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A review by bandysbooks
Mothtown by Caroline Hardaker
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I initially came across this book because of the cover and then when I read the summary it sounded just like the sort of thing I enjoy. Literary, speculative, horror. I’m here for all of it.
Mothtown is about a boy named David who has never really fit in. The only person who truly understands him is his grandfather, going as far as communicating with him in strange clicks and pops. When Grandpa disappears, David is curious about where he went and starts investigating the concept of other worlds. He’s certain grandpa found his doorway. But his family is scared that David will disappear like his grandfather and the many others who have chosen to leave society behind.
We see the story through David’s eyes and he’s clearly an unreliable narrator. He sees only part of the story, doesn’t have all of the information, and has a very specific perception of things. It creates a purposefully disjointed, fever dream kind of narrative (similar to Awad, Broder, etc)
Ultimately, this reads like a book about someone’s descent into mental illness and the contemplation of ending one’s life. While the concept of becoming a mother is unique, I have seen mental health treated similarly. I’m not sure that there is enough in this book to make it stand out spectacularly. The writing is lovely and dream like and there are some good ideas. I just found myself left wanting a bit more.
Mothtown is about a boy named David who has never really fit in. The only person who truly understands him is his grandfather, going as far as communicating with him in strange clicks and pops. When Grandpa disappears, David is curious about where he went and starts investigating the concept of other worlds. He’s certain grandpa found his doorway. But his family is scared that David will disappear like his grandfather and the many others who have chosen to leave society behind.
We see the story through David’s eyes and he’s clearly an unreliable narrator. He sees only part of the story, doesn’t have all of the information, and has a very specific perception of things. It creates a purposefully disjointed, fever dream kind of narrative (similar to Awad, Broder, etc)
Ultimately, this reads like a book about someone’s descent into mental illness and the contemplation of ending one’s life. While the concept of becoming a mother is unique, I have seen mental health treated similarly. I’m not sure that there is enough in this book to make it stand out spectacularly. The writing is lovely and dream like and there are some good ideas. I just found myself left wanting a bit more.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, and Suicide attempt