I enjoyed this one. The story itself was brilliantly told. I identified with and could mentally picture each character. The writing was strong. I did feel, however, that I knew where the story was going the entire time. I also felt the pacing was somewhat inconsistent.

But, I loved that this was a fairly straightforward story told well. There was nothing outlandish about the ending. The characters were authentic.

Overall, a solidly good read! Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for a free digital copy.

*May contain spoilers

I found this novel took alittle bit of time to get into but when I got into I couldn't put this down. The character development was great. You could really see the breakdown of Jess, the moral dilemmas of Liz and the confusion of Ed. I really liked the parallel between Jess and Liz's mom, it really showed the actions but the different outcomes. I think Vaughan did a great job capturing post partem and the struggles that come with it. I did not expect the twist at the end at all. I really liked this novel and would recommend it.

I loved the twists and turns of this book. The author deals with the topic of mental health in a real and raw way and with much empathy.

I've been reading one ebook after another during my nightly Kindle binges, staying up far past my bedtime. The last one I flew though was Sarah Vaughan's upcoming novel, Little Disasters. Truthfully, I never looked at the description when I requested this from NetGalley, just knew I needed it after loving her last book. Based on only the title and cover art, I mistakenly assumed this would be a thriller. Little Disasters is instead, an emotionally charged domestic suspense dealing with post-partum mental illness, the lasting effects of childhood trauma, and the ways relationships are affected by each. This was an excellent read and so well written.

Genre: Mystery and Thrillers
Publisher: Atria
Pub. Date: August 18, 2020

Mini-Review

I was pleasantly surprised to find that this book is not a mystery (though this might be upsetting if you had your heart set on one). You may be able to call this a thriller but only because you will wonder about the fate of a nine-month-old baby. The novel is actually about examining mental health issues concentrating on postpartum depression at its most severe. The author does a wonderful job of showing how shocking the illness can be. This is also a story about female friendships being tested. A doctor is faced with the dilemma of abiding her Hippocratic Oath when her good friend’s baby is in the emergency room. The baby is there with a head trauma and there is reason to doubt the mother’s explanation of how the accident took place. The author does an excellent job writing on the baby's mother's feelings of shame, anxiety, and trying to keep her baby safe from herself—Heartbreaking. However, I was disappointed when the author throws side stories about the two women’s childhoods with abusive parents. It is the author’s attempt at writing on the differences between actual abuse and thoughts. Insight into mental illness is always good, but this came off as obvious. As if the reader couldn’t figure out the differences on their own.

Loved this, I'm a big Sarah Vaughn fan and this book was exciting! I devoured it so quickly as I need to know what happened....so will you!

This is the second book I have read by this author and once again she has incorporated a tough subject into the story. It was an uncomfortable read but I say that as a positive thing. The way she handled the material made me appreciate this more as a straight fiction read rather than one in the mystery or thriller genre. For me it was a compelling story without the twists or turns.

Liz first met Jess years ago while they were both pregnant and attending birthing classes. Liz is a doctor at a hospital and one day Jess brings in her daughter. After the examination of the child, Liz has more questions than answers. And that's all you are getting from me as this is a story that you just have to let it unfold without knowing too much ahead of time. The story alternates between different characters, mostly Liz and Jess, and also goes back in time quite a bit so you get the full picture.

I'm not a parent but I challenge anyone to read this book without feeling some type of uneasiness regarding the storyline. There are just certain things that are hard to read about but it's also why it was easy to feel invested in the story. I had this need to find out what happened that led to the child being brought to the hospital.

The ending for me was the weak spot of the book. Up until that point it felt like fictional story with substance but then it veered into messy territory. A good word to describe it would be uninspiring. I was really impressed with the story up until that point. However, I might be completely in the minority with that opinion. Regardless, this is still a worthwhile read just based on well the author covered an important topic.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with an advance reader's copy in exchange for an honest review!

This book took me by surprise and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I am a fan of psychological domestic thrillers and this had me guessing and questioning until the very end about what exactly happened to baby Betsey. I was suspicious of every character and enjoyed coming up with theories about what could have actually taken place. While the ending was a combination of my ideas, I didn't expect the twists to keep building up to the very end. I liked how the other side stories weaved together at the conclusion as well. I know some will find this very triggering especially for new or expecting mothers. While I am not a mother yet myself, I was intrigued by how this story explored postpartum depression and brought to light how it is not discussed enough as a very real and harrowing experience for many women.

A baby girl is hurt, and the question on everyone’s mind at the hospital is: Did her mom purposely hurt her? To add a complexity, one of the doctors, Liz, treating the daughter is friends with the mom.

The book deals with some serious topics including postpartum depression. There were a few twists along the way, but the pace of this book didn’t pick up until after the 50% mark, and by this point, I was already losing my interest. There is a lot of potential that is somewhat squandered by the slow pacing.

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for the arc.

A baby is injured, and the mother is suspected of hurting her. What really happened? This is the question asked by Vaughan in her latest book Little Disasters. I found this story very difficult to read since it involved a hurt child. Also, the topic of postpartum depression was heavily covered in this book. I didn't enjoy this book because I find it hard to read about hurt children, and it was also hard to read the mother's thoughts as she battled postpartum depression with none of her friends or family realizing it. I'm not sure that I can recommend this book. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

This was hard to read, it echoed a lot of fears I had when I was a new mom, worrying about what I would be able to handle and how it would increase my existing anxiety. I think it really captures how overwhelming it can be, and how isolating.

I think the last reveal wasn’t necessary, kind of felt like it was to throw a twist in or to absolve the characters of some responsibility. But in all, a really good (but heavy) story.

I really enjoyed this book from the beginning through the end. Not only did Vaughan develop the characters well, their POV's were just as interesting to read as well.

It was interesting to read this story unfold about a doctor, her close friend and husband that have been accused by the doctor. I find these stories are really about "what would you do?" and the consequences of all their actions.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and honestly review.

This was a difficult, absorbing read. Highlighting post-partum mental health illness, the visceral and overwhelming challenges of new parenthood and caring for infants, this story explores what happens when we hide our struggles, when friendships water-down to half-hearted acquaintances, and the real cost of not supporting new parents, from draconian parental leave policies to the taboo response to mental health issues, particularly post-partum, which results in profound isolation of parents to newborns.

There were enough twists and gaps in information that kept me turning the page, and the interweaving of Jess's struggle with Liz's past added vital emotional depth and nuance to what would otherwise be frankly a disturbing, not-terribly suspenseful read. The success of this book, to me, lies in its layers, a true simulacrum of human reality. Life is not one note; struggles do not arrive out of thin air. Our human breakdowns, needs, and traumas compound from childhood experience, adult pressures, and the real neglect in our society to knit us to each other.

A word on content warnings: for those who have experienced any mental health issues or feel the struggle of new parenthood is fresh, I would advise caution. There are extensive descriptions of anxiety-driven negative fantasies, obsessive-compulsive behaviors, and filicidal ideation.

To me, this was hard but somehow bizarrely cathartic to read. We tell women as mothers that they aren't alone but rarely do art and fiction help us feel seen in our struggle. For me, as a young mother, I battled acute sensory overwhelm, sleep deprivation, and a gnawing sense of loneliness as I said goodbye to my career and delved into the unknowns with the profound sense of failure endemic to most new parents. I grieved that our culture doesn't connect mothers (and parents) better together into supportive, empathic communities; that our economic greed has normalized businesses brutally denying parents adequate time and compensation to recover from the work of birth, the exhaustion of caring for a newborn, and the strain of adjustments necessary for a growing family. We are a society that expects and depends on the continuation of generations and does paltry little to support those brave enough to embark on parenthood.

I commend this book to anyone who feels they can weather the content warnings, who wants to navigate some slight mystery and domestic suspense, feel deeply and if you're like me, revisit and heal a little bit more from the trauma of birth, the delirious shock of new parenthood. Some mothers who have weathered post-partum depression, anxiety, OCD or other related mental health issues may either find this healing to read, or too painful. All I can say is that the reader goes through a slew of emotions as we see Jess struggle, but that the story wrapped up her character arc empathetically, and to me, satisfactorily.

If this book captures anything, it is that things may not always be how they appear, but if we're brave enough, if we love each other well, the truth can be brought to light, and healing can be found.

Wow - I couldn't put this book down. A thriller that not only brooches a difficult topic to discuss, I found this book enthralling. Character development was well done and I found myself rooting for Jess the whole way through. A perfect read for the beach or your back deck.

Liz is a Dr. and is called on to the pediatric floor because she’s the only person available to tend to a serous injury. It turns out the child with the head injury is the daughter of her good friend Jess, and the circumstances appear suspicious.

For me this book dragged on a bit and I figured out part of the twist midway. It is also not so much a thriller as a domestic drama. It’s about mother/parenthood and how difficult it is no matter what your situation is.

What I really found important in this book was how it dealt with post partum depression and anxiety. There was a lot of very raw material that might be shocking to some but I’ve worked with mental illness and the verbiage used is very typical. These are issues that everyone should be sensitive to.
I will say that I did not like Ed at all. Maybe at the end but until then i found him arrogant and supremely useless.

Thank you NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the advance copy of this book.
3.5/4 Stars

I don't know where to begin with this book. I have so many feeling about it.
As a mother the highs and lows of this book is a true picture of parenthood.

Jess a mother of three and a stay at home Mom. She takes her baby to the Emergency room when her friend Liz is on duty. They discover that Betsey has suffered a head injury. The concern is the lack of concern that Jess has about the injury. Liz is questioning her friend Jess if she did it or not. How did it happen and Jess isn't giving any good answers to the questions.

Read to find out all of the answers. I hope you enjoy this book

Thank you Sarah Vaughan for a good book

Thank you so much to NetGalley for the ARC.
I've been reading so many mystery's and thrillers I almost didn't read this. But I'm so glad I did!
Jess is the mother of 3 kids but its her youngest that has really done her in. RIght now, the baby (Betsy) has sent her into a world of depression and possibly violence as Betsy is brought to the hospital with a head injury. She is trying to make up for her mother's shortcomings and be the perfect mom and its taking so much out of her that is is possible she may have snapped.
Suddenly her friend Liz from her past shows up and is trying to get to the bottom of what happened.

My heart broke for Jess, after having two ideal babies it was a shock for her to adjust to having a "challenging" baby although no ore o than any others. It was clear that Jess had some PDD going on and her husband didn't seem to help in any way.

There are a lot of unexpected twists in this story as we unravel what had happened to Jess and even to Betsy. What I liked about this book is that it is very character driven and the characters are real. Great book! .

At first I was unsure about the premise of this book. The book follows the story of Liz, an ER doctor, who has a friend bring in an injured toddler, and the mother herself. The baby has an injury on the back of her head which is not congruous with the story given by the mother and the story continues from there.
Do not let the synopsis on the book itself fool you. This book has SO many twists and turns, some coming about 98% of the way through the book!
The author does such an amazing job of weaving such an engaging and interesting story. I had not read anything by her before but I will definitely be seeking out her other novels when I get a few moments.
Even when you think you have it all figured out, you definitely have not. It was a great story and one I thoroughly enjoyed reading and hope you will also pick it up!

This was a good story, though I think it’s more of a study in female friendship than a thriller/suspense novel. The story is told mostly from the perspective of Liz a pediatrician doctor and Jess a stay at home mom to three children. Jess arrives at the hospital late one night with her infant daughter Betsey who she had been unable to settle for the night. Liz is on duty that night and although once she realized that she personally knew Jess and should have a different doctor see her, decides to take a look at Betsey. She soon discovers that Betsey has a skull fracture and that it occurred about 6 hours earlier. Child Welfare and the police become involved, Jess is accused of deliberately injuring her child. She faces losing custody of all three of her children. Some of the backstory is disturbing, especially what Liz and her brother endured. The chapters are short which moves the story along at a good pace. I was interested in finding out what happened and did not see the ending coming, I recommend it. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.

I enjoyed this book as an exploration of post natal depression and a reminder that it can affect anyone. I thought the actual ending and the answer to 'whodunnit' was a little far fetched but this is an enjoyable beach read.