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theresey01's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
renzoreads's review against another edition
4.0
Sarah Calhoun is a busy single mother of three. Trying to juggle work, kids, after school activities and co-parenting. When her son is offered the opportunity of a life time, to go to Ireland and train at an elite soccer academy for four months, the life Sarah has worked so hard to build comes crashing down and events from her past finally catch up with her.
Years ago, before she was a mother, Sarah spent time living in Ireland a time which ended abruptly with her fleeing the country in fear after witnessing a brutal crime at the hands of member of the IRA. Now Sarah has to navigate through a return to Ireland, trying to keep her son and the rest of her family safe from those that want to harm her. What lengths will Sarah go to, to protect her children?
This was such a great read. Fast paced, intense and interesting. I had very limited knowledge around the unrest in Ireland in the 1990’s and it made me take the time to learn more about it. I enjoyed Sarah as a character, she was strong, independent and struggled with the intricacies of motherhood. This is the second book I’ve read from this author, with this one being her debut and both books have been great thrillers. Rae Cairns is definitely now and auto-buy author for me, great Australian fiction with complex characters, strong female protagonists and well thought out, unpredictable twists and turns throughout.
Years ago, before she was a mother, Sarah spent time living in Ireland a time which ended abruptly with her fleeing the country in fear after witnessing a brutal crime at the hands of member of the IRA. Now Sarah has to navigate through a return to Ireland, trying to keep her son and the rest of her family safe from those that want to harm her. What lengths will Sarah go to, to protect her children?
This was such a great read. Fast paced, intense and interesting. I had very limited knowledge around the unrest in Ireland in the 1990’s and it made me take the time to learn more about it. I enjoyed Sarah as a character, she was strong, independent and struggled with the intricacies of motherhood. This is the second book I’ve read from this author, with this one being her debut and both books have been great thrillers. Rae Cairns is definitely now and auto-buy author for me, great Australian fiction with complex characters, strong female protagonists and well thought out, unpredictable twists and turns throughout.
regan_montgomery's review against another edition
5.0
What a roller coaster ride of not knowing who to trust.
tash_93's review against another edition
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
rachhenderson's review against another edition
3.0
Sarah is a Sydney mum who used to work as a counsellor in Northern Ireland during The Troubles. When her 16yo son is selected to attend an elite soccer camp in Dublin, she's drawn back into the violent world that she'd tried desperately to escape.
The storyline of this book was really interesting but it was let down by character development. I didn't like or care about any of the characters. They all seemed a little one-dimensional and I found myself constantly annoyed with Sarah.
The storyline of this book was really interesting but it was let down by character development. I didn't like or care about any of the characters. They all seemed a little one-dimensional and I found myself constantly annoyed with Sarah.
fasmina's review
5.0
The Good Mother was shortlisted for the Ned Kelly Awards for best debut crime fiction and it is one of those books you definitely should read. This might be the second ever book I’ve read based on The Troubles in Ireland and this book made me more curious.
The book weaves around Sarah, an Australian soccer mum who is very protective of her children. She is hiding parts of her terrifying past when she worked in Ireland as an aid worker. When her son goes to Ireland for an elite soccer camp which she was against at first, her past comes crashing down and she has to face those consequences in her present. She had to return to Belfast and testify at a murder trial, where telling the truth puts her whole family in the way of danger.
This is a very intense read. It’s sometimes brutal and realistic and I felt like I was the protagonist trying to face the demons of my past. Every chapter unfolded several emotions of her and we could feel the love, hate and betrayal that Sarah felt. I felt that Sarah is like every other mum, who wants nothing but the best for her children. She was so relatable in her choices and decisions and even if her decisions were questionable, it was totally relatable. Author’s notes at the end of the book was really interesting and sparked an interest in me to read more about the part of Ireland.
An amazing debut, this book is a definite winner.
{all thanks to Harper Collins Australia for the copy to review}
The book weaves around Sarah, an Australian soccer mum who is very protective of her children. She is hiding parts of her terrifying past when she worked in Ireland as an aid worker. When her son goes to Ireland for an elite soccer camp which she was against at first, her past comes crashing down and she has to face those consequences in her present. She had to return to Belfast and testify at a murder trial, where telling the truth puts her whole family in the way of danger.
This is a very intense read. It’s sometimes brutal and realistic and I felt like I was the protagonist trying to face the demons of my past. Every chapter unfolded several emotions of her and we could feel the love, hate and betrayal that Sarah felt. I felt that Sarah is like every other mum, who wants nothing but the best for her children. She was so relatable in her choices and decisions and even if her decisions were questionable, it was totally relatable. Author’s notes at the end of the book was really interesting and sparked an interest in me to read more about the part of Ireland.
An amazing debut, this book is a definite winner.
{all thanks to Harper Collins Australia for the copy to review}
cassie_tee's review against another edition
4.0
Brilliant. Read in one day. Clever and a good portrayal of what any good mother would do for her family
meegzreads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
4.0
*4 Stars*
I read this book after recently reading "Dying to Know" by this same author (her second book) and loving it. The good Mother is the first book written by Rae Cairns and it was great. At first it felt a little slow, but that may have just been my reading period/outside factors at the time I started this book.
Once you really got into it and Sarah gets on that flight, everything really snowballs and happens really fast. I didn't know who she should be trusting, what was really going on - was she over-reacting? Was she right to be acting the way she was and as scared as she was? Just how far would these people go?
Things played out in a way that I really did not expect, and the ending made me feel quite emotional. Gripping writing by this author, and now that I've read two of her books, I'll definitely be on the lookout for more. A new author to me who I suspect will become a favourite.
I read this book after recently reading "Dying to Know" by this same author (her second book) and loving it. The good Mother is the first book written by Rae Cairns and it was great. At first it felt a little slow, but that may have just been my reading period/outside factors at the time I started this book.
Once you really got into it and Sarah gets on that flight, everything really snowballs and happens really fast. I didn't know who she should be trusting, what was really going on - was she over-reacting? Was she right to be acting the way she was and as scared as she was? Just how far would these people go?
Things played out in a way that I really did not expect, and the ending made me feel quite emotional. Gripping writing by this author, and now that I've read two of her books, I'll definitely be on the lookout for more. A new author to me who I suspect will become a favourite.
indoorg1rl's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
Whoa, I was expecting a domestic thriller with this one, but I got an explosive, action-packed, kickass mama thriller instead.
Sarah Calhoun was a regular Sydney soccer mum, but soon we got to see that she was anything but. When two men from Northern Island hunted her down, she was forced to return to Belfast to testify at a murder trial. She was soon caught in the crossfire of an obsessive policeman and a brutal IRA executioner. She faced an impossible choice: lie and allow a killer to run free, or tell the truth and place her children in the line of fire.
The book started with a deceivingly mundane domestic thriller setup. Sarah fit into your usual stereotype of an overly-protective-slash-paranoid mother and a bitter ex-wife. Soon, we got to discover the reasons behind her agitation.
I didn’t expect a full-blown action-packed thriller, so I was in for a great surprise. What followed was an epic adventure as we tagged along Sarah’s journey to ensure the safety of her children. I was fully gripped, especially towards the last third of the book, and the explosive ending did give me a little book hangover, in a good way!
kiandra_jane's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
If this wasn't a book club pick I would not have finished. It took me a long time to get through and I couldn't stay focused for even 20 minutes at a time without getting distracted.
I didn't find the story engaging or build any emotional connection to any of the characters and thought the story was pretty boring overall.
I didn't find the story engaging or build any emotional connection to any of the characters and thought the story was pretty boring overall.