The Unmothers by Leslie J. Anderson ostensibly follows a reporter through a small town. This reporter, Marshall, and this town, Raeford, both have parts of their past they’d rather not share. Not kept secret is why Marshall is in town: a horse gave birth to a human baby. If that sounds unbelievable, don’t worry; Marshall and her boss think so too. This folk horror novel is also a detective story—one where the stakes keep rising. You can follow the case when this debut novel arrives from Quirk Books on August 6th, 2024.

Before I can dig into this story, I have to address the point of view. This book does not entirely follow Marshall. I understand from a summary standpoint how it makes sense to frame the story in this way, but it did color my reading expectations. I wasn’t a fan of Marshall at the start, and wasn’t looking forward to spending so many pages with her. But when the viewpoint kept changing, I struggled to adjust to the new shape of the story. I think I counted around twelve distinct perspectives, when I originally thought it was sticking with two. About halfway through my reading, I realized the main character isn’t Marshall: it’s Raeford.

Once I made that connection, I really started to enjoy this book. I distinctly remember something happening—something delightfully leaning into folk horror—where I said, “Okay, this is what I came here for.” That scene, and many following, were awesome. The atmosphere of Raeford clings to you. It’s sticky, like blood. And the cast of characters that populate it? That’s one benefit of Marshall as a character: you get to meet them as an outsider and as an insider. Dualities like this, how and why people relate to each other, is a crucial scaffold to this novel. With Marshall, we are able to learn about the town and truly see how insular and untrusting they are. With the perspectives of those who grew up in town, we get to see how that trust gets further divided and what lines they have drawn for themselves.

Also of note–Raeford is a horse town. The politics of the industry create some of these lines, as does simple experience. Just because you see your neighbor’s horse walking down the road doesn’t mean you know how to ride, or more importantly, train. There’s a level of pride and superiority that those at the top of their field inhabit. A squabble between two men over a stud is made abundantly clear from the start. That’s a pretty testosterone filled conversation for a book like The Unmothers. It’s a book steeped in motherhood, birth, and the community found amongst women. The men are left almost entirely on the outside of these conversations and rituals. Or at least, they’re supposed to be.

The main conflict in this story, in this town, arises from that gender line being crossed. On one hand, there is a man who is willingly exposed to some of the mystery surrounding the bloody history of this town. On the other, there is a man who is violently seeking those secrets for his own use. Even deeper into the fabric of this town, there is a break within the circle of women as well. There is no clear path of initiation into these customs, or the rules. And when rules like this are broken, the price is high. Some of these breaks come from outside the community, like poverty or substance abuse. The town makes it a point to highlight those prices that are being publicly paid.

These heavy concepts and sweeping social commentary almost hurts this novel. Talking with a friend, we each got half of the story we expected, the story we wanted. This novel really did do a lot, which is a huge undertaking for a debut. I can see where things were going, and how much heart went into this vision, but for me that did distract from the book I thought I was reading. Really, I commend Anderson for tackling something so vast on a first go. It may not have been a perfect read for me, but I see a lot of talent here. Especially when it came to the almost cosmic horror elements peeking through. I cannot stress enough how much I loved those aspects of this book. It makes me really hope we see more from this author. And if you’re on the fence, aren’t you at least a little curious enough to pick this up? I think it’s worth it.

3.5/5

*Slight spoilers*

Really good atmosphere, and a mystery / monster that I liked because it was presented as somewhat morally grey. The author also really captures some of the feeling of being around "horse people," and presents a low-key but deep knowledge about working with horses. The prose was competent but I didn't feel like there was much of a distinctive voice, and the different characters didn't distinguish themselves from each other very much. I actually didn't mind the plethora of POV chapters but I do think that some of them were probably unnecessary because they did not add to the texture of the story. For example, Emma's chapters were conceptually a good inclusion because they could show her escape to the city but the ties the town still holds on her by way of Daily. But I don't think these chapters quite stuck the landing so they felt extraneous. I'm also not sure I understood Daily's interest in Emma, or why the monster was after him--there may have been an explanation or intimation but if there was, I didn't catch it. Anyway, I think this is a really strong debut from Anderson, and a decent entry in the folk horror genre, which is why I rounded up.

The good news: The Unmothers is my first ever ARC (advanced reader copy)!! YIPEE. And the bad: I hear “folk horror mystery” and I’m all in, but The Unmothers kinda kept me wanting.

The wild and kinda spooky horse imagery: perfection. The foggy, dark country forest setting with mysteries within: 100% yes. The feminist, ancient female power themes: gimme, all day. But listen! I wanted this to go way deeper! I wanted things to get WEIRD! I wanted the vibes to be so spooky and animalistic and slightly off-putting! My fault for expecting an A24 type storyline. But you read the synopsis and tell me it doesn’t sound like it was going in that direction?

It came off rather bland, the ending could have done big things but it kind of fizzled, and I didn’t care about any of the characters. Some of them made rather questionable decisions but then the author was giving strong backpedal vibes like we were expected to like them, which ~gave me pause~.

I have a feeling this one will be rather divisive in its reception. Do pick it up and tell me what you think?

Looking for some feminist folk horror? The Unmothers is your book. Set in a small, rural town, this was so atmospheric and creepy, far exceeding what I hoped. There are quite a few things going on, we have grief and folk horror, female rage, a bit of gore, I couldn't put it down. There were a lot of POVs in this one, but I never found it to be overwhelming or confusing and the character development was great without being too much. It's the perfect read on an early fall night, when the sun starts to set earlier and the nights begin to be chilly. I can't wait to read whatever Leslie J. Anderson writes next. Thanks so much to Quirk Books for sending me a copy of this one! The Unmothers will be published 8/6 and needs to be on your TBR!

'The Unmothers' is a small town mystery novel that earns its keep through its commentary on bodily autonomy and women's rights. For me the story would have worked better with less character perspectives. Anderson introduces a group of different characters very quickly and I found it difficult to invest in all of the different perspectives. I found myself constantly wishing for the chapters surrounding the main character Marshall, who certainly had an interesting background and was the highlight of the story for me.

Anderson does a good job at cultivating a stereotypical, small town, hostile environment that is a perfect setting for secrets, of which there are plenty in the novel.

If you are looking for a story that simmers in frighteningly real injustices of the world then this could definitely be a novel worth checking out. It is a pondering slow burn that promises an explosion of rage as secrets unravel and truths are revealed.

4.5⭐️! This book was such a bizarre ride, but I absolutely loved it! If you're into folklore horror, this one's for you. Plus, extra points if you're a horse lover like me—the author either knows horses inside out or did a ton of research.

It did take me a bit to get into the story at first. There are around 12 different POVs, and I had no idea who was who 😅 but once I got the hang of it, I was hooked!

The last 50 pages were incredible! It turned dark really fast. You have to suspend your disbelief for this one, but I personally love that kind of horror—the supernatural and folklore blend.

Highly recommend when it comes out in August!

This book was super creative and unique, and it was a great piece of folk horror. While I enjoyed reading it overall, I did think there were too many characters that got “chapters” in their POVs, and that took away from developing other characters in more depth. I also felt like the central ritual could have been explored a bit more. But I did like the author’s style, and I was engaged throughout. The power it offered women was stirring and poignant.

This one surprised me. I have been enjoying folk horror lately and this really scratched the itch for me.

My expectations were HUGE for this novel and it was a HUGE let down. Reporter who just lost her husband is sent to a small town for a week to cover a teenager with a baby. Per usual, The towns people aren’t welcoming to an outsider. The book at first leads you to believe that the weird behavior from locals is due to poverty and opioid addiction. The life of the town is centered around horses. Around a quarter way through the book is when you finally start to see what the “mystery” is. The writing purposely makes it seem that there is incest or beastiality as a tactic to keep you glued in. About a third way through the book, the mother is finally identified and it’s not an animal or family member. The middle of the book is very frustrating because it is a LOT of POV switches to a lot of characters, but they are leading nowhere and don’t contribute to the story. At halfway through the book there is nothing but small town fights of the cliché “you were supposed to do better” (there are multiple young pregnancy’s within the town). Further into the book, it kinda starts to quicken up. Philip’s mom is contacted to reveal how she performed “the ritual”, to which it turns out that someone is paying her rent. Then it’s another round of small town drama. FINALLY, the monster makes an appearance (it’s the same monster from the Novel Her Soul to Take by Harley Larmoux). Someone messed up the ritual and now the monster is angry.

Some of the things didn’t line up. Like Agatha’s dad being “top dog” in the town yet Agatha and Roth were suffering and couldn’t afford to upkeep their houses, and an extremely poor town yet everyone had horses and paid for riding lessons,
Also, there was just too many POVs. My limit is 3, if the writing is organized. This book has way more than that.

I shouldn’t have to read half of a book to get some sort of substance from the pages. Until the 54% mark, there is maybe 3 pages of importance. The rest doesn’t do anything but bore and drag the reader. Seriously, we get it. They’re in a small town. We don’t need a hundred pages and 5 POVs to redundantly go over that. This book really let me down. I sped read it at the end it was so bad.

I absolutely loved this book, and it won't leave my mind! It felt like folk horror meets the X-Files. This story weaves horses, a reporter sent into the middle of nowhere, horses that have human babies (maybe?), and generational trauma. Definitely one of my favorite reads this year! I absolutely recommend this to horror fans!

Thank you so much to NetGalley & Quirk Books for this advanced copy of this book. I really love folk horror. The story also had the cultish vibes I also enjoy. While not for everyone, this story was in parts tragic and also bonkers. This should be an auto read for any horror fan who also loves horses. Check this out when it publishes August 6, 2024!

The description made this sound incredibly interesting and promising.
Instead I was left confused and feeling like I wasn't smart enough to be reading it.
I don't really understand what the point of the story was, or what was really going on.
A shame, it sounded like it could have been something really brilliant.

I do not know why I thought this book would work for me, but I love folk horror despite my issues with pregnancy depictions, so I thought I'd give it a try. It was definitely more focused on pregnancy and childbirth than I'd hoped, though that's a me issue (since the synopsis really does emphasize this). Having grief as the central motivation on top of that meant this was way more trauma porn and way less 'fun' horror than I prefer for ME, but I know tons of folks will love this, and I appreciate the motivation behind it as well.

In the wake of her husband’s tragic death, newspaper reporter Marshall is given a clear softball assignment: travel to the tiny town of Raeford and investigate claims that a horse has given birth to a human child. Everyone at the paper knows it’s a hoax. It’s an oddball human interest piece, at best. But upon arriving in the isolated community, Marshall can’t help but feel that something is off. The locals are intensely guarded. There are strange local traditions no one will explain, like bowls of milk placed on tombstones at the graveyard. Worst of all is the screeching sound seemingly coming from inside the walls of her hotel room. It doesn’t take long for Marshall to realize this town is keeping secrets…big ones.

I loved this book. It was full of surprising twists, and the ominous vibe throughout the book kept me at the edge of my seat. It also had a surprising feminist message, pointing to real concerns about reproductive care in rural American communities. The sense of place in this book is so strong, and I could vividly picture the setting. It paints a picture of an odd, isolated community without stereotyping or demeaning the characters living there. I would absolutely recommend this one to horror fans. I had a great time reading it!

Though this book was marketed as "horror for horse girls," I think the fact that I wasn't a horse girl BECAUSE of how terrifying I find horses also made me the perfect audience. I am always excited when I find folk horror whose cult/folklore central belief is not just fertility (and, in fact, can be used in an anti-fertility fashion). #JusticeForEmma

Thanks to NetGalley & Quirk Books for the early copy in exchange for an honest review.

I will say, I was captured in the first 30% of the book and then the author introduced a ton of different POV chapters...and it lost me. It was really compelling for me up to that point. I was also let down by the meh mystery at the end.

Ein slow-burn, gespenstischer Folk-Horror, der in einer ländlichen Stadt spielt. Als die Journalistin Carolyn Marshall den Auftrag erhält, in der Kleinstadt Raeford einem Gerücht nachzugehen, wonach ein Pferd ein menschliches Baby zur Welt gebracht haben soll, schreibt sie es ab. Doch als seltsame Vorkommnisse das dunkle Geheimnis der Stadt zu lüften beginnen, wird Marshall immer tiefer in das Geheimnis hineingezogen, das sie verbirgt.

Die Unmothers ist eine fesselnde Geschichte, die noch lange nach der letzten Seite in Erinnerung bleiben wird. Gleichermaßen weibliche Wut und eine Anspielung auf die Macht der Schwesternschaft, dies ist ein starkes Debüt und eine Autorin, die man im Auge behalten sollte.

I was really excited about this book as it sounded like it combined folk horror, small town secrets, and new horror elements (hello! a horse giving birth to a human?!) but, at the end, I was disappointed. I felt like it could have delved more into the town's mystical history but, instead, it felt like it was focused more on the inner-drama and politics of the town including drug abuse. It felt more human drama than horror. I think I'd be interested in seeing what else this author does but, for me, this book wasn't a winner.

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC!

I didn't end up finishing this! The tone was beautifully done, but I felt like it got too wrapped up in the prose to focus on its plot. I think I'm going to give it another go when I can really focus on it.

I was captivated by the cover but stayed for the incredible story. Think The X-Files but with a feminist twist (although Scully definitely provided a strong female character) blend that with a classic monster of the week episode and who does love that? Be prepared to not be able to put this one down and have time to read. Definitely excited to see what Anderson comes out with next!