Mom Brain: A Novel

by Nicole Hackett

“Hackett’s skillful plotting and character work will keep readers hooked…”- Publishers Weekly

Can a luxury resort transform her life by giving her back control? Georgia Evans thinks it sounds too good to be true. Turns out her motherly intuition isn't wrong . . . In the vein of Liane Moriarty's Nine Perfect Strangers, Mom Brain turns a discerning eye toward society's view on modern motherhood and reframes "mom brain" as a superpower.

Welcome to The Program, an immersive week-long experience set to the backdrop of the breathtaking island of O'ahu, where mothers in all stages of crisis can come to take control of their lives. It's not exactly the type of thing Georgia Evans--a busy working mother of two--would usually consider. However, still spiraling from a debacle that crowned her "internet's worst mom," she is desperate enough to try anything.

Once on the island, Georgia is quickly won over by the elegant (and somewhat enigmatic) founder of The Program, Cecilia Clements. Cecilia shows The Program's attendees how the biology of motherhood has imprisoned them. More importantly, she promises them freedom from that prison. Captivated by this possibility and the compelling science behind it, Georgia grows deeply involved with Cecilia's mission, ignoring any doubt that starts to creep in. That's the whole point of The Program, after you can't really trust a mom brain.

A map and discussion questions can be found in the audiobook companion PDF download.

Genres: Thriller, Fiction, Mystery, Mystery Thriller, Audiobook, Contemporary, Adult

Audible Audio

Published April 21, 2026

About the author

Nicole lives with her husband and two kids in a very old house in the farmlands of northern Maryland, where she works as a biochemical patent agent. In addition to being an author, she is one of those annoying people who run on vacation.

Reviews

[RebeccaReadsTooMuch 💁‍♀️ · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is very different. Different than I expected, different than anything I’ve read. And to be honest I’m not entirely sure how I feel about it yet, though I’m going to attempt to share my thoughts anyway.

“A mom brain is simply the neurological hardwiring for self sacrifice.” And this book explores what happens when that is turned off. You’d think that would be a big scary deal, but it’s not actually all that dramatic, which surprised me. But the story still is, in other ways.

As the book starts, Georgia is going through something. We don’t really know what, which seems to be by design, as Nicole Hackett’s writing often left me wondering if I missed something. I would reread or rewind, pretty sure I didn’t miss whatever it was, usually right before the missing detail is revealed 😂. I got better at trusting my memory as the book went on.

I found this story engaging and entertaining overall. It’s pretty character driven, taking a deep dive into the crevices of Georgia’s mind. To like this, you need to be ok with flawed main characters who don’t always make the best choices. It’s also part domestic fiction, part mystery, and a little bit of a thriller.

As always, Saskia Maarleveld delivers a wonderful audiobook performance full of emotion and intensity.

Many thanks to Harper Muse for the gifted copies.

[Ella · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.75⭐️ This story was unfortunately a miss for me. Despite being able to relate to the main character, Georgia, as a mom, the story was slow and I really struggled to want to pick it up. Georgia is a burnt out mom who’s experiencing some drama at work, that has carried into her personal life, so she’s off to a retreat called “The Program,” that helps mothers who are struggling. But is all as it seems?

I could see where the author was trying to go - shining a spotlight on motherhood and the mental toll it can take, but also trying to make it a thriller/suspenseful? I don’t know if she was trying to do too much, but for me I just don’t think the execution was successful. Georgia’s time at “The Program” was really just weird. There was so much alluding to things, build up, and then we’d just move on. I thought this was in an effort to build up to something bigger, which, I guess? But it just felt anti-climactic because “twists” were incredibly predictable, and frankly unoriginal. I also feel like additions of Georgia’s “me too” storyline and the scare/diagnosis for Georgia’s daughter both felt completely random. Yes, as a mother/parent, that experience would be terrifying, but it just felt odd and disconnected. And while another important topic to discuss, the “me too” bit felt like it was just thrown in there to add more pages?

The commentary on “mom brain” was incredibly important, and when focused on that piece, I think there were effective parts (and some very quotable lines). I am not sure I’ll be recommending this one, but if you like a predictable “thriller” with a good bit of social commentary, this could be for you. It did also give me similar vibes to Nine Perfect Strangers, if you liked that? I could see it creating some great discussions in a book club setting! While this wasn’t a favorite of mine, I’m so grateful I got the chance to read it!

Edited to add: I also received and was able to listen to the audio version of this story, and I did actually enjoy listening to it more than reading it - the narrator, Saskia Maarleveld, was great, she definitely gave Georgia more depth and relatability, and also made Cecilia even more unlikable and villain-like - Unfortunately, many of my same feelings/criticisms remain about the story itself. I didn’t hate it, but I didn’t love it. I give the audio 3⭐️

Thank you, so much, to NetGalley and Harper Muse for the eARC, and to Harper Muse Audio for the ALC of Mom Brain by Nicole Hackett!

[Bbecca_marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mom Brain 🧠 Book Review 📖 thank you @booksparks @harpermusebooks for the gifted book!

Mom Brain
by Nicole Hackett
Narrated by Saskia Maarleveld

Welcome to The Program, an immersive week-long experience set to the backdrop of the breathtaking island of O'ahu, where mothers in all stages of crisis can come to take control of their lives. It's not exactly the type of thing Georgia Evans--a busy working mother of two--would usually consider. However, still spiraling from a debacle that crowned her "internet's worst mom," she is desperate enough to try anything.

💭 My thoughts:

Unsettling, addictive, and impossible to look away from! Wow wow wow. I loved this one so much. I split my time between the physical book and the audiobook and you can’t go wrong with either. The narration was incredible and added an immersive layer to the story. It made everything feel more intense. I found myself not wanting to stop no matter which format I was in. This one completely surprised me with how gripping it was and it had this underlying tension that just kept building. As a mom, parts of it felt a little too real in the best and unsettling way. I also really loved the science aspect. It added a unique layer that I personally enjoyed. Between the secrets, the atmosphere, and that constant sense that something isn’t quite right, there was just no way I was going to be able to stop once I started. This gets all the stars from me!

What to expect👇🏽
💐Motherhood + identity
‼️Psychological tension
🤫Secrets + unraveling truths
🔬Science driven elements

Happy reading 📖

[Natalie all_books_great_and_small · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review to follow

[Clémence Marais · Rating 2 out of 5]

I genuinely still don't know what the point of that book was. I'm just... confused. The intrigue itself isn't particularly original: a bunch of women pay for a week of relaxation with other mothers and end up in a cult run by a sociopathic scientist. Then the main character goes back to her normal life. I thought the mom thing was going to make it worth it: after all "mom brain" is a real thing. Or at least, I thought I would like the main character personality. I was expecting something moving, inventive, rebellious. Something that really interrogate how women experience motherhood today, you know. But no... This felt very (white) American and incoherent. I guess it was supposed to be a suspenseful kind of thriller but at no point did it feel that way. I frowned and rolled my eyes multiple times because of how slow it was. I found the story boring, same for the internal monologue of Georgia. Sometimes her thoughts/actions were just... stupid. Really. The characters interactions were unrealistic and lame, they don't get alarmed at all when being used for a giant experiment (it's obvious but Georgia and her PhD only realizes it at the end). They don't ask questions. How come their children look so real in the VR, even small behaviors or gestures, if Cecilia has never met them? What kind of technology is this? Governmental? Isn't it illegal? A lot of questions are unanswered. Everyone just follows, complaining once or twice without thinking further. Even when [spoilers!] two participants disappear, nobody cares. We are never told how Cecelia's program got famous, how she got rich to the point of owning a whole campus, or why the hell she would let the girls get in contact with the outside (considering what she's doing to them). Seriously, this doesn't make mothers justice at all, let alone women.

[Lily M ❀ · Rating 2 out of 5]

I feel like a lot of the story lacked purpose. The lead was unconvincing and annoying, and the villain was very similar. A lot of the characters were not fleshed out. Yet what struck me the most was that the plot felt so random: her time at the program was boring, convoluted, and ultimately lacked structure and purpose, and the plot lines following the me too conversation and the diabetes were random and poorly done.

[Bookaholic__Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mom brain: a real or temporary phenomenon involving memory lapses,brain fog and reduced focus often during pregnancy and postpartum.

I will be the first to admit I suffer from some serious mom brain moments. And I thought that would be what the story focused on but it also seemed to also focus on "mom brain" in the sense that maybe mom brains are programmed/ wired differently.

Georgia, a mother of two goes to a retreat in Oahu that specializes in helping mothers regain control through technology and science. She wants to fix her mom brain after a recent public scandal but things get pretty crazy quickly and things aren't exactly as they seem.

It really shows just how far a mother would go to improve herself. It's no secret the pressure that is put on modern mothers.


This book was as much speculative fiction as it was satire. Is mom brain a challenge or a superpower? At this point, I'm not so sure.

[Laine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Other than some excessive use of “y’all”, I really loved this book. Such an interesting idea and very well executed. It definitely gave a lot to reflect on as someone with a “mom brain!” and is going to stick with me for a while

[EmG ReadsDaily · Rating 4 out of 5]

A unique take on ‘wellness culture’ and the ‘realities of motherhood’.

This was a quick and enjoyable audiobook listen for me. I found the narration by Saskia Maarleveld really captured the essence of the differing characters and kelt me engaged with the story throughout.





3.5 stars

[Angelie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This gave off culty brain horror creepy sci-fi vibes. And it was weird and fun and creative in a a new way. I really liked how it made me think of brains, hormones, and free will in a completely different way.

Saskia Maarleveld narrates, which as usual, enhances the experience.

My one criticism is that I think there was a level of incongruence with the supposed intelligence level of the main female character and her actual behavior.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Muse Audiobooks for providing the ALC in exchange for an honest review! All opinions and statements are my own.

[bunny ୨୧ · Rating 1 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Muse for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review. Mom Brain is out now!

❧

Time of death, chapter 41 about 42% in. I have been overthinking for a while, I don't DNF books nearly as often as I should, and I have been trying so hard with this one, but I eventually had to throw in the towel.

Mom Brain follows Georgia, an attorney who has suffered a mental breakdown and has been recommended by her workplace to attend a retreat that centers mothers. It's giving cult, it's giving thriller, but the voice of this book is not loud enough to follow through. It's merely a deflated balloon sound.

I wasn't convinced of anything really? I couldn't grasp any motivations, any character traits. All of these women are just Mothers™, and okay, maybe that's the point, but the execution is beyond lackluster. I was quite intrigued by the premise, and I gave it a try in May, but I had to temporary DNF because I wasn't feeling it at all. Then I gave it an honest try a couple of days ago and kind of blasted through almost half of it, but only because nothing really happened?

This group of mothers, Pod Three as they are huddled into, is subject to a couple exercises that are supposed to "activate" or "deactivate" their mom brain. The founder of The Program, Cecilia, is obviously the villain, the experimenter, what have you, but I genuinely could not squeeze a drop of intrigue of mystery out of nearly half the book.

For a more specific example of what made me quit: Georgia wakes up in the middle of the night to find a few men sneaking into the villa neighboring hers, which is especially peculiar since there are no men on the island. It's supposed to be a big deal, to amp up the mystery and have me clutch my pearls at all the possible scenarios, but after she falls back asleep, the book kind of goes like this:

Chapter 40 - "The villa was Dede's. But what does that mean?"
Chapter 41 - [...] "The villa was Dede's. Those men were at Dede's door. But what does that mean? Does it mean anything? What did she see?"

It means that I'm done trying to read this book.

[charli · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to like this one because the premise had a lot of potential, but the execution didn’t quite come together for me. Hackett clearly wanted to explore the pressures placed on mothers and the expectations society has for women once they have children, but the message felt heavy-handed rather than insightful. A lot of the characters felt flat, so I never fully connected with anyone or cared much about what happened.

What bothered me most aside from the lack of development in every corner of it was the book’s apparent assumption that maternal instinct is some gender based built-in biological certainty. That idea is presented like fact, when in reality it’s far more complicated and definitely not something universally proven or experienced. Or that’s the impression I got.

The pacing was slow for most of the book, then the ending suddenly became chaotic and over-the-top. Overall, I appreciated what it was trying to say, but it never fully developed its ideas in a believable or compelling way. Not for me, but others may connect with it more.

Thank you NetGalley/harper collins for the audio copy - I liked the readers voice a lot.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

"No one dies on an ordinary Thursday.
This is Georgia's first irrational thought."

Georgia is the mother of a toddler and an infant and she is a patent law lawyer. She has undergone some kind of public scandal, and as a result, her law firm is sending to her a retreat/seminar called The Program in Hawaii. The goal of the program is to essentially rewire "mom brains".

"'And what we've learned, thanks in part to mothers such as Rat Mother Number two, is that a mother's brain is as predictable as it is complex.' A pause, perhaps for theatrical effect, before he tells them, 'A mom brain is simply the neurological hardwiring for self-sacrifice.'"

I lovedddd Hackett's first book, The Perfect Ones, so I was excited to get my hands on this--especially because it is about motherhood. And honestly it was super interesting. Because it's marketed as a thriller we know something is amiss from the beginning, and I was waiting with baited breath for the other shoe to drop. I was suspicious of every character--even Georgia our fmc. In the end, I never could have predicted what happened and there is scene near the end that I will replaying for a long time to come. Overall this was very atmospheric and cinematic and I could easily see this playing out on a big screen. I do wish there had been less build-up and we had gotten to the thrills sooner, but this worked well for me and Hackett is now an autobuy author!

[Eliza ✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

[Daria Ageeva · Rating 2 out of 5]

Georgia is a mother of two, and when there is an incident at work she decides going to Hawaii for a luxury retreat based on motherhood will sort her out and give her back some control. However, when Georgia attends The Programme she has a gut feeling that there’s something not quite right. Georgie is required to battle with her darkest fears to free herself from her ‘mom brain’ mindset and be able to function the way she did prior to having kids.

Short chapters, quick and easy read. However maybe I’m not a mom so maybe I’m not the target audience for this however I found there were too many holes in the story line for me. (spoilers ahead).

Firstly, why would someone from work sign her up for this course? I don’t understand what type of mandate HR are forcing on their employees? I understand she was found to lie in the article, however just make her do a power point slide like any normal corporate job.

Secondly, it was very predictable who she was lying in the article for. I think the author could have used their imagination a bit more to get Georgia into that retreat rather than just suggesting it was her employers idea.

Thirdly, is Georgia ok? She witnesses men going into one of the guests rooms in the middle of the night and then she just goes to breakfast as normal and continues the programme without raising it or worrying about it? Where was that mom brain then?

I just wish there was a lot more happening on the retreat side of things to give this the ‘dark’ and ‘unnerving’ turns that the reviews had promised.

[Jill Prouty Coombs · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to like this but I think the author bit off a little too much. She did get bonus points for naming the main character Georgia :)

[Maggie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Muse for the ALC of this book. I'm rating it 4 stars, with .5 being for the audiobook narration. I don't know how I feel about this book. Yes, I enjoyed it, but somehow it feels like nothing really happened that grabbed my attention? There were elements of the book that worked for me, but most of the "thriller" aspect I just didn't find thrilling. The commentary on mom brain and how society treats mothers was good, and the audiobook narration was great, but the big reveal towards the end felt like bit of a let down. I was really into this until that reveal, which felt kinda anti-climatic? I don't know how to describe it but I do know this worked a lot better for me until the reveal. So much potential, but not quite there for me. I honestly don't even know how to write this review because this book wasn't all that memorable, and I listened to this whole book in one day lol.

[Rosemary · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found the premise of this book intriguing. I think the title somehow made me think that it would be more light hearted than I found it to be. The story is interesting although segmented into three parts which I found a little off putting as I didn't really understand the need for it. The story continues throughout but in different locations. There are definitely some twists and the book kept me entertained. However I did not feel myself really wanting to read it. I think for me, all the characters need some more definition and detail. I didn't particularly feel anything for any of them. There are moments of tension and I did wonder continually what was going to happen but without any real emotion. However the actual concept of being able to modify the brain of a mother made me think about the use of "medication" for other neurological conditions and whether we should be questioning these more. Overall a reasonable read and made me reflect on motherhood and society's view of women.

[LT Rosado · Rating 4 out of 5]

A thought-provoking, relatable, satirical take on motherhood, identity & autonomy.

Georgia Evans is the "internet's worst mom" after a sandal that made headlines. Desperate to try anything to regain control over her life, she attends a one week retreat in Hawaii. "The Program" is a week long experience for mom's who are shown how the biology of motherhood has imprisoned them & how to gain their freedom from motherhood. Georgia grows deeply involved with Cecilia's (the founder) mission, ignoring any doubt that starts to creep in. That's the whole point of The Program, after all: you can't really trust a mom brain.

This was incredibly relatable. As the novel went into the scientific evidence of how we are trapped in our "mom brain", you couldn't help but to agree. This is the side of motherhood that is never said outloud. As the story unfolds, we learn trusting our "mom brain" is the best thing to do. We learn that we can trust our "mother intuition ". It's a superpower!

[Bookworm · Rating 2 out of 5]

First off, Saskia the narrator delivered a phenomenal performance in the audiobook. It was the main reason I kept listening rather than dnf'ing.

Sadly, this book just never came together plot-wise. I think it was trying to be a sci-fi speculative fiction about motherhood but missed its mark. The summary of my experience reading this book was disjointed and flat.

The first third, which involved the FMC's time at the program in Hawaii was incredibly slow and dull. Nothing happens. I was extremely close to dnf but pushed on because of Saskia.

The plot picked up a little bit once FMC returns home and enters phase 2 of the program. But again, the author failed to carve out the speculative aspects and connect them to the reader's experience.

The final third of the book had some highs and lows. There was some suspense leading up to the crux but the ending was a letdown. The reveal wasn't fully flushed out and lacked any element of surprise or excitement. It fizzled. The story went downhill from there.

This book had promise. I could conceptualize what the author intended but was unable to execute. Not a story I would recommend to others. Try The Guilt Pill instead as its premise was similar but executed much better.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mom Brain by Nicole Hackett was a bit of a crazy ride. Georgia Evans is a mom of two and dealing with a fall out at work. They have decided it would be best to enter The Program on the island of Oahu. Sounds like a fine type of place to take a week and reflect on her life. However, as the week unfolds she is grouped with strange people, asked to partake in rituals in order to become a better mother. As each day passes guests begin to disappear and she is unsure if she feels better or worse.

There were so many things about motherhood in the book that were relatable, all the directions one is pulled, how do we know if we are making the right choices, and when to ask for help.

This book publishes on April 21, 2026, grab a copy from your favorite bookseller.

Thank you to the publisher for this advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

[Alex Z (azeebooks) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mom Brain promises a thriller that delves into the mental load that a lot of women deal with as parents.

I thought the concept was so interesting, the chance to “turn off” your brain and your obsessive worries - that nagging feeling of never being a “good enough” mom.

Unfortunately for a thriller, I didn’t find there to be enough driving force. It’s a decent story but wasn’t very gripping. I don’t think we also got enough of an explanation of The Program and I was left feeling like the story wasn’t over.

It was ok but I honestly just felt like there wasn’t much of a point. I wanted to leave this book feeling somewhat cathartic but just feel a little perplexed.

2.5 stars rounded up because it was at least an easy read.

Thank you booksparks for a free copy of this book to review.

[Victoria (storieswithtorie) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book felt like a slow psychological spiral wrapped in a wellness retreat for mothers and I mean that as a compliment.

The entire concept was so specific and strange that I immediately knew I was either going to fully buy into it or hate it. The idea of mothers being told their instincts, emotions, sacrifices, and literal brain chemistry are the problem? Creepy from page one. And the more Georgia gets pulled into The Program, the more everything starts feeling slightly tilted and wrong.

What worked for me most was the pacing of the uncertainty. Nothing felt overly dramatic or overdone, but there was this constant underlying feeling that something bad was sitting just outside the frame waiting to reveal itself. Every interaction felt calculated. Every “solution” felt dangerous. The book keeps tightening the pressure without needing huge twists every five minutes.

I also appreciated that this was not written like a clean polished thriller where everything falls neatly into place. It felt uncomfortable, emotionally blurry, and obsessive in a way that matched the storyline perfectly. Georgia is not always easy to read or easy to agree with, but that made the whole thing feel more real to me.

And honestly, the motherhood aspect added a layer that made parts of this hit harder than I expected. The guilt, identity loss, resentment, pressure, exhaustion, all of it is sitting underneath the mystery the entire time.

[Heather M · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5
I was genuinely interested in this book and it wasn't hard to finish. I was disappointed in how flat it fell for me. I typically don't read thrillers but it didn't seem to follow through with the concept. It was also hard to connect with the characters due to lack of detail in both the plot and character development.
Ok, it might just be me but a PharmD would have significant knowledge about diabetes. Mushrooms are also not legal in Hawaii. I don't know why these things bothered me so much 😅.

[Paige- TheBookandtheBoston · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the premise for this one- a program to help mothers overcome “mom brain”- where do I sign up? 😅 Also, I appreciated this one had such a good commentary on some of the things women struggle with after becoming a mom. Like losing your sense of self, or just getting used to your brain being physically altered. (FYI, mom brain is actually real. The gray matter in the brain of a female actually decreases during pregnancy, leading to brain fog, forgetfulness, and ability to focus. 🤯)

If you’re looking for a mystery/thriller, I can see why some find it a little underwhelming. While I found the psychology interesting, the science behind the program and pills they prescribe isn’t really explained or teased out, either- it’s more of a “just trust me, this works.” But if you’re looking for a vibes read, and maybe just wanting to know others feel similarly as a mother, I’d definitely pick this one up!

𝑾𝒉𝒐 𝑰'𝒅 𝑹𝒆𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒐:
Moms will definitely sympathize a lot with this book, and I think it would lead to some great book club discussions.

𝑨 𝒏𝒐𝒕𝒆 𝒐𝒏 𝒏𝒂𝒓𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏:
Saskia Maarleveld narrates this and does an amazing job. I really think she leveled up this book!

4.5/5 rounded up

[Addie S.]

I won this from a giveaway and I enjoyed reading it.

[Hayley]

The chapters are really short. It feels like we are being cut sharp out of a scene, especially when we need to sit in it for it to develop. The overall premise was intriguing. For a moment it felt like it was going to be a bit like a black mirror episode, which was super interesting.

[Judy Collins · Rating 5 out of 5]

MOM BRAIN by Nicole Hackett is a phenomenal, whip-smart treat that combines the cutting edge of speculative thriller suspense with a brilliantly biting social satire. Setting a cult-like maternal wellness retreat against a gorgeous tropical backdrop, this page-turner completely blew me away.

A perfect blend of contemporary literary depth and an intensely addictive psychological thriller.

📌 The Hook
~ A working mother of two, branded the "internet's worst mom" after a viral public crisis.
~ An elite, cult-like luxury rehabilitation retreat hidden away on the breathtaking island of O'ahu.
~ A magnetic founder using extreme neurological experiments to promise women absolute freedom from the cage of motherhood.

🛗 Elevator Pitch
Georgia Evans is completely spiraling after a viral public debacle crowns her the "internet's worst mom". Desperate to regain control of her unraveling life, she accepts an invitation to "The Program"—an exclusive, week-long immersive rehabilitation experience on the island of O'ahu. Led by the elegant and deeply enigmatic Cecilia Clements, the retreat promises to reframe "mom brain" as a neurological superpower and free women from the biological prison of motherhood. But as Georgia is drawn into Cecilia's radical mission, terrifying doubts creep in, forcing her to question the science, the retreat's real motives, and her own mind.

🍹 Setting
The stunning, deceptively serene landscapes of the Arcadian Bay Resort on the island of O'ahu, Hawaii, contrast with the high-pressure domestic realities of Washington, D.C.

🕯️ Vibe
Chilling, atmospheric, deeply provocative, satirical, and intensely gripping.

📚 Genre
Speculative Fiction / Psychological Thriller / Social Satire / Contemporary Literary Fiction

🧠 Themes
~The crushing, impossible societal pressures placed on modern mothers.
~Weaponized wellness culture and the dark side of self-improvement.
~Maternal identity, bodily autonomy, and neurological transformation.
~The distortion of science and technology as tools for psychological control.

👥 Standout Characters
~Georgia Evans: A hardworking, high-achieving mother of two fighting an uphill battle against immense maternal guilt and internet cancellation.
~Cecilia Clements: The charismatic, elegant founder of The Program, whose radical theories on maternal biology blur the line between therapy and manipulation.

✍️ Author Writing Standout
Hackett delivers an extraordinarily sharp, incisive examination of the modern maternal experience. Her plotting reads like a masterfully paced thriller in the vein of Liane Moriarty’s "Nine Perfect Strangers," however, elevated by incredibly smart, fearless observations that force you to examine society's toxic view of motherhood.

💡 Takeaway
Society demands that mothers achieve total perfection while stripping them of their identity, making them uniquely vulnerable to anyone promising an easy escape from the noise.

🏷️ Title Significance
"Mom Brain" cleverly flips a common, dismissive cultural phrase on its head. Instead of treating maternal forgetfulness as a mild joke, the novel examines the real, permanent biological restructuring of a mother’s brain, exploring how that vulnerability can be terrifyingly exploited.

🕊️ Metaphor
The retreat's organized "pods" and rigorous rituals serve as a metaphor for the rigid, artificial boxes that society forces mothers to fit into, under the guise of helping them "have it all".

📖 Why You Should Read
Read this for a genuinely fresh, provocative psychological thriller. It completely bypasses typical domestic tropes to deliver a deeply human, unsettling look at maternal anxiety that will leave you thinking long after the final chapter.

💬 My Thoughts
Chilling, atmospheric, deeply provocative, and satirical. A perfect blend of contemporary literary depth and an intensely addictive psychological thriller.

Nicole Hackett has crafted an absolute masterpiece of speculative suspense with Mom Brain.The pacing is electric, and the slow-burn realization that something is deeply wrong beneath the luxury resort's surface is brilliantly done. Georgia is an incredibly relatable, flawed protagonist whose desperation is entirely understandable. As my first introduction to Hackett's work, I am utterly captivated by her ability to merge gritty, high-stakes thriller tension with top-tier social commentary, science, and literary flair. A brilliant, incredibly tense, and fiercely triumphant thriller from a major talent.

⚖️ Verdict ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5 Stars) —
"A provocative, razor-sharp, and completely unforgettable thriller. It flawlessly marries a dark cult wellness premise with a brilliant, empathetic look at the realities of modern motherhood."

📚 Recs or Read Alikes
~Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty
~The Husbands by Chandler Baker
~The Stepford Wives by Ira Levin
~The Chateau by Jaclyn Goldis

🎧 Audio Standout
The audiobook performed by the fabulous Saskia Maarleveld (a favorite) is an absolute must-listen. Her masterful performance captures the mounting paranoia, maternal panic, and hypnotic atmosphere perfectly. An absolutely stunning, multi-layered solo performance. Her voice perfectly channels Georgia's initial exhaustion and spiraling anxiety, morphing seamlessly into the smooth, hypnotic authority required for Cecilia Clements. It makes the entire listening experience incredibly immersive and genuinely unsettling.

Special thanks to Harper Muse Audiobooks and NetGalley for sharing an advanced listening copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.

blog review posted @
JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 5 Stars
Pub Date: Apr 21, 2026
April Newsletter
April 2026 Must-Read Books

[Michele Shreve · Rating 2 out of 5]

I still don't know what I read and it's been 4 days since I finished this book.

Georgia is sent to this program to help her with her Mom brain. She is sent there because she is deemed the 'worst mom on the internet' but we don't really find out why until the book is like 75% done.

At this program the goal is to get rid of their mom brain and then give them freedom of choice if they want to continue using it. Along the way some weird stuff happens when 2 members of Georgia's pod go missing.

All in all i was very confused during this book and honestly I was glad when it was done. Interesting concept but IDK it just wasn't for me

[Jane B · Rating 4 out of 5]

RTC