Motherthing

DNF at 65%

This felt like false advertisement. There was no dark humor, no horror, no ghost, no point to the whole thing. I had three big issues with this book: the main character, the writing and the plot progression. Abby is the most annoying, bland character. She's immature and obsessive but in a non fun or interesting way. She would go into these long stream of consciousness trips that did nothing to move the plot, girl just get therapy.

The writing was just too quirky for me, maybe if this book had delivered on its "horror" premise the two things could have balanced each other out. And then there's the plot or llack thereof. 65% in and I'm still not sure where this was going or what was the point. Huge disappointment.

a lot of hoopla going on

THE ENDING WAS GREAT, THE REST WAS MEHHH

A very weird, funny, and thrilling book full of unique approaches that help the reader understand just how much the character slowly begins to spiral.

I found the beginning so quick to get through but did find myself growing impatient towards the end as the character became more unraveled and the scenes between her childhood and present started to blend weirdly. Also, it got very gross and descriptive and made me feel slightly nauseated.

I recommend this book if you enjoy:
Jellied salmon?, books about female rage, stories where a mother-in-law haunts the main character from the grave.

TW : Suicide, Grief, Gore, Sexual content, Rape, Cannibalism, Violent thoughts, Emotional abuse. "Motherthing is an unhinged story about woman's obsession of creating a perfect family due to the failed relationship between a mother & a daughter" Sentence above is practically what sums up Motherthing. After months of pausing and collecting will to read about Abbie and her journey of "saving" her husband from great depression after her mother's sudden passing, I decided to spent last few days of 2023 trying my best to finish this book. What attract me first from Motherthing is how unique and eye-catching the cover art is. It's giving 70's retro theme and at first glance, you would've known that this book has dark, gloomy, depressing bits inside; somehow, it's giving old Hollywood movie poster which make this book also more proper to read on Halloween (I tried but for some reasons which I'll disclose later, I read this on Christmas). The uniqueness doesn't stop there; Ainslie, on this book, raised an issue of parents-child especially mother-daughter complicated relationship which left an open wound and intergenerational trauma. She also breached topic on the negative effect on depression and mental health disorder such as NPD and BPD, so if you're someone whose been diagnosed or having any experience with it, there'll be lots of triggering scene inside. In some of these chapters, you'll find chapters where it's structured like script format; it's unique, I love how there's some variation between those long narrative but it's kind throw me off balance, especially after I read Ainslie Q&A session with Big Issue North where she said that the script format is a symbolization of Abbie's growing detachment from reality. It makes me thinking 'is everything happened between Abbie & Laura are real? Or it's just Abbie's imagination to create Laura as "evil" type of mother so she can put herself forward as a savior for Ralph?' How I love when a book makes me questioning the lead's intention. Anyway, Ainslie open Motherthing with sentence of "The night Ralph's mother flayed her forearms," and it's enough sentence to provoke my curiosity and delve into the content of the book. Though I might regret it later because the fun and suspense stops on Chapter 1, the rest of it is a long & long journey of watching a narcissistic with savior type complex try to reasoning her action; my main reason of pausing this 'til Christmas. Abbie, as the lead, is twenty something woman, were a perfect example of NPD mixed with savior type complex where she thinks her husband won't be normal again if she didn't do her job as a wife. She's one-sidedly picturing her late mother-in-law as someone whose been doting his own son for practically his entire lifetime, creating these depressing space for Ralph to grow up and assuming her as rival for Ralph's attention. Why I said she's one-sidedly making her own mother-in-law as her rival? because this book were told from Abbie's POV from the start 'til the end, you don't get any other perspectives trying to explain their own side of the story. Usually, I don't have any problem with lead character's POV but in Abbie's case, her own narrative of trying to explain or rationalize her own action or thoughts tickles part of my brain and the more I read about her, the more uncomfortable I feel. As a lead, she has no development whatsoever, kind of one dimensional but if deranged & getting more & more unhinged can be called a development, then she sure as hell has some development though for the worst. Though one dimensional, her character kind of makes the story works the way it is (probably due to her own POV of everything). Story wise, it takes me for a while to actually embrace Motherthing and stay focus on what's happened. Though the factor of my virginity when it comes to psychological supernatural drama kind of being number one reason, the unhinged-ness which were shown in this book, is another supporting factor. The plot, though it's interesting, it's painfully slow and dragging; I feel like I've been stuck in maze and there's no way out. I'm also a bit confuse on where Motherthing stand as a genre because in my opinion, it clearly fall on psychological & thriller drama with a sprinkles of supernatural bits while the official genre stated on Google is horror fiction; for me, the horror part is only takes up 20% of the whole book while the rest is me trying to stop myself from cringing and shake those uncomfortable shivers due to Abbie's unhinged thoughts. Hogarth's writing style, which a combination of hyperbole and metaphor with script format peeked between narratives, is amazing. Motherthing is my first Ainslie Hogarth's experience and as gore as it is, I love how she introduce me to her world. Ending-wise, it's give me mixed feelings. For better purpose, I won't disclose what happened but it sure will make you gagged and dropping your jaw to the floor. I know that Abbie girl is unhinged, loose screw and all that but what she did almost make me throw my guts out. If I could ask Ainslie Hogarth, I would ask how she wrote those scenes so well and so dedicated it almost felt real. Originally, I give three stars at first because those painfully slow felt like torture narration and the feeling Motherthing gave me but as I write down my in-depth question and review, I realize this is my very first experience to read a book that makes me cringe deep down in my skin yet quirky, gruesome and has an original ideas. And I'm glad Motherthing able to give me that hence I give this four stars (I drew the line on the ending). Has this book altered my perception or change me as a person? The answer is no, it's not. But it, at least, teach me a lesson that every human being has a dark side -not Emperor Palpatine kind of dark side- but wild, vile, cruel side, which could be dangerous if it doesn't maintained carefully. I do recommend this book for anyone whose into dark thriller fiction or want to read something different from what they usually read.