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Afterbirth
Not yet published
Expected 24 Mar 26For fans of
Nightbitch
,
Motherthing
, and
Baby Teeth
, a “mommy horror” masterpiece as hypnotic as it is terrifying, from bold new talent Emma Cleary
A fractured sisterhood. A disturbing transformation. A desperate obsession.
Abandoning the ruins of her stalled life after an ill-omened romance, Brooke flies to Vancouver to care for her estranged sister, Izzy, who is recovering from reproductive surgery. But Izzy’s rapidly decaying apartment building, its hallways stalked by an ominous crone known only as Medusa, offers little of the refuge Brooke craves.
Seeking solace in the horror movies her ex-girlfriend loved, Brooke soon finds traces of horror bleeding from the screen into their lives. As old wounds reopen, strange forces begin to exert their power over the sisters, culminating in an unexpected and inexplicably accelerating pregnancy that will lock Brooke and Izzy in a nightmarish rivalry, and send one of them spiraling into dangerous obsession.
Eerie, macabre, and startlingly original, Emma Cleary’s haunting literary debut powerfully explores questions of maternity, sisterhood, and bodily autonomy. Threaded with a beautifully evoked yearning, Afterbirth reverberates with menace and the echoes of classic horror cinema, lingering in the mind long after the final seconds play.
A fractured sisterhood. A disturbing transformation. A desperate obsession.
Abandoning the ruins of her stalled life after an ill-omened romance, Brooke flies to Vancouver to care for her estranged sister, Izzy, who is recovering from reproductive surgery. But Izzy’s rapidly decaying apartment building, its hallways stalked by an ominous crone known only as Medusa, offers little of the refuge Brooke craves.
Seeking solace in the horror movies her ex-girlfriend loved, Brooke soon finds traces of horror bleeding from the screen into their lives. As old wounds reopen, strange forces begin to exert their power over the sisters, culminating in an unexpected and inexplicably accelerating pregnancy that will lock Brooke and Izzy in a nightmarish rivalry, and send one of them spiraling into dangerous obsession.
Eerie, macabre, and startlingly original, Emma Cleary’s haunting literary debut powerfully explores questions of maternity, sisterhood, and bodily autonomy. Threaded with a beautifully evoked yearning, Afterbirth reverberates with menace and the echoes of classic horror cinema, lingering in the mind long after the final seconds play.
416 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication March 1, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
November 5, 2025
A true feminine horror tale with messy family drama mixed in. The writing was so well done in this book and the plot is hauntingly captivating. It really is like reading how horror movies come to life. This book was very edgy and had me anticipating what would happen next. This book is spooky, relevant, and a vivid exploration of desire. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
December 3, 2025
That was a WILD ride.
Brooke has just left Japan after a teaching job and relationship ended- and she goes to Vancouver to help her sister with her dog while she has surgery to remove a mass in her abdomen. As Brooke gets to Izzy’s apartment she realizes how run down it is, with mold on the ceilings, trash, and a crazy old woman named Marisa that seems to appear out of nowhere and scare everyone- but Izzy seems content. While Brooke cares for her sister and her beloved dog, she starts to notice strange noises, figures, and feelings in the apartment- but no one else seems to notice anything. Izzy continues to get better, but Brooke starts to get worse- and as the girls switch roles, jealousy, want, and violence creep in and fester until one of them does something they can never take back.
This book is the definition of mommy horror and it grips you from the start then chips you away page by page creeping into your subconscious and festering inside your brain. It’s like a scab you pick only for it to bleed and return over and over.
You can feel the ick dripping off the pages and the undercurrent of unease never lets up.
If you like mommy horror- pick this one up. You won’t regret it.
Thank you to Harper Collins Publishing and NetGalley for the privilege of reading this ARC in exchange for an honest review
Brooke has just left Japan after a teaching job and relationship ended- and she goes to Vancouver to help her sister with her dog while she has surgery to remove a mass in her abdomen. As Brooke gets to Izzy’s apartment she realizes how run down it is, with mold on the ceilings, trash, and a crazy old woman named Marisa that seems to appear out of nowhere and scare everyone- but Izzy seems content. While Brooke cares for her sister and her beloved dog, she starts to notice strange noises, figures, and feelings in the apartment- but no one else seems to notice anything. Izzy continues to get better, but Brooke starts to get worse- and as the girls switch roles, jealousy, want, and violence creep in and fester until one of them does something they can never take back.
This book is the definition of mommy horror and it grips you from the start then chips you away page by page creeping into your subconscious and festering inside your brain. It’s like a scab you pick only for it to bleed and return over and over.
You can feel the ick dripping off the pages and the undercurrent of unease never lets up.
If you like mommy horror- pick this one up. You won’t regret it.
Thank you to Harper Collins Publishing and NetGalley for the privilege of reading this ARC in exchange for an honest review
November 26, 2025
I think I might have over-dosed on female-authored body horror that takes issue with either food/eating or pregnancy - this plays in the space of the latter and takes its time to get to that place... at which point the narrative soars into menace and reading excitement. Sadly, it took a very long time to get there. The prose feels leaden for much of the first half with every minute detail spelled out unnecessarily - a ruthless edit might have honed and streamlined to greater effect.
If you read a lot of female authors as I do, then this unfortunately feels quite similar to many other books that have been published in the last few years - there is a good payoff but if I hadn't been reading an ARC I might well have bailed out before reaching that point. There isn't anything distinctive in the prose style which can get quite boggy in places or any startlingly original approach to topics of female bodily autonomy, the relationships between sisters and loneliness in a strange place.
The ending made this worth reading for me but it is distinctly samey to a lot of other female authored books, some of which are grabbier and do more to stretch the genre in interesting directions. But the blurb of Rosemary's Baby meets Conversations With Friends makes complete sense!
Thanks to Harper Collins for an ARC via NetGalley.
If you read a lot of female authors as I do, then this unfortunately feels quite similar to many other books that have been published in the last few years - there is a good payoff but if I hadn't been reading an ARC I might well have bailed out before reaching that point. There isn't anything distinctive in the prose style which can get quite boggy in places or any startlingly original approach to topics of female bodily autonomy, the relationships between sisters and loneliness in a strange place.
The ending made this worth reading for me but it is distinctly samey to a lot of other female authored books, some of which are grabbier and do more to stretch the genre in interesting directions. But the blurb of Rosemary's Baby meets Conversations With Friends makes complete sense!
Thanks to Harper Collins for an ARC via NetGalley.
December 14, 2025
Afterbirth by Emma Cleary. Thanks to @harperbooks for the gifted Arc ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Brooke has arrived in Vancouver to take care of her older sister who will be convalescing from reproductive surgery. There’s an odd woman who stalks the halls of the apartment. Brooke soon starts exhibiting strange symptoms and wonders if the building, or the strange woman, are affecting her.
This one was quite the wild ride. I felt a little lost at the end and I’m not sure exactly what happened, but I do know it was creepy as heck. It kept my interest and I liked the main characters, especially how much they loved their dog. There’s some Japanese folklore and classic horror background to the story. I loved the relationship between the sisters and how it was disturbed but not broken.
“I didn’t like the idea of some force that could take over your body, kill your only chance at the thing you most wanted, and give you something else in its place.”
Read this if you like:
-Sister relationships
-Abstract horror
-Japanese horror or folklore
-Medical or pregnancy dramas
Afterbirth comes out 3/24.
Brooke has arrived in Vancouver to take care of her older sister who will be convalescing from reproductive surgery. There’s an odd woman who stalks the halls of the apartment. Brooke soon starts exhibiting strange symptoms and wonders if the building, or the strange woman, are affecting her.
This one was quite the wild ride. I felt a little lost at the end and I’m not sure exactly what happened, but I do know it was creepy as heck. It kept my interest and I liked the main characters, especially how much they loved their dog. There’s some Japanese folklore and classic horror background to the story. I loved the relationship between the sisters and how it was disturbed but not broken.
“I didn’t like the idea of some force that could take over your body, kill your only chance at the thing you most wanted, and give you something else in its place.”
Read this if you like:
-Sister relationships
-Abstract horror
-Japanese horror or folklore
-Medical or pregnancy dramas
Afterbirth comes out 3/24.
December 12, 2025
Afterbirth by Emma Cleary explores the story of two sisters, Izzy and Brooke and their relationship with each other and motherhood themes. I enjoyed the first half but felt that the book was overlong and contained too many loose plot threads. I typically enjoy this subgenre of motherhood horror but this one didn’t quite land for me.
Thank you to Harper and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Thank you to Harper and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Goodreads Giveaways
Well they cannot all be good. Absolutely not a fan. So many unnecessary elements, including pages about living in Japan that had absolutely nothing to do with anything. It just felt to me that the whole book was filler, to make a short story into a full book. As far as horror? Not even a little.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews