An unsettling and claustrophobic story about motherhood and the slow descent into madness. Erika moves to Geneva with her husband and their two children for her husband's new job. Moved into their new beautiful rented apartment in a foreign country with her husband rarely being present at home due to the demands of his new job and her entire schedule focused on caring for their two children, Erika's grapple with the harsh reality descends into isolation and detachment from the world around her that slowly slides into insanity.

Kyra Wilder's "Little Bandaged Days" is a thing of beauty. I can't praise enough of the elegance of her writing filled with gorgeous prose. But what makes this book striking was the vivid account of one's gradual decline providing for an utter terrifying experience and empathetic perspective. Written in a monologue form made the narrator unreliable which made it a fascinating read. Following the narrator's struggle in her grasp on reality constantly led me to question and to divulge beneath the surface in an effort to figure out the authenticity in her monologue. It was Kyra Wilder's attention to detail punctuation markings, pauses and nuances that was essential in recognizing our narrator's subtle changes and understanding her state of mind. The author's detailed observation truly plunged me into a shared sense of dread, loneliness, suffocation and deliriousness. A slow-burn story that perfectly measured its pacing brilliantly describes Erika's never-ending domestic routines in building tension to a horrifying foreboding climax. A thought-provoking examination on motherhood, sense of identity and mental health was truly and eye-opening and powerful experience. A hauntingly beautiful novel that permeates an ominous tone will leave you stunningly breathless and heartbroken.

Thank you to NetGalley and Abrams for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

“Sometimes it seemed like being a good mother, the best, meant mostly covering yourself over in a layer of smiling and smiling. There was nothing to think about except making everything exactly right in the minute you were in.”

After moving to Geneva with her husband and two children, Erika must navigate motherhood and a foreign country. Soon finding herself almost always alone with the kids while her husband is working, she slowly slips into madness.

I am absolutely reeling after furiously reading this book by newcomer, Kyra Wilder. This is a poetic masterpiece that should be read and analyzed alongside Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s “The Yellow Wallpaper.” The story examines a mother’s role in society and is told in a sort of stream of consciousness manner by Erika. Surprisingly, I only learned the narrator’s name after finishing the book and reading the synopsis on Goodreads. Her name is never used, as she has lost her identity after becoming a mother and a foreigner. Wilder also chooses to use the first initials of her husband and children’s names to refer to them as well. I can see how this could become annoying and repetitive to some readers, however, the writing is so beautiful that it just works. The writing also expertly becomes increasingly more manic, as Erika’s mental state spirals downward.

There are so many powerful issues at play to analyze and interpret. Some of which are repetitive cycles, abandonment, loneliness, feeling wanted, needed and loved. Erika is in limbo between two worlds, the real and the imagined. Is she mad? While the interlude chapters intimate that is the case, the ending is left open for interpretation. I’m not really sure as a reader what is real or imagined. While I would have appreciated more hints from the author, it is one of those books that forces you to use your critical thinking skills and keeps you on your toes.

And OMG, what a horrible husband!

4/5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and ABRAMS for the ARC of Little Bandaged Days by Kyra Wilder in exchange for an honest review.

Reading this book was very bizarre, strange, and disturbing. None of the main characters have names, just referred to by the first letter. The mother is descending into madness and it’s horrifying. Each chapter is just worse and worse. I didn’t care for this book at all. It’s fiction, but it was not for me.

Lacked in the claustrophobic claim, didn’t paint post partum depression in a good light whatsoever, and was very weird read in style of writing.

Oof, Very reminiscent of The Yellow Wallpaper, Charlotte Perkins Gilman would be so proud. 

Full disclosure, I am child-free, by choice, and this tight little novel is alllllll the reasons why.  Beautifully rendered descent into madness. 

The end tho.  Jarring.  Too sudden, not fitting at all, nor is the title. Could be five stars with a proper ending.

Thank you to NetGalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I immediately was drawn into this book because of the writing style. I kept thinking how wonderful it is and how much it reminded me of something I would have read in a college English class. I was a little confused by the ending. Since the narrator is unreliable I'm not sure what to think. But those are my favorite kind of stories, the ones that make me think about them for days.
And I will be thinking about this for a while.
I recommend this to those who enjoyed stories likeThe Bell Jar, The Catcher in the Rye, and The Yellow Wallpaper. This definitely deserves to be compared to the greats.

A book like this comes maybe every hundred you read. The prose is hypnotic. It was as if the narrator was giving a terrifying soliloquy, and I was merely a witness to her dark, horrified mind. It is a story of anxiety, loneliness, paranoia, fear, and hopelessness. I felt it all with every fiber of my being. Some parts left me confused and the ending is completely nonsensical but that was probably the point. I just don’t know. It is an experience I won’t soon forget but an explanation would be surely be welcome.

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley.

A mom moves to Geneva Switzerland with her husband and two young children. She struggles with the language barrier and is moved into a very small apartment that her husband's employer helped them find. Everything there is small and quiet, so quiet. Her husband is almost never around - this promotion keeps him going, going, going. He's either at the office, out socializing with business associates, or traveling. So much traveling. The isolation this mother feels starts to close in on her.

I struggled to read this book. Names are not assigned to anyone. The kids and husband - all go by 1st initial. Sometimes I confused the kids because I could not keep them straight. I struggled with the oddness of this book. The style it was written in did not appeal to me.

Relatable and relevant but the execution could have been a bit better. The author did a good job making the tension and anxiety palpable. I would have preferred the children be referred to by pseudonyms rather than initials, that was a bit distracting and off putting. The story weaved and built but then ended abruptly without a satisfying conclusion. Overall it was a solid read but may not appeal to a broad audience. Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to review this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I related to this book so much on so many levels. I found this to be a multilayered book addressing motherhood, mental health, and marital issues. It could have packed more of a bunch, but overall it was a good book and I liked it.

The story unwinds like the thread of a spider, gradually enclosing the reader into the crazed mind of the narrator. The imagery, word choice and minimalist style of the writing evokes the gradual diminishing of the mother and her descent into a tiny world with no exits. The atmosphere of stifling panic that can overtake any mother at difficult moments is stunningly created. Not a beach read, but a perfect portrait of a possible outcome for motherhood.

Little Bandaged Days
A strange story, leaving something to the imagination.The reader had to fill in some gaps.Interesting book, but I don't think I'd read it again.

Thanks to NetGalley and Pan MacMillan for a free ARC of this book. Not my kind of book. I had to force myself to keep going

Didn’t finish this one. I found it to be both anxiety provoking and, at the same time, a bit flat. Not sure if it’s the book or my pandemic reading mood.

Loved the concept; hated the execution.
I found the narrative tedious and the characters shallow and difficult to care about/connect with.
Reminded me of a Lifetime movie event
I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I am on the fence about this book. For a little background, I do not have children, so I could not empathize with the story and main character in that way. However, I was really intrigued by the premise, so I dove in. I understand what the author was trying to do, with the set-up and writing style, but it was so hard to acclimate to. It was not a bad book, just not for me.

Thank you so much to Netalley and the publisher ABRAMS for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest opinion.

I"m really not sure what to make of this book. Its such a sensitive topic, and its one that a lot of stay at home moms will relate to. While I am not a stay at home mom, I was when my kids (who are now teens) were babies. So I remember feeling the desperation, the thoughts of never sleeping again, of never being able to have a conversation that didn't deal with poop, food or naps. I get what Erika may have been feeling like...to a point.
She seemed to go to extremes and it bothered me to no end that a lot of people (especially) the kids were known as their intial only. Was this to add a little more mystery to it?

I wouldn't say this is an awful book at all. I mean I finished it, but there are def some kinks to work out. I think the actual plot itself needs to be just a little more cleaner and easier to follow along. All in all its not a bad book, but for me it was just "ok"

Shortly after I started this book, I realized it was not for me. I did not connect with any of the characters at all. Throughout the whole book, she referred to her children with only initials and I have to say, this drove me nuts. Just could not understand what was going on so I threw in the towel early. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I wanted to like this book, but I struggled to finish it. While the sentence structure lent itself well to the struggles of the main character, it made for tedious reading.

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

A novel about the pressures of motherhood and losing power as a stay at home mother. Very relatable novel.