Thanks to NetGalley and Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group for providing this title in exchange for an honest review!

The feminine urge to go insane.

It seems that lately I've sort of accidentally picked a series of books where women have had enough. They try to fit in, hold on to the ideal of the good woman, the good wife, the good mother, and they fail, and they realize the game was rigged all along, and they either refuse to play anymore, or they decide to keep playing by their own rules, at any cost, because what does it mean if you've given your entire life to this one thing and it was all for nothing?

There's a thoughtful yet dark way of doing this, and a cheesy, shallow way of doing this. Motherthing fits into the first category.

This book initially caught my eye with that delicious vintage-style cover and intriguing title, but the summary, promising horror of the haunting type, made me request it. Darkly funny, disturbing to the core, provocative, this is a story of a woman struggling with generational trauma and trying to break free, to find out who she could be, and unwilling to let go of that ideal no matter what. And yet, it was a hard book to rate. I finished not fully set on whether I liked it or was disappointed by it, although I guess both things can technically be true.

Before I go any further, the book deals with tough topics, often in very graphic ways, such as suicide, self-harm, domestic violence, rape, as well as mental health issues and things I can't mention without spoiling the plot.

The story starts on the night Abby and her husband Ralph find Laura, Ralph's mother, dead by suicide on their basement. We soon find out that Laura has been living with untreated mental illness for all of Ralph's life, which had declined recently and called for Ralph and Abby to move in with her. Abby is most definitely not sorry to see her go, as Laura is yet another mother figure who refused to be it for Abby. Abby craves motherhood: where she can't be a daughter, she will be a mother, fulfilling that role with Mrs. Bondy, a woman at the care home she works at, while her and Ralph's child comes along. Except, Mrs. Bondy might be taken away from her, Laura isn't quite gone yet, and she's trying to take Ralph with her, leaving Abby unmoored from the identity she's been trying so hard to find - if she lets that happen.

The tone of the narration was very particular and not for everyone - it reminded me of Carrie Fisher's writing, a sort of deeply internal, often errant dialogue. Personally, I tend to enjoy it and I did here. I also love characters who are weirdos in a genuine, nobody-wants-to-admit-it relatable way, not in a manic pixie girl way, and that's what Abby and Ralph were like.

I would say the story felt more like general fiction for most of it than horror or thriller, although it indubitably took a turn towards the end. I don't mind slow-burn horror stories that focus on the characters as long as the tension is there but, except for very few scenes, we barely feel the haunting. The biggest indication of it is Ralph's changed behaviour, which could easily be chalked up to grief were it not for the magical realism of the ending. This was my biggest gripe, that it failed to feel like a true horror/ghost story.

I settled on 4 stars because the writing style worked for me, I was definitely hooked enough to finish it, and the turn it took left me gaping and even questioning the narrator due to the chapter style the author chose. I also especially enjoyed this exploration of the role and expectations of women in Western society.

This book is for you if you enjoy dark humour, don't have a problem with sensitive topics and graphic scenes of gore, and enjoy psychological horror stories.

3 stars for creativity, originality, and sheer weirdness.
I almost can’t decide who was evil and who was good. Interesting “cure” for possession. Definitely some twists and turns I never saw coming. Not my favorite horror read of the year but still a decent showing.

I struggled with my rating for this one. I loved the writing style, it really is fantastic prose that will embed its imagery and atmosphere deep into your brain. I enjoy dark humor but not all the humor landed well and some of it just felt cringey and forced. The story itself was not what I expected going in and the horrors in this one are incredibly human and deeply heartbreaking. With its journey of generational trauma and human neglect , I found this book just so incredibly sad. It left me feeling awful, but that just speaks to the effectiveness of its horrifying storytelling. Ultimately I gave it 4 stars because there is an undeniable talent at work here. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a whacky, bizarre, and sometimes comical horror story about protecting the one you love! I went in already a huge fan of the cover page and the vibe it brought me didn’t disappoint. It’s a very odd, up the wall type of story as the main character, Abby, has to save her husband, Ralph, from the ghost of her mother in law! It starts to haunt them in different ways in turn making Abby realize she’s the only who can save them both from the lingering evil that her mother in law is inflicting upon them. I really enjoyed how the writer wrote this as it felt like I was reading the main character’s real thoughts. Sometimes thoughts can make no sense, especially when you’re angry, but she words them in a way that makes you chuckle and nod at how realistic it is, even with the outlandish plot line in motion. It was a fun and quick read for me, and I would definitely recommend this for any horror fans that enjoy sharp wit with a bit of laughter and death.

3.5

I want to thank Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book for review.

I really wanted to enjoy this more than I did. I absolutely LOVE the cover of this book. The artwork is so creepy,and pulls you in. Sadly the book didn't quite do it for me as much. It felt choppy,and a little all over the place. I many times felt a little lost in the story,and not fully in a good way. I felt I couldn't fully keep track of what was going on or had happend. I literally felt lost in the story. I did like that I laughed a few times, as well as having an uneasy feeling, but to me the story didn't hold up as much as I was hoping.

Honestly, this is a difficult book to review—it’s absolutely bizarre, and I mean that in a good way. The outline of the story (Abby’s awful mother in law dies, and she may be haunting them) makes it sound like a by the numbers haunted house book but it goes off the rails quickly and never circles back around to anything resembling predictable. It’s also gross, gleefully so, preoccupied with bodies, bodily functions, and the boundaries of human disgust.

The title comes from the famous wire monkey experiment. If you take baby monkeys away from their mothers, they will cling to a monkey form made of cloth and wire: a “motherthing” rather than a real mother. Abby believes that all poorly mothered children will design their own motherthing, just enough of externalized feelings to help them survive. The novel is filled with wounded characters who were badly mothered, and mulls over the question of what makes a mother at all, versus a motherthing. It plays with the categories of mother, baby, and thing in a way that’s both fascinating and disturbing. I recommend this novel to anyone who likes their horror with a hefty dose of weird and gross.

Thanks to the publisher and to NetGalley for an early copy of this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

My Selling Pitch:
Do you love campy, kooky, femme horror? Do you love a book drenched in aesthetic? Do you love those writers who just aren’t lazy and riddle their books with callbacks so it’s neat and juicy?

Pre-reading:
Okay, but this cover! It’s so gorgeous.

Thick of it:
This book doesn’t punctuate dialogue and it’s going to get confusing fast. Oh, now we punctuate again. Someone else mentioned how they wince at sodas lately: the seltzer girl on Facebook. Spot the bitey Scorpio. The language in this book is lovely. Little literary delight. I love winter. This book reminds me of Nightbitch and Bunny. Love the voice in this book. It’s aggressive and atmospheric and hyper-vivid. Mist off the wet-down pavement on movie sets vibes. Oh god, articulate my exact anxiety there, book. Dialogue in this book is so good. I really like this book. It’s that lovely bittersweet, angry femme experience. Reminds me a bit of Gone Girl too. And obviously My Year of Rest and Relaxation. Yeah, I’d fall in love like that too. Sheesh. This would make an excellent miniseries. Oh little heart squeeze, I love this dialogue. I want to go for a drink with this author, fuck. It’s my favorite kind of horror: fantastical realism because it lets you choose if you want to go supernatural or root it in reality-based fact. So good. The callbacks to the shit-filled hot tubs are masterful. Oh god, fucking men. Like fuck women for not protecting their children, but fuck men. Fucking detritus every time. I hate that word. This book makes me smile.

Post-reading:
What a masterpiece. It’s a little bit- I don’t even know what to say. She’s snappy. She’s fun. Is it my favorite book ever? No. Is it getting added to my favorites? Yes. It’s going to be a little hard to recommend because it’s going to take a niche audience to properly appreciate it. I think a lot of people will get grossed out or think it’s too off the walls to enjoy it. I think the formatting will throw some people, but I really enjoyed it. You’re gonna have to like those literary darling books to enjoy this while also not expecting dark academia because this is not that. If that’s your genre, if you truly just like good writing that almost reads like an essay or a short story, you’re gonna love this. Also, you’ve got to have a bit of a strong stomach because Miss Author will try to turn it, but I like that. I also just think it’s feminine; I don’t think you’re gonna have a lot of men get the same enjoyment that women will get from this book. Also, holy fuck, would I love a miniseries from this book. She’s perfect for it.

Who should read this:
Campy horror fans
Femme aesthetic fans who can tolerate gore

Do I want to reread this:
Yes-eventually. I think she’ll be fresh for a good while.

Similar books:
* Bunny by Mona Awad-campy, femme horror
* Nightbitch by Rachel Yoder-campy, femme horror
* The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires-campy horror with a housewife cast
* You Have A Friend in 10A: Stories by Maggie Shipstead-feminist short stories
* Her Body and Other Parties: Stories by Carmen Maria Machado-feminist short stories
* Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn-angry femme has a mental breakdown
* My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Otessa Moshfegh-aesthetic and feminine mental breakdown

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC to review!
Rating (on a scale of 1 to 5, 5 being excellent)
Quality of writing: 3
Pace: 2
Plot development: 2
Characters: 2
Enjoyability: 2
Ease of Reading: 3

Overall rating: 2 out of 5

I am honestly not sure what the heck I just read. Some words that come to mind:
Dark
Terrifying
Disturbing
Grim
Depressing

This book is definitely not for everyone. There are so many triggers, and I honestly felt physically ill at times.

There are explicit graphic elements that are just genuinely revolting.

I can’t rate this book poorly because it was genuinely well-written. But it shook me to the core.

My thanks to NetGalley and Knopf Doubleday for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I'm really not sure where to start with this because my brain is all over the place. So everyone safely step into the car and buckle up. This was recommended to me by quite a few people because they know that I live for the weird. I love the classic horror look to the cover. It definitely reminds me of a pulp book that I would have read while drinking a glass of bourbon while smoking a Virginia Slim. Ah, the good old days.

Getting into this was difficult for me. I thought it was going to go one way and then it went another. It went in a direction where it was easy for me to lose interest. It was an okay read. Parts were very funny and I found myself snorting with laughter. The funny moments are what kept this book alive. I also enjoyed the moments where you couldn't tell if things were actually happening or was it all in their minds. That's always fun. There was nothing new here and it didn't blow my mind like people claimed that it would. It just didn't do it for me.

Just remember that losing your mind is fun when you're haunted by a loved one.

A strong blend of horror and humor at its pitchest black. Deals with heavy topics that can be quite disturbing, and one cannot help but feel a twinge of complicity when laughing. But Abby's inner monologue is hilarious, and it's fun to read a story with such a quirky, unpredictable main character.

Have you ever read a book and you have absolutely no clue what's happening? I feel like that's exactly what happened to me with Motherthing. This was certainly an...experience. So we've got Abby, who's desperate for a mother figure and who yearns to be a mother herself, but all the women in her life are crap. Her issues run so deep that she works as a caretaker and she calls one of the elderly women "her baby". It's kind of bizarre, although honestly? It's a whole lot bizarre.

First of all, I really think either this book should include trigger warnings or the author should share them at some point because it deals with some really heavy topics that aren't mentioned in the summary. Second, I really think this book isn't being marketed correctly because it's not really horror. Obviously I'm not a marketing expert, but Motherthing feels like a dark comedy mixed with supernatural elements mixed with a fever dream. At times it felt more like reading a mommy-focused version of Death Becomes Her so while I was extremely disturbed, especially by the chicken a la king, I wasn't exactly terrified or scared by the contents of the book.

I'm still giving it three stars because maybe the author wanted to use the shock factor and it definitely worked. Also, I loved the narration style. It was like a string of never-ending consciousness and truly felt like Abby was talking to herself through the whole thing.

I love the cover of this book and I love the idea of the story. There were moments I was 100% hooked and then others that I felt like I was really having to push myself to continue. Overall a good short read.

Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this book. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

What an interesting book. Not sure I’ve read anything like it - certainly one of a kind. While this book was quirky and I never saw where the story was going, there were times where reading it felt like a chore. Thanks to NetGalley and Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group for the ARC!

I wasn’t sure what to expect when I picked up Motherthing by Ainslie Hogarth; the description promised horror with a tinge of humor. The cover illustration caught my eye, I’ll admit, the colors and the comic book style images seemed to play into what I was looking for. When’ I finally began my journey through the aftermath of Abby’s mother in law’s suicide, it seemed very straightforward; Abby, the loving, caring wife, tries to get through to her grieving husband as he grows more distant, finally admitting he sees the ghost of his mother appearing. Where’s the horror, you ask? Well, Abby is not a reliable narrator it turns out, As we move with her through through the story, her biases, her desires and her memories play out and the horror builds as we realize the horror we expected is not the horror we’re getting. Gripping and fast-paced, Motherthing was an exciting and fun read.

The voice in this is so strong and unique, the dark humor so dark and so humorous, the strangeness so strange, I was absorbed every second.

Every metaphor was perfectly chosen, every object and person fit right in. It was like Abby lives in a whole different world where her thoughts and her actions make perfect sense when looking through her eyes, remembering her memories.

Thanks to NetGalley for this crazy bizarre read. It's described as horror, but I wouldn't put it necessarily in that category, bizarre, weird and a good dose of what did I just read, and if there is humor it's very dark. If you're a fan of Gary A. Braunbeck, you'll probably love it, it's in it's own category. Poor Abby drew the short end of the stick in her mother and the mother in law, both a couple of narcissistic depression hags, and all she wants to be is loved. She meets and marries Ralph, they have plans and she wants nothing more than to be a mother, the good kind, except Ralph's mother has other plans and the story goes from there. Would have loved an epilogue for the future, but were left to our own conclusion.

Creepy! I was intrigued by the idea behind the book and it did not disappoint. It wasn't what I was expecting at all. Abby and Ralph are the "perfect couple" but Ralphs' mother comes in the middle of the relationship. If you've seen the romantic comedy "Monster in Law" featuring Jennifer Lopez and Jane Fonda, you will probably like this book. This book is like the Grimm Fairytale version of the movie. It tackles some very heavy topics so please read the trigger warnings. They were handled in a that shows the effects of someone's actions on other people and their emotions. It's scary and it may be uncomfortable, but I think it reflects what that's really like for people in reality. I definitely think this would be worth reading, especially during the spooky season!

Hmmmmm. What in the world did I just read.
I think I can summarize this one up with one main word: Bizarre!!! Very very bizarre.
I didn’t dislike it but I definitely didn’t love it either.
Has a little bit of everything (trigger warnings as well) but just all around buzzard.

I have to say I was really looking forward to reading this and felt super excited when I got the ARC from NETGALLEY.

The description basically telling me that a young wife is now haunted by the ghost of her mother in law. That premise sounds amazing and was why I requested the book.

In theory that’s what this book is about, in execution it’s actually trying to say a lot about grief, motherhood and depression. Our protagonist Abby and her husband Ralph are reeling from Ralph’s mothers death and Ralph is slipping deep into a depression and is adamant that the ghost of his mother is haunting their basement.

Abby must do anything she can to bring Ralph out of it and she goes to some extreme measures for sure. I wouldn’t classify this book as horror at all (except maybe one scene). This is more of a psychological meditation about the effects of grief on a marriage. It’s also about the meaning of motherhood and what it means to be there for someone.

The writing is great and I’m glad this book exists. I’m giving it 3 stars because it wasn’t exactly what I expected or wanted and that was disappointing. While I enjoyed the writing there are definitely parts that felt like a slog to get through for sure.

If you want a more literary take on the horror genre this might be for you.

What it’s like:
Mother meets Hand that Rocks the Cradle
Men meets Ghost

Book Grades:
Plot Development and Pacing - 90/100
Character Development - 90/100
Theme and Subject Matter - 90/100
Writing Style - 90/100
Reader Engagement - 75/100

Overal Grade: 87% - B OR 3/5 Stars

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review