I think Susi Fox's debut novel Mine is going to be a book that will divide readers as it explores the dark days that Sasha experiences after she goes into early labour following a car accident. She had her perfect birth all planned out but what follows is her worse nightmare... an emergency C section alone and no sign of her baby or husband when she awakes from the anaesthetic.

What follows is a tense tale exploring the dark side of motherhood, the anxiety and fears that arise when your perfect world falls apart. Sasha is convinced that the baby she is taken to see in the neo-natal ward is not her baby but when her own husband, family and friends won't believe her, and the medical team around her are convinced she's suffering a psychotic episode, how can she find out the truth. Anyone who has been in a similar situation to Sasha, the struggle to get pregnant in the first place or who has been through a traumatic birth experience themselves, might find this uncomfortable reading at times as the emotions and desperation she was feeling poured from the pages.

Although the story follows the days following birth, we do get to see flashbacks to events in her past that give us more of a background to who she is as a person. What demons she has had to face to become person she is today although it also gives others fodder to support their own theories of what she is currently experiencing.

I was drawn to the premise of this book from the start, the idea of a baby being swapped which is not as common an occurrence these days, thank god, as it was in years gone by. Having never had the experience of pregnancy or giving birth, I can only imagine that this would be any mother's worst nightmare... the idea of not being able to bond with your own baby from their first moments, even when they are very poorly, seems unimaginable.

But it was the medical side of things that really got to me whilst reading, I couldn't believe how quick everyone seemed to put Sasha into the category of being a psychotic new mum suffering from post-natal depression and admitting her to a mother & baby psych ward. I'm sure that this topic alone, let alone everything else that unfolds, would make this the perfect book club choice read especially amongst mothers who may have their own horror tales of pregnancy, birth and afterwards.

Mine really is an extremely accomplished debut novel that is a gritty, compelling and unsettling read that really got under my skin as the injustices played out. I can't wait to see what the author has in store for us next.

What an enthralling story! Sasha Moloney, a pathologist, wakes up in a hospital bed after having an emergency caesarean. She is on her own, and nobody comes when she rings the call bell. There is no baby in the room, and she realises she is not in the Royal, where she had intended to have her baby. She recalls the car accident, when they had collided with a kangaroo, and although she had been alright at the time the seat belt had caused a placenta abruption, which necessitated the emergency surgery at thirty five weeks. A nurse eventually comes, and takes her to the nursery to see her baby, and her husband, Mark. But Mark is not there, and the baby is a boy, not the girl the scan had suggested she was expecting. When she sees the tiny baby in the humidicrib Sasha is convinced that this is not her baby, even when Mark tells her he has been there all the time she refuses to accept that this is her child.

And so Sasha's descent into hell begins. They believe she is having a psychotic episode, and she is moved, voluntarily into the psychiatric mother and baby unit, until she recovers, and can accept the baby as her own. She and Mark have been trying to have a baby for many years, and the strain has meant that they're no longer as close as they used to be, they don't talk about important things, and keep secrets from each other. As the story progresses you are never sure if she is right or wrong, and all her actions are understandable. The story of her life unfolds, making the reader even less sure whether her doubts are all in her imagination. There are twists and turns throughout, making the reader constantly change their views about Sasha's integrity. The twist at the climax of the story is quite shocking.

I cannot say I loved the story because it involves the fears of many mothers which make it difficult to read in places; but it is very well written and is virtually unputdownable! I had to keep reading to find out what would happen. I am not sure I entirely approved of the ending, but there is a certain justice to it. An excellent story.

Every so often I read a book that really unsettles me and I can’t get it out of my head for a long time after I have finished it. Well ‘Mine’ by Susi Fox is one of those books. In the end I loved reading it but more about that in a bit.
I had conflicting feelings about Sasha who is the main character and the narrator for most of the story. I alternated between wanting to slap her with a wet fish and giving her a great big hug. Sasha has wanted a child for quite a long time but her husband refused to try IVF. Finally she falls pregnant and she is told which gender the child is. In her mind she gets attached to the idea of having a baby of that gender and the baby becomes real as Sasha begins talking to it and even naming it. Sasha strikes me as a bit of a control freak and she has a set order in her head of how the pregnancy is going to go, how straightforward the delivery is going to be and then both parents and child can start their new life together as a family unit. However things rarely happen as they should and so it is in ‘Mine’. Sasha has the baby but she has had to have an emergency C-section which meant a general anaesthetic and so she can’t remember having the baby nor has she had that first mother/ child cuddle. When Sasha wakes up she doesn’t accept that the baby in the cot is her child and she resolves to ‘find’ her child. She believes that everybody is lying to her and in a conspiracy plot with each other. I don’t really want to type too much about what happens next. At the start of the book I just wanted to shake Sasha because I thought she was darn lucky to have a happy and healthy child at all and to initially reject your baby because it is the wrong gender just seemed wrong. However that said, as the book continues and I learnt more about Sasha, her circumstances, her fertility difficulties, her miscarriages, her traumatic experiences and her family history, I just wanted to give her a hug and reassure her that she was ok, that her baby was fine and that I would help her through whatever lay ahead.
‘Mine’ deals with so many topics that although distressing at times, are certainly relevant today. I read a lot of women’s magazines so I have read a lot of stories about how births can go wrong, how women can reject their baby and the mental health problems that can often ensue. I also know of somebody who was told that their baby was going to be a girl so they bought all the pink furniture, decorated the bedroom in pink and got all the baby’s clothing in pink. However when their baby was born it turned out that he was a boy and not a girl. What I am trying to say is that I know that scans are not 100% correct all of the time and that you shouldn’t assume that your baby is one gender or another. It was also heart breaking to read about Sasha’s family history and I did wonder if her mental health problems were in part genetic as her mother also suffered with similar mental health problems when Sasha was a child.
It took me a little while to get into ‘Mine’ as I wasn’t used to the writing style. However once I got used to the writing style, I became wrapped up in the story and I just had to read on to see how the story concluded and what happened to Sasha and her child. As I alluded to towards the beginning the majority of the story is narrated by Sasha with the occasional chapters written from her husband’s point of view and deals with incidents from their past which go a long way towards explaining why they are the people they are today. Hope that makes sense. For me the chapters from the past were a little confusing as the timing jumped a little bit and I had trouble keeping up with what had happened and when. (Mind you it doesn’t take a lot to confuse me). I found the chapters voiced by Sasha to be rather haunting and on more than one occasion I felt a lump in my throat. Reading ‘Mine’ was much like riding on a scary and unpredictable rollercoaster ride with lots of twists and turns. There were also moments that were so unexpected that when they happen, you feel as though you have been punched in the gut and they leave you feeling breathless.
In conclusion I have to say that I did enjoy reading ‘Mine’ and I would definitely recommend it to other readers. I can’t wait to read what comes next from Susi Fox. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a well deserved 4* out of 5*.

I love reading thrillers, the twistier the better, and with Mine, Susi Fox has written a fantastically twisty, edge-of-your-seat thriller!

There are several levels on which this book is uncomfortable. First, the very idea of a baby swap in a hospital will put the frighteners on any parent, but couple this with the fact that the clinicians’ first assumption is that a new mother is psychotic and it really gives you the feeling of everything being out of your control. I don’t know whether it’s because I’m a bit of a control freak, but the thought of having everything taken out of your hands really sits uneasily with me and I could empathise with Sasha as every aspect of being a new parent is slowly taken away – from her baby’s premature and traumatic birth, to the assumption that she wants to do her baby harm.

I had thought, upon picking the book up, that it would be entirely from Sasha’s point of view as she tries to get to the truth, but it was great to read passages from her husband Mark’s point of view and to realise that there are things that we keep from each other, even in ‘perfect’ marriages.

The whole book is superbly written, always keeping you guessing as to whether Sasha is right and that her baby has been swapped, or whether she is indeed suffering from mental illness. Revelations about Sasha’s own mother add to the mix and muddy the waters significantly…

The ending was a complete surprise and definitely proves to me that you should still think twice, even if you think you know everything, and there are still enough threads to keep you thinking long after you’ve put the book down.

As a brief aside, this book is part of a fantastic wave of thrillers and crime fiction coming out of Australia at the moment and, I am happy to say, coming from Australian women. It’s good to see publishers acknowledge that women can and do write books like these, and that there is a definite market out there for them – long may it continue!

Susi Fox has absolutely nailed the psychological thriller genre in her debut, Mine, mastering a suspenseful plot with all the tautness of a coiled spring. I have to confess that when I read the premise of Mine, it didn’t initially appeal, but I’m so glad that I ignored those doubts, as it turned out to be a really gripping read.
The story tells of how Sasha and Mark had been trying for a baby and after years of infertility and 2 miscarriages, which had put an inevitable strain on their relationship, she finally conceives, her scan showing a baby girl. When Sasha wakes up after an emergency caesarean section, she asks to see her baby daughter and is told that she’s given birth to a son. But when she sees him, she feels no maternal bond whatsoever and is convinced she’s been given the wrong baby. The staff tell her that this is impossible and her husband too says that there can be no mistake. Then she comes across another baby in the unit that she instinctively knows is hers. But Sasha has had a bit of a history of mental illness and was abandoned by her mother as a young child, plus as a doctor Sasha had been tried for an error of judgment when she worked in Paediatrics and came pretty close to a nervous breakdown, so the staff suspect a recurrence of her mental health issues. However Sasha is convinced that the babies have been switched.
The story is mainly told by Sasha, but partly from Mark’s perspective. He, too, has a tragic story of loss to tell, when his only brother, who was his best friend, died. He dearly longs for a son, who will be like his brother to help compensate for his loss.
A hospital conspiracy is rather far-fetched, surely, and how could there have been a baby swap or mix-up when Mark was there with the baby after the birth? Even her father is concerned by her behaviour. In the eyes of the staff she is becoming increasingly unhinged, but I found myself torn between suspecting her husband, other mothers on the ward, the staff (basically everyone!) and whether she was deluded after all. All these questions were swirling through my mind searching for a credible explanation, which made it such a riveting read, but Susi Fox keeps you guessing and switching alliances right to the end.
Many thanks to Netgalley, Penguin UK - Michael Joseph and to Susi Fox for the opportunity to read and review an advance copy of Mine.

It took me quite a while to get into this book but once I did I was hooked. A really interesting plot that explored the way we treat women in highly emotional situations and our tendency to belittle opinions by crying 'hysteria'. I really enjoyed it.

I’m conflicted about this read. On the one hand this was a extremely well written psychological character study about a woman called Sasha who wakes up after her emergency caesarean but has difficulty bonding with her baby and later suspects her baby isn’t her’s at all. Did her baby die? Or swapped? Or is this all a side-effect of her postnatal depression? Most of the book is in first person narrative from Sasha’s POV, and I found her prose compelling especially the description of her body with the sewing on her stomach that caused her pain whenever she would bend. I’ve never had a baby so for me I lived through Sasha’s eyes and could feel her pain. Also her interior thoughts on motherhood and what makes a ‘good’ mother was fascinating. It’s so poignant that if a mother can’t love her baby she’s seen as ‘bad’ and can get institutionalised which is what happens here, with Sasha being voluntarily sanctioned.
The disappointmenting aspect for me was the thriller part, which I found lacking and while all threads are answered at the end I found the resolution unsatisfying. Otherwise this was a gripping albeit a slow burner of read with an original compelling female protagonist and sharp prose reflecting on early motherhood and the pressures a woman still face.

Took me a little while to get into this book but I'm glad I persevered, a great story and a GREAT ending!

Mental health issues or a dark conspiracy not an easy read and frustrating in parts - not for me this one

Sasha wakes up after an emergency caesarian section and demands to see her newborn daughter.
However, she is told she gave birth to a son, who she visits in the Nursery at the Hospital and is convinced this is NOT her baby. She is a Doctor herself, so surely she would know her own baby, but she struggles to get anyone from her husband, the nursing staff and even the Doctors to believe her, despite her protestations and ultimately they question her state of mine and section her in a psychiatric ward where they declare her delusional and dangerous. She sets off on a silly Miss Marple investigation of her own, to discover how this could have happened and if Toby is not her son then where is he and how can she find him, prove it and get him back?

The book for me was a bit complicated and contrived and felt very americanized in the way the hospital was run, patients were treated and hospital policy/protocol was carried out and I found it completely unbelieveable in places. Ultimately, however, the book was ruined by its rushed and confusing ending and I needed to read the last few chapters twice just to fully understand the plot and was still left wondering what exactly had happened and why. Disappointing as I had high expectations for this "addictive psychological thriller with a twist" I was promised.

I would read more from Susi Fox as I liked her writing style, but hopefully the next will be more to my liking.

A great read. A thrilling twist on an already done subject (Sophie Hannah etc) but i loved it. Despite a slow reveal it was not at all predictable. 100% recommended

Amazing story about a woman, Sacha, who wakes from an emergency C section, and believes that the baby she has given birth to isn't hers.

What follows is a twisting plot full of surprises, as Sacha is placed into a mental health unit. Is she really that unstable?

Beautifully crafted story.

WOW
Gripping and engaging read. I had trouble putting this book down at night.
Sasha wakes up from a caesarean and knows something isn't right. She sees her baby and instinctly knows that baby is not hers. Nobody will believe her.
The rest of the book is about Sasha trying to convince everyone around her that she's not crazy whilst looking for proof that the baby isn't hers. She has convinced herself so wholeheartedly that she becomes obsessed with the truth.
The ending is predictably sad. This is a must read!!

Is Sasha suffering with some sort of depression or is the baby really not hers?! I had to read the whole book to find out! It was a bit hard to read and frustrating but it was a good book and I was pleased I persevered!

* disclaimer i received an E-arc of this in return of an honest review through netgalley*
i dont want to give away too much about this book but it starts when
Sasha wake sup after an emergency c section and believes that the baby given to her isnt her baby!
this was a great debut novel by Susi fox and i will pick up more of her work when published!
4/5 stars

What an excellent novel. I loved the insight given in to mental health issues both before and after birth. I wasn’t too sure I agree with the ending but the whole novel was totally satisfying..

Definitely an author to watch.

Once I got into the book I loved it.
Lots of emotion.
I really felt for the mother, there were lots of twists in it, I didn't want to put the book down.

A gripping and heart-breaking read. The reader is drawn into the characters lives and left wondering who to believe.

A really well written story that had me totally gripped. The ending was a shock but still believable. Looking forward to more by this author.

I really enjoyed this book. Waking up after an emergency caesarean, Sasha becomes convinced that the baby in the premature nursery is not hers. She can't bond with him and becomes more and more certain that he was swapped with another baby, either deliberately or accidentally. But no one believes her, even her husband. As the story goes on we learn that Sasha's own mother suffered from severe mental health issues. Is that what is happening to her, or is her intuition correct? This is a really good read that will keep you guessing right til the end. Thanks to NetGalley for a preview copy.
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