Dearest is build up of years of trauma and the relationship it defines of mother and daughter. Incoming trigger warning.

With Flora a new mom and all alone as her husband is deployed, in the face of exhaustion and sleep paralysis, we see her reminiscing her relationship with her mother. The story is full of desperation and dread, as Flora starts to turn to a childhood comfort- as the reader, it left me wondering the spiral of her mental state and leaving the reader to question is she losing her mind. I really enjoyed the writing in this, especially the detail in the motherhood, and the way Flora constantly questions the way she mothers. The horror in the first half is very light and never quite pulls off creepy. And then you hit part 3 and can’t put the book down.

A haunting tale that gives a truthful voice to early motherhood and pregnancy. And specifically that of being a mother and being alone. I loved how the story kept unraveling as the story continued. Not entirely predictable but every transition was cohesive, like every moment was meant to be there. A few of these moments will stick with me and not always with the best imagery. And you couldn’t ask anymore of a horror novel than that.

Thank you to NetGalley and Mulholland Books for access to an early release copy