Just Like Mother

Anne Heltzel — 2022

Rosemary's Baby meets The Return in Just Like Mother, Anne Heltzel's suspenseful modern gothic debut. Who could deny her own flesh and blood? Maeve doesn’t talk about the cult that nearly shattered her childhood—culminating in a tragic incident that stole away her cousin, Andrea, the only true friend she’s ever known. Ever since, Maeve has kept people at a safe distance while pursuing the trappings of normalcy in New York City. When Andrea abruptly reenters her life, Maeve easily succumbs to the connection they always shared. She doesn’t mind that Andrea’s wealthy friends—colleagues at a fertility-focused startup—preach values that condemn Maeve’s single lifestyle. And keeping family close is what Mother would have wanted. Blood runs thicker, after all. An invitation to a weekend getaway at Andrea’s palatial mountain home is a no-brainer; Maeve hopes the emptiness she’s felt for decades will finally be filled. But the eerie estate is tainted by the loss of Andrea’s infant daughter and chilling memories of a girlhood best forgotten. When Maeve’s fragile world begins to crack, she’s forced to confront her greatest fear: Will she ever outrun her horrific past? Or will she end up just like Mother?

Reviews

tori 👻@persefonitas

Jun 15, 2024

This is my worst nightmare

Kayleigh Septer@ksepter

Dec 30, 2023

Ehhhhhhhh

Brittany Levely-Connolly@justanotherfinalgirl

Mar 22, 2023

I really enjoyed this book. I have a fear of giving birth and not being a loving parent and this book plays off of those fears and as well as many others relating to motherhood. This fictional first-person narrative about Maeve and her experience as a child in a matriarchal cult and how this experience has followed her throughout her adult life, informing her decision-making process and social detachment. Anne Heltzel does a wonderful job at making the reader feel like they are in Maeve's shoes; her psychological fears being to haunt your thoughts and dreams.

Jerilynn Hallett @jerilynnhallett

Feb 24, 2023

4.5

Alexa M@alexasversion

Feb 6, 2023

3.5 spooky vibes and really unique! had me going "what the fuck" many times

sophia n@nyx

Sep 16, 2022

i will NEVER have children lmaooooo this book just cemented it 😂🤢🫠 tws: rape, sexual assault, child death, gore, murder, confinement, suicide attempt, drug overdose, gaslighting, forced institutionalization, medical trauma, car accident, body horror, and a super gross scene where someone is forced to eat another person's placenta, i have no idea how to tag that shit lmao

pana@pana

Jun 3, 2022

Just Like Mother was a WILD read. The entire time I was filled with the most unsettled feeling, and pretty early on it was easy to put the pieces together & figure out what's going to happen in the remainder of the book-- yet I still couldn't put it down, like I needed to be there to witness Maeve's story through to the end. I finished this book in two days and stayed up until almost 3am because I genuinely could not sleep until I finished it, that's how gripping it was. It felt like reading about a true crime as it happens, and that's what was so scary/unsettling about it. The events could 100% be something that happens IRL and I wouldn't even be surprised if they already had happened to someone, somewhere. It was a really fascinating and thought provoking read about women's bodily autonomy and the expectations placed on women to act certain ways & fulfill certain roles. It should come with every trigger warning under the sun, and I maybe wouldn't recommend it to someone who doesn't read a lot of horror, but if you're a fan of the genre already? Really captivating read.