Dark and twisted for sure. It was slow in the beginning but picked up the pace making it easier to read. Its not a book for everyone but it is worth the read!

This was a great read that I thoroughly enjoyed. I love reading far and wide and hope to put a more indepth review on my socials! Thank you for allowing me to read and review.

Motherthing is one of those rare books that’s as unsettling as it is brilliant. Ainslie Hogarth perfectly blends dark humor, horror, and emotional depth into a story that feels completely unique. The writing is sharp, the characters are unforgettable, and the way Hogarth explores themes of motherhood, grief, and mental health is both raw and refreshing. I couldn’t put it down.

What really stood out to me was the voice—it’s bold, strange, and completely immersive. The mix of creepy atmosphere and biting wit made the book feel unlike anything else I’ve read. It’s disturbing in the best possible way, and it stuck with me long after I finished. Easily a five-star read.

Thank you, NetGalley, for this book.

Ralph and Abby have a great marriage, but live with Ralph's mother, Laura, because she needs help. When Laura dies, Ralph thinks her ghost is still around and falls into depression. Abby tries to keep moving forward, but begins to fall apart in a different way.

Abby continues working at a long-term care facility and forms a relationship with Mrs. Bondy (or should I say, forms a bond?), but that doesn't go well, either. I like a good, weird book, but this one just never came together for me. Abby spends a lot of time reading this cookbook from the 1930s and decides she needs to cook something great for her husband to heal him. And ...well... that takes a turn. I liked this book, but it was just okay.

2.5 stars

Haunted by a mother-in-law? No, I was haunted by this book and how I couldn't finish it.

I wanted to love Motherthing. It's quite popular and people talk about it highly. It should've been something I enjoyed, but reading this book was like walking through a sandstorm and not knowing where I parked my car. I couldn't see the light to get to the end of this damn book! I read this book for 10 days, and it felt like the longest 10 days of my life. I couldn't get past 30-45 pages at a time when I would pick it up. This book is short, and it should not have taken me so long to trudge through!

Granted, there are some passages that I liked, and it wasn't all bad, but this isn't a book with a true plot (which I sometimes love), and I'm not sure if this is really a haunting. In my opinion, it's not a true ghost story. This is a story about two people who have trauma from their mothers and married each other. The guy's (Ralph Lamb- great name) mother (Laura Lamb) kills herself and is supposedly haunting them, but I think they are both hallucinating it from how much alcohol they are consuming.

I did like the ending when Laura [kills the daughter of the woman she is obsessed with from the care facility and then cooks her for her husband to feed him. That was wild, and she was convinced it was what the psychics told her to do, and it would cure Ralph and lead to her having a baby. (hide spoiler)] Much like Amy and Nick Dunn, these people should NOT be having a baby. They would probably fair better than the Gone Girl spawn, but damn will this kid need so much therapy.

Overall, not a favorite, and I'm sad about it because it should've been a banger for me, but it was a flop.

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I started this book the May before I moved to a new state for Mother’s Day. I didn’t finish it, and so I never finished it. Now is the time with my horror book club to return to Motherthing and see what I think.

This was a fast-paced, honest, and raw account of motherhood from all angles. Many mothers will relate to the words written in these pages, ones that they could never otherwise utter aloud. Perfect addition to the subgenre of "domesticated horror."

Motherthing is a dark, twisted, and surprisingly funny psychological horror novel that kept me hooked from start to finish. Ainslie Hogarth delivers a gripping and unsettling story about grief, trauma, and the terrifying ways motherhood (and mother figures) can shape us.

The protagonist, Abby, is both deeply relatable and incredibly unhinged as she navigates her husband’s crippling grief after the death of his cruel, overbearing mother. The writing is sharp, immersive, and at times so unnervingly intimate that it made me squirm. I especially loved the blend of horror and dark humor—it gave the story a unique, offbeat energy that reminded me of Otessa Moshfegh meets Shirley Jackson.

That said, the novel leans heavily into Abby’s spiraling psyche, which might not be for everyone. Some sections felt a bit repetitive, and the surreal aspects of the narrative occasionally made it hard to tell what was real and what wasn’t. But honestly, that’s part of what makes it so compelling—it’s an intense, claustrophobic descent into madness.

Overall, Motherthing is a wild, unsettling ride that I’d recommend to fans of psychological horror and dark literary fiction. It’s weird, funny, and deeply disturbing in all the best ways.

I love weird books that explore toxic relationships.

Motherthing won’t work for everyone. I know that. It might even upset some people. I know that, too. But let me tell you why it worked for me.

I’ve encountered more than enough people (and one is more than enough, although I’ve encountered more than that) who have used threats of a suicide as a tool for manipulation. It is a hard call to make, deciding that their words are meant to control me, and not an authentic plea for help. And if they do take action, does that mean I misunderstood or was the end result the consequence of spite? Ainslie Hogarth wondered the same thing, I suppose, and with some bitter blood in her veins, she opens this story already knowing what she wants us to believe.

So, yeah, the concept of a (probably) spite driven suicide by a manipulative mother spoke to me.

It’s not just that, though. The story also centers around the way mother is socially synonymous with caretaker, nurturer, and love, when there are so many of us out there who do not associate those words with our own mothers. But we’re expected to, aren’t we, by both the crowd who did have mothers that fit the mold and those folks who are in denial of their own poisonous experiences?

Motherthing made sense to me on multiple levels.

I found this absolutely addictive and deliciously odd. It was not at all what I’d expected, but I loved what I received. Hogarth hosts a number of topics here and all are done well, although the content might easily offend. If you’re not cool with black humor, avoid this at all costs, because this is the starless sky of comedy.

Motherthing is about mothering, and every angle you look at it from is disturbing. The narrator‘s (Abby) mind is an uncomfortable place to settle within, and it just pinches the nerves as she tells her volatile story. Hogarth lets us know (and not so subtly) that becoming a mother is not the void fill Abby needs, and things sure do get messy as we recognize something that Abby never will!

This book has earned every adjective imaginable as you meet Abby, Ralph and the mother-in=law from hell, Laura. Dark, funny, creepy, unbelievable.....just keep reading. An original story line with a clear line between good and evil, Abby's story is a great one!!!!

I could not love this book more if I tried. At no time did I know what to expect next, and that is one of the best parts of Motherthing. I don't even know what to classify this book as - it carries so many heavy things inside it. Grief, of many kinds. Feminine rage. What it means to be a mother. To have a mother. To need a mother. To want a mother. Love and loss cover every page in some form or another. It's well-written, shocking, and at times so tender it hurts. A must for horror fans.

Motherthing by Ainslie Hogarth is a darkly comedic, unsettling, and utterly unique exploration of grief, motherhood, and mental unraveling.

Hogarth’s writing is sharp and immersive, balancing biting humor with eerie, gothic undertones. Abby’s voice is unforgettable, quirky, unreliable, and deeply human, making her descent into madness both chilling and oddly relatable. The blend of psychological horror and absurdity creates a story that’s equal parts horrifying and hilarious.

This book isn’t for everyone, but if you enjoy sharp social commentary, dark humor, and stories that push boundaries, Motherthing is a must-read. It’s unsettling in the best way possible and left me thinking about it long after the final page.

This was fun and weird and a quick read. It's an interesting look at depression... and obsession, but in a funny way? The characters are flawed but also hilarious. I really enjoyed this. The ending is absolutely bonkers and I flew through the second half of the book because of that. There are so many fantastic quotes that I love from this as well.

This is a story for anyone who's experienced complicated conditions with family members. We all want to make a good impression on the people that matter most to our loved ones, and it can be debilitating to feel like we don't measure up. While there are very strong themes dealing with suicide, family dynamics, and motherhood, this book still managed to keep it comedic and even light-hearted at times. This reminded me of the TV shows Crazy Ex-Girlfriend and Santa Clarita Diet...I can just see Rachel Bloom playing the part of Abby so beautifully!

My only annoyance with the book came with my feeling towards Abby...Abby is truly codependent with Ralph and I personally can't relate to her deep devotion. It seems to border on manic or bipolar, so I found myself rolling my eyes with how obsessed Abby is with Ralph. It does make sense that this is her personality once you gain the sense of the entire book. This is really the only reason I gave the book 4 stars instead of 5 because that part became too repetitive and boring to me. Other than this, great book!

If you do not like stream-of-consciousness book, you will not like this one. Motherthing is told in Abby's POV as she slowly goes mad. She's very unhinged and I loved it! Abby definitely gave my 'untrustworthy narrator' vibes and those are some of my favourite types of books. Ainslie Hogarth's writing is sooo good and kept me hooked for the whole book, it has hard to put down at times!

If you like a little bit of horror (tw some gruesome descriptions) and a wild FMC narrator, you'll love this book.

I’ve never read anything by this author but will definitely read more moving forward. Such a unique story and I couldn’t put it down. Need more new voices in horror

This is a hilarious and dark look at a woman’s descent into madness, told from Abby’s POV in an unhinged stream-of-consciousness. It’s not a narrative choice I usually like, but here it works because Abby’s perspective on literally everything is so wild and unexpected, and that gives it a fascinating charm and compulsive readability.

Decidedly, this is not going to be for everyone. It is quirky and different, bold and bleak. It explores subject matter that is serious and sensitive in the most unhinged way, but a snark that diffuses it and leaves you feeling so many confusing things. This requires a reading audience who embrace the unconventional in horror novels and don’t mind having their opinions on jellied salmon challenged.

I love Ainslie Hogarth's writing. It's smart, witty, propulsive. And I loved this story, which was strong on the merits of a horror plot but also contained such emotional depth. I'll be reading anything Hogarth writes!

What in the world did I just read?? This was bizarre and hilarious and honestly, I can't think of a word to describe it other than "unhinged."

Wow!

That was quite a read. It never, ever went where I thought it would.

I loved Abby and, in his way, loved Ralph (though I found him a little frustrating).

I absolutely did NOT expect what happens in the end. It was quite shocking, though perfect for the read.

A unique, sad, funny and quite remarkable read! (Also, may I never, ever be fed jellied salmon.)

Rating: 2 stars
This book failed to win me over. While it initially held promise, the erratic behavior of the main characters left me disconnected. The narrative felt scattered, making it difficult to engage with. I couldn't help but sympathize with the husband amidst the chaos.