Tantrum is a delightfully unsettling blend of domestic drama and surreal horror, delivered with biting dark humor and razor-sharp prose. Rachel Eve Moulton crafts a story that’s as much about the monstrous demands of motherhood as it is about an actual possibly-monster child. Thea is a compelling narrator—funny, flawed, and deeply human—as she navigates the blurred lines between maternal instinct and growing dread. While some of the surreal elements may stretch believability, the emotional truths at the heart of the novel land hard. Creepy, clever, and unexpectedly moving, Tantrum is a weird, wild ride worth taking.

Thank you, NetGalley, for the early copy!

This was wild in the best way. Dark, weird, and totally original. Thea’s voice pulled me in right away—equal parts funny, unhinged, and heartbreaking. Lucia is such a strange, unsettling little force, and I couldn’t look away. There’s something so raw and real under all the horror, especially when it touches on motherhood and memory. It’s definitely not a book for everyone, but it hit the mark for me.

Postpartum is no cake walk. Its brutal and in so many ways can make us feel as if we are a monster. As if we don't who we are, what we want, and if everyone around us looks at us differently. The main character, Thea, is no exception. She is faced with new challenges and starts questioning if this is the life she truly wanted for herself. Her new daughter, Lucia, is not like any other 13 month old. She decapitates chickens, starts talking, walking around, and loves the taste of blood. Is she a monster that Thea fears for the safety of her other two children or is there something else going on? Tantrum explores so many things involving motherhood, aging, and generational trauma.

One of my favorite parts of the book was the conversation about being raised by a narcissist. This hit home for me personally and I appreciate the author exploring that topic. Overall I enjoyed this. Its short, so a quick read, and my only complaint is that I think a few things could have been more fleshed out and further explored towards the end. 3.5 stars rounded up

I figured this novella was going to be about just another evil child making the mom crazy.I enjoyed how the female rage was shown in the book and how it was embraced in the end.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book for review.
If you're into reading Generational trauma, imposter syndrome, maternity horror, mommy issues, and a weird baby, this book is for you.

I feel like I need to start this review by saying I am not a mother. But as an angry feminist, uterus-having woman who loves tiny humans.. omg I loved this. Its a novella or a short story about motherhood and how it's not all roses and rainbows. Thea is both cautious and ambivalent about her youngest, and only daughter. Having 2 elder boys who turned out bright and lovely toddlers, her youngest scares her and gives her the heebygeebies. But is it her daughters behavior or her own that is more disturbing??

I dunno what it is, but stories about parenthood that are raw and honest (and a little dark) really do something to my psyche. I think, as a society, we don't discuss the burdens and troubles of being a new parent enough, and we don't share the struggles. We're supposed to love the newborn months and glow in awe of our children, but pregnancy and parenthood isn't wonderful for everyone. That doesn't make you weird or wrong or bad. Its just how life goes. I think this was a very raw view of this experience (dramatized a bit, perhaps) and I loved it!!

It's definitely one of those stories you can't say too much about without spoiling things, but it's a short read (under 200 pages) and absolutely worth it if you want something hard-hitting and raw.

If you've enjoyed Ashley Adrain or Lucinda Berry, I think this'll very much be up your alley. Additionally, it somehow gives similar energy to Motherthing and a bit of Melissa Broder.

For those who need it, there are some major trigger warnings:
-parental neglect
-parental abuse (verbal & physical)
-post-partum psychosis or depression (my own interpretation)

This novel was really silly and campy. The cover art is what drew me in. If you like over the top books about the pitfalls of motherhood then you enjoy this. The writing style was pretty good but the overall story didn’t keep my undivided attention. I kept thinking of different movies while reading this like The Omen or The Ring. It’s a quick and easy read so go into this book suspending your disbelief.

an interesting entry in the “horror about mothers” category, though certainly not my favorite. this had a lot of great moments, still, it just didn’t quite connect with me as strongly as i think it wanted to, particularly the ending. still, moulton crafts a story that keeps the pages turning and all eyes on what comes next.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of Tantrum.

First, great cover! It's what made me want to read Tantrum.

Second, I read The Insatiable Volt Sisters which I didn't like but did like some parts of it.

Third, I thought this was going to be a straight up horror novel like Damien from The Omen or The Bad Seed.

Instead, it's horror-ish hiding behind social commentary about how hard it is to be mom and a parent and a daughter and the main character's tumultuous relationship with her mother and traumatic childhood.

Yes, let's all blame mom because that's what everyone and society does. This is very true.

There are some gross, bloody scenes but it's not really horror.

It's just graphic and some readers might take offense or feel squeamish.

The narrative drags due to the constant monologuing Thea does about her upbringing and how her mom messed her up, Lucia, on and on and on.

The reveal about Lucia and Thea's origins is anti-climatic. I didn't dislike it and I didn't love it. It was almost expected by then since I had a feeling Lucia wasn't Damien.

Too bad.

"I eat."

Funny, nasty, and a fun time.

Tantrum is a short novel about a mother who might have given birth to a monster. Thea has had two previous children, who are near perfect, but of course, her third is maybe a literal demon. It's a jolly fun ride and can be a nice beach or plane read. Moulton's writing is breezy and easy to read; you get caught up in her beautiful prose and interesting plot that you forget you're reading a less-than-200-page masterpiece. I loved it!

This was such a good read! The author wrote the characters perfectly, from the nosey neighbor to the kind but unaware husband. I felt Thea’s anger through the whole book. The author did a great job telling Thea’s backstory through flashbacks and later having Thea come to terms with her past in her own chaotic way with the help of her daughter, Lucia.

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Group for this ARC. Due to be published August 5th, 2025

Genre: Horror/Dark humor
Publisher: Putnam
Pub Date: Aug 05, 2025

“Tantrum” takes dark humor to the extreme. I only kept reading because I was curious if the mom was insane or maybe suffering from posttraumatic stress or if she really delivered birth to a monster. When I read the ridiculous answer on what was really going on, I laughed. To the author’s credit, she did a good job of balancing horror and humor. Still, I cannot bring myself to recommend this book since it wasn’t for me. But if you enjoy morbid humor, give this one a try.

This should be right up my alley, but unfortunately I did not like it.

Maybe it's a disservice that I read Victorian Psycho earlier today and absolutely loved it, and that had a similar unhinged woman/monster/murderer/cannibal angle with a wry sense of humor that fully nailed the tone in a way that felt effortless. Maybe there's something about mothers to monstrous children that I just don't really enjoy as subject matter (We Need to Talk About Kevin and The Push both didn't land for me).

Okay, so I should talk more about what this book is rather than comparing and contrasting it to other books. This is women's fiction inexpertly couched in Horror. The humor they're clearly aiming for is fairly consistent, but never felt funny to me. Maybe a narrator could bring it to life, but mostly it just sounded... mean. The main character is very burdened and has a victim complex and her sarcasm isn't the kind that's in on the joke. It's just bitchy and off-putting. And it's very obviously trying soooo hard.

Which is a real shame, because it chafes even more when the book essentially becomes a therapy session where they enact a hypothetical conversation to reach catharsis and healing (and it's not short either-- it basically takes up the entirety of Part III which is the last section of the book). It feels a little preachy, but mostly just raw in a cringe sort of way where I don't feel comfortable with how much they're exposing their emotions and tender, beating heart to me. I desperately want to look away and let them have their moment of healing and please please please don't bring me along as a spectator.

It's also all wrapped in this really heavy-handed magical realism metaphor for feminism and misogyny and patriarchy, but handled in what feels like a really toxic/messy way? And they all but drop the pretense during the therapy enactment scene.

Apparently other reviewers are enjoying this so maybe I'm in the minority. But I was considering DNFing in the 13-18% range and can only say that it further and further devolved into something very unpleasant to experience.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book for review. This book felt like a weird anthology of related fever dreams. I loved it. Generational trauma, imposter syndrome, maternity horror, mommy issues, weird (oddly self aware) baby, this book had it all. Also, it was hilariously ridiculous. I will be recommending this to so many people. No notes. 4.5 stars (I wish it was longer)

Little Lucia is a decidedly spooky kiddo, triggering unease in weary mother Thea from the moment she is born. Thea's fears are cemented when Lucia executes a bizarrely violent act as a toddler at the start of the story. Needless to say, the kids are not alright.

You know that I love a good "creepy child" horror book, but make no mistake, this is not Children of the Corn; this story moves far beyond the scare-factor of a classic fear-inducing horror novel. Thea's plight reflects relatable systemic inequities and frustrations, and the resultant rage, experienced by many women in our day to day lived experiences. In this way, Thea's inner monologue, while dripping with ire and fury, is also somewhat cathartic. Not to mention, darkly humorous: after being told that her "clock is ticking," Thea ruminates, "clocks don’t tick anymore, bitch." Something I hadn't even considered, as someone who has been told this exact thing several times since turning 40. (Note that I am reviewing an advanced copy, so text may change).

I will say too that this book ended up being unexpectedly poignant for me. Although I don't have children (there's that clock again), I found myself relating to Thea and her frustrations; learning about her backstory made her that much more relatable and endearing. Relatedly, Lucia's journey is not what I would have expected -- but that is all I will reveal about that. This story kept me guessing until the end and gave me much to ponder, and I was completely attached to both Thea and Lucia by the end. My only wish would have been for a greater explanation post-reveal, but perhaps this was a conscious decision to uphold the mystery.

Who would enjoy this book? The obvious answer would be to point to more "creepy child" horror, but like I said, this story moves beyond this old trope, so I am going to make two unexpected recommendations. First, for those who enjoyed Naomi Alderman's The Power, a story that involves a terrible power tied to the unique frustrations that women experience. Second, perhaps strangely… Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, because sometimes "the monster" is not always the real monster. And maybe we are all a bit monstrous after all.

Thank you to Netgalley, Rachel Eve Moulton, and Penguin Group Putnam for sending me an ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

This story was unassuming - I thought it was just going to be about another demon child making her mother crazy but I was, thankfully, very wrong. Sometimes the monster is what is passed down to us from generations, not who we truly are. I love the way female rage was shown in this book and how it was embraced by the end. There was something beautiful about this, and I enjoyed reading it.

I loved this one and can’t wait to recommend it to people. It was funny and moving. I will definitely be getting a copy for my home library.

Holy. Heck. You know those books that start out at about a simmer, keeping us hooked, wondering what will happen, then we get rapidly turned up to a raging boil? This is that. A wild novella that left me with my jaw on the floor. There was a lot of themes and emotions going on underneath the surface, but I shall not spoil that. We follow Thea, who is convinced her baby girl is a monster ... like an actual monster. The more Thea thinks about it, the more she uncovers her own suppressed memories, and the questions keep piling up. At the end of the story, we get our answers. Thank you to G.P. Putnam's Sons and NetGalley for the ARC. This one publishes August 05, 2025!

Have to say this is a first for me, maternity horror

If you want a book with weird mom vibes, horror, and some odd ends then this is for you!

In this story we meet and follow Thea has her anxieties rise while adapting to adding a 3rd child to her family. Because unlike the first two children this new one is showing signs of being a monster.

I liked it and found it easy to relate to because postpartum is hard AF! and something all women experience on different levels. Enjoy the weird in this book, I promise it makes it so good!!!

Thank you to Netgalley, Penguin Group Putnam, and the author for giving me access to this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Wow. I really didn't expect this to touch the soft, vulnerable parts of me. The theme of exploring matrilineal generational trauma via the cheeky, yet terrifying premise of a mischievous monster baby...was just brilliant.

This was sharp. Bizarre. A wee bit gory. Darkly humorous. With a vise-like grip on your heart, this offers so much.

Thank you to Netgalley for the arc of Tantrum. This is a really short horror book. I really enjoyed it. Thea is having her third baby. The pregnancy was smooth and easy so she isn't worried at all. But when the nurse hands Thea the baby after she delivers, she notices her baby has a full set of teeth. Thea knows she gave birth to a monster. This book was creepy, but I was obsessed with it.