Reviews with content warning for Sexual content - The Mothers

This was such a good read, I really liked the exact amount of plot we were given, we got a good slice of life. Somehow managed to include loads of heavy topics without being too triggering.

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natashahillier's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I really enjoyed this book. I liked seeing the characters grow up, and getting a behind the scenes view into the messiness of life.

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sillyslicker's review against another edition

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emotional reflective sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

"She wanted this baby and that was the difference: magic you wanted was a miracle, magic you didn't want was a haunting."

4.3 stars

Grieving the loss of her mother, Nadia begins to spiral. Spending time with Luke is a great distraction, until she gets pregnant, and an abortion puts an end to the relationship. Nadia never really regrets the decision, but the ripples from it are still felt, even years later. We follow Nadia, Luke, and Aubrey, and watch how their lives unfold after this, and how that decision still seems to affect their lives.

I thought this was a great book. Abortion can be a touchy subject, but the author did a very good job of showing how you can be glad that you did something, and yet, still have issues that arise because of it. I really felt for the characters, and enjoyed getting to know them. I love character-driven novels, and as I had trouble putting it down, I'd say this was a well-crafted, intricate story. Nadia's abortion is at the center, but I think it's more so about the impact that those closest to us have on our lives. The complexities of navigating different relationships, along with our own baggage can be terribly difficult, and sometimes, we mess them up. If you also enjoy slow, character-driven stories about different types of relationships, I'd definitely recommend this one.

Trigger warnings: sex, abortion, self-hatred, infertility, death, suicide, vaginal exam, adultery, lying, unlikeable characters, injuries

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matcha_pages's review against another edition

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emotional reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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amandalorianxo's review against another edition

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emotional reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

A lot of storylines, characters and grey morality woven into complex people yet you are still engaged throughout the entire story. We meet Luke and Nadia, two young adults who are going through their own traumas in life. Nadia’s mother had committed suicide & it’s caused Nadia to find ways to soothe her pain by participating in risky activities. Being with Luke in secret was one of them, until the two find out Nadia is pregnant. Luke’s mother takes care of it with a simple gesture, causing their assumed problem to be fixed. Nadia befriends Aubrey, a girl who is living with her sister and is fleeing abuse from the hands of her mother’s boyfriend. The story is told from the POV’s of Nadia, Aubrey as well as The collective mothers of The Upper Room church. We are entangled in the lives of these people and their decision making, no judgement cast just a fly in the wall. This raises a lot of questions, especially in the framework of black eyes in a black community. Well done and we’ll delivered.

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jessthanthree's review

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challenging emotional reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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lil_owl_reads's review against another edition

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emotional reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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jesshindes's review against another edition

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emotional inspiring reflective tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I really enjoyed 'The Mothers', even more I think than 'The Vanishing Half', which I read and liked last year. As with that second book, I think Bennett does particularly well with characterisation and relationships: in this case, she sets up three central characters, (Nadia, Luke and Aubrey) all teenagers when the book begins, and traces their relationships with each other and with the church community where they meet. She deals with painful experiences sensitively and plausibly, writes a diverse cast of characters (in terms of age, sexuality, class, dis/ability as well as race) that feels real rather than forced, and her style is careful and precise as well as very readable. This is one of those books where you really care about what the characters mean to each other (I particularly valued the weight given to Nadia and Aubrey's friendship); where you see the ways they can hurt each other and wish they wouldn't but understand that it's life and of course, that's how relationships sometimes work. All in all, good read, and I'll look forward to whatever she publishes next.

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