The best way I can describe what I read is a mix between bizarre, a fever dream and utter confusion. David is such an unreliable narrator I was struggling to comprehend what was even happening. Even at the end of the book I wasn’t sure if anything David experiencing was real or what even was going on.

The jumps between the two parts that are split, before and after, just added to my confusion. It was a strange novel that maybe wasn’t made towards an audience like myself. It left me wondering what I even read.

The pacing was slow and I ended up not caring much for David as the story progressed. I was pleasantly creeped out throughout the book but it’s overshadowed by its many other flaws I had with it. I thought I’d like this more than I did because of the genre but as I said before, this just wasn’t for me.

That was messed up. I don't know how I feel about it since I'm still trying to reconcile and process the conficting emotions I have about this story. Maybe that's the point.

I will admit for a good portion of this novel, I may have been fairly lost…and not even in a bad way really. Pieces clicked and then dissolved and then clicked back again.

The writing here is smooth with a good sense of pacing and plenty of brooding dark lurking just beneath the surface. Not a comfortable or easy read, Caroline Hardaker manages to put together a very good story of a man searching for something lost and a disjointed family searching to find a way out from his memories.

Thank you NetGalley for the review copy!

I dont know how I felt about this book. It was bizarre with some deep topics. I guess it delves into the disconnection and loneliness that people feel . I like anything that discusses mental isolation as its one of the reasons why humans exsits. However I hate open ended stories and if I get confused I have a tendency to want to give up

I would recommend listening to the audiobook narrated by Alan Cammish who, not only has a lovely accent and voice, but did a fantastic job in bringing David's thoughts and mental state to life.

The narrative of "Mothtown" is undeniably rich in emotions and thought-provoking elements, creating an atmosphere that lingers and haunts the reader. While this book didn't lend itself to a single-sitting read for me, it wasn't due to any inherent flaws but rather the occasional vexing and overly complex nature of the storyline.

At the heart of the narrative is the character David, around whom the story revolves. As David's character undergoes development, the plot delves into dark, haunting, and mentally unnerving themes that prompted me to contemplate various questions. The author skillfully weaves intricate mental images throughout the narrative, conveying messages that are reasonably clear. Although some aspects of the story may come off as slightly peculiar, it adds an element of fun to the overall reading experience.

"Mothtown" distinguishes itself from the ordinary, displaying a unique and clever execution. While it may deviate from the norm, this divergence contributes to its charm. I found the journey through the narrative to be worthwhile, especially as it builds up to an emotional conclusion. I would recommend giving "Mothtown" a try, as it offers a reading experience that is well worth the investment of time and attention.

Mothtown is a fascinating book, perfect for those who loved Kafka's Metamorphosis and wanted more. The main character is trying to hold on to his perceptions in an uncertain and complicated world, even when those who love him are terribly worried.

This is the second time I picked up this story and second time I had to DNF. Using the audiobook I made it to 68% but the pacing and the story was dragging. With a mystery I want to be on the edge of my seat while the main character is finding out the truth but I felt like we were almost 70% into the story and nothing still had happened.

Thank you to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for the free audiobook in exchange for my honest review. I love the narration. This book is a lot. There is a lot going on. We have a boy growing into a man and he is grieving. He might also be mentally ill.
It was beautiful but I think my post covid fog made me a bit too dumb to understand it.

Thank you to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for the free audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

This is a hard book to explain and it just feels like an acid trip. There is a lot of changing settings as we go through the book. David's grandpa is a professor at a university, people think they are birds, people are going missing. There is just a whole lot going on. We follow David's descent into madness and you struggle to understand what is real and what is in his mind.

This is a beautifully written book. I wish I could explain this so you knew without question what the experience of this book is like for the reader. I will try my best, so please bear with me. The author unravels this book like your most beloved songs. It isn’t over flowery prose like some authors who beat you over the head with symbolism or overly detailed descriptions and make you pause every page to make sure you are understanding what exactly they are going on about (and please don’t get me wrong, I can enjoy overly flowery prose just like the next gothic romance reader, but it has a time and place and this type of story just isn’t it). When I say your favorite song, it isn’t the one you dance to, but the one you love because the lyrics either break your heart or make you feel alive or both at the same time. In the very beginning you are given a perfect example when the main character, David, discusses looking at the ground long enough to see when it comes alive with all the wriggling bugs and if you’ve ever lain in the grass you know this moment without hesitation. You are looking at the grass and the flowers and suddenly you see an ant or a spider or a worm and what was just one creature bring to your attention another twenty in less than a moment. You experience this in your head with the character and because of so many little moments like this, you are sucked in to the mind of the main character. You begin to trust in his interpretation of the world and you forget he may not be reliable. I love when the main character/story’s narrator is unreliable or lies to the reader when it is done well. When you know from the offset you are being betrayed it makes you question everything and it can become exhausting, but when you trust and experience the story and then it ends and you are left wondering if you made the right decision… it’s a truly beautiful ride. This story is that ride!

I have no idea how to put this story into one category. I went into it thinking it was a horror novel. The cover suggest horror, doesn’t it? I even still think it is horror, but it is so much more. It’s a thriller and a fantasy and a dash of sci-fi, but I feel that its core it’s a deep dive into mental health and the help we can need and the help that isn’t given. It really depends on our main character and if he truly sees the world the way it is or if we only see the world through his lens. I know from personal experience the difference between seeing the world as it is and seeing the world through my lens of depression or my lens of anxiety or even my constant autistic lens. Each version of my own world is colored and shaped and morphed by the lens I see it through. I’ve read books about mental disorders and books from the point of view of someone in a mental breakdown, but none of them were handled this beautifully. This isn’t gentle and it isn’t outright, but it is honest in a way most books miss the mark (and if this book wasn’t meant to be read from this angle, I refuse to apologize because the beauty I found is something I refuse to give back).

I do not want to beat the “horse” that is mental health and my assumption that this story revolves around and is submerged in a world overtaken with mental health issues, but seriously,
the modern problem” in the book is people leaving. Where are they going? No one knows. What are the signs of those who are going to leave? The person pulls away from their loved ones, they stop talking, and if our main character is one of the afflicted he also starts to see himself as alone. He thinks no one understands his plight and no one sees him because he doesn’t matter. If you’ve ever been in the middle of depression you could have described the world in those same words, but our main character also stops trusting everyone he once he cared about as soon as they disagree with the way he views the world. David simply writes off every person who sees things differently than him and almost seems as though he resents every single person who doesn’t feel the same way he does. Is this a mental break from reality or is David not suffering from paranoia, but correct. As the reader, you keep going to find out that answer if you don’t really care what is happening with everyone else. David doesn’t care about many others, so the reader doesn’t either and I really like the author went this route with the writing instead of bogging us down with side characters or making us doubt in David with fleshed out perspectives we simply do not need.

The trip we go on with David is exhausting and wild. He’s around ten when we start the journey and he’s adult by the closing. David’s journey begins with losing his grandfather and maybe that seems very typical, but in a world where David is constantly being kept in the dark about everything and he never sees a body to confirm it was a death, it starts a landslide of questioning and we are along for the ride. The trip David goes on is strange, surreal, and perfect for a horror reader. You never know what is happening or what isn’t, but you experience it all the way David experiences it and I wouldn’t want it any other way. I refuse to spoil a moment of this story, but I desperately want to discuss it with you, with someone, with anyone because I can’t stop thinking about this book. Reading this book felt like a dissent into madness and by the end I didn’t quite trust myself or anyone near me. I want to know if this book touches everyone in the same way because I know I can’t imagine closing this story and not feeling just a bit like David.

I was given the opportunity to listen to the audio recording by NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. I’ve left my review on the book, but not on the audio and it’s hard to elaborate on how brilliantly the narrator did. I loved the voice, the inflections, and the raw emotions in this narration. I can’t imagine a better voice for David. I am usually a book reader and rarely an audio listener, but in recent months I’ve had patrons of the library requesting more and more audio titles for the book club and this book was a stunning listen. I think this will be my next suggestion for our book club and I can’t wait to discuss it and how it affects all the other readers. If you enjoy horror, read this book. If you have ever felt like you didn’t fit into your skin or role or life or maybe came from a different place all together, read this book. If you like to finish a book and wonder if any of it actually happened, read this book.

Clicks and knocks, knocks and clicks.

As a child, David could tell something was wrong. People spread rumors of missing people, nest of bones and bodies appearing in the mountains. David's family refused to share what they knew, with the exception of his grandfather, who suddenly disappeared without a goodbye. His parents told him that he died, but David didn't believe them. Now adult, David decides to look for the answers he always needed.

Mothtown is a scifi/horror/coming of age novel, mostly split in two timelines: before and after. In the first, we experience David's childhood and young feelings; in the second, we see him travelling and looking for Mothtown and more information about his grandfather's discoveries. The story is dark, mysterious, disturbing and beautifully told: I really really loved the writing style of Caroline Hardaker, a new-to-me author, and that made up for the fact that I was very confused and lost during the majority of the book (this is probably the kind of story that deserves a re-read, at least for me). I won't say more about the plot because I don't want to give away spoilers, but it's quite intriguing despite not super-easy to follow because of the time jumps.
The ending was great though, it left me emotional and still a bit confused but I overall enjoyed it.

I would recommend listening to the audiobook narrated by Alan Cammish who, not only has a lovely accent and voice, but did a fantastic job in bringing David's thoughts and mental state to life.

* I'd like to thank Caroline Hardaker, Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for providing this ALC in exchange for my honest review.

Equally an otherworldly horror adventure and a reflection on grief, Mothtown is a genre-blending lyrical journey like no other. Mothtown sinks its claws into you with its eerie mystery and refuses to let go. Hardaker’s writing deftly blends speculative and literary fiction, in the same vein as The Starless Sea and Station Eleven, albeit with far, far more bugs.

Mothtown is told in alternating chapters of two timelines: Before and After. In Before, David’s life is examined, from his childhood through his young adulthood; it’s a life filled with a quiet sorrow and frequent misunderstandings. David feels overshadowed by his sister, avoided by his parents, and left behind after the death of his beloved grandfather. David is deemed odd by those around him; he sometimes speaks in clicking, bug-like noises, if he speaks at all. As people in town begin to go missing, David looks to the research of his late grandfather and believes the multiverse can solve all their problems, including his own.

In After, David traverses an otherworldly landscape as he looks for Mothtown. He travels alone and isn’t sure if he can return once he arrives. Still, David believes there is more to Mothtown. He believes his long-dead grandfather isn’t actually gone. He believes there’s more to the story of those who went missing from his childhood town. David thinks Mothtown is the key and, maybe, he is right.

I admit Mothtown left me completely, wholly confused for at least 50% of the book. Thankfully, this confusion was resolved in a satisfying way, which is high praise, indeed. To be confused by a book and then to have that “Ah-Ha!” moment is the ultimate gift a book can give, and Mothtown gave me that. That said, there is no solid conclusion to the ending of this story. This is not a hopeful or happy book. If you dislike confusion and open-ended conclusions, Mothtown is not the book for you. If you enjoy a melodic literary twist to your sf/f/h, Mothtown will knock your socks off, punch you in the gut, and then, possibly, make you cry. I have a feeling this will be a bit of a cult-favorite in the horror space this season.

I read this book through audiobook from Dreamscape Lore, which I cannot recommend enough. The production quality of the audiobook is superb and completely captures the eerie quality of Mothtown. Alan Cammish narrates the audiobook and fully encapsulates David’s deteriorating mental state. Hardaker’s writing combined with Cammish’s narration is truly what audiobook dreams are made of.

Content Warnings:
Undiagnosed Mental Disorders
Cult-like Groups
Grief and Loss of a Loved One
Hallucinations and Delusions


Thanks to Dreamscape Lore for an advanced copy of the audiobook for review!

First off, many thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this book as an audio ARC! I greatly appreciate it!

This book was weird, and I mean that in the best way possible. David is a supremely unreliable narrator, which is always a fun thing to have in a book. The writing is beautiful, especially when David's ruminating on his grief over his grandfather, and having lost a beloved grandfather myself, I nearly cried a few times. It's beautifully described. Everything is beautifully described, including the body horror, which is a really hard thing to portray in an effective way.

My only complaint is that I wasn't fond of the weird fourth wall breaks, but I didn't dislike them enough to cost this book a star.

I give Mothtown five stars out of five!

Mothtown by Caroline Hardaker is a speculative fiction intertwined with some horror elements. I enjoyed the imagery used throughout the novel but I felt it was too slow burning for me. I felt like this story had a great base to make a world of mystery and uneasiness but instead it was more confusing at times which was disappointing.

David’s storyline flashes between his childhood and adulthood as he deals with the loss (or disappearance) of his grandfather. David believes he sees flashes of his grandfather as a child, while as an adult he finally journeys to The Mountain trying to follow a journey he believe his grandfather took.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: 5/5 stars

“No. This was a truth that I couldn’t swallow, and it rolled around my mouth, heavy on my tongue. I knew I should be sad, but I felt empty instead, as if something had been scooped out and not replaced. But in that hole, something lived and breathed, and it was flapping for attention.”

Caroline Hardakers sophomore novel had the honours of being my final anticipated release of 2023. Despite its purposefully enigmatic synopsis that only lifts the very tip of the veil of mystery that surrounds this story, I’ve been intrigued ever since its announcement. I can happily say, it lived up to the long wait. With its stunning prose that echoes the authors past work in poetry, its disorienting spin of events and its wonderfully resonant emotional core, Mothtown is one of the most haunting stories to come out this year.

David has always been an odd kid. A constant sense of displacement, and “otherness” has kept him from ever feeling completely at home in this world. His solid anchor, his home and kindred spirit, is his likeminded granddad, who’s eccentric interests and ideas fascinate young David. Especially Granddads work on multiverse-theory that even got him published once, has an electric pull on David.
Mothtown tells David’s story, as it is split into two time lines by an event that irrevocably divided his life into before and after; the death of grandfather. Without warning, without goodbye, Grandpa is gone and the world around him starts to take on strange and unsettling shapes. Unnerving events around town, missing people, bodies are showing up with wings, or bones in nests if you believe the rumours from the kids at school… And then, there’s the clues that Grandpa left behind; clues hinting that he didn’t die, but went away to another place. With increasing desperation, David sets off on a quest through a hostile landscape, piecing together the breadcrumb-trail Grandpa left behind, in hopes of finding that place where he doesn’t feel out of place.

Many of the events of the book remain shrouded in mystery and ambiguity, yet plenty is offered for the reader to understand what’s happening before them. Mothtown has strong themes of mental health, grief and trauma, and used magical realism to depict them in a way that almost feels “truer than life”. The way I interpreted the story (view spoiler). The way David's world splits following an event so horrible his mind cannot accept the reality of, is heartbreaking, harrowing and eerily resonant to read.
From a technical point, the authors writing is impeccable throughout. From the characterization, to the environmental descriptions, to the intense atmosphere; everything works synergistically to create this masterpiece. Although the book is tagged as “horror”, there are very few outward moments of fear throughout. Instead, the entire story is drenched in an unrelenting feeling of dread and displacement that, to me, was far more effective than any in-your-face-scares could be. Dread surrounding the unexplainable events happening, dread from a protagonist who’s desperately trying to make sense of a world that has fractures all around him, and the dread from you as the reader watching these events unfold, knowing the outcome likely won’t be a happy one.
All in all, I cannot recommend this book highly enough. Comp-titles aren’t easy to find with something as unique as this, but Piranesi by Susanna Clarke comes to mind.

Many thanks to Angry Robot Press and Dreamscape Audio for providing me with both an audio- as well as a regular ARC in exchange for an honest review. Both formats add in unique ways to the story: the audio with its superb narration, and the physical/e-book by the stunning illustrations by Chris Riddell sprinkled throughout.

Mothtown is a very bizarre novel dealing with grief, trauma and alternate dimensions.

I struggled through this whole book hoping the end would bring it all together but I was even more confused by the ending. Caroline Hardaker’s prose was wonderful but I found the story too confusing and complicated to find a grasp on what was happening. There were so many added elements that didn’t feel necessary and I feel like they got in the way of the overall plot.

Usually I like weird! But this one just left the reader feeling just as lost in Mothtown as David was.

This was a good listen, and the narrator did an excellent job. I only wish that the story did not jump to different timelines, which it was sometimes hard to decipher. This book crosses genres of horror and fantasy. Thank you to Angry Robot Books, Dreamscape Media, author Caroline Hardaker, and Netgalley for the digital audio. 4 star

Mothtown, an unsettling and inventive story.
The narrator made the story justice by giving it a poetic feel, and I enjoyed that a lot.

I’ll be honest and say that I felt a bit confused from time to time since the story jumped between timelines although it was important for the narrative.

Overall a great listen, perfect for autumn evenings.

I’d like to thank Dreamscape for the lovely opportunity to listen to this ARC. A special thanks to author Caroline Hardaker for making this eerie book, and to narrator Alan Cammish for a great experience.

3.5 stars

This is a dark and unique speculative horror that covers so many different genres. The writing is entrancing and the characters compelling.

Told in different timelines, jumping kind of all over the place, we learn about David and the loss of his beloved grandfather. Strangely, the circumstances surrounding his grandfather’s death are muddy. Some of his prized items cannot be found and David swear he sees him places. The closer he gets to finding out the truth, though, the more secretive the people around him become.

The sister who he has always looked up to doesn’t seem to care much and he is sure their father is hiding something.

This read like a bizarre psychological horror film and I enjoyed it!