Motherthing: mommy issues

Normal Women: I'm-a-mommy issues

Motherthing leans into domestic horror whereas Normal Women leans away from horror (unless you count Momfluencing as horror) and focuses a little more on mysterious new additions to a hometown that is becoming less recognizable.
Men are creatures with pain.
Baby only sleeps when dead.

Normal Women is the story of Dani and her husband Clark’s foray into parenting as they move back to Dani’s hometown, where she is something of a local celebrity. Normal Women explores what it means to find meaning in your life inside and outside of motherhood.

Ainslie Hogarth is a master at writing dark humor with an unsettling tone that will make us consider the way we’re living. After reading this, I can confidently say that Ainslie Hogarth is one of my favorite writers, and I’m excited to read anything she puts out (and I wish I could get my hands on her backlist).

The opening line of this book was among the most disarming intros I’ve encountered in my recent reads; whenever a single line can simultaneously imbue cold dread and nervous laughter with no context, you know you’re in for something interesting.
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Pacing toward the central conflict was a bit slow, albeit well-developed. At times I’d hoped it would move faster; it didn’t reach peak velocity until halfway through, but I also felt rewarded for earning the payout of the mystery.⁣
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Strong anti-capitalist undertones shape a lot of character interactions. Bashing health mavens, momfluencers and the politics of urban revitalization (gentrification) play a central role. At first I was put off by the frequency, but when I realized it’s not just for the sake of being critical and that it adds up to a sharp irony by the story’s finale, I found it to be more clever than I had assumed.

I'd strongly recommend this book for fans of dark humor, light horror, absurdity and satire. Trigger warnings include: anxiety/panic, body horror, childhood trauma, postpartum depression, and recurring intrusive thoughts.

A new mom Dani is trying to enjoy being a stay-at-home mom while her husband goes to work, prompting Dani to fear the worst for her and her daughter if the income suddenly disappears. This has her look at other avenues to try and find things that will make her financially independent from her husband. Literary fiction turned mystery thriller Ainslie Hogarth steps up her storytelling from her last book Motherthing. It's a quest to find out what's real and what's not, who is a reliable narrator, and a great depiction of mental health after having a newborn. This is an engrossing commentary about working mothers and the desire to find your place in this world no matter the cost

Great read, funny and thoroughly entertaining. Ainslie Hogarth's style is just so wacky and smart. The main character was a delight to follow. Recommended.

I really loved this book but also I don't know what the point of it was or if there was even a point?? Motherthing was one of my fave reads so I was HYPED for this one but I feel a little unsatisfied, yet I thoroughly enjoyed the read?

As I was reading, I found myself loving it. I think the problem is that at the end and when I had time to reflect on it, I didn't get how everything connected or what the bigger picture was. And I am all for a stream of consciousness book so if the whole plot was that there is not a plot, I would have been down. But this didn't feel like that.

Okay back to the things I really did like about this one bc I DID really like it!!!! Dani, the FMC, was hilarious and I literally cackled every time she said she is the trash princess of Metcalf. I also thought her inner monologue was really interesting to read and loved reading about her relationship and thoughts to motherhood. It was one of the most realistic books I've read about woman and motherhood, even though it was a satire/lit fic book.

I received an advanced copy of Ainslie Hogarth's newest novel, Normal Women, and I immediately rushed to start it. Motherthing is one of my top reads of the year, and I knew how much I adored Ainslie Hogarth's writing and plot formation. She is the queen of writing into existence 'woman-slowly-unraveling'.
Normal Women follows the dismal, post-partum life of Dani--a suburban wife and new mother navigating a crisis of identify after the birth of her first baby. Her days feel directionless, full of budding momfluencer friends who she is unsure if she even enjoys, and trying to win a battle with her husband about who will learn to use the espresso machine. She's become a woman terrified of her thoughts about her daughter, a woman terrified that her husband may either be dying or evil, and she's not sure which is worse. When Dani meets Renata, a magnetic and revolutionary force, she introduces her to a lifestyle that Dani can't help but feel drawn to with shameful desire. And then? Renata goes missing. Dani, invigorated with fresh perspective, is desperate to find out what happened to her friend.

I really enjoyed this book, and so much of that is Ainslie Hogarth's writing. The start was a little slow for me, and I think I may have been bothered by that if I didn't enjoy the writing style as much as I do. Her characters are always so layered, relatable without being cliche. I loved Dani, and I think that the voice that she gave her helped me to really understand her restlessness and paranoia.
Hogarth gracefully explores post-partum worlds of stay-at-home moms, concerns about domestic distribution, misogyny, and female/male sexuality. The storyline was so unique, and I really enjoyed it overall. It wasn't five stars only because I didn't feel entirely satisfied with the ending. It may have been the slow start, but I felt rushed towards the end just a little.

Definitely recommend if you're a fan of: Mona Awad, Lisa Taddeo, Ottessa Moshfegh