JUST LIKE MOTHER BY ANNE HELTZEL

Just Like Mother is an eerie novel that I couldn't help but read in one sitting. This one had me hooked from beginning to end! I recommend it to fans of psychological horror!

Rating: ★★★★
​Release Date: May 17, 2022
Genre: Psychological Horror
Series: None.
Pages: 320 pages
Format: Paperback. Source: ​Publisher (Tor Nightfire)

Spine-chilling and sharp, Anne Heltzel's Just Like Mother is a modern gothic from a fresh new voice in horror, and “is set to be one of the year's most talked about books” (Andrea Bartz, New York Times bestselling author).

The last time Maeve saw her cousin was the night she escaped the cult they were raised in. For the past two decades, Maeve has worked hard to build a normal life in New York City, where she keeps everything—and everyone—at a safe distance.

When Andrea suddenly reappears, Maeve regains the only true friend she’s ever had. Soon she’s spending more time at Andrea’s remote Catskills estate than in her own cramped apartment. Maeve doesn’t even mind that her cousin’s wealthy work friends clearly disapprove of her single lifestyle. After all, Andrea has made her fortune in the fertility industry—baby fever comes with the territory.

The more Maeve immerses herself in Andrea’s world, the more disconnected she feels from her life back in the city; and the cousins’ increasing attachment triggers memories Maeve has fought hard to bury. But confronting the terrors of her childhood may be the only way for Maeve to transcend the nightmare still to come…

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READ MY BOOK REVIEW

​Just Like Mother by Anne Heltzel is a fast-paced psychological horror novel about family and the deadly grip of cults. The author portrays women in a way that makes them superior to men because they can do the one magical thing that men can’t- give birth. One may wonder if this can be written in a way that doesn’t feel sexist and I have to say, she does. This story isn’t about females actually being superior its about these superiority complexes and the deadly consequences they can have on those who are mentally vulnerable. This is certainly a chilling tale, one that has eerie undertones as the possibilities of this type of cult being REAL is there. And the author does a wonderful job when it comes to weaving this story through the past and present so that we can gain an understanding of their motivations. I found it to be a pretty brilliant read.

Now, I don’t want readers to go into this one thinking the whole book is entirely about the “mothers” cult because it’s not; not completely anyway. We actually follow two cousins who reconnect 20 years AFTER escaping this cult and see how their complex relationship withstands the years of being away from each other. Are they both truly happy to have reconnected? Or are there more sinister things at play? This is what you will thrust into as you read Just Like Mother.

All in all, I found this to be a solid read. While the characters aren’t the most likeable the story itself is a chilling and brilliant read. I definitely recommend this one to fans of psychological horror and suspense novels.

𝗣𝗘𝗥𝗙𝗘𝗖𝗧 𝗙𝗢𝗥 𝗙𝗔𝗡𝗦 𝗢𝗙:
• Horror/Psychological Horror Novels
• Books centered around cults
• Darker family stories

𝗠𝗬 𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚: ⭐⭐⭐⭐