Came for the cover, stayed for the comical absurdity this book is teeming with.

Abby Lamb is married to one of The Good Ones- her husband Ralph is matchless among men and all Abby wants to do is be a wonderful wife to him. Unfortunately, Abby has shared Ralph with his mentally ill and codependent mother their entire relationship. Despite Abby's best, Ralphs mother Laura is not willing to allow Abby to penetrate her bond with her son.

The book begins after Laura's demise at her own hands, and follows Abby as things spiral more and more out of control within her marriage and her working life. It doesn't help that even from beyond the grave, Laura can not give Abby the satisfaction of having Ralph all to herself.

I absolutely could not put this book down. I am particularly fond of characters like Abby- well meaning but unhinged. A product of childhood trauma, she aims to please those she loves most and will go to drastic lengths to do it. This both propelled the story further and also endeared Abby to me.

The combination of the paranormal with the reality of mental health struggles was so interesting to me, and Hogarth kept me on the edge of my seat bouncing between the two. If you are looking for a wild ride you can't stop thinking about, RUN, don't walk to preorder this book!

Many thanks to Knopf Doubleday and Netgalley for a copy of Motherthing in exchange for my honest thoughts.