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A review by lwl000
The Mothers by Brit Bennett
challenging
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
As a big fan of The Vanishing Half, I expected great things from this one too. I love Bennett’s writing and the beautiful, poetic statements she sprinkles through this novel. Unfortunately, for me, the storyline and the characters just fell flat. I found the characters stale and without much depth; most of all (and this is odd since I usually love some moody/sad characters) they were just all so dang wan and depressing. I didn’t see any character development or growth here, and I felt we ended up right where we started: with judgement from others and guilt/regret around certain life decisions.
I found the treatment of the themes of abortion and sex/infidelity, through the lens of righteousness/piety of a church community, to also be tiresome and unoriginal.
I found the treatment of the themes of abortion and sex/infidelity, through the lens of righteousness/piety of a church community, to also be tiresome and unoriginal.
Moderate: Child abuse, Infertility, Infidelity, Rape, Suicide, Grief, Abortion, and Death of parent
Minor: Alcohol