Just Like Mother

February 28, 2022
Heltzel’s adult debut (after YA novel Charlie, Presumed Dead) offers an eerie, fast-paced critique of society’s obsession with motherhood. Heroine Maeve’s early life was shaped by a matriarchal cult where she and her cousin, Andrea, were raised by a radical feminist group called the Mothers. Her escape brought the cult down and the fallout saw her separated from Andrea by the foster system. Decades later, a struggling Maeve finally manages to reconnect with Andrea, only to discover that she has grown rich off the success of her company, which supplies hyperrealistic baby dolls to women to either assist them in preparing for motherhood or help them grieve a lost child. As the two grow closer again, Andrea’s company and her network of baby-minded women unsettle Maeve, forcing her to confront what she and Andrea really mean to one another and the grip the cult still has on them both. Heltzel builds an incredibly ominous atmosphere through the first two acts, but the payoff disappoints, delivering a series of repetitive and predictable twists. Still, Maeve’s tenacity and realistically depicted trauma will keep readers invested in her story to the end. Heltzel’s probing exploration of women’s bodily autonomy—or lack thereof—makes this a solid choice for those who like their horror close to home.

March 15, 2022
Thirty-three-year-old Maeve was born into a cult. After escaping and surviving a series of traumatic events, she's adopted by a kind couple and grows up to have an ordinary, solitary life in New York City. Her painful past has remained mostly forgotten until she receives a message from her estranged cousin, who's now a wealthy entrepreneur and life coach with a mansion in the Catskill Mountains. The reunion is more than she could've ever imagined, finally giving her a chance to heal from her trauma and bond with somebody, but the new-found Andrea has a hidden agenda, and Maeve finds herself wondering how much to give without losing her identity. Heltzel's adult debut is a fast-paced, creepy, and unpredictable adventure that shines an unsettling light on motherhood and family ties. A page-turner from start to finish, Just Like Mother smoothly blends horror and thriller elements while adding a sharp commentary on corrupted feminism. Readers who enjoy adrenaline-pumping fiction in the vein of Jennifer McMahon and Alex Michaelides will have difficulty putting this book down.

COPYRIGHT(2022) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

April 1, 2022

In her first adult novel, YA author Heltzel (Charlie, Presumed Dead) introduces cousins Maeve and Andrea as children living in a matriarchal cult. The novel then flashes forward to an adult Maeve, who has escaped the cult and become a successful book editor, except that she is completely alone (save for a casual boyfriend and work friends). With no family and a murky past, Maeve deeply misses Andrea, who she hasn't seen since leaving the cult. Then a DNA test reunites the cousins, and Andrea, now the wealthy CEO of a female-focused wellness empire, rushes back into Maeve's life, offering her love, family, even wealth--but it may all be too good to be true. Maeve's strong first-person narration (including scenes from her past that flood back to her) keeps the story moving and helps readers to both understand and root for Maeve, as her world begins to dangerously unravel. Readers might think they have the twists figured out, even as Maeve is clearly a few steps behind, but this hubris would be a grave mistake. Flooded with visceral dread from the first scene and never letting up, Heltzel's tale that will disturb readers to their core. VERDICT An excellent suggestion for fans of cult stories or intense horror-thriller hybrids such as those by Sarah Pinborough.--Becky Spratford

Copyright 2022 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.