The battle of the sexes – or, at least, political scaremongering that there is a scientific conspiracy to slowly wipe out the male gender – is just one of the themes Angela Chadwick investigates in her debut novel XX. But if you think this sounds like yet another attempt to jump on The Handmaid’s Tale hot-topic bandwagon, you’d be mistaken.

XX is the story of Rosie and Jules, two women who undertake a revolutionary clinical trial in a bid to have a female baby. Rosie has always wanted a baby but the complications of Jules’ childhood has made her more reticent, at least until the ground-breaking o-o (Ovum-to-Ovum) research is announced. Ovum-to-Ovum involves removing cells from both women in order to create an implantable embryo, meaning that for the first time in history both mothers will be genetically linked to their child. But even after successfully undergoing a battery of tests to ensure they’re acceptable for the trial, Rosie and Jules’ problems aren’t over. The media is determined to hound them every step of the way, and politicians and right-wing agitators will do whatever they can to stoke public fear and undermine the o-o program. No matter how hard they try to keep their lives (and their baby) private, Rosie and Jules cannot escape the spotlight. Just when their dreams of a perfect family may finally be coming true (Rosie’s dream at least), the pressures and hatred welling in upon them are threatening to destroy everything…

XX is a speculative fiction that feels all too real in our current social and political climate, but Chadwick admirably manages to tell her story while avoiding stuffing the issues down our throat. She also doesn’t provide any easy answers, which gives the reader plenty to think about when the book is finished. But XX isn’t just a story tapping into the current feminist-dystopian zeitgeist. It is also a carefully drawn portrait of a relationship under crisis, and it was especially interesting to discover how – despite both characters agreeing to take part in the trial – Josie’s continued reluctance to have a child is one of the key factors that may disrupt their relationship from the inside. To this degree, XX really isn’t speculative at all. It’s a human drama that many couples, regardless of their sexuality, will understand only too well.

XX is an uncomfortable, thought-provoking novel that’s occasionally an emotionally difficult read. But, if you can stand the pace, it’s a rewarding piece of writing.

XX / AUTHOR: ANGELA CHADWICK / PUBLISHER: DIALOGUE BOOKS / RELEASE DATE: 4TH OCTOBER