Mothered: A Novel

Written by Zoje Stage

Narrated by Sophie Amoss and David de Vries

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

Grace isn’t exactly thrilled when her newly widowed mother, Jackie, asks to move in with her. They’ve never had a great relationship, and Grace likes her space—especially now that she’s stuck at home during a pandemic. Then again, she needs help with the mortgage after losing her job. And maybe it’ll be a chance for them to bond—or at least give each other a hand.

But living with Mother isn’t 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 online—a 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 spiraling into a sleep-deprived madness. As the walls close in, the ghosts of Grace’s past collide with a new but familiar threat: Mom.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Brilliance Audio
• Release date: Mar 1, 2023
• ISBN: 9781799789888

Zoje Stage

Zoje Stage’s 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 isn’t writing, reading, or streaming documentaries, she can be found in her mini dance studio, tap dancing. She lives in Pittsburgh with her cats.

Reviews for Mothered

[Nina Quartuccio · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I had to think about this audiobook before writing this review. I found myself eager to find time to get back to where stopped, that said a lot to me. I am a horror fiend, and although this was not the "horror" I am always searching for, it was truly captivating and scary in hindsight. Madness all by itself is scary. It was thought-provoking and narrated so well that I found myself contemplating the material I just finished trying to figure out what was really happening. Great job to the author and narrator.

[A.R. Hess · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This book was just different. I agree with one of the reviews , in hindsight I understand it a little better. I found it very interesting though and well written.

[helsky · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I did not enjoy entering the world of lockdown again, but I must say that is a brilliant setting for a book.Grace lives alone in her new home, when her newly widowed mother Jackie needs a place to live. Mother and daughter are estranged and their past is overshadowed by Grace's twin Hope and her death 25 years ago. Grace has lost her job due to covid and is desperately trying to find a new job. Her only comfort is her best friend Miguel and his cat Coco.The atmosphere is claustrophobic and unreal. We have an unreliable narrator and horrific dream sequences. There are just a handful of characters and Miguel is the only one I really liked. Grace is a great character, though, independent and driven, even though she has one questionable hobby. I quite enjoyed the story. There was a moment in the middle, where the story dragged a little, but it picked up nicely afterwards. The ending was mindblowing.

[angelajmaher · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is a strange book. Familiar parts of mundane life interweave with something darker, the knots getting ever tighter. Very much gothic in tone, it gets difficult to cope with in places and yet you can't put it down for long.