A 5-star thriller which is incredibly intense and one of the best I’ve read, do not miss out on Mother Loves Me by Abby Davies.
The plot:
Mirabelle’s mother loves her. She’s her ‘little doll’. Mother dresses her, paints her face, and plaits her hair. But as Mirabelle grows, the dresses no longer fit quite as well, the face paint no longer looks quite so pretty. And Mother isn’t happy.
On Mirabelle’s 13th birthday, Mother arrives home with a present – a new sister, 5-year-old Clarabelle who Mother has rescued from the outside world.
As it dawns on Mirabelle that there is a new ‘little doll’ in her house, she also realises that her life isn’t what she thought it was. And that dolls often end up on the scrap heap…
An instant bestseller in my eyes
Based on the synopsis, I thought this was going to be just a standard thriller which I knew I’d enjoy, but could’ve easily been predictable and flat. But Mother Loves Me exceeded all my expectations and is likely to appear in my top books of 2020.
There’s shock after shock after shock with it. Not only was I on edge throughout (literally a rollercoaster ride, heart palpitations for about 90% of it), but it takes an already strange topic (a woman who appears to be grooming and conditioning her daughter) and boooooy, does it get stranger.
It’s written in Mirabelle’s point of view and tone. You’re in the mind of a well-read 13-year-old, so although still clearly young, she’s picked things up from books which comes in useful later, but you’re still getting that childhood innocence and thought-process. It’s the perfect length for a psychological thriller, as chapters are often short and quick.
There are a few things which you might work out before the protagonist does, and other things which come totally out of the blue but are well appreciated. Every page is interesting, and it’s a meaty, well thought-out plot.
I’m mindful not to give any spoilers, because I really don’t want to give anything away because I hope everyone reads this book, but it’s just such a mind-blowing and so well-written book, ticking all the boxes for a perfect psychological thriller.
There are definitely some moments that made me cringe away from the book because of the topic, and some pretty horrifying, raw moments which I read with one eye closed (and the other one squinting), so be prepared for that.
An instant bestseller in my eyes – it’s not the sort of book you’ll re-read in a rush knowing the ending, but without a doubt, will be remembering Davies’ name for when her next book is released.
Absolutely incredible.
Mother Loves Me, Abby Davies, RRP £7.99 (paperback); Book Depository
Pages: 293
Publisher: Harper Collins Publishers
Genre: Psychological Thriller
