I really thought I’d love this - I’m a sucker for a haunted house story, I love a strong atmosphere, and I don’t mind a slow burn story. But this just didn’t grab me at any point, I’m sorry to say.

This Southern gothic does a slow burn and never quite gets going, then it ends abruptly. Satisfyingly, but awfully quickly. Told in different voices, this will appeal to readers who enjoyed Michael McDowell's Blackwater.

Sometimes the past doesn’t like to let go. The Ellis house has been standing for three generations, a rotting shrine to fabulous wealth and festering greed. The house keeps its own, drawing them back when they try to escape. Lane escaped once, until her husband walked out on her and her son. She had to go back to the house that nearly devoured her as a child. Memory less, Dell can only hope that the card in his pocket will take him home to the Ellis house and a family that could be his. Theo, Theo wants out, away from the elderly Aunts who haunt the house like a trio of ghosts, away from his mom being stuck unable to care for either of them, and away from the thing that whispers to him at night. Away from the Mormama who tells him about the house’s tragedies and the darkness that presses in on its residents. Sometimes the past doesn’t like to let go. Sometimes it refuses to.
Southern gothic isn’t a genre I’ve done much with before. Based on Kit Reed’s Mormama, it’s not quite horror, and it’s not quite genre literature, but somewhere between the two. There’s a lot of almost character versus atmosphere going on and, more than that, a character versus past thing. I really dug both of those aspects. The downside to how atmospheric and into how trapped the characters feel by their situations is that the book can be very easy to put down.
So, what do I mean by that? Part of the atmosphere for the book was this sort of floating hopelessness. It seeped into little corners of the characters lives and pulled them more tightly to the house. Lane wants out as soon as possible, but she can’t find a job to allow that. Dell wants his past back, wants to know where he came from, but he’s so desperate for it to be this one version of him that he can’t accept anything else. He also can’t bring himself to use the one source he has that might tell him everything. Even the Aunts are trapped in their past and the bitterness they have over merely being caretakers of the house rather than the belles they had been in their youth. It’s both something that slows down the book and cuts its readability and also, ultimately, really cool.
That’s kind of my feeling on a lot of the book ultimately. It’s a slow read with a lot of bits that don’t feel super important to the story but that absolutely build the characters and atmosphere. Which makes for an interesting read. I do feel like some of the supernatural bits could have been tied in better, but that’s a little thing for the most part. The fairly slow pace over can make the ending feel a little too fast, but that’s not a huge deal, that little too fast can also make it feel cataclysmic. It’s a scale thing I guess. I actually don’t have a ton to say about this one so on to the score I guess?
Like I said earlier, southern gothic isn’t a genre that I have a ton of experience with. That’s part of why I don’t have a ton to say about it. There’s also a lot of almost fiddly bits that would probably count as spoilers, so I’m not talking a ton about those. That said, I did quite enjoy this book. While it can get slow at points that works for the overall feel of it. I’m giving Mormama a four out of five and would read Kit Reed again.

Between the time I finished this amazing, twisted, tour-de-force haunted house story, I learned that Kit Reed had died. She was one of the luminaries of the field. I never picked up anything she’d written without being challenged, entertained, and a bit awed. To this day, I recommend her book on storytelling craft, Beginnings, Middles, and Endings to aspiring writers. In the poignant Acknowledgments she writes:

"I was going to begin by thanking John Silbersack and David Hartwell for everything they did to bring Mormama as far as they have, but between the beginning and now, David exited the planet without giving us a chance to say goodbye. It’s been fun, David. I’m sorry it was over so soon…"

Just so, I wish she were still here so I could tell her how much I loved this book.
It’s said there are no original plots, only original interpretations. There must be a million ghost/haunted house stories, but I know of none that handle both elements (an old house possessed by the evil of its former owner and a ghost doing her best to protect those who come within its walls) so skillfully.

The story unfolds like a mystery, shifting from one point of view to the next. An amnesiac drifter takes us by the hand, leading us into a decrepit edifice of a house, a relic of ostentatious wealth long past, where a mother and young son have sought temporary refuge from financial downturn with the only family they have left. At least, they hope it’s temporary. Ellis House, ruled over by a trio of doddering yet tyrannical aunts, is not friendly to sons…and once it gets its claws into a daughter, it never lets go.

Slowly, as the plot spirals deeper and deeper into the mystery of Ellis House and its resident ghost, the dark and tragic history of the Ellis family and its secrets unfolds. It’s masterfully done, and even in the moments early on when I could not keep names, blood relationships, and time lines straight, my confidence in Reed’s storytelling never faltered and I was richly rewarded. Reed was indeed, as John Silbersack pronounced, “a national treasure.”

Highly recommended.

DNF at 50%

This book is written from the perspective of many different voices. Something which I usually enjoy. It's also written in a disjointed way as it's characters random thoughts that aren't even always complete sentences. Generally I don't mind this type of writing, in some cases I love it (see Wink. Poppy. Midnight.). However in the case of Mormama there's not enough immediate character development (if any) to make me feel like I know the people talking. Especially from Mormama.

I totally get what Kid Reed was going for here and I'm not 100% sure I can even pinpoint the problem except to say that it just doesn't work.
Additionally there is very scarce plot, and some characters that don't make any sense. Yes I know if I had kept reading I'm sure it would have all tied together and been a beautiful reveal but at the halfway point of the book I can honestly say I just don't care. None of these characters are likeable (even the twelve year old boy) and they all just natter about this, that or the other.

Mormama did remind me of a wonderful movie, and has made me want to rewatch it again, called Crimson Peak (starring Tom Hiddleston). I usually don't watch "horror" movies but my husband convinced me I'd love this one and he was right. It's not horror like you think... you have to watch it as I don't want to spoil anything.

So if you want a helpful but scary Mother Ghost story watch Crimson Peak. If you don't mind a lot of nonsense, history about people you can't keep track of, and boring points of view along with a Mother Ghost read Mormama.

Gothic Haunting: two words which are like music to my ears when it comes to book genre!

This book is told from a variety of perspectives, alternating between chapters.
Of all the characters we follow in this book, Mormana and her flashbacks to her lifetime have to be my favourite. I love a good flashback and her view on the world and the way things were is easy to empathise with.

Lane and her young teenage son Theo are forced to move back into her family home with her elderly aunts, following the breakdown of her marriage. But there are old family secrets and spirits still to be found in the house.

This book wasn’t as much of a horror as I expected it to be, it ran more with the old theory that hauntings are strong emotions and resentments that run deep and attach themselves to a place. This isn’t a problem for me – just not what I was expecting!

The ending of this book didn’t have quite enough clout to be convincing for me, it felt like the threads of story had lost their way a little bit but this won’t be the first or the last time that I’ve missed the point of a subtle story.

If you like your haunting stories to have a little more literary…ness than horror, this should float your boat!

Dell has no memory of who he is or where he comes from. But he thinks the note bearing the address of an aged mansion in Jacksonville could be a clue. The house is home to three old women - sisters named Ivy, Iris, and Rose - and, more recently, their niece Lane and her son Theo. Oh, and Mormama.

A ghost, or not a ghost, a spirit trapped in the house for centuries, Mormama has watched generations fall prey to the mansion and the evil within. Men and boys in particular are in danger here, and she's taken to warning both Theo and the illicitly squatting Dell, though neither seems quite inclined to take her seriously. Even when the aunts themselves start to let things slip, none of the house's newcomers understands quite what it all means. But Mormama knows. She knows all too well.

This is a supremely weird book, which is perhaps why I was able to read it while sick as a dog. Yes, sick again. 2017 has definitely not been great in that regard.

So we have multiple narrators in this one: Dell, who is suffering from amnesia and believes the crumbling mansion is his salvation; Theo, twelve and spunky, and more than happy to keep secret the fact that Dell is hiding out in the basement; Ivy, the elderly, wheelchair-bound aunt; Lane, don't call me Elaine, who also thought she'd find her fortune in Jacksonville; Mormama, one more mama than they needed; and then the occasional early twentieth century journal outtakes. Whew, that's a lot of narrators.

Setting and characters were wins here. The crumbling mansion in Florida sitting on what was once the most affluent street in the up and coming city was perfect for a haunted house story. Theo ventures out into the neighborhood a few times, commenting on the shady figures hanging out on the street and the convenience store with nothing convenient unless you want dusty candy bars. This paired with Lane's situation give the story a heavy sense of desperation and even malaise on top of the underlying sinister feel. And there is a great atmosphere built in Mormama.

Reed does a wonderful job giving each of her characters a voice of their own too, which is kind of an accomplishment considering how many there are.

But, and maybe this is because there were so many narrators, the story became muddled quite early on. I was never clear, for example, if the repetition on the part of Mormama was due to her beginning to fade or simply error on part of the author. And there was a lot of repetition. There were also a lot of questions that remained completely unanswered!

I was drawn to this one by the promise of a creepy read but I found what kept me reading was curiosity more than anything else. Yes, I liked the characters and I was invested in the story, but ultimately I didn't think it paid off nor was there a truly satisfactory explanation about the happenings in the house. Mormama could have been fantastic and horrific, instead it was more of an entertaining oddity.

This is a creepy, Southern gothic novel. Having read Kit Reed before, I expected a certain type of novel, and being a Kit Reed novel, I got completely the opposite. This is a fascinating piece of a man how has suffered under the archaic ways of relatives.
You delve into the character’s very quickly, with a strange language that is all his own. The puzzle of his ‘why am I here?’ is a slow burn throughout the novel, which is how it should be. The main character, Dell, finds a place to squat, and meets a young boy. The house though has different ideas.
This story jumps back and forth adding layers to the story as it unravels. A great, creepy novel that holds no prisoners. I loved it.
4 out of 5.

So basically I don't think this book is getting many good reviews but I really enjoyed it and am glad I picked it up. There are numerous characters in "Mormama" and the story often flashes back so the reader can learn more about the historic Ellis house and its inhabitants, past and present. Years ago the home was built for Minette, who married into the Ellis family, but was basically spoiled rotten (and extremely ungrateful) since birth by her maternal grandmother. Minette abandoned her own mother who eventually moves in with Minette, her husband, and their numerous children when she becomes financially destitute. When she arrives, Minette's husband tells his children she is "One more mama than the house needed." Thus the name of the book (and was I glad that was cleared up early).

Catastrophe strikes the Ellis family members through the years and one believes Minette may have actually been taken over by an evil spirit who then made everyone else miserable. Men in the Ellis house REALLY don't fare well. A man names Dell wakes up in the hospital one day with no memory of who he is and the address to the Ellis house in his pocket. He begins living in the basement while trying to find out his connection to the family and meets up with Lane and her son Theo, who have moved in with Lane's great aunts after her husband left her high and dry. So are you getting the impression at this point in the review that there is a lot going on in this book? Well, truer words have rarely been spoken. The horror and the mystery continue to unravel as the book progresses and Theo is tormented by Mormama. But is she an evil presence or a helpful entity?

This Southern Gothic tale is probably not for everyone. Reed's writing style does take some getting used to and the book jumps from POV to POV. Funny story which proves this point. At one point my Kindle somehow jumped ahead to a chapter and I read it and then realized it said 96% done when I had just been at 48%. I went back, picked up where I left off, and was no worse for wear. I'm not sure what that says about the book in general but many will argue it isn't good. There is also a lot of foul language in the book but that doesn't really bother me much - especially in a horror tale. However, I was really engrossed in finding out Mormama's purpose, learning all about the Ellis family, and discovering how this book could ever present me with a satisfying ending.

About the ending, I do feel it was sort of rushed and I wasn't happy about one main element of it but overall, I'm glad I gave "Mormama" a chance. This isn't a book that has me rushing out to read everything else ever written by this author, but I definitely recommend it to readers who don't mind a slow burn horror.

Let us talk about how amazing this book is. A southern Gothic horror story that needs to be picked up by some one and made into a mini series. Cinematic and forceful. This book is a testament to all who have suffered under aunts and grandmothers and their archaic and overbearing ways.

It's take enough for teens as well. Which, as a librarian, I always like finding books that teens can read that aren't stereotypically young adult.

DNF at 62%!

This is it. I tried, I really, really tried to like the book, but in hindsight, I should have stopped earlier. The book just doesn't work for me, the characters are annoying, all the changing of POV is just a pain in the ass, and this is the first time EVER that the profanity in a book has bothered me. Seriously, that something that has never ever been an issue for me, but this book, it just got too much for me. Could be because as was already annoyed with the characters and everything thing they said and did just made me irritated.

This is a book that I thought would be just my kind of thing, but it wasn't.

I struggled to get into this Southern Gothic supernatural tale. Down in his luck drifter Dell has been living on the street since a horrible accident. He can't remember who he was or where he came from. All he has is a tattered note in his pocket with an address for the Ellis house where the novel is set. This is a very cool, sprawling, ancient residence in Jacksonville. Not knowing why he's been sent there, he is sucked into a complicated family drama in which the inhabitants of the house are far from ordinary and their secrets are revealed very slowly. It has a chapter structure which jumps from character to character, including ‘Mormama’ of the title. I enjoy a good supernatural tale, but this novel lacked any real fear factor for me and I struggled to care much for most of the characters. However, if you stick with it there are some decent twists and set pieces later in the novel.. I also enjoy a tale where the building, in this case the house, almost becomes a character in itself. Indeed, there are some sequences where you can almost hear the house breathe and that’s pretty neat and very clever writing.

When Southern Gothic is done right, it has no match. Reed gets it right. Living on the street, Dell remembers nothing before his accident, not even where he lived before. Following the address he has a piece of paper in his pocket, her journeys to Ellis House, in Jacksonville. In the house are Lane and her son Theo,returned to their family estate as a last resort. But it’s the three elderly, utterly creepy and nasty aunts living there that steal the show. Ellis House does not like males, and it has its own way of dealing with them. Theo is terrorized nightly, and Dell wonders what his place in all this madness really is. Highly recommended