This book I really wanted to like it but I wasn’t able to get into it. I feel like the writing is all over the place I could not get into and then I was starting to get confused.
Example: At the end of a chapter she was hugging gay friends and without any leading they were kissing.
I had to page back to make sure I didn’t miss a sentence or two because I was so confused. I didn’t miss a sentence….

I have enjoyed the authors previous novels, all of which straddle the line between the horror/thriller;/literary fiction genre. "Mothered" is both a domestic drama and a story of the pandemic and how the fears and isolation made all of us feel unsettled and untethered to our former lives. Grace is a 36 year old hairstylist who has just gone back to work part time and is afraid she will lose the house she just bought. Her best friend Miguel, a fellow hair stylist is the only one she sees in person and she has just received a request from her mother to move in with her. Grace and her mother have not seen each other recently and there is no love lost between them, mostly because Grace had felt neglected as a child when all her mother's attention was on Grace's twin sister Hope, who was born with Cerebral Palsy, As the story unfolds we find out Grace was made to feel like a nursemaid to her sister who wasn't very nice and often cruel.

Jackie (the mother) moves in and Grace begins immediately having disturbing and violent dreams, often involving her sister. For a great deal of the book we don't know what is real and what is a dream since Grace wakes up and doesn't know herself if various conversations, dinners or things happened. I found this to confusing after awhile and wanted some clarification as what was real and what was a dream. When Miguel becomes ill with Covid, and Jackie begins to turn mean and accusing to Grace, her mental health takes a turn for the worse with a terrible outcome. I liked the author's attempt to put the mental health of people isolated with Covid into a fictional novel, but there were too many scenes where something normal seemed to happen like the mother making lasagna, and we are then t0ld it was a dream. At times I felt the mother was gaslighting Grace and there is a general feeling of unease throughout the novel. I also felt like Grace wasn't a very nice person and her hobby of catfishing seemed strange as it appeared she did have actual friends even though she couldn't spend much time with them in real life. Interesting book and topic but too many dream sequences for me. Still, Stage's writing is always literary and well done and I will read whatever she puts out. Thanks to Thomas and Mercer and NetGalley for a free ARC of this book in exchange for a review.

I am a huge Zoje Stage fan. I will read anyyyyyything she writes! Stage knows how to write a suspenseful and thrilling story.
Mothered takes place during the start of the Covid-19 pandemic lockdowns. It was very well written, and has a very claustrophobic feel to it. This book blew my mind and I absolutely recommend it.

I want to thank Netgalley,and Thomas & Mercer for an arc of this book.

This novel perfectly captures how bizarre everything felt in dealing with the pandemic. The part that terrifies me most is that I’ve been having very vivid dreams lately, I’m just hoping it works out better for me than it did for Grace.

Zoje Stage does it again!!! Not many authors are able to capture "subtle dread" the way she does. The characters are well developed and the relationships are highly relatable. Although Zoje Stage claims she never intended to write a “pandemic novel” , but she truly does a wonderful job. I think we have all faced challenges in relationships in the first 12 months of COVID-19, and utilizing the dynamic between parents and children makes this even more terrifying. Zoje Stage reminds me a lot of Stephen King in the sense of sometimes we are the true monsters. The Epilogue left me with a sick smile that made the whole novel worth it!

Honestly, this is more like a 2.5 for me. I for sure didn’t love it and I’m still debating on whether I even liked it.

In Mothered, we have Grace who is suffering from nightmares, hallucinations, unemployment, mommy issues, and concern for a friend all during the height of Covid and lockdown. What a mess!

Unfortunately for the reader, the authors style of writing only contributed to the messy plot. There is a repeated reality vs subconscious theme throughout the book that is frankly overplayed. I found myself recognizing the chapters with wild events for what they were and being bored knowing it wasn’t real and wouldn’t contribute to the overall story in a meaningful way. We get it, Grace is losing it!

I kept reading to find resolution, an explanation, a diagnosis, a familial anomaly…..News alert: There isn’t one. I’m never happy with a book that leaves me without closure. It just ends and the only thing I’m left with is that Grace just lost it, maybe never had it (another plot hole not resolved) and somehow spreads it to others. Maybe this author is just not for me.

I would like to thank NetGalley for an ARC of this book for my honest review.

Holy moly this was a wild ride. I’m still trying to get my breath back after finishing this one.
Giant thanks to Netgalley, Thomas &Mercer, and Zoje for this ARC
As the pandemic begins Jackie suggests to her daughter Grace that she move in to help with the finances after Grace loses her job Taking her up on the offer mother and daughter have to learn to cohabitate in this new world all the while dealing with the ghost of Graces twin sister Hope. This story begins as a slow burn but you begin to lose your mind around 50%. Suddenly you as the reader no longer know up from down, lies from the truth, dreams from reality. You feel the walls closing in.
And the final paragraph….Bravo. 5/5⭐️

I absolutely loved her previous book Baby Teeth, and I enjoyed this premise of Mothered as well.
The writing itself remains flawless and engaged. All characters memorable and interesting. Grace and Jackie interactions give us those calm water before storms vibes perfectly well. Author also succeeded bring Covid carantine worldwide infused to her setting very well. Halfway plot is interesting but the peak combination between flashback, daydream illusion and reality blended will make readers sitting in edge with anticipation.

The concept of the plot was so interesting, unique and relatable. It is confusing and also exciting me at same times. Unfortunately the end of this book feel little bit rushed and not fleshed out enough. It is open more questions about the real happened with Grace and her twin, the mysterious disease Jackie mentioned and who is the crazy one ? This one good but not give me those creepy twists as Baby Teeth.

Thanks Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer for let me read my copy. I am grateful but my thoughts are my own.
Mothered will publish at 14 Feb 2023.

Grace has moved on from a tough childhood. Her mother Jackie was always working, leaving Grace to care for her twin sister Hope who was born with cerebral palsy. Grace is ignored by her mother unless it is to scold or reprimand her for not caring for Hope and Hope has a cruel streak she uses against Grace. After Hopes’ death, Jackie distances herself from her remaining daughter and Grace has made a life on her own.
When Jackie calls and needs a place to stay, Grace is reluctant to allow the mother who has never shown her any kindness into her life but she has just bought her first home when the pandemic hit and she isn’t sure when she can return to work. When Jackie moves in, she seems to have changed from the unpleasant, woman who always looking for fault. Grace wants to believe that her mother wants to make amends but why has she been experiencing nightmares since she arrived? As the two are forced into isolation, tension between the two women grows and we know from the prologue that only one of them survives.
As with every book I have read by this author, you are drawn into the story from the first few pages and reading until the end. I have seen many authors notes recently say they didn’t intend their most recent release to be a “ pandemic story” but this one tackles the subject head on. The isolation, the job losses, the money worry, a momentary lapse in judgement at a family gathering leading to the ICU. Trigger warning - there is an instance of animal cruelty involving a hamster that sensitive readers may want to avoid. Graces’ “ catfishing” would be a great topic for discussion. I really enjoyed this one. Thank you to # netgalley and #thomasmercer for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion. “ Mothered is available on February 14,2023.

She’s a 10, but she reads ARCs for books that won’t be released until 2023 rather than the billion that have already been published and remain unread on her Kindle . . . .

Yeah, that’s pretty much what happened. Shelby sent me a text that Mothered was a Read Now on NetGalley and I snatched it up lickity split before the offer expired. I didn’t intend to read it right away due to that FEBRUARY pub date, but since I looooooved Baby Teeth this sucker just kept screaming to me "oh, so you wanna talk about MOTHERS????" After reading Zoje Stage’s take on a “bad seed” devil child, I couldn’t wait to see what she had to offer when it came to mommas.

A note to anyone who found the pandemic extremely traumatizing: this is NOT a book for you. It takes place in the height of panic where lockdown restrictions are just easing up a titch, but well before the vaccine was invented. You literally get locked in with Grace and her mother Jackie. Claustrophobic is a very apt description of how this book reads. It won’t be for everyone, but man oh man this was a slow burn of psychological fuck-up-edry that I read cover to cover one night after work.

Once again I broke my own rule of not reading the author note and took a gander at this one. I am so sorry for the author’s loss, but holy moly do I appreciate a brain that can turn the grieving process into something so delicious. I also couldn’t imagine quarantining in total isolation. While I tout my hermitlike lifestyle on the regular, at least I have other people who live in my house with me and who I like to talk to every once in awhile ; )

Mind blowing and twisted. Such a great read!! I couldn’t put it down!! During the pandemic Grace finds herself between jobs, her mother moving in and having some bizarre dreams. As the story progresses each dark twist has you glued to the page waiting to see what new twist will develop. This was my first Zoje Stage book and will be looking for more!!

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you NetGalley, Zoje Stage and Thomas & Mercer for hearing my honest review. Looking forward to reading more with you
#partner

LOVED this book as much as her first one Baby Teeth. She is quickly becoming my favorite author. RUN and go read this book. I devoured it in 2 days.

3.5 Stars

In the height of the pandemic, Grace finds herself out of a job as all of the hair salons have either shutdown or scaled back. Unfortunately, she had, just months prior, purchased her first home and is not sure how to make ends meet with the lockdowns. Her mother, Jackie, just lost her husband and needs a place to stay. They have a completely strained relationship but this arrangement in the end would help both women. As the days and weeks carry on you can see the strain wearing on Grace mentally. She is having vivid nightmares to the point she doesn't trust what is real vs what is a dream or possibly flashbacks to her childhood. This is where the book got completely creepy, even as a reader I couldn't tell exactly what was true and what wasn't and was falling into that spiral with her. These were written really well and at times made my stomach turn at how descriptive they were. The only quibble I have is I felt it got a bit slow in the middle however this is more of a slow burn so kinda makes sense.

As I mentioned this book takes place completely during the pandemic with Grace and Jackie pretty much in isolation. If you want an escape from anything COVID pandemic related this will not be that. However, I think that's what made this book even scarier! As I got to the end, I found myself a little confused but if what I think was the root of everything then that is absolutely terrifying!

Normally I don't take time out to read Acknowledgements but in this instance I did and can see how the author's personal experience could be seen throughout the book.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for my advanced copy

I really enjoyed Baby Teeth, so I was excited to read Mothered. Both are wonderfully creepy but Mothered just hit me different. Maybe because of it being set in a pandemic situation or because of my own 'mommy issues'? It got under my skin in the best possible way. It was like being inside the mind of someone slowly loosing their grip on reality which was truly chilling.

While I enjoyed this more than Wonderland, I feel like Mothered missed the tension provided in Getaway. Stage has definitely improved in writing children to come off more realistic, but the overall family dynamic was off (not to mention Miguel not REALLY fitting into the story at all).

I'll continue to read Stage's novels. It may just be hit or miss for me.

Once again, Zoje Stage does not disappoint! This book was unnerving; it felt disjointed and frustrating in all the best and most unsettling ways, which is what most (if not all) of us were feeling during the global pandemic, and it translated to the page beautifully. There were so many twists and turns, I almost got whiplash reading it. Do yourself a favor and read this book when you're home alone. Read it with all the lights off and all noise blotted out. Read it in total isolation.

Just make sure your mother is in the next room...

This started promising and had an enjoyable main character. The story went on for a bit longer than I thought necessary and there were no real answers to the questions.

I got misery (Stephen King) vibes to begin with and maybe I self consciously put it on that pedestal. I would have liked more from the story as it felt as though there was something missing throughout.

Is Grace crazy? Is Jackie crazy? Am I crazy???

A few weeks into the pandemic, Grace wonders if it couldn't get any worse. Ahe bought her new house and can't even go shopping for cool new furniture and her job shuts down which was the bread and butter of her life. But things get much, much worse when her neglectful mom calls and asks if she can move in. Instantly regretting it, Grace says yes and Jackie moves in immediately. Things start getting really really weird. Grace begins having nightmares that blend memories of her childhood with Jackie and her disabled sister, Hope, and is sleepwalking. Jackie is acting as if she should win the "Greatest Mother Ever" award. Everything seems to come to a head when Jackie makes a declaration about how Hope really died and Grace is forced to finally face her past.

Okay, I'll admit that this is the first Zoje Stage book I've read, and the real reason I wanted it is because I heard so many good things about Baby Teeth but haven't had a chance to read it yet.

But I. Was. Not. Disappointed.

Mothered is a full-on nightmare. It's full of crazy... lots and lots of crazy. It made me question "What did that just say?" and re-read sections because I didn't fully capture the manic the first time. I loved this book because it just kept getting more nuts and I couldn't quite put my finger on who was doing what and why it was happening. Were Grace's dreams real or just dreams? Why in the hell is Jackie eating a flower? And then the ending... What? Did that really just happen? Is there more to this story than Grace and Jackie? Read this book if you want to be satisfyingly confused and feel like you're dangling above reality.

Thank you NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review. I have been a fan of Zoje's since I first read Baby Teeth, I couldn't put it down, nor could I put this one down. When Grace's mother comes to live with her during the Covid pandemic, can they live together and repair their fractured relationship, discuss the death of Grace's twin, Hope and finally move on and be mother and daughter again. When Grace's best friend, Miguel lands in the hospital with Covid, things take a turn for the worse in her home. Are her dreams reality, and what does her mother really want from her. I think this is her best book since Baby Teeth.

I didn’t love this one but I don’t think it’s a bad book. I really enjoyed the dynamic between Grace and her mother Jackie; I think a lot of people house family trauma and will really be able to relate to her character, in that aspect. I also think a lot of people will be able to relate to the pandemic and the sickness in this book (that the author forwards saying it’s not related to Covid.)
I just felt like there should be more. The ending was satisfying and I was left feeling kind of meh. I wanted there to be some terrible sort of secret that was let out, or atleast confirmed. She kills her mother and leaves here sitting there for 2 weeks and that was kind of it? I just wanted more exploration and exploration. It just didn’t feel finished to me.