Ghosts living in bones.

How do you even begin to unpack this one? Chelsea Bieker tells the story of a young woman literally hunted down by the sins of her past. Bieker will keep a finger on the rapid pulse of this woman and dare you not to look away. She will hold you taut to the page and force you to feel the ache within this woman's being.

Clove is pressed to the ground by the demands of motherhood. "The thing about motherhood was that everything was happening all the time." No breaks in the action. On full throttle 24/7. And Clove had no true blueprint of what motherhood actually was. Not by her upbringing and her lack of warm eye-to-eye waves of love and security. She scratched the surface to find small remnants tossed aside by someone else.

But we find her on a different road now. Clove is a wife and a mother of two small children. She's fastidious in all she does in this new act of mothering. Only healthy food in the refrigerator and freshly laundered clothes in the drawers. But Clove's angst is hidden in purchases hiding under the bed and packages delivered to post office boxes. Until a highly unexpected letter arrives there with a secret that will implode her newly structured universe.

Madwoman is something to behold. Prepare yourself for some very rough edges of abuse and neglect. Chelsea Bieker doesn't soft soap Clove's experiences. She presents a story truly reflective of the fact that we all didn't start life on the same convenient square of a Monopoly game. She'll even flip that gameboard towards the end with a tad of dropping jaw. It's one to check out for yourselves to lift the veil on Clove's own story.

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to Little, Brown and Company and to Chelsea Bieker for the opportunity.

I have loved everything Chelsea has written so far. This book was so good! I feel like this book really challenged the level of empathy that I have. I was very sympathetic and at times frustrated by the main character's decisions, but by the end of the book you begin to develop a sense of empathy. If you like mystery this story has that too. I highly recommend this book.

Chelsea Bieker has done it again. MADWOMAN is a propulsive, heart-pounding thriller with high stakes and intense twists. It's about motherhood, secrets, revenge, rage, grief... It is a DEEP thriller, which seems to be so rare these days. Fantastic writing + a thrilling story = I'm hooked. Highly recommend! Full review to come closer to pub day!

Fiction often requires the reader to suspend disbelief and just go with it, but this book got to the point that it was just too outrageous! It was akin to watching a train wreck and hard to look away, but it was just too crazy! Certainly entertaining in an awful sort of way.

"I was never a child."
"That's the thing, though. You were."

"Madwoman" by Chelsea Bieker - her sophomore novel and follow-up to Godshot - is an emotionally charged and gripping literary thriller that delves into the complexities of motherhood, trauma, and survival. With raw intensity and masterful storytelling, this book is a poignant exploration of motherhood and the indomitable spirit of women.

The story follows Clove, who appears to have the perfect life, with a loving husband and two sweet children. However, Clove has secrets, and when she receives a letter from a women's prison in California, her past threatens to collide with her present. As Clove grapples with the memories from her traumatic childhood, she's forced to face the reality of her mother's incarceration, and the violence that has shaped her life.

The writing here is brutal and haunting, alternating between Clove's present day in Portland and her childhood in Hawaii, and allowing readers to piece together the puzzle of Clove's past. The tension and sense of dread builds steadily, ultimately culminating in what is truly a surprising and heart-wrenching climax.

This is a profound commentary on the cycle of violence and the lengths women can - and often, must - go to to escape it. Bieker explores generational trauma, societal expectations of motherhood, and how far women will go to protect themselves and those they love.

In summary, "Madwoman" is a tour de force that cements Chelsea Bieker’s place as a major talent in contemporary fiction. It is a story of pain and redemption, of love and loss, and of the fierce determination of a woman to reclaim her life. This book is an unforgettable read that will resonate with readers long after they turn the final page.

Thank you to Little, Brown and Company for providing an early copy of this remarkable novel.

Madwoman was the novel my soul needed. As a mother of three I found the story so relatable and refreshing. Chelsea Bieker’s writing isn’t trying to impress anyone, she just tells it real like it is and that is what makes it so impressive. She writes on paper what so many mothers think in their head and can’t say aloud. I love the sarcastic humor, as well as the little tugs here and there on your heartstrings. Perfectly written and executed.

This book reads like a thriller. It’s interesting and it’s a good read. But, truthfully, it should also come with a trigger warning. Anyone who grew up in an abusive home will be triggered by this. If you didn’t grow up in an abusive household, this book will likely come across as another entertaining thriller.

Madwoman is about motherhood, and the ways it makes us and breaks us. But, it’s not just about motherhood. It’s also about childhood, and trauma, and the way a traumatic childhood shapes us and follows us for the rest of our lives. There can be healing, and growth, but the trauma is always beneath the surface.

Kudos to the author. She really captured childhood trauma, domestic violence, and the ways it forces children in those homes to protect their abused parent. And she did all of it in a book that was fast-paced, and twisty, and entertaining.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book to read and review.

This was an odd reading experience for me. I've been a huge fan of Bieker's since her debut GODSHOT and story collection HEARTBROKE, but while those two books were filled with dark, twisty plots, and bizarre, hardscrabble, yet wildly compelling characters, MADWOMAN is a much more conventional, tropey thriller. I appreciate an author evolving, but truly, I never would have recognized Bieker's writing had I not known this was written by her! That being said, she is covering some tender, important ground here, and I think her characterization is still top-notch. I'll continue to follow her career and read her future books, even though this one didn't really work for me.

Loved this book so much! Celine (also known as Clove) is married with two children, Nova and Lark. She's told her husband her parents are dead but in reality, her mother is in prison for killing her abusive father by pushing him off a 33-story building in Hawaii. So when she receives a letter from her, she's flummoxed as she discovers an attorney is trying to get her out of prison on a "domestic abuse" defense. There are so many secrets and lies that we are never quite sure of the truth as Bieker writes in a "now" and "then" format. But this is one of those books that will stay with me for a long time as the themes are so relevant to today...and any day!
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!

Madwoman is a clever and twisty novel where we follow our main character who is obsessed with having the perfect life and being the perfect mom, while a past she left behind may just be a few steps behind her.

This book was thrilling, dark, and funny for its commentary on the characters shopping addiction and obsession with natural wellness. Struggling with all that it means to be a mom? Madwoman is for you!

I really enjoyed how unhinged and seemingly tongue-in-cheek this was...until the ending that wasn't unhinged or tongue-in-cheek, but rather a neatly tied up in a bow ending.

A riveting story of motherhood, womanhood, complexities of domestic violence, survival and reclaiming your life in the face of trauma.
A gut punching, heart wrenching, suspenseful page turner that I couldn't help but race through with my heart pumping and my blood boiling.
There hasn't been a female rage book this propulsive and hard hitting since Lisa Taddeo's " Animal ".

The tag line sets the haunting tone:

The world is not made for mothers.
Yet mothers made the world…

When Clove receives the letter from a women's prison, she knows that she has been found. All of the work she has done to recreate herself is now if peril and the stress of it compounded with motherhood seems to be pushing her over the edge. With sharp commentary on our society Chelsea Bieker silences the rabble and paints a picture of the sanest of us all, a woman who questions. Join Clove as she tries to outrun her childhood trauma, a shocking story that would ruin the best of us. I absolutely loved this book to bits, and you will too. #littlbrownandcompany #littlebrown&Co #madwoman #chelseabieker

Madwoman is a story about abused women and children that are made to witness. It explores complex relationships a child may have their difficult upbringing, and how living in an abusive household manifests into adulthood. As an adult, Clove has to have control, and hypotheticals help guide her actions. However, Clove's entire adulthood is built on lies, and a letter from her mother from prison begins to disrupt her carefully constructed life.

Clove's anxieties about protecting her family from everyday dangers is relatable. She comes up with scenarios that anyone who caretakes can empathize with; however, she does take it to the extreme. I found Clove somewhat irritable at times, which isn't a critique of the writing or the book itself; in fact, I'd say it's a merit to the writing. Clove's been through a lot. She's complex and imperfect. I mean, her entire thing is literally to lie to the public in order to protect herself and family.

The pacing was slow at around the halfway point; I felt like I was trudging through it a bit. At times, I got a little bored. The 'twists' easy to figure out, but that's okay. I wouldn't say this book is a thriller/mystery, so figuring out the twists isn't important to the experience of the book.

We have a whole slew of complex female characters, both positive and negative characterizations; the same with the male characters. I particularly liked how the writing explored how children may have complicated relationships and feelings towards the abuser and the abused of their households.

Thank you to NetGalley and Little, Brown and Company for providing me an advanced copy of the book!

I loved this SO MUCH! Never in my life have I found anything so relatable but also fun. This reminded me of an elevated Freida Mcfadden book. I love the way the story played out, I cared deeply about our mc, and loved reading this. Will be on the lookout for anything from this author.

Thank you to Novel Suspects for the eARC of this book!
Let me just say WOW! This book had a hold over me, I could not put it down or stop thinking about it.

Clove is living her dream life. She has the perfect husband, two sweet kids, and seems to be living a life of luxury with all her healthy shopping trips, vitamins, and supplements. But this is a life that she has created to keep her past a secret.

She receives a letter from her mother in prison bringing back everything she has worked so hard to hide in the past. This letter threatens the life she has created, invokes her anxiety and she begins to unravel.

I really like how this book was written. Clove writes/talks to her mother in her mind as the current events unfold. It was as if the whole book was a letter to her mother. In addition to that, the flashbacks were done really well. They provided just enough information to provide context, but still made the twist at the end unexpected. AND OMG the TWIST?!?! so good. I will be thinking about this book for a long time.

This book reminded me of The Drowning Woman by Robyn Harding, which I also loved! There were many similar themes in this psychological thriller filled with secrets. If you read that one, definitely look out for this book in the fall.

The pages of Chelsea Bieker's MADWOMAN are at once familiar and foreign in their content. Those who have endured the early days of motherhood will find themselves within Bieker's Clove, who is navigating not only what it means to be a mother but how to endure the days that feel so extraordinarily out-of-body that a person can become sure they are not of this world—or at the very least that they can no longer recognize their earthly selves. MADWOMAN shows Clove searching for a wellness practice to help her hurdle a traumatic past and usher her children toward a future free from harm. But no supplement, breathing exercise, or green juice can help Clove hurdle the inevitable—her former self catching up with her. As a result, the reader bears witness to Clove's reckoning with both the impossible perfection of parenting and what it means to come face-to-face with the violent past that shaped the woman she's become.

She's a genius. She's a genius and I'll read anything she ever writes. I can't wait for everyone to get their hands on Madwoman this fall and fall in love with Bieker's writing.

MADWOMAN
Chelsea Bieker


MADWOMAN is about the madness of motherhood.

Clove receives a letter one day at the post office that upends her life. It's a letter from an attorney representing her mom. Anything from her mother would be bad but this letter is the worst.

Moments after leaving the post office she gets into a fender bender with a woman who goes by the name of Jane. Jane will set Clove’s life even further off course but she’s too frazzled to realize how disruptive and disastrous she is.

We follow along as Clove and Jane forge a peculiar relationship that seems to be the only thing keeping Clove from becoming a MADWOMAN.

What is in the letter and what will Clove eventually do about it? All that and more in Chelsea Bieker's summer drama MADWOMAN.

There are secret truths to motherhood that we mothers whisper into the wind so that other expectant mothers don't hear and give up and end the human race as we know it. Bieker went to the place where all of those whispers go and came back with the material for this book.

Its honesty was enlightening.

The writing is sharp and a few pages in I was already a fan. There is a dryness to the wit and humor that I appreciated. The storyline was amusing and it kept my attention the entire time.

I'll be sure to check out what Bieker publishes next and you should too. But start with MADWOMAN and let me know what you think in the comments.

Thanks to Netgalley and Little, Brown, and Company for the advanced copy!

MADWOMAN...⭐⭐⭐⭐

"Madwoman," written by Chelsea Bieker, takes readers on a captivating literary journey. The protagonist, Clove, is intricately crafted and deeply engaging. Balancing the challenges of raising her two young children alongside her husband, Clove's life takes a topsy-turvy turn when she receives a threatening letter, promising to unveil her long-held secrets. As the weight of her childhood secrets grows, an enigmatic nanny, Jane, enters the picture, offering potential assistance. However, the lines blur as to whether Jane is truly a savior or harbors ulterior motives. With gripping plot twists that persist until the very end, this narrative leaves readers on the edge of their seats. It is important to note that this story delves into the sensitive topic of domestic violence. Despite this challenging subject matter, I believe "Madwoman" merits a resounding four-star rating due to its compelling storytelling and nuanced characters.

Thank you to Net Galley and Little, Brown and Company for the ARC to read and review.