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.

Thanks to NetGalley and Putnam Books for this free copy of "Tantrum."

A brilliant social horror story that's so much more than that. Yes, Thea's third child at three months old wants to eat all the time, kills a chicken, and bites her brother, and Thea is scared her child will hurt them all.

But Thea is more scared of her mother, a narcissistic energy vampire who made Thea's childhood miserable with her string of live-in boyfriends.

Because of this, Thea's always loved the female villains as they were powerful, conniving, brilliant, and gorgeous.

So Thea struggles with what she wants to be: nurturing mother, loving wife OR powerful villain AND what she wants for her daughter. Maybe she SHOULD let her eat if she wants.

Original, darkly funny, heartbreaking, and horrific, and marvelous!

This was an intense read as maternal dread is stitched with dark humour, crafting a story where motherhood isn’t just exhausting and it’s terrifying.

Tantrum by Rachel Eve Moulton was a great read.
Honestly this story took me by surprise. In the best way possible.
A well written story that kept me hooked from the very beginning.
The characters draw you in and keeps you flipping the pages.
I really enjoyed the writing style. I found myself hooked, turning the pages.

Thank you NetGalley and G.P. Putnam's Sons for this ARC.

I'm going to be honest, as I always am. I really disliked Tantrum. I DNF'd at 44.5%. Even though the book is on the shorter side, I didn't feel any pull to continue reading. I felt like Thea was a confusing narrator; she started out alright, but got more and more toxic in her thinking. I also feel like at least the portion of the book I read perpetuated that the mother is fully responsible for how a child turns out. I hate to break it to you, but the father is just as responsible biologically, and anything happening otherwise to Lucia isn't because of what Thea ate. It's because this is a horror novel. This is just harmful rhetoric for new, current, and future mothers.

I found all progressions towards evil made by Lucia were rather outrageous and missed the mark. For something to be thrilling, it needs to have some root in realism and this just didn't. I found myself not really caring to find out how the story ended, and after taking five days to get through 49 pages, I didn't think completing the book would add anything to my overall impressions, nor did I care to spend another 6-ish days attempting to find out when there are other books out there that I'm more interested in pursuing.

Thank you Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for the advanced copy of this book. I don't forsee myself reaching for something else by Rachel Eve Moulton, but I truly appreciate the opportunity.

This follows a woman and her three month old daughter, who she believes something is very wrong with. It feels pretty traditional horror at the start, then takes a wild turn that really worked for me. Lots of brutal and emotional things to say about generational trauma and breaking cycles at any cost - while still being very funny at times. It perfectly captures the intense devotion of motherhood through the lens of a literal baby monster. Simply put: this book rules.

From the first page to the last, Tantrum takes its readers captive and holds them still until they learn the lesson in its pages: women are not weak or small, we will not let anyone make us feel that way anymore, we will make a better world for our children, and if you get in our way then you will be devoured.

On the surface, it’s all fine and well and good to just see Tantrum as a book about a monstrous baby and her beleaguered mom. There’s so much else there, though: The neverending pressures and expectations of motherhood, intergenerational cycles of abuse and trauma, division over household labor, honoring what women sacrifice to become stay-at-home moms, the isolation and loneliness that comes with rural living, and the hungry heat of the desert. All of this desolation and desperation give this story an almost-gothic feel, wondering if this family’s New Mexico homestead might be the start of the end of the world. 5⭐️


I was provided a copy of this title by the author and publisher via Netgalley. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.

File Under: 5 Star Review/Feminist Horror/Horror/Novella/Paranormal Horror/Women’s Fiction

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for the eARC.

OMG.

This book! It was a wild ride that only got weirder. It put me back into the depths of postpartum chaos. I really had a great time with Tantrum and will recommend it widely.

I have to be honest, I went into Tantrum expecting it to be another Baby Teeth – a book about an evil child terrorizing her family. And I don’t mean that in a bad way at all, because I love an evil kid trope; I was just expecting something purely fun, that wouldn’t make me think too much. But what I got was almost exactly the opposite. Full of social commentary and startling insights about modern motherhood, Tantrum is a little book that packs quite a large punch.

Three months ago, Thea gave birth to her third child: a daughter, Lucia. Thea’s pregnancies with both of her sons were fraught with anxiety and fear, but with Lucia, it was different. Thea felt calm and unbothered all the way through the pregnancy, excited to meet her baby girl. So imagine Thea’s surprise when, only moments after being born, that baby girl revealed herself to be a monster.

Coming in at under 200 pages, Tantrum is a book that begs to be read in one sitting, which is exactly what I did. The book starts off in a relatively “normal” horror realm but becomes something entirely different midway through: a fever dream exploring generational trauma, complex mother/daughter relationships, and female rage in hallucinatory but meaningful ways. This is a book about monsters – monsters who look nothing like you’d expect – and how motherhood can make a monster out of a woman. It’s so thoughtful and insightful and unapologetic, with Rachel Eve Moulton making some bold narrative choices that really paid off for me. Moulton sets the novel in the desert of New Mexico, and the isolated, stifling atmosphere works so well with the story she’s telling.

I really enjoyed this. It’s weird, wild, and thought-provoking. Moulton brings something entirely fresh to the horror genre, and I can’t wait to read whatever she comes up with next. Thank you to G.P. Putnam’s Sons for the early reading opportunity.

Thank you Netgalley & G.P. Putnam’s Sons for an eARC ♥️

Well, that escalated quickly… in the best possible way.

Okay, so imagine you’re exhausted, hormonal, and finally holding your newborn after what feels like a lifetime of pregnancy—only to realize your baby has a full set of teeth and the soulful gaze of a tiny demon. That’s Thea’s life now, and honestly? Mood.
Tantrum is like if The Babadook and The Omen had a darkly hilarious baby, and that baby was raised by Shirley Jackson with a side of caffeine-induced delirium. Lucia isn’t just a “difficult” child—she’s a full-blown horror show in a onesie, announcing her intentions to eat her baby brother with the same casual energy as a toddler demanding chicken nuggets.🥴
What I loved: the way Rachel Eve Moulton nails that bone-deep exhaustion of motherhood, then cranks it up to nightmare fuel. Thea’s creeping dread—paired with flashes of her own messed-up childhood—makes you question whether Lucia is a supernatural terror or just the manifestation of generational trauma (or both?). There’s something weirdly relatable about a mom shrugging at her monster baby’s antics because, hey, survival is messy.
If you’re into horror(like me) that’s smart, savage, and a little bit unhinged (with a side of existential parenting dread), this is your next read. Just maybe don’t read it while holding a baby. Or while hungry.

I thought the book was a little slow starting out, but that wasn’t a bad thing at all. It built the life of the characters. It’s horror, yes, but it’s also the horrors of motherhood and change

Tantrum was such a unique and emotional read. Filled with trauma, horror-esque themes, post-partum and moth/daughter relationships, this was a wild ride that confronted a mother/daughter worst fear and the struggling relationships.
Thea is a struggling mother who during her post-partum, begins to believe her baby daughter, Lucia, is a monster. Lucia displays acts of violence, walking at 3 months, speaking, and rows of teeth. We can see here that Thea's paranoia and obsessiveness with how she views her daughter is tied into the trauma from her relationship with her own mother.
I equated the "monster" theme with the women in this book as the abuse, mental illness and trauma inflicted on each.

Title/Author: Tantrum by Rachel Eve Moulton

Pub date: Aug. 5th, 2025

Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons

Page Count: 192

Affiliate Link:
 https://bookshop.org/a/7576/9780593854600

Format Read: NetGalley eBook

Recommended for readers who enjoy:
- Motherhood, Marriage, Parenting, Family life, Pregnancy
- Mother/Daughter relationships
- Societal norms/expectations on women to be maternal, nurturing, natural mothering instincts
- Dark humor/Unlikable narrator
- Creepy kids
- Feral girlhood
- Intergenerational trauma
- Feminine rage
__
Minor complaints:
- The first 50% and the last 50% feel like different books
- Narrator/MC is unlikable (which is fine) but also really unrelatable so it's difficult to invest but not hard to be entertained

Final recommendation: We meet Thea shortly after the birth of her third child. She has anxiety about some of the strange behaviors she is witnessing from their youngest, Lucia. Mostly, she worries that Lucia is becoming a lot like her--a bit of history repeating itself, which she doesn't understand because her own childhood behavior problems were as a result of neglect and instability at the end of her mother, plus some physical/sexual abuse from strange men Thea's mother brought into the home.
Thea and Dillon work hard to provide a safe and loving environment for their children
All of that to say, these concerns are triggering for Thea and she is forced to reflect on her childhood dealing with a narcissistic, emotionally unavailable parent.
Being in Thea's head is darkly humorous as well as unsettling and unpredictable. I appreciated the use of metaphor to highlight some painful truths about motherhood and passing trauma on to our children through anxiety, projecting, and probably biology too
I like that this story didn't try to be a full-length novel. I don't think there would be enough here to go further with these characters in this conflict, so that's a win--sometimes horror can drag out well past where the story would naturally end.


Comps: When the Wolf Comes Home by Nat Cassidy (daddy issues instead of mommy issues), Baby Teeth by Zoe Stage, The Push by Ashley Audrain

Crackling with originality and dark humor, Rachel Eve Moulton’s Tantrum is a provocative exploration of familial debt, duty, and the darker side of motherhood.

I loved this, despite not being what I had expected. ‘Tantrum’ is an original experience. This book is like my version of a heartfelt dramedy. The first half is very introspective motherhood mess and creepy baby antics, while the later half gets the plot and surprising depth. Normally I would’ve been annoyed by such a slow start in a short book, but I liked being in Thea’s head. She’s blunt and cranky but understandable. Her story was funny in a ‘I can’t believe I’m reading this’ way. My one real complaint is how the abrupt the ending seemed. I feel like there could’ve been a few more pages.
I won’t fully go into it here because reading this book was a surprising enjoyable ride, but there’s strong themes of generational trauma and just trauma in general. I was impressed by how it was depicted and just in general. 4.5 hungry stars.

Well, shit.

Am I a horror fan? Who have I become? Who have I always been? Why am I having an existential crisis?

Part I: Temper

I am fucked up. I love this.

This is the kind of horror I live for. The horror of mothering three babies, one of which might be a demon incarnate (real? fake? stress?), with the most unhelpful husband of all time.

Just kidding. He's a very "regular" husband, who I'm sure gets off on calling watching his own kids "babysitting."

Gag me. No, truly, nothing makes me want to have children less. Where was I going with this?

Part II: Wean

This is still weird as hell. And I'm still liking it. But I'm a little confused. And that's fine. I don't know if it's magical realism or being lost in Thea's head or something else, but whatever.

But now we know what we're working with. Bad parenting begets bad parenting, until changes are made. You know what I'm talking about.

Part III: Latch

Things are still weird, but starting to make sense. I'll let the middle section slide, because we get reveal after reveal after reveal.

In FEVER series like fashion, we never quite find out what is what, but I don't think that matters here. Monsters are monsters, but really, humans are monsters. And what is scarier than reality?

Useless husband actually turned out pretty cute in the end. Love that. Mostly.

Book pairings: BAT EATER AND OTHER NAMES FOR CORA ZENG | BONES & ALL | ROSEMARY'S BABY | THE EYES ARE THE BEST PART

📱 Thank you to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam's Sons

First, a huge thank you to NetGalley, Penguin Group Putnam, and GP Putnam’s Sons for allowing me to read an eARC for review.

Tantrum is a fascinating read. This is a far different kind of horror novel than most of what I usually read. It’s a horror of existence and a horror of failure. Sure… there’s the threat of a bloodthirsty monster at the center, but more than that, it is about motherhood and the continuing cycle of abuse. This thing really packed a punch and I found myself being pleasantly surprised, even if a little shaken to my core. Even in all of the chaos that Thea has to endure with her daughter, the overly aggressive — and potentially evil Lucia — it’s hard not to have some love for the child and the glee she takes from her moments of carnage. The book takes some bizarre twists and turns, but it all feels very earned by the time the book reaches its end. I’m really happy I was able to give this book a read!

This book wasn’t for me but I can definitely see it being right for someone. The message was clear and on point, but the execution felt rushed and left me with lots of questions.

The description really intrigued me but the way the book was written didn’t do it for me. I liked the ending a lot more than the rest of it.

"𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘣𝘭𝘦𝘮, 𝘢𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘰𝘭𝘥𝘦𝘳, 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘻𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭𝘴 𝘢 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘢𝘵𝘦."

Motherhood sure is spiteful. Inverted Rosemary’s Baby with 80's B Horror humor. Its strong points are reflections on how postpartum affects not just the body, but creates emotional fissures too.

This is described as horror, but there’s very little of it. If anything it’s just gory. And then weird.

A quick fine read that derails in the second and third act. Heavy whips on themes of generational trauma, the patriarchy, and mothering, but it’s exactly that: plain whip.

thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group for the ARC!

very visceral and nasty and yet oddly hopeful. I think it maybe escalated a bit too fast, but there was a lot going on and I was pleasantly surprised at where this one went.