"Two-Week Wait: An IVF Story" is a poignant graphic novel that follows Conrad and Joanne through the emotional rollercoaster of in vitro fertilization (IVF). With expressive artwork by Mara Wild and authentic storytelling by Luke and Kelly Jackson, the book provides valuable insight into the mental and emotional challenges of the IVF journey. While offering a nuanced portrayal of the universal experiences of hope and disappointment, the novel also sheds light on the unique aspects of each individual's journey. Recommended for those seeking a deeper understanding of IVF, including patients, their loved ones, and healthcare professionals.

This graphic memoir was impactful, well-drawn, and definitely will find its audience soon enough since it is so well-done.

A graphic novel that tackles an interesting topic. Sadly I lost interest about halfway through already.

Glad to see more books on the topic. I thought it was short and missed some opportunities to illustrate the pain and anxiety of fertility treatment and loss. But good effort and worth reading.

Thank you for providing me with an arc. I found the novel to be overall quite thoughtful and thought-provoking! I wasn’t sure this would be as good as it was and it exceeded my expectations. I am definitely looking forward to what this author is going to put our next! Thank you for providing me with an arc. I found the novel to be overall quite thoughtful and thought-provoking! I wasn’t sure this would be as good as it was and it exceeded my expectations. I am definitely looking forward to what this author is going to put our next!

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.

Two-Week Wait is a cute graphic novel for any graphic novel lover. The illustrations are very well done and the plot was engaging and surprising.

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.

4 stars

i was totally shocked at the IVF story as i had no clue about it.
It is a story about a couple who shared their journey with us through graphic illustrations.

I must say that the story line is very amusing and entertaining to learn!
Thank you so much for this beautiful arc, it is very innovative for me!

DNF. The story was relatable for the many who have struggled with infertility. Unfortunately, the layout was cumbersome and hard to read.

I missed out on this on Netgalley but sought it out on my own because I really wanted to read it. As someone with extensive first-hand experience with trying to conceive myself, I thought this was incredibly realistic. They didn't shy away from tough topics, difficult thoughts, hard talks, or all the challenging feelings that come along with trying to get pregnant and struggling. Although this might seem discouraging to someone just beginning IVF, I think it's good to get a realistic sense of what to expect and to know what may go wrong along the way, so that there are fewer shocking surprises and disappointments. I bought another copy and gave it to a friend of mine, and she was surprised by it but ultimately appreciate the glance into this experience.

An interesting graphic novel detailing the trials and tribulations faced by a couple going through IVF. It was an eye-opening account of the same that's strips away the clinical conversation around it and centers human emotions at its core. Recommended.

This graphic novel, written by Kelly & Luke Jackson and illustrated by Mara Wild, is the kind of heart-warming tale that we could all do with in times such as these (for anyone reading this many years hence, I read this book during the Covid 19 Pandemic).

"Two-Week Wait" tackles the tale of Joanne and Conrad, a couple who, unable to conceive a child through the most common of methods, resort to the medical marvel that is IVF.

For a layperson such as yours truly, who has the most basic of knowledge in biology, the novel makes the concept of IVF accessible, thus overcoming the first hurdle such undertakings have to begin with - the explanation of the concept.

Where it shines, however, is the story of the protagonists. The repartee between them is often witty, and the more sombre moments are handled rather delicately. The Jacksons make the ordeal of their protagonists real through the deft writing, aided by Wild's marvellous illustrations, which are quirky and detailed in equal measure.

The colours Wild uses make for a sober experience as one clicks through the pages, far detached from the usual bevy of shades the format is known for.

It'll leave you with a wide smile, this one.

This graphic novel did a great job of exploring the emotions and stress that occur throughout the not at all straightforward process of in vitro fertilization. The coloring was great - the muted pinks and blues were symbolic of both the focus on pregnancy and the emotional palate of the story. the characters experienced a lot of shame, sadness, anger, and embarrassment on their journey and the art and writing were very clear eyed and empathic. A great story to help understand the real impact that trying to have kids can have on people.

'Two-Week Wait: an IVF story' by Luke C. Jackson and Kelly Jackson with illustration by Mara Wild is a graphic novel about a serious topic that affects 1 in 50 couples.

Conrad and Joanne meet at university and think they have plenty of time to get pregnant and have a child, until they try and realize there are difficulties. Then begins a difficult and costly journey. As they see others around them getting pregnant with ease, the self-doubt and negative feelings set in.

This is a fictionalized story, but has the ring of truth. The struggle this couple feels is real, and perhaps knowing that others feel the same would be helpful for friends and family struggling with the same thing. I like the art. It's got a subtle and subdued color palette that goes with the serious nature of the story.

I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Scribe UK and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.

This graphic novel did a great job capturing the message, I felt the struggles people get through in real-life, and although I couldn’t relate I felt empathetic and saw this topic in a whole different perspective.

The artwork, color scheme and dialogue come together perfectly. When reading I felt like I was watching this situation happen.

This had it all, it was a mix of emotions plus informative. I recommend it even if you are not going through the struggle of conceiving.

I received this book as ARC from NetGalley for an honest review.

I loved the colors of this graphic novel, I think the simple trait convey all the emotions of the journey the 2 main characters have to do.
Delicate, struggling and a bit bittersweet for all the people that tried, are trying and will try to have children in this difficult way, I think it' s a mirror for many people.

Sweet, heartbreaking, hopeful, and an overall touching read. Drawn well and written perfectly. So glad I came across it.

Hello, Hi, I hope we are all doing well!

It’s been a busy June and I have been reading a ton of good books this month (at least so far we still have half the month to go)! Earlier this month I was wanting to pick up a graphic novel and was going to be spending some time in the car waiting outside of the vet’s office while one of my cat’s was at a check up. So I decided to look through my Netgalley shelf to see what I had going on! When looking through my shelf, I saw that I had this graphic novel waiting for me and I decided I would give it a read while I was waiting!

SPOILERS AHEAD

Conrad and Joanne are happily married, working pretty good jobs, and just generally enjoying their lives but one day they start to think about having a baby! They both think that this could be an exciting time for their lives and their family however, things are not coming as easy as both Conrad and Joanne thought and after a year they visit a doctor to get some help. This begins an incredibly long journey for both Conrad and Joanne as they continue to try to have a baby and the family they are dreaming of.

I honestly really enjoyed Conrad and Joanne’s story, I feel like it’s not what I would typically read but I really enjoyed reading about their journey and appreciate that it was shared. When I first started this graphic novel I thought this was going to be a very happy tale of starting a family but I feel like it shows the very real struggles of what starting a family can be like for many people. The Two Week Wait will definitely hold a special place in my reader heart and maybe someday my shelves!

Goodreads Rating: 5 Stars

This was clearly a very personal story and I'm so glad I read it. There are many couples, and individuals, that are wanting to get pregnant, but are struggling. Luck and Kelly provide their personal experience that I think many in that situation could identify with. This is a book to read if you are struggling to get pregnant or what a slice of life graphic novel/non-fiction. I think this is an important topic that needs to be talked about more. At one point I had thought about having kids, and one of my many worries was not being able to get pregnant. I felt alone in this worry and felt like I couldn't talk about it to anyone. If I had been able to read this book then, I believe I would have felt less alone.

The art work was soothing considering the topic, and I think was a good choice. The characters were expressive and the colour tones helped deliver the feelings of the topic.

have a hard time rating memoirs and non-fictions, but I did decide to give this a 3. The story was well done, but is meant for a very niche audience. As a graphic novel, the art style was nice and helped convey the message, but I wasn't blown away by it.