abbie_'s review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
4.5
I enjoyed this one as much as The Vanishing Half, if not more! It’s less than 300 pages but it has the the richness of a 500-page tome, different strands and characters coming together, intersecting, pulled apart again. A really thoughtful and poignant portrayal of one decision reverberating through several lives.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Infidelity, Abortion, Death of parent, Medical content, Suicide, and Violence
Moderate: Rape and Child abuse
reallyitsrudi's review
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
the point of view is confusing at the start and the very end, but generally it's easy to follow
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abortion and Suicide
Moderate: Violence and Sexual assault
Minor: Self harm
maddyontheoffbeat's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
reflective
slow-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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Abortion
analia's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Rape, and Sexual assault
jennazim's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide, Child abuse, Violence, and Sexual violence
rebekah_florence's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
If you’re a fan of the show Greenleaf, I would highly recommend this book. As a Black woman who grew up in the church (specifically with family members who were pastors of an A.M.E. Zion church) this book felt like coming home to me. The mothers of the church-their drama, adages, gossiping, compassion- were written in such an authentic way that I could hear their voices as they spoke. I could gush about this book all day. I love that the title is a nod to not just the mothers of the church but also the mothers of our three main characters in the novel. Each of their mothers has traumatized them in one way or another, and that trauma has brought them to they way each of them navigates their own life presently. I loved that the story was told from multiple points of view. Maybe it’s the theatre-lover in me but each time the “Mothers” narrated the story, I felt that they operated as a Greek chorus of sorts. If I had to make a complaint about this book, I would say that I wish the ending was a little more fleshed out without
Spoiler
the major time jumpSpoiler
but perhaps that’s for the best. Much like Nadia’s situation and relationships, some things willSpoiler
always be left unresolvedSpoiler
.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Suicide, Abortion, and Violence
Minor: Sexual violence
lysduciel's review against another edition
emotional
sad
fast-paced
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abortion
Minor: Violence
brittandwaffles's review against another edition
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity, Sexual violence, Abortion, Suicide, Infertility, Child abuse, and Death of parent
Minor: Violence
mel_burroughs's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Rape, Infidelity, and Abortion
Minor: Violence
jesshindes's review against another edition
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.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abortion, Child abuse, and Suicide
Moderate: Violence, Sexual content, and Sexual assault
Minor: Racism