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Motherless Children Trilogy #1
Motherless Child
In his powerful novel, Motherless Child , Bram Stoker Award-nominee Glen Hirshberg, author of the International Horror Guild Award-winning American Morons , exposes the fallacy of the Twilight -style romantic vampire while capturing the heart of every reader. It's the thrill of a lifetime when Sophie and Natalie, single mothers living in a trailer park in North Carolina, meet their idol, the mysterious musician known only as "the Whistler." Morning finds them covered with dried blood, their clothing shredded and their memories hazy. Things soon become horrifyingly clear: the Whistler is a vampire and Natalie and Sophie are his latest victims. The young women leave their babies with Natalie's mother and hit the road, determined not to give in to their unnatural desires. Hunger and desire make a powerful couple. So do the Whistler and his Mother, who are searching for Sophie and Natalie with the help of Twitter and the musician's many fans. The violent, emotionally moving showdown between two who should be victims and two who should be monsters will leave readers gasping in fear and delight. Originally published in a sold-out, limited edition, Motherless Child is an extraordinary Southern horror novel that Tor Books is proud to bring to a wider audience.
272 pages, Hardcover
First published October 15, 2012
14 people are currently reading
2042 people want to read
About the author
Glen Hirshberg
93 books151 followersThree-time International Horror Guild Award Winner Glen Hirshberg’s novels include The Snowman's Children, The Book of Bunk, the Motherless Children trilogy, and Infinity Dreams. He is also the author of four widely praised story collections: The Two Sams, American Morons, The Janus Tree, and The Ones Who Are Waving. A five-time World Fantasy Award finalist, he has won the Shirley Jackson Award for the novelette, “The Janus Tree”. He also publishes new fiction, critical writing, and creative nonfiction in his Substack newsletter, Happy in Our Own Ways (https://glenhirshberg.substack.com/), and offers classes and manuscript coaching and editing through his Drones Club West activities (dronesclubwest@outlook.com). He lives with his family and cats in the Pacific Northwest.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 85 reviews
May 28, 2017
I'm really bored with vampires. I was sure I could never take another one. Leave it to Glen Hirshberg to create characters that yank me right in from the get-go. The vampires here are no reluctant vampires found in nearly every book - even George R.R. Martin's excellent Fevre Dream has a requisite "vampire who tries to get along with the humans." Hirshberg's vampires are predators, pure and simple. Natalie and Sophie are small town young women who have been turned into vampires after a night with a musician. Enough humanity remains at first to give them the impetus to get away from their infant children and Natalie's mother before they kill them. The initial reluctance will fade, and they will be a danger to anyone they meet, even their offspring.
Natalie and Sophie's road trip across the South (in a car Natalie rebuilt!) is fascinating, but Natalie's mother is quite a wonderful character in her own right. Most mothers in literature, confronted by a daughter and friend who dump their babies on her with only the instructions "make sure I can't follow you" would spend at least a chapter trying to get an explanation. Natalie's mother, one of the strongest female characters I've ever encountered, just goes into action. She instinctively knows she can't help her daughter and while not sure exactly what has happened, takes immediate steps to get the two children far away. She knows that later she can find out what has happened, but the important thing is to get herself and the children safe.
If most vampire books were like this, I would read many more of them.
Natalie and Sophie's road trip across the South (in a car Natalie rebuilt!) is fascinating, but Natalie's mother is quite a wonderful character in her own right. Most mothers in literature, confronted by a daughter and friend who dump their babies on her with only the instructions "make sure I can't follow you" would spend at least a chapter trying to get an explanation. Natalie's mother, one of the strongest female characters I've ever encountered, just goes into action. She instinctively knows she can't help her daughter and while not sure exactly what has happened, takes immediate steps to get the two children far away. She knows that later she can find out what has happened, but the important thing is to get herself and the children safe.
If most vampire books were like this, I would read many more of them.
Want to read
July 13, 2016This is number 123 of 500 signed and numbered copies signed by Glen Hirshberg.
Cover Art by Vincent Chong.
This is book number 8 in Earthlings Halloweens series.
Cover Art by Vincent Chong.
This is book number 8 in Earthlings Halloweens series.
October 30, 2014
http://vampchix.blogspot.com/2014/08/...
Angie's review:
This is one of the most intriguing vampire novels I have ever read. Not only does the book take a fresh look at an old archetype, but it also examines complex emotional relationships.
The book follows two young, unwed mothers, Natalie and Sophie, who after a night away from their babies, wake up to find themselves the victims of an attack. They are aware of what they have become and they know that in order to protect their children, they have to leave them in the care of Natalie's mother. There is a real sense of heartbreak here, for these young mothers. Leaving their children is devastating to them, and as they try to discover what this new life holds for them, they constantly have to also fight the urge to run back to their kids.
The metamorphosis is an unbearably lonely one. It is clear that every character who has been turned is struggling with a complete sense of isolation, and they take some small bit of comfort in companionship with each other, but ultimately, the change has left them with little in the way of emotions, and their only true sense is of the loss of something that they can't even quite remember.
So, the book has a very sad, lonely quality. It does not portray becoming a vampire as something desirable. However, in this tale, humans do see these vampires as irresistibly appealing. They literally will offer up their own necks to them, because the change allows vampires to exert some amount of control over the people around them. Hirshberg explains that they are like moths to a flame- they know what will happen to them, and yet the pull to give the vampire whatever they desire is overwhelming.
And perhaps, the most interesting thing to me, was the examination of the relationships in the book. The author looks at a number of issues that affect women. Natalie and Sophie are young women, raising children alone, while the fathers are mostly out of the picture. The burden of parenthood has been placed solely upon them, and the men in the book are left free to make their own decisions while the girls are forced to undertake all of the responsibilities that came from their nights of passion. Similarly, "The Whistler" views Natalie as something he can possess, and he feels no remorse in ruining her life to suit his own desires.
The treatment of the friendship between Natalie and Sophie is also intriguing, and the experiences of Natalie's mother is particularly touching as well.
So there is a lot to like here. But I don't want to say any more because it would ruin your experience of it, and this is a book I highly recommend that you read. I think that there have been so many vampire books over the years, that it's hard to imagine something really unique being written about them anymore, and yet, here we have a book that accomplishes that.
I give it 5 stars!
Angie's review:
This is one of the most intriguing vampire novels I have ever read. Not only does the book take a fresh look at an old archetype, but it also examines complex emotional relationships.
The book follows two young, unwed mothers, Natalie and Sophie, who after a night away from their babies, wake up to find themselves the victims of an attack. They are aware of what they have become and they know that in order to protect their children, they have to leave them in the care of Natalie's mother. There is a real sense of heartbreak here, for these young mothers. Leaving their children is devastating to them, and as they try to discover what this new life holds for them, they constantly have to also fight the urge to run back to their kids.
The metamorphosis is an unbearably lonely one. It is clear that every character who has been turned is struggling with a complete sense of isolation, and they take some small bit of comfort in companionship with each other, but ultimately, the change has left them with little in the way of emotions, and their only true sense is of the loss of something that they can't even quite remember.
So, the book has a very sad, lonely quality. It does not portray becoming a vampire as something desirable. However, in this tale, humans do see these vampires as irresistibly appealing. They literally will offer up their own necks to them, because the change allows vampires to exert some amount of control over the people around them. Hirshberg explains that they are like moths to a flame- they know what will happen to them, and yet the pull to give the vampire whatever they desire is overwhelming.
And perhaps, the most interesting thing to me, was the examination of the relationships in the book. The author looks at a number of issues that affect women. Natalie and Sophie are young women, raising children alone, while the fathers are mostly out of the picture. The burden of parenthood has been placed solely upon them, and the men in the book are left free to make their own decisions while the girls are forced to undertake all of the responsibilities that came from their nights of passion. Similarly, "The Whistler" views Natalie as something he can possess, and he feels no remorse in ruining her life to suit his own desires.
The treatment of the friendship between Natalie and Sophie is also intriguing, and the experiences of Natalie's mother is particularly touching as well.
So there is a lot to like here. But I don't want to say any more because it would ruin your experience of it, and this is a book I highly recommend that you read. I think that there have been so many vampire books over the years, that it's hard to imagine something really unique being written about them anymore, and yet, here we have a book that accomplishes that.
I give it 5 stars!
April 20, 2014
Wow. Just...um.
When it started, it felt a bit like being lost in fog - but then again, the characters are lost in a fog so it was an authentic experience, in retrospect.
About the halfway mark, I couldn't have put it down if I had wanted to (which I didn't).
Now...well, now to figure out how to voice this rather unexpected and phenomenal bit of vampire mythos. Hmm, this might just be the first vampire literary fiction I've read. Wait - of course there was The Historian (absolutely excellent). But this is like a perfect mash-up of Lit Fic and UF.
When it started, it felt a bit like being lost in fog - but then again, the characters are lost in a fog so it was an authentic experience, in retrospect.
About the halfway mark, I couldn't have put it down if I had wanted to (which I didn't).
Now...well, now to figure out how to voice this rather unexpected and phenomenal bit of vampire mythos. Hmm, this might just be the first vampire literary fiction I've read. Wait - of course there was The Historian (absolutely excellent). But this is like a perfect mash-up of Lit Fic and UF.
May 24, 2015
Bad girl Natalie doesn’t immediately realize that her wild night with pop singer The Whistler and best friend Sophie has done her damage forever . That’s really forever rather than a lifetime; she has been turned into a vampire. The Whistler hopes to make Natalie his eternal companion. As he sees it, she is his Destiny. He turns Sophie just to give Natalie someone to hang with while she figures out what has happened to them both, while they finish their transformation.
When Natalie does realize what has happened to her and Sophie, both women give their babies to Natalie’s mother with instructions to take off and never let the women know where she has gone with the children. The ensuing loneliness and desire would be enough to keep the reader charmed, but when ‘Mother’--the woman who turned The Whistler--figures out that her eternal companion hopes to forsake her for another, she is having none of it. Mother is amoral, cunning, willful, and violent. In the midst of all the grief and longing, we are thrust into spine-tingling episodes and suspenseful cat and mouse chases.
Not your typical vampire book, Motherless Child is about many things, and most surprisingly--if you allow the title to color your guesses about the nature of the book--it is a book about the ferocity of mother love. Its limitless nature
Motherless Child makes clear why Hirshberg has won so many horror awards. He draws the reader in quickly and never lets her go. All of his characters are well drawn. With the story very nearly concluded, he manages a final plot twist that both shocks the reader and leaves her deeply satisfied.
High school housekeeping: It’s not often that you have the joy of reading genre fiction of literary quality. Add to that the fact that this tight piece of writing is no longer than a typical YA book--it’s well under 300 pages--and you have a great read for any teen horror fan. So often, I have students ask me for horror that is scarier than the usual YA fiction, but that isn’t the 500 or more pages of many adult horror novels. Well, teens, here is that book. Add to that a vampire who uses his Twitter base to hunt his prey. Then throw in the fact that this is exactly the type of writing that your teachers want you to read--that is, it’s high-quality stuff--and there’s nothing to keep you away from Motherless Child. Enjoy!
NOTE: This review mirrors one on my blog at School Library Lady.
When Natalie does realize what has happened to her and Sophie, both women give their babies to Natalie’s mother with instructions to take off and never let the women know where she has gone with the children. The ensuing loneliness and desire would be enough to keep the reader charmed, but when ‘Mother’--the woman who turned The Whistler--figures out that her eternal companion hopes to forsake her for another, she is having none of it. Mother is amoral, cunning, willful, and violent. In the midst of all the grief and longing, we are thrust into spine-tingling episodes and suspenseful cat and mouse chases.
Not your typical vampire book, Motherless Child is about many things, and most surprisingly--if you allow the title to color your guesses about the nature of the book--it is a book about the ferocity of mother love. Its limitless nature
Motherless Child makes clear why Hirshberg has won so many horror awards. He draws the reader in quickly and never lets her go. All of his characters are well drawn. With the story very nearly concluded, he manages a final plot twist that both shocks the reader and leaves her deeply satisfied.
High school housekeeping: It’s not often that you have the joy of reading genre fiction of literary quality. Add to that the fact that this tight piece of writing is no longer than a typical YA book--it’s well under 300 pages--and you have a great read for any teen horror fan. So often, I have students ask me for horror that is scarier than the usual YA fiction, but that isn’t the 500 or more pages of many adult horror novels. Well, teens, here is that book. Add to that a vampire who uses his Twitter base to hunt his prey. Then throw in the fact that this is exactly the type of writing that your teachers want you to read--that is, it’s high-quality stuff--and there’s nothing to keep you away from Motherless Child. Enjoy!
NOTE: This review mirrors one on my blog at School Library Lady.
February 23, 2017
Being tempted by the praising reviews I had great expectations about this book, and was disappointed to find that I could not relate to it as much as I would have liked. The greatest problem I had to face was the writing. The author uses very short sentences and most of the time you have to guess things from between the lines because they are not described. This reduced writing may appeal to some, but I really had to struggle to follow along. Only towards the end had I acclimatized enough to enjoy the plot and the increasing action.
The story itself I found fascinating, even more so, I guess, being a mother myself. However, most of the time I could not sympathize with the main characters, Natalie and Sophie, who seemed too self-absorbed and careless with the sole exception of those moments where they showed motherly concern and feelings about their kids. But many times their erratic and immature behaviour simply got on my nerves.
The ending was really sad but also satisfying and surprising enough to make up for the otherwise slightly confusing book.
Overall, a very different take on the vampire novel, and though I can't claim this one as a favourite, I would definitely recommend it to fans of the genre due to its otherness.
The story itself I found fascinating, even more so, I guess, being a mother myself. However, most of the time I could not sympathize with the main characters, Natalie and Sophie, who seemed too self-absorbed and careless with the sole exception of those moments where they showed motherly concern and feelings about their kids. But many times their erratic and immature behaviour simply got on my nerves.
The ending was really sad but also satisfying and surprising enough to make up for the otherwise slightly confusing book.
Overall, a very different take on the vampire novel, and though I can't claim this one as a favourite, I would definitely recommend it to fans of the genre due to its otherness.
March 27, 2014
I kind of went into this one with some skepticism, mainly because at this point I'm about as dubious about vampire novels that claim they're for people who don't like vampire novels as I am of vampire novels in the first place, but Hirshberg earns the tag. Mainly by writing like a motherfucker. His style, at least here, reminds me of a more oblique/poetic Charlie Huston; the narrative moves with the same kind of speed and momentum, and similarly I was afraid on just about every page that something horrible was going to happen to one or more character I found myself liking, but Hirshberg also focuses so intently on the lived (err, unlived?) experience of his two fledging vampires, and how horrible it is, that the whole thing has a queasy undertow all its own. So much so that if you're not paying attention, certain events can seem a little sudden or sketchily described, but it's all there (promise). Ultimately the biggest impact Motherless Child had for me is that it genuinely makes being a vampire horrific, not just being a vampire's victim. That's something I wasn't sure anyone could pull off anymore.
September 18, 2014
Motherless Child does a wonderful job of presenting readers with the darker side of vampirism. When unmarried mothers Natalie and Sophie leave their trailer park to let off a little steam at a local bar; they have no idea that a night with the sexy and mysterious lead singer, Whistler will leave them changed.
Things really start to get good after the two ladies realized what they have become, and leave their babies and the trailer park behind.
This is a book that will appeal to female readers because so much of it is about the bonds of child and parent.
Although the bond between Whistler and his mother comes off as more than a little Norman Bates. All in all, this is a very good horror read. There is a nice bit of blood and gore, and the creep factor stays with you long after you have finished the book.
The only true negative of this read comes in the form of Whistler's seeming obsession with Natalie. Even going so far as to refer to her as his Destiny...Yes, as in the name!
Things really start to get good after the two ladies realized what they have become, and leave their babies and the trailer park behind.
This is a book that will appeal to female readers because so much of it is about the bonds of child and parent.
Although the bond between Whistler and his mother comes off as more than a little Norman Bates. All in all, this is a very good horror read. There is a nice bit of blood and gore, and the creep factor stays with you long after you have finished the book.
The only true negative of this read comes in the form of Whistler's seeming obsession with Natalie. Even going so far as to refer to her as his Destiny...Yes, as in the name!
December 10, 2014
The ending for this novel was so jaw droppingly amazing, shocking and horrifying that I immediately read the entire book a second time. I only read this book because in a lousy review for some other vampire novel the critic said that the only recent original vampire tales were Let The Right One In and this novel Motherless Child. So with this book being mentioned in the same breath at LTROI I HAD to check this out and it was well worth it. Now I have to read everything that this man has written. In Hollywood speak this book is kind of like Thelma & Louise meets Near Dark, but in this book Thelma & Louise are two 24-year-old single moms who have hit the road because they have just been turned into vampires and are afraid that if they stay at home they will eat their own babies.
April 28, 2013
I feel the need to explain why this is the only Hirshberg book that won't get 5 stars from me. See, I'm not much for vampire novels. Not in the "oh man, vampire novels are so lame... Twilight sucks... blah blah blah" kind of way. More like in the "I'm not good with blood" kind of way, and this book made me physically ill. Seriously: Bloody scenes + coming down with a severe illness = me throwing up. I guess that's a testament to what a great writer he is. Hirshberg's descriptions of vampires being vampires were just... TOO good. ;) BUT! As much as I dislike reading about vampires, I loved loved loved reading about these vampires. I was so torn!
October 18, 2012
Motherless Child has all of the heart and insight into the messy tangle of human emotions and relationships that Hirshberg’s work always does. His eye for telling, sometimes quirky detail and flair for language also comes standard. But here there’s more humor (much of it dark) and the whole thing is flying along on a lightning bolt of a plot. Plus, as advertised, this is not just another piece of vampire fiction. It’s as brutally honest as it is brutal, the one feeding off the other. It is, in short, excellent, and the best novel to date by an author who deserves a much wider readership.
November 17, 2015
A fantastic blending of genre horror and literary fiction. Beautifully written even if somehow I felt at arm's length from the characters. The ending was satisfying but made me sad. Probably just my momness. Highly recommend.
October 21, 2018
Since one of the characters in this book is really into old gospel/soul/blues music, I looked up the title of the book, and sure enough, it's also a song title. And it's one of the loneliest songs I've ever heard. I'm still thinking about it days later.
That's fitting for this book, because all the characters in it feel bone-chillingly alone. Natalie and her best friend Sophie, who end up on the wrong side of vampire fangs and then must fight against both the changes taking place in their bodies and the desire to go to their young children. Natalie's mother Jess, who must take the babies and go on the run from her own daughter (by Natalie's demand in a scary pre-dawn ultimatum). The Whistler and his Mother, who have been severed from human emotion for so long that they will do just about anything to feel again- cruelty, torture and destruction are just ways for them to catch a ragged edge of feeling.
I suppose there is a good parallel here between vampirism and addiction and how it can sever you from the world that everyone else lives in. That's really not the point of the book, though. The book wants to show how Natalie and Sophie, although bound together, can't reconcile their conflicting desires and needs. It tells of how Jess froze everyone out of her inner world after her husband died, even her young daughter. It shows how Sophie just wants to get back to her baby, not thinking about how dangerous her new vampire state will be for a young child. And it tells of how the Whistler, in his loneliness, decides that Natalie is his Destiny and changes her without giving her a chance to have a say in it.
There's a lot of travel in this book, but the characters don't really go anywhere. They just keep moving because if they stand still too long, something bad is going to happen. The author did an amazing job of bringing each character to individual life, showing how they connect and fail to connect at the same time. These are some of the best female characters that I've seen from a male author. The horror is more about the emotions of the characters than physical gore, although there definitely is quite a bit of blood shed in this book. I'll gladly read the sequel.
That's fitting for this book, because all the characters in it feel bone-chillingly alone. Natalie and her best friend Sophie, who end up on the wrong side of vampire fangs and then must fight against both the changes taking place in their bodies and the desire to go to their young children. Natalie's mother Jess, who must take the babies and go on the run from her own daughter (by Natalie's demand in a scary pre-dawn ultimatum). The Whistler and his Mother, who have been severed from human emotion for so long that they will do just about anything to feel again- cruelty, torture and destruction are just ways for them to catch a ragged edge of feeling.
I suppose there is a good parallel here between vampirism and addiction and how it can sever you from the world that everyone else lives in. That's really not the point of the book, though. The book wants to show how Natalie and Sophie, although bound together, can't reconcile their conflicting desires and needs. It tells of how Jess froze everyone out of her inner world after her husband died, even her young daughter. It shows how Sophie just wants to get back to her baby, not thinking about how dangerous her new vampire state will be for a young child. And it tells of how the Whistler, in his loneliness, decides that Natalie is his Destiny and changes her without giving her a chance to have a say in it.
There's a lot of travel in this book, but the characters don't really go anywhere. They just keep moving because if they stand still too long, something bad is going to happen. The author did an amazing job of bringing each character to individual life, showing how they connect and fail to connect at the same time. These are some of the best female characters that I've seen from a male author. The horror is more about the emotions of the characters than physical gore, although there definitely is quite a bit of blood shed in this book. I'll gladly read the sequel.
February 12, 2015
*ARC copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for honest review.*
Motherless Child has an unusual twist on the paranormal aspect of vampires and introduces them as they should be - soulless, blood sucking monsters without any glitter and unicorns.
Story begins when Natalie & Sophie go out to the bar and see their favorite rockstar Whistler. Book doesn't go into the details of how the night plays out but when the girls both wake up, they are covered in blood and have flashes of the night that they both spent together with Whistler. When they realize what they are, Natalie takes the charge and tells her mother to get as far as possible and keep their babies hidden. While they go on the run, Whistler wants to find Natalie & will not give up on the thought that she is his Destiny & the only person that's standing on his way is his Mother.
This ended up to be not as exciting as I thought it would be. The whole situation with Whistler & Natalie was just confusing and I didn't understand their chemistry. Mostly because there wasn't any at all or it was just poorly expressed. I also didn't feel any connection between Natalie and Sophie. They were best friends but after that night together, they were awkward and their conversations always seemed to have a double meaning behind it.
Overall, I can definitely see how this book would be appealing to a lot of people but unfortunately it wasn't for me. The horror side was also a little too twisted for my liking & definitely unique.
Motherless Child has an unusual twist on the paranormal aspect of vampires and introduces them as they should be - soulless, blood sucking monsters without any glitter and unicorns.
Story begins when Natalie & Sophie go out to the bar and see their favorite rockstar Whistler. Book doesn't go into the details of how the night plays out but when the girls both wake up, they are covered in blood and have flashes of the night that they both spent together with Whistler. When they realize what they are, Natalie takes the charge and tells her mother to get as far as possible and keep their babies hidden. While they go on the run, Whistler wants to find Natalie & will not give up on the thought that she is his Destiny & the only person that's standing on his way is his Mother.
This ended up to be not as exciting as I thought it would be. The whole situation with Whistler & Natalie was just confusing and I didn't understand their chemistry. Mostly because there wasn't any at all or it was just poorly expressed. I also didn't feel any connection between Natalie and Sophie. They were best friends but after that night together, they were awkward and their conversations always seemed to have a double meaning behind it.
Overall, I can definitely see how this book would be appealing to a lot of people but unfortunately it wasn't for me. The horror side was also a little too twisted for my liking & definitely unique.
February 23, 2020
1.8 stars
“Every single one of them with their eyes open and on him, their mouths, too, halfway screaming, halfway begging. Offering themselves to him, because the call was irresistible despite being recognizable. They were moths who know what the light is, know what it will do to them. And come anyway.”
― Glen Hirshberg
I wanted to like Motherless Child, but I aborted it. Couldn't go full term. Hirshberg's awkward prose stemmed the flow.
“More than anything, Natalie wanted to move to the bed, take Sophie's hand, sit beside her.Lay her head against her shoulder. But she didn't dare. Or maybe just couldn't. Fear. Friendship. Desire. Regret. Remorse. Longing. Hunger. Terror."
-Glen Hirshberg
Thelma and Louise do the Transylvania twist. Premenstrual, postmodern, minstrel master vampire calls himself, "The Whistler"?
"Blah, blah, I am Dorkula. I come to suck"
“Every single one of them with their eyes open and on him, their mouths, too, halfway screaming, halfway begging. Offering themselves to him, because the call was irresistible despite being recognizable. They were moths who know what the light is, know what it will do to them. And come anyway.”
― Glen Hirshberg
I wanted to like Motherless Child, but I aborted it. Couldn't go full term. Hirshberg's awkward prose stemmed the flow.
“More than anything, Natalie wanted to move to the bed, take Sophie's hand, sit beside her.Lay her head against her shoulder. But she didn't dare. Or maybe just couldn't. Fear. Friendship. Desire. Regret. Remorse. Longing. Hunger. Terror."
-Glen Hirshberg
Thelma and Louise do the Transylvania twist. Premenstrual, postmodern, minstrel master vampire calls himself, "The Whistler"?
"Blah, blah, I am Dorkula. I come to suck"
December 28, 2014
This was absolutely fantastic. I heard of this because it's re-release was mentioned on Tor.com, and was delighted to find a copy in my local library. The story is dark, gripping, and emotionally engaging in a deep, satisfying way.
A story of family, of mothers and sons, love and loss and inner resilience. And scariness. Lots of different kinds of scariness.
A story of family, of mothers and sons, love and loss and inner resilience. And scariness. Lots of different kinds of scariness.
May 6, 2014
I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.
I generally do not enjoy novels about vampires or werewolves, but I thought I'd try this book because of the favorable reviews. The writing is dark and the story is compelling. I can see this story being developed into a film.
I generally do not enjoy novels about vampires or werewolves, but I thought I'd try this book because of the favorable reviews. The writing is dark and the story is compelling. I can see this story being developed into a film.
December 27, 2012
Damn good.
February 4, 2013
Excellent road trip novel featuring 2 female vamps(both moms). Funny, sad and gritty. Totally recommended.
March 21, 2013
I really liked this one especially because the bff's name was Sophie=)
June 20, 2014
Darn good read. Not your average vampire story.
September 7, 2014
Could not stop reading, great take on the vampire story.
September 25, 2019
Single mothers Natalie and Sophie are turned into vampires after a night spent with Whistler.
This book just didn't hit any awesome notes for me. I liked that the two main characters are single mothers who don't take shit from anyone. I liked Natalie's mom (but thought that her picking up and leaving town after a warning from Natalie was not believable). I rabidly disliked the sections from Whistler's point of view. The ending is meant to be harsh and surprising but I had a big 'meh' response to it.
I've shelved this as horror but it wasn't scary or creepy. It's more like what you'd see if Jerry Springer did a show about unmarried mothers who had been turned into vampires. I won't be reading more in the series.
This book just didn't hit any awesome notes for me. I liked that the two main characters are single mothers who don't take shit from anyone. I liked Natalie's mom (but thought that her picking up and leaving town after a warning from Natalie was not believable). I rabidly disliked the sections from Whistler's point of view. The ending is meant to be harsh and surprising but I had a big 'meh' response to it.
I've shelved this as horror but it wasn't scary or creepy. It's more like what you'd see if Jerry Springer did a show about unmarried mothers who had been turned into vampires. I won't be reading more in the series.
October 18, 2014
We follow the story of two single mothers, Natalie and Sophie, living in small-town North Carolina who during a night out at a bar meet an enigmatic musician known as the Whistler. After a night with him they can barely remember, they wake up bloody, changed forever, … and dead. After learning their fate – that they are now vampires – they leave their small children with Natalie’s mother, tell her to disappear for fear of what they might do, and hit the road.
Natalie and Sophie are both sympathetic characters. They never willingly asked for the life they were thrown into. They are quite different to each other. Sophie is the wilder one, brimming with sexuality, using her enchanting powers to take advantage of men for pleasure. She enjoys the freedoms of her new life to a degree. Natalie is a different story, questioning and yearning, a lost soul. They both feel the ache for their children but Natalie shows more determination to keep them safe and away from their volatile mothers.
We follow them not only on their physical journey, a road trip across the South, but also on their journey of self-discovery, of their curse and the consequences and powers that come with vampirism. One such consequence that leads to both humor and annoyance at times for the ladies is the way that after locking eyes with either one of them, men just fall at their feet (sometimes literally). The relationship between the two women is the cornerstone of the book. Best friends become stuck together, the only companionship for each other while they live on the road and adjust to their new lives and needs. The dynamic changes somewhat when one of them gives in to the thirst and completes her transformation.
There are two strong older matriarchs in the book: Mother who was the vampire who first turned the Whistler and who has traveled with him since and Natalie’s mother, Jess, forced to hit the road herself to protect her grandchild.
The Whistler is almost childlike despite his many years walking the earth. Restrained and guided by Mother, he sees Natalie as his love and destiny with such simplicity. He is a minor character in contrast to the strong female characters. Mother’s jealousy of his new-found love is powerful and leads her on her own quest for vengeance. There are strong themes of the road, of running and of impassioned searching. The pace of the book quickens as the conclusion nears, a desperate race against time.
This is far from your typical vampire tale, and so different to any that I’ve read. Many of the vampire norms that you come to expect are pleasantly absent. I enjoyed reading about them traveling in sunlight and the consequences of that, seeming much more natural, than the bursting into flames you’d expect. The characters have conscience and humanity. It’s not about killing and feeding, it’s about relationships. This is much more subtle than the books I usually read. It is emotionally charged as the bonds between mother and child, best friends, and lovers are examined and stretched.
Natalie and Sophie are both sympathetic characters. They never willingly asked for the life they were thrown into. They are quite different to each other. Sophie is the wilder one, brimming with sexuality, using her enchanting powers to take advantage of men for pleasure. She enjoys the freedoms of her new life to a degree. Natalie is a different story, questioning and yearning, a lost soul. They both feel the ache for their children but Natalie shows more determination to keep them safe and away from their volatile mothers.
We follow them not only on their physical journey, a road trip across the South, but also on their journey of self-discovery, of their curse and the consequences and powers that come with vampirism. One such consequence that leads to both humor and annoyance at times for the ladies is the way that after locking eyes with either one of them, men just fall at their feet (sometimes literally). The relationship between the two women is the cornerstone of the book. Best friends become stuck together, the only companionship for each other while they live on the road and adjust to their new lives and needs. The dynamic changes somewhat when one of them gives in to the thirst and completes her transformation.
There are two strong older matriarchs in the book: Mother who was the vampire who first turned the Whistler and who has traveled with him since and Natalie’s mother, Jess, forced to hit the road herself to protect her grandchild.
The Whistler is almost childlike despite his many years walking the earth. Restrained and guided by Mother, he sees Natalie as his love and destiny with such simplicity. He is a minor character in contrast to the strong female characters. Mother’s jealousy of his new-found love is powerful and leads her on her own quest for vengeance. There are strong themes of the road, of running and of impassioned searching. The pace of the book quickens as the conclusion nears, a desperate race against time.
This is far from your typical vampire tale, and so different to any that I’ve read. Many of the vampire norms that you come to expect are pleasantly absent. I enjoyed reading about them traveling in sunlight and the consequences of that, seeming much more natural, than the bursting into flames you’d expect. The characters have conscience and humanity. It’s not about killing and feeding, it’s about relationships. This is much more subtle than the books I usually read. It is emotionally charged as the bonds between mother and child, best friends, and lovers are examined and stretched.
October 3, 2014
We follow the story of two single mothers, Natalie and Sophie, living in small-town North Carolina who during a night out at a bar meet an enigmatic musician known as the Whistler. After a night with him they can barely remember, they wake up bloody, changed forever, … and dead. After learning their fate – that they are now vampires – they leave their small children with Natalie’s mother, tell her to disappear for fear of what they might do, and hit the road.
Natalie and Sophie are both sympathetic characters. They never willingly asked for the life they were thrown into. They are quite different to each other. Sophie is the wilder one, brimming with sexuality, using her enchanting powers to take advantage of men for pleasure. She enjoys the freedoms of her new life to a degree. Natalie is a different story, questioning and yearning, a lost soul. They both feel the ache for their children but Natalie shows more determination to keep them safe and away from their volatile mothers.
We follow them not only on their physical journey, a road trip across the South, but also on their journey of self-discovery, of their curse and the consequences and powers that come with vampirism. One such consequence that leads to both humor and annoyance at times for the ladies is the way that after locking eyes with either one of them, men just fall at their feet (sometimes literally). The relationship between the two women is the cornerstone of the book. Best friends become stuck together, the only companionship for each other while they live on the road and adjust to their new lives and needs. The dynamic changes somewhat when one of them gives in to the thirst and completes her transformation.
There are two strong older matriarchs in the book: Mother who was the vampire who first turned the Whistler and who has traveled with him since and Natalie’s mother, Jess, forced to hit the road herself to protect her grandchild.
The Whistler is almost childlike despite his many years walking the earth. Restrained and guided by Mother, he sees Natalie as his love and destiny with such simplicity. He is a minor character in contrast to the strong female characters. Mother’s jealousy of his new-found love is powerful and leads her on her own quest for vengeance. There are strong themes of the road, of running and of impassioned searching. The pace of the book quickens as the conclusion nears, a desperate race against time.
This is far from your typical vampire tale, and so different to any that I’ve read. Many of the vampire norms that you come to expect are pleasantly absent. I enjoyed reading about them traveling in sunlight and the consequences of that, seeming much more natural, than the bursting into flames you’d expect. The characters have conscience and humanity. It’s not about killing and feeding, it’s about relationships. This is much more subtle than the books I usually read. It is emotionally charged as the bonds between mother and child, best friends, and lovers are examined and stretched.
Natalie and Sophie are both sympathetic characters. They never willingly asked for the life they were thrown into. They are quite different to each other. Sophie is the wilder one, brimming with sexuality, using her enchanting powers to take advantage of men for pleasure. She enjoys the freedoms of her new life to a degree. Natalie is a different story, questioning and yearning, a lost soul. They both feel the ache for their children but Natalie shows more determination to keep them safe and away from their volatile mothers.
We follow them not only on their physical journey, a road trip across the South, but also on their journey of self-discovery, of their curse and the consequences and powers that come with vampirism. One such consequence that leads to both humor and annoyance at times for the ladies is the way that after locking eyes with either one of them, men just fall at their feet (sometimes literally). The relationship between the two women is the cornerstone of the book. Best friends become stuck together, the only companionship for each other while they live on the road and adjust to their new lives and needs. The dynamic changes somewhat when one of them gives in to the thirst and completes her transformation.
There are two strong older matriarchs in the book: Mother who was the vampire who first turned the Whistler and who has traveled with him since and Natalie’s mother, Jess, forced to hit the road herself to protect her grandchild.
The Whistler is almost childlike despite his many years walking the earth. Restrained and guided by Mother, he sees Natalie as his love and destiny with such simplicity. He is a minor character in contrast to the strong female characters. Mother’s jealousy of his new-found love is powerful and leads her on her own quest for vengeance. There are strong themes of the road, of running and of impassioned searching. The pace of the book quickens as the conclusion nears, a desperate race against time.
This is far from your typical vampire tale, and so different to any that I’ve read. Many of the vampire norms that you come to expect are pleasantly absent. I enjoyed reading about them traveling in sunlight and the consequences of that, seeming much more natural, than the bursting into flames you’d expect. The characters have conscience and humanity. It’s not about killing and feeding, it’s about relationships. This is much more subtle than the books I usually read. It is emotionally charged as the bonds between mother and child, best friends, and lovers are examined and stretched.
July 23, 2014
****1/2
It seems like the most popular vampire stories of the last ten or so years take influence from more romantic ideas regarding the undead. This isn’t an entirely recent phenomenon—just take a look at Frank Langella as “Dracula” in 1979, or even Francis Copolla’s 1992 take on the same character—but the popularity of a couple of book, movie, and TV series have kind of glossed up the vampire image. My personal favorite, as far as slick, polished, sexy vampires go, is still Joel Schumacher’s 1987 film “The Lost Boys,” despite the ridiculous singer/saxophone player at the very beginning.
I don’t give a damn what’s popular in vampire fiction at one point or another, but am glad that people like John Ajvide Lindqvist, Guillermo Del Toro, Chuck Hogan, and Glen Hirshberg are keeping alive the loner vampire, who has (romantic) sex with no one, lives underground, kills people in vicious, blood-soaked scenes, and is something no impressionable high school kid would ever aspire to become.
“Motherless Child” is a novel largely about loneliness and desperation. Hirshberg wastes no time in sending his heroines down their doomed path. Natalie and Sophie are transformed early on, by a mysterious, sombrero-wearing individual called the Whistler; once this transformation occurs, there is no bringing the reader up on the lore of vampirism. Even the characters seem to immediately understand what’s happened and what they must do next—which is get the hell out of town, away from everyone they love, to keep their families safe. Both women have infant children, and it’s this abandonment of their children for the young ones’ own safety that is at the heart of the struggle in this book.
Sophie is a lighthearted, fun sort of southern girl, and remanants of her human brightness pop up here and there, post-transformation. Which works in contrast to Natalie’s grim determination to . . . Well, she’s not entirely sure. Stay away from her child, for one thing; and hopefully live this vampire life without actually killing anyone, even if the end result is her own death. Sophie, on the other hand, is quicker to give in, not necessarily wanting to feed off people, but willing to do so in order to continue her own existence. She thinks it might not be so terrible to go back and pick up the kids either. After all, they’re not just going to murder their own children—right?
If you’ve read Hirshberg’s “Snowman’s Children” (and if you haven’t, then you should immediately place that book at the top of your list) you know that Natalie’s concern is perfectly valid. You might say no one’s safe in his stories, but that might imply that these are books with high body counts, or shock-style gore, which they are not. He’s more interested in searching the depths of human emotion, and what “human emotions” even mean to someone whose heart has ceased its beat.
It seems like the most popular vampire stories of the last ten or so years take influence from more romantic ideas regarding the undead. This isn’t an entirely recent phenomenon—just take a look at Frank Langella as “Dracula” in 1979, or even Francis Copolla’s 1992 take on the same character—but the popularity of a couple of book, movie, and TV series have kind of glossed up the vampire image. My personal favorite, as far as slick, polished, sexy vampires go, is still Joel Schumacher’s 1987 film “The Lost Boys,” despite the ridiculous singer/saxophone player at the very beginning.
I don’t give a damn what’s popular in vampire fiction at one point or another, but am glad that people like John Ajvide Lindqvist, Guillermo Del Toro, Chuck Hogan, and Glen Hirshberg are keeping alive the loner vampire, who has (romantic) sex with no one, lives underground, kills people in vicious, blood-soaked scenes, and is something no impressionable high school kid would ever aspire to become.
“Motherless Child” is a novel largely about loneliness and desperation. Hirshberg wastes no time in sending his heroines down their doomed path. Natalie and Sophie are transformed early on, by a mysterious, sombrero-wearing individual called the Whistler; once this transformation occurs, there is no bringing the reader up on the lore of vampirism. Even the characters seem to immediately understand what’s happened and what they must do next—which is get the hell out of town, away from everyone they love, to keep their families safe. Both women have infant children, and it’s this abandonment of their children for the young ones’ own safety that is at the heart of the struggle in this book.
Sophie is a lighthearted, fun sort of southern girl, and remanants of her human brightness pop up here and there, post-transformation. Which works in contrast to Natalie’s grim determination to . . . Well, she’s not entirely sure. Stay away from her child, for one thing; and hopefully live this vampire life without actually killing anyone, even if the end result is her own death. Sophie, on the other hand, is quicker to give in, not necessarily wanting to feed off people, but willing to do so in order to continue her own existence. She thinks it might not be so terrible to go back and pick up the kids either. After all, they’re not just going to murder their own children—right?
If you’ve read Hirshberg’s “Snowman’s Children” (and if you haven’t, then you should immediately place that book at the top of your list) you know that Natalie’s concern is perfectly valid. You might say no one’s safe in his stories, but that might imply that these are books with high body counts, or shock-style gore, which they are not. He’s more interested in searching the depths of human emotion, and what “human emotions” even mean to someone whose heart has ceased its beat.
September 6, 2016
Goodreads Win Uncorrected Advance Reading Copy
Natalie and Sophie are two unmarried mothers living in a trailer park when one night they finds themselves at a club where this mysterious singer called Whistler is playing in North Carolina. Next morning they awake and they are covered in blood while the clothes are tattered. The mysterious stranger turns out to be a vampire who has his own dark secrets including someone named Mother who has control over him.
Natalie realizes that their craving for blood might in danger their babies as she takes off with Sophie as they leave their two babies in care of her mother who somehow realizes it isn’t safe at the trailer park as she takes off with the babies.
As Natalie and Sophie attempt to control their blood cravings on their journey they once again meet up briefly with Whistler who warns them that they’ll meet again. The battle of the two girls against Whistler and his Mother to see whom will survive in the end or will no one survive.
Moving story that makes us realizes that we all must make choices no matter what we would like for the better of others. A gripping tale as we fight against our own demons.
Natalie and Sophie are two unmarried mothers living in a trailer park when one night they finds themselves at a club where this mysterious singer called Whistler is playing in North Carolina. Next morning they awake and they are covered in blood while the clothes are tattered. The mysterious stranger turns out to be a vampire who has his own dark secrets including someone named Mother who has control over him.
Natalie realizes that their craving for blood might in danger their babies as she takes off with Sophie as they leave their two babies in care of her mother who somehow realizes it isn’t safe at the trailer park as she takes off with the babies.
As Natalie and Sophie attempt to control their blood cravings on their journey they once again meet up briefly with Whistler who warns them that they’ll meet again. The battle of the two girls against Whistler and his Mother to see whom will survive in the end or will no one survive.
Moving story that makes us realizes that we all must make choices no matter what we would like for the better of others. A gripping tale as we fight against our own demons.
May 5, 2014
I won a free uncorrected advance reading copy through a GoodReads sweepstakes.
This is one of the most quietly unsettling vampire books that I've read in a very long time, which is refreshing.
The book gets off to a slightly rocky start, in that Natalie and Sophie (the protagonists) accept what is happening to them a little too quickly, along with what the potential ramifications are for their children.
This book is unusual in that of the characters old enough to have any kind of agency, most are women (especially noteworthy in a book by a male author). And unlike all too many vampire novels, the women aren't inclined to just be swooning damsels who redeem their vampire lover with the power of their love. The male vampire who "makes" Sophie and Natalie has some notion that Natalie is his "destiny" (literally calling her Destiny throughout), but Natalie is not down with that notion at all.
This book is a short, fast read but sticks with the reader. And I quite liked how the author resolves the final conflict, but it's not really possible to describe why without engaging in spoilers.
Definitely well worth a read.
This is one of the most quietly unsettling vampire books that I've read in a very long time, which is refreshing.
The book gets off to a slightly rocky start, in that Natalie and Sophie (the protagonists) accept what is happening to them a little too quickly, along with what the potential ramifications are for their children.
This book is unusual in that of the characters old enough to have any kind of agency, most are women (especially noteworthy in a book by a male author). And unlike all too many vampire novels, the women aren't inclined to just be swooning damsels who redeem their vampire lover with the power of their love. The male vampire who "makes" Sophie and Natalie has some notion that Natalie is his "destiny" (literally calling her Destiny throughout), but Natalie is not down with that notion at all.
This book is a short, fast read but sticks with the reader. And I quite liked how the author resolves the final conflict, but it's not really possible to describe why without engaging in spoilers.
Definitely well worth a read.
July 27, 2013
This is not an easy book to find but it is worth the search. In celebration of Halloween this book is released by Earthling Publications. It is a welcome addition to the onslaught of vampire fiction. Nobody sparkles here. We have evil, dark and old in the form of The Whistler who take two mothers of young children and transform them into blood suckers. Now begins an intense battle between maternity and monster, friendship and fiend as the mothers battle with their fate. They set out to protect their children even as they long to be reunited. meanwhile The Whistler has designs on one of them infatuated by her lingering human drive. The writing is top notch and the exploration of the characters pathos makes this one horror novel you can sink your teeth into.
January 1, 2015
I was so excited to see this cool edition at the Berkeley Public Library--signed and numbered! I wonder if it was a gift of the author?
Anyhoo. . . all this ballyhoo about there being, "Too much vampire fiction out there!" is kind of getting on my nerves. Many readers might turn up their nose and miss this gem-- which would be a sad mistake.
I really enjoyed this gritty Southern take on vampires. It is full of despair and earnest emotion.
My only negative comment was that it felt a little short and somewhat rushed at times. I read it in one sitting--so it WAS a page turner (perhaps I am just sad is was over so soon?) I see this book and The Lesser Dead by Christopher Buehlman as ushering in the next wave in hyper-realistic vampire horror.
Anyhoo. . . all this ballyhoo about there being, "Too much vampire fiction out there!" is kind of getting on my nerves. Many readers might turn up their nose and miss this gem-- which would be a sad mistake.
I really enjoyed this gritty Southern take on vampires. It is full of despair and earnest emotion.
My only negative comment was that it felt a little short and somewhat rushed at times. I read it in one sitting--so it WAS a page turner (perhaps I am just sad is was over so soon?) I see this book and The Lesser Dead by Christopher Buehlman as ushering in the next wave in hyper-realistic vampire horror.
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