Dearest

By Jacquie Walters

Book Overview

A B&N Best Horror Book of 2024
A Golden Poppy Octavia E. Butler Award Finalist
A Book of the Month Club Pick

A new mom in need of help opens her door to her long-estranged mother--only to invite something much darker inside--in this "fast-paced and frightening debut" (Rachel Harrison) about the long shadows cast by family secrets.

Flora is a new mom enamored of her baby girl, Iris, who has arrived a few weeks early. But with her husband still deployed, Flora must navigate the newborn stage alone. As the sleepless nights pass in the loneliness of their half-empty home, the edges of her reality begin to blur.

Just as Flora becomes convinced she is losing her mind, a surprising guest shows up to help: Flora's own mother, to whom she hasn't spoken in years. Can they mend their fraught relationship? Or is there more that Flora's mother isn't telling her about the events that led to their estrangement?

As stranger and scarier events unfold, Flora begins to fear that her mother's secrets have allowed something truly evil to enter her home. She must decide: is her hold on reality slipping dangerously away? Or is she, in fact, the only thing standing between a terrifying visitor and her baby?

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0316580295
• ISBN13: 9780316580298
• Release Date: September 2024
• Publisher: Mulholland Books
• Length: 304 Pages
• Weight: 1.10 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.2" x 6.0" x 9.3"

Customer Reviews

This book led to me getting on birth control

Not a bit. I finished reading and immediately booked an appointment for a Nexplanon implant. I’m a lesbian. I don’t need birth control. But the possibly was so scary

4 stars

DEAREST by Jacquie Walters A story that sheds a light on the struggle new moms face as they juggle tending to a newborn, reacquainting themselves with their new bodies, and managing PPD and/or baby blues. The first few weeks as new parents can be tough especially without adequate sleep and outside help. While the story started out slow, I stuck with it because I was able to sympathize with Flora. Her breastfeeding issues, feelings of self doubt, guilt, and inadequacy are all very relatable and relevant for most new parents. Once her mom Jodi arrived, the pace, and creep factor picked up considerably. While I knew where the story was going, I still found it to be quite enjoyable. I like how the author combined creepy horror with the (sometimes scary) postpartum experience. Recommend if you’re so inclined! Rating: 4/5 ⭐️