Reviewed by Chandra Claypool (Instagram) (TikTok)
Everyone, at one point or another, has been afraid of their mother, motherhood or everything in between. Here is an anthology that has us feeing ALL of the emotions! Like with most anthologies and collections, some stories worked for me and others didn’t quite hit the mark. However, the good ones in here are not just good, they’re GREAT! You ever make faces while you’re reading? I do it all the time and I’m sure the people around me on my commutes were wondering what was going on inside my head if they saw me.
One thing I didn’t particularly care for were the poems strewn throughout. Poetry just isn’t (typically) my thing so for my particular taste, these were unnecessary. I did enjoy that some stories were placed in the ‘real world’ while others were more of a type of fantasy and magical horrific realism.
This anthology hits on things such as mothers that are made not necessarily by bearing children themselves, and the dynamic of the mother/daughter relationships hit hard in some entries. Sometimes you DO turn out like your mother and sometimes this is NOT a good thing.
There’s just something about motherhood. As a woman with no children, I am often impressed and have always had great respect for what a woman goes through. Whether it’s through actual child birth, adoption, as pet moms, etc. There’s a responsibility there that’s not for everyone, and these stories particularly show that.
This book delivers something for everyone — whether that is creepy dolls (a definite fear of mine) or cursed lipstick (what??). There’s light horror to all the bloody, guts and gore you may be looking for. In any case, you’ll find that there’s a story or three in here for YOU.
Favorites include, “Oh, What a Tangled Web,” “The House Mother,” “Special Medicine,” “Mother, Daemon, Ghost,” “The Tired Mom Smoothie,” and my absolute favorite, “Dog Mom.”
The Axe Remembers: A Redwood Ripper Story by Marcus Hawk
