"Intricately plotted and perfectly paced...With prose that moves from languid to sharp, Stage mimics infection through language, drawing us in, wringing us out. Each twist and turn is a feverish dance, drawing us deeper into Grace's nightmare. And the further we go, the less sure we are, until we reach an explosive end. And what a brilliant spike of horror that ending was."
"Stage writes difficult characters so well that even when I want to hate them, I can't help but like them. She cuts to their humanity, both the good and bad, and never apologizes for it...Mothered felt alive to me. This is the perfect kind of horror."
Okay, normally when I get a professional review I just add a pull quote and link to the book's page. But this Lit Reactor review for MOTHERED deserves its own post! I was first alerted to this review on Twitter, and as I opened the link I cautiously scanned the first paragraphs, trying to gauge the overall tone and enthusiasm of the review. And once I understand that it was going to be a positive review I read more carefully, with more interest. And when I got to the end of the piece I burst into tears. (Yes, truly.) This review made me feel seen and understood - and I'm incredibly grateful to Lit Reactor and Jena Brown! Whenever I'm having a bad day I'm going to go back and read the review in its entirety. :-)
