Bern's Bookcase: The Perfect Mother Book Review

"This will be great. A few hours out. A slice of freedom...Nothing we'll regret. Just one drink."

The Perfect Mother by Aimee Molloy had me reading through the night. It was full of twists & turns and secrets & lies. Trying to unravel it all was difficult because the story is told via various (unreliable) points of view. At times it was difficult to tell where 1 character's thoughts began and another's ended. Things jumped from person to person but honestly, I felt that it added to the overall frantic pacing of the book.

The plot centers around a group of new mothers who form a friendship over the internet to share the joys & pressures of motherhood - the May Mothers. They decide to have a "Mom's Night Out" only to endure a mother's worst nightmare - one of the babies, Midas, goes missing.

One of the things I really enjoyed was the frank portrayal of motherhood. The sleepless nights, the uncertainty, the love, the hormones and the pressure to be the perfect mother. I also enjoyed the camaraderie between these group of women. It was portrayed realistically - the desire to fit in, the need to be accepted, wanting to have someone who gets it but also fearing being judged. These are all real emotions many new moms have & face in today's society with so much emphasis being placed on being the "perfect mother".

Molloy did a wonderful job layering this story. Everyone had secrets, told lies and added to the twists. I had suspicions about who was responsible but I hadn't figured it all out which I enjoyed. Overall, this was a suspenseful read that grabbed my attention from page 1 and kept it throughout.