This was definitely the dark and twisted book I would expect from Zoje Stage, but I sadly did not enjoy the sotry here as much as I wanted to. The repetitive dream sequences (that would pull back into reality to mix into another dream sequence that may look like but was not actually reality) were an interesting structural choice but ultimately really frustrating to read. There were far too many of them with diminishing returns as to how effective they were at getting the point across. This repetition made a book of relatively normal length feel so so so long.
In addition, it was hard to get attached to any of these characters from this protagonists perspective. No one acted like a real person (largely because half the time they were in a dream) and it made it difficult to really buy in to much of what was happening. I think while the protagonist was initially intriguing, she did not continue to be interesting through the duration of the story, especially when you knew how things were going to end up.
Lastly, while the final twist was very interesting it was not given any time to really be fleshed out into an idea. I would have liked to get more on this element that the short epilogue and the tiny sprinkling of it in the last 15%.

2.5/5

Mothered is a fever dream of a book about Grace and her mother Jackie, who are forced to live together again during the COVID-19 crisis. Grace's relationship with her mother is strained at best. While quarantining together we get insight into Grace's childhood, the relationship between Grace and Jackie during that time, and the deterioration of their relationship.
I had to sit and think about this book after finishing for a bit because there were a lot of "what am I reading" moments that made me question what was going on. But that seemed to be the point. I thought the pacing was a little slow but enjoyed Stage's writing style. Without giving too much away, this book did not go in the direction I predicted based on its description. It was more of a slow-burn horror tale, with not a ton of action, but it still left me deeply unsettled. Fair warning: this book expertly recreates the tension, anxiety, and despair that the pandemic created so if this may be distressing to you I would choose another book. What (I think?) was implied at the end is truly terrifying.
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of this book.

I recently discovered Zoje Stage and the first book of hers I read (<i>Baby Teeth</i>) absolutely blew me away. It's so rare for me to read a book that leaves me guessing until the very last page. While I enjoyed both <i>Wonderland</i> and <i>Getaway</i>, <i>Mothered</i> feels like a return to form.

This book is such a wild ride, through a landscape that's horrifyingly familiar. Set in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the book centers on Grace, a hairdresser who lost her job and is struggling to make ends meet. Desperate to keep her new home, she allows her estranged, ailing mother Jackie to move in to help with the bills. Grace has been experiencing increasingly vivid nightmares in addition to the stressors and isolation we all dealt with at the height of the pandemic and Jackie's arrival does little to alleviate Grace's difficulties. In fact, quarantining with her mother proves to heighten Grace's isolation and her dreams worsen as time goes on until her grip on reality itself loosens.

As the reader maneuvers through Grace's fractured mind, we get a look at her childhood- or lack thereof. Young Grace was forced to be her disabled twin sister's caretaker while her single mother worked and that dynamic seeps into the present, with Grace stepping back into that servile role and mindset in the face of Jackie's presence. The pressure inside the home- and in Grace herself- builds as shameful secrets are shared and earth-shattering accusations are made.

I had to force myself to put this one down. Like <i> Baby Teeth</i>, it's a gripping tale that wont quickly leave you. I'm so grateful to NetGalley for allowing me to read this ARC and look forward to what Zoje comes up with next.

Mothered
by Zoje Stage 

Hey Zoje I'll give you 5 out of 5 birds for Mothered. I received this book for free in exchange for my honest review. Zoje is one of my favorite authors by far, and Mothered was not a disappointment. It was my first read about the pandemic period of our lives so that was a little too real lol, but man this book kept throwing me left and right! I still have questions. Zoje knows how to keep you on your toes. The strained mother daughter relationship between Grace and Jackie was very well done. The stress of the pandemic was spot on and the downfall and fear were exactly things I thought about while going through the pandemic. The ending had me like WHAT.... but it was very Zoje. If you like psychological thrillers you'll like this one... But Baby Teeth is still my favorite. Thanks for letting me read it!

#amreading #mrsbirdswords #booklover #Bibliophile #bookaddict #bookreccomendation #goodreads #fiction #bookshelf #Horror #Thriller #mystery #goodreads
#mothered #netgalley #goodreads #zojestage

I am naturally drawn to psychological thrillers. I identify with the plot personally. So, naturally, i had to read this. Silas is a man after my own heart--a psychotherapist who sees murder cases, killers, and the
identities and mental illnesses and back stories of killers as puzzles. Macabre puzzles. Grace fascinated me in that way--a macabre puzzle.
I was hooked from the start.

As I read this I love it as I am not sure if Grace is having mental health issues, or if Jackie is messing with her or what is the truth so I just want to keep reading on and find out. I loved the surprise ending.

That was. A lot. I should have known it would be wild as I had read Baby Teeth and knew the authors style. Reading about the pandemic was an odd feeling as we're still dealing with the aftermath. I had a hard time, like the main character, telling the difference between nightmares and reality. And Miguel's character felt forced. I would recommend this title for the library because of the authors popularity.

Grace has so far survived the pandemic, but at what cost? She is living alone, has lost her job, Facetimes her best friend Miguel, and orders her groceries online. But now, it seems the worst of the pandemic has passed and it is time to get back to the business of living. Until her mother, Jackie asks to move in and Grace is torn. They have a very complicated past, still, years have passed and this might be her last chance to get some answers about her deceased sister Hope. She reluctantly says yes. If you thought that a little thing like a global pandemic was disturbing, wait until the strained dynamics between these two bubbles up to the surface.
Pretty soon, it becomes hard to decide if Grace is cray cray or if her mother is getting exactly what she wants. I won't say more, you will want to see where this goes for yourself. It is one cuckoo banana ride.
I have read quite a few posts about various books that mention Covid, and they haven't all been positive. If that is a topic that triggers you, be aware that what happened during those dark days plays a large role in this story.3.5 stars.

Thanks to Netgalley & Publishers for an ARC in exchange for honest review.

PERSONAL RATING SYSTEM:
1* - hated it/DNF
2* - Didn't like it
3* - It was okay
4* - Liked it
5* - Loved it


I'm not sure what didn't connect me to this one. Mothered has a great premise with a pandemic backdrop, but was almost confusing, but not in the twisting and engaging way I'd hoped for. I was engaged for the first half or so, only made it through the last 40% interested in the answer but not the story to get there.

(SPOILERS BELOW)


At first it felt like Grace was rushed into a mental break - zero to 100. Would've seen more buildup here. Questions came - was Hope real? Was Grace breaking or was her mother? However, I felt execution couldve been better - more buildup to make this a question than just an obvious.

At the end, Silas having contracted their "sickness"...seemed disconnected. Never saw it as what was going on.

However, I'm almost more interested in a story about the therapist who's hearing this story and slowly has his own break...let's hope for that one!

I got this book as an ARC through NetGalley – it will be published on March 1, 2023. I typically love Zoje Stage’s books – she’s a master of the psychological thriller. This one was just not my favorite of hers, though. Grace is living through a pandemic (not COVID specifically, but not unlike COVID!) when her newly-widowed mother comes to live with her. Grace and her mother have never exactly gotten along, but Grace has hopes that this time together may let them fix their issues. Soon after her mother moves in, though, Grace starts to have dreams so intense that she starts to confuse dreams and reality, and she even starts to dream about her disabled sister who died when they were children. Then Grace’s mother accuses her of something that happened years ago, and in trying to figure out if it happened or not, her grip on reality starts to slip even more. I loved the confusion, but there was some “disabled kid” plot that I just didn’t love. Zoje is disabled herself, so I don’t think she did anything wrong by writing it – just wasn’t exactly for me.

I am a huge Zoje Stage fan, unfortunately this book did not do it for me, There were moments toward the end that I really liked it and thought it had potential. It took me to 82% to really get interested and not want to put it down, I stuck with it.

During the height of the pandemic, Grace has just lost her job as a hair stylist at an upscale salon because the owner has decided to retire. This is very unfortunate timing because Grace has recently purchased her first home. Grace’s mother, Jackie, is still reeling from her husband’s death after a mysterious illness and has been dealing with her own health scare. Even though the two do not have a close relationship, they make a mutually beneficial decision for Jackie to move into Grace’s home. Jackie will be able to help Grace with her mortgage and bills and Grace can care of Jackie as she is not supposed to live alone after her health scare.

Soon after Jackie moves in, Grace begins having vivid and disturbing dreams about her twin sister, Hope, who had cerebral palsy and passed away when Grace was young. As the dreams begin to escalate, Grace and Jackie are forced to quarantine together for two weeks after they are exposed to COVID by Grace’s friend, Miguel. As Grace’s dreams become more consuming, Jackie accuses her of something so horrific that it may push things over the edge.

This was a crazy ride! The majority of the book is written from Grace’s point of view but we do get a prologue and epilogue from Silas, a psychotherapist. I found the epilogue to be very intriguing and it delivered a great twist that I never saw coming. I found myself getting disoriented on behalf of Grace when she was having her nightmares. It got very difficult to tell when a chapter was real or a bad dream. The nightmare chapters came with some disturbing imagery but were very helpful to begin to understand Grace and Jackie’s relationship. I loved Baby Teeth and look forward to seeing what Zoje Stage comes up with next :)

Thank you to Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

What an interesting read! I like how it was based during a pandemic not but doesn't specify that its actually CoVid. The descriptions of the dreams were so real. I thought the book was really well done and kept me interesting.

Alright this was a total trip. Half the time I was trying to figure out if what was happening to Grace was actually happening or if it was a dream. The uncertainty made this a really interesting read and kept me guessing and questioning reality the whole time. This was my first Zoje Stage book and I was pleasantly surprised. I will definitely be reading more of her books in the future.

Full review closer to publication date!

I'd like to thank the publisher, Thomas & Mercer and Netgalley for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this book immensely,
It was claustrophobic but yet mind-blowing.
I wanted to hear more from her sessions with therapists.
Left me still questioning did she kill Hope? Was it tomato soup/sauce on the pillow.

This book was a nonstop ride from the very beginning to the very end. I absolutely could not put it down, and devoured it in one afternoon. To combine the reality we all went through of the difficulties and the unknown during the beginning of the pandemic with the declining mental state of the characters was just genius, honestly. Being from Pittsburgh myself, it added a lot to my reading experience to be able to identify the places the author was speaking of, as well as the different "Pittsburgh-centric" qualities of the main characters.

I thought Baby Teeth was my favorite book so far, but the author Zoje Stage is someone that I will absolutely be looking forward to more from in the future!!

This book will be available February 14, 2023. Thank you Netgalley for this advanced copy so I could read this absolute masterpiece!

OMG. Stage is the master of creeping horror. Anyone who expects this to be a thriller will be disappointed, but when you approach it from the perspective of a woman slowly being driven mad, it will haunt your dreams. Grace has just bought a house when her mother's husband dies. Jackie wants to move in, and Grace really doesn't want her to. Their shared past is colored by tragedy, and Grace would rather remain alone. But eventually she caves, and Jackie arrives just before the pandemic hits. Although it's never specifically stated that it's COVID-19, it pretty much is. Stuck in isolation, Grace's mind begins to untether, and she's plagued by intense hallucinations and dreams. Her mother becomes entirely different as Grace becomes more and more detached from reality. This book brings back all the feels I remember from that time: days spent the same, stuck with the same people, the feeling of impending disaster that hasn't gone away. Go in with the right expectations and you'll find yourself very unsettled.

This a book that I’m going to be thinking of long after I finished reading. The author perfectly blended the cha claustrophobia/isolation of the pandemic with the chaos/dysfunction of a mother/daughter relationship. With the writing style I felt like Grace, not knowing what was a dream vs reality. I will definitely read more from this author.

If you thought your pandemic experience was hell....well, just be thankful you didn't have to go through what Grace and Jackie did.

Mothered is a claustrophobic and very confusing novel set during the early days of the pandemic when everything was much more uncertain and chaotic and we follow our protagonist Grace as she copes with losing her job, becoming financially unstable and then having her estranged mother Jackie move in with her.

I have very mixed feelings about this novel because on one hand it was well written and had some great creepy scenes and the basic idea was interesting enough, but to be completely honest the good writing couldn't save a drawn out plot that bored me to tears for nearly 75% of the book. I am not opposed to a slow burn story that will take its time to develop in order to lead up to a big reveal, but this one took ages to get to something exciting and when it did get there I couldn't help but be disappointed in how incredibly predictable and dull it ended up being. I really think this book could have been a novella length book and it might have come across being a little more exciting and cohesive without all the drawn out stale bits. It suffered from leaving the most exciting part of the novel until the literal bitter end which if done well could have been interesting, but this one felt rushed and lackluster.

I do find the trope of 'is it a dream or real life?' a bit tired, and I was disappointed to find that trope applied quite heavily to this story. The present time story line and the bits with Grace's deceased twin sister Hope were so disorientating and confusing that at about midway through the book I just gave up trying to understand it all because the story simply lacked the content to make any proper theories as to what was going on. It felt like the author spent an exorbitant amount of time on plot points that had zero bearing to the endgame of the novel and not enough on the points that would have added to much needed context to the story and much of her hard work was ignored in my reading because I simply just didn't care at that point. I do think the stronger parts of the novel were the flashback scenes with Grace, her sister Hope and their childhood - that was the content I wanted desperately from the entire novel. I wanted those unsettling and creepy vibes like I was promised, but alas the present day stuff was lacking in some proper spooky moments other than the odd offhanded moment. I desperately wished I cared about any of the characters, but Grace and Jackie especially were just SO unlikable and uninteresting that it made it hard to try to immerse yourself in their story because I just didn't care about what would happen to them - and in a slow story like this you need to at least connect with the characters to keep yourself interested enough but...alas.

Overall, I felt like there just wasn't enough exciting or interesting moments that happened between Grace and her mother for my interest to be piqued and excited about the book and honestly if it weren't for those flashback scenes I probably would have given up on finishing this. This book is being marketed as a horror and I would digress and say that it is more of a psychological thriller and barely that. The few moments that could be called creepy or spooky were so far and in between that it would be a hard sell to say it was scary. I guess the setting of the book being set during the pandemic could be horror enough if you want to think about it that way.

I don't think this book was for me and it lacked the things I would have wanted to see in this book based on the description given, but I could see others enjoying it for what it is. However, I think this book will be very forgettable and not one I would revisit in the future.

Special Thanks to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for the ARC of Mothered in exchange for my honest review!

Mothered
Zoje Stage
⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book is majorly slow going, I was looking so forward to this book but this book just didn’t do it for me! It was completely strange from the beginning and hard to keep up with!