Everybody's Baby
A Novella
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3.4 • 7 Ratings
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- $2.99
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- $2.99
Publisher Description
Jenna and Billy are in love. He's an app developer, a hyper-plugged-in citizen of the internet, with a big Scottish family and winning smile. She is a yoga teacher, tuned in to the vibes of the spiritual universe, who was abandoned by her mother as an infant and orphaned by her father's recent death. When they meet, it's electric, and it is no time before they are married and eager to start their own family. But when they can't get pregnant, Billy devises a plan: they would raise funds for their in vitro fertilization on Kickstarter, offering donor perks like cutting the cord, naming the baby, and catching the baby when it takes its first steps.
The good news is that they make their fundraising goal, get pregnant and have a baby! The bad news is that their marriage begins to fall apart when they have to deliver on all those perks. It's hard enough to survive delivering a baby without a performance artist making a documentary of the cord cutting. It's difficult enough to get baby to sit up and smile for a six month portrait without a local politician taking up half the lens. What does it mean to be owned by the internet? Lydia Netzer's Everybody's Baby explores how relationships grow and fail in public and private life, the hazards of living "in the cloud," and the nature of love online and off.
Customer Reviews
Good but short
I did enjoy this book but overall felt that it was rushed along at a quick pace and felt it was short. I do feel that more could have been added in/parts could have been elaborated on.
The story was interesting and smart, especially with technology these days. I could easily picture a couple choosing to do this to help them have a baby. The characters were all pretty relatable and well-rounded, I could picture them all as real people.
I would recommend this book - especially if you are looking for an easy read while traveling or relaxing on the beach/at the pool. It is a nice story and a quick read and could bring up some interesting conversations with a significant other.
Cute, funny story!
This was a great and funny read. This short story is perfect for the beach. Follow a recently married couple who get in vitrio fertilization funded by the masses. Those who help fund the kickstarter baby are promised certain experiences, like feeding the baby and keeping the ultrasound photo. The characters were pretty relatable. My only complaint is that the story was not long enough.
Such a cute story!
This cute story followed a couple through their IVF journey. In their desperation for a child, the husband, Billy, decided that it would be best to fund this procedure through a Kickstarter campaign. It was successful, but fulfilling the perks of the Kickstarter leads their marriage down a path they never expected. Everything about this story was relevant to my life. I loved reading about their journey to get a baby. I loved how likable and endearing the couple, Billy and Jenna, were. I loved to see the struggles and the triumphs of their story. I loved all of the references to technologies and pop culture that are taking over our lives today (Facebook, Reddit, Kickstarter, etc.) And I especially loved the surprise at the end! Great read. Highly recommended!