Let me start by saying this: Joshilyn Jackson does an excellent job of getting the reader’s attention right out of the gate. The very first sentence of the book was our protagonist discovering she was being watched by a witch through her bedroom window. From there, Jackson goes on to tell a twisted tale of kidnapping, seemingly buried secrets, and the lengths mothers will go to protect their children.
Much like Jackson’s Never Have I Ever, Mother May I is a fast paced, complex thriller that had me on the edge of my seat. Jackson has a talent of storytelling through the eyes of a mothers and wives who are desperate to protect their families. In Mother May I, Bree Cabbat shows the reader that she is willing to do just about anything to save her son.
Where these two novels differ, however, is that we know what the threat is at the very beginning of Mother May I: Bree’s son is kidnapped by the witch who was spying on Bree while she slept. What we don’t know is who this woman is or why she targeted Bree. Then, when she is asked to complete one simple task to get her son back, the consequences end up being fatal.
In Never Have I Ever, a mysterious woman shows up during a book club meeting. We don’t trust her, but we also don’t know what…or who…she is after. Our protagonist, Amy, has secrets of her own. She is definitely an unreliable narrator with her own secrets to hide, where Bree is trying to uncover secrets. Additionally, just when I thought I had Never Have I Ever figured out, Jackson would answer my question and pose another.
Another aspect of Mother May I that is worth discussing were the nods to the #MeToo movement. I won’t spoil the entire twist, but it revolves around a fateful night that happened years prior to the current story. It explores a night that started with wild intentions that ended up being catastrophic. In the aftermath, the girl suffers the consequences while the boys don’t even realize their mistake, or blame it on her. Though the story is fiction, it paints an all-too-real picture of today’s society and the issues we face involving rape on college campuses.
As I said, the two novels differ but they both serve delightful yet devastating entertainment with shocking endings. In the end, poetic justice is served and all of our characters get what they deserve.
If you’ve read this book or plan to, I would love to discuss it with you!
Books and Bites with Brooke 