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A review by jenniferchinyere
The Mothers by Brit Bennett
3.0
More a 3.5 than a 3, but they won't let me give half a star☹
This book was beautifully written. I enjoyed the narration from the mothers' point of view, and of course the prose, a delicate work of art. I loved the complexity of the characters and the range of issues and emotions explored however, I feel as though some bits fell a bit flat.
I felt as though I didn't understand the constant tie between Nadia and Luke. While I understand that there were a lot of unspoken and unacknowledged feelings between the two in regards to the abortion, to me it didn't explain the gravity of their connection displayed later on in the story. I feel like perhaps we should have had a greater insight or exploration if their relationship before the abortion.
I also would have liked to explore Aubrey's character more. Aubrey was a victim of childhood sexual abuse, and was often uncomfortable around men. In addition, she wore a purity ring which symbolised her commitment to abstain from sex until marriage. These two factors combined, meant I didn't understand her beach encounter with Miller. To me it contradicted the character that Brit had created, and so I think it was worth exploring and yet it was simply left undone.
I did find the story jumped quite a bit in the middle, it felt rushed at times. I think more care should have been taken to create a picture of the lives that the characters were living at each time frame, either that..or less time frames next time.
Overall, a decent read.
This book was beautifully written. I enjoyed the narration from the mothers' point of view, and of course the prose, a delicate work of art. I loved the complexity of the characters and the range of issues and emotions explored however, I feel as though some bits fell a bit flat.
I felt as though I didn't understand the constant tie between Nadia and Luke. While I understand that there were a lot of unspoken and unacknowledged feelings between the two in regards to the abortion, to me it didn't explain the gravity of their connection displayed later on in the story. I feel like perhaps we should have had a greater insight or exploration if their relationship before the abortion.
I also would have liked to explore Aubrey's character more. Aubrey was a victim of childhood sexual abuse, and was often uncomfortable around men. In addition, she wore a purity ring which symbolised her commitment to abstain from sex until marriage. These two factors combined, meant I didn't understand her beach encounter with Miller. To me it contradicted the character that Brit had created, and so I think it was worth exploring and yet it was simply left undone.
I did find the story jumped quite a bit in the middle, it felt rushed at times. I think more care should have been taken to create a picture of the lives that the characters were living at each time frame, either that..or less time frames next time.
Overall, a decent read.