This was an intriguing read. Although at times I wasn't sure where it was going - I was expecting to be more of a "will they catch her/find her" read, I realised this was a real, enjoy the journey read, because that's where the story lies. The portrayal of the two women - Kim and Mummy - and how both their challenging and awful upbringings had results in two very traumatised women who react in very different ways to the situations they found themselves in.

It was a tough read, I won't lie, I had to keep cuddling my kids and making a mental note to practice stranger danger with them, but I really loved Kim's character in particular and theheartbreaking way in which the media and society were so keen to annihilate her based on assumptions and ignorance. Mothers are judged constantly and Kim was no exception to the rule. Whatever she did was wrong and so she was just herself, because how else could she be.

I have to confess I really hated Mummy. Despite her horrendous background, it was devastating reading the impact of the neglect on Tonya and I found it hard to have any empathy at all, especially the way the novel ended,

It was an interesting read and I'm intrigued to see more novels coming out featuring women dealing with the fall out of abuse in their childhoods like Girl A and Mirrorland and how this impacts their lives as they juggle life's expectations and the limits - or not - of their own hopes and dreams.

Firstly a big thank you to viper books for my copy to review on netgalley. Ive been eager to read this so was very excited to finally have the opportunity . Another great publication from viper!

A fantastic debut. The title the cover the striking colours are going to jump out to readers.

This jumps straight into action .

Tense ,thrilling and exciting

We get inside her head which is an experience! As a mum also its incredibly chilling!

Plotted and layered with expertise . This is destined to reel you in and have you hooked!

Guaranteed bestseller and one you will be hearing lots about! Im looking forward to seeing what comes next and wish her every success!

Published 25th February 2021.

Call Me Mummy holds no prisoners from the start, the prologue-esque first chapter gripped me and made me hold my breath as we are a fly on the wall watching our character 'Mummy' spotting a young girl who she feels deserves a more loving home. As a parent, isn't that the ultimate fear?! The beginning of Call Me Mummy, as well as some chapters throughout will make you feel like you've been drawn into a psychological thriller but you'll also be hypnotised by the literary fiction aspect that is also tied into the storyline.

Firstly, let's talk the characters - the plotline is mainly a dual one that flicks between Mummy and Kim, the mother whose child has been taken, with random interludes from Tonya, the five year old child. The two 'mothers' are the sides of motherhood, one that is accepted by society and then there's the one who is judged by the way she mothers - the organic raw meals vs the openly frustrated parent. I found that this parallel conception of motherhood opens up the reader to explore the meaning of what they define as being a mother while also uncovering their own prejudices towards those who don't necessarily 'do it' their way. It is this type of writing that edges the novel into the literary fiction genre, Tina has placed so many aspects underneath the microscope, allowing the reader to pull their own ideas from her given words. You've noticed that I've not used the terms protagonist and antagonist, you'd think that the individual who has taken a child would be an evil monster, but while reading through the chapters, you can't help but sympathise with 'Mummy', she is a woman of childbearing age who is desperate for her own child and although this is not an acceptable action, to take another woman's child, as her haunting childhood is spotlighted on, you can't help but understand on some level. Then we have the complete opposite in life of Mummy, we have Kim, who again has a past, one that has left her with all her walls up - even around her own children. When the reports begin that Tonya is missing, what Kim experiences from the public is not okay! If you take anything away from this book, I think it'll be the understanding to not judge another mother because you really don't know what is going on in her life. Why is she frustrated? Maybe ask if she is okay, or needs help instead of passing your judgement.

Okay, so that's the literary fiction elements touched upon! Although this book is emotive, raw and stunningly written, that doesn't mean that there is no psychological thriller squeezed into these pages because there is. When a child goes missing, you watch it on the news, you may even know the parents, or someone connected. It's a rippling explosion and even reading about it chilled me to the bone, the psychological impact of both women is shocking, gripping and at times quite haunting. It's the kind of psychological thriller that will bury underneath your skin, one that will have you attached with heart and mind. Call Me Mummy is a must read, you're all going to absolutely love it and be blown away that it is a debut! Phenomenal!

Brilliant book. Well developed characters and an addictive storyline.

I felt it got too repetitive around the middle of the book, and thought more could be said of what was happening with the child.

But very well written.

Thank you Netgalley and Publishers for the Arc

Harrowing Beautiful Tale.

The prose in this book is so gorgeous that it's almost like reading poetry.

The writing so pacey and taut that at times, whilst reading, I had to physically slow down and take a breath. You just can't help racing through it.

The writing style is beautifully descriptive yet blunt. There are some truly wonderful phrases.

The book portrays realistic characters, and there are no punches spared. I recognized a few people myself.

The main story focuses on two women, worlds apart socially, but both badly damaged by their pasts. And an innocent child who is taken.  It is horrific in parts but also stunningly brave. Other characters are dispersed throughout and they also have strong voices. The use of social media as a vehicle for demonisation was executed well.

Highly Recommended

Thank you NetGalley for this advanced copy. I'm going to rate this book middle of the line. It portrays alcohol use, mental health, preg etc pretty well, but parts were disturbing and too much for me. Can't imagine the trauma a poor girl would have after going through something like this.

‘Mummy’ has always wanted a child, but circumstances have conspired against her such that she is driven to kidnap 5 year old Tonya. Although given how disturbed Mummy is, it’s clear from early on that she will never be fit to care for a child. This sets the scene for the gradual unravelling of a situation which is set up right at the start of the book.

Mummy has had a difficult life- abusive parents, infertility struggles and mental health issues; the final straw appears to have been the breakdown of her relationship. So she does the unthinkable- she snatches the daughter of ‘Scummy Mummy’ Kim. Sadly, Mummy’s idealised vision of how things will pan out proves to be completely misguided and the situation soon spirals out of her control.

I enjoyed the dual perspectives of the two ‘mums’ as well as the short entries from Tonya. Mummy’s back story was revealed at a natural pace, although she did seem to lack any redeeming features (whereas Kim had two fairly distinctive sides - the neglectful drinker/ drug addict and the struggling mum just doing her best). That said, the difficult descriptions of Mummy’s childhood go some way to explain why she is the way she is.

Some may be disturbed by the references to historic abuse and cruelty, but the descriptions are never gratuitous or overtly graphic. I thought the author handled such sensitive subjects with care - the reader is simultaneously viscerally compassionate towards the child-version of Mummy and repelled by her actions and her inability to see beyond her own wants and needs.

I found it interesting that the author experienced her own struggles with infertility, and this made the choice of subject matter quite poignant. It was a brave move by the author to explore the extremes of the innate, all-consuming desire for a child.

Overall I found the book compelling and was keen to discover the resolution - although there weren’t many traditional ‘twists’, the sustained tension of the untenable situation was enough to drive the plot. There were a couple of points which felt a little repetitive, but generally it was an enjoyable and original read.

I’m grateful for the opportunity to review an advanced copy of the book.

READ THIS IF... you’re into page turners, stories about motherhood, and unreliable/alcoholic narrators.

THE STORY... When Kim looks away from her daughter in a crowded shop, ‘Mummy’ seizes the opportunity to have a child of her own. All she wants is for her new daughter to call her Mummy.

I WAS... captivated by this book! I loved the split narrative between ‘Mummy’, Kim, and the daughter, and my favourite part of the novel had to be the characterisation, as I got a real sense of who each character was. I especially enjoyed Kim’s narration as I was often laughing out loud at the way she thought about things. The book asked so many questions about what it means to be a parent, and left the answer up to the reader, which is something I really enjoy in fiction. My only criticism would be that it felt rushed at parts - the author would refer to 5 weeks having passed and I hadn’t really got that sense from the narrative. However this didn’t detract from the main appeal of the story.

NOW... I would definitely recommend everyone to preorder this. I can see myself reading this again in future, and would read anything else by Tina Baker.

Genre: Thriller 
Rating: 4 stars
Plot: 
Glamorous, beautiful Mummy has everything a woman could want... except for a daughter of her very own. So when she sees Kim - heavily pregnant, glued to her phone and ignoring her eldest child in a busy shop - she does what anyone would do. She takes her. But little foul-mouthed Tonya is not the daughter that Mummy was hoping for.
Meanwhile Kim is demonised by the media as a 'scummy mummy', who deserved to lose Tonya and ought to have her other children taken too. Haunted by memories of her own childhood and refusing to play by the media's rules, she begins to spiral, turning on those who love her.
Though they are worlds apart, Mummy and Kim have more in common than they could possibly imagine. But it is five-year-old Tonya who is caught in the middle...
My verdict: Firstly thanks to Netgalley for letting me read this book prior to its release on Mother’s Day of next year. I really enjoyed this tense thriller - I found Kim and Mummy had many similarities like sexual abuse and living on the breadline and on the other hand Mummy has this twisted faith in god who is still desperate to please her family.
People were quick to judge Kim which raises issues like, social class, preconceived stereotypes and prejudice. But she had more of a sound mind compared to Mummy given her traumatic past. Through Kim’s eyes we saw how she was crucified by the media which led her to a deep depression/ postpartum anxiety and a desire to use again despite her knowing that it will feed into the critics desire. Even though she has it hard, she’s happy and this instance shows her how much she has.
Mummy’s point of view brings out issues of anorexia, anger issues, a need for control, her issues with perfectionism and her struggle to maintain relationships as well as a strong desire to follow the bible to the letter. At first I didn’t like her and found her to have a victim complex but when you consider her backstory of physical/ sexual abuse/ incest/ miscarriages I understood her reason behind the events.
From Tonya’s point of view we learn how confused she is by all this and thinks that another life maybe good, then it’s not. Children in situations like these adapt to survive and in some cases she did but her defiance saved her in the end.
I also loved Ayash’s story of having a disabled son but instead of fighting for what she hasn’t got and accepting what she does instead. Despite Kim’s repeated attempts to push her away both women realise how much they need each other.
Ultimately a brilliant thriller interweaving the lives of two very different people with similar experiences, showing us how we cope with things in life.
The ending gave me goosebumps and with Tina Baker’s blunt and yet elaborate writing kept me hooked right up until the very end. I didn’t realise I was holding my breath and whilst I enjoyed every short sharp cliffhanger with the brief but gritty chapters with intriguing and realistic characters each with their own outlook, exhibited by their unique lexis and maxims. I enjoyed how Tina Baker combined the two arc types such as Good Versus Evil and what one thought was a crusade within the two women in particular made for a very intriguing read. 
I loved how Tina Baker conveyed parts of the story via social media in particular reflects the times in which we live where everyone’s opinion is seen and heard wanted or not. I also loved her use of flashbacks and memories to convey the fragmented minds of both women and Tonya at times and how they are affected by their upbringing.

Unfortunately, stories like these aren’t always fiction and are far more common in this day and age than people think. A fantastic spin on an all too common tale. However, it loses .5 stars for its predictable ending but that doesn’t mean it’s avoid of twists and turns. Fans of Shalini Boland and Lucinda Berry will love this hair raising read. I wouldn’t be surprised if we saw this as a BBC/ITV drama in future.

I was blown away with this powerful novel. I liked the way there were no chapters but the story was told by multiple people, it made me want to keep reading. There are a few sensitive issues that I think people could find relatable. I felt as though I could relate to it, and I know I am not alone. The book deals with post natal depression, IVF, mental health and physical health issues. Kim is the mother of Tonya who goes missing and Mummy is the other woman (Tonya calls her that), that sees Tonya and decides to take her. The book concentrates on Motherhood and Childlessness and is written superbly. A story that will stay with me for a long time and I couldn't believe it was a debut, I look forward to see what Tina writes about next.

Oh my!! this book was completely harrowing but drew me into the story that much that I have read it in one go! As a mother myself, some parts were very disturbing but I still had the need for ( what could possibly happen next). The style of writing appealed to me, as enjoy short chapters! I think the ending was expected but unexpected in equal measures... I’m pleased to have given up my Sunday evening for this book!