I devoured this book. Like, stay-up-way-too-late-turning-pages-with-wild-eyes devoured. I had to know what happened to Olivia. I needed to know what Mel’s deal was. And honestly? I was side-eyeing every single character by the end because no one is quite what they seem. And honestly? That’s half the thrill.

We only get Olivia’s voice in the prologue—and then she’s gone. Not just from the timeline, but from her own story. Everything we think we know about her comes through other people: forum threads, old documents, and the oh-so-contradictory accounts from Sam and Mel. And honestly? That silence is what makes it so powerful. You’re just as desperate as her daughters to figure out who she really was. And what really happened to her.

This story blends doomsday dread with a slow-burning family mystery in a way that just works. The sisters—Rosie, Bettie, and Cassie—are trying to piece together the truth through their grief, their rage, and their deeply chaotic sibling energy. Their dynamic is raw and real and full of moments that made me laugh, wince, and want to hug all three of them.

I love that the narrative doesn’t give us easy answers. It plays with memory, survival, and trust in this slippery, haunting way. Is Olivia a martyr or a runaway? Is their father a liar or a man barely hanging on? Even when you think you’ve figured it out—nope. There’s always one more layer to uncover.
Absolutely gripping, emotionally sharp, and just the right amount of apocalyptic vibes kept me guessing (and spiraling) to the last page.

I received an advance copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review—and honestly, I will never trust a prepper forum again.

This book was such a nice surprise! It was slightly different than what I’m used to reading when reading SFF, but I enjoyed it a lot and there were a lot of moments that had me feeling emotional for different reasons. I felt for the triplets a lot with their desire for answers as well as Sam and all that he was going through and had held onto from the past. This book took me on quite an adventure and I’m really pleased with the journey and the ultimate ending.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review!

3⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley, Orbit books and Redhook Publishing, and Hollie Overton for allowing me to preview this title ahead of the general release date.

Upon reading the title of this book, one might assume that it is an apocalyptic or post-apocalypytic story. Not really. The first chapter is about a woman prepping for a possible upcoming cataclysmic event that has not happened yet. Fast forward 20 yrs and the climate and infrastructure had collapsed, but the world is fine, just different. The story follows 3 sisters, triplets, who were whisked to England by their father after their mother died, but now has information that said mother might be alive. They travel back to "America" where chaos ensues and there is, of course, more to the story than simply mother is not dead.

This story is told an each chapter having a different POV of a different character. It is more told from their vantage point, but it is still done in 3rd person with very little internal dialogue. The story itself was a quick read, nothing too crazy, or with a shocking twist. The world is not terribly different than our current one, everything that was different is mentioned in a quick passing glance. When I first finished, I thought this was a solid 3.5 ⭐️ but the more I think about it, it wasn't that interesting. I think I skimmed quite a bit. So upon reflection, I think this might be a barely 3⭐️.

I wasn't expecting to be so sad reading this. As a mom, I sometimes have irrational (rational lol) fears about catastrophic events and what I would do with my kids in those situations. In this story, the mother, Olivia, has passed away and she's left her children a journal (guide) on how to survive. I didn't expect this book to be serious enough that it would bring me to tears, but here we are. My only critique is that the cover needs updated. It doesn't fit the story for me and I feel like a different cover would bring in the right audience for this one.

I really enjoy reading different takes on climate issues and what solutions to that might look like. This book definitely offered a unique take on this, showing a world where borders are heavily secured and technology is kept primitive for the majority of people. I also really enjoyed that the book kept the focus on the people in the story for the most part. I’ve found that this is often the most compelling part of these types of novels. However, a lot of the delivery felt very flat. The book follows three sisters and makes a point to say that people incorrectly see them as one dimensional. But, I felt like the book never went out of its way to go against this. I also thought that for something presenting itself as somewhat grounded, the story leaned soap opera at times. It’s not a bad direction, just felt out of place compared to everything else tonally.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this novel in exchange for my honest opinion!

The blurb that drew me in: "If you knew the world was ending, what would you want your children to know about survival? What would you sacrifice to protect them? What secrets would you want to stay buried?"

This novel was honestly a bit of a mixed bag for me. To start, I think the characters were so well-written and relatable. To me, the author did a fantastic job representing all the familial relationships with all the nuance that exists between siblings and the parent that they're caring for. My only issue is that some of the plot felt half-baked in some parts (hello, Mel), and that made the story drag in some places. However, I would still very much recommend this book because overall it was a fun read, more of a dystopian thriller than horror in my opinion!

A MOTHER’S GUIDE TO THE APOCALYPSE by HOLLIE OVERTON 💀

Genre: thriller/suspense, sci-fi, fiction
Rating: 4 ⭐️
Release date: August 19 2025

This was not what I expected based on the cover art and first few chapters but this turned out to be a captivating story that was more interesting and fun than the initial impressions!

The atmosphere and world development were my favourite parts. I think Overton did a fantastic job at building this dystopian like, post disaster world where life changed as we know it.

While this is mainly a thriller, it has been balanced well with aspects of mystery, family relationships, and grief. In particular, the author chose to write about the difficult experience of slowly losing a parent to early onset dementia. As someone who works in this area of healthcare, I appreciate her take on this and admire her bringing this forward because grief happens even when our loved ones are still here with us. Overton wrote this character and the perspectives from supporting characters realistically and with emotion.

The story is told from various perspectives, each with their own personalities and charm. There is pretty solid character development and relationship building.

Someone else described this novel as unique and I agree. It was different from my usual fiction reads. It was refreshing and honestly fun!

Thank you to the author, @netgalley, and the publisher for this advanced readers copy! I would gladly read her work any day 😊

An interesting spin on a dystopian world that is pretty evocative. I enjoyed reading about how the world fell apart in this novel and how different countries handle the shift. It was pretty thought provoking. The journey to learn more about Olivia was fairly well thought out. The actual survival guide got a bit monotonous for me in the end but overall a good read.

Thank you to Orbit and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

*spoilers ahead*

This was great and sad—great and wonderfully sad. I did have to grab a few tissues, which I wasn’t prepared for, as I thought this would be a bit more humorous because of the cover!

I would recommend this to someone who enjoys thrillers and shocking endings because WOW. I’d also say that the story itself and themes are also extremely timely with today, and made me reflect several times about my media use and the ever-growing popularity of AI. I think after I finished, I looked at my Kindle for a solid five minutes just soaking in that ending haha

Overall 3.5/5 as it was a bit hard to read around the missing words and severe typos at times, but I know this will all be fixed before pub! Thank you again to Orbit and NetGalley, this was a great read!

Soft DNF at 30%. I thought this story would have me so captivated but the world building and characterizations feel very shallow and slow (perhaps lacking entirely but I can’t say for sure yet). I’ll plan to pick this back up after taking a break.

A Mother's Guide to the Apocalypse is a sci-fi, thriller with a "who did it?" feel. A 3rd person perspective with multiple POV's and a few time jumps. It is set in modern times so you see many social media threads and I really liked the characters. There was also multiple facts scattered throughout the book and I did not expect to be learning new things by reading fiction but here I was, the tone for most characters was sarcastic and sometimes comedic which contrasted nicely with the eerie atmosphere of the book. The characters swear A LOT in case that is not your cup of tea but I did not mind it. We mostly follow the three triplets trying to navigating this world, Cassie, Bettie and Rosie. I loved seeing their dynamic a lot.

Overall, 4.3 stars out of 5. I really enjoyed this read.

An end of the world esque popcorn thriller? What else do you need to know? Loved the multi povs and each of their viewpoints as the world quickly fell apart. A super unique story with characters that will have you invested. Lots of twist and turns and come pretty chaotic end of the world moments that had me biting my nails! Definitely recommend!

This was an emotional, thought provoking and fast paced read!

We meet the "mom", and learn about her childhood... more so how she had to grow up early. How she raised her little brother and against all odds, became a success in Hollywood. With that kind of background, it is easy to imagine that our friend Olivia is somewhat high strung. Understandably so - given she had to be... now married and a mother of triplets, we find her in the year 2024. Political unrest, natural disasters, and why not add a home invasion during a blackout! Olivia is a momma bear that got sucked into becoming a doomsday prepper. From hoarding water piles, to batteries and candles and chlorine tablets, you name it. What struck me the most was that nagging fear she had and the need to protect her loved ones. Given the current shenanigans in the world in 2025, understandably so! Despite all of her prepping and willingness to protect what she cherished most, 6 months later - Olivia is dead.

The story continues with the triplets, in particular the "eldest" Rosie insisting on them following their mother's guide to the apocalypse. The guide leads our 3 leading ladies into a direction I didn't expect or saw coming. I felt all kinds of ways, from giggling to wanting to cry.. Overton sucked me into the story and I empathized with the characters and felt like hugging and holding them myself.

It's a solid 4.5 Star read ! Fast paced and twisty!

Thank you to Hollie Overton, whom I don't know but feel like we are friends now, after reading this emotional rollercoaster! Also, thank you to Orbit Books and Netgalley for letting me jump on this ride!

Honestly, where to begin?
Grab the popcorn and the tissues. There will be tears.
Where the title and cover give the impression that this is going to be a humorous trip, I can assure you that you have been mislead.

In the Spring of 2024, Olivia Sullivan had it all. A successful career in Hollywood, a husband that doted on her, and three daughters, identical triplets, that loved her more than words could say.
And then it all came crashing down. Political upheaval, AI takeover and internet collapse, climate change, rioting in the streets. And her husband and children were gone.
She was gone.
Life as we know it was gone.
But before all that happens, she sees the signs. Gets involved with a prepper group after a home invasion where she was forced into a "kill or don't kill" situation. Soon the beautiful home is the site of massive hoarding of items in the hopes of protecting her family from the downfall of civilization. But it doesn't help.
These aren't spoilers...you will read all of this in the first 50 pages. Hollie Overton REALLY knows how to pack a story!

20 years later, America is a militarized zone and England is where we find Sam and his three daughters, living quiet lives of peace. But Rosie has never given up searching for her mother. Sam is succumbing to dementia and the girls are planning to do the hardest thing they can imagine...moving him into a care facility. A cleanout of his house leads them to a book buried in Sam's attic..."A Mother's Guide to the Apocalypse"...written by Olivia in a time when life was still good, but getting rocky. A manifesto, if you would, that might keep her girls safe if they ever got separated. And this book sets Rosie, and her less than enthusiastic sisters on the hunt for the mother they lost and never expected to see again.

To America.
Hollywood.
Home before the devastation that destroyed. and remade, all their lives.

I'm leaving this synopsis right here.
Would I recommend this book to others? Oh, yes. If not for the story, then for the hints and prepper tips that are informational as well as interesting.
Would I read another of Hollie Overton's books? Gonna start going through her backlist as soon as I upload this review.
Did I like the story as much as I claim? I chewed through it like a starving rat.

My only complaint is a hope that Orbit gets this lady a great proofreader and editor. The book is tight and well done, but there are a ton of typos and missing words in my pre-pub edition.

My review? 4.5 out of 5. Get Hollie Overton a good editor and I'll happily bump it up to 5 without a blink.
Read it.

As always, a great big thank you to #NetGalley and #OrbitBooks for allowing me the pleasure of reading this one before release date. You guys rock!

I had a fun time reading this book the concept was interesting, and I enjoyed getting to know the characters.

I also had fun trying to figure out what was going to happen, and watching the mystery unfold and answers come out was satisfying.

I did find the ending a bit sudden, but I’m overall happy with how it all tied up at the end.

A solid, fun and quick read.

In “A Mother’s Guide to the Apocalypse” we have the story of a family torn apart by climate change and political upheaval, which feels very topical and frightening.

Olivia Clark is a successful filmmaker, happily married, and the proud mother of triplets. Signs of a possible coming apocalypse spur her to learn about prepping, and the question of this novel is … will this be enough to save her daughters?

Told in several POVs (a winning concept and well-done), interspersed with Olivia’s prepping handbook (unfortunately slowing down the plot), this is a deeply emotional story. I wish there had been more showing and less telling of the dramatic world events, because that would have added a necessary element of suspense. There were some thrilling episodes from time to time but not enough to keep me really interested.

Great characterization and an interesting plot, but not enough visceral world-building.

This was an interesting take on apocalyptic fiction. Three daughters struggle with what happened to their mother, a doomsday prepper, when they were young. I found myself invested in the story and although some parts were a little slow, I found this to be an entertaining read.

Thank you for the opportunity to read in advance!

A Mothers Guide To The apocalpse was a interesting book to read. I give it a solid four stars because it just was not my favorite novel.

Hollie Overton’s *A Mother’s Guide to the Apocalypse* is a fresh and compelling thriller that breaks from the familiar end-of-the-world formula, delivering a story that’s as much about family and survival as it is about disaster.

One of the novel’s standout features is its use of multiple points of view. Overton deftly crafts each character, allowing the reader to see the unraveling world through several lenses, which adds layers of depth and emotion to the story. This shifting perspective keeps the narrative dynamic and allows us to connect with not just Olivia—the missing mother at the heart of the mystery—but also the daughters whose lives have been upended by her disappearance.

The storyline is solid, with just the right pacing and twists to keep you turning the pages. I found myself invested in the sisters’ quest to uncover what really happened to Olivia, and the sense of uncertainty—both about their mother’s fate and the world around them—kept me guessing until the end. Overton smartly balances big-picture apocalypse stakes with smaller, intimate moments of family tension and love.

What makes this novel unique is not only its intriguing plot but also its emotional authenticity. The characters’ voices are distinct, their reactions and choices believable. It’s a testament to Overton’s skill that, even with the chaos unfolding, the heart of the story remains centered on the bonds between a mother and her children.

Overall, *A Mother’s Guide to the Apocalypse* is a good read—unique in its approach, gripping in its storytelling, and emotionally resonant. If you’re looking for a fresh take on apocalyptic fiction with a strong family focus, this book won’t disappoint.

I have read this authors other books. You never know what to expect when you start reading. Her books vary in storyline and characters. This book was no exception. This book was an enjoyable read filled with page turning suspense. This is a book which I would recommend to all who enjoy an interesting, enjoyable storyline.