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A review by luluwoohoo
The Mother by Jane Caro
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
The Mother by Jane Caro
☀️☀️☀️⛅
▪️A confronting tale examining the horrors of domestic abuse and the ineffective police system from a little-told perspective
▪️The pacing of this was a little odd - the building of the story in the first third provided tension, but not in the way it needed to - I was waiting for IT to happen impatiently, rather than anxiously - but this improved once Nick's abuse was revealed. The time jumps felt a bit jarring but I recognise their necessity in the grand scheme of the plot, and by the end I felt Caro had improved
▪️Most of the characters presented to us are at least in part unlikeable, which helps to highlight Nick's skill in performing as a good guy. I would have liked a bit more development of Fiona, even perhaps the possibility of a perspective jump to better tell certain parts of the story
▪️ The strength of this story was the exploration of Miriam's complicated relationship with her daughters. The reckless and emotional teenage behaviour of her daughter shadowed her ability to recognise her abuse; her other daughter also suffers, being the 'reliable one' who doesn't get the attention she desires. These aspects of their characters felt well developed and provided an authentic backdrop to the story at hand
▪️I read this quickly and did enjoy it despite the difficult subject matter. As a debut adult fiction, Caro has done well and I'd consider reading her future works.
☀️☀️☀️⛅
▪️A confronting tale examining the horrors of domestic abuse and the ineffective police system from a little-told perspective
▪️The pacing of this was a little odd - the building of the story in the first third provided tension, but not in the way it needed to - I was waiting for IT to happen impatiently, rather than anxiously - but this improved once Nick's abuse was revealed. The time jumps felt a bit jarring but I recognise their necessity in the grand scheme of the plot, and by the end I felt Caro had improved
▪️Most of the characters presented to us are at least in part unlikeable, which helps to highlight Nick's skill in performing as a good guy. I would have liked a bit more development of Fiona, even perhaps the possibility of a perspective jump to better tell certain parts of the story
▪️ The strength of this story was the exploration of Miriam's complicated relationship with her daughters. The reckless and emotional teenage behaviour of her daughter shadowed her ability to recognise her abuse; her other daughter also suffers, being the 'reliable one' who doesn't get the attention she desires. These aspects of their characters felt well developed and provided an authentic backdrop to the story at hand
▪️I read this quickly and did enjoy it despite the difficult subject matter. As a debut adult fiction, Caro has done well and I'd consider reading her future works.
"The silence was within her and without her. And she was not used to it[...] She had not had to face herself and her own thoughts for as long as she could remember. Now they hammered at her, deafening her through the quiet."