Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy of Mothered by Zoje Stage. This intense psychological thriller delivers chilling suspense and a gripping exploration of motherhood and identity. Stage’s skillful storytelling and atmospheric writing keep the tension taut throughout, with complex characters and unexpected twists that will keep readers hooked. A dark, thought-provoking read that lingers long after the last page.

𝙈𝙮 𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ (4.5 stars)

𝙈𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙨:

There’s something uniquely disturbing about being trapped—not just physically, but emotionally—and Mothered leans all the way into that. From the moment Grace’s estranged mother moves in, you can feel the tension pressing in from all sides. Zoje Stage takes the suffocating isolation of lockdown and layers it with simmering resentment, twisted dreams, and a mother-daughter relationship that is anything but comforting.

Set during the early days of COVID lockdowns (a backdrop that adds a whole extra layer of dread), the novel follows Grace and her mother as they’re forced to cohabitate—reluctantly and with a lot of buried history between them. What starts as prickly and awkward slowly spirals into something much darker, fueled by isolation, resentment, and a creeping sense that something is not right. I loved how Stage played with dream logic and psychological ambiguity—there were moments where I genuinely questioned what was real, and I mean that as a compliment.

It’s not a fast-paced thriller, but it’s suffocating in the best way—slowly tightening its grip until you’re fully in it. If you liked Baby Teeth, this takes that same emotional volatility and ramps it up with a surreal, almost ghostly edge.

Thank you to NetGalley, Thomas & Mercer, and Zoje Stage for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Mothered is available now.

When two individuals with very different life expectations agree to share a home, even if it is her mother moving in, Grace finds out why she never got along with her. As memories from her youth come pouring back, Grace realizes she never knew her mother at all.

I enjoyed this latest from Stage. I always enjoy their writing, and the plot was very interesting, however, the end fell flat for me. Thank you for the early copy.

I just couldn’t get into this one. Even though theoretically it is a book that I would like, I never really connected so it was hard for me to explore the topics that were being discussed. This is a triggering one so I suggest looking up warnings before going into it

Doesn't quite live up to Baby Teeth for me (a book I really loved and had an absolute blast with) but contains the same dark, sinister and atmospheric dread I have come to expect from a Stage book. The dream sequences were one of the standout elements for me and I loved the feverish, lucid nightmare quality to them. My biggest gripe with the book overall was a me thing - pandemic narratives/plot devices are just not something I'm thrilled to read about and it pulls me out of the escapism of it all.

A psychological horror novel about motherhood, guilt, and the dark sides of grief. The tension builds slowly, creeping under your skin. Deeply unsettling and emotionally raw.

I picked up Mothered not expecting it to get under my skin the way it did, but wow—this one creeped up on me slowly and then hit hard. Grace’s strained relationship with her mom felt so raw and claustrophobic, and there were moments I had to pause just to catch my breath. Even with the intensity, I appreciated how it explored grief, guilt, and loneliness in such a uniquely unsettling way.

A truly disturbing read, am torn between whether I enjoyed it, or just felt compelled to know how it ended, uniquely done.

This had all the makings of a tightly wound psychological thriller—grief, isolation, family tension, and the slow unraveling of a woman stuck in a pressure cooker with her mom. And for a while, it really worked. The atmosphere was claustrophobic in the best way, and the tension between Grace and Jackie felt raw and real. But as things escalated, the plot started to feel a little too chaotic, like it was trying to juggle too many threads (grief, guilt, catfishing, trauma, maybe ghosts?). Instead of a sharp descent into madness, it kind of blurred into confusion. Still, there were definitely chilling moments, and fans of domestic thrillers with unreliable narrators might enjoy the messy, dark ride. It just didn’t stick the landing for me.

This book delves deep into the complexities of motherhood, isolation, and identity. This was written during the pandemic and there's a lot of mention of the same, can be triggering!!
One of the standout features of Mothered is its exploration of the often fraught and complicated relationship between mothers and daughters.
Grace's struggle to assert her own independence while dealing with the constant presence of her manipulative mother is both heartbreaking and haunting.

Grace also cannot differentiate between what is really happening and her dreams.
Overall I would give a 2 stars only

Zoje Stage delivers another chilling psychological thriller with Mothered, a gripping, claustrophobic descent into paranoia, trauma, and mother-daughter dysfunction. This book had me hooked from the very first page and didn’t let go until the unsettling final moments.

The story follows Grace, a woman who, out of financial necessity, moves in with her estranged mother during the COVID lockdown. What starts as an uneasy reunion quickly spirals into a nightmarish psychological battle as long-buried tensions resurface, reality blurs, and Grace begins questioning everything around her. The novel expertly balances real-world anxieties with a creeping sense of dread, making it impossible to tell whether the horror is external or purely in Grace’s mind.

Stage’s writing is razor-sharp, perfectly capturing the suffocating tension between mother and daughter while slowly unraveling the disturbing layers of the story. The pacing is relentless, and the psychological unraveling is masterfully done—every page brims with suspense, making it impossible to put down.

Dark, unsettling, and deeply immersive, Mothered is an absolute must-read for fans of psychological horror and domestic thrillers. If you love books that keep you questioning what’s real until the very end, this one is for you.

It has been 2 years since the publication of this book, and I can't stop thinking about it still. The utter horror with which Stage weaves this tale of frustration between mother and daughter is masterful. I was concerned I wouldn't be able to stomach a book that took place during the pandemic, but the feelings of isolation and worry evoked by the setting only added to the eeriness of the story. I am very much looking forward to her next release (soon, I hope!)

Great book! It had all the fears of growing up. Make a choice. Turn the page or close the book. Enter the darkness if you wish!

A weird read set in a COVID like pandemic. I struggled with the pace of this one and the plot. It was a slow burn and I was left at the end feeling like nothing really happened.
I was anticipating some big plot twist but was left feeling empty and disappointed. Interesting concept but lacking in execution.

Title was archived before I could download, but borrowed on kindle unlimited to listen and review. Will update once I've finished.

Gave this book a try but overall didn’t enjoy it. Wasn’t able to get into the story as much as I wanted to.

This was a tense thriller that will mess with your mind! This is a psychological thriller about mental health and the insane reality that was a pandemic and quarantine.

An anxiety filled, claustrophobic novel which takes place during the early days of COVID lockdown. The interpersonal tensions between Grace and her mother are multiplied by the stress of the pandemic. The loneliness and isolation of Grace’s childhood is replaying. Much of the novel is about what is real, what is just a dream, and the cost of rediscovering our memories.

Zoje Stage is an auto-buy author for me. Ever since her debut, Baby Teeth! Every one is amazing. This one bringing in the Covid aspect really worked for me. Some won’t like that part. But give it a try!