Reviews tagging 'Pregnancy'

The Mothers by Brit Bennett

52 reviews

nothingforpomegranted's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

Six months after the gruesome suicide of her mother, Nadia is processing her grief by isolating herself from her friends, her church, her father, instead finding comfort in the sensation of anonymous bodies pressing against hers and imbibing alcohol. Secretly, she develops a relationship with the pastor's son, Luke, who was recently forced to abandon his college football career due to a debilitating injury. When Nadia becomes pregnant, she is wrenched back into reality, considering her conceptions of motherhood and what it means to love and be loved. Nadia slowly develops a friendship with born-again church girl Aubrey, and it is fascinating to watch her deliberate her actions and exhibit greater empathy over the course of the novel. 

The first-person plural narration by "the mothers," the female church elders, establishes a sense of nostalgia and spirituality in the novel, and I loved all of their gossipy interjections. Bennett demonstrates a mastery of description, adding details about each character without getting bogged down in adjectives, and every character comes to life on the page. The development of the plot was predictable, yet still engaging with an overarching intrigue that propelled the story forward even when not much was happening at all.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Abortion, Suicide, Grief, and Infidelity

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Incest, Pregnancy, Rape, Sexual violence, and Toxic relationship

laurataylor's review

challenging emotional 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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Death, Murder, Pregnancy, Rape, Sexual assault, Car accident, Child abuse, Death of parent, Grief, Infertility, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, and Suicide

Moderate: Chronic illness, Toxic friendship, Violence, and War

Minor: Racism

gtrue21's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

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

3.25

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Abortion, Death of parent, Grief, Infertility, Infidelity, Pregnancy, Suicide, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship

urbanall's review

emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Abortion, Death, Death of parent, Infidelity, Pregnancy, Suicide, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Rape, Abandonment, and Infertility

rbacon's review against another edition

challenging emotional sad 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

At points, I related to different characters. Elements of themselves I see in who I am. The Mothers are like an ever-present force and are so articulately displayed exactly like the church Mothers (and Grandmothers) I have known. I both hope one day to be one, know myself to already be one, and hope never to be like them. It's an odd sense of familiarity and love, whilst with that honest disdain at how churches can be self-destructive and fail to protect those they love the most.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Abortion, Rape, Physical abuse, Suicide, and Racial slurs

Minor: Death of parent, Infertility, Pregnancy, and Sexual content

editoryalizing's review

emotional reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Abortion, Toxic relationship, Sexism, Religious bigotry, Pregnancy, Infertility, Grief, Gaslighting, Death of parent, and Adult/minor relationship

merin_aran's review against another edition

challenging reflective slow-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

1.0

I was really not a fan of this book and felt very disappointed having read it after loving The Vanishing Half. There's no doubt that Brit Bennett can write well, however I didn't find the characters compelling and the plot lacked adequate depth.

Initially I thought the discussion of abortion was going to be progressive and nuanced, with both sides of the debate explored. However, this book is plain and simply anti-abortion and pro-life propaganda. Additionally I didn't like the way Bennett dealt with Nadia's mother's story; I felt like mental illness and suicide were vilified throughout. I will not be recommending this book to anyone.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Infertility, Abandonment, Child abuse, Suicide, Mental illness, Pregnancy, Sexual assault, Abortion, and Rape

spinesinaline's review against another edition

challenging reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

This was stressful and sad but very, very good.

The hype was right! Everyone and anyone was sharing this book when it first came out and in the years since. Still, I knew very little about it besides what the title suggests, that it’s a story about mothers, so I was happy to discover it fully through reading rather than reviews.

Bennett has such beautiful writing and I was just so immediately taken in by these characters, even as I was silently screaming at them for their decisions. It was a stressful read and sad but so very, very good. I can’t wait to read the next of Bennett’s works.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Infidelity

Moderate: Abortion, Adult/minor relationship, Death of parent, Infertility, and Pregnancy

bookedupbabe's review

emotional sad tense slow-paced

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

3.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Abortion, Pregnancy, and Religious bigotry

aappel2491's review

dark emotional reflective sad fast-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: Suicide, Abandonment, Abortion, Child abuse, Gun violence, Pedophilia, Pregnancy, Rape, and Religious bigotry