Grace just recently bought a house but lost her job due to an ongoing pandemic.
Graces estranged mother, Jackie wants to move in with her, she doesn't think its a good idea but she does need help with the mortgage.
Once Jackie moves in strange occurrences begin to happen and the past resurfaces.

It was a little strange reading about a pandemic that we are still feeling the effects of but I really enjoyed this book. This is the second book I've read by Zoje, first being Baby Teeth which was a 5 star read, Mothered is a close second coming at 4 stars.

Zoje is such an incredible writer, she has a way with her characters that really portray what she wants them to. I didn't know who to believe in the book, I even questioned my own sanity. When you think you know what's happening... you probably don't. There was a nicely added twist at the end that I didn't see coming, but there was so much to unpack within the book I'm still left with some questions. I wish there was a little more.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Thomas & Mercer, and Zoje Stage for sharing the digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my authentic review.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing a digital ARC of Mothered in exchange for an honest review.

"Grace felt something tearing--her skin, unzipping from her neck down. When it was loose enough, she pulled her arms out of the skin sleeves. Freed each leg like she was peeling off a pair of itchy tights. She left the skin façade on the sidewalk, with its crumpled facial features and limbs like flesh-colored noodles. What did she look like now? Pink tissue and red blood and white bits of bone? [...] She knew what she looked like: a monster."

For fans of Sharp Objects, Just Like Home, and The Good Son.

I had mixed feelings about this book. While I thought the idea was interesting, I didn't enjoy the execution.

What I liked about this story:
- How Grace's tense relationship with her mother is subtle. Her mom is not an outright cartoonish villain; she's more passive-aggressive and gets under your skin slowly;
- The narrator is unreliable and I love this kind of protagonist;
- The book is set during the COVID-19 pandemic and it brought me right back to 2020. I had never seen this scenario in a book before (although I'm guessing it'll be explored more in upcoming releases), and it makes a great setting for a thriller or horror novel. I think the author was very clever for not explicitly saying the characters are facing the COVID pandemic because then this scenario can be applied to other pandemics to come;
- As I said before, I really like the premise; I thought it was original.

What I disliked about this story:
- I didn't enjoy the writing style; I thought it was a little superficial and it didn't delve enough into the characters' feelings and thoughts. It did read fast, but I'm a sucker for poetic descriptions;
- The book gets boring after a while because nothing happens in Grace's life - everything interesting and freaky that happens ends up being a dream, and this becomes predictable really fast;
- As stated before, I wasn't a big fan of the execution of this idea;
- The big plot twist - although it remains an open question at the end, which I enjoy - is very predictable;
- The last paragraph implies that maybe something supernatural is going on underneath the surface - which I hate in thrillers (the same thing happened when I read "Behind her eyes", which I hated) - and leaves it open. I personally think this addition could be left off.

Overall, it was an enjoyable experience, but I was left a little disappointed.

It's the time of the pandemic and Grace's mom Jackie's second husband has passed away. Jackie asks if she can move in with Grace. The salon that Grace works at is not going to reopen, so she thinks maybe her mom can help with her rent if needed. Grace is really NOT happy though to have Jackie moving in. Once she does move in, Grace starts having strange dreams and many are about her sister Hope that has passed away.

This was a slow burn, super creepy book. I liked Baby Teeth and thought I would give this a try. I really was unsure if some of her dreams were real or not. But I did think the book ended well. I recommend MOTHERED to those that like Horror/Thrillers.

Many Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Zoje Stage is a new author to me. I have Baby Teeth on my Audible ready to go, but Mothered is the first of her books I have read, and I WILL be seeking more. Mothered is a book I would recommend to already established horror lovers and to those who want to dabble in the genre!

Didn’t love it, didn’t hate it. Wish I’d have liked it more, but I didn’t love the author’s last book either.

The author herself called this book "batshit crazy." Yeah. That's about right.

I'm baffled by the reviewers that say this book was really scary or even terrifying. I just didn't get that, at all. To me, this is a very slow burn mystery/suspense read. It has an incredibly unreliable narrator that, underneath the mom troubles, job troubles,relationship troubles, and dealing with the pandemic troubles, is trying to piece together the details surrounding the death of her twin sister during her childhood. The reader is tossed between present events, past events and dream/nightmares that are so real she has trouble determining what is real.

I think I expected this to be more of a straightforward thriller. But instead it was a thriller on acid and ambien. Read it, you'll understand.

This book was a bit on the slow side and really does throw a lot of different events, scenarios and possibilities at the reader. It is kind of a mind scrambler. Did I like it? Yes. I enjoy this author's writing and will probably always want to read her work. Would I recommend it to others? Yes, if nothing else, it should be enjoyed for the "batshit crazy" mother/daughter relationship storyline. 4⭐️

My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book.

This was a pretty slow burn just kind of like how Baby Teeth was. I did like it, but I think this style of book and writing just isn’t for me.

Loved loved this one!! Gripping and exciting and as always a fab read and can't wait to see what this author does next :)

I really want to love this one, but I just didn’t and I’m so disappointed :(

There were elements that i absolutely loved; the unreliable narrators, the flashbacks/hyper-realistic dreams, the cat!!! But a lot of the book left so much to be desired. The “catfishing” plot line was so minuscule. It was hyped up to be such a huge part of the book, but it felt like it was just tossed in to create a “reason” for the mom, Jackie, to justify and intensify her hate towards Grace. I was hoping for something more substantial.

Another thing that bothered me was the random use of very obscure words that seemed straight out of the SAT handbook. I’m all about using less common words, but some of these just took me out of the book with how strange and out of place certain words were (for example: aplomb, vitriol, somnambulist, to name a few.)

The way the “Jackie issue” was resolved was too convenient for me and I wish that would’ve gone another way. It seemed too sudden and easy.

I did actually love the ending though. I’m not always big on ambiguous endings, but this one had me freaking out in the best way. I wish there was a sequel following Grace and the therapist, I’d still give it a shot after being so disappointed in “Mothered” 😅

Thanks to Net Galley and Thomas & Mercer for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.


I read Baby Teeth in 2020 and was fascinated with Zoje Stage’s story telling. Mothered sends you on a psychological roller coaster and leaves you questioning your own sanity. Not to mention the pandemic setting really added to the claustrophobic uncertainty.

Zoje Stage can really write a novel! In Mothered, our protagonist's mother (who has always had a strained relationship) moves in during the pandemic. Locked in together, they begin to irritate each other to a scary level.

I've previously read Bad Apple (also published as Baby Teeth), and I absolutely loved it. Mothered is equally as frustrating and tense. Stage is incredible at writing claustrophobic situations, and Mothered is incredibly claustrophobic. I can't wait to read more of her books.

Many thanks to Zoje Stage, NetGalley, and Thomas & Mercer for this copy.

So, I couldn’t put this down. Finished it in a few hours. But before I knew it, it was over. I didn’t have a sense of closure, which I look for in books. Was Grace crazy? Was her mother crazy? Were they both crazy? We’ll never know. And Silas is such a fleeting thought even though his character could have provided that closure, had it been executed correctly. I enjoyed Baby Teeth by this author, but this one didn’t live up to my expectations. Thank you @NetGalley for the ARC.

I went into this book with the preconceived notion that it would be like Baby Teeth. It was not. I loved Baby Teeth but I liked this one. Zoje Stage is a great author whom gives us a great deal of build up. Mothered took some time to build up and a lot of back history was given, bringing us to today. We learned a lot about Grace’s deceased twin sister, Hope. We also learned about her strained relationship with her mother, Jackie. The rocky relationship with her mother began as a young child and it is still strained today. They have a lot of resentment toward each other and it stems from how close Jackie was to her daughter Hope until Hope died. She was not necessarily as nice to Grace as she should have been while Grace was growing up.

During the Covid-19 Pandemic, Jackie moves in with Grace. Grace is apprehensive due to their tumultuous relationship but she finally concedes and allows Jackie to move in. From the beginning Jackie seems nicer than she used to be so Grace has hopes in reconciliation and a new chance at happiness with her mother. As time passes, Jackie begins to be rude and take over the house and Grace’s anger is building. She begins having nightmares. At times I was confused as to whether it was a nightmare or really happening.

Does she have a mental disorder and she imagines her mother is being evil to her or is her mother really being mean and getting her all riled up? We end up in a constant state of wondering what is real and what is imagined. The ending was anticipated but I was left questioning myself and wondering if it really happened or not. I also like the dialogue between the characters in this book. It really adds to the story, giving us enough information and showing us the character’s true self when we get to hear them talk and interact with each other with quality dialogue. Eerie Read!

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the ARC of this book.

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC of this spooky, chilling book!

From the very first page, I was invested in Grace and Jackie's story. Reading a book where the two main characters are incredibly unreliable kept me guessing the entire way through - there were so many instances where situations seemed normal and then the spook factor was turned up to 11 and you didn't know what to believe. The pandemic provided a perfect setting for this book and for the relationship between mother and daughter to be stretched and tested. The only reliable character and voice of reason throughout the novel is Miguel (who is perfect and I want to be his best friend) and he provides a perfect relief from all of the tension. Though this comes out in March, I highly recommend it for your spooky season TBR in 2023 - it'll keep you spooked until the very last page.

This book is a complete mind trip. If you like this sort of thing then you will love this. I’m still trying to wrap my head around it to be honest. Grace is a surviving twin whose mother ends up moving in with her during the pandemic. Her relationship with her mother has been difficult since the death of her twin, Hope when she was 12 years old. Her mother was not there emotionally or physically for her and her sister (who had cerebral palsy) growing up, so there are many unresolved issues. Grace loves her independence and resents having her mother live with her. This is a very slow burn story as you start to get to know Grace, Hope, and her mom and learn more about their past. There are nightmares and flashbacks and it’s difficult to determine what is real and what isn’t…which is likely the point. Is her mother messing with her? Is she having a mental breakdown? You feel the stress of Grace’s life weighing down upon her and you question everything. While I didn’t love it, the sheer craziness of the where this was going and the outcome was pretty darn creative and twisted. 3.5 stars.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Expected Publication: March 1, 2023.

4 ⭐️
In the middle of a pandemic, a daughter struggling with money and bills decides to allow her estranged mother move into her house. With a rocky relationship and something just not right Grace and Jackie must figure out how to make it through.

For novels written about the pandemic, this one is one of the better ones for me. The beginning of the book was a little slow for me. The pacing did pick up, I didn't care for the characters as much as I wanted to. The plot was well thought out, and the ending makes you think.

Thank You to the publishers via NetGalley for an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review.

Living through the pandemic was hard for most of us. Our main character has the added problem of her mother moving in with her. Plus many nightmares!
Recommended for those who like horror in their books.

This book was a whole trip! I love books like this, that start with the ending and then the whole book is about how the characters got there. With this book, there were still plenty of surprises along the way too.

It flowed between the present, nightmares/dreams, and flashbacks. Sometimes it was hard to tell which it was at the time but that was on purpose and just kept me even more interested. The story mostly revolved around her fractured yet intriguing relationship with her mother, interwoven with her relationship with her sister. I loved the crazy family dynamics that were so relatable at times and at other times, made me so glad I couldn’t relate.

If you liked her first book, Baby Teeth, this one will likely land well with you too.

I received an advanced reader copy of this book from NetGalley in return for my honest review.

I read this author’s debut novel, Baby Teeth and had enjoyed some aspects of it – so I wanted to try out another novel of hers. Mothered is a case study of pandemic life and how it is to cope with your life dramatically changing as the world outside was full of uncertainties and how a mother/daughter relationship completely deteriorates towards the end. Grace and Jackie have been estranged for many years but now during the pandemic, Grace has allowed her recently widowed mother Jackie to move in with her. The two haven’t had the best relationship since Grace took the burden of taking care of her disabled twin Hope growing up while her mother worked – being a single parent. I wasn’t particularly fond of the protagonist Grace, so I actually found her behavior more offputting than her mother’s. My biggest gripe with the novel is that the majority of the horror happened in dream sequences and since I could easily tell when Grace was dreaming – reading the horrible gory dream weren’t as frightening because I knew that nothing truly happened in the waking world. I know the novel took place mostly at home due to the pandemic, but it still made me feel restless and I couldn’t wait for it to be over (especially since we already knew what was going to happen since the prologue gave it away). Overall, the book was well written but I’m weary of Covid and reading about it was such a chore. I recommend the book if you like protagonists with mommy issues – don’t mind a Covid plot, and are okay with slow burn thriller with no clear resolution.

*Thank you so much to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Molasses Massacre! 😳😯🤯😯🤯

WHAT?! I'm sorry.. excuse me... but what the actual fluffery fluffness! I don't know how Stage does it, but she comes up with the most twisted, crazy, fluffed up plots and scenarios! I adored Baby Teeth and geez almighty this one is even more insanely crazy & nuts! I am absolutely, utterly speechless. The ending is absolutely crazy and I'm left with a feeling of "wait what?! WHAT?!" Insanity at its finest and crafted so spectacularly I'm still reeling from it! At times, things made no sense & you questioned everything. I haven't felt more crazy after reading such a novel. I'm still left wondering "what the freakin' fluff!?" Be prepared for one insanely, messed up, dark novel. Usually not my type of thriller, however it was minimal with horror and had a huge psychological thriller factor i greedily soaked up & savoured. Dreams will never be the same for me for a while after this twisted bobcat pretzel conundrum! Dark, crazy genius is what you are Stage!

Mყ 𝐒ყɴ𝐨ρѕιѕ: It's a time near the beginning of the pandemic when everyone feels at their most vulnerable and uncertainty. Grace is like most who has lost her job & living alone, isolating. But she receives a call from her mother Jackie, recently widowed, asking to move in with her. Grace reluctantly agrees and hopes for a better relationship between them. But old demons, hurt, bitterness and anger are re-ignited and Jackie hurls a horrid accusation at Grace. Not able to leave the house, Grace feels she's losing her mind, losing sleep, paranoid and can't tell the difference between reality and her nightmares.

🔴 Trigger Warnings: Slight Mention of Animal Abuse ; Graphic & Disturbing Imagery

Thank you to NetGalley & Amazon Publishing for this ARC.
Release Date: March 1, 2023

𝐌𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐭: 4.5 / 5 Autumn Leaves! 🍂