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sarahrob's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
tense
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
4.25
It took me a few sittings to get into Mothers, but once I did I was caught. The narration style was a bit frustrating in the opening chapters, I found it difficult to follow timeline and characters, however, grew to appreciate this voice as the book progressed.
This book is a thoughtful reflection on motherhood and mothering. Readers ache for the women in this story; Aubrey and her longing to become a mother and for Nadia and her decision to not. We see each character “mother” in her own way, from Mo protecting Aubrey, to Nadia eventually caring for her father. I found this to be a beautiful representation of mother as a verb and not simply a noun. That mothers hold families and communities alike together by both protecting them, and loving them.
The relationship these two women form is as tragic and it is beautiful. I loved the friendship while knowing that it would be torn apart.
We are hurt along with Aubrey when Luke and Nadia betray her, but also completely understand their need to explore the way they are interconnected.
As an agnostic, I sometimes found I had a hard time understanding the weight of some characters actions, but tried to understand them within the community of the Upper Room and their deep faith. But, in the same vein I really enjoyed reading a book that demonstrated a church community. As this is not a space I occupy, I found it enjoyable to peek inside and see the way they support each other, but also the insidious nature of secrets and gossip, and how The Mothers bring down the one thing they love most, Upper Room, because of this.
Overall I found this story to be thoughtful and engaging. It has me contemplating motherhood, relationships and race all at the same time.
This book is a thoughtful reflection on motherhood and mothering. Readers ache for the women in this story; Aubrey and her longing to become a mother and for Nadia and her decision to not. We see each character “mother” in her own way, from Mo protecting Aubrey, to Nadia eventually caring for her father. I found this to be a beautiful representation of mother as a verb and not simply a noun. That mothers hold families and communities alike together by both protecting them, and loving them.
The relationship these two women form is as tragic and it is beautiful. I loved the friendship while knowing that it would be torn apart.
We are hurt along with Aubrey when Luke and Nadia betray her, but also completely understand their need to explore the way they are interconnected.
As an agnostic, I sometimes found I had a hard time understanding the weight of some characters actions, but tried to understand them within the community of the Upper Room and their deep faith. But, in the same vein I really enjoyed reading a book that demonstrated a church community. As this is not a space I occupy, I found it enjoyable to peek inside and see the way they support each other, but also the insidious nature of secrets and gossip, and how The Mothers bring down the one thing they love most, Upper Room, because of this.
Overall I found this story to be thoughtful and engaging. It has me contemplating motherhood, relationships and race all at the same time.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Child abuse, and Adult/minor relationship
rachelfayreads's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual assault, Grief, Infertility, Toxic relationship, Rape, Abandonment, Abortion, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Misogyny, Pregnancy, Sexism, Toxic friendship, Death of parent, Suicide, and Pedophilia
lwl000's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
As a big fan of The Vanishing Half, I expected great things from this one too. I love Bennett’s writing and the beautiful, poetic statements she sprinkles through this novel. Unfortunately, for me, the storyline and the characters just fell flat. I found the characters stale and without much depth; most of all (and this is odd since I usually love some moody/sad characters) they were just all so dang wan and depressing. I didn’t see any character development or growth here, and I felt we ended up right where we started: with judgement from others and guilt/regret around certain life decisions.
I found the treatment of the themes of abortion and sex/infidelity, through the lens of righteousness/piety of a church community, to also be tiresome and unoriginal.
I found the treatment of the themes of abortion and sex/infidelity, through the lens of righteousness/piety of a church community, to also be tiresome and unoriginal.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Rape, Infidelity, Grief, Infertility, Suicide, Child abuse, Abortion, and Death of parent
Minor: Alcohol
nokchimbird's review against another edition
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Suicide, Abortion, Sexual assault, and Child abuse
lillypowell's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent and Suicide
Moderate: Abortion, Infidelity, Sexual assault, Rape, and Pregnancy
Minor: Infertility and Cursing
awkwardllama's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Suicide, Death of parent, Abortion, and Infertility
Moderate: Child abuse, Grief, Rape, Alcohol, Gun violence, Pregnancy, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Homophobia, Misogyny, and Racism
jayisreading's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
3.5
This was a well-written story that, unfortunately, wasn’t for me. I can recognize the great prose and themes in this novel, which I thought Bennett crafted with great care. I think it’s safe to say that I just wasn’t the target audience. I didn’t find the book dull—the main characters really spoke for themselves and had a lot going for them—but I wasn’t especially invested in what was happening either.
Something that I’ve also been trying to parse out but don’t have the words for was the discourse around abortion in this novel. I could have misinterpreted something, but I got the impression that Bennett was taking a rather critical approach to abortion that seemed to weigh down on one of the protagonists, Nadia, significantly. I don’t know if this is a result of the setting (a Black community with strong Christian affiliations), but I really wasn’t sure what to make of it.
All-in-all, an interesting enough book that I think will resonate with some (especially for those interested in books engaging with motherhood and relationships); I just wasn’t one of those people.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abortion, Suicide, Grief, Infidelity, and Death of parent
Moderate: Sexual assault
Minor: Racism, Domestic abuse, Rape, and Alcoholism
hilaryshelby's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Rape, Abortion, and Suicide
nandakandabooks's review against another edition
Very heavy theme of anti-abortion and religious communities - double standarts for women and men!
Did not like the writing, characters did not have clear distinct voices.
Did not like the writing, characters did not have clear distinct voices.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Abortion
Minor: Rape
astronautin's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
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
Content Warnings
Moderate: Rape, Abortion, Suicide, and Pedophilia