Book Reviews: Evil Mothers

Happy Mother’s Day…Here is a collection of books about terrible mothers. I know it sounds kind of twisted to turn a holiday where we buy the important women in our lives an abundance of pyjamas into a celebration of thriller novels but I’m trying something different this year. I was thinking about this holiday and how there are children who are unlucky to be born into families that don’t protect them; instead their families are the very thing they need protection from. I was blessed with a mother who is practically perfect in every way; she is always sweet and hilarious. This is a woman who will go down a slide with her little dog on her lap, who will give me coffee in a travel mug at 6:00am and who treats my friends like they are her own children.  The mothers in the following three books have nothing in common with my mother. The mothers at the focus of the novels in this collection go against nature. They do not have a desire to love the babies that depend on them for survival. The evilness dripping through the pages makes you so fearful you want to be apart of their world so you can grab their daughters and carry them to safety while running as fast as you can into the distance. I am not even being dramatic. 

1. Verity by Colleen Hoover.

Let’s start with a book about a mother who lost her beautiful twin nine-year-old girls in two separate tragic accidents 6 months apart. Verity Crawford is a well-known author who has suffered through the worst thing any mother can go through…twice. Verity was then in a horrific car accident that left her severely disabled; this accident is a suspected suicide attempt due to her agonising grief. Lowena Ashleigh is the author who has been signed to finish Verity’s popular book series and has travelled to the Crawford home to go through Verity’s notes for research. As Lowena starts to fall for Verity’s sweet and handsome husband Jeremy she also becomes fearful of Verity despite the fact she is unable to move or speak. Lowena soon finds Verity’s secret autobiography, which includes what happened to the twins. Were their deaths really tragic accidents? 

This book is more scary and sexy than it sounds. I love intense opening sentences and this book has one of the best I have ever come across. It lays down a perfect foundation for a book filled with suspense. I listened to the audio book and I found myself punching the steering wheel when I came to the conclusion. Pro tip: do not listen to scary audio books while driving at night. It is not safe to jump in your seat in sheer panic then look frantically over your shoulder at the backseat to make sure you are not about to be grabbed by a fictional character.  This book had me questioning my beliefs and I was terrified at every twist of the plot and yet I am still devastated it is over.

2. Carrie by Stephen King.

I told my mother this morning about this post I was writing on evil fictional mothers. My mother said to me “Carrie’s mother was the worst mother of all.” After almost five decades Carrie still is a timeless classic tale of horror. Carrie White is an outcast at her high school and is constantly bullied for her appearance and her odd behaviour. Her mother is deeply religious and is unable to be nurturing towards Carrie. Carrie and her mother both have a deep love for God but unfortunately her mother’s commitment to her religion has resulted in a disconnect to her daughter and to her own sanity. Carrie discovers she has telekinesis and for the first time in her life she feels powerful. Against her mother’s wishes Carrie goes to her high school prom and after one more prank goes wrong Carrie unfortunately hits her breaking point. 

Despite this book being set in the 1970s the themes of high school bullying and cruel mothers is still unfortunately all too relevant today. This is the only book of King’s I have read because I tend to steer clear of blood and gore due to fact I will have nightmares for months if I’m subjected to anything even remotely scary. I mean I had to leave the cinema once while watching a Bat Man movie because I was too scared. I know you may now doubt my expertise when it comes to horror and to be honest you really should. I have no idea what I’m doing. So if you are a scaredy cat and want to give King’s books a go then I would start here but be warned, your heart may break.

3. Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman. 

If you have ever worked in retail or sales then you know Eleanor. Eleanor is the type of person that is always asking to speak to a manager. She is rude and unlikeable. Her colleagues despise her, she has no friends, no hobbies, no love life and her only family is her cruel mother who calls her once a week from her prison cell to insult her. Eleanor wears plain clothes, sticks to her routine and does not take enjoyment from anything. Eleanor does something out of her comfort zone and attends a concert where she becomes infatuated with a rock star. She tells her mother she has finally found the one. Will her mother finally be proud of her?  

The main focus of this book is the theme of loneliness and it seeps through every page. I bought this book because all the bookworms I know were raving about how it is the best book they have read in years. When I started it I started questioning everyone, this book starts off slower than Eleanor’s social life. At first it is hard to put your distaste for Eleanor aside but you soon start becoming fond of her. If you pick up this book and hate it for the first few chapters please stick it out because this book needs to be read. This book was surprisingly funny and the light-hearted moments had me crying hysterically out of pure joy. I never want to meet Eleanor because I don't want her to be rude to me but I also wish her every happiness. This book is brilliant and it will always be one of my most favourite books. 

~

Happy Mother's Day to all the wonderful mothers out there. If today is difficult for you for whatever reason then I hope you can become lost in a fictional world to get your mind off the pain for a few moments.