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A review by house_of_hannah
Mothered by Zoje Stage
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.
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