THE BASICS
- Title: The Perfect Mother
- Author: Aimee Molloy
- Genre: Mystery Thriller
- Structure: Third-person linear narrative
- First Line: “Joshua.”
Synopsis: Vanity Fair calls it one of the most anticipated books of the summer. Soon to be a major motion picture starring Scandal’s Kerry Washington. An addictive psychological thriller about a group of women whose lives become unexpectedly connected when one of their newborns goes missing. They call themselves the May Mothers—a collection of new moms who gave birth in the same month. Twice a week, with strollers in tow, they get together in Prospect Park, seeking refuge from the isolation of new motherhood; sharing the fears, joys, and anxieties of their new child-centered lives. When the group’s members agree to meet for drinks at a hip local bar, they have in mind a casual evening of fun, a brief break from their daily routine. But on this sultry Fourth of July night during the hottest summer in Brooklyn’s history, something goes terrifyingly wrong: one of the babies is abducted from his crib. Winnie, a single mom, was reluctant to leave six-week-old Midas with a babysitter, but the May Mothers insisted that everything would be fine. Now Midas is missing, the police are asking disturbing questions, and Winnie’s very private life has become fodder for a ravenous media. Though none of the other members in the group are close to the reserved Winnie, three of them will go to increasingly risky lengths to help her find her son. And as the police bungle the investigation and the media begin to scrutinize the mothers in the days that follow, damaging secrets are exposed, marriages are tested, and friendships are formed and fractured.
THE GOOD
I didn’t have high hopes for this book for no other reason than I’ve been in a book funk and the cover looked atypical. But, damn, I could be wrong. I could not set this book down! When I wasn’t reading it, I was thinking about it.
- Extremely relatable characters. This book gets down the perfect harmony of the right amount of characters, diversity in personalities, and each character has a piece of them that lets you say “same”. I even found myself liking the antagonist. There’s not a single character in there that distracts from the story (a rare feat). Not to mention, each character has an incredibly interesting backstory that ties the whole thing together.
- This story. This plot. Just… OMG. OMG. OMG. I was hooked! Given, it did take me a couple chapters to get into it, but once I did, oy. I was waking up to read the book because I couldn’t sleep without knowing what happens next! Super quick read.
- I’m impressed that this is Molloy’s first novel. To be frank, they’re never this good. Granted, this isn’t Molloy’s first pony ride when it comes to writing books, but still. I’m sold on this author. Sign me up for every book she publishes next.
- This book tugs at several heart strings. I love that it addresses several situations women have to navigate in society, such as returning from maternity leave early because people don’t understand the concept of creating a human from scratch and the intense recovery that happens post-birth. Or, the heartbreak of losing a child. It’s all gold.
- I completely understand why this was picked up for a movie before it was even published. The story is gripping. The characters are fantastic. I just hope that Hollywood does this book justice and doesn’t try to take shortcuts in the plot. It’s an incredible read and, if they stay true to the book, it should be an incredible film, too (especially with Kerry Washington).
THE UNFAVORABLE BITS
I don’t really have a lot of thoughts on this section because there weren’t a lot of things that rubbed me the wrong way. There are just a couple things to address.
The first is that there are obvious references to things that are popular and relevant to society right now, such as reality TV stars, magazines, other books, etc. However, fake names are used in their place and it comes off awkward and cringe-worthy. It would have been better to use the direct names, or if it was too expensive to go that route, then get more creative so it wasn’t so cliche.
There were also a couple moments that were blatant plugs for highly charged political viewpoints. In these cases, I tend to agree with the points being made. But, several jabs were below the belt and would probably turn off a large portion of people due to sheer pettiness.
As always, I give you a heads up about strong language or graphics in case you’re sensitive, or if the person you’re recommending the book to is sensitive. This book does have some strong language, but it’s few and far between.
CONCLUSION
Ultimately, I rate this book an easy 5/5 stars. This should definitely be on your reading list somewhere! If you’re a fan of Liane Moriarty and Big Little Lies, you’ll love this book. (And, if you love this book, check out Liane Moriarty). This book is fast read because the story is so gripping you won’t want to put it down. Add it to your book list before it hits theaters!
GET YOUR COPY OF THE PERFECT MOTHER BY AIMEE MOLLOY HERE!
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I received The Perfect Mother from the Book of the Month Club. It was so great to receive personalized book recommendations at my doorstep! Honestly, I’m not sure if I would’ve picked up and experienced Turtles All the Way Down if it wasn’t for BOTM. You can join the club here for under $15 a month!