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One Bad Mother: In Praise of Psycho Housewives, Stage Parents, Momfluencers, and Other Women We Love to Hate
For fans of the witty and evocative writing of Anne Helen Petersen and Amanda Montell, a sharply clever exploration of what it means to be a “bad mom” by delving into the world of momfluencers, stage moms, trad wives, and more.
We all have an idea what it means to be a good little screen time, kids hitting their milestones, endless patience and understanding, and self-sacrifice on behalf of one’s children. But what does it mean to be a “bad mom” in modern society? Women as wide-ranging as Meghan Markle, Hannah Neelman (of Ballerina Farm), and anyone giving birth over forty, have been labeled “bad moms.” In a world where the rules are constantly changing, it feels like women simply cannot win.
With this in mind, in her first book, Ej Dickson takes a sharp, provocative look at one of society’s most polarizing the “bad mom.” What makes a mother “bad,” and why? Through the lens of pop culture and American history, Ej Dickson explores how this trope has evolved—from Victorian “angels in the house” to the infamous Mommie Dearest, from Instagram influencers like EmRata and Mormon momfluencers to fictional icons like The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.
Each chapter dives into a different archetype of so-called bad motherhood—like the Stage Mom, the Tiger Mom, the MILF, the MLM hun—challenging us to rethink our assumptions about femininity, parenting, and societal expectations. Drawing on insightful analysis and interviews, Dickson unpacks why our culture is obsessed with vilifying moms and how issues of race and class shape these narratives. Are bad moms truly “bad,” or do they simply defy norms we don’t fully understand—or fear?
This isn’t just cultural commentary—it’s a clarion call. Because if we really take a close look, we might find that some of the women we’ve reviled throughout history are due for a reassessment — and in doing so, moms today may take some much-needed pressure off themselves. One Bad Mother invites moms everywhere to stop chasing impossible standards, reclaim their autonomy, and maybe—just maybe—enjoy motherhood for what it is, not what it’s “supposed” to be.
Thoughtful, eye-opening, and downright funny at times, One Bad Mother is a vital exploration of modern motherhood.
We all have an idea what it means to be a good little screen time, kids hitting their milestones, endless patience and understanding, and self-sacrifice on behalf of one’s children. But what does it mean to be a “bad mom” in modern society? Women as wide-ranging as Meghan Markle, Hannah Neelman (of Ballerina Farm), and anyone giving birth over forty, have been labeled “bad moms.” In a world where the rules are constantly changing, it feels like women simply cannot win.
With this in mind, in her first book, Ej Dickson takes a sharp, provocative look at one of society’s most polarizing the “bad mom.” What makes a mother “bad,” and why? Through the lens of pop culture and American history, Ej Dickson explores how this trope has evolved—from Victorian “angels in the house” to the infamous Mommie Dearest, from Instagram influencers like EmRata and Mormon momfluencers to fictional icons like The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.
Each chapter dives into a different archetype of so-called bad motherhood—like the Stage Mom, the Tiger Mom, the MILF, the MLM hun—challenging us to rethink our assumptions about femininity, parenting, and societal expectations. Drawing on insightful analysis and interviews, Dickson unpacks why our culture is obsessed with vilifying moms and how issues of race and class shape these narratives. Are bad moms truly “bad,” or do they simply defy norms we don’t fully understand—or fear?
This isn’t just cultural commentary—it’s a clarion call. Because if we really take a close look, we might find that some of the women we’ve reviled throughout history are due for a reassessment — and in doing so, moms today may take some much-needed pressure off themselves. One Bad Mother invites moms everywhere to stop chasing impossible standards, reclaim their autonomy, and maybe—just maybe—enjoy motherhood for what it is, not what it’s “supposed” to be.
Thoughtful, eye-opening, and downright funny at times, One Bad Mother is a vital exploration of modern motherhood.
352 pages, Hardcover
Published February 10, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
I am not a non-fiction reader by any means, and when I do read non-fiction, it is usually a memoir, but as a mother, I knew I had to read this. Do you stay at home with your kids, depriving them of structure and early socialization? You're a bad mother. How could you leave your precious darlings in the care of someone else to go to work, why did you even bother having kids? You're a bad mother. Etc. etc. etc. It is almost impossible to be deemed a good mother by society, but so, so easy to be a bad one.
The author explores the major "bad mom" archetypes we currently see in our culture, the "Stage Mom", the "MILF", the "Tiger Mom", the "Mommy Blogger", the "MAHA Moms", and even the ones that no one will argue against the nuance - the moms who actually harm their children. I appreciated the author's acknowledgement of her own implicit bias, as an upper middle class, liberal, white woman from New York with a snarky delivery, because, DUH HELLO 👋🏻, and the acknowledgement that "bad mothering" is usually just a self flagellation tool for us to wring our hands about how we will be perceived, but for Black and Brown women, often results in incarceration.
This was an informative mix of scholarly citations mixed with relatable personal anecdotes, though I do feel like if you fall into the demographics that are more prone to falling into some of the motherhood traps shown here (i.e. Mama Bears, MLM Hons), you might take offense.
If you're a mom, or have a mom, or think you are a bad mom (you're probably not), and want to reflect on this further, this was a quick listen at 2x speed, narrated by the author in a way that felt like I was listening to one of my contemporaries as a mother of similar background and age.
🤱🏻 Thank you Simon Audio for the ALC and Simon Element for the advanced copy
The author explores the major "bad mom" archetypes we currently see in our culture, the "Stage Mom", the "MILF", the "Tiger Mom", the "Mommy Blogger", the "MAHA Moms", and even the ones that no one will argue against the nuance - the moms who actually harm their children. I appreciated the author's acknowledgement of her own implicit bias, as an upper middle class, liberal, white woman from New York with a snarky delivery, because, DUH HELLO 👋🏻, and the acknowledgement that "bad mothering" is usually just a self flagellation tool for us to wring our hands about how we will be perceived, but for Black and Brown women, often results in incarceration.
This was an informative mix of scholarly citations mixed with relatable personal anecdotes, though I do feel like if you fall into the demographics that are more prone to falling into some of the motherhood traps shown here (i.e. Mama Bears, MLM Hons), you might take offense.
If you're a mom, or have a mom, or think you are a bad mom (you're probably not), and want to reflect on this further, this was a quick listen at 2x speed, narrated by the author in a way that felt like I was listening to one of my contemporaries as a mother of similar background and age.
🤱🏻 Thank you Simon Audio for the ALC and Simon Element for the advanced copy
October 13, 2025
My review is stuck in Edelweiss loading. Which is also where I got the ARC for this. Thank you, Edelweiss. More to the review when I can get it.
October 22, 2025
As soon as I started reading it, I knew I had stumbled upon gold.
Ok, I was kind of already expecting gold when I chose to click that I want to read it. But oh em gee, this did not disappoint.
The author has done some serious thinking and has gone down some serious rabbit holes. If you are a parent – or a mother of sorts – I’m fairly certain you too have felt like whatever you do, you aren’t good enough; whatever you do, you get judged for it; whatever you do, its either too much or not enough. Or is it just me? yeah, I don’t think it’s just me.
Everyone loves judging mothers.
And then, I remember the social norm of the past decade – mommy needs wine. Wine time! look at those precious kids, I hate my life with them so much that I must drink daily! I don’t know about you, but for me, this trend was something that always made me think about barbiturates and other mommies' little helpers during the 1950s.
Ok, back to the book. The book is a refreshing take on motherhood. On all the impossible choices one must make. On all the impossible battles one must fight (and no, not win – as a mother, you never get to win, not in society, not at the workplace, not at home).
And no, it’s not a Girl, Wash Your Face inspirational, motivational, easy read. This is a deep dive, and it’s uncomfortable. And yet somehow comforting. Comfortingly uncomfortable. Uncomfortably comforting. A weird mix, I know.
This is a book for those who want to think. For those who love to think. For those who want to feel uncomfortably comfortable sitting with their own opinions and thinking about the world as it is, and about the world as it was, and the world as it used to be. And, yes, facing the future, too.
You got it, mama. You are enough, even if the world is (and was, and has always been, and will always be) set to make every mama feel as if she is not enough. That’s just the way it is. Bad mama, bad – take it as a praise. That is such a broad feminist look at it all, all within the pages of one tiny book that’s coming next year.
Ok, I was kind of already expecting gold when I chose to click that I want to read it. But oh em gee, this did not disappoint.
The author has done some serious thinking and has gone down some serious rabbit holes. If you are a parent – or a mother of sorts – I’m fairly certain you too have felt like whatever you do, you aren’t good enough; whatever you do, you get judged for it; whatever you do, its either too much or not enough. Or is it just me? yeah, I don’t think it’s just me.
Everyone loves judging mothers.
And then, I remember the social norm of the past decade – mommy needs wine. Wine time! look at those precious kids, I hate my life with them so much that I must drink daily! I don’t know about you, but for me, this trend was something that always made me think about barbiturates and other mommies' little helpers during the 1950s.
Ok, back to the book. The book is a refreshing take on motherhood. On all the impossible choices one must make. On all the impossible battles one must fight (and no, not win – as a mother, you never get to win, not in society, not at the workplace, not at home).
And no, it’s not a Girl, Wash Your Face inspirational, motivational, easy read. This is a deep dive, and it’s uncomfortable. And yet somehow comforting. Comfortingly uncomfortable. Uncomfortably comforting. A weird mix, I know.
This is a book for those who want to think. For those who love to think. For those who want to feel uncomfortably comfortable sitting with their own opinions and thinking about the world as it is, and about the world as it was, and the world as it used to be. And, yes, facing the future, too.
You got it, mama. You are enough, even if the world is (and was, and has always been, and will always be) set to make every mama feel as if she is not enough. That’s just the way it is. Bad mama, bad – take it as a praise. That is such a broad feminist look at it all, all within the pages of one tiny book that’s coming next year.
February 11, 2026
One Bad Mother: In Praise of Psycho Housewives, Stage Parents, Momfluencers, and Other Women We Love to Hate
by Ej Dickson
Thank you to Simon Element for the gifted copy.
One Bad Mother is smart, pointed cultural criticism that gets at something most parents recognize immediately. The standards for “good motherhood” are impossible, the rules change constantly, and society seems to enjoy punishing women no matter what choices they make. As a father of two, I read this less as a parenting book and more as a clear-eyed look at how motherhood gets policed, packaged, and used as entertainment.
Dickson structures the book around familiar archetypes, the Stage Mom, the Tiger Mom, the Trad Wife, the MLM hun, the Momfluencer, and more. The chapters move through pop culture, history, and modern media with a snarky, conversational tone, but there is real substance underneath it. She does a good job showing how these “bad mom” labels often function as shorthand for broader anxieties about gender, class, race, work, and control.
What I appreciated most is that the book does not stop at easy dunking. When the archetype deserves critique, like exploiting kids online or causing direct harm, it is addressed plainly. When it is more complicated, like the MLM pipeline or the pressure to perform motherhood online, she looks at incentives and systems instead of just blaming individual women. That approach made the book feel fair even when it was sharp.
Not every argument will land for every reader, especially if you see yourself in some of the categories being examined. The voice can be biting, and at times it leans into broad generalizations for effect. Still, the overall point is strong and hard to ignore. If we are serious about supporting families, we should be paying attention to the cultural machinery that makes mothers the default villain.
Provocative, funny in places, and genuinely thought provoking.
4 stars.
by Ej Dickson
Thank you to Simon Element for the gifted copy.
One Bad Mother is smart, pointed cultural criticism that gets at something most parents recognize immediately. The standards for “good motherhood” are impossible, the rules change constantly, and society seems to enjoy punishing women no matter what choices they make. As a father of two, I read this less as a parenting book and more as a clear-eyed look at how motherhood gets policed, packaged, and used as entertainment.
Dickson structures the book around familiar archetypes, the Stage Mom, the Tiger Mom, the Trad Wife, the MLM hun, the Momfluencer, and more. The chapters move through pop culture, history, and modern media with a snarky, conversational tone, but there is real substance underneath it. She does a good job showing how these “bad mom” labels often function as shorthand for broader anxieties about gender, class, race, work, and control.
What I appreciated most is that the book does not stop at easy dunking. When the archetype deserves critique, like exploiting kids online or causing direct harm, it is addressed plainly. When it is more complicated, like the MLM pipeline or the pressure to perform motherhood online, she looks at incentives and systems instead of just blaming individual women. That approach made the book feel fair even when it was sharp.
Not every argument will land for every reader, especially if you see yourself in some of the categories being examined. The voice can be biting, and at times it leans into broad generalizations for effect. Still, the overall point is strong and hard to ignore. If we are serious about supporting families, we should be paying attention to the cultural machinery that makes mothers the default villain.
Provocative, funny in places, and genuinely thought provoking.
4 stars.
October 15, 2025
(ARC - out 02/10/26 via Simon Element) I am probably not the target audience for this in the sense that I am not a mother. But, I am the target audience in the sense that I find sociological, introspective studies on the dilemmas and speed bumps modern women face. This essay collection reminds me a lot of Anna Bogutskaya’s Unlikeable Female Characters, which viewed common female archetypes through the lens of women in pop culture. This collection turns the lens specifically on motherhood, with chapters focused on working mothers, stage moms, momfluencers, MLM moms, trad wives, and the narrative of the bad mother, among others. The author pulls a lot from her own life, but she also searches for meaning in the wider culture. She ponders the harm of putting children on social media platforms with a large following before they can knowingly consent. She studies the origins of the term “welfare queen” and just how classist, racist, and misogynistic such a phrase can be. Instead of condescendingly dismissing the wave of mothers who joined MLMs, she explores why it is that women desperate to make money while staying home with their children are preyed on by companies willing to exploit a woman’s desire to have more independence. Dickson uses all sorts of media from t.v. to movies to books, and she pulls from real world studies and news stories to further expand on her thoughts and theses. I think a woman with kids would get more out of this than me, but that is not a fault of the author or the writing, just a fact of who the book is written for. I did find the writing to be interesting and well-argued, even if I didn’t agree with every point, and I’m always happy to be pushed to examine my own beliefs in our world.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you to NetGalley for the eARC.
From momfluencers to MLMs to stage moms to moms who kill, One Bad Mother explores different representations of "bad" motherhood over time in the U.S. and how being a "bad mom" has changed over time. This book is an excellent exploration of motherhood and just how hard it is to be a mom in a society where every decision a woman makes is put under a microscope. EJ Dickson does a great job of tying the tropes of a bad mother to different cultural movements and moments to show that, despite times changing, women and mothers are constantly in a lose-lose situation.
When I first got this ARC, I worried it would only explore white motherhood and draw blanket conclusions, but Dickson made sure to draw attention to the fact that not all mothers are shamed the same way or to the same extent. I was also worried that it would come to some conclusion on what a bad mother actually is, but that was not the case. Dickson did an impressive job showing empathy to all moms for the situations they are in, even those who do the unimaginable to their children.
As I am not a mother and do not plan to become one, there were moments in this book that did not reach me the way they were probably intended to reach their audience. I also found some of the footnotes to feel out of touch with the rest of the story being told.
However, after finishing this book, I see it for what it is: a love letter to moms and motherhood.
From momfluencers to MLMs to stage moms to moms who kill, One Bad Mother explores different representations of "bad" motherhood over time in the U.S. and how being a "bad mom" has changed over time. This book is an excellent exploration of motherhood and just how hard it is to be a mom in a society where every decision a woman makes is put under a microscope. EJ Dickson does a great job of tying the tropes of a bad mother to different cultural movements and moments to show that, despite times changing, women and mothers are constantly in a lose-lose situation.
When I first got this ARC, I worried it would only explore white motherhood and draw blanket conclusions, but Dickson made sure to draw attention to the fact that not all mothers are shamed the same way or to the same extent. I was also worried that it would come to some conclusion on what a bad mother actually is, but that was not the case. Dickson did an impressive job showing empathy to all moms for the situations they are in, even those who do the unimaginable to their children.
As I am not a mother and do not plan to become one, there were moments in this book that did not reach me the way they were probably intended to reach their audience. I also found some of the footnotes to feel out of touch with the rest of the story being told.
However, after finishing this book, I see it for what it is: a love letter to moms and motherhood.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
4.5/5
Thank you @_simonelement #partner for the gifted copy of this book!
Where do I even start with this one?
This is THAT kind of book...the kind that makes you pause, think and then think some more. At its core, it asks a deceptively simple question. What actually makes a “bad mom” in a world with constantly shifting standards for women? Ahhh that question is very hard to answer.
Is it the mom who puts her kids on social media?
The woman who has children later in life?
Stage moms? Helicopter moms?
Or public figures like Kim Kardashian or Meghan Markle?
How about the mom who can’t seem to get it together?
Or the one who dares to admit she doesn’t always enjoy being a mom?
So many rules. So many opinions. So little grace.
What really stood out to me is how quick society and women themselves are to judge other mothers. Why is that? This book gently but firmly challenges that instinct. I firmly believe that until you’ve walked in someone else’s shoes judgment should be off the table when it comes to mommin.
I could tell from the sheer number of sources cited that this author has done extensive research. I will say though it never felt overwhelming or boring. The flow is smooth, the information is easy to digest and somehow even with nonfiction it still manages to be a total page-turner. I honestly had a hard time putting it down.
I loved this book. It’s the kind that makes you feel a little lighter afterward. Like on your worst mom day you’re allowed to give yourself some grace. I also think this isn’t just a book for moms. It’s for anyone who has ever looked at any mother and thought, “What the heck is that woman doing?”
Consider this your reminder to pause, rethink and maybe judge a little less.
Thank you @_simonelement #partner for the gifted copy of this book!
Where do I even start with this one?
This is THAT kind of book...the kind that makes you pause, think and then think some more. At its core, it asks a deceptively simple question. What actually makes a “bad mom” in a world with constantly shifting standards for women? Ahhh that question is very hard to answer.
Is it the mom who puts her kids on social media?
The woman who has children later in life?
Stage moms? Helicopter moms?
Or public figures like Kim Kardashian or Meghan Markle?
How about the mom who can’t seem to get it together?
Or the one who dares to admit she doesn’t always enjoy being a mom?
So many rules. So many opinions. So little grace.
What really stood out to me is how quick society and women themselves are to judge other mothers. Why is that? This book gently but firmly challenges that instinct. I firmly believe that until you’ve walked in someone else’s shoes judgment should be off the table when it comes to mommin.
I could tell from the sheer number of sources cited that this author has done extensive research. I will say though it never felt overwhelming or boring. The flow is smooth, the information is easy to digest and somehow even with nonfiction it still manages to be a total page-turner. I honestly had a hard time putting it down.
I loved this book. It’s the kind that makes you feel a little lighter afterward. Like on your worst mom day you’re allowed to give yourself some grace. I also think this isn’t just a book for moms. It’s for anyone who has ever looked at any mother and thought, “What the heck is that woman doing?”
Consider this your reminder to pause, rethink and maybe judge a little less.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
As the child of a mother that can sincerely be called a bad mom, the idea of this book initially made me very uncomfortable. Was I in for a defense of the sort of "estranged parents" you see on social media, abusers who see themselves as victims?
Wonderfully, this expectation was not met, at all. This book is a fantastic exploration of the disproportionate amount of shaming and blaming placed on mothers in society, especially contrasted against fathers. Dickson's own motherhood is explored in a refreshingly honest light, and the call to empathize with the common pariahs of motherhood is made with her own self as leverage.
I felt capable even of empathizing more with my own mother while reading this book, and it gave a very helpful insight into a world I don't personally experience, but wanted to understand better. I would recommend this book to anyone who has a similar desire. It's a quick, funny, and very memorable read.
Wonderfully, this expectation was not met, at all. This book is a fantastic exploration of the disproportionate amount of shaming and blaming placed on mothers in society, especially contrasted against fathers. Dickson's own motherhood is explored in a refreshingly honest light, and the call to empathize with the common pariahs of motherhood is made with her own self as leverage.
I felt capable even of empathizing more with my own mother while reading this book, and it gave a very helpful insight into a world I don't personally experience, but wanted to understand better. I would recommend this book to anyone who has a similar desire. It's a quick, funny, and very memorable read.
December 6, 2025
Book 283: One Bad Mother: In Praise of Psycho Housewives, Stage Parents, Momfluencers, and Other Women We Love to Hate by Ej Dickson
Thank you to #NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my review. Read this book on my Kindle for #NonfictionNovember. One Bad Mother will be published in February 2026.
Synopsis: Thoughtful, eye-opening, and downright funny at times, One Bad Mother is a vital exploration of modern motherhood.
Review: Chapters in this book explored many facets of motherhood. Some of the chapters were more intriguing than others for me. Overall this book’s exploration of famous moms in history, as well as notorious moms was very interesting. The Bad Mom moniker is one thrown around easily and in jest, but what does that term really mean to the everyday mother? This book will be a great discussion piece for book clubs. My rating 4⭐️.
Thank you to #NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my review. Read this book on my Kindle for #NonfictionNovember. One Bad Mother will be published in February 2026.
Synopsis: Thoughtful, eye-opening, and downright funny at times, One Bad Mother is a vital exploration of modern motherhood.
Review: Chapters in this book explored many facets of motherhood. Some of the chapters were more intriguing than others for me. Overall this book’s exploration of famous moms in history, as well as notorious moms was very interesting. The Bad Mom moniker is one thrown around easily and in jest, but what does that term really mean to the everyday mother? This book will be a great discussion piece for book clubs. My rating 4⭐️.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
One Bad Mother is an extremely interesting read from a sociological and feminist perspective. In this book, Dickson discusses numerous types of stereotypical "bad moms," and analyzes why we as a society have such a trope and how it harms women. Dickson does a great job of doing this analysis while also recognizing that there is a level of Bad Parenting that becomes abusive, and she does a solid job of trying to distinguish between the cultural mom-shaming of it all with actual Bad Parenting. It's also of note how many ideas we have for bad moms when dads are less thought about in their parenting. Something I hope we can all agree needs to change. This was such a fun and quick read, and I would highly recommend.
Thank you to Simon Element and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Thank you to Simon Element and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
February 11, 2026
Many thanks to NetGalley, Simon & Schuster | Simon Element for gifting me a physical and digital ARC of this fascinating non-fiction book by Ej Dickson. All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 5 stars!
This is a meticulously-researched book into what constitutes "good" moms and "bad" moms, and the inherent problems in even thinking about those distinctions. What makes this book shine is the humor and personal notes that fill the book as well, as we learn the author's own motherhood experience. We as a society are so quick to judge, and this book will make you think, even if you are on a different side of the aisle from the author. Each chapter explores a different type of "bad" mom, nudging us to really explore the effects of race and class on our judgmental views. A must read book that will bother enlighten and entertain!
This is a meticulously-researched book into what constitutes "good" moms and "bad" moms, and the inherent problems in even thinking about those distinctions. What makes this book shine is the humor and personal notes that fill the book as well, as we learn the author's own motherhood experience. We as a society are so quick to judge, and this book will make you think, even if you are on a different side of the aisle from the author. Each chapter explores a different type of "bad" mom, nudging us to really explore the effects of race and class on our judgmental views. A must read book that will bother enlighten and entertain!
Review of advance copy received from Goodreads Giveaways
I am very impressed with the extensive research done for this book. The author, EJ Dickson, takes on a complex subject and considers what is a bad woman? And what about mom influencers, stage moms, and the heavy burden that working women bear?
Some of the reports are horrifying, while others inspire strong empathy; the author's remarks are insightful, humorous, and sharp. She thoroughly discusses the history of norms for women with and without children. She highlights the importance of affordable and safe childcare. Her book makes you think about serious issues that we may have pushed to the back of our minds. She has written about topics that I have never even thought about and I have learned so much from her book.
Some of the reports are horrifying, while others inspire strong empathy; the author's remarks are insightful, humorous, and sharp. She thoroughly discusses the history of norms for women with and without children. She highlights the importance of affordable and safe childcare. Her book makes you think about serious issues that we may have pushed to the back of our minds. She has written about topics that I have never even thought about and I have learned so much from her book.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
As a 19-year-old woman with no kids nor any future plans for them, I didn't think I would find this book as hard hitting as it was, but there were several times where I related so much to some of the themes in the book and other times where I wished I would never have to find out. Dickson does an incredible job in not sugar coating absolutely anything which is what I appreciated the most out of reading this.
Motherhood is so hard, I don't need to tell you that, but this book doesn't just tell you why it's hard. It forces you to reevaluate your own thinking on the matter and to recognize motherhood as something different, forever changing.
Thank you Netgalley for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review!
Motherhood is so hard, I don't need to tell you that, but this book doesn't just tell you why it's hard. It forces you to reevaluate your own thinking on the matter and to recognize motherhood as something different, forever changing.
Thank you Netgalley for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review!
December 25, 2025
I. Loved. This. The type of nonfiction that makes me want to read more nonfiction. Both hilariously witty and sobering in its cultural critique, I couldn’t put this book down and come away with it feeling very Big Brain about the complexities of modern motherhood. Especially loved the chapters on momfluencers and stage moms.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
This book examines the label of “bad mother” through the lens of various pop culture moments and individuals. This book made some good points and as a mother of three teenagers, I remember all too well the pressure of mothering them when they were little. I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
One Bad Mother is a really interesting look into the societal expectations that define and simultaneously create "bad moms". Overall I enjoyed reading this. There were times when it read a little textbooky - I think the use of so many footnotes throughout added to that.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
Review of advance copy received from Goodreads Giveaways
4.5 rounded up. I got a free copy of this through a giveaway and genuinely loved it. I mean, a chapter called "Hal, It's About Cats"? Right up my alley. A humorous but darkly accurate analysis of how society views and treats mothers both in real life and in media.
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February 11, 2026Not for me.
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