Reviews

Stone Mothers by Erin Kelly

katekate_reads_'s review against another edition

2.0

This was a disappointing miss for me - I felt it was extremely slow moving and I had to push myself to finish. These aren’t the phrases I want to use when I’m describing a thriller/psychological suspense.

From the beginning, we know that Marianne has some secrets in her past - things she would do just about anything to keep her husband and daughter from learning. We go on to slowly learn what happened in the past.

The story is told from different perspectives and timelines - filling in details of what happened in the past and coming back to current day. I don’t want to say much more as it would be spoilers - but I recommend passing on this one.

Thank you very much to Netgalley and the publisher for the review copy in exchange for my honest review.

momwrex's review against another edition

3.0

1st half is a trudge. Helen's part is much more engaging.

sabrinaelf's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.25

sarahkomas's review

2.5

Didn’t enjoy the points of view and Jesse character

cpriley401's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

skaarke's review against another edition

Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to review Stone Mothers. I loved the synopsis of this story so I jumped on it. Sadly, I found it so slow and hard to get into. Some characters seemed underdeveloped for my taste and the ending left me wanting more. While this is the first book by Erin Kelly I have read, I had heard many positive things about her other books so wanted to give this one a try. Sadly, it fell a little short. A story about an insane asylum and blackmail, it had all the promises of a great read.

booksintheirnaturalhabitat's review against another edition

3.0

Stone Mothers is told in three different parts, each a different point of view. Marianne returns home as an adult many years later as responsibilities sometimes require in that phase of life. She had built a new life elsewhere to escape from her past, and now it's threatening to resurface... something that would surely upend her family. Everyone has their secrets, but no one knows the entire truth of what happened with an old mental hospital at the base of it all. Perhaps there others with a lot to lose as well.

I was excited when I read the premise of this book. Mental health and the inner psyche is something that I'm always intrigued by however I didn't feel like the book fully delivered. There was build up to what I thought would be a huge reveal and I felt let down when it either didn't occur in that moment or the reveal didn't seem quite built or intense enough. The book, however, did continue to have creepy undertones throughout and some moments of resentment. Jesse was so irritating that I had to try not to get worked up; I can't stand ignorant POS's like him.

All in all, it was just a middle of the roads, not quite standout book for me. It had potential but in my eyes didn't fully fulfill its potential.

lisaeirene's review against another edition

4.0

Marianne is accomplished in her career, married with an adult daughter, living a posh life in London. Then she goes back home to her rundown town to help care for her mother who is suffering from dementia. She is faced with the dark secrets she left behind.

Her husband surprises her by buying a flat in a newly renovated building that used to be the insane asylum in her hometown. He thinks this is a good thing since they are going to be there for awhile taking care of her ailing mother. But Marianne is suddenly faced with her secret past and everything is threatening to be revealed and ruin her life.

The book was told in a very interesting way. I enjoyed it a lot and liked the unique writing style. The book starts slow but picks up the pace and get pretty good.

gillxy23's review against another edition

mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

This book took a while to get into. I found the last quarter which told the story from the perspective of two other characters, the most interesting to read. Some parts I found ridiculous and skim read. 

catriona176's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Forced institutionalization