Reviews

The Mothers by Brit Bennett

laurenailes's review against another edition

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emotional reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

angelancoffin's review against another edition

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5.0

The Mothers is such a beautifully written book with snippets of profound thought, I couldn’t stop myself from highlighting. Bennett’s writing style brings to mind Jesmyn Ward’s, another writer I deeply respect. Even though the characters in this novel were flawed, I still liked each one of them and was engaged in the story. I loved this book and after reading nearly 50 books this year, The Mothers is my favorite read so far. It will be hard to surpass. I highly recommend this novel to any and everyone!

kimberlyjgav's review against another edition

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4.0

Wowza. This started a little slow for me - not sure if it was the story itself or the frame of mind I was in (distracted, stressed) when I started it. I had a little trouble getting into it but am so glad I stuck with it. Really loved how this story of three young people paralyzed by doubt and the choices of their past unfolds over the span of just a few years. This had a great combination of powerful storytelling and compelling characters. I wasn't sure how I wanted things to turn out for them, but I think they ended up where they needed to be.

ivyryan's review against another edition

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5.0

This was the best book I read in 2020!

meglg92's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense 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

4.75

klabrie1207's review against another edition

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3.0

This book took a little while for me to get interested in, which was disappointing because I was excited about reading it. After a few chapters, though, the plot picked up and held my interest. I continued through, always looking for a spare moment in my day to sit and read more, but life got in the way and next thing I knew, I had gone weeks without picking it up. Then, I guess the drama cooled down for me once more because there I was, struggling to finish the book. I really wanted to be excited about this one, but after two failed attempts to invest in the lead character, I was glad it ended. An OK read at best.

corgigirl's review against another edition

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Lost interest. Not nearly as good as The Vanishing Half.

mtolivier's review against another edition

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4.0

Interesting, well-written story of a motherless girl in a small town trying to find her way with The Mothers (of the local church) looking on. She certainly makes her share of mistakes but there is some redemption.

courtneyrath's review against another edition

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4.0

"The weight of what has been lost is always heavier than what remains."

There are lovely moments in this book, and I wish there were more of them. But the plot is compelling and well-paced enough to carry the book through the less carefully crafted prose. I'm a sucker for a debut novel, and the quality of this one had me round up from a 3.5.

abbutterflie's review against another edition

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4.0

I enjoyed it. And interesting thoughts on what it means to be a mother and a daughter, even if your mother is not around and your child is never born.