Literary fiction at its finest charting the disorienting first few days of motherhood. Honest, raw, dark but utterly realistic in my own experiences. My body ached in muscle memory sympathy for Molnar’s sleep deprived narrator.
I loved the way in which Molnar played with time jumping back to before Button within the main body of work as it only added to the confusing and disorienting feeling being experienced within the novel.
I have to admit the authenticity expressed left me unsure if this was fiction or in fact the memoir of the author herself, fantastic writing. I will be seeking out more of the author's work.
Thank you for the free copy in exchange for an honest review.

Such a gripping read.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for letting me read an advance copy of this book in exchange for my review.

A breathtaking read that was brutally breathtaking and honest it was so raw at times. I couldn't put it down and I cant really put into words how it made me feel

A haunting and moving portrayal of the few steps in to motherhood. I currently do not have a child but I am pregnant so I found this hard to read at times but completely interesting and jarring. Writing very well in my opinion. I would recommend this book.

*I received a free review copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for honest feedback. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*

The Nursery offers an introspective look at new motherhood, tackling the difficulties of becoming a mother, postpartum depression and the massive impact this huge change has on your life. It’s raw, emotional and isn’t afraid to discuss uncomfortable topics, with violent and intrusive thoughts affecting the character throughout.

The main character is a translator and there were so many beautiful lines about the art of translation. I especially loved the bits where her thoughts about her career linked back to what she was going through as a new mother.

It’s such well-written and carefully crafted novel and I loved the dreamlike and visceral quality to the writing and plot. It was incredibly jarring at points, which really reflected the thought process of the character and made this so much more impactful. Despite being a short book, it’s such a powerful one, and one you could definitely get more from by rereading and revisiting passages. I adored this book and would definitely recommend it!

I loved this one! It was very unsettling but honest. I loved the writing and the fluid thought style. As someone who suffers and receives treatment for intrusive thoughts, I connected with this element of the story and feel the author absolutely nailed the distress and internal conflict these can cause.

Would read more from this author in the future! This review will feature on my Instagram on May 4th 2023.

Intensely claustrophobic and jarring at times, this was an incredible insight into the overwhelming changes that come with the first few weeks of motherhood. I thoroughly enjoyed the disjointed narrative between the past and present selves of the narrator – particularly with the contrast in her life before having children and the freedom she had with her current situation and struggles adapting to her new life.
Thank you to NetGalley and Oneworld Publications for the advanced reading copy.

I found this an interesting and moving book about new motherhood. I imagine that it's more suited to actual mothers than to me as the target audience, but it was a good insight nevertheless.

The Nursery is generally a stream of consciousness novel about the immediate aftermath of giving birth and post-partum depression.

This book made me never want to have a child, but it felt very real and had several elements of the difficulties of motherhood and identity that are often stigmatising and tough to authentically talk about.
I struggled with the back-and-forth between past and present without much of a significant divide and at times found I had to re-read a page to understand what time period we were currently in. I do agree with another viewer that it read like The Yellow Wallpaper. I struggled to get involved in the book without the usual structure of a traditional novel but nonetheless appreciated the imagery the author evoked.

Thank you to the publishers and Netgalley for sending me an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own.

One could argue it isn’t the greatest book to read one month before I give birth myself, however my feelings felt beyond seen, validated. This story talks about motherhood, post partum depression, the pain, the bad thoughts that occur alongside with fear and feeling like you are going slowly but surely insane and no one can understand. Storyline bounces from past to present and even though it is not my usual preference, it worked very well for this story. Although it is a very short read page-wise, with heaviness of the plot it took me several days to get through. I saw someone have described the writing style as “dreamlike” and I couldn’t aggree more. I’d also say it reminds me very much of Elena Ferrante’s writing and The Yellow Wallpaper. The ending, however, wasn’t my favorite part, 4/5 stars.

On the contrary I’d like to mention that I also loved the “exploration” of MC’s carreer as literary translator-my dream job!
And on the other hand, I couldn’t stand the nickname “Button”. I do not know what my issue with that is but it bothered me immensely. Perhaps I am loosing the plot as well, as I have nearly copied my baby checklist here instead of this review!

I’ve been reading a lot of books exploring motherhood this past year, despite not knowing if I ever want to be one myself, and it’s so refreshing to read one that doesn’t shy away from the uncomfortable, unpalatable parts of it that are often expected to not be shared- intrusive thoughts and all.

I can only imagine the strain and pressure growing and birthing a baby puts on both body and mind and this book just felt so honest and open. It feels like a book everyone should read- wether you’re a parent looking for reassurance you’re not a bad person for feeling this way and others are out there too, or you’re a non parent who could read this and get a better understanding of what mothers go through postpartum- this didn’t feel like a debut at all and I can’t wait to read what the author publishes in the future.

So powerful and very intense. I’d honestly recommend this to every woman. Really phenomenal. I was blown away.

This book found me just as my mind was starting to tell itself postpartum wasn’t that bad and was a gut punch and a hug at the same time.

The Nursery is the most faithful (to my experience) depiction of the postpartum period that I’ve read so far. Having recently been through it, I had a hard time not projecting and comparing, down to the accordion played by the neighbor.

The stream of consciousness-esque style, the interlocking timelines and uninterrupted narration really come together to paint the picture of new motherhood, and it’s raw and nasty and scary and stained by various fluids. I didn’t know I was hungry for a book like this, for the intrusive thoughts to be staring at me from the page, to cement that I was not alone in my experience. And that it ultimately does get better.

Thank you to Oneworld Publications and NetGalley for providing this ARC.

A powerful read that highlights the claustrophobia, and intensity of those post birth days.
Where your whole world is that one child.
Then there's physical and mental pain..
It was quite a tense read, the overwhelming ness of a newborn, and some of the wild thoughts that can race through your mi d as you're sleep deprived.
Beautifully done.