Mothered: A Novel

(Hardback)

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From the USA Today bestselling author of the international sensation Baby Teeth comes a claustrophobic psychological thriller about one womans nightmarish spiral while quarantined with her mother.

Grace isnt exactly thrilled when her newly widowed mother, Jackie, asks to move in with her. Theyve never had a great relationship, and Grace likes her spaceespecially now that shes stuck at home during a pandemic. Then again, she needs help with the mortgage after losing her job. And maybe itll be a chance for them to bondor at least give each other a hand.

But living with Mother isnt for everyone. Good intentions turn bad soon after Jackie moves in. Old wounds fester; new ones open. Grace starts having nightmares about her disabled twin sister, who died when they were kids. And Jackie discovers that Grace secretly catfishes people onlinea hobby Jackie thinks is unforgivable.

When Jackie makes an earth-shattering accusation against her, Grace sees it as an act of revenge, and it sends her spiralling into a sleep-deprived madness. As the walls close in, the ghosts of Graces past collide with a new but familiar threat: Mom.

Reviews

Compelling.This disturbing yet addictive read will keep you wondering what is real and what is madness. Kirkus Reviews Stage thrusts dread upon readers from her books first sentences and continues to escalate the tension with every page. A great choice for fans of intense psychological horror where nothing can be trusted and no one can look away from the emerging nightmare. Library Journal Each of Stages books explores the dark side of family bonds, all in their own extraordinary way. This one lays bare the true horror inherent in fables and folklore, and what Pandora lets out of her box seems negligible compared to what Grace unleashes. Booklist (starred review) Utterly harrowingmasterful. Criminal Element Ms. Stage's narration is a superbly navigated exercise in the lives of those we meet...[her] storytelling is powerful enough to force you to shift around in your seat because of how she is able to shed light on her characters' deepest horrors: the truth. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Stage is a master at drafting suspenseful scenes Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle Mothered is disturbing in the best possible way. A dark and unsettling thriller that had me glued to the pages. This is Stages best work yethorrifying and brilliant. Lucinda Berry, bestselling author of The Perfect Child and Under Her Care Zoje Stage expertly explores the blurred lines between memory and nightmare in this deliciously twisty and riveting page-turner. An eerily crafted chiller set against the claustrophobic isolation of the pandemic, Mothered is a must-read for psychological thriller fans. No one chronicles the complicated, sometimes perilous intensity of mother-daughter relationships like Stage. Absorbing, unsettling, and magneticdont miss this dark gem of a novel. Heather Gudenkauf, New York Times bestselling author of The Overnight Guest Zoje Stages Mothered sent me on an intense, visceral ride. Stages straightforward writing easily paints the initial picture we all went through, life screeching to a halt during the quarantine. But while that initial familiarity and instant connection with the protagonist, Grace, hooked me, the story quickly veered in an unfamiliar direction. As Graces anxiety and instability rose, my own claustrophobic sensation grew, and I found myself flipping the pages, needing to know what happens next. The underlying mystery of Grace and Jackies history kept me captivated and unsettled until the books end. Mike Omer, New York Times bestselling author of A Killers Mind

Author Bio

Zoje Stages debut novel, Baby Teeth, was a USA Today and international bestseller. It was nominated for a Bram Stoker Award and named one of the best books of the year by Forbes Magazine, Library Journal, PopSugar, Barnes & Noble, Bloody Disgusting, and BookBub. Her follow-up novel, Wonderland, was described in a starred review from Booklist as a beautifully choreographed and astonishing second novel. And with her third book, Getaway, the New York Times declared her a writer with a gift for the lyrical and the frightening. When Zoje isnt writing, reading, or streaming documentaries, she can be found in her mini dance studio, tap dancing. She lives in Pittsburgh with her cats.