Reviews tagging 'Animal cruelty'

Mothered by Zoje Stage

10 reviews

enchantressreads's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Child abuse, and Pandemic/Epidemic

Moderate: Blood, Chronic illness, Emotional abuse, Animal death, Death, and Animal cruelty

Minor: Vomit

rockyc5's review

dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.25

Honestly I wouldn't have liked this book at all if it weren't for the Epilogue. The Epilogue gives you such big payoffs for the whole book that there is satisfaction there.

I just didn't think the writing was that good like "driving her bonkers," or "gone on forever," or "that went on for awhile. It sounds a little lazy, like if you don't go back and revise enough. " I expected more from a bestselling author.

I'm a sucker for mother/daughter psychodramas--in that area it delivers 100%!

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Mental illness and Animal cruelty

Minor: Murder, Pandemic/Epidemic, and Vomit

mafaichney's review

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

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty

mermaidsherbet's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Blood, Child death, Toxic relationship, Child abuse, Violence, Gaslighting, Murder, Mental illness, Gore, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Pandemic/Epidemic, Death, Death of parent, Dementia, Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Confinement

Minor: Eating disorder, Abortion, Toxic friendship, Terminal illness, Pregnancy, Infidelity, Sexual content, Forced institutionalization, Drug use, Physical abuse, Vomit, Cursing, Cancer, Alcohol, Ableism, Medical content, Excrement, and Bullying

katierobertsonshaddix's review

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Stage's portrayal of an adult mother-daughter relationship manages to be simultaneously relatable and terrifying. She captures the dreamlike uncertainty and isolation of life early in the covid 19 pandemic and it forms the perfect backdrop for the nightmarish tale where both the characters and readers are left uncertain of the bounds of reality.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical trauma, Grief, Mental illness, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Toxic relationship, and Vomit

Moderate: Chronic illness and Child death

Minor: Mental illness, Animal cruelty, Gaslighting, Violence, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

shannonbauchat's review against another edition

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Body horror, Vomit, and Animal cruelty

lovelydeadgirl's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Animal death, Blood, Child death, Animal cruelty, Medical content, and Murder

sjanedoe's review

dark emotional tense fast-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

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness, Death, Bullying, Gore, Emotional abuse, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Murder, and Toxic relationship

house_of_hannah's review

dark mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

Thank you so much to Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC; it is greatly appreciated.

I have had this e-ARC since July, and since then I have seen this book everywhere. It seems to be on everyone's most anticipated list for the year, or at least it is in the horror community. There is definitely hype building for this book, but since this was my first read by this author I went in with no expectations, and an open mind. 

Unfortunately, I was immediately confronted with something I don't wish to read about: the pandemic. There's actually an author's note stating how this did not start out as a pandemic book, and so that would not be a large part of the story. However, I'd have to argue that it is. Nothing in this book would have happened without the pandemic. It really seemed to be used as a plot point to put the characters in their appropriate places and mental states. The pandemic was prevalant throughout the entire story to where I'd say it was a character itself. 

Most of the horror in this was subtle, which I've discovered recently is something I quite enjoy. That build up of tension, anger, and confusion is done well, and transfers as anxiety to the reader. Because of this I did not mind the slow plot, as I thought that the payoff, or "reveal", would bring everything happening into a satisfying conclusion. Unfortuantely, that didn't happen. 

The last few chapters of the book felt incredibly rushed compared to the rest. We go from a slow, gradual build up, to entire personality changes overnight. I did not understand what was happening or why, and since we don't get any solid answers in the end, I finished this book feeling confused.

Overall, I'd say I enjoyed the first 80-90% of this book. It wasn't anything I hadn't seen before, but it was enjoyable and pretty quick to read. However, the last 10-20% just felt like a different book entirely and sucked my enjoyment out of reading it. If you are not a fan of dream sequences or reading about the pandemic, then I would pass on picking this up. If you enjoy a slow burn with little to no twists, and don't need answers to any questions, than give this a shot. I just don't think this author's style is for me. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, Bullying, Child death, Animal cruelty, Blood, Cursing, Toxic relationship, Mental illness, and Death

Moderate: Medical content and Grief

Minor: Animal death, Sexual content, and Vomit

nicole_cob_reads's review

dark emotional mysterious tense fast-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

This book. Wow! Complete and utter mind fuck. Zoje Stage has a talent for writing extremely intense and claustrophobic thrillers. This one did not disappoint. From the very first page you feel a sense of dread and tension. The slow descent into madness of the main character was so well done, and the pacing is perfect. I couldn't put it down, I just HAD to know what would happen next. I will have to say if you have any kind of pandemic trauma, maybe wait on this one. I do think that added to the anxiety I felt while reading though. Grace moving her mother (who she has a strained relationship with anyway) into her home, in the middle of a pandemic, while dealing with terrible nightmares and financial issues... God the tension practically drips off of the pages. 

Thank you to Zoje Stage and Netgalley for providing me with an ARC of this awesome book!

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Death, Emotional abuse, Vomit, Animal cruelty, Toxic relationship, Blood, Gaslighting, Medical content, Mental illness, and Murder