What Kind of Mother by Clay McLeod Chapman is a story of love and loss nestled in a community whose gossip is as murky as the creeks that fracture its landscape.
CW: Miscarriage, animal death, child death, grief, natural disaster & more.
Let’s dive in!
My Thoughts on What Kind of Mother by Clay McLeod Chapman –
When I was very heavily pregnant, I’m talking just a week out from my scheduled C-section, I was going to attend an event at Gibson’s bookstore for this book. I didn’t make the event, but the staff snagged me a lovely signed copy. Around the same time, some of my wonderful horror friends cautioned me against reading this for a bit.
Well, I waited just shy of 8 months. On Mother’s Day, when I was home alone for the first time since the arrival of our kiddo, I decided that it was a good time to pick up this book… So also not brilliant timing, as I soon learned the baby in the book was 8 months old… but here we are!
I read this anticipating that I would hit my limit and need to put it down. Luckily that never happened, though I will admit I certainly skimmed a handful of sections as it just hit too close to home with my latest nightmares now that I’m a mom.
I fully understand all of the “WTF” comments that readers had while reading this book! There were so many moments that had me thinking that!
And phew, that last chapter was such a doozy!
My Favorite Passages from What Kind of Mother –
Most vegetables are gone by noon, but folks tend to stick around and socialize. Not to mention gossip. Brandywine is small enough that everybody’s business belongs to everyone else. If there’s anything worth knowing, these three will be chattering on about it.
People around these parts are more likely to go see a psychic than sit across from a psychiatrist. We don’t talk about our problems. We hold them tight, until they weigh us down. We’d rather drown in our insecurities than share them.
I understand what it’s like when everybody whispers behind your back, when people turn your life into a story without your consent.
My Final Thoughts on What Kind of Mother –
In my opinion, this read is not for the causal horror reader, but horror fans who love sinking into the bleak, emotionally devastating darkness will love this!
Thanks for reading!
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