Mother Puncher

I think most people know that overpopulation is a fairly serious problem. In Mother Puncher, Gina Ranalli has a created a bizarre future world where the government has tried to solve the problem by taking over the health insurance industry, and has passing new laws that any child not born in a hospital can't get insurance. If a child is born in the hospital, the parents are allowed to be punched in the face by the mother puncher. Since the fathers usually run off and hide, it's mostly the mothers that get punched, hence the name mother puncher.

This is the story of the mother puncher called Ed Means, who is an ex-boxer. Ed isn't actually a bad guy. While Ed does believe that bringing a baby into an overpopulated world is wrong, he show more doesn't really like punching mothers, and tries to avoid doing any real damage. He really doesn't like the way most fathers run off and hide to avoid their punishment. Really, the only reason he hasn't quit is because he's afraid someone who does like hitting women will take over.

Despite having a job that most people would find abhorrent, Ed comes across as a likable guy, and when bad stuff starts happening to him--because of stalker fans, psychotic rivals, and protesters--you rally can't help but feel sorry for the guy. show less

Excellent book! This book is kind of a "day in the life" of Ed, a retired boxer now working as a Mother Puncher (MP) – a job created as the government’s unique way to try to control the population. His task is to punch the mother (and the father too if he’s around) after the baby is delivered and get a picture to show his boss. Ed is one of the nicer MPs because he punches only once, asks them where they would prefer to be hit, and tries not to hurt the people he knows. He also tries to protect other mothers from the more violent MPs by offering to do the job himself.

As his day progresses, we meet the many unsavory people in Ed's world-among them his wife, fans, co-workers, and government protesters. A major event happens that is show more caused by greed and we see Ed handle the situation with an unexpected calm and peace. I liked that at the end of a very violent day, Ed turns out to be a kind, caring, and generous person. This is a wonderful, thought provoking Bizarr-o story to show that we should never judge people by their job and I would definitely recommend it! show less

If I were a guidance counselor at a Catholic Highschool for boys this is definitely the book I would think about as I self-flagellated in front of a picture of the Virgin Mary.

Mother Puncher tells the story of Ed Means, a former boxer who has become a Mother Puncher. That is, the government wants people to stop having kids, so if you go ahead and reproduce, a Mother Puncher comes and punches you in the face. Ideally, the mother and father are supposed to take a shot to the eye, but generally it’s just the mothers who get hit as their menfolk make themselves scarce immediately after the birth. Ed doesn’t like this, but there’s not much he can do about it. He just tries to do his job to the best of his ability despite hate groups, a deranged fan club president who coerces him into seeking side work that he doesn’t want, and a greedy, borderline hybristophilic wife who is seldom on his side. Read my show more entire review here: http://ireadoddbooks.com/mother-puncher-by-gina-ranalli/ show less