It's told in a stream of consciousness fashion that makes you unable to look away from the page. This book deals with the topics of OCD and intrusive thoughts really well, albeit lacking a bit of depth due to the novels length. My only critique of this book is that I think it should've been longer, and there was more to be told. I think the writing in this novel is commendable, and I am looking forward to other works from this author. I would highly recommend picking this up when it's out!

This well chosen title and excellent cover design should act as a warning to those wanting a comfortable read about the early months of maternity.
This is a raw, compelling exploration of a young woman's navigation through the anxieties of early life, pregnancy and birth, which accumulate into an increasing nightmare of panic once her daughter arrives. With help, Grace starts to unpick the fears for her child and her mental health in order to survive the postnatal maelstrom that threatens to overwhelm her.

Not an easy read, but a fascinating, at times nerve-jarring, narrative which vividly portrays an all too common, often hidden condition.

Thank you to NetGalley and Little, Brown Book Group for the ARC!

3.25 stars!!

Intrusive thoughts, doubts, worries, fears, etc. are all what Grace is having when she gives birth. This took a look into the side of motherhood that doesn't really get explored. Reading about how Grace would think about quite dark, shocking intrusive things or fears with her daughter can be hard for some to read, but it was interesting to see how she just wants to be a good mother and yet think of these things. As if her protective side and fearful side mix and go to a whole new level of well what if....

The first part of this was really great and gripped me and even more in the middle once we get to see how she is and what she thinks. It just felt a little repetitive at times, if this has been shorter, it would have still have had a strong story within it but without feeling it had parts thrown in to make it somewhat longer.

Grace tells us of her inner world, where she suffers from antisocial, intrusive thoughts that involve her baby.
I found the first 50 or so pages gripping, and forgot that I was reading fiction. It felt like a memoir.
I am sure there is an audience for this book who will like it more than I did. The topic is interesting, less commonly spoken and complex.
Though, as even someone who enjoys long and detailed novels, I thought this could have been shorter and still conveyed the same and if it were more compact, the writing in the beginning would have been present all the way through.

A very difficult book to read, but with good reason. Grace doesn’t choose to become a mother, it almost happens subconsciously with Ryan and before she knows it, she’s giving birth and going home with her baby. But the birth is the easy part, everything else she struggles with. From intrusive thoughts to irrational fears, she worries about the state of her newborn.

This was full of emotionally charged and incredibly upsetting scenes. Grace wants nothing more than to be a good mother but she’s afraid of her own mind. The writing was achingly heartbreaking, teetering on the edge of utter despair. I read this book with bated breath and I’m so happy that Grace got her happy ending.

One of those books that just left me a little bit emotional, and possibly not ok for quite a bit of it.
So many minor moments that were quite startling, I even gasped out loud at one point.
I'm not eloquent enough to describe why, but just know it's incredibly good.