What Kind of Mother (Chapman)

What Kind of Mother
by Clay McLeod Chapman (2023)

(Not a review, just some notes to help me remember the things I've read. But written this way because it's the Internet, and some people will stumble across this page.)

This wwas a Pandemic Book Club pick. Otherwise, I'm not much into horror. For this month, the book selected was one of several that were written by Clay McLeod Chapman, who joined us for most of our book discussion. I participated and had a few things to say without trashing it.

Madi Price has returned to Brandywine, Virginia where she grew up. She is the mother of a 17-year-old daughter who is currently living with the girl's father who didn't want anything to do with her for many years. He's doing well, but Madi is living in a room in an old motel that was converted into a strip mall (and not a particularly good one). Madi goes to the weekly market to read fortunes like her mother used to. She doesn't have any gift. But as soon as she meets old boyfriend Henry McCabe, she has a vision associated with his missing son.

Henry's wife killed herself and his son disappeared. He's sure that he's still out there somewhere. He hangs up posters with computer technology aging his son's image.

Madi finally gives Henry a reading and leads him out into the waters around Brandywine, whether they come across a duck blind -- and Skyler, who has been missing for five years.

But, of course, it's not really Skyler. Henry doesn't want the authorities involved and Madi is freaked out. She wants to get away and take this boy to a hospital to be checked out. But it's not even a real person.

And that gives away enough. I had plenty of problems with this, such as the fact that Henry knew from the start that his son wasn't still out there despite being so convincing and hanging up flyers for five years and putting up with things people say. Henry finally does a 180 in his opinion, which almost seems organic but it's overshadowed by Madi going off the deep end in suddenly choosing Skyler, who'd she'd been suspect of, at the expense of her actual daughter. Her turn is overexpected. And then it gets crazier by the ending.

So, no, as well-written as it may have been, I didn't enjoy the book at all. Others into creature-based horror with mommy issues might feel otherwise.

This was an ebook and I didn't listen to too much of the audiobook.

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