I’ve noticed that newly published books have avoided the year 2020 in story timelines, and justifiably so. Most of us are still feeling the residual affects of the pandemic in some capacity, as a reader I appreciate authors understanding that most readers are not necessarily ready to have to relive their pandemic experiences in their books which they use to escape their daily reality.

With that being said I’d like to give many kudos to the author for approaching this story with respect and honesty that was completely relatable. I didn’t realize how much I needed to read a story that captured the essence of what it felt like to be in isolation due to the pandemic. The anxiety and anticipation of the unknown was deeply felt while reading this book-it was a bit cathartic in some regard and I appreciate the author's bravery and honesty in penning this story.

Mothered centers around our main character Grace and her mother Jackie, after years of estrangement, Jackie a recent widow decides to move in with Grace. Having recently lost her job, for Grace- the idea of her mother coming to live with her becomes a godsend in spite of her apprehension to have to co exist with a mother she no longer really knows. Throughout their quarantine long buried secrets start to surface and Grace finds herself quickly regretting her decision to have her mother come live with her.

What I enjoyed most about this story is how the author captured the monotony of quarantine life; the contained nature of the story could easily have gotten boring, but the story was never boring. I was very interested in every aspect of Grace and Jackie’s daily interaction and how each day peeled back another layer of their contentious relationship. And man that ending, it was actually a satisfying ending that you sort of can see coming a mile away. Not because the story was predictable but the tension building was very well done. And by the end you’re kind of left thinking, “well here goes”.

There were some underexplored things happening that I would have loved to see more of, as soon as it was mentioned in the beginning of the story my interest was piqued, but I feel like it kind of played a back seat to the story and I definitely think it would have elevated the story even more if it had played more of a part in the story line. Overall I would highly recommend, if you are a reader a bit nervous to read about the COVID pandemic I would have to say that I think this book handled the subject matter with sensitivity and with readers in mind. You should definitely check this one out.

Many thanks to netgalley and the publisher for an arc copy in exchange for my honest review.

Grace isn’t exactly thrilled when her newly widowed mother, Jackie, asks to move in with her. They’ve never had a great relationship, and Grace likes her space—especially now that she’s stuck at home during a pandemic. Then again, she needs help with the mortgage after losing her job. And maybe it’ll be a chance for them to bond—or at least give each other a hand.

But living with Mother isn’t for everyone. Good intentions turn bad soon after Jackie moves in. Old wounds fester; new ones open. Grace starts having nightmares about her disabled twin sister, who died when they were kids. And Jackie discovers that Grace secretly catfishes people online—a hobby Jackie thinks is unforgivable.

When Jackie makes an earth-shattering accusation against her, Grace sees it as an act of revenge, and it sends her spiraling into a sleep-deprived madness. As the walls close in, the ghosts of Grace’s past collide with a new but familiar threat: Mom.

Grab yourself a copy of this book! I absolutely loved this! I read this book within a day, I couldn’t put it down. I loved the characters!

There was so much going on with this story. I typically shy away from pandemic books, because living through it, you want to escape reality by reading. This book has all of realities of living together with someone when you don't want to and all of the secrets that come out when you're forced to spend so much time with one person. Great story that sometimes will have you put the book down to think about what you just read!

Absolutely yes! I really enjoyed reading this novel. The characters were fun, it held my interest, and provided an escape from reality. I would definitely recommend!

DNF at 60 percent.

I really tried with this book. There was just too much problematic material in here for me to continue. Maybe it clears itself up by the end of the book. But I’ll never know. It is very very rare for me to stop reading an arc because I’m always so happy to get them but I couldn’t make it through this one.

Thank you NetGalley for letting me read this book! How would it be having to be locked down with your mom during a pandemic, especially when you don't get along with each other. This book had me guessing back and forth on who was really the sick one.

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the ARC!

Grace’s mother, Jackie, asks to move in with her after being widowed. Being stuck at home during the pandemic, and after losing her job, Grace needs help with the mortgage and allows her mother to move in. Quickly, things go from good to bad. Between nightmares, catfishing, and earth shattering accusations, Grace feels the walls closing in and her past comes back to haunt her.

I haven’t read any pandemic-centered books, but I’m glad I picked this one up. I’ve heard so much about Baby Teeth and was excited to give this a read. I think it perfectly captured the fallout of the pandemic and twisted it to every persons nightmare. The tension and feeling of being claustrophobic was strong while reading this. Be prepared.

Ooh, I love a story with a good unreliable narrator. Stage is a masterful storyteller and impressed me with her descriptions several times throughout. This was a total mess-with-your-head, befuddling plot that I’m still not sure I understand, but I was invested. The characters are interesting and capable of anything, it seems. Impressive book, one that I will think about for a while, especially when I think of my mother, lol. Thank you to NetGalley and Mercer and Sons for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

I've been dipping into the thriller genre a lot more often as of late and this was a great addition to the books that I've read recently. Mothered definitely kept me guessing up until the very end. At first I was sort of confused as to what Grace's biggest issue in her life was until I met her mother Jackie.

Grace and Jackie spend time I guess you could say getting to know each other again after so many years of being estranged after Grace moved out on her own at 18. Grace was once a twin , her name was Hope, and she passed when the girls were quite young. Jackie favored Grace's twin over her and made it something that was blatantly known. Watching their past unfold and meld into the present while the two are stuck together in quarantine due the pandemic was heart stopping. It was a read I could not put down or share my time with any other book until it was finished. Would definitely recommend to other readers.

What if COVID wasn’t the worst part of the pandemic?
Can you imagine being in lockdown with your mother? What boundaries would be overstepped by her, or by you? What secrets would be revealed?
Grace and Jackie have endured a strained relationship since the death of Grace’s twin sister. Grace has her version and Jackie has hers. Will the truth bring them closer together or rip them apart?
This gripping page turner will keep you guessing until the very end.

Mothered by Zoje Stage is about Grace, a woman whose widowed mother, Jackie, comes to live with her during the COVID pandemic. The relationship between the two women is fraught, strained, and the kind of stuff psychological thrillers are made of. This book stayed with me long after the “what just happened?” ending. And, to be honest, I still don’t quite know how much of what I read was actually happening or only in the main character’s head. This is a fun read, especially if psychological thrillers are your favorite.

This was a wild ride, one like a roller coaster where your heart beats fast and your hair sticks up. I could not read it fast enough! Grace was completely unpredictable and I couldn’t pinpoint the status of her mental state. I was an utter mess by the end.

Grace becomes locked in the house with her mother during the height of the pandemic. Talk about a slow slip in to madness, once Grace and her mother come together she starts losing it. She is having crazy dreams and nightmares about her twin sister who does when they were children and nothing is as it seems.

This story will leave you reeling as you try to unravel what’s going on in Grace’s head. My mind was complete mush at the end of the story and that makes for a great psychological thriller!

Special thanks to Netgalley, Zoje Stageand Thomas and Mercer for my copy in exchange for my honest review.

Publish Date: 3/1/2023

One of my most highly anticipated books this year and I liked it, but didn't love it.

When Grace finally purchases her first home it comes right as the pandemic is set into motion. Thrilled to finally be a homeowner she is then let go from her hairdressing job when her boss lets her know she is closing the doors for good. Now she's panicking on how she is going to make her mortgage payments when her mom, Jackie, gives her an idea. Why doesn't she move in with Grace? Now that her second husband has passed away and left her some money she would be able to help pay the bills relieving some of Grace's stress.

While the current timeline plays out we go back to the past when Grace was a child left to care for her twin sister, Hope, who had cerebral palsy while Jackie worked to support them as a single mother. Hope has a dark side though and liked to torment Grace. Meanwhile Jackie doted on Hope and made sure Grace new who her favorite daughter was.

Now mother and daughter are quarantined together pitting them against each other once and for all. Who will be the victor and who will be the victim? You'll have to read this to find out!

Such a great premise but it utilized one of my biggest pet peeves in books - dream sequences. I don't like the whole: Is she dreaming? Is she awake? Is this for real or is this all make believe? That is so frustrating to me. There were times I felt as confused as Grace did and I didn't particularly enjoy it. I also wasn't comfortable with the portrayal of the disabled sister being a villain in the story.

On the plus side there are some well done creepy scenes that will give you shivers. I liked Grace for the most part and despised Jackie - or did I? Who can really be trusted? I'm still not sure. If you can get past the pandemic side plot then I do believe there will be an appreciative audience that will admire what Stage has done. I'd say give it a shot if it sounds intriguing to you. 3 stars!

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for my complimentary copy.

Thank you Netgalley & Thomas & Mercer for an eARC of Mothered by Zoje Stage!

Grace’s newly widowed mother, Jackie, asks to move in with her. Given that it’s during the pandemic, Grace isn’t used to sharing her space and doesn’t have a great history with her mother. She could use help with the house, though, so agrees - Could they even bond?

Soon after Jackie moves in, Grace begins a nightmarish spiral while quarantined with her mother. She’s having nightmares about her disabled twin who passed away when they were kids. Jackie discovers Grace’s hobby - cat fishing people online - which drives a further wedge between them. How far will the spiral go?

There’s more to the synopsis but I don’t want to give away the plot - Just know that if you go into this one more blindly, you will not regret it! I’m sometimes hesitant about books set during the pandemic, but this was done really well and the author does a great job showing a lot of thoughts, feelings and situations that were on everyone’s mind at the start of it. I was immediately drawn in as the book kicks off in an open-ended, twisted way that will have you saying WHAT? This book has a really unique plot and can be quite chilling at times - What is real and what is imagined? The entire time, there’s an impending feeling of doom that will keep you flipping the pages until the very end.

This was my first read from Zoje Stage, and now I am definitely intrigued to read more from this author. Hehe writing is very compelling and the plot is kinda unsettling at times. I wasn’t sure I would enjoy it since I noticed talk of the pandemic but honestly I thought it was really well done. I would definitely recommend this one

The new horror novel from Zoje Stage is honestly bonkers! I was so excited to read her newest offering after finally reading BABY TEETH last year (what a ride), and was not disappointed. This novel, which takes place during a pandemic lockdown similar to COVID, the anxiety, panic, and claustrophobia we all felt feds directly into the main plot of this novel.

Grace's mother Jackie moves in to her new home after recently getting laid off from being a hairstylist because of the pandemic. She and her mother have been estranged, but these are desperate times and pretty soon, old memories and wounds that were previously buried within their family rise to the top while in close quarters. Stage writes a thriller brilliantly, and isn't afraid to make big, bold choices.

My one complaint is that (slight spoiler) a lot of the action takes place within dreams and it can sometimes get confusing, or rather, you begin to just question everything is a dream eventually. The ending is a bit muddled, but it can also be left up to interpretation. Don't read if you have really bad memories from lockdown!

Thank you netgalley and publisher for opportunity to read and review this arc honestly.

First of all, don’t start this book before bed if you need to wake up the next morning. This was hard to put down and had so many creepy vibes to it. I loved the story, setting, the characters, and the pacing. Would definitely recommend to others that are looking for a fast paced creepy psychological thriller that will leave you guessing.

This book was not what I was expecting for horror. I think it was more psychological thriller. While I did enjoy the book and getting to know the characters, I was confused at times what was a memory and what was a dream. I also felt like there was something missing in the story.
I don't know what but i was left wanting a little more. Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for an eARC of this book.

Book Title: Mothered
Author: Zoye Stage
Publisher: Thomas & Mercer
Genre: Mystery Thriller
Pub Date: March 1, 2023
My Rating: 3 Stars!

I read "Baby Teeth" and was in the minority in that I didn’t love it; but decided I should give Ms. Stage another try.

Time period is at the beginning of pandemic lockdown.
Grace’s mother widowed Jackie asks if she can move in with her.
Jackie is not the easiest person to live with but times are tough for everyone so Grace tries to make the best of the situation.
However, Grace soon is having concerning nightmares about her twin sister Hope who suffered from Cerebral Palsy and died when they were kids. Grace starts to question reality.
Her mother makes an accusation that upset Grace and made me curious.

I always enjoying reading he author’s notes and or/Acknowledgements.
In this case, I especially like in ‘About the Author’ when the New York times stated that Zoje Stage is a writer with a gift for the lyrical and the frightening’.

I laughed at this and said “that’s for sure!!
Book Title: Mothered
Author: Zoye Stage
Publisher: Thomas & Mercer
Genre: Mystery Thriller
Pub Date: March 1, 2023
My Rating: 3 Stars!

I read [book: Baby Teeth] and was in the minority in that I didn’t love it; but decided I should give Ms. Stage another try.

Time period is at the beginning of pandemic lockdown.
Grace’s mother widowed Jackie asks if she can move in with her.
Jackie is not the easiest person to live with but times are tough for everyone so Grace tries to make the best of the situation.
However, Grace soon is having concerning nightmares about her twin sister Hope who suffered from Cerebral Palsy and died when they were kids. Grace starts to question reality.
Her mother makes an accusation that upset Grace and made me curious.

I always enjoying reading he author’s notes and or/Acknowledgements.
In this case, I especially like in ‘About the Author’ when the New York times stated that Zoje Stage is a writer with a gift for the lyrical and the frightening’.

I laughed at this and said “that’s for sure!!
It isn’t that this book wasn’t good; it was only okay to me. I know it will find the right audience who will love it.

Want to thank NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for this early eGalley.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for March 1, 2023

"A claustrophobic psychological thriller about one woman’s nightmarish spiral while quarantined with her mother."

Thank you to Thomas and Mercer, NetGalley and Zoje Stage for my ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review. I found this to be a bizarre, jumbled mess I had to force myself to finish. The beginning was overly slow and I was not invested in any of the characters. I found the main character neurotic, unreliable and annoyingly stupid. There are gaping plot holes that left me confused with so. many. questions.

Also, just my opinion, but I think a pandemic storyline is played out. We've been through almost 3 years of this and I don't want to read about it too.