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3.65 AVERAGE
3.65 AVERAGE
Just as the above summary states, this novel is a perfect fix for those of us who loved Gone Girl. I was initial drawn to this novel for the fact that the main character is an overwhelmed mother. Lisa Kallisto runs the local animal shelter, is mother to a teen girl and two young boys, and wife to the local taxi driver. She is relatable. She forgets ingredients her daughter needs for a class and feeds her family chicken nuggets, chips, and cereal. She admits she is jealous of the other mothers who don't work outside the home. Being so busy, she misses one phone call and her world falls apart. What parent's mind hasn't gone to the worst scenarios? But Lisa finds herself in the middle of a worst scenario situation. Where is her daughter's friend? What is really going on behind the closed doors of this community?
Paula Daly draws you into a "this only happens to other people" scenario. The story doesn't contain any loose ends, outlandish twists or slow chapters. "Just What Kind of a Mother Are You?" is a pageturner that feeds on a mother's insecurities and peels away the polished exterior of the local perfect family.
READ MY FULL REVIEW HERE:
http://www.ivoryowlreviews.blogspot.com/2013/09/just-what-kind-of-mother-are-you.html
I picked up a copy of this in London Heathrow Airport because I had unexpectedly finished my other book that I set aside for the plane, and I ended up finishing the entire book on my flight. It was so captivating with its many twists and relatable narrative (even though I read it as a teenager and am not a mother nor was I in a long-term relationship) that I recommended it to my mom, boss, and anyone who asked for a new book to read. I've purchased Daly's other book, The Trophy Child, and as of this writing, I haven't gotten around to reading it yet, but it is toward the top of my Want To Read list!
Kate's daughter, Lucinda, goes missing when she should have been at a sleepover at Lisa's house. Lisa's daughter was ill and so she forgot all about the sleepover. Lisa therefore feels that Lucinda's disappearance is her fault. Two other local girls have also disappeared, but each was released quickly, whereas Lucinda does not return. This was a page turner, told both from the perspective of Lisa and by following the Joanne, the DC working on the case. Joanne was a believable and sympathetic character. I didn't warm to Lisa as much, although her relationship with her husband rang true. There was a satisfactory conclusion to the three disappearances, although perhaps slightly too much plot: suicide attempts, bigamy, dog-napping, unusual mental health issues, adultery, you name it...
I was a tad disappointed by this book to be honest. I'd read so many good reviews and it had such high ratings at the time, I had to read it.
Suspense-wise, it doesn't pick up its pace until about 60% through, and I experienced the last 50 pages or so a fumbly mess so I wouldn't even say it's worth holding out. I skipped a couple of pages because they were just too rambly for me, and many situations were so out-of-place I have no idea why they were in the book at all.
Trigger warning: mistreatment of animals and children.
Suspense-wise, it doesn't pick up its pace until about 60% through, and I experienced the last 50 pages or so a fumbly mess so I wouldn't even say it's worth holding out. I skipped a couple of pages because they were just too rambly for me, and many situations were so out-of-place I have no idea why they were in the book at all.
Trigger warning: mistreatment of animals and children.
When I first heard the description of What Kind of Mother are You, about a mother named Lisa who feels overworked and unable to keep up with the kind of devoted mother her friend Kate is, I knew I had to read it and I'm glad that I did. When Kate's daughter goes missing when she was supposed to be on Lisa's watch, Lisa feels guilty...understandably so...and so begins this page turner.
I, for one, couldn't put this novel - told from the perspectives of Lisa, a female detective named Joanne, and the man responsible for abducting several girls in their community. Often I'd think to myself, just one more chapter, but found myself wanting to read beyond that one and the next. It's intense, and leads to revelations about the people in Lisa's community that she would have never seen coming, and most importantly, that the reader never sees coming either.
Highly recommended.
I, for one, couldn't put this novel - told from the perspectives of Lisa, a female detective named Joanne, and the man responsible for abducting several girls in their community. Often I'd think to myself, just one more chapter, but found myself wanting to read beyond that one and the next. It's intense, and leads to revelations about the people in Lisa's community that she would have never seen coming, and most importantly, that the reader never sees coming either.
Highly recommended.
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Wow! I picked this up from a recommended read display at the library even though I wasn't too sure about the title, but it had me hooked right from the start and kept me reading wanting to know what happened. All the characters came across as very real especially Lisa and Joanne.
There were lots of twists and turns and with a few surprising me.
I'm definitely going to look for more books from Paula Daly in future!
There were lots of twists and turns and with a few surprising me.
I'm definitely going to look for more books from Paula Daly in future!
A little while ago I read - and absolutely loved - Paula Daly's second novel Keep Your Friends Close. It was ridiculously good, with a twist at the end that shocked the living daylights out of me. It genuinely left me open-mouthed in shock, surprise, awe, and amazement. So when I spotted Just What Kind of Mother Are You? at the library, it was MINE. According to Amazon, I do actually have a copy of the book, but I forgot! So I got it from the library and it was just as amazing as Keep Your Friends Close.
First up, let me get this off my chest: I did not, for a long, long time whilst reading this book, understand why a) Lisa blamed herself for Lucinda going missing or b) anyone else blamed Lisa for Lucinda going missing. For so long, it baffled and confused me - because where was Kate, Lucinda's mother, in all of this? If Kate was such a helicopter parent, why hadn't she tried to get in touch with Lucinda? It made me actually angry, because I felt it was unfair to Lisa. I just didn't get it. But, thankfully, this did eventually make sense. But it irritated me. Boy, did it irritate me.
Just What Kind of Mother Are You? was such an intriguing read. I was gripped throughout, and I liked that Lisa was determined to find Lucinda, despite being blamed, and the switch between Lisa's point of view and the third-person point of view of Joanne was amazing (although, thinking back as I type this, what happened to Joanne's surgery, Paula?!?!?! DID SHE GET IT, OR WHAT?!?) and I actually really liked Joanne. I'd even love to see her brought back, because she's the kind of detective you really like, who just does their job, and gets on with it. Lisa was also kind of amazing, she had the guilt because Lucinda had disappeared, she was juggling her kids, her job, her husband, all that stuff, and still managed to keep her head. Although for the longest time I had so many suspicions about her and Joe. You know when you just get a bad feeling? I had a bad feeling - and I was hoping I was wrong, actually, because it's lovely to see a married couple in a crime novel actually be in love with each other - what a novelty that is. I think that's why I was so paranoid - because it was all going so swimmingly.
I really, really enjoyed Just What Kind of Mother Are You? It was a fascinating insight into small-town life, and kinda-toxic friendships, and whether you can trust literally anybody? The right answer is no, you can't. Just do not trust people, it's so not worth it. Paula Daly is a cracking author, I've read two of her books now and she'll be on my must-buy list for the foreseeable. I already have The Mistake I Made, and I see she has a new book out next year, so yay. I am a happy reader and if you've never read Paula Daly, I suggest you do, because she writes immense crime fiction.
First up, let me get this off my chest: I did not, for a long, long time whilst reading this book, understand why a) Lisa blamed herself for Lucinda going missing or b) anyone else blamed Lisa for Lucinda going missing. For so long, it baffled and confused me - because where was Kate, Lucinda's mother, in all of this? If Kate was such a helicopter parent, why hadn't she tried to get in touch with Lucinda? It made me actually angry, because I felt it was unfair to Lisa. I just didn't get it. But, thankfully, this did eventually make sense. But it irritated me. Boy, did it irritate me.
Just What Kind of Mother Are You? was such an intriguing read. I was gripped throughout, and I liked that Lisa was determined to find Lucinda, despite being blamed, and the switch between Lisa's point of view and the third-person point of view of Joanne was amazing (although, thinking back as I type this, what happened to Joanne's surgery, Paula?!?!?! DID SHE GET IT, OR WHAT?!?) and I actually really liked Joanne. I'd even love to see her brought back, because she's the kind of detective you really like, who just does their job, and gets on with it. Lisa was also kind of amazing, she had the guilt because Lucinda had disappeared, she was juggling her kids, her job, her husband, all that stuff, and still managed to keep her head. Although for the longest time I had so many suspicions about her and Joe. You know when you just get a bad feeling? I had a bad feeling - and I was hoping I was wrong, actually, because it's lovely to see a married couple in a crime novel actually be in love with each other - what a novelty that is. I think that's why I was so paranoid - because it was all going so swimmingly.
I really, really enjoyed Just What Kind of Mother Are You? It was a fascinating insight into small-town life, and kinda-toxic friendships, and whether you can trust literally anybody? The right answer is no, you can't. Just do not trust people, it's so not worth it. Paula Daly is a cracking author, I've read two of her books now and she'll be on my must-buy list for the foreseeable. I already have The Mistake I Made, and I see she has a new book out next year, so yay. I am a happy reader and if you've never read Paula Daly, I suggest you do, because she writes immense crime fiction.
Once I had picked up this book I found it impossible to put back down and ended up reading it within a day. The characters are all very well written, the writing style is engaging, I just honestly cannot fault this book at all.