August 15, 2023
Alison barely survived a traumatic childhood with her wildly unpredictable, alcoholic mother, Mavis. So it is with no small amount of trepidation that she agrees to bring her mother home to die of cancer. Mavis' longtime assistant, Paul, seems agitated when they arrive at Alison's Vermont farmhouse, but once he leaves, the two women seem to settle into an uneasy truce, and Mavis is sweet and engaging with Alison's two daughters, especially 6-year-old Olivia. Sixteen-year-old Izzy finds her "creepy," but soon, she, too, is joining Mavis for tea and interviewing her for a film project. Haunted by childhood memories and disturbed by the rock her mother keeps by her at all times and seems to value above all else, Alison feels like she's the only one suspicious about her mother's motives in coming to Vermont, but she can't deny that the rest of the family has been charmed. Olivia, however, begins to have nightmares, and Mavis taunts Alison with some of her childhood secrets that no one could know. Then Paul--who's come to visit--runs out of the house after a brief exchange with his employer, telling Alison, "That's not Mavis." What follows is chilling, and terrifying, and heartbreakingly terrific horror writing. Alison must unravel her mother's secrets and begins to realize that her mother's abuse, perhaps, was in part driven by a desire to protect her. While there is a clear and logical explanation for all the mystery, it's not one that any other person in Alison's life can understand or accept, so she finds herself alone, losing the trust of her loved ones as she fights like hell to protect her daughters. While it's common in horror for secondary characters to cling to a more "realistic" explanation, like mental illness due to trauma, in lieu of accepting evidence of the supernatural, it's somewhat discouraging to see this trope here. Alison's strength deserves a better, kick-ass outcome--even if the ending proves how inevitably evil may triumph. Just once: Listen and believe the woman! Freakin' terrifying.
COPYRIGHT(2023) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
August 14, 2023
McMahon follows up 2022’s The Children on the Hill with a chilling if predictable Christmas-themed supernatural mystery. Though Alison O’Conner dislikes Christmas, she’s the author of a successful holiday-themed children’s book, and her two daughters and chronically optimistic husband, Mark, adore Christmas with all the fervor of Hallmark movie characters. One afternoon, Alison receives a call from her alcoholic artist mother’s assistant, Paul, asking her to visit her mother, Mavis, in the hospital, where she’s entering the final stages of pancreatic cancer. Though Alison was abused both physically and emotionally by Mavis and still bears the scars, she agrees to see her, and eventually allows Mavis to spend the final weeks of her life at Alison’s Vermont home while Christmas approaches. As Alison sees her daughters and her husband begin to fall under Mavis’s spell, she comes to suspect the impossible—that the demonic woman who raised her may have been an actual demon all along. McMahon establishes a creepy atmosphere, but she gives the demonic shtick away early, and fails to provide many surprises or deepen the central metaphor from there. Still, readers who prefer their Christmas dinner with a side of supernatural dread may enjoy this. Agent: Daniel Lazar, Writers House.
September 1, 2023
McMahon's latest (after The Drowning Kind, 2021) takes readers on a haunting journey into the life of Alison, a successful author living her dream in picturesque Vermont. When Alison receives a life-altering call from Mavis, her dying and estranged mother, begging to spend her last days with Alison and her family, she is confronted with the painful memories of her past and the difficult decision of allowing her mother into her family's life. After Alison's initial hope for reconciliation gives way to the realization that her mother remains as cruel as she was in Alison's childhood, both Alison and readers experience a mounting sense of doubt and begin to question Mavis' true identity. This novel is equal parts suspense and supernatural horror, with a haunting atmosphere as McMahon blends elements of spirits, memories, and fear, leaving readers unsettled and enveloped in a sense of unease and tension. Set against the backdrop of the holiday season, the juxtaposition of joy and darkness creates a captivating reading experience for those looking to add a touch of spookiness to their seasonal cheer.
COPYRIGHT(2023) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
September 1, 2023
A fraught bond between mother and daughter takes a demonic turn in this compelling work of psychological horror. Alison has a complicated relationship with her mother, Mavis, who is addicted to alcohol. Subjected throughout her childhood to both physical and psychological abuse that included the cruelest of tricks, which escalated after her father's suicide when she was young, Alison is now focused on her husband, her two daughters, and their cozy 1890s farmhouse in Vermont. She is a heartbreakingly relatable protagonist, dealing with the effects of the trauma of her youth while working hard to be a good wife and mother. But, as one Christmas approaches, Alison receives a call informing her that Mavis has only weeks to live, and she wants to spend them with Alison and her family. Alison ultimately agrees, attempting cautious optimism yet unable to shake suspicion and paranoia that mounts as increasingly troubling incidents befall those around her. VERDICT With detail that is simultaneously luscious and eerie and a story that is at once familiar and yet possessed by something unnamable, this novel won't disappoint fans of McMahon (The Children on the Hill) or first-time readers.--Emily Vinci
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