4 1/2 ⭐️

This book was one thing at the beginning and then it was something entirely different… And I didn’t hate it. This is an incredibly powerful way of looking at and dealing with trauma. The author has a great sarcastic sense of humor that I enjoyed, especially at the beginning. But she does get into some real shit and the way she does is definitely unique. I don’t think I’ve read a book like this before. It definitely did not go the direction I thought it was going to go. I think the cover is slightly misleading and I wouldn’t have chosen that particular artwork for what this book is. I don’t think it does it justice.
It is horror, there are monsters, but it’s all a metaphor for the real horror and the real monsters: narcissists, child predators, generational trauma. There’s a lot here.
It’s a quick read with a big impact and I highly recommend!

***Thank you NetGalley, Rachel Eve Moulton, and Simon & Schuster for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.***

A mother discovers her third child, and only daughter's, demonic tendencies.

Uhhh, what the Hell did I just read? As someone who has intense vorarephobia, I was absolutely repulsed. As someone who loves a good toxic mother-daughter story, I was intrigued. I guess this three star rating meets the two right in the middle?

Kids ARE scary

I just don't think books about motherhood (as someone who is not a mother with no desire to be) and that's ok! We're following a mom who is on her third kid, and first daughter, and her trauma about her own mom rears it's head in the form of a baby with way too many teeth. Really weird and full of trauma!

3.5⭐

I thought this would be a story about a feral demon baby, but I was surprised it was more of a dramedy about generational trauma, female rage, and postpartum depression. Loved the dark humor, loved the decent into madness, and I even enjoyed the unlikeable main character. But the ending fell flat for me. It felt rushed and too nicely wrapped up to leave me with a lasting impression.

Thank you to NetGalley and Putnam Books for the eARC.

Loved this book!! It was written well and the story was great!! I wish I could read this one again for the first time!! Recommend highly

TW: Child abuse; child SA; animal death depicted on page and mentions thereafter; narcissism.


Breaking abusive cycles is at the forefront of this novella. The writing is visceral and the story has a rawness to it that is admirable and I can see this being a very cathartic read for someone who has an abusive parent.. It doesn't shy away from its message. It has something to say and it is going to say it.
This was a heavier book than what I was anticipating, and it was unique in that it wasn't your usual child-is-a-monster story that I was expecting, . and I found it to be surprisingly wholesome at its core.
I feel like somethings were left by the wayside due to the pacing, and I wish we had gotten more of an explanation at the end but overall this was a decent read.

I really thought I'd enjoy this one. It has the same premise as many other books I've loved, but something about this one just didn't work for me. I ended up DNFing fairly early on so I won't be leaving a rating anywhere. I'm not sure if it was just the writing style or what but I just wasn't clicking with it. This could totally be a me problem, though, and not anything to do with the book itself.

An oddly comforting little story. I definitely went in with assumptions about where we were headed, and Moulton really took me by surprise.

This book is just the right length. Some of the writing felt vague; for example, I really can't get it clear in my brain WHEN Thea's mother arrived in this story, she was just suddenly there. But overall, the visuals and reflections on generational trauma make this book a true standout. It wasn't my favorite, but I would easily recommend it to those who loved Nightbitch.

3.50

Wow, I sure didn't expect that when I started this book! let's just say like Mother, like daughter, like daughter, etc. I was kinda bored halfway through but that ending. Worth the read.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for gifting me a digital ARC of this novel by Rachel Eve Moulton. All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 4.5 stars!

Lucia didn't have a good relationship with her own mother, so she was worried and stressed throughout her first two pregnancies. But everything went well and she has two wonderful little boys. Her third pregnancy was easy and she had none of the same fears. Until she was born and she just knew her baby girl was a monster.

This is a wild ride and certainly won't be for everyone. But if you love dark humor with a side of horror, this look at motherhood, mother/daughter relationships, and generational trauma just might be for you. I'm not sure I've read anything else like this before and I read a lot! It's short and unhinged in a good way, and I couldn't look away.

Tantrum by Rachel Eve Moulton is an absolutely wild maternal horror novella. Do NOT read while pregnant or in the early postpartum stages.

Thea, an exhausted mother of three, is convinced that her baby girl is actually a monster (and there are signs). She must come to terms with her childhood trauma and face the relationship she has with her own mother. Full of dark humor with strong themes on motherhood, womanhood, and generational cycles of abuse.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group for an eARC.

Tantrum is the perfect blend of horror and the real life traumas that can be associated with motherhood.

Thea has just given birth to her third child, and first daughter, Lucia. She is convinced Lucia is a monster and, let me tell you - she might be on to something. Whether she is ripping the head off Thea’s beloved chicken Alex Forrest (named after the OG bunny boiler herself) or trying to pluck her brother’s eyeball out, Lucia is definitely the creepiest kid I’ve encountered this year.

Tantrum ended up being much more than a horror novel as it explores the generational trauma passed down from mother to daughter. Thea loves her daughter, but that doesn’t mean she isn’t terrified of her and for her. From the very start, we see glimpses of Thea’s own upbringing and the rather terrible relationship she has with her mother. Thea’s mom did little to protect her as a child and that makes her all the more determined to break down her own trauma before she can pass it on to Lucia. Overall I really enjoyed Moulton’s writing and the message here.

Thank you to Putnam and NetGalley for a review copy.

Tantrum by Rachel Eve Moulton was definitely an interesting read. I'm both not in the target audience for this book (not a huge horror fan) and I'm totally in the target audience for this book (as I love weird takes on motherhood). I'm not sure I would have kept reading if this had been a long read, but I was definitely drawn into the premise in the first third of the book and found I really needed to stay along for the ride through the rest of it. I liked the high desert setting - this book worked very well in that dry and prickly environment. And I felt the layered reveals about Thea's childhood were managed in a way that kept me interested. Lucia's actions in part 2? Well, super disturbing, but what was I to expect? So in the end, this is definitely a "not for everyone" book, but one I'll recommend to those who like compact horror and stories of disturbing motherhood.

At the start of this, I began to worry that it’d be a DNF. It went off the rails in the best way possible pretty quickly though, and I found myself so pulled in that I couldn’t set this book down. I appreciate that the author kept this fairly short, no need to stretch it out and ruin the tension. This is one of those books that doesn’t answer all your questions and is actually better for that reason.

Note: ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Ahoy there me mateys! This book has a cool cover and a cool concept.  A mother believes her third child and only daughter might be a monster.  She's right.

Unfortunately, this was not a good fit for me overall.  The book is split into three parts.  I loved part one which was more in line with the horror book I was expecting.  The writing in this section was evocative and the little girl was creepy.  I couldn't figure out if the mom was suffering from postpartum, was losing her mind due to the stress of having three children under five, or actually had a daughter who was evil.

Of course, the blurb answers that question but I didn't know that when I picked it up.  Sadly, when the book moved to parts two and three, the plot and themes went in a direction I didn't like.  Again, it is well written.  I just was expecting and/or hoping for something else.  I finished this book thinking how weird it was and being slightly dissatisfied.

Aye, weird but not horrific.  There was dark humor here.  I wanted more monster and less about the mother's past trauma.  I do think this could be a better read if the reader goes in with the correct expectations.  Arrr!

Tantrum by Rachel Eve Moulton is a unique take on a horror topic I thought I knew well! Thea never thought she would be a mom. But now her and her husband have two sons and Thea just gave birth to her first daughter. With each of her first two pregnancies she had a deep feeling of dread that when they were born they would be evil. Her sons were born and placed in her arms and she felt that they were good. As soon as her daughter was placed in her arms Thea knew that she was a monster. Her daughter Lucia was born with a full set of teeth and has an insatiable hunger. As Thea tries to understand her daughter's unique needs and urges, dark memories of her own childhood resurface. Tantrum was a thought provoking, emotional, and deep exploration of generational trauma, motherhood, and familial responsibility.

Thank you netgalley for the opportunity to read this book.t review may be all over the place, but that’s how I felt reading this too. The book is broken up into three parts/chapters. Each chapter almost felt like its own book in a way. This book ended up being nothing close to what I was expecting. I assumed it would be a psychological thriller based on the description, but it was so much more. In part two I had some guesses for where the book was going and that was really interesting to see play out. Throughout the book I was confused and felt like I had no idea what was going on, so when the emotions of the end of part three got me, I was shocked. The writing was beautiful and captivating through out the book. The imagery was also very well done. The mother wound aspects got me too.

For such a short book, this got repetitive for me. I found it difficult to push through at times but I would try another book from this author in the future.

I love “bad seed” books but this one was a lot more supernatural than I thought it would be. I really enjoyed the first half but the second half was a little out there for my tastes. I did love the metaphor behind the story and how the main character’s past came in play into it.

Thea is a mother of three. She lives in the middle of the dessert in a small house with her husband and kids. But her youngest baby, is starting to scare Thea. Lucia is only three month old daughter is doing things no three month old should. This was very emotional for me. Motherhood is not easy. And motherhood after so much trauma isn’t easy for Thea. I don’t usually like to read books where the dynamic between mother and daughter is harsh. But this one had something different. I enjoyed the way it was played out. How in the end it was Thea’s decision to tackle her trauma. Even though it’s short, it didn’t disappoint.