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siebensommer's review against another edition
felt extremely repetitive and i found myself not picking it up (even though the hardcover is so beautiful)
Minor: Death of parent and Death
edgaranjapoe's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Graphic: Stalking, Abandonment, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Eating disorder, Mental illness, and Death of parent
Minor: Abortion, Blood, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Suicide attempt, Self harm, Death, and Suicidal thoughts
linguaphile412's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Toxic relationship
Moderate: Eating disorder, Child abuse, Self harm, Death of parent, Death, Emotional abuse, and Domestic abuse
Minor: Suicide attempt, Alcoholism, Suicide, and Suicidal thoughts
jaimeeslitlife's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Is Mother Dead is a stark, visceral novel about obsession, perception vs. reality, and the toxic relationship between a mother and estranged daughter (Johanna).
Is Mother Dead reads as very stream-of-consciousness, like diary entries, full of run-on and nonlinear sentences. I don't know that I ever fully got into the rhythm of this read, but I think the writing style captured the sense of overthinking and constant questioning that stems from extreme anxiety and guilt.
I loved that Johanna was the ultimate unreliable narrator. From safely outside the pages, the reader looks at her actions and sees all the red flags, but Johanna's point of view shows that she truly thinks of herself as a victim who is trying her best to do what's right, despite everything and everyone trying to stop her. Johanna's initial escalations from obsessive thoughts to actions happened so seamlessly that I found myself rereading passages and having to pause to figure out whether the events I was reading about were happening in Johanna's imagination or in the real world. As Johanna's obsession grew, her actions continued to escalate without warning, keeping me on my toes.
Though on the shorter side, I found the book to be a bit repetitive - but I suppose obsessive thoughts are.
Hjorth definitely has a gift for character-based psychological drama and for baring the souls of her characters. If you enjoy complex reads that explore the twisted inner workings of emotion and that are more vibe than plot, consider checking this one out!
Is Mother Dead reads as very stream-of-consciousness, like diary entries, full of run-on and nonlinear sentences. I don't know that I ever fully got into the rhythm of this read, but I think the writing style captured the sense of overthinking and constant questioning that stems from extreme anxiety and guilt.
I loved that Johanna was the ultimate unreliable narrator. From safely outside the pages, the reader looks at her actions and sees all the red flags, but Johanna's point of view shows that she truly thinks of herself as a victim who is trying her best to do what's right, despite everything and everyone trying to stop her. Johanna's initial escalations from obsessive thoughts to actions happened so seamlessly that I found myself rereading passages and having to pause to figure out whether the events I was reading about were happening in Johanna's imagination or in the real world. As Johanna's obsession grew, her actions continued to escalate without warning, keeping me on my toes.
Though on the shorter side, I found the book to be a bit repetitive - but I suppose obsessive thoughts are.
Hjorth definitely has a gift for character-based psychological drama and for baring the souls of her characters. If you enjoy complex reads that explore the twisted inner workings of emotion and that are more vibe than plot, consider checking this one out!
Graphic: Stalking, Self harm, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Emotional abuse
Minor: Death of parent and Death
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