New Review! Bad Mommy by Tarryn Fisher, 5 Cranky Stars

Bad Mommy by Tarryn Fisher
My rating: 5 of 5 stars



The psychopath, the sociopath, and the writer. Fisher gives her take on the three sides of the truth with unreliable narrators and the reader has to decide who to believe.



When Fig Coxbury buys a house on West Barrett Street, it's not because she likes the neighborhood or even the house. It's because everything she covets is next door. The husband, the child, and the life that belongs to someone else.



Here begins the first point of view from Fig Coxbury, the psychopath, who believes she has a psychic connection with the child and family she's stalking. Moving next door, Fig ingratiates herself into the life of the homeowners and then begins to copy the life of her frenemy, the titular Bad Mommy. Justifying her actions until she believes them, Fig turns dangerous when the object of her obsession stands in her way and desires are thwarted.



Darius, the second point of view, is first seen through Fig's eyes. Appearing as the perfect husband and father, there is much more to him than meets the eyes. As the layers are drawn back in his own perspective, he's a wolf in sheep's clothing. He, too, is obsessed with Bad Mommy, but in so much as she's a prize to him and not a fully functioning human being with agency.



Last, but not least is Jolene. From the perspective of the other two, she is both villainess and goddess. In truth, she's neither. Rather, she's trying to survive a difficult time in her life and show kindness to the lonely, but unstable woman who moves next door.



Each perspective offers insight into the situation this trio find themselves in and what the other one thinks or believes of the other character is selective interpretation.



This is Disturbia at its cold finest - where vile people live among us and can inflict untold damage without little recourse and move on to pass as normal and then begin the cycle all over again.



I'm not sure if I enjoyed this book. It was an experience that I'd recommend to others. It starts slow and it took me about twenty five percent before I was hooked into the story. I have to say, leading with Fig was a brave choice, but it made a lot of sense when the work was wrapped up.

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