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emsavino's review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
csharples's review against another edition
5.0
I'm officially a Brit Bennett superfan. I read Vanishing Half earlier this year and it's still my top novel of the year. The Mothers, her debut novel, was also excellent. Her writing is so easy and yet not mundane. The stories are simultaneously heartbreaking and complex, yet kind of ordinary, which makes the characters so relatable. Love, love, love.
itsdeenlee's review against another edition
DNF @ 43% - I was listening to the audiobook version and it was very confusing and hard to follow the characters and threads of the story; I didn’t feel like I was getting the depth of the story which I might have gotten if I was reading a physical copy; I may try to read this again at a later date;
sarabearian's review against another edition
This wonderful debut follows three teenagers and the community surrounding them as they come of age. The story itself explores family and motherhood in many different forms and is so touching and emotionally draining, but the real draw to this book for me is Bennett’s writing. Her sentences are so beautifully crafted, the different perspectives worked wonderfully, and her pacing absolutely entranced me. One of my favorite books this year. – Michelle V.
bangkok67's review against another edition
5.0
When my adult daughter was very small, I remember a phenomenon called “mother bashing.” Mothers were blamed for however the child grew up and for whatever the child did wrong. It had to be the mother’s fault. Today, we have “helicopter parents” where both mothers and fathers are blamed for anything and everything children get up to, or do not get up to, in that generation of kids we call millennials. The Mothers covers all kinds of mothers, those who are absent, those who just didn’t measure up, and those who control and manipulate. We also have mothers who don’t want to be mothers or can’t be mothers. It is about every possible card women get played in the course of a lifetime.
Nadia is the seventeen year old we first meet. She is an excellent student who believes her mission in life is to achieve the highest level of education possible. Aubrey who becomes her friend is looking for family to love and finds it with her sister. Nadia and Aubrey meet at school but their paths cross at the central setting of the novel, Upper Room, the church where both girls volunteer and worship.
Nadia and Aubrey have very different personalities but they form a bond that will last a lifetime. The bond will be tested and perhaps broken in places but they love each other and find comfort in their friendship. Luke is the guy, the cute football player everyone looks up to in high school. He is son of the pastor, Rev. Sheppard (nice pun) at Upper Room. Mrs. Sheppard is the boss of all things in the church community. She runs the church like a ship captain and nothing happens without her say so and under her direction.
The final group of characters in the novel are “the mothers,” a Greek Chorus for all that goes on in these character’s lives. They are the older women of the church, the women who have seen everything in life and keep their ears to the ground, not shy about gossip or putting together what they think is true when it comes to the all the parishioners of Upper Room.
Brit Bennet has crafted a unique coming of age story about young women that is intense and heart wrenching at its core. It is a timeless story told in today’s world where we are so sickened by the deaths of young black men in the streets of every city. This story is about young black women who are not in the newspapers. We hope they are being cared for in loving families but we can’t be sure. Brit Bennet tells us with clarity that all is not what it seems. We need to care for all of them, the boys and the girls. They are our future and their hidden scars need help to heal.
ARC courtesy NetGalley and Riverhead Books (pub 10/11).
Nadia is the seventeen year old we first meet. She is an excellent student who believes her mission in life is to achieve the highest level of education possible. Aubrey who becomes her friend is looking for family to love and finds it with her sister. Nadia and Aubrey meet at school but their paths cross at the central setting of the novel, Upper Room, the church where both girls volunteer and worship.
Nadia and Aubrey have very different personalities but they form a bond that will last a lifetime. The bond will be tested and perhaps broken in places but they love each other and find comfort in their friendship. Luke is the guy, the cute football player everyone looks up to in high school. He is son of the pastor, Rev. Sheppard (nice pun) at Upper Room. Mrs. Sheppard is the boss of all things in the church community. She runs the church like a ship captain and nothing happens without her say so and under her direction.
The final group of characters in the novel are “the mothers,” a Greek Chorus for all that goes on in these character’s lives. They are the older women of the church, the women who have seen everything in life and keep their ears to the ground, not shy about gossip or putting together what they think is true when it comes to the all the parishioners of Upper Room.
Brit Bennet has crafted a unique coming of age story about young women that is intense and heart wrenching at its core. It is a timeless story told in today’s world where we are so sickened by the deaths of young black men in the streets of every city. This story is about young black women who are not in the newspapers. We hope they are being cared for in loving families but we can’t be sure. Brit Bennet tells us with clarity that all is not what it seems. We need to care for all of them, the boys and the girls. They are our future and their hidden scars need help to heal.
ARC courtesy NetGalley and Riverhead Books (pub 10/11).
nahlareadss's review against another edition
3.0
3,5
A delightful book. I love Brit Bennett’s way of dealing with characters. How she writes characters and the dynamics between them. I would recommend for sure although I liked The Vanishing Half more. I can’t wait to read whatever she publishes next.
A delightful book. I love Brit Bennett’s way of dealing with characters. How she writes characters and the dynamics between them. I would recommend for sure although I liked The Vanishing Half more. I can’t wait to read whatever she publishes next.
beingbreezie's review against another edition
3.0
This novel consists of tightly woven vignettes of motherhood in all its myriad forms, of relationships, of community, of the life lived and the path not taken.
hdharrison's review against another edition
5.0
"This would be her life, accomplishing the things her mother had never done. She never celebrated this, unlike her friends who were proud to be the first in their family to go to college or the first to earn a prestigious internship. How could she be proud of lapping her mother, when she had been the one to slow her down in the first place?" - The Mothers, Brit Bennett
Told in elegant omniscient prose, The Mothers tells the story of three lives who are tied together by a summer that brought them together - a shared secret, a sudden friendship, a lack of mothering, a lack of motherhood.
Without giving away too much, this book is very sad but in a beautiful way: it's a reflection of youth, of loss, of second guessing. The characters feel real and relatable - it doesn't take long to root for each one, and to ache over their misunderstandings. I could see them turning this story into a successful stage adaptation. It's a book for people who love character work, and who love the space between domestic and poetic.
Told in elegant omniscient prose, The Mothers tells the story of three lives who are tied together by a summer that brought them together - a shared secret, a sudden friendship, a lack of mothering, a lack of motherhood.
Without giving away too much, this book is very sad but in a beautiful way: it's a reflection of youth, of loss, of second guessing. The characters feel real and relatable - it doesn't take long to root for each one, and to ache over their misunderstandings. I could see them turning this story into a successful stage adaptation. It's a book for people who love character work, and who love the space between domestic and poetic.
nicole_kay's review against another edition
2.0
I really loved parts of this book, and certain characters at certain times. Overall, though, it didn’t feel like it truly WENT anywhere, which is a bummer. The characters are clearly growing and making their way through life but somehow feel stagnant at the same time. I can’t explain it.
Not bad but unfortunately didn’t do much for me.
Not bad but unfortunately didn’t do much for me.
paisleybh's review against another edition
sad
tense
medium-paced
4.0
The Mothers by Brit Bennett is a compelling and thought-provoking read of the complex relationships between its characters—Nadia, Luke, and Aubrey. It is an exploration of the different ways mothers can be lost—whether physically or emotionally—and the lasting impact that loss has on those left behind. The novel intricately delves into how the absence or emotional distance of maternal figures shapes the characters’ choices, identities, and relationships. The interwoven dynamics between the characters are rich and layered, and the emotional depth of each journey left me reflecting long after I finished. It’s a powerful exploration of guilt, forgiveness, and the long-lasting impact of decisions. Though the narrative’s exploration of motherhood felt somewhat ambiguous at times, the personal stories of Nadia, Luke, and Aubrey kept me engaged. A strong and emotional read with a lot to unpack examines how emotional scars define us.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual assault and Death of parent