Glamorous, beautiful Mummy has everything a woman could want. Except for a daughter of her very own. So when she sees Kim – heavily pregnant, glued to her phone and ignoring her eldest child in a busy shop – she does what anyone would do. She takes her. But foul-mouthed little Tonya is not the daughter that Mummy was hoping for.
As Tonya fiercely resists Mummy’s attempts to make her into the perfect child, Kim is demonised by the media as a ‘scummy mummy’, who deserves to have her other children taken too. Haunted by memories of her own childhood and refusing to play by the media’s rules, Kim begins to spiral, turning on those who love her.
Though they are worlds apart, Mummy and Kim have more in common than they could possibly imagine. But it is five-year-old Tonya who is caught in the middle…
This debut novel is set in London, between two very different homes & lifestyles. As a reader, you’ll come across some of these themes but also so much more: judgement, desire, family/relationships, desperation, vulnerability, low self esteem, loss of control, mental health issues, substance abuse, guilt, blame, abuse, manipulation and the feeling that you should always be very careful of what you wish for…
?Great balls of flaming f*cks!? Are we sure this is a debut? What an absolutely gripping opening – I was hooked! Told mainly from three POV’s, we get such a contrast it was engaging and harrowing! The premise of this novel was cleverly constructed and I adored the short, sharp and chilling chapters that left me wanting to read just one more chapter – until there was no more! A strong and purposeful pace really had me on edge at times and increased the emotions I was experiencing. If words were crack, I’d be screwed as I’m not ashamed to admit this was an addictive read! I had my own suspicions and conclusions, some correct – some way off the mark but even as each revelation dropped there were a few OMFG’s flying around the room!
Three characters dominated this story and really made it pop. We have poor Kim – a vulnerable mum, just trying to get by as she waits to give birth. She hides her emotions and vulnerabilities behind a crass, tough and sassy exterior. She’s a fighter, constantly judged and her character broke my heart and made me cringe at times. She was a hard woman to like – but I did like her.
Next is ‘Mummy’ – **shivers**. Well off, sophisticated and desperate for a child. She has the most twisted and messed up view of love, all formed from the demons of her past. The author did a great job of creating this character as there were moments I really felt for her until I remembered what she was doing and had to snap out of it. The other great thing was how alike … hear me out… Kim and Mummy were on some level – yes they were a total contrast but deep down they both shared similar insecurities which made them who and how they were. Bravo, Mrs Baker!
Finally we have Tonya…
Another show stealing character – the added insight from the child’s perspective was genius. A sassy and confused little girl – just WOW!
Would I recommend this read? You bet your friggin ass I would! Dark, visceral, emotive and chilling – prepare to have your socks blown off! Loved it!
