Mother, Mother

by Koren Zailckas

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. She has everything she wants; all she has to do is keep it that way. 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 the psych ward. Meanwhile, her brother Will shrinks further into a world of self-doubt. Recently diagnosed with Aspergers and epilepsy, he's separated from the other kids around town and is homeschooled to ensure his safety. Their father, Douglas, finds resolve in the bottom of the bottle--an addict craving his own chance to escape. Josephine struggles to maintain the family's impeccable facade, but when a violent incident leads to a visit from child protective services, the truth about the Hursts might finally be revealed.
Written with the style, dark wit and shrewd psychological insight that made SMASHED a bestseller, Zailckas's first novel is unforgettable. In the spirit of classic suspense novels by Shirley Jackson and Daphne DuMaurier, MOTHER, MOTHER is the terrifying and page-turning story of a mother's love gone too far, and the introduction of a commanding new voice in fiction.

Genres: Fiction, Thriller, Mystery, Suspense, Contemporary, Psychological Thriller, Psychology

363 pages, Paperback

First published September 17, 2013

Reviews

[Theresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. What a book! I'm glad Josephine Hurst isn't my mother. Jeez. The lengths a mother will go to gloss over the ugly truth about her emotionally-wounded, decaying family. I loved the alternating point-of-views from Violet and William Hurst. I felt a lot of empathy for them. Such a toxic family but what a thrilling, page-turning, well-written story. I bow down to Koren Zalickas. She's one hell of a writer. Nothing boring here. Dysfunction at its shameless best. A cross between Mommie Dearest, Psycho, and Girl, Interrupted. A fascinating piece of fiction. I am blown away! I have a feeling "Mother, Mother" will stay with me for a long, long time. Enjoy!

[Wendy Darling · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars Successful psychological thrillers usually rely on a couple of key things: interesting characters and the element of surprise. These characters aren't particularly nuanced, and are slotted into roles as if they're in a play, and I find it disappointing that the mother and Will in particular are so uninteresting and so very predictable.

The twists are also fairly easy to guess (are they not meant to be?), if not the exact circumstances of them, then certainly the possibility that they would happen. No revelatory story arcs or characters here, so coupled with a rather bizarrely self-indulgent last chapter and uneven pacing, this was not a big hit for me.

[Michelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

'Having a baby doesnt make you a mother anymore than buying a piano makes you fucking Beethoven'

After sitting on the kindle for 3 years it felt like the right time to get this read and I was really looking forward to it as dark messed up families is up my street and what a dark messed up family these lot are but the style of writing was so offputting I found it really unenjoyable.

The writing style is drier than a desert and I state this as a fact having lived 12 years in one. This has to be the most unemotional book on the planet and each word is like a rock; rough, dumped and not gelling with its next door neighbour.

Two stars, could have been awesome but was painful and awkward.

[Dianne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting study of a family in crisis - a mom, a dad, two daughters, and a son. The story is narrated by the middle daughter and the youngest son. The oldest daughter has run away. I don't really want to give away too much, so won't get into the plot. It's a blend of character study and mystery/thriller.

I liked it, but not as memorable as I'd hoped. Gripping at the beginning but by the end a bit overwrought and unlikely. Better on the character study end than the mystery/suspense end.

A solid 3.

[j e w e l s · Rating 5 out of 5]

HAPPY MOTHERS DAY, Lovely Mamas!

I highly recommend this one if you are in the mood for one of the worst mamas in all of fiction!🖤🖤🖤

Dark, twisted and compulsively readable, I loved it!

[Zoeytron · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am a hopeless thrall for bad mommy books, and Mother, Mother does not disappoint. Josephine is the mama, a full-blown narcissist who plays nasty little mind games to manipulate her brood, with varying degrees of success. She specializes in keeping her family off-balance and questioning themselves, always fearing her reactions.

Each of her three children attempts to survive in his or her own way. Rose has just turned 18 and has finally made her escape from the home, pretty much disappearing from their lives after leaving a note of her intent to live with her boyfriend. This leaves 16 year old Violet and 12 year old Will in the fray. Violet trips on psychedelics, meditates, reads books with lotus blossoms or puffy clouds pictured on the cover, and dabbles in excessive fasting. Josephine finds a way to get her committed to a mental institution when Violet starts openly defying her. Will, who may or may not be slightly autistic, is held firmly in the clutches of mommy dearest. Home-schooled, he is rarely out of sight of Josephine. He is very protective of his mother, and will do anything not to disappoint her. The father is weak, an on-again-off-again recovering alcoholic. He is little more than a bystander where the kids are concerned.

It is the relationship between Josephine and Will that is the most disturbing. She still lays out his clothes each day, bathes him, brushes and flosses his teeth. If Will displeases her in any way, she punishes him by giving him the silent treatment and by making him decide for himself what clothes to wear (the horror!). She is scariest when she speaks in double negatives. She is twisted and smug. A perfect nightmare of a mother.

The denouement comes as Violet returns home after being released from the mental facility. Things move very quickly from there.

[Brenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

At first, I thought this family just had typical teenagers complaining about their parents. I thought the eldest, a 20 year old young woman, had just left home to live with her boyfriend. I thought the 16 year old daughter was just rebelling, and that the pre-teen son was now savoring the attention of his mother. Boy, was I wrong!

The author creepily reveals the underpinnings of the marriage and the family dynamics. Saying the family is dysfunctional is an understatement. I don't think I can give an example without giving anything away. Trust me that this mother is the mother of all mothers.

After reading a series of 3 star books, I was pleased with Mother, Mother and happily rate it 4 stars.

[Patrice Hoffman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Talk about a family with major issues and secrets. Mother, Mother by Koren Zailckas is the exploration of a family who's matriarch is possibly one of the most vile, nutcases I have read in a long time. Mother, Mother is brilliantly twisted, engrossing, and makes those of us with "normal" parents thank our lucky stars.

It is evident from page one when William Hurst wakes to find his mother smiling down at him that maybe Josephine Hurst is a few cans short of a six pack. It could be that her husband drank five of those cans, but we'll never know because he's currently laid out and plastered in the next room. Violet Hurst isn't there to help either because she may (or may not) have gone into a violent rage against her younger brother William. Dysfunction at its finest.

When Josephine isn't cleverly manipulating every situation we get down to the grit of the story. A visit from the Child's Protective Services sparks the unraveling of a family who doesn't have it together at all. The reason for CPS is that they are following up on the running away of Rose Hurst, the eldest child. With the new violent action having taken place in the home, there's reason to suspect that things aren't too good in the Hurst household. With Violet rushed to an insane asylum we get the truth of who/what Josephine is. William, her loyal and faithful subject, gives us evidence.

Koren Zailckas gives us a family with very real problems. Their greatest threat, problem, is their narcissistic, sociopath matriarch. Think of Joan Crawford (it's there in the book...really!) This is Josephine. She's always the victim, and so concerned with her public image. Assuming there's always someone out to get her and deflects all her short-comings onto the world, or whoever's convenient. Zailckas cleverly places true psychology facts in order to give Josephine the most depth and realism as possible. I love it.

There are so many flawed characters in this novel that I can't choose who to dislike most so I'll choose the father. Ultimately it's Doug Hurst's fault that he didn't try to see the world he placed his family to live in sooner. I would like to dislike William since he is Josephine's pawn, but it's not his fault that his mother created him. At his age he's so impressionable that I can't really blame his being maleable on him. She also supplies him with a list of handicaps such as autism and seizures to ensure he remains in her clutches. Plus, unlike his sisters, he hasn't reached the dreaded teen years that scare their mother to no end.

Mother, Mother is a must-read for fans of dark fiction, psychological suspense, and clever plots. I had my suspicions about the ending but I wasn't let down at all. Koren Zailckas' debut novel is sure to excite the masses and may make her a new favorite for those who haven't read her bestselling Memoirs. Zailckas says it best: "Having a baby doesn't make you a mother anymore than buying a piano makes you fucking Beethoven."

[Liz Barnsley · Rating 4 out of 5]

All is not well with the Hurst family.

No indeed tell me about it! All is certainly NOT well with the Hurst family. But what, I wonder, could be at the heart of that disease? Well thats what Koren Zailckas looks at here – a family dynamic – and something at its core that is eating away at the whole.

Told from two points of view – that of the two younger children, Violet and Will, their elder sister Rose having escaped by running away a year or so before, a picture begins to emerge of a rather strange and terrible household. As Violet finds herself on a psychiatric ward after an incident at home and Will is left behind with their mother, the two very differing points of view on what went on and why make fascinating reading.

Dad Douglas is fighting his own demons and is noticeably pathetic, Mum Josephine is unpredictable and scary, Violet is beginning to rebel and Will is endlessly annoying – I kept forgetting he is only 12, his character is BRILLIANTLY written to the point I very much wanted to slap him. But then its not his fault – we are all a victim of our upbringing in one way or another. Another theme that is explored well here.

Mother Mother sits at the heart of this tale of course – no surprise there – I’m fairly sure if I had a mother like her I’d WELCOME the psychiatric ward…but I love the way that the author keeps the whole thing slightly off kilter and by allowing us to see things through two separate pairs of eyes she manipulates her readers into first one train of thought and then another..so you are compelled to read ever onwards to find out what exactly will happen to this desperate lot.

All in all a well written, intriguing and fast flowing tale of a dysfunctional yet fascinating family and one I would recommend to fans of psychological thrillers.

For this reader, it was terrific fun at the same time as being strangely cathartic – I mean my family has its moments but compared to the Hursts we are the Waltons.

Goodnight John Boy!

Happy Reading Folks.

[Robert · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’d like to nominate Douglas and Josephine Hurst for parents of the year. He’s an absentee father who’s doing a real fine job of drinking himself to death, while she’s a narcissistic mother who’d like to split ends with her family and the entire populace at large. If ever there was a case for the Emancipation Proclamation, the Hurst parents are the spitting image of what honest Abe had in mind, because I’d like to emancipate myself from this particular situation, and I only had to deal with them for a few hours. If I had to deal with them for much longer, I’d lock myself in a loony bin, devour all the red, yellow, green, blue, pink, and white pills I could find and then secure myself to a bed covered in leather straps, as I wait for the needle injection.

Then there were Violet and William Hurst and Sara-pist, who may, or may not, have been a reject therapist. Violet proved the more likeable of the two, a strong enough character to actually take on Josie the Soci, even if she did have to see more than a therapist to get her house in order and control the crazy. William, on the other hand, might as well have been a mini-Josephine, who had more than a few social issues, and what he may have often lacked in empathy, he made up for in the desolation of anyone who went against his mother.

If I could have figured out a way to make the crazy stop, I would have, because it was all fucking nuts with a side of scary, creepy, and fubar mixed into this spider’s web. The Addams Family appeared normal enough next to this freak show that probably needed its own Big top, cotton candy dispenser, and caramel apple maker. But there were no sweets to be had here, only lint and pocket knives.

The plot twists could have been a bit more twisted, as I had more than a strong suspicion on the final outcome of this tale about halfway through, but like a five-car pileup on the interstate in the middle of rush hour, I couldn’t look away, nor did I really want to. So if you’re looking for a character study in evil, along with a side dose in depth, despair, and human wreckage, you just might find yourself enjoying this tale. Although sleeping with a nightlight for your first night or two might not be such a bad idea either, if you have a weak stomach.

I received this book for free through NetGalley.

Cross-posted at Robert's Reads

[Kelly (and the Book Boar) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Find all of my reviews at: http://52bookminimum.blogspot.com/



I was so sure this would end up a 4 Star book.

“If only people closed their eyes when Josephine spoke, maybe then they’d hear it: cat-woman crazy, fueled by sadism and bottomless need.”

Ohhhhhhhh, Josie the Soci (as in sociopath) was easily the character I most loved to hate so far this year. Ruling her family with an iron fist – or maybe more like a mental Münchausen syndrome by proxy – she has led to her husband to seek asylum in the bottom of a bottle, her oldest daughter to the arms of a mysterious (and maybe even dangerous) boyfriend, and her middle-child to attempt suicide, resulting in her being admitted to a psychiatric hospital. Josephine’s only saving grace is her son, William, an intelligent boy whose Asperger’s syndrome and epilepsy cause him to be unable to attend school with his peers and instead remain under his mother’s constant care. Or do they?



This book had me hooked pretty much from the start. Writing about so many family members, each with their own story to tell, made the pages practically turn themselves. And boy oh boy do the skeletons just TUMBLE out of the closet once they start.



I won’t spoil this for you beyond saying nothing is what it seems. At this point you’re probably wondering why I’m giving a book I just praised such a mediocre rating. Well, if you know me you know that 3 Stars is pretty good, but I did have a few problems with this one. First, like so many books, it was just a bit too long – especially at the end. Once you know all the who, why, what and whens of a story there isn’t much point in continuing to drag things out. If this would have been around 40 pages shorter, it would have helped. Second, everyone got a lot dumber the closer they came to figuring out the family’s dirty little secrets. Again, readers expect the “thrilling” part of a thriller to eventually come to a close, so let the characters solve the puzzle and wrap it up. Finally, I wanted things to get even darker than they did. Josephine was not nice. At all. Ever. I expected her to take things to unimaginable levels and was disappointed that the author didn’t quite go there.

All in all, though, Mother, Mother was a surprisingly good read that left me thinking a certain other mother I know should have received an award for great parenting back in the day . . . .



This book was provided by Blogging for Books in exchange for an honest review

[Diane S ☔ · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Narcissism is a disorder that I have just recently learned about, but it is certainly a horrible thing for the people who are in the path of a narcissist. This novel does a good job at describing the horrible psychological effects of the narcissist mother. Cannot help but feel for all the children involved. The husband, though he tried to redeem himself later in the book, was just bent on ignoring everything and drinking his way through life, instead of making the attempt to protect his children.

Well written, certainly thought provoking, but easy to see this was going to end in some type of tragedy. A modern day horror story.

[Jacob Seifert · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was very excited for this book, especially after reading the interview with Zailckas on Shelf Awareness, but this novel commits the sin of telling too much and showing too little. Most of the family drama is revealed through summary rather than allowing the reader to witness it and then reflect on the nuances. I also found the writing to be imprecise and lackluster, and the dialogue was often melodramatic or boring. The results: little natural tension and no desire to continue reading. I am very disappointed on so many levels. The approach is overbearing, the story is unoriginal, and the author doesn't seem to know how to write a compelling scene. I feel terrible being so harsh, but there just wasn't anything here that tells me Zailckas is a competent writer or that her work is worth my time.

[☮Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

After reading another book about secrets last week, I was just talking about how most of us put on a public persona so we are more likable to others, keeping our true thoughts to ourselves. In Mother, Mother, that’s putting it mildly. In fact, Mother, aka Josephine Hurst, is so despicable, she makes Joan Crawford look like Mother of the Year. She insists that the outside world think her family is picture perfect, that they’re living storybook lives, and no family member must ever besmirch that image, even though entirely false. Douglas, the father, is beaten down by Josie and is an alcoholic. Rose, the eldest child, lived her years at home being the faithful obedient-servant daughter – until she felt like an employee and rebelled with a surprise pregnancy, and an even bigger surprise exit from the family unit. Violet the 16 year old has turned to hallucinogens and suicide-by-starvation, but somehow manages to seem like the only levelheaded one in the bunch. And 12 year old Will has epilepsy along with what Josephine has “internet-diagnosed” as Asperger’s and so has started to home school him, making him stuck with the monster day in and day out, with the damage only starting to surface.

Clearly, some people should never have children. Others should be locked up for life, and I don’t mean for crimes committed, I mean simply “committed.” For Josephine Hurst, both reasons would apply.

I highly recommend this, for its very contemporary feel and for the bits of witticism that still manage to come out of the evil and darkness so well portrayed here. Would have been 5 stars but the grip it had on me started to fall short a little toward the end.

[Майя Ставитская · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Mom" and "loving", "gentle", "caring" are not necessarily synonyms. It's not that Koren Zailtskas opened America with this book, anyone who has ever wondered why orphanages exist and where the children living in them come from has lost most of the illusions at the very moment when he thought. And we have read Gillian Flynn's "Sharp Objects", thank you for reminding us. And, I will reveal an unpleasant secret, in the Indian Vedic astrology Jyotish, which has four thousand years of history, there are aspects that directly indicate that the mother will be the enemy of her child. Nothing is new in the sublunary world, but we are still shocked when faced with this.

This is a warning for people with a delicate nervous organization, for whom reading can be traumatic. If you doubt it, it's better not to take it. Moreover, "Mom, Mom" cannot boast of any unthinkable artistic merits. A solid thriller is nothing more, and all the time I was reading, I even thought to rate it at 7/10. But when I finished, I realized that the value of literary achievements is not exhausted, some books are good because they teach. Recognize danger, act correctly, protect yourself. This one is like that.

Мать моя - враг мой
- Не было никакого физического насилия. Только эмоциональное.
- Эй, - возразил он мягко. - Насилие есть насилие. И как по мне, эмоциональное - одно из худших.
Матери бывают разными. "Мама" и "любящая" "нежная", "заботливая" вовсе не обязательно синонимы. Не то, чтобы писательница с непредставимым именем Корен Зайлцкас открыла этой книгой Америку, кто задумывался хоть раз, почему существуют детские дома и откуда приходят живущие в них дети, тот большинства иллюзий лишился в самый тот момент, когда задумался. И "Острые предметы" Гиллиан Флинн мы прочли, спасибо, что напоминаете. И, открою неприятный секрет, в индийской ведической астрологии Джйотиш, насчитывающей четыре тысячи лет истории, есть аспекты, прямо указывающие на то, что мать будет врагом своему ребенку. Ничто не ново в подлунном мире, но мы по-прежнему бываем шокированы, столкнувшись с подобным.

Это предупреждение для людей с тонкой нервной организацией, для которых чтение может оказаться травмирующим. Сомневаетесь - лучше не берите. Тем более, что какими-то немыслимыми художественными достоинствами "Мама, мама" похвастаться не может. Крепко сбитый триллер - не более, и все время чтения я даже думала оценить ее в 7/10. Но закончив, поняла, что литературными достижениями ценность не исчерпывается, некоторые книги хороши тем, что учат. Распознавать опасность, правильно действовать, защищать себя. Эта из таких.

Семья Хёрст практически идеальна. Папа менеджер среднего звена в компании, связанной с компьютерами и высокими технологиями. Мама домохозяйка, но это только теперь, когда ей пришлось оставить преподавание в колледже, чтобы целиком посвятить себя переведенному на домашнее обучение младшему Уиллу. У него аутизм и эпилепсия. Да, ужасно жаль. Старшая Роуз уже больше года как сбежала, а ведь подавала такие надежды на будущую успешную карьеру актрисы, Джозефина с детства водила ее в рекламные агентства, театральную и балетную студии, оплачивала уроки сценической речи - и вот, такая черная неблагодарность.

А средняя дочь, Вайолет, которая на фоне прекрасной Роуз была серой мышкой, не только слетела за этот год с катушек и начала прибухивать, курить траву, жрать колеса, но еще и вознамерилась совершить салекхану (это когда человек, постепенным полным отказом от пищи и жидкостей доводит себя до голодной смерти). А папа. Ну. в общем, папа очень сильно пьет. Практически каждый вечер надирается до полной отключки с алкогольной амнезией. Ничего себе, идеальная семейка. Похоже, мать там единственный нормальный человек, нет?

Нет, между "быть"и "казаться" большая разница, но в этом каждому члену семьи придется убедиться в свой срок и на собственном горьком опыте. Роман о манипуляциях, посредством которых человек, находящийся в близком контакте с тобой, может отравить твою жизнь. О том, что эмоциональное насилие бывает не менее травмирующим, в то время, как наносимые им раны далеко не столь очевидны, да к тому же оно маскируется под заботу и участие.

[Miriam Smith (A Mother’s Musings) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Superbly conveying the darker side of family life and portraying various elements of mental health issues I was addicted to this story and although warped and at times uncomfortable, it was a fabulous read which held my attention from start to finish.
With dysfunctional and flawed characters, this was a real eye-opener into narcissism, nature v nuture and controlling behaviour within family relationships and anyone interested in psychology and mental health will love this book too.
The title ‘Mother, mother’ says it all, I’ve never encountered a mother like it, in fact or fiction and the author Koren Zailckas has written a first rate domestic suspense noir.
Toxic, twisted, creepy and truly electrifying!

5 stars

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Holy crap! This is one severely messed up family. Primarily, Josephine Hurst, who rules her roost with an iron fist and shoots words like daggers into those she supposedly loves. This woman has ice running in her veins. I honestly couldn't put this book down.

If the idea of being a fly on the wall to a home of one of the most dysfunctional fictional families sounds appealing to you then I would highly recommend this.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I won this book via the goodreads giveaway in an exchange for an honest review.
This was a good page turner. A quick read. I love psychological thrillers, however this one didn't blow me out of the water.

The plot had potential to be very frightening. A family is torn apart by their abusive mother. The ways in which she controls her victims is terrifying. At times it felt excessive and unrealistic.
Josephine, the mother, was a narcissist and a psychopath. Douglas, the father, was a selfish alcoholic, bystander and victim of Josephine's abuse. Rose, the oldest daughter, the golden child and aspiring actress, runs away. Violet, the middle child, is unwilling to accept the abuse and becomes the scapegoat. Will, the youngest son, who is completely loyal to his mother, suffers the worst. The narrative alternates between Violet and Will. The characters also had potential. But they fell flat. I knew a lot about nothing. Certain characters felt unnecessary and unexplained.
The story is spent speculating about Rose's disappearance and the impact of Josephine's abuse. There were lots of theories that lead no where. The twist at the end lost some it's shock value due to a rushed conclusion.
Despite all of these things, I did enjoy reading this. There were a few powerful and insightful moments.

[Jan · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars. This was a tough read, but any book that can under my skin and take me on an emotional roller coaster gets a thumbs up! Crazy attracts crazy, and there starts the building of a family with so much dysfunction you have to wonder when will it stop? Will we be hearing from Will again?

[Kat · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mother, Mother I've been reading psychological thrillers like they are going out of print recently.  I think it's to do with the fact that I wasn't reading as much as I normally did for a long period, and a good psychological thriller has the ability to really grab me and keep me reading no matter what.  Told in the alternating POVs of the middle Hurst child, Violet, and the youngest, Will, Mother, Mother is an intimate, frightening look at how a family can go so very wrong on the inside, whilst maintaining a fairly regular appearance to the outside world.
Josephine, the mother, is a control freak, and Zailckas makes that clear from the very beginning - there's no attempting to hide her obvious narcissism, but it is the way it manifests and emerges further through the story that kept me reading.  I wanted to see what lengths she would go to to keep her perfect world perfect.  As a character she is obviously disturbing and very unlikeable, but it's very well disguised, and I even started to doubt myself part way through - was Josephine really a nasty bitch, or was it all in MY head? As a character it's difficult to empathise with Will, but I felt that was done purposefully to show the level of control Josephine had over him, and the effects of isolation on an a child - without a chance to interact with the outside world on a regular, normal basis, he withdraws further and further into himself and falls heavily under his mother's control.  Violet, on the other hand, I found far more interesting, particularly as her story started to emerge fully in the second half of the book.I do wish that there had been more focus on Douglas, and perhaps even a POV of his own, as his story was more told through the eyes of Will and Violet, but it was intriguing to see how a relationship such as that of Douglas and Josephine can go so terribly wrong.Zailckas' choice to reveal her main characters' weaknesses right from the beginning pays off in Mother, Mother - by allowing the reader to know them from the first page, it made for compulsive reading, and as I mentioned earlier, it actually started to make me wonder if the characters really were as they were insinuated, or whether I was missing something obvious.However, there are a few things that I struggled with - firstly, there is a terrible secret that is revealed towards the end of the book (I don't consider this a spoiler, because it's an obvious part of the plot) but by the time I made it that far into the story I was immune to really being shocked by it considering Josephine's earlier behaviour.  Connected to that, having the main characters flaws laid bare in the early part of the story perhaps removed some of the gasp-out-loud moments - I was expecting things to go wrong all the time.Mother, Mother is a psychological almost-thriller that kept me reading like a car crash - at times I wanted to look away, but my mind kept being drawn back into the story.

[Sabrina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mother, Mother is a psychological thriller that unfolds in alternating viewpoints and does a fabulous job of drawing the reader in from page one. Violet sees Josephine her mother for who and what she really is: a flawed individual who could really benefit from some professional therapy, While, Will chooses to see his mother as smart, cultured, kind and loving. Will subconsciously knows the truth about his mother, but chooses (or is forced) to see her through “rose-colored glasses.” Speaking of rose, Rose (the eldest perfect daughter) has disappeared when the story begins. So her story is left to be told by Violet and Will. However both Violet’s and Will’s versions of the truth are peppered by Josephine’s amazing ability to persuade and manipulate fact and fiction. These alternating viewpoints reflect how one person’s perception of the same events can and do shape reality. I almost forgot. There is a patriarch in the family. Douglas can usually be found somewhere in the background wallowing in his own misery and self-doubt. And when he finally does emerge, it is much too late to save his family.

While this novel is a departure from Koren Zailckas’ popular memoire genre, I am sure that her fans will be pleased with the results. Koren Zailckas proves that she knows how to tell a story that will keep you guessing.

[Marina Sofia · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are some melodramatic, perhaps slightly implausible flourishes to this book, to add to the suspense. But overall a fascinating and very painful portrait of a dysfunctional family and a manipulative mother, with deeply scarred characters.

[Stephanie (Stepping Out Of The Page) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mother, Mother is a story unlike any other that I've read before it. When I first read the blurb of the book, I thought it sounded fantastic - like something I would find fascinating, and it was, but it was actually so much more. This book messed with my mind, it made me unsure of who to believe, what to believe and as soon as I thought I had a stable idea of a character, I could turn the page and the author could shatter the illusion. Strangely enough, this is why it exceeded my expectations!

Mother, Mother asks us a question - what if your mother, someone you are meant to trust above all, is your worst enemy? We are introduced to the Hurst family who help us to see what could happen. We're introduced to the points of view of Josephine and Douglas Hurst's two children - Violet, a teenage girl who enjoys experimenting with drugs and ends up in a psychiatric ward and her younger brother Will, who is homeschooled as he has been diagnosed with autism and seizures. There was another daughter in the family, Rose, who ran away years earlier. One night after taking drugs, Violet claims to see Rose, but is swiftly admitted into hospital. After receiving a letter from her, Violet tries to investigate what really went on with Rose.

It's difficult for me to say much about this book without giving anything away, so I will try not to mention any particular events or happenings. I was particularly interested in Rose's experience at the psychiatric hospital, as it seemed quite genuine and I also think that I connected with her above all of the other characters, she is the one that I trusted the most. I did however, also become very interested in Will's way of thinking - it was clear that he didn't think in the same way as others of his age, but the mystery of whether or not it was nature or nurture really fascinated me.

Other than that, alI can say is that the whole book seems is full of twists and turns, the author cleverly swaying your emotions and trust, surprising you until the last minute. Zailckas seems to have a fantastic psychological knowledge and certainly knows how to write thrillers like this one. I found all of the characters to be fascinating, each different and fighting their own personal battles - even the support characters, such as Detective Flores, Imogene, Finch and their mother. Although we did meet several characters, each felt important and as though they each added value and substance to the story.

I hope it's clear from my review that this is a book that I'd certainly recommend. I haven't read many books that I can compare this one to, but I would definitely like to read more books that are written like this and leave such an impact. The only book that compares to this, impact/afterthought-wise is Room by Emma Donoghue. I would recommend this to anyone because to be honest, I think a lot of different people will enjoy this - I'd imagine that the fan base will be spread very diversely. I truly look forward to seeing what Koren Zailckas comes out with next!

[Gina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mother, Mother. I am horrified! This is one psychological dark story that is both horrifying and surreal at the same time. Could a mother slow kill her child? What do the rest of her children do about it? This is one good story of coping in reality horror.

[Gina · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novel really captured my attention because the subject matter is one that I am, unfortunately, very familiar with and the author has done an excellent job creating the character, Josephine. Josephine is the matriarch of the Hurtst family and suffers with Narcissistic Personality Disorder. In the most extreme cases, like the mother in this book, people with NPD don't have any self awareness because, at their core, they have no authentic selves. They put energy into creating and maintaining an inflated self that requires constant upkeep and effort. They may seem high functioning but all that matters to Josephine, and all NPD sufferers, is whether others believe that their "achievements" are real. Family is important because they help support their delusions of grandeur and they don't know how to truly love. They have an emotional hunger. The more a family member feeds into the narcissists needs the better they feel about themselves. They will pit family members against each other to see who "loves" the narcissist more than the other. If you cross them or don't feed into their hunger, they will turn on a dime to tear you down because they, like Josephine, are the most important person in their world.

I know all of this because my own mother is a narcissist and Josephine was written textbook perfect. It felt like I was reading about my own mother at times. The advice Edie gives Violet about how to deal with a narcissist is absolutely spot-on! It took me a few years to learn that advice. Too bad I didn't have this book when I was working with my own therapist learning how to deal with and set boundaries with my mom. I now go with the fill her up with what she needs every now and again and have firm boundaries that my mother hates. I was never able to set boundaries before therapy and once I learned, she wasn't happy. My mom was never physical with me but she got really pissed when I started setting those lines in the sand. Just like Josephine, she lashed out and accused me of not loving her. But hey...that's a narcissist! I read half of the book in one long sitting and had to take a break because it was getting too familiar and uncomfortable. Then I came back a few days later to finish the book. I also love reading about different psychological issues and again, this book sucked me in from the first sentence. The author has written a biography about her borderline mother, and it's obvious in her writing that Karen knows her "crazy mom stuff". Written from 2 points of view, Violet and Will, the reader gets to see the three dimensional character the author has created. The books started out with a scene with a supposed psychopath who was on her way to a psych ward for what turns out to be a huge fight that ended in violence at home. Violet is the middle child in the Hurst family and rebels against anything "Josephine". She is using psychedelic drugs and fasting to open her mind, however, I think she is really using them as an escape from her crazy family. The other narrator is Will the youngest and I would say is the most warped and psychologically harmed by his mother member of the family. Josephine has him wrapped around her pinky and she gets her narcissistic hunger/love/needs filled mostly by him. At times this was extremely disturbing to read as a mother to 2 sons. At a young age, Will was convinced by his mother that he has a seizure disorder and needed to be home schooled. However, having Will home at all hours of the day gave Josephine the time to get complete control over him. She even could control when he would seize. Rose is the oldest sister but she had left home a year before when she turned 18. Josephine twisted that into a story that Rose "ran away" from home with some mystery boyfriend and even had the police involved. There is a father in the picture but he is a recovering alcoholic and Josephine blames most of her problems on him and he sits back and takes it, never once fighting back.

During the time that Violet is in the psych ward, she learns what her mother is and is shocked at first that it's her mother that's crazy and not her. All of her live, Violet was made to feel that she was the problem child but in reality it was how Josephine framed everything that made Violet look like she had problems when they were nothing but normal teen behaviors of learning their individuality. Josephine didn't like that because if anyone gained their own individuality then she would have less control over them so she schemed to turn things around on Violet.

While Violet is away, Will is at home alone with his mother where things are spinning out of control and Josephine is going into damage control because more details about Rose and her disappearance from the family are emerging. No one in the Hurst family has actually heard from Rose since she left a year ago. Will found a pregnancy calendar that belonged to Rose and started to ask questions. Josephine didn't like the questions and even resorted to mild violence and completely ignoring Will. Unable to understand why she was treating him that way, Will did everything he could do to get his mother "to love him again" and in doing this Josephine again got her narcissistic hunger filled again.

As the story goes, more and more details come out about Rose. Violet even starts receiving letters from her and decides to go to live with her when she is discharged from the hospital. There is a huge climax that, personally, I didn't see coming because I was paying too much attention to the mother and what comes out proves that Josephine is just absolutely evil and has no feelings for anyone. She only cares about herself and how the world looks at her. Read the book if you want more details about this craziness.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes to delve into fractured minds because this author's writing is some of the best I've seen in awhile. I have read many reviewers say that they were glad that this wasn't their mom or even Josephine was written way over the top, but I promise you that this is how narcissists behave. Josephine is a 10 on a scale of 1-10 and I know an 8 or 9 level narcissist and trust me, this is absolutely how they act and it is terrible. They also will NEVER change. EVER! This book caught me like a giant fish hook and didn't let go. I will be reading more of this author. 5 stars!

[Isabella · Rating 4 out of 5]

well, a narcissistic and manipulative mother... a missing daughter... another hospitalized, an autistic son and an alcoholic father... quite an interesting plot! A twist story!

[Lolly K Dandeneau · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a dark novel, psychologically. It is about the slow destruction of a family at the hands of the controlling mother, Josephine Hurst. Each chapter is told either through Rose's intelligent loyal and special needs son Will or the rebellious daughter Violet who has recently found escape in drugs and philosophy. The oldest daughter Rose's disappearance with her boyfriend is clouded in mystery triggering Violet's hunger for freedom from under her mother's iron fist that immediately lands her in a psych ward. Will has been diagnosed with Asperger's and epilepsy which has enabled Josephine to slowly poison him against others and clouded his reality turning him into her blind devotee.
Anyone with a small knowledge of narcissistic disorders will quickly pick up on Josephine's poisonous mothering. Weak tech-nerd Father Douglas has his head in the sand, or more in a bottle of alcohol, blind to his wife's smothering mothering. Will he ever sober up and save his family, can the family even be saved? When protective services gets involved after a violent episode, Josephine's darkness might just be exposed.
While every family member is damaged by Josephine, the victim that touched me most was Will because while he is often her disciple, he has been poisoned the most by his toxic mother and suffers strange abuse at her hands. This is not a happy ending, but in art as in life, can anyone remain unaffected after coming in contact with twisted people, particularly when it comes in the form of mother's milk? I was drawn into each character and wanted to see Josephine buried by her sick lies and acts. But can a narcissist ever really be punished when even infamy feeds their need to be center stage? A frightful look into just how true the poem is, the hand that rocks the cradle is the hand that rules the world... Looking forward to future work by this intriguing author. Unlike so many novels out there about psychologically twisted people Koren Zailckas has written a believable book minus all the hokey, cringe worthy ridiculousness. I have actually met people like Josephine, she is believable and that is vital in telling such a story. Well done.

[Leah · Rating 5 out of 5]

*Received in exchange for an honest review*
*Thank you, Harper Collins*

Wow, wow, wow. This book was so, so good and absolutely chilling. Mother, Mother explores the issues underlying the Hurst family, with some incredibly disturbing secrets. I have to admit I had a hunch about what had happened but I wasn't expecting the way the revelation was shared. It was such a dark, disturbing psychological read and is probably one of my favourite thrillers that I've ever read. It's difficult to write a review on this book without spoiling anything - there are so many events which made this book the 5* read that it is.

I think the description comparing to Gone Girl is a little bit of a stretch but this doesn't take anything away from the book. It was pretty horrifying reading about the abuse that these children go through, and I often found myself questioning the culprit. It was difficult to tell who was actually behind this mistreatment but this just made the book all the more compelling. It felt like I had it all figured out but then certain twists and turns would slam doubt straight into my mind. I really couldn't put it down. It was exciting, addictive and I think it will go on to be one of my favourite reads of 2014 already. The characters are easy to identify with and very believable. I found myself caring so much about what was going to happen to the children, and the final chapters of the book chilled me to the bone. It just shows how deep such manipulation can go and how it can distort people's views of others or events.

What seemed to make this book the incredible read that it is, is that the events which unfold are entirely plausible and probably happen to a fair few people. I found myself pitying many of the characters - even the father, Doug, who often appears weak. Mother, Mother confronts the darker sides of human nature in an unforgettable and occasionally uncomfortable ways. I absolutely adored this book and am looking forward to reading more from this author. I knew I had to have it as soon as I heard about it, and I'm happy to say that it absolutely blew me away. A brilliant and thrilling read!

[Jood · Rating 1 out of 5]

15 year old Violet has been admitted to the local mental hospital. Why? Because her mother Josephine, has accused her of attacking her 10 year old brother Will with a knife. Rebellious Violet has no recollection of the attack but does remember an attempt to get high on morning glory seeds. Will is mildly autistic, suffers from Aspergers Syndrome and epilepsy and is home-schooled by Josephine in what seems a very unhealthy relationship. The oldest sister, Rose, has not been seen since she escaped the family a year ago and ran off with her boyfriend. Doug, the father, is a wet rag of a man, unable to provide emotional support to any of the family, and hides at the bottom of a bottle most of the time. The story is told from the viewpoint of Violet and William, with each of them taking alternate chapters, a style which works well in this particular book.

The characters are meant to be unsympathetic, I'm sure, but there was absolutely nothing I could relate to or sympathise with. I felt the author laid it on with a trowel with the result that it was overdone and somewhat theatrical, with a disappointing ending.

Described as a "powerful psychological thriller" and "deeply disturbing" I actually found it quite dull and heavy going, like plodding through porridge, particularly in the first few chapters, when I was tempted to give up. On I plodded, but I didn't get much out of this book at all. This has been compared to Lionel Shriver's fantastic "We Need to Talk About Kevin" and Gillian Flynn's equally excellent "Gone Girl" - I cannot think why these comparisons have been made, as the writing whilst quite good just does not compare. Read either one of these if you want a really good psychological thriller.

[rachel · Rating 1 out of 5]

It's been seven years since Koren Zailckas's drinking memoir, Smashed, was published and I see her writing still has that straight out of the workshop quality, whether she is attempting fiction or non-fiction.

I can't finish Mother, Mother. I tried and failed at about the 1/3 mark. Where Smashed was workshoppy in its strained poeticism, Mother, Mother reads like an outline with character type inserts. It is flat, the characters simultaneously boring, predictable, and unreal in their melodramatic construction.

This book is so unoriginal (and thus, not interesting to me) that I found myself mentally giving it the same sort of credit that I used to give in college workshops to math majors taking writing classes to fulfill pre-requisites. Okay, the younger daughter works at a farm market/co-op sorta place. That's interesting. Oh, that's what her hair looks like? That's nice. Great detail! When I don't find originality in story or characterization, I start looking for originality/interest in superficial details just to carry me through the reading experience. That was always my barometer for whether a writing workshop story was successful and it still translates to published work too, I guess. If my only point of interest is a hair color or a paragraph vignette about something I'm already interested in (farm markets with lax management, my sort-of dream career), it's not a good book. Thankfully, this time I don't have to see it out 'til the end.