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Mother Is Watching
An internationally bestselling author’s chilling horror debut in which an art conservator’s obsession with a mysterious painting spirals into a nightmarish descent, where the line between reality and the supernatural shatters, threatening both her sanity and her life.
Mathilde “Tilly” Crewson, a thirty-nine-year-old mother and art conservator, is tasked with restoring The Mother. The painting, believed to be the work of a female surgeon-turned-artist after a personal tragedy, is the rumored fourth piece in a collection of only three known works. But this newly discovered painting, scarred by fire, holds more than meets the eye.
Soon after receiving the painting, Tilly discovers she’s unexpectedly pregnant. But almost immediately, strange, inexplicable things begin to terrifying insect swarms, eerie visits from her long-deceased mother, and sinister whispers that invade her mind. As these malevolent forces intensify, Tilly comes to a harrowing the only way to sever the perilous bond she shares with the painting is to destroy it. But The Mother has plans of her own—and they’re darker than Tilly could ever imagine…
Mathilde “Tilly” Crewson, a thirty-nine-year-old mother and art conservator, is tasked with restoring The Mother. The painting, believed to be the work of a female surgeon-turned-artist after a personal tragedy, is the rumored fourth piece in a collection of only three known works. But this newly discovered painting, scarred by fire, holds more than meets the eye.
Soon after receiving the painting, Tilly discovers she’s unexpectedly pregnant. But almost immediately, strange, inexplicable things begin to terrifying insect swarms, eerie visits from her long-deceased mother, and sinister whispers that invade her mind. As these malevolent forces intensify, Tilly comes to a harrowing the only way to sever the perilous bond she shares with the painting is to destroy it. But The Mother has plans of her own—and they’re darker than Tilly could ever imagine…
320 pages, Hardcover
First published March 17, 2026
69 people are currently reading
11843 people want to read
About the author
Karma Brown
15 books1,370 followersKARMA BROWN is a Canadian award-winning journalist, speaker, and the #1 bestselling author of six novels, including RECIPE FOR A PERFECT WIFE. She has also written the non-fiction bestseller THE 4% FIX, and has co-authored two holiday rom-coms under the pen name Maggie Knox. In addition to her books, Karma's writing has appeared in publications such as Redbook, SELF, and Chatelaine. Karma lives just outside Toronto with her husband, daughter, and a labradoodle named Fred. She released a holiday rom com in 2026 (THE CHRISTMAS CURE) under the pen name Kristine Winters, and her horror debut, MOTHER IS WATCHING publishes March 17, 2026.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 206 reviews
April 17, 2026
**4.5-stars rounded up**
Mother Is Watching is an Adult Horror debut for bestselling author, Karma Brown. I've never read from Brown before, but it's my understanding that she's mostly written Historical Fiction and Contemporary Romance novels.
This is a big shift from that, and oh baby, did she knock it out of the park. This was so good and had me spinning.
This story is set in a futuristic-dystopian landscape. We follow Tilly, and art conservator living in Georgia in the American South, who has been tasked with a mysterious painting known as The Mother.
Tilly has also recently found out that she is pregnant. She lives with her husband, their young daughter and her mother-in-law. The news that their family is expanding is most welcome.
In fact, in this world, due to a virus that negatively affected fertility rates, the government is very focused on motherhood and pregnancy. Tilly is soon to become a societal VIP of sorts, with access to all sorts of new 'perks'.
Even though she's expecting, Tilly is determined to continue working no matter what anyone says. This isn't necessarily the norm in this society with a strong focus on mothers staying safe within the home. Tilly loves her work though and feels especially connected to The Mother project.
It's not long after she starts working on the restoration that inexplicable and terrifying things begin happening to Tilly and her family. There's a lot of insects and a lot of body horror, and I've gotta say, I was eating it up.
The creepy crawlies alone are worth picking up this book for IMO, but there's so much more than just that. I'm so impressed with the way Karma Brown constructed this story. I was pulled in and hooked from the very first chapter.
The themes explored provide so much food for thought and I feel like this could make a very strong Book Club pick, for those with the stomach to get through it, that is. I wasn't really expecting the dystopian backdrop, though it is listed as one of the main genres, so that was such a pleasant surprise, and I felt it was executed so well.
We're truly having a renaissance of Horror Fiction right now, and I'm not necessarily sure why that is, but as a life-long Horror Lover, I'm so happy to see it and receive it.
There's such diversity and quality in the stories we are getting right now. I feel blessed. I hope that this novel starts getting some more buzz, because it certainly deserves it.
On a more personal level, I chose not to have children and have never for one moment regretted it, so I can't relate to this desperate struggle and want to have children that many of the characters in this story displayed. However, I loved Tilly so much as a character. Everything she goes through in this story is visceral and gripping.
The ending too, it gets wild, but I appreciated how full-circle it felt. With this being said, I would throw a caution flag up for Readers who like things to be wrapped-up neatly. I feel like the author left some avenues of interpretation for the Reader at the conclusion of this one, but frankly, I enjoyed the mental exercise.
There's so many more thoughts I have on this, but mentioning any of them would mean spoilers and I'm not willing to include those in my reviews. Best advice, read this with a friend, you're going to want to talk about it!
Thank you to the publisher, Dutton, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I sincerely hope that Karma Brown keeps writing in the Horror space.
This was refreshing and I look forward to more Readers picking it up!
Mother Is Watching is an Adult Horror debut for bestselling author, Karma Brown. I've never read from Brown before, but it's my understanding that she's mostly written Historical Fiction and Contemporary Romance novels.
This is a big shift from that, and oh baby, did she knock it out of the park. This was so good and had me spinning.
This story is set in a futuristic-dystopian landscape. We follow Tilly, and art conservator living in Georgia in the American South, who has been tasked with a mysterious painting known as The Mother.
Tilly has also recently found out that she is pregnant. She lives with her husband, their young daughter and her mother-in-law. The news that their family is expanding is most welcome.
In fact, in this world, due to a virus that negatively affected fertility rates, the government is very focused on motherhood and pregnancy. Tilly is soon to become a societal VIP of sorts, with access to all sorts of new 'perks'.
Even though she's expecting, Tilly is determined to continue working no matter what anyone says. This isn't necessarily the norm in this society with a strong focus on mothers staying safe within the home. Tilly loves her work though and feels especially connected to The Mother project.
It's not long after she starts working on the restoration that inexplicable and terrifying things begin happening to Tilly and her family. There's a lot of insects and a lot of body horror, and I've gotta say, I was eating it up.
The creepy crawlies alone are worth picking up this book for IMO, but there's so much more than just that. I'm so impressed with the way Karma Brown constructed this story. I was pulled in and hooked from the very first chapter.
The themes explored provide so much food for thought and I feel like this could make a very strong Book Club pick, for those with the stomach to get through it, that is. I wasn't really expecting the dystopian backdrop, though it is listed as one of the main genres, so that was such a pleasant surprise, and I felt it was executed so well.
We're truly having a renaissance of Horror Fiction right now, and I'm not necessarily sure why that is, but as a life-long Horror Lover, I'm so happy to see it and receive it.
There's such diversity and quality in the stories we are getting right now. I feel blessed. I hope that this novel starts getting some more buzz, because it certainly deserves it.
On a more personal level, I chose not to have children and have never for one moment regretted it, so I can't relate to this desperate struggle and want to have children that many of the characters in this story displayed. However, I loved Tilly so much as a character. Everything she goes through in this story is visceral and gripping.
The ending too, it gets wild, but I appreciated how full-circle it felt. With this being said, I would throw a caution flag up for Readers who like things to be wrapped-up neatly. I feel like the author left some avenues of interpretation for the Reader at the conclusion of this one, but frankly, I enjoyed the mental exercise.
There's so many more thoughts I have on this, but mentioning any of them would mean spoilers and I'm not willing to include those in my reviews. Best advice, read this with a friend, you're going to want to talk about it!
Thank you to the publisher, Dutton, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I sincerely hope that Karma Brown keeps writing in the Horror space.
This was refreshing and I look forward to more Readers picking it up!
March 17, 2026
Amidst the many dangling threads in this novel are two main storylines competing for attention. The first is the story of our MC Mathilde "Tilly" who works as an art conservator and is given the break of her career when she receives the assignment of restoring a badly damaged and previously unknown painting by the macabre and mysterious artist Charlotte Leclerc, who died in the 1980s. The other main current of the novel is Motherwise, the pregnancy Big Brother equivalent that tracks expectant mothers in the near-future world that Tilly lives in. Monetary rewards and perks, and societal blessings and approval, are bestowed on families who breed prolifically, and women are encouraged to forgo their careers and focus on their children. Today's trad wives and the current US administration and its supporters would love it.
Personally, as much as I recognize that the latter commentary is a timely one, I was more interested in the cursed art aspect of Mother is Watching, and there were glimmers of promise from time to time throughout the novel, including some interesting scenes of body horror involving that painting that piqued my macabre interest. Unfortunately, like other plotlines in the book, the body horror started strong when it was introduced and then just fizzled out.
This book never managed to engage me. The writing and characters struck me as very generic; you could swap Tilly with any number of female protagonists in contemporary popular horror, particularly motherhood horror, and not notice a difference. I understand the connection the author was trying to make between the main two storylines, but like with a lot of the rest of this book, I don't feel that the connection ever really delivered an effective impact.
I would say that readers who enjoyed Just Like Mother and Delicate Condition may very well enjoy Mother is Watching a lot more than I did. Maybe contemporary motherhood horror just isn't for me.
Thank you to Dutton and NetGalley for a digital advanced readers copy.
Personally, as much as I recognize that the latter commentary is a timely one, I was more interested in the cursed art aspect of Mother is Watching, and there were glimmers of promise from time to time throughout the novel, including some interesting scenes of body horror involving that painting that piqued my macabre interest. Unfortunately, like other plotlines in the book, the body horror started strong when it was introduced and then just fizzled out.
This book never managed to engage me. The writing and characters struck me as very generic; you could swap Tilly with any number of female protagonists in contemporary popular horror, particularly motherhood horror, and not notice a difference. I understand the connection the author was trying to make between the main two storylines, but like with a lot of the rest of this book, I don't feel that the connection ever really delivered an effective impact.
I would say that readers who enjoyed Just Like Mother and Delicate Condition may very well enjoy Mother is Watching a lot more than I did. Maybe contemporary motherhood horror just isn't for me.
Thank you to Dutton and NetGalley for a digital advanced readers copy.
November 4, 2025
4.25/5
Finally, a genuinely creepy “cursed media” book! The backstory of the paintings that the main character, Tilly, becomes obsessed with was emotional and haunting. Tilly herself is very likable and well-meaning, so the situation she’s put in seems high stakes. It makes the reader feel very sympathetic for her, rooting for Tilly to overcome the madness and have a happy ending. However, Tilly is pretty deep in the madness and this book constantly had me questioning what was reality vs Tilly’s hallucinations.
Additionally, I am not much of a sci-fi fan, but the author incorporated some really cool, interesting sci-fi tech in this book that had me freaking out!
Highly recommend checking out this horror debut upon release, 03.17.26! Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher, Dutton, for the opportunity to receive an ARC of this book.
Finally, a genuinely creepy “cursed media” book! The backstory of the paintings that the main character, Tilly, becomes obsessed with was emotional and haunting. Tilly herself is very likable and well-meaning, so the situation she’s put in seems high stakes. It makes the reader feel very sympathetic for her, rooting for Tilly to overcome the madness and have a happy ending. However, Tilly is pretty deep in the madness and this book constantly had me questioning what was reality vs Tilly’s hallucinations.
Additionally, I am not much of a sci-fi fan, but the author incorporated some really cool, interesting sci-fi tech in this book that had me freaking out!
Highly recommend checking out this horror debut upon release, 03.17.26! Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher, Dutton, for the opportunity to receive an ARC of this book.
April 3, 2026
Well, that was terrifying! One of those books I will only read once in my lifetime. If you know, you know!
This was Canadian author Karma Brown's debut into the horror genre, and suffice it to say, she comes out swinging.
Mother is Watching is a dystopic horror set in Savannah, Georgia, sometime in the future. Unfortunately, things haven't gotten any easier for women. Protagonist Mathilde "Tilly" struggles with secondary infertility after a heartbreaking stillbirth of her daughter, Poppy. Once, Tilly thought that her daughter, Clementine, was enough, but now Tilly would do anything to give her a sibling. Similar to Orwell's Big Brother, Karma Brown's characters live with Motherwise, a pregnancy equivalent that tracks expectant mothers.
Unlike many of her friends and neighbours who chose to stay home with their children, Tilly is a working mother, an art conservator tasked with determining whether a recently discovered painting is by a famous artist who died tragically. It isn't long before Tilly notices that the painting is causing unusual behaviour... almost as if it is alive.
As I began to read, I was immediately hooked, but I started to lose interest around the 50% mark when elements of the plot became peculiar. I am not much of a horror fan, and that probably accounts for my wobbly stomach. However, when the plot accelerated, and Tilly's life hung in the balance, I was riveted once again. This is going to sound incredibly foolish, given the times we are currently experiencing, the older I get, and the more dystopian I read, I cannot help but feel disheartened that those who identify as female are going to continue being so controlled. Authors, give us a break! Let all the men get swallowed up by the void. Haha!
So I congratulate the author on her debut into a new genre. But reading this book once was enough for me.
MotherIsWatching #NetGalley
Publication Date 17/03/26
Goodreads Review 22/03/26
Thanks to NetGalley and Dutton for access to this title. All opinions expressed are my own.
This was Canadian author Karma Brown's debut into the horror genre, and suffice it to say, she comes out swinging.
Mother is Watching is a dystopic horror set in Savannah, Georgia, sometime in the future. Unfortunately, things haven't gotten any easier for women. Protagonist Mathilde "Tilly" struggles with secondary infertility after a heartbreaking stillbirth of her daughter, Poppy. Once, Tilly thought that her daughter, Clementine, was enough, but now Tilly would do anything to give her a sibling. Similar to Orwell's Big Brother, Karma Brown's characters live with Motherwise, a pregnancy equivalent that tracks expectant mothers.
Unlike many of her friends and neighbours who chose to stay home with their children, Tilly is a working mother, an art conservator tasked with determining whether a recently discovered painting is by a famous artist who died tragically. It isn't long before Tilly notices that the painting is causing unusual behaviour... almost as if it is alive.
As I began to read, I was immediately hooked, but I started to lose interest around the 50% mark when elements of the plot became peculiar. I am not much of a horror fan, and that probably accounts for my wobbly stomach. However, when the plot accelerated, and Tilly's life hung in the balance, I was riveted once again. This is going to sound incredibly foolish, given the times we are currently experiencing, the older I get, and the more dystopian I read, I cannot help but feel disheartened that those who identify as female are going to continue being so controlled. Authors, give us a break! Let all the men get swallowed up by the void. Haha!
So I congratulate the author on her debut into a new genre. But reading this book once was enough for me.
MotherIsWatching #NetGalley
Publication Date 17/03/26
Goodreads Review 22/03/26
Thanks to NetGalley and Dutton for access to this title. All opinions expressed are my own.
September 7, 2025
This novel was made up of two major storylines. One of them was absolutely my thing and the other was one that I personally don’t like to read about because it’s always frustrating. So this experience was kind of like having someone put licorice in my peanut butter
However, the two storylines did work very well together and made complete sense. The book takes place in a not so distant future in which every woman’s fertility is closely monitored by government technology, and they can even get a tattoo that turns different colors based on ovulation and other health stats. Women in this world are high-pressured to conceive as much as possible because a virus has wiped out the sperm count of the average male and the burden has fallen to them to continue the species.
In addition to this, there’s a rewards/incentives program women can join called “Motherwise” that seemingly provides lots of benefits to pregnant women and their families, but is also more than a little pushy when it comes to telling the mother-to-be what to do. And ladies with fewer children are essentially made to feel inferior, like they aren’t contributing as much to society.
That was one aspect of the plot: all the stuff going on with main character Tilly and her husband trying to conceive another child, and there was a lot going on with that. It wasn’t my favorite thing to read about, especially because I hate controlling husbands. Wyatt wasn’t quite on the same level as the guy from “Rosemary’s Baby,” but he was close!
What I LOVED about the book was the other plot line, the art horror. A favorite genre of mine in general. Tilly restores damaged paintings for a living, (just like Dana did in “Ghostbusters 2!”) and she’s tasked with restoring a particularly mysterious work by a late artist with a lot of tragedy in her life.
The creepy lore in this story was so interesting! The more Tilly uncovers, the scarier things get. I don’t want to say too much, but there is some cool body horror and imagery and I was into it. The backstory for the artist fascinated me.
I also appreciated the short chapters. The wild stuff that happened every time the painting was in the room. The parallels between what was happening biologically to Tilly and what she was discovering as she did the restoration. Mothers and daughters as a theme. This book had a lot happening. I think anyone who likes art horror, supernatural horror and elements of feminism and future dystopia will really like this.
Thank you to Netgalley and to the publisher for the copy in exchange for an honest review! All opinions are my own.
Biggest TW: Loss of pregnancy, Insects, Self-harm
However, the two storylines did work very well together and made complete sense. The book takes place in a not so distant future in which every woman’s fertility is closely monitored by government technology, and they can even get a tattoo that turns different colors based on ovulation and other health stats. Women in this world are high-pressured to conceive as much as possible because a virus has wiped out the sperm count of the average male and the burden has fallen to them to continue the species.
In addition to this, there’s a rewards/incentives program women can join called “Motherwise” that seemingly provides lots of benefits to pregnant women and their families, but is also more than a little pushy when it comes to telling the mother-to-be what to do. And ladies with fewer children are essentially made to feel inferior, like they aren’t contributing as much to society.
That was one aspect of the plot: all the stuff going on with main character Tilly and her husband trying to conceive another child, and there was a lot going on with that. It wasn’t my favorite thing to read about, especially because I hate controlling husbands. Wyatt wasn’t quite on the same level as the guy from “Rosemary’s Baby,” but he was close!
What I LOVED about the book was the other plot line, the art horror. A favorite genre of mine in general. Tilly restores damaged paintings for a living, (just like Dana did in “Ghostbusters 2!”) and she’s tasked with restoring a particularly mysterious work by a late artist with a lot of tragedy in her life.
The creepy lore in this story was so interesting! The more Tilly uncovers, the scarier things get. I don’t want to say too much, but there is some cool body horror and imagery and I was into it. The backstory for the artist fascinated me.
I also appreciated the short chapters. The wild stuff that happened every time the painting was in the room. The parallels between what was happening biologically to Tilly and what she was discovering as she did the restoration. Mothers and daughters as a theme. This book had a lot happening. I think anyone who likes art horror, supernatural horror and elements of feminism and future dystopia will really like this.
Thank you to Netgalley and to the publisher for the copy in exchange for an honest review! All opinions are my own.
Biggest TW: Loss of pregnancy, Insects, Self-harm
April 22, 2026
One of my least favorite kinds of endings, and yet it really worked for me here.
October 4, 2025
What a premise! This plot had me sitting uncomfortably on the edge of my proverbial seat. Paintings can be chilling, and the idea of one being haunted is terrifying. This book absolutely captures that terror. The future timeline is a fun twist with lots of updated technology. I will say, the watch notifications got old fast. Luckily, the plot was strong enough that I could overlook her never ending watch pings. Overall, a delightfully frightful book that I’m sure will stay with me for some time.
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
September 3, 2025
Thank you to Dutton for providing this ARC for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
Mother is Watching by Karma Brown is part horror, part science fiction. Tilly is a fine arts conservator in a near-future Savannah, Georgia. In this further, fertility rates have been decimated, and women are encouraged to have children, enrolled in government programs to incentivize. At the same time that Tilly discovers she’s pregnant with a baby after a devastating loss, she gets an opportunity to work on a painting by Leclerc, the artist who her mother was working on when she suddenly died.
There are really two separate horror stories at play here; one is seemingly benign, domestic horror while the other is the more obvious supernatural plot. The supernatural plot is mysterious, convoluted, and open-ended. It’s not particularly jumpy, but it does have some wonderful moments of body horror. Playing heavily on the fears and terrors of motherhood, pregnancy, and gaslighting, there are some really well written sections.
What I would have loved was the expansion of the stomach-churning, skin crawling, reproductive control sections. In the year 2025, the idea of programs that promote motherhood as the highest aim of womanhood is far too real. The elements of blatant pronatal propaganda (including sowing the seeds of distrust of childless people), control of women’s bodies and activities, and the way that social and government pressure consumes the main character and makes her feel uncomfortable with her very much wanted pregnancy is so, so scary. This feeling of being reduced, minimized, and stripped bare injures all women, not just those that don’t fit into the norms. Even Tilly, who desires this pregnancy, finds herself being erased and misunderstood. This is such a topical horror. This really drops off in favor of the supernatural horror in the final few chapters. I could have read even more about this , and wish elements would have made it to the final chapters.
The element of this book that really dropped the ball for me was that the husband character is somewhat of a nothing blob. He’s somewhat necessary for some set dressing, but he never really does anything important. While he does have a weird controlling attitude with the MotherWise program and a friend who’s somewhat suspect, he isn’t fully invested. He doesn’t have enough redeeming points to be “good” not enough, not “bad” enough to fully be part of the female reproductive horror, and not important enough to the plot one way or another. I just wish that he would have had more impact in any direction. He definitely makes controlling decisions for Tilly and is a bit of a crappy partner, but he feels a little bland as a major player.
I really enjoyed this title. I thought that the conservation of a painting was a pretty unique take on the “spooky painting” genre of horror. I thought there was some great gross horror, especially the scene on Christmas Eve. I wish the secondary and tertiary characters were more well developed. 4/5 stars!
Mother is Watching by Karma Brown is part horror, part science fiction. Tilly is a fine arts conservator in a near-future Savannah, Georgia. In this further, fertility rates have been decimated, and women are encouraged to have children, enrolled in government programs to incentivize. At the same time that Tilly discovers she’s pregnant with a baby after a devastating loss, she gets an opportunity to work on a painting by Leclerc, the artist who her mother was working on when she suddenly died.
There are really two separate horror stories at play here; one is seemingly benign, domestic horror while the other is the more obvious supernatural plot. The supernatural plot is mysterious, convoluted, and open-ended. It’s not particularly jumpy, but it does have some wonderful moments of body horror. Playing heavily on the fears and terrors of motherhood, pregnancy, and gaslighting, there are some really well written sections.
What I would have loved was the expansion of the stomach-churning, skin crawling, reproductive control sections. In the year 2025, the idea of programs that promote motherhood as the highest aim of womanhood is far too real. The elements of blatant pronatal propaganda (including sowing the seeds of distrust of childless people), control of women’s bodies and activities, and the way that social and government pressure consumes the main character and makes her feel uncomfortable with her very much wanted pregnancy is so, so scary. This feeling of being reduced, minimized, and stripped bare injures all women, not just those that don’t fit into the norms. Even Tilly, who desires this pregnancy, finds herself being erased and misunderstood. This is such a topical horror. This really drops off in favor of the supernatural horror in the final few chapters. I could have read even more about this , and wish elements would have made it to the final chapters.
The element of this book that really dropped the ball for me was that the husband character is somewhat of a nothing blob. He’s somewhat necessary for some set dressing, but he never really does anything important. While he does have a weird controlling attitude with the MotherWise program and a friend who’s somewhat suspect, he isn’t fully invested. He doesn’t have enough redeeming points to be “good” not enough, not “bad” enough to fully be part of the female reproductive horror, and not important enough to the plot one way or another. I just wish that he would have had more impact in any direction. He definitely makes controlling decisions for Tilly and is a bit of a crappy partner, but he feels a little bland as a major player.
I really enjoyed this title. I thought that the conservation of a painting was a pretty unique take on the “spooky painting” genre of horror. I thought there was some great gross horror, especially the scene on Christmas Eve. I wish the secondary and tertiary characters were more well developed. 4/5 stars!
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Review in the February 2026 issue of Booklist and on the blog: https://raforall.blogspot.com/2026/02... (link live on 2/5/26 at 7am central)
Three Words That Describe This Book: near future dystopia, art horror, psychological horror
More words: Horror debut by an established author, fertility horror, art restoration, haunted painting, trauma, surveillance state horror, immersive, visceral (paintings were made with blood, fingernails, insect wings), unreliable narrator-- only Tilly. She is all we know. Can't see her husband, friends, kid, mother in law's perspective.
Brown's Horror debut.
One Before Chapter to set the stage and introduce the reader to the artist-- Charlotte LeClerc who painted Tilly will be restoring for the bulk of this book. The backstory about the artists is haunting, macabre, and as we find out-- threatening. Tilly's mom restored LeClerc's painting, THE CHILD, and now Tilly is doing THE MOTHER. LeClerc died in a fire as she was working on The Mother.
Then we have the "Now" chapters. the action. Everything is in Tilly's point of view, in conversational language, she is clearly telling the reader her story because at the end of a few chapters, she tells us that things are about to get worse-- which in "now" chapters was a bit odd. How can she know that?
There is an "After" for the ending.
This book has a few too many frames. I think the frame of a near future where floods and fires have changed the world in ways that are hinted at but not explored was not helpful. We could have easily had hey there was a virus, men have compromised sperm counts, that's why there is all this fertility surveillance. Why add in the climate change, fires, storms. There is a big storm at the end but there could have just been a big storm. It takes place in Savannah. They have big storms now.
The intense fertility surveillance and the "supporting" pregnant people and new mothers is not that far off from life now.
There were also a lot of extraneous details and side plots that did not pay off for the amount of pages needed for them. Some I am like, hmmmm where did that go, others completely left dangling.
But library readers will enjoy the immersive horror here. The psychological horror of the painting– is ithaunted, is it literally our to get Tilly, is it moving into the real world, OR is all of this in Tilly's head, Is she so damaged from her life (multiple things) that she is having a complete breakdown. Readers will get caught up in all of it. There is good use of all five senses here to invoke a real sense of unease, anxiety, and eventually all out terror.
There is a lot of great detail about art restoration as well.
I fall on the side of the haunted painting but there is information here for both, especially for when she purposely avoids her therapist friend on purpose towards the end of the book. (Side note, the therapist and her wife are and entire side story that is developed and then just dropped)
Shares similarities to cursed media stories. I thought of Black Flame Gretchen Felker-Martin because we have the restoration and the art work blending into and threatening the restorers life. But missed with Womb City for sure-- the near future dystopia with fertility and surveillance horror.
Three Words That Describe This Book: near future dystopia, art horror, psychological horror
More words: Horror debut by an established author, fertility horror, art restoration, haunted painting, trauma, surveillance state horror, immersive, visceral (paintings were made with blood, fingernails, insect wings), unreliable narrator-- only Tilly. She is all we know. Can't see her husband, friends, kid, mother in law's perspective.
Brown's Horror debut.
One Before Chapter to set the stage and introduce the reader to the artist-- Charlotte LeClerc who painted Tilly will be restoring for the bulk of this book. The backstory about the artists is haunting, macabre, and as we find out-- threatening. Tilly's mom restored LeClerc's painting, THE CHILD, and now Tilly is doing THE MOTHER. LeClerc died in a fire as she was working on The Mother.
Then we have the "Now" chapters. the action. Everything is in Tilly's point of view, in conversational language, she is clearly telling the reader her story because at the end of a few chapters, she tells us that things are about to get worse-- which in "now" chapters was a bit odd. How can she know that?
There is an "After" for the ending.
This book has a few too many frames. I think the frame of a near future where floods and fires have changed the world in ways that are hinted at but not explored was not helpful. We could have easily had hey there was a virus, men have compromised sperm counts, that's why there is all this fertility surveillance. Why add in the climate change, fires, storms. There is a big storm at the end but there could have just been a big storm. It takes place in Savannah. They have big storms now.
The intense fertility surveillance and the "supporting" pregnant people and new mothers is not that far off from life now.
There were also a lot of extraneous details and side plots that did not pay off for the amount of pages needed for them. Some I am like, hmmmm where did that go, others completely left dangling.
But library readers will enjoy the immersive horror here. The psychological horror of the painting– is ithaunted, is it literally our to get Tilly, is it moving into the real world, OR is all of this in Tilly's head, Is she so damaged from her life (multiple things) that she is having a complete breakdown. Readers will get caught up in all of it. There is good use of all five senses here to invoke a real sense of unease, anxiety, and eventually all out terror.
There is a lot of great detail about art restoration as well.
I fall on the side of the haunted painting but there is information here for both, especially for when she purposely avoids her therapist friend on purpose towards the end of the book. (Side note, the therapist and her wife are and entire side story that is developed and then just dropped)
Shares similarities to cursed media stories. I thought of Black Flame Gretchen Felker-Martin because we have the restoration and the art work blending into and threatening the restorers life. But missed with Womb City for sure-- the near future dystopia with fertility and surveillance horror.
November 11, 2025
With
Mother is Watching,
Karma Brown once again proves she’s an absolute powerhouse of an author, no matter the genre she chooses. Her first horror novel is smart, timely, intensely creepy, and delivers a downright horrifying ending. Read this one with all the lights on!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Unnerving, shocking, and such a whirlwind, it was hard to stop reading!
Tilly is a conservator and she's been given the piece of a lifetime. A famed artists who was known to be eccentric and a little dark has had another piece located that no one knew about. It's been ruined and Tilly is tasked with working on the piece, removing the damage to see what's underneath. She's excited but also unnerved. Another piece from this artist was one of the last her mother, also a conservator, worked on before she died. It's brining up a lot of emotions while she works on it.
But it feels like it might be more than that. Tilly starts losing time, waking up in places she doesn't remember. She starts forgetting things, losing things, and hearing things. Tilly's world is close to our own, but also not. Ai technology and government oversight have changed.
This story is an absolute wild ride. It doesn't have chapters, it has occasional page breaks, so it feels like one big long fever dream. The art was fascinating to learn about. I love learning about painting repair so I loved that part of the story. The world, so close to ours, was equally fascinating and horrifying. I was completely sucked into this read and loved every uncomfortable moment. This one will stick with me in all the best ways. So good but deeply unsettling. A great read!
A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.
Tilly is a conservator and she's been given the piece of a lifetime. A famed artists who was known to be eccentric and a little dark has had another piece located that no one knew about. It's been ruined and Tilly is tasked with working on the piece, removing the damage to see what's underneath. She's excited but also unnerved. Another piece from this artist was one of the last her mother, also a conservator, worked on before she died. It's brining up a lot of emotions while she works on it.
But it feels like it might be more than that. Tilly starts losing time, waking up in places she doesn't remember. She starts forgetting things, losing things, and hearing things. Tilly's world is close to our own, but also not. Ai technology and government oversight have changed.
This story is an absolute wild ride. It doesn't have chapters, it has occasional page breaks, so it feels like one big long fever dream. The art was fascinating to learn about. I love learning about painting repair so I loved that part of the story. The world, so close to ours, was equally fascinating and horrifying. I was completely sucked into this read and loved every uncomfortable moment. This one will stick with me in all the best ways. So good but deeply unsettling. A great read!
A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.
October 19, 2025
Mathilde is a working mother and art conservationist in a post-climate crisis, near-future Savannah, GA. I was intrigued to see The South as the backdrop for a distopian sci-fi horror novel, and being from that area I had hoped that we would get more about what happened with The Great Flood and everything else leading to this point. But I guess that's a whole other book. At the beginning of the story, I was grasping at straws to find exactly what made it dystopian, because within context to maternal care and the current trainwreck that is politics in the United States, this future with the Motherwise program actually sounds pretty nice (weekly curated boxes, neighborhood support classes, an efficient public railway transit system, drone delivery, etc). As the story progresses, we find that the world Matilde occupies has incentivized child-rearing after major population decline. Motherwise is actually similar to a Big Brother-like entity, with health tracking bracelets and tattoos, mandatory home-rest, AI therapists and required breath-work. And we know it's never good for women when the government gets involved with their bodies and reproductive rights.
There is a duality in this story: the life of Mathilde rooted in a pro-life distopian reality and her experiences in the haunted ephemeral plane that she keeps tapping into through the conservation of The Mother painting.
I noticed obvious similarities in this book with The Handmaid's Tale, and also with Stephen King's Rose Madder. But instead of the oppressor in Rose Madder being a single man, the oppressor in Mother is Watching is a broader definition of the Patriarchy.
This story ends up being what I feel is an ultimate loss to Matilde. Truly a "horrible" ending. I loved all of the different elements of this story, but I felt they deserved more elaboration and cohesiveness.
TW: death of mothers and children, miscarriage, self-harm, traumatic birth
Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC of Mother is Watching by Karma Brown.
There is a duality in this story: the life of Mathilde rooted in a pro-life distopian reality and her experiences in the haunted ephemeral plane that she keeps tapping into through the conservation of The Mother painting.
I noticed obvious similarities in this book with The Handmaid's Tale, and also with Stephen King's Rose Madder. But instead of the oppressor in Rose Madder being a single man, the oppressor in Mother is Watching is a broader definition of the Patriarchy.
This story ends up being what I feel is an ultimate loss to Matilde. Truly a "horrible" ending. I loved all of the different elements of this story, but I felt they deserved more elaboration and cohesiveness.
TW: death of mothers and children, miscarriage, self-harm, traumatic birth
Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC of Mother is Watching by Karma Brown.
March 17, 2026
In Karma Brown's gripping horror debut, MOTHER IS WATCHING, set in the unsettling near-future, the narrative follows Mathilde "Tilly" Crewson, a 39-year-old art conservator navigating a dystopian Savannah, Georgia.
Amidst the crumbling remnants of a society plagued by uncertainty and fear, Tilly's intricate work preserving the past becomes increasingly perilous. As she delves deeper into her craft, she uncovers dark secrets that threaten not only her but the very fabric of her world. The haunting backdrop of Savannah, with its eerie beauty and creeping shadows, serves as a chilling canvas for a tale of suspense and survival.
Highlights...
My thoughts...
MOTHER IS WATCHING is a blend of dystopian sci-fi and gothic horror, focusing on a small group of characters navigating a high-stakes dystopian fertility crisis.
Characters...
~Mathilde "Tilly" Crewson: A 39-year-old art conservator and the protagonist.
~Wyatt Crewson: Tilly’s husband.
~Clementine: Tilly and Wyatt’s young daughter.
~Charlotte Leclerc: The "macabre" surgeon-turned-artist who created The Mother.
~Tilly’s Mother: Deceased before the book begins.
~MotherWise: Not human. An AI monitoring program acts as a character-like presence, constantly tracking Tilly's physical state.
Karma Brown explores several interconnected themes that blend dystopian sci-fi with psychological and gothic horror.
~Bodily Autonomy and Surveillance
~The Weight of Motherhood and Identity
~Grief and Loss
~The Power of Art
~Technocratic Patriarchy
MOTHER IS WATCHING is a blend of Margaret Atwood’s feminist dystopian themes and a modern psychological horror thriller. Both novels explore how women are reduced to their biological function. A society where doctors and husbands police every move.
Atmospheric and claustrophobic, there is a persistent sense of "creeping dread" as the supernatural elements slowly take over. MOTHER IS WATCHING deals with a world obsessed with biological data, fertility tracking, and the manipulation of human life through technology. The "villain" isn't just a person, but a system of high-tech control that monitors every heartbeat and hormone level, and their bodies are treated as state property.
The core takeaway of MOTHER IS WATCHING is a warning about the loss of bodily autonomy in the face of technology and state control, delivering several powerful messages:
~Surveillance as Control
~The Weight of Expectations
~Confronting Traumatic Legacy
~Resistance Through Reclamation
Although I am typically not a fan of genres like science fiction, horror, or dystopian narratives, I was immediately drawn to the captivating cover of this book. Having enjoyed the author's previous works, I felt compelled to give this one a chance, intrigued by the artistry and the promise of a compelling story within.
Special thanks to Dutton and NetGalley for providing an advanced reading copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.
blog review posted @
JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 4 Stars
Pub Date: Mar 17, 2026
March Newsletter
Amidst the crumbling remnants of a society plagued by uncertainty and fear, Tilly's intricate work preserving the past becomes increasingly perilous. As she delves deeper into her craft, she uncovers dark secrets that threaten not only her but the very fabric of her world. The haunting backdrop of Savannah, with its eerie beauty and creeping shadows, serves as a chilling canvas for a tale of suspense and survival.
Highlights...
The Setting:
Following a global pandemic that decimated male fertility, society is obsessed with increasing the birth rate. Women's bodies are monitored by the government through technologies like wearable AI trackers and programs like MotherWise.
The Assignment:
Tilly is hired to restore a mysterious, fire-scarred painting titled The Mother. It is the rumored fourth piece by Charlotte Leclerc, a surgeon-turned-artist who allegedly used human biological materials (blood, fingernails) in her work.
The Catalyst:
Shortly after starting the restoration, Tilly discovers she is unexpectedly pregnant. This coincides with a series of creepy, supernatural occurrences:
~Terrifying insect swarms
~Eerie visitations from her long-deceased mother.
~Sinister whispers and "tendrils" emerging from the painting.
~Physical manifestations like strange bruises and pulsing spinal fluid within the art.
The Conflict:
As the malevolent forces intensify, Tilly realizes the painting has a "perilous bond" with her. She concludes that the only way to save herself and her family is to destroy the artwork.
The Climax/Ending: The narrative builds to a "shattering" and "spectacular" explosion of events where the lines between Tilly's psychological state and the supernatural influence of the painting completely shatter.
My thoughts...
MOTHER IS WATCHING is a blend of dystopian sci-fi and gothic horror, focusing on a small group of characters navigating a high-stakes dystopian fertility crisis.
Characters...
~Mathilde "Tilly" Crewson: A 39-year-old art conservator and the protagonist.
~Wyatt Crewson: Tilly’s husband.
~Clementine: Tilly and Wyatt’s young daughter.
~Charlotte Leclerc: The "macabre" surgeon-turned-artist who created The Mother.
~Tilly’s Mother: Deceased before the book begins.
~MotherWise: Not human. An AI monitoring program acts as a character-like presence, constantly tracking Tilly's physical state.
Karma Brown explores several interconnected themes that blend dystopian sci-fi with psychological and gothic horror.
~Bodily Autonomy and Surveillance
~The Weight of Motherhood and Identity
~Grief and Loss
~The Power of Art
~Technocratic Patriarchy
MOTHER IS WATCHING is a blend of Margaret Atwood’s feminist dystopian themes and a modern psychological horror thriller. Both novels explore how women are reduced to their biological function. A society where doctors and husbands police every move.
Atmospheric and claustrophobic, there is a persistent sense of "creeping dread" as the supernatural elements slowly take over. MOTHER IS WATCHING deals with a world obsessed with biological data, fertility tracking, and the manipulation of human life through technology. The "villain" isn't just a person, but a system of high-tech control that monitors every heartbeat and hormone level, and their bodies are treated as state property.
The core takeaway of MOTHER IS WATCHING is a warning about the loss of bodily autonomy in the face of technology and state control, delivering several powerful messages:
~Surveillance as Control
~The Weight of Expectations
~Confronting Traumatic Legacy
~Resistance Through Reclamation
Although I am typically not a fan of genres like science fiction, horror, or dystopian narratives, I was immediately drawn to the captivating cover of this book. Having enjoyed the author's previous works, I felt compelled to give this one a chance, intrigued by the artistry and the promise of a compelling story within.
Special thanks to Dutton and NetGalley for providing an advanced reading copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.
blog review posted @
JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 4 Stars
Pub Date: Mar 17, 2026
March Newsletter
March 17, 2026
3.5 STARS I love dark and gory thrillers, although I wouldn't call myself a 'horror reader'. But when I saw that Canadian author Karma Brown, who has written in several different genres, was taking on the horror genre, I entered and won a GoodReads giveaway for an advanced copy.
The Gist: Tilly is a 39-year-old mother and art conservator who is asked to restore "The Mother", one of a quartet of well-known paintings by a female artist who was also a surgeon. Tilly soon discovers, after years of trying, that she's pregnant and that's when things start to get eerie.
This story has a Margaret Atwood-esque vibe with its dystopian setting where women of childbearing age don't have full control over their own bodies. Due to an epidemic, the government has stepped in and has influence over women's reproductive rights, rewarding those who keep having children, while denying women perks who choose not to have kids.
The story balances between the horror aspect as Tilly works to restore the sinister painting as well as her experience as the government asserts more and more pressure on her to ensure this pregnancy is successful. This was an interesting combo (its themes would make a great book club selection), but at times, it felt like the women's reproductive theme overshadowed the slow-building sinister tension.
I enjoyed this book which I would call 'horror light'. There are some gruesome scenes that made my skin crawl, but as a self-proclaimed 'wuss', I creeped out but not as scared as I had expected.
This was a good first 'kick at the horror can' for Brown who brings an eerie vibe, supernatural elements and a truly chilling cover while also giving readers topics that will instigate great discussion.
Disclaimer: I won a trade paperback copy of this book from a GoodReads giveaway.
The Gist: Tilly is a 39-year-old mother and art conservator who is asked to restore "The Mother", one of a quartet of well-known paintings by a female artist who was also a surgeon. Tilly soon discovers, after years of trying, that she's pregnant and that's when things start to get eerie.
This story has a Margaret Atwood-esque vibe with its dystopian setting where women of childbearing age don't have full control over their own bodies. Due to an epidemic, the government has stepped in and has influence over women's reproductive rights, rewarding those who keep having children, while denying women perks who choose not to have kids.
The story balances between the horror aspect as Tilly works to restore the sinister painting as well as her experience as the government asserts more and more pressure on her to ensure this pregnancy is successful. This was an interesting combo (its themes would make a great book club selection), but at times, it felt like the women's reproductive theme overshadowed the slow-building sinister tension.
I enjoyed this book which I would call 'horror light'. There are some gruesome scenes that made my skin crawl, but as a self-proclaimed 'wuss', I creeped out but not as scared as I had expected.
This was a good first 'kick at the horror can' for Brown who brings an eerie vibe, supernatural elements and a truly chilling cover while also giving readers topics that will instigate great discussion.
Disclaimer: I won a trade paperback copy of this book from a GoodReads giveaway.
March 25, 2026
Mother Is Watching is, in a few words, a drama/sci-fi/horror story about a mother pregnant for the second time and being haunted by both her deceased mother as well as a strange figure from a paiting she is working on.
It's a more character-driven story, so it is a little slow-paced, but I'd say it fit to build the tension and the strangeness of the story. The dystopian sci-fi elements were creepy and interesting at the same time, and the horrors of motherhood the FMC experiences mixed with the horrific visions she has while working on the painting were great to create this eerie atmosphere throughout the entire novel.
I genuinely think there are some creepey horror scenes in this book, some body horror, too, But nothing too 'disgusting', in my opinion.
The prologue sets the tone for the entire book, so if you enjoy the prologue, you'll most likely enjoy the whole book.
I personally loved it. I could easily empathise and root for the main character, so it was easy for me to feel invested in it all.
Just a side note: I personally cannot stand moths. And there's a looot of them here. LOL That creeped me out, alright.
I'd easily recommend this book to any horror readers out there who particularly enjoy a more slowburn narrative and a little discussion on paintings, and motherhood. The sci-fi elements are really interesting, but nothing heavy.
Thank you, NetGalley and Dutton, for provinding me with a free eARC of this novel in exchange for my honest opinion.
It's a more character-driven story, so it is a little slow-paced, but I'd say it fit to build the tension and the strangeness of the story. The dystopian sci-fi elements were creepy and interesting at the same time, and the horrors of motherhood the FMC experiences mixed with the horrific visions she has while working on the painting were great to create this eerie atmosphere throughout the entire novel.
I genuinely think there are some creepey horror scenes in this book, some body horror, too, But nothing too 'disgusting', in my opinion.
The prologue sets the tone for the entire book, so if you enjoy the prologue, you'll most likely enjoy the whole book.
I personally loved it. I could easily empathise and root for the main character, so it was easy for me to feel invested in it all.
Just a side note: I personally cannot stand moths. And there's a looot of them here. LOL That creeped me out, alright.
I'd easily recommend this book to any horror readers out there who particularly enjoy a more slowburn narrative and a little discussion on paintings, and motherhood. The sci-fi elements are really interesting, but nothing heavy.
Thank you, NetGalley and Dutton, for provinding me with a free eARC of this novel in exchange for my honest opinion.
March 19, 2026
First, a thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an eARC of this book.
TW: pregnancy, pregnancy loss, gross bug shit
Lackluster all around. Characters and story were not compelling. Shock and awe for no reason. I can see there was a point Brown was trying to make… a weak wrist lobbed the dart in the direction of the board, but only got so far as to land on the sticky, beer-stained floor.
A pity, especially since the cover is gorgeous.
TW: pregnancy, pregnancy loss, gross bug shit
Lackluster all around. Characters and story were not compelling. Shock and awe for no reason. I can see there was a point Brown was trying to make… a weak wrist lobbed the dart in the direction of the board, but only got so far as to land on the sticky, beer-stained floor.
A pity, especially since the cover is gorgeous.
February 14, 2026
#ad much love for my advance copy @duttonbooks #partner
& @prhaudio #partner for the ALC
🅼🅾🆃🅷🅴🆁 🅸🆂 🆆🅰🆃🅲🅷🅸🅽🅶
< @karmabrownauthor >
ʀᴇʟᴇᴀꜱᴇꜱ: ᴍᴀʀᴄʜ 𝟣𝟩, 𝟤𝟢𝟤𝟨
𝐼’𝑣𝑒 𝑙𝑜𝑠𝑡 𝑚𝑦 𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑑…
The Mother, the rumored fourth painting by famed artist Charlotte Leclerc, was believed to be lost forever after the painter died in a tragic house fire while working on it. Now, years later, Tilly has been hired for a top-secret restoration job on the burned canvas, a piece many people don’t even know exists.
But Tilly is already carrying her own grief. She’s mourning the loss of her mother, wrestling with past regrets, and struggling to conceive again after a miscarriage. All of this unfolds within the suffocating control of MotherWise - a company that monitors women through smartwatches after a virus wipes out male sperm counts, ensuring population growth while quietly policing women’s bodies and movements.
🎧: Karissa Vacker YO! You know this is an instant MUST LISTEN! I don’t even need to say more. Just a fabulous audiobook that I def recommend.
I enjoyed this one overall. The speculative fiction elements were compelling, especially the exploration of the pressures and expectations placed on women and mothers. At times I felt those themes overshadowed parts of the plot, but not enough to ruin it. I also loved the art world backdrop and the unsettling real-life horror anecdotes sprinkled throughout.
What made this book for me was the horror elements. The constant surveillance, the feeling of never truly being free, and the unsettling mystery surrounding the painting - especially when strange things begin happening as Tilly restores it, push the story into unhinged territory. And the Savannah, Georgia setting was the perfect setting for all of this.
Mother is Always Watching by Karma Brown is a propulsive, genre-blending read that explores grief, motherhood, bodily autonomy, and the ways women often blame themselves when they struggle to conceive. But it’s also more than that too.
I also found the art aspects to be interesting. And it was also interesting that the more Tilly descends into the chaos, the harsher her surveillance gets. All of this is building, building, and building - until it all explodes. The plot is like a mix of the past and future colliding in the most spectacular way.
My only issue with this was that there’s no chapters. There are chapters, but just not in the traditional sense - they aren’t labeled. Which paired with the audio can get a bit confusing.
Lmao .. that ending tho.
& @prhaudio #partner for the ALC
🅼🅾🆃🅷🅴🆁 🅸🆂 🆆🅰🆃🅲🅷🅸🅽🅶
< @karmabrownauthor >
ʀᴇʟᴇᴀꜱᴇꜱ: ᴍᴀʀᴄʜ 𝟣𝟩, 𝟤𝟢𝟤𝟨
𝐼’𝑣𝑒 𝑙𝑜𝑠𝑡 𝑚𝑦 𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑑…
The Mother, the rumored fourth painting by famed artist Charlotte Leclerc, was believed to be lost forever after the painter died in a tragic house fire while working on it. Now, years later, Tilly has been hired for a top-secret restoration job on the burned canvas, a piece many people don’t even know exists.
But Tilly is already carrying her own grief. She’s mourning the loss of her mother, wrestling with past regrets, and struggling to conceive again after a miscarriage. All of this unfolds within the suffocating control of MotherWise - a company that monitors women through smartwatches after a virus wipes out male sperm counts, ensuring population growth while quietly policing women’s bodies and movements.
🎧: Karissa Vacker YO! You know this is an instant MUST LISTEN! I don’t even need to say more. Just a fabulous audiobook that I def recommend.
I enjoyed this one overall. The speculative fiction elements were compelling, especially the exploration of the pressures and expectations placed on women and mothers. At times I felt those themes overshadowed parts of the plot, but not enough to ruin it. I also loved the art world backdrop and the unsettling real-life horror anecdotes sprinkled throughout.
What made this book for me was the horror elements. The constant surveillance, the feeling of never truly being free, and the unsettling mystery surrounding the painting - especially when strange things begin happening as Tilly restores it, push the story into unhinged territory. And the Savannah, Georgia setting was the perfect setting for all of this.
Mother is Always Watching by Karma Brown is a propulsive, genre-blending read that explores grief, motherhood, bodily autonomy, and the ways women often blame themselves when they struggle to conceive. But it’s also more than that too.
I also found the art aspects to be interesting. And it was also interesting that the more Tilly descends into the chaos, the harsher her surveillance gets. All of this is building, building, and building - until it all explodes. The plot is like a mix of the past and future colliding in the most spectacular way.
My only issue with this was that there’s no chapters. There are chapters, but just not in the traditional sense - they aren’t labeled. Which paired with the audio can get a bit confusing.
Lmao .. that ending tho.
April 5, 2026
Mother is Watching by Karma Brown is a debut horror about an art conservator, Mathilde "Tilly" Crewson, who takes on the once-in-a-lifetime project of restoring the last painting of Charlotte Leclerc, an enigmatic painter who met an untimely death. Tilly is also a mother who is trying to conceive a baby in a near-future, dystopian-esque world where infertility is a huge problem and the government has prioritized procreation above all. Her fertility journey is muddied by an obsession which blooms around this painting and inexplicable things start happening around her, threatening her sanity, and perhaps even her life.
There is a lot going on here. This story has two major focal points that seem to fight for the spotlight; first, fertility, body and surveillance state-horror and second, cursed media and psychological horror. I loved learning about art conservation and the mystery of the Leclerc painting really held my interest. While I enjoyed Tilly's fertility journey and world building, I found myself wanting to get back to the painting (kind of like Tilly.. hmmm).
The author's note mentions that she wanted to create a world that was both utopian and dystopian.. but it felt wholly dystopian to me; probably because the thought of being intensely pressured to have children by the government, friends and everyone else makes me shudder. I really enjoyed this "black mirror" kind of vibe but unfortunately it turned out to have nothing to do with the overall plot, which felt very strange. So much attention was given to the world building and it served little purpose beyond creating an isolating and unsettling tone. That effort could have gone toward expounding the history of Charlotte Leclerc and her paintings, even Margot Milton's history with her own conservation efforts. While the horror scenes were definitely effective, I didn't really get a complete understanding of the "how" behind it all.
Ultimately this was a fantastic concept with some really great horror elements. There are a few scenes that I found to be incredibly chilling and it was an exciting mystery to unravel. I enjoyed the conclusion, but I think the plot could have been further developed to make the final reveal more impactful.
Thank you so much to Simon & Schuster for the eARC. All thoughts are my own and left voluntarily.
There is a lot going on here. This story has two major focal points that seem to fight for the spotlight; first, fertility, body and surveillance state-horror and second, cursed media and psychological horror. I loved learning about art conservation and the mystery of the Leclerc painting really held my interest. While I enjoyed Tilly's fertility journey and world building, I found myself wanting to get back to the painting (kind of like Tilly.. hmmm).
The author's note mentions that she wanted to create a world that was both utopian and dystopian.. but it felt wholly dystopian to me; probably because the thought of being intensely pressured to have children by the government, friends and everyone else makes me shudder. I really enjoyed this "black mirror" kind of vibe but unfortunately it turned out to have nothing to do with the overall plot, which felt very strange. So much attention was given to the world building and it served little purpose beyond creating an isolating and unsettling tone. That effort could have gone toward expounding the history of Charlotte Leclerc and her paintings, even Margot Milton's history with her own conservation efforts. While the horror scenes were definitely effective, I didn't really get a complete understanding of the "how" behind it all.
Ultimately this was a fantastic concept with some really great horror elements. There are a few scenes that I found to be incredibly chilling and it was an exciting mystery to unravel. I enjoyed the conclusion, but I think the plot could have been further developed to make the final reveal more impactful.
Thank you so much to Simon & Schuster for the eARC. All thoughts are my own and left voluntarily.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Thank you to Simon and Schuster Canada for the eARC of this debut horror novel. While this novel took me much longer to read than anticipated, I did enjoy reading it. A complex and layered story about bodily autonomy, pregnancy, motherhood, government overreach (is this a utopia? is it a dystopia?), but also art conservation. I really loved the art aspect of this book because it was so unique, and I think this story is extremely unique more generally. Tilly is an art conservator who is hired to conserve the fourth and final piece of a famous artist who was highly mysterious. Tilly's mother had worked on the third piece from the artist, Charlotte Leclerc, and had died not long after finishing it. Tilly also struggles with infertility, but finds herself pregnant not long after she starts working on the painting. Soon we come to find out Leclerc was very experimental, and many things around the house start happening that worry Tilly as they directly relate to the painting. I loved the characters in this book, except for Wyatt. Fuck you Wyatt. I get it but I hate you for it. I loved the story, the execution, the writing. It was at times claustrophobic, which I think would make for a great audiobook. Overall, I enjoyed this novel and it made me feel a whole lot of feelings. I think I will need to sit with this book for a little while before I fully understand how I feel about it, but hey I had fun and it got me to read an ebook.
I would definitely read another horror novel by this author!
I would definitely read another horror novel by this author!
March 17, 2026
Five stars for making me feel equally disgusted and amazed at the same time. I weirdly want to wash out my eyeballs while saying thank you Karma Brown.
The story focuses on Mathilde, an art conservator, who is hired to restore a coveted piece of art called The Mother, that has never been seen before. Shortly after accepting, she unexpectedly becomes pregnant and her grip on reality starts to fracture. Pregnancy + cursed art = a delectable recipe for psychological instability and psychosis.
Mother is Watching is a dystopian horror in a post infertility pandemic with supernatural elements. After a mosquito borne virus silently caused male infertility, the government created an aggressive program focusing on increasing live birth rates called MotherWise. Everyone over the age of 5 has to wear a watch that tracks hormones, vitals, and moods. (They even have tracking fertility tattoos! major Big Brother and Handmaid's tale vibes). This (near)futuristic world is all about 'recycle and reuse', even banning combustibles like matches or lighters. Hence why art conservation is so important.
Dystopian horror x Government reproduction obsession x Cursed art
A HUGE thank you to NetGalley and Dutton for traumatizing me with this ARC! Excuse me while I run to buy this!
The story focuses on Mathilde, an art conservator, who is hired to restore a coveted piece of art called The Mother, that has never been seen before. Shortly after accepting, she unexpectedly becomes pregnant and her grip on reality starts to fracture. Pregnancy + cursed art = a delectable recipe for psychological instability and psychosis.
Mother is Watching is a dystopian horror in a post infertility pandemic with supernatural elements. After a mosquito borne virus silently caused male infertility, the government created an aggressive program focusing on increasing live birth rates called MotherWise. Everyone over the age of 5 has to wear a watch that tracks hormones, vitals, and moods. (They even have tracking fertility tattoos! major Big Brother and Handmaid's tale vibes). This (near)futuristic world is all about 'recycle and reuse', even banning combustibles like matches or lighters. Hence why art conservation is so important.
Dystopian horror x Government reproduction obsession x Cursed art
A HUGE thank you to NetGalley and Dutton for traumatizing me with this ARC! Excuse me while I run to buy this!
March 13, 2026
Listen to this during the day - trust me.
Tilly, an art conservator, is tasked with restoring a painting called The Mother. Soon after, she discovers she's unexpectedly pregnant. Then strange, terrifying things begin happening - and the painting seems to be at the center of it all.
The world is set in Savannah, Georgia, but with dystopian systems in place like the Fertility program. Under the guise of government assistance for mothers and families, it's actually a form of control - from nutrition to prenatal programs. The husbands, portrayed as wanting what's best during pregnancy, completely disregard the mother's feelings and thoughts. This touched a nerve. Tilly's freedom slips away on two fronts: the government's grip and the painting's influence.
Art conservation is at this book's center, and the research shows. My favorite - and scariest - sentiment came from Tilly's mother about conservation: it's like bringing the artist to life while restoring their art. This perfectly foreshadowed the unfolding horror.
The horror elements dropped in increments, building tension throughout. The ending delivered classic horror - a complete loss of self that left me chilled.
Audiobook experience: Karissa Vacker channeled all the emotions, especially Tilly's confusion, fear, and anger. The performance kept the experience immersive. My heart was beating faster every time Tilly was alone with the painting. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time.
You'll love this if: You want slow-burn horror with art conservation, dystopian pregnancy control, and endings that haunt you.
Thanks to Penguin Random House Audio for the advance audio copy.
Tilly, an art conservator, is tasked with restoring a painting called The Mother. Soon after, she discovers she's unexpectedly pregnant. Then strange, terrifying things begin happening - and the painting seems to be at the center of it all.
The world is set in Savannah, Georgia, but with dystopian systems in place like the Fertility program. Under the guise of government assistance for mothers and families, it's actually a form of control - from nutrition to prenatal programs. The husbands, portrayed as wanting what's best during pregnancy, completely disregard the mother's feelings and thoughts. This touched a nerve. Tilly's freedom slips away on two fronts: the government's grip and the painting's influence.
Art conservation is at this book's center, and the research shows. My favorite - and scariest - sentiment came from Tilly's mother about conservation: it's like bringing the artist to life while restoring their art. This perfectly foreshadowed the unfolding horror.
The horror elements dropped in increments, building tension throughout. The ending delivered classic horror - a complete loss of self that left me chilled.
Audiobook experience: Karissa Vacker channeled all the emotions, especially Tilly's confusion, fear, and anger. The performance kept the experience immersive. My heart was beating faster every time Tilly was alone with the painting. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time.
You'll love this if: You want slow-burn horror with art conservation, dystopian pregnancy control, and endings that haunt you.
Thanks to Penguin Random House Audio for the advance audio copy.
November 11, 2025
3 words for this: creepy, terrifying and pulsating
When I first started reading it, I couldn’t stop thinking about the Ghostbusters movie and the painting that was “alive”. So if you want a general synopsis, you could think of this book like this, BUT know that it goes from there into a creepy “what the F” scenes that gave me the chills. I would be more specific but can’t because it would take the experience away.
The ending:. I mean I kind of expected it but I didn’t.
FYI for horror lite readers. It’s dark but not anything too crazy
When I first started reading it, I couldn’t stop thinking about the Ghostbusters movie and the painting that was “alive”. So if you want a general synopsis, you could think of this book like this, BUT know that it goes from there into a creepy “what the F” scenes that gave me the chills. I would be more specific but can’t because it would take the experience away.
The ending:. I mean I kind of expected it but I didn’t.
FYI for horror lite readers. It’s dark but not anything too crazy
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 17, 2026
Rating : (3/5)
The novel does a great job creating an atmosphere of unease. There’s a constant tension built around the idea of being watched, which adds a subtle but effective layer of paranoia.
The pacing is solid, especially in the first half. It pulls you in quickly, and the short chapters make it easy to keep reading.
Overall a good horror book
The novel does a great job creating an atmosphere of unease. There’s a constant tension built around the idea of being watched, which adds a subtle but effective layer of paranoia.
The pacing is solid, especially in the first half. It pulls you in quickly, and the short chapters make it easy to keep reading.
Overall a good horror book
October 22, 2025
I don't normally read supernatural horror but I'm glad I read this. I loved the writing style for sure and the suspense made it hard for me to put the book down. The only thing I did not like was the ending, I needed to know more! Thank you NetGalley and Dutton for this advanced readers copy in exchange for my honest review. 4.5 stars rounded up.
April 11, 2026
I picked up this ARC at the Ontario Library Super conference, and am so glad I did! It's not my usual genre, but I enjoyed this right from the beginning. It's not a typical gory horror, more like a slow burn. Add in the subject - a haunted painted the main character is restoring, and the (probably terrifyingly) near future setting, and this book is a hit. No spoilers, but the book had me wondering the whole time where we were going to end up. I stayed up way too late finishing the last quarter of the book!
May 3, 2026
This book had so much potential to be a creepy interesting read but unfortunately it was not. There were too many storylines that just didn’t make sense for the book? Wouldn’t recommend.
August 4, 2025
Thank you to Edelweiss for the ARC!
This was a treat, I really enjoyed the blend of sci fi and horror, mixed with legacy and the lasting effects of trauma. The painting being a focal point for the horror a person experiences after loss, and the fear of bringing that loss to a new generation was masterfully done. I loved the sci fi elements and the ramping tension of pregnancy and gaslighting experienced by the main character. I think the ending could have been a little clearer, but all in all I really enjoyed it.
This was a treat, I really enjoyed the blend of sci fi and horror, mixed with legacy and the lasting effects of trauma. The painting being a focal point for the horror a person experiences after loss, and the fear of bringing that loss to a new generation was masterfully done. I loved the sci fi elements and the ramping tension of pregnancy and gaslighting experienced by the main character. I think the ending could have been a little clearer, but all in all I really enjoyed it.
March 10, 2026
What a wild ride Karma Brown's first foray into horror was. This atmospheric book was eerily haunting. And aptly named on several levels. A cross between utopian and dystopian this book had so many aspects that left me feeling off. But in the best way. I'm not sure what creeped me out more. The scenes around the painting restoration, because what the F was I reading, or the invasive oversight the government had over everyone medically. Especially the women, and the drive around being pregnant. Though I will admit the perks that came with the MotherWise program would have been pretty sweet.
All the advanced tech in the book was also cool to read about.
I really liked Tilly's character and actually leaned into her almost unreliable witness POV. Wyatt, her husband, on the other hand I really struggled with. He seems like a loving devoted partner but I couldn't get past how low key passive aggressively controlling he was of Tilly.
I don't want to say to much and ruin the suspense of this one because this is definitely a book you need to read for yourself. But its safe to say that Brown's dip in to the horror genre was a huge success.
Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for my advanced copy in return for an honest review.
TW's: fire, immoliation, infertility, still birth, government control, lost time, hallucinations
All the advanced tech in the book was also cool to read about.
I really liked Tilly's character and actually leaned into her almost unreliable witness POV. Wyatt, her husband, on the other hand I really struggled with. He seems like a loving devoted partner but I couldn't get past how low key passive aggressively controlling he was of Tilly.
I don't want to say to much and ruin the suspense of this one because this is definitely a book you need to read for yourself. But its safe to say that Brown's dip in to the horror genre was a huge success.
Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for my advanced copy in return for an honest review.
TW's: fire, immoliation, infertility, still birth, government control, lost time, hallucinations
March 19, 2026
I’ve been reading Karma Brown’s books for years now, so when I heard that she was writing a horror novel, I was immediately intrigued. Horror is not a genre that I gravitate towards, but if Karma writes it, I’ll read it. I find it quite admirable when an author steps out of their comfort zone and tries their hand at a different genre, so I was even more willing to give it a go.
The main focus of the novel revolves around a damaged painting that the main character, Tilly is restoring. This is where the horror and supernatural elements tie in, but this part of the storyline didn’t really grab me. My favorite part involved the dystopian/futuristic look at motherhood where everything from fertility to pregnancy symptoms are monitored by the government via wristwatches and tattoos. With this program, rewards and incentives are included with—yup, you guessed it—the more pregnancies and children you birth. It gave off some major Handmaid’s Tale vibes.
READ THIS IF YOU ENJOY:
- Motherhood and marriage
- Mother-daughter stories
- Art restoration aspect
- Dystopian and sci-fi vibes
- Supernatural elements
- Insight on loss and grief
- The Handmaid’s Tale
- Dark and creepy reads
I listened to the audio version narrated by Karissa Vacker—who I usually LOVE—but wonder if I would’ve appreciated this one more via print. Vacker’s voice and cadence was just too sugary sweet for this character, in my opinion. I think it would’ve worked better with someone who’s a little more rough around the edges, so to speak. I dunno…I just felt that her voice didn’t quite match or give off the right vibe for a horror novel.
I enjoyed Brown’s latest for the most part, but will admit that it wasn’t really my favorite from her. I honestly just think that horror is not my genre, and that’s mainly the reason why. I will still read absolutely anything that the author writes and respect and applaud her for trying something new!
3.5/5 stars for MOTHER IS WATCHING! It’s available now!
The main focus of the novel revolves around a damaged painting that the main character, Tilly is restoring. This is where the horror and supernatural elements tie in, but this part of the storyline didn’t really grab me. My favorite part involved the dystopian/futuristic look at motherhood where everything from fertility to pregnancy symptoms are monitored by the government via wristwatches and tattoos. With this program, rewards and incentives are included with—yup, you guessed it—the more pregnancies and children you birth. It gave off some major Handmaid’s Tale vibes.
READ THIS IF YOU ENJOY:
- Motherhood and marriage
- Mother-daughter stories
- Art restoration aspect
- Dystopian and sci-fi vibes
- Supernatural elements
- Insight on loss and grief
- The Handmaid’s Tale
- Dark and creepy reads
I listened to the audio version narrated by Karissa Vacker—who I usually LOVE—but wonder if I would’ve appreciated this one more via print. Vacker’s voice and cadence was just too sugary sweet for this character, in my opinion. I think it would’ve worked better with someone who’s a little more rough around the edges, so to speak. I dunno…I just felt that her voice didn’t quite match or give off the right vibe for a horror novel.
I enjoyed Brown’s latest for the most part, but will admit that it wasn’t really my favorite from her. I honestly just think that horror is not my genre, and that’s mainly the reason why. I will still read absolutely anything that the author writes and respect and applaud her for trying something new!
3.5/5 stars for MOTHER IS WATCHING! It’s available now!
March 3, 2026
Mathilda “Tilly” Crewson is an art conservator tasked with restoring The Mother, a painting that’s believed to be the work of a female surgeon-turned-artist after a personal tragedy. It is rumoured to be the fourth piece in a collection that’s previously been thought to have only three known works. Soon after receiving the painting, Tilly discovers she’s unexpectedly pregnant and strange, inexplicable things begin occurring around her. She comes to the realization that the only way to sever this perilous bond she shares with the painting is to destroy it.
MOTHER IS WATCHING is Brown’s debut horror novel and it’s truly a work of art (pun intended 😉). I was gripped tight in this book’s clutches within the first few pages and I had trouble putting it down. It’s a consuming story with a protagonist who is relatable and in the throes of something highly unusual.
The setting is futuristic with technologies available that are honestly a little too frightening for my taste…and yet wholly believable. I can see how some of these technologies could be a positive for many reasons, but a whole lot of reasons why they’d feel way too controlling. I loved the discussion and themes about motherhood and societal expectations surrounding motherhood – there’s a lot of food for thought here. On that note, Wyatt, Tilly’s husband, is really not my cup of tea. He gave me the ick every time I encountered him as I read.
The art conservation aspect was really cool and unique – something I know very little about too, so I was very intrigued by these scenes. I enjoyed how much power The Mother painting has and how captivating and enthralling art can be.
MOTHER IS WATCHING is a medium to fast-paced story with short, punchy chapters that kept me glued. Tilly is a great narrator for this novel and melds the two key narratives of the plot together nicely with her POV.
I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher, Simon & Schuster Canada, for the opportunity to read this advanced digital copy in exchange for an honest review! All opinions expressed are my own.
MOTHER IS WATCHING is Brown’s debut horror novel and it’s truly a work of art (pun intended 😉). I was gripped tight in this book’s clutches within the first few pages and I had trouble putting it down. It’s a consuming story with a protagonist who is relatable and in the throes of something highly unusual.
The setting is futuristic with technologies available that are honestly a little too frightening for my taste…and yet wholly believable. I can see how some of these technologies could be a positive for many reasons, but a whole lot of reasons why they’d feel way too controlling. I loved the discussion and themes about motherhood and societal expectations surrounding motherhood – there’s a lot of food for thought here. On that note, Wyatt, Tilly’s husband, is really not my cup of tea. He gave me the ick every time I encountered him as I read.
The art conservation aspect was really cool and unique – something I know very little about too, so I was very intrigued by these scenes. I enjoyed how much power The Mother painting has and how captivating and enthralling art can be.
MOTHER IS WATCHING is a medium to fast-paced story with short, punchy chapters that kept me glued. Tilly is a great narrator for this novel and melds the two key narratives of the plot together nicely with her POV.
I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher, Simon & Schuster Canada, for the opportunity to read this advanced digital copy in exchange for an honest review! All opinions expressed are my own.
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