Call Me Mummy blog tour

The fear & pain of losing a child, the loss of never having one & the judgement of those outside looking in. Kim & Mummy, on the outside, are worlds apart but as their pasts are discovered the similarities come to light which draws you further in to the drama.

The beauty of this story is that it has you questioning yourself throughout as the characters slowly reveal themselves. At points you find yourself questioning whether Tonya wouldn't be better off with Mummy & by turns I found myself sympathising with & hating each character. At the heart of the story is Tonya, who is a feisty, strong willed little girl who you can't help but love for her courage, but fear constantly for what is going to happen to her. This story is dark, exploring themes of abuse, mental health & alcoholism, but it's all done so cleverly that you are pulled along with the characters.

I could have read this in one sitting if it wasn't for the kids (seems fitting that they got in the way). Call Me Mummy has a rapid fire delivery, jumping between characters allowing the full picture to be revealed. It also uses the media & social media to highlight certain areas of the story & the disturbing & unfair way people are subjected to scrutiny by the world.

If you like your thrillers unique, dark and more than a little disturbing then check this out.

Amazing.
Dark, disturbing and as gripping as you'll ever want in a thriller. There were so many emotions racing through my system- despair, heartache, pity, grief and complete and utter horror.
Really made me consider how judgmental our society has become, and this was a little unexpected for a thriller. It had much deeper feelings that went past the initial 'enjoyment' of the book, and the characters will definitely resonate with me for some time. The brilliant humour was definitely needed, and helped lighten the grim reading throughout.

Call Me Mummy is Baker's first novel, and you may need time for this to sink in as you read. The writing is so clever and so accomplished.

Each character has a distinctive voice and this is shown by a different narrator for each chapter. Although Tonya's chapters were typically shorter than the others I loved her voice and her feistiness that comes through even when she is struggling. The different chapters give us insight into what each character is really thinking. I loved the way that the characters are not black and white: Kim has had her child abducted but is definitely no saint and Mummy has abducted a child but has her own demons. I loved exploring these situations in a deeper way.

As you would expect with a novel that focuses on child abduction, Baker takes us to some dark places, even darker than I had anticipated. As the plot progressed, I became so engaged with the story that I didn't want the staves to end!

There are lots of novels in this genre about missing children and this one stands out in a very busy crowd. I can't wait to see what the author does next!

Wow. What a novel. Great debut Tina. Loved the parallels between all the characters throughout and great building of tension.

I am afraid I struggled to connect with this book. I didn't find the characters engaging, and I just didn't enjoy it.I asked for the book and was grateful to get a copy so the fault is mine. I can also see that other readers did like the book, and I am glad. Just a miss on my part I am afraid.. .

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 foul-mouthed little Tonya is not the daughter that Mummy was hoping for.

As Tonya fiercely resists Mummy's attempts to make her into the perfect child, Kim is demonised by the media as a 'scummy mummy', who deserves to have her other children taken too. Haunted by memories of her own childhood and refusing to play by the media's rules, Kim 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...

After reading the blurb for this book I just knew I had to read it. It’s not a fast paced read but one that will grip you and totally tug at your heartstrings at times. I was so anxious to finish this book to find out what would happen. I loved the way each chapter was told from the point of view of a different character. I couldn’t believe this was a debut book as it is so well written.

Unfortunately this book wasn't one I enjoyed personally. I felt that the characters were rather one dimensional and the story line just lacked something for me.

"From the moment I clasped my sister's doll to my chest, I yearned for a child of my own. I knew it would take a miracle. And here she is!"

A number of days after finishing this book I am still at a loss as to how to write this review and do it justice. I was expecting this book to be fantastic; I had no doubt that Ms. Baker’s vivacious charisma and hilarity would carry over into her writing. I was not disappointed. In fact, Ms. Baker exceeded my already high expectations to craft a striking, original and accomplished debut that left me excited to read more from the author.

All Mummy has ever wanted is a child. But by a cruel twist of fate, she has been unable to have a child. So when she sees a beleaguered Kim snapping at her children in the shop it is like a knife to her heart. How can someone like her be blessed with the gift of a child that she doesn’t appreciate when it is all she wants? In an instant, Mummy decides to rescue the poor child. But she is unprepared for Tonya’s resistance and the realities of motherhood and is enraged that her picture-perfect image is not coming to fruition. Meanwhile, Kim is finding herself demonised by the press and public after she refuses to conform to their rules and expectations. She begins to fall apart and lash out at those around her, unable to see anything but her own pain. And then there is little Tonya, a scared, confused child who just wants to go home.

This story is every parents’ worst nightmare come true. It captures the evil that lurks in the shadows and the nefarious face behind the guise of a beautiful mask. Sharply observed, darkly funny and as subtle as a sledgehammer, this made me feel ALL the feelings. I loved the short chapters, choppy writing style and how there was a tempo of malevolence and despair that runs through the narrative. The characters and story were so unpredictable that it was impossible to guess what would happen next and my heart was in my throat over and again as I read in breathless anticipation of the next shocking twist.

"They want the chavs, the scum, lost souls like her, to rip each other apart in the name of entertainment, so observers like her can sit on their high fucking horses, looking down on their godforsaken misfortunes."

The story is told from multiple points of view. Our main narrators are Mummy and Kim, with regular short chapters from young Tonya. Each had their own very distinct voice and character that felt vivid and real. At first glance, Mummy and Kim couldn’t be more different; but they are characters rich with nuance and complexities that unveil surprising similarities that would horrify both women. Mummy is menacing, capricious and chilling. Appearances are very important to her and she is very particular about the face and character that she shows people. But underneath the mask she is a woman haunted by the mental and physical scars of past trauma. A powder keg just waiting for that final spark before it blows. Kim is the opposite; she is course, foul-mouthed and has no time for airs or graces or putting on a show. She is unapologetically who she is. And underneath she is also haunted by past traumas, teetering on the edge of a breakdown.

Like Mummy and Kim, Tonya is wonderfully written. She isn’t your stereotypical pretty, likeable child who is easy to please. Full of personality, but not the kind that Mummy had hoped for, she is a foul-mouthed, sour-faced, fierce and contentious little girl who fights Mummy every step of the way. I loved everything about her and she certainly found a place in my heart.

Longing, obsession, pain and trauma seep from every pore of this book and its characters, the author holding my heart in her hands as she examines topics such as mental health issues, trauma, infertility, addiction, eating disorders, neglect, and domestic and sexual abuse. She looks at the effects of trauma on the psyche and how it filters down into our very being, affecting how we treat ourselves and others, sometimes with catastrophic effects. The author shows these subjects without any gloss, exposing their dark side and the wounds that can fester from such pain. She also addresses society’s expectations and judgements of mothers, particularly in situations such as a child abduction when many people seem to think they are fair game and use it as an opportunity to break them down even further instead of offering kindness and support.

Compelling, bold, tense, thought-provoking and unsettling, this twisty page-turner had me on the edge of my seat. This is an astonishing debut that you do not want to miss. READ IT NOW!

The premise of this book is certainly not new, but you are drawn in and enveloped into this twisted mind and lurid justifications. In many ways, it is your classic child abduction psychological thriller, and we see several different sides of the story. There are some interesting parallels between our two female leads, both with very interesting backgrounds. I really loved how invested the narrative was in the minds and attitudes of the women, rather than focusing on the police investigation, which is somewhat uncommon in such an oversaturated genre. Overall, certainly not the worst of its kind and an enjoyable way to spend an afternoon with some solid twists.

Tina Baker’s debut novel is a dark, tense and emotionally charged exploration of motherhood. Laced with a devilish sense of black humour, “Call Me Mummy” tackles themes of class, notoriety, addiction and the dark side of the media. It’s also a thought-provoking social critique and a devastating tale of abuse. Written with panache, it’s hard to believe that this is a debut novel!

Whilst shopping in the run up to Christmas, Kim’s daughter Tonya is snatched. Whisked away from her working class background, Tonya is forced to call her captor Mummy. Mummy is a middle class, religious woman who may have taken in more than she bargained for in Tonya. Meanwhile, Kim is subjected to an unforgiving media campaign that brands her “Scummy Mummy”. As the tension of Tonya’s disappearance mounts, it’s clear that minds will be lost...but will Tonya ever return home?

“Call Me Mummy” is an intelligent and complex thriller that is very well paced, absorbing and addictive to read. I found that Baker built suspense in a stylish and effective way, keeping readers guessing as to where the narrative was going. The slow unravelling of both Kim and Mummy’s minds is perfectly constructed, creating piano wire taut tension and providing some genuinely nail-biting moments. This novel is so much more than just a thriller about a missing child though. This is novel that touches upon many important themes and I found myself consistently questioning my own thoughts and prejudices. I found the exploration of the media, class and the associated deep-rooted prejudices we all hold about them to be really engaging. I am the first to admit that upon my initial impression of Kim, the term ‘Scummy Mummy’ would seem perfectly apt. However, as the narrative progresses and the impact of the media and public’s scorn becomes increasingly clear, I found myself growing fonder and fonder of Kim, her resilience and her ability to not care about anyone else’s opinion of her. I also found that my opinions of her parenting began to change and her unfaltering love for Tonya and everything she brought to her life was very relatable. In comparison to Mummy, who on paper has the means and desire to be a loving parent, in reality doesn’t compete with the economically deficient, but fundamental and deep rooted love of Kim and Tonya’s father, Steve.

I also found it really interesting that at times there is a real blurring of who is the “villain” and who is the “heroine”. Both Mummy and Kim have extremely dangerous and questionable sides to their personas, which provide some extremely unsettling moments in the plot. What I found, is that Baker has built such rich and vivid characters that there is a very plausible amount of humanity and inhumanity in both Kim and Mummy. There are therefore times when it seems that Tonya would be better off without either of them! The plausibility of the story makes this a gripping and emotional read. It deals with some dark subjects and through these the characters are both united and divided. I found it really interesting that both Kim and Mummy have some elements of shared past experiences and it is clear that they are, in part, products of their previous traumas.

The narrative is multi-layered, which makes this a memorable and affecting read. Baker is an accomplished writer, who seamlessly flows from writing as one character to another and creates multiple unique voices to tell this story. Chapters are kept short and succinct, which makes this an easily digestible read that is difficult to put down! It’s perfectly paced, written with style and highly engaging. I can’t wait to see what comes next from Baker!

Mummy has everything a woman could want.... except a child of her 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 else would do. She takes her. But little foul-mouthed Tonya is not the daughter Mummy was hoping for. Meanwhile Kim is demonised by the media as a ''scrummy mummy'', who deserved to loose 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 wo love her.

It took a few chapters before i got into this book, but when i got in, i was hooked. It was a bit predictaable an repetitive in the middle. Mummy and Kim have not had traumatic pasts. Two completely different women from different backgrounds who have many similaritities. This is a dark read with plenty of twists. The paceis fast and the story is told from multiple points of view. This is a really good debut novel.

I would like to thank #NetGalley, #SerpentsTail #ProfileBooks and the author #TinaBaker for my ARC #CallMeMummy in exchange for an honet review.

Sarah, or ‘Mummy’ as she refers to herself in the book, sees Kim who is heavily pregnant with her two young children in a shop and essentially feels like she can do a better job than the distracted mother. She lures little Tonya away but gets more than she bargained for with the strong willed little girl.

Such an interesting story, told from many peoples perspectives. On one hand it made me laugh out loud at times with the black humour... be warned of you’re sensitive to expletives. On the other, it was so sad when you learned of the heartache the main characters experienced in their lifetimes.

I would definitely love to read more by this author, she seems to capture the realness of people whether they are good, bad or a mixture of both.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and of course Tina Baker, the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The story is told from multiple points of view, mostly by Kim and Mummy, but also by other characters alone the way.

I liked the premise of the book, a woman who is distraught by her fertility issues, stumbles upon a child she fears is neglected and so decides to take her.

Kim, who is Tonya’s mother, is labelled by the media as a “scummy mummy”; not worthy of the girl who was stolen from her.

As we progressed through the book we learn more about Kim and mummy’s childhoods. We learn they are not so different from each other after all. We learn deeply held, dark secrets about them both.

Despite this great premise, the book sadly had something lacking....maybe it was the lack of resolution that did it, the two women never meet, never learn about their similarities.

The book was dark and chilling but I was left disappointed...so many unanswered questions, very little resolution and no real redemption for anyone.

Call Me Mummy is a brutal, harsh, yet surprising easy read that I read in just one day. The book is told in mainly two viewpoints, Kim the mother of the child that has gone missing, and the woman who took her known as ‘Mummy’.

Five-year-old Tonya is with her mum and little brother Darryl out shopping when she wanders off to look at something. Her mother is a foul-mouthed woman who has been shouting at her daughter and on the phone moments before. A woman approaches Tonya and talks to her until she notices some bruising and decides that the child needs a loving home. With the promise of seeing some puppies, Tonya walks off with the woman.

The aftermath of the media scrutiny on Kim shows the truly horrible side of social media and comments sections on newspapers/websites as people call her all kinds of names, as well as a bad mother and that they are glad the child has been taken.

The abductor soon discovers that Tonya, or Izzy as she has now named her isn’t the little angel she was hoping for. As Tonya pushes against the woman, the more she loses it and starts to treat her terribly. This isn’t the child she longed for.

The storyline was gripping and had me fully fixated on the two women and little Tonya. We do get to read small sections from Tonya but these were the parts that I felt didn’t work as she was only five years old yet spoke like an adult, lots of swearing and mentioning things such as being hungry and not getting enough food and that at least she would be losing weight.

In the beginning, you feel that all though abduction is never right that perhaps Tonya not being with her mother was for the best. This is a woman who doesn’t know how to be a mother. A woman who is happy to swear at her children and cause them physical injuries. The abductor is a woman who looks after her home, eats healthily, and seemingly wants the best for Tonya, that is until her buttons are pushed and her past is revealed.

The book had my emotions in overdrive and I was desperate to hurry through it hoping that Tonya would be found, but the longer her ordeal went on, the less I was sure, especially with the secrets that are exposed. It has short chapters which added to the intensity. A fabulous debut novel that will make you angry at both women and sorry for the young girl caught in the middle.

A mother worst nightmare is having her child taken away from her and this is exactly what happens to Kim whilst she is out shopping with her 2 kids, Tonya, her 5 year old, is abducted. Taken away by a woman- mummy- who is not able to have children on her own, she saw that the mom was not paying any attention to Tonya and, after seeing the bite mark on the child's arm, she just knows she will be better off with her. The media will brand Kim scummy mummy, but is she really?

What an amazing debut book. Very dark and, I have to admit, some parts were hard to read, however I just had to know whether Kim will be reunited with Tonya. The book is written from the point of view of Kim, Mummy and Tonya and it is impossible not to immerse yourself in the story, feeling horrified when you read about the abuse and stomach tightening when Tonya is calling out for her mum.
This is a book that will make you stay up reading in the night. Guarantee.
Will there be a sequel to this first book?

Thank you Netgalley and Viper for my digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

A strong fast-paced story that keeps you gripped right to the end. The story is told through brief snatches from each of the protagonists maintaining a swiftness over what is in effect a long storyline. It's never going to end well for everyone as the characters spiral downwards but the indomitable spirit of a young child keeps hope - and herself - alive

A disturbing and somewhat uncomfortable tale of child abduction and harrowing obsession.

As I sit here trying to find the words for my review, I've found myself a little stumped if I'm completely honest. A horrifying and fascinating read in equal measures.

As always, I love a book which tells the story through numerous characters perspectives so this was a definite pleaser for me. The characters were all brought to life incredibly well and I found myself on a constant emotional rollercoaster!

The ending left me feeling rather unsatisfied, like I just wanted some more information on what happened over the following months.. That being said, I guess it's a reminder that some things in life do remain a mystery and I appreciate it added to the plot.

An excellent debut novel and I thoroughly look forward to future releases from Tina Baker!

Thank you to NetGalley and Serpent's Tail / Profile Books for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review 📖

This book made me go cold - the thought of someone taking your child in that split second you were looking the other way is every mother's nightmare. And being someone who was so desperate for a child that they would do that to another person is so unbelievable sad. The book told the tale of 'the grass is not always greener' but took casualties along the way. Powerfully told.

A child abduction but not as you know it.
Kim is a struggling mum, pregnant and having problems with drink and drugs and criticised by all social media.
Mummy is unable to have children so when she sees Kim struggling in a shop she takes Tonya away from her.
But things are not easy with Mummy`s horrific past coming back to haunt her and her view of bringing up children is not as it should be.
Kim and mummy`s past is very dark but very moving, a well written book well worth a read.
Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review

Okay let’s talk about Call Me Mummy.

I first read the book a few weeks ago and found myself so utterly disturbed I just couldn’t sit down and write my feelings. Good sign? Bad sign? I believe it is always a good sign when a book shakes you so violently you lose your speech, written or spoken!
I’m not a re-read fan, but I knew I had to if I wanted to manage to jot down any kind of reviews. So, in I went again…

First things first. If you are anything like me and steer clear of any mention of animal cruelty, animal deaths, anything animal-related, be careful when you grab this book. I had to stop reading and cuddle my furry babies a few times. My love for the author is unchanged, but some moments were just too much for me. So just be careful.

Now I simply loved how Tina Baker knitted many societal subjects and matters together and created this outstanding, darker than dark, tale about relationships. Because the book doesn’t just revolve around mothers and daughter. Through a magnifying lens, we get to explore how family dynamics shape us, shape our relations to others, and how child trauma can’t be erased with a cookie. You’ll read about mothers, yes. But also, fathers, friends, husbands, everything and everyone that creates your bubble. In a raw and somehow violent but necessary way, the author dissects what spurs us to react, where our habits and values stem from, as well as how we cope when our daily landscape changes.

Yes, motherhood is at the heart of Call Me Mummy, or the title would be different! Mummy, in this case, witnesses what I believed to me quite a regular non-eventful moment in a family life – a mother and kids in a shop. I wouldn’t look twice. Mummy does because this is the very portrait she has been denied. And what she sees triggers an instinct reaction. A beautiful little girl is trying to get her mom’s attention, fails at it, and suddenly, Mummy’s judgement is on them. How can a woman who has been blessed with the gift of children act this way? The violence of Mummy’s reaction felt both understandable and terrible. We are quick to judge, that is for sure, but when something has been gnawing at us, tearing up the poor thing we call our heart, what do we do? We grab the occasion. Mummy does, at least. Childless Mummy suddenly has a child.

How many times have we wished for something only to realize the result was far from our expectations? Tina Baker depicts this issue with such delicacy it hurts. Could I feel for Mummy? Yes. Did I understand what she did? In a weird way, yes. Did I condemn it? Also yes! We are full of contradictions, aren’t we? And as I ran from one chapter to another, my feelings grew stronger, heavier, more desperate, just like those of the characters in the book I was unable to tear myself away from.

Through different perspectives, we get to experience the aftermath of the kidnapping of a child. Said child has quite a personality I must say! I suck at kids, but Tonya was cute! Well, as cute as kid who has been stolen can be, I guess.

The book also reminds us of the gaps in society. Mummy has a nice house with a basement and a garden. Kim, Tonya’s mother, lives with her partner and their kids in a small council flat. Their background stories may seem so different, but page after page, similarities appear. Tragedy and abuse can affect anyone and everyone. I really … Can I say enjoy? No. I really appreciated that Tina Baker never fell into the trap of clichés to explain what had been, was happening, and would or could happen. She shows the true colors of people carrying a heavy bag of bad childhoods, bad decisions, despair. Everything rang true, everything felt real. I think this is why I was so immersed in the story.

One mother learns to live without a daughter, one mother learns to live with one. As the kidnapping happened quite early… literally at the beginning of the novel, I wondered at some point how long the story could go on for, but I didn’t worry, as I was soon realized there was so much more than the actual act of stealing a child. The consequences for both the new Mummy and the devastated mom were fascinating to read about. I did feel like a big voyeur, or a news channel journalist recording an exclusive. I was both thrilled and appalled.

Now one element that really got to me was how the mother, the real one, was treated by the rest of the world. No, she probably wouldn’t win Mother Of The Year, but who could? Really? At the heart of this terrible headline is a woman who realizes that what she took for granted is no longer around, and the crushing guilt was barely bearable. My heart truly reached out to Kim, despite everything. To be honest, my feelings were all over the place throughout the entire book!

There is so much more I’d like to say but I might let a spoiler slip, or divulge too much, when in fact all you need is to give the book a try and you’ll see what I mean.

Call Me Mummy is powerful, razor-sharp, and raw. If you’re looking for darker-than-dark, one-split-second changes and their horrifying aftermaths, grab your copy!