Motherthing – Book Review

A darkly funny domestic horror novel about a woman who must take drastic measures to save her husband and herself from the vengeful ghost of her mother-in-law.

When Ralph and Abby Lamb move in with Ralph’s mother, Laura, Abby hopes it’s just what she and her mother-in-law need to finally connect. After a traumatic childhood, Abby is desperate for a mother figure, especially now that she and Ralph are trying to become parents themselves. Abby just has so much love to give—to Ralph, to Laura, and to Mrs. Bondy, her favorite resident at the long-term care home where she works. But Laura isn’t interested in bonding with her daughter-in-law. She’s venomous and cruel, especially to Abby, and life with her is hellish.

When Laura takes her own life, her ghost haunts Abby and Ralph in very different ways: Ralph is plunged into depression, and Abby is terrorized by a force intent on destroying everything she loves. To make matters worse, Mrs. Bondy’s daughter is threatening to move Mrs. Bondy from the home, leaving Abby totally alone. With everything on the line, Abby comes up with a chilling plan that will allow her to keep Mrs. Bondy, rescue Ralph from his tortured mind, and break Laura’s hold on the family for good. All it requires is a little ingenuity, a lot of determination, and a unique recipe for chicken à la king…

This book is one of the creepiest and weirdest books I have ever read.

Abby is yearning for a mother figure, having had a traumatic childhood. She marries Ralph and moves into Ralph’s childhood home where Ralph’s mother Laura is a domineering figure. Laura meanwhile is cruel and venomous, often finding faults with Abby. When Laura takes her own life, Abby steals the heirloom ring which apparently Laura never took off. Abby realizes that she made a biggest mistake when Laura’s ghost start domineering back to life. Ralph plunges into depression, and Abby feels like her whole world is turned upside down.

I did like the book but I wasn’t exactly sure if I loved the book. The writing was however great and entertaining read. Sometimes, some parts of the book were boring but then I actually did like the main character Abby, however the disturbing her character might be. Also I am not sure why it was labeled as a horror book because I didn’t find anything horror in the book. However, the ending of the book was slightly disturbing to read.

Overall, to me, this was an OK book, worth three stars.