The Need
***LONGLISTED FOR THE NATIONAL BOOK AWARD IN FICTION***
Named one of Time Magazine’s 100 Best Mystery and Thriller Books of All Time
“An extraordinary and dazzlingly original work from one of our most gifted and interesting writers” (Emily St. John Mandel, author of The Glass Hotel). The Need, which finds a mother of two young children grappling with the dualities of motherhood after confronting a masked intruder in her home, is “like nothing you’ve ever read before…in a good way” (People).
When Molly, home alone with her two young children, hears footsteps in the living room, she tries to convince herself it’s the sleep deprivation. She’s been hearing things these days. Startling at loud noises. Imagining the worst-case scenario. It’s what mothers do, she knows.
But then the footsteps come again, and she catches a glimpse of movement.
Suddenly Molly finds herself face-to-face with an intruder who knows far too much about her and her family. As she attempts to protect those she loves most, Molly must also acknowledge her own frailty. Molly slips down an existential rabbit hole where she must confront the dualities of motherhood: the ecstasy and the dread; the languor and the ferocity; the banality and the transcendence as the book hurtles toward a mind-bending conclusion.
In The Need, Helen Phillips has created a subversive, speculative thriller that comes to life through blazing, arresting prose and gorgeous, haunting imagery. “Brilliant” (Entertainment Weekly), “grotesque and lovely” (The New York Times Book Review, Editor’s Choice), and “wildly captivating” (O, The Oprah Magazine), The Need is a glorious celebration of the bizarre and beautiful nature of our everyday lives and “showcases an extraordinary writer at her electrifying best” (Publishers Weekly, starred review).
Named one of Time Magazine’s 100 Best Mystery and Thriller Books of All Time
“An extraordinary and dazzlingly original work from one of our most gifted and interesting writers” (Emily St. John Mandel, author of The Glass Hotel). The Need, which finds a mother of two young children grappling with the dualities of motherhood after confronting a masked intruder in her home, is “like nothing you’ve ever read before…in a good way” (People).
When Molly, home alone with her two young children, hears footsteps in the living room, she tries to convince herself it’s the sleep deprivation. She’s been hearing things these days. Startling at loud noises. Imagining the worst-case scenario. It’s what mothers do, she knows.
But then the footsteps come again, and she catches a glimpse of movement.
Suddenly Molly finds herself face-to-face with an intruder who knows far too much about her and her family. As she attempts to protect those she loves most, Molly must also acknowledge her own frailty. Molly slips down an existential rabbit hole where she must confront the dualities of motherhood: the ecstasy and the dread; the languor and the ferocity; the banality and the transcendence as the book hurtles toward a mind-bending conclusion.
In The Need, Helen Phillips has created a subversive, speculative thriller that comes to life through blazing, arresting prose and gorgeous, haunting imagery. “Brilliant” (Entertainment Weekly), “grotesque and lovely” (The New York Times Book Review, Editor’s Choice), and “wildly captivating” (O, The Oprah Magazine), The Need is a glorious celebration of the bizarre and beautiful nature of our everyday lives and “showcases an extraordinary writer at her electrifying best” (Publishers Weekly, starred review).
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Community Reviews
Boy did this one start out strong! The alternating timelines/stories (and super short chapters) quickly built up the suspense through the first 2 Parts and really hooked me. Then the big reveal hit (Shock! Gasp!) and then the novel completely fizzled out.
What I thought was going to be a thriller-ish take on an alternate reality (multiverse) story told from the point of view of a mother trying to protect her children, instead turned into essentially the telling of a completely over-worked mother trying to parent her 2 young children while her husband was away. I really lost interest about 1/2 way through part 3 but I wanted to keep reading as I thought it would pick back up again, and it just never did.
Also: WAY too much emphasis on breastfeeding and her milk dropping. I understand that those are extremely important parts of mothering and welcome the topic in novels, but I just felt that the number of times the story told of Molly's milk and breasts was just too much.
The one bright spot I would certainly give to this novel is the way that Helen Philips wrote this novel (the use of language and metaphors) was really beautiful. The overall story direction just didn't do it for me.
What I thought was going to be a thriller-ish take on an alternate reality (multiverse) story told from the point of view of a mother trying to protect her children, instead turned into essentially the telling of a completely over-worked mother trying to parent her 2 young children while her husband was away. I really lost interest about 1/2 way through part 3 but I wanted to keep reading as I thought it would pick back up again, and it just never did.
Also: WAY too much emphasis on breastfeeding and her milk dropping. I understand that those are extremely important parts of mothering and welcome the topic in novels, but I just felt that the number of times the story told of Molly's milk and breasts was just too much.
The one bright spot I would certainly give to this novel is the way that Helen Philips wrote this novel (the use of language and metaphors) was really beautiful. The overall story direction just didn't do it for me.
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