At this stage, I don’t even know why I read psychological thrillers any more. I don’t know how to explain it other than it was on my Kindle and I was on holiday. But really…
Mothered by Zoje Stage
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Anyone who reads my reviews knows my views on psychological thrillers. This one was on a par with most of them, except in this case, we knew the ending before we even began, with the prologue giving away the denouement of the plot. This is the second pandemic book I have read, and was less about the claustrophobia and isolation that came with the lockdowns, but more about a breakdown in part caused by the strains in the pre-existing relationships, particularly between the protagonist and her mother, largely attributable to the death of the protagonist’s twin sister.
There were also too many things left unexplained in the book that could have done with being rounded off, including what had happened to Jackie’s husband. And the therapist’s POV epilogue was entirely unnecessary and sensationalist, doing nothing to help round off the plot overall. It was there to shock and titillate and ended up doing neither – just irritating.
Really didn’t like this book much at all. Three stars simply because it managed to be coherent, and overall, as a book from this genre, wasn’t the worst I have read. Oh – and if you want a better pandemic book, may I suggest The Fell by Sarah Moss.
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Deborah Siddoway 