Mother Mother by Koren
Zailckas –
This
is the story of the Hurst family, and the family is not your normal famly, each
of them is sick in their own way. One of
the main characters Violet who does something she can’t remember to her brother
Will and ends up in a psych hospital.
The story starts to get really good by then. This wasn’t the easiest read for me or the
fastest but the bones of this story are good the characters well developed in
their sick ways, one alcoholic, one who ran away, one controlling “mommy
dearest” type of a Mother who Is also very good at covering up her ways of
controlling her family and the way she makes them pay with her devious mental
and sometimes physical games. The book
is an interesting read and once you get really into the story of each character
you see the book slowly building to a finale that is so surprising you don’t
see it coming, at least I didn’t. You
lead by the nose in one direction only to find you were mean to draw those
conclusions which in the end are not even close to the way the book is going to
end. I found a lot of surprises were in
store for the characters that made up this family and for myself. It is an engrossing read, one that will keep
you guessing and if you have problems getting into the story at first, I say
keep going there is a point to all of it and it will get very interesting
before the ending. I would give this
book a 4.5, since I can’t do that on places like Good Reads and Amazon where I
am also going to park the books review, I will give it a 5. "I received this book from Blogging
for Books for this review.”
More About The Book:
From Koren Zailckas, author of the iconic memoir SMASHED: an
electrifying debut novel about a family being torn apart by the woman who
claims to love them most
Josephine Hurst has her family under control. With two beautiful daughters, a brilliantly intelligent son, a tech-guru of a husband, and a historical landmark home, her life is picture perfect. But living in this matriarch’s determinedly cheerful, yet subtly controlling domain hasn’t been easy for her family, and when her oldest daughter, Rose, runs off with a mysterious boyfriend, Josephine tightens her grip, gradually turning her flawless home into a darker sort of prison.
Resentful of her sister’s newfound freedom, Violet turns to eastern philosophy, hallucinogenic drugs, and extreme fasting, eventually landing herself in a psych ward. Meanwhile, her brother, Will, recently diagnosed with Asperger's, shrinks further into a world of self-doubt. Their father, Douglas, finds resolve in the bottom of a bottle—an addict craving his own chance to escape. Josephine struggles to maintain the family’s impeccable façade, but when a violent incident leads to a visit from child protective services, the truth about the Hursts might finally be revealed. Now with Extra Libris material, including a reader’s guide and bonus content.
Josephine Hurst has her family under control. With two beautiful daughters, a brilliantly intelligent son, a tech-guru of a husband, and a historical landmark home, her life is picture perfect. But living in this matriarch’s determinedly cheerful, yet subtly controlling domain hasn’t been easy for her family, and when her oldest daughter, Rose, runs off with a mysterious boyfriend, Josephine tightens her grip, gradually turning her flawless home into a darker sort of prison.
Resentful of her sister’s newfound freedom, Violet turns to eastern philosophy, hallucinogenic drugs, and extreme fasting, eventually landing herself in a psych ward. Meanwhile, her brother, Will, recently diagnosed with Asperger's, shrinks further into a world of self-doubt. Their father, Douglas, finds resolve in the bottom of a bottle—an addict craving his own chance to escape. Josephine struggles to maintain the family’s impeccable façade, but when a violent incident leads to a visit from child protective services, the truth about the Hursts might finally be revealed. Now with Extra Libris material, including a reader’s guide and bonus content.
More about the Author:
Photo © Eamon Hamilton
KOREN ZAILCKAS is an
internationally bestselling writer, and has contributed to The Guardian, U.S. News & World Report, Glamour, Jane, and Seventeen magazine. She currently lives with her
family in the Catskill Mountains of New York.
