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A review by mmarlborough
Dearest by Jacquie Walters
dark
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? It's complicated
4.0
I was really into this Book of the Month debut! It was creepy with so many deep layers about motherhood and postpartum.
Flora is a sleep deprived new mother, anxiously awaiting her husband to return from his deployment. She’s questioning everything, as she’s parenting alone. In a desperate moment, she reaches out to her estranged mother to come help her. Things unravel even more with her arrival. Flora truly feels like she’s going crazy.
Building a horror story around a tired new mother who feels like she’s losing her mind seems obvious, yet I’d never read a book set in this time!! There are scattered dictionary definitions of motherhood related words, coupled with society’s true meanings. I found these really poignant and deep for a horror novel! And there were lots of creepy imagery and a few twists I didn’t see coming. I really look forward to what Walters writes next. What a solid October read.
✨Content Warnings: Child Death, Suicide, Mental Illness, Child Abuse, Pregnancy, Death of a Parent, Body Horror, Gore, Murder, Infertility
Flora is a sleep deprived new mother, anxiously awaiting her husband to return from his deployment. She’s questioning everything, as she’s parenting alone. In a desperate moment, she reaches out to her estranged mother to come help her. Things unravel even more with her arrival. Flora truly feels like she’s going crazy.
Building a horror story around a tired new mother who feels like she’s losing her mind seems obvious, yet I’d never read a book set in this time!! There are scattered dictionary definitions of motherhood related words, coupled with society’s true meanings. I found these really poignant and deep for a horror novel! And there were lots of creepy imagery and a few twists I didn’t see coming. I really look forward to what Walters writes next. What a solid October read.
✨Content Warnings: Child Death, Suicide, Mental Illness, Child Abuse, Pregnancy, Death of a Parent, Body Horror, Gore, Murder, Infertility