Bad Mommy

So disappointed in this book. I loved Tarryn's other novels and was really excited to read this, but it was a major let down. The book lacked climax, believable characters, and a conclusion. Definitely not what I expected from the author

Much to the dismay of my family and dinner guests, I refused to put this book down throughout Christmas Day. I've read a few of this author's books but this by far my favorite. Hands down, one of my top reads for 2016

There is a reason Tarryn ... (wait, what's her name again?) Fisher is my favorite writer of all-time, and it was further solidified with Bad Mommy.  I've read every single Tarryn book this year alone, and I've never read anything as deep and soul-stirring as her writing.  She gets to the darkest depths of humanity, slashes it open, and spills it all over the pages of her books.  Nothing can make me question my sanity like a Tarryn Fisher book.  Nothing makes feel understood and not alone like her writing.

I can never figure out where her stories are headed, when I think I have the first thing figured out, she switches gears and I'm in no-mans land again.  Predictability is an author's downfall in my eyes.  Bad Mommy is no different.  The title gives the reader an idea of where we are headed, but once aboard this crazy train, we derail into untamed territory.  Fig Coxbury wants to be Jolene Avery.  She moves next door to Jolene and her family and inserts herself into their life, as a friend.  She needs to be close to observe and glean information for the new "her". But when does flattery cross over to obsession and manipulation?
Bad Mommy takes readers into the lunacy that is found in female relationships.  Can we really be true friends as women, or is there always an underlying motive?  Can we ever really trust each other?  Why are true friends so rare?

"There were three things that drew women into a hungry-eyed cluster: liquor, men, and gossip.  Gossip was the strongest draw, but put all three together and you had a sort of desperate, heated frenzy on your hands."

People have questioned why a "goody-two-shoes" like me would love Tarryn's writing.  She has a dirty mouth, one of her books has an obscenity in the title for Pete's sake, and she writes about taboo subject matter.  But like Tarryn, I'm intrigued by the human psyche.  I would love to be able to read people's minds, simply to better understand what makes people tick.  I feel like when I understand humanity more fully, I can understand God better.  Since I can't eavesdrop on people's brains, I have to settle for second best, their censored thoughts in the form of literature.  But Tarryn doesn't censor.  She gives us everything and then some.  Despite the villainy, she isn't a heathen, all of work features an underlying Biblical theme.  Whether in the names of her characters or with direct Biblical ideology. This is one of my favorite things about her writing, trying to find the underlying messages of the story.  I'll still be reflecting on Bad Mommy for days to come. It's like a code readers have to unravel.
Her books are addicting, and I'm drawn to the crazy.  Most authors write pristine characters, with shocking good looks, and perfect relationships.  I want none of this.  The flaws Tarryn portrays are real.  People always wonder how she comes up with such developed characters.  As a writer should, Tarryn simply studies the crazy around her and her writing is always so much deeper than any surface level drama.

Everyone needs to read Bad Mommy.  This book is purely artistic, original, and intoxicating literature. The entire story will leave you guessing until the very end.  The last sentence even made me say "Whoa!" out loud.  I'm still trying to figure out what the heck I read. I'm already bummed I'll have to wait possibly another year for another book from our Evil Queen.
READ. THIS. BOOK now!

Review originally published on 5171 Miles Book Blog.

Tarryn’s books are always so unique, so different. So Tarryn.

What happens when someone becomes fixated on your life? Obsessed with everything and everyone in it? Wants to be you? Wants what you have? Wants who you love? Infiltrates herself into every aspect of your life? And somehow you don’t even realize it’s happening?

Fig Coxbury is f’ed up. Bottom line. That girl is wacked. Crazy. She sees Jolene one day and wants her life, her husband, Darius, and her daughter, Mercy. Everything she has. And goes to measures to get it. Seriously who does that????

I don’t want to give any of the story away (the above is obvious from the synopsis) but I will say a few things.

Tarryn’s books are so very different from my typical reads. I’m all about the romance and love and happy. Tarryn’s books are not that. That said, I’ve read and loved all her books and I love her mind. Just because something is different doesn’t mean you won’t love it. Different can be refreshing. It can be fun. It can make you think. And I welcome different.

Anyway. I digressed.

Bad Mommy is written in three point of view. First we get Fig, then we get Darius, then we get Jolene. When I started reading Bad Mommy I thought it was going to be all Fig. Which was fine with me. I was enjoying reading what that crackpot was thinking. But when I got to part two and it changed to Darius I was happy to see it switched. At first I was a little confused as to who was talking. But I caught on. And to be honest, I was caught off guard. I didn’t see all that went on in part two coming. Like I had no clue all that was Darius. I don’t want to spoil it so that’s all I’m going to say. But it was interesting, addicting and I needed more and kept reading and reading.

When I finished, I thought back and I was really happy with the way it was broken down and we got to see into all three heads. We might not always understand why people do what they do, say what they say, and act how they act but Tarryn gives us life from their views and I thank her for that. I think all Fig would have been boring.

Tarryn’s books are always so well written, so creative, and so full of twists and turns that have you gasping and thinking wtf. Bad Mommy is no different. It’s one crazy ride. A train wreck you can’t look away from. You need to keep reading to see where it’s going, how this mess will end. And to be honest, I did feel bad for Jolene. Some may say she was blind to what was happening in front of her, but there’s more to it than that.

And if you ever think you are crazy, think of Fig- you will feel better about yourself. That’s for damn sure.

Definitely another must read from Tarryn!!!

There is a reason Tarryn ... (wait, what's her name again?) Fisher is my favorite writer of all-time, and it was further solidified with Bad Mommy.  I've read every single Tarryn book this year alone, and I've never read anything as deep and soul-stirring as her writing.  She gets to the darkest depths of humanity, slashes it open, and spills it all over the pages of her books.  Nothing can make me question my sanity like a Tarryn Fisher book.  Nothing makes feel understood and not alone like her writing.

I can never figure out where her stories are headed, when I think I have the first thing figured out, she switches gears and I'm in no-mans land again.  Predictability is an author's downfall in my eyes.  Bad Mommy is no different.  The title gives the reader an idea of where we are headed, but once aboard this crazy train, we derail into untamed territory.  Fig Coxbury wants to be Jolene Avery.  She moves next door to Jolene and her family and inserts herself into their life, as a friend.  She needs to be close to observe and glean information for the new "her". But when does flattery cross over to obsession and manipulation?
Bad Mommy takes readers into the lunacy that is found in female relationships.  Can we really be true friends as women, or is there always an underlying motive?  Can we ever really trust each other?  Why are true friends so rare?

"There were three things that drew women into a hungry-eyed cluster: liquor, men, and gossip.  Gossip was the strongest draw, but put all three together and you had a sort of desperate, heated frenzy on your hands."

People have questioned why a "goody-two-shoes" like me would love Tarryn's writing.  She has a dirty mouth, one of her books has an obscenity in the title for Pete's sake, and she writes about taboo subject matter.  But like Tarryn, I'm intrigued by the human psyche.  I would love to be able to read people's minds, simply to better understand what makes people tick.  I feel like when I understand humanity more fully, I can understand God better.  Since I can't eavesdrop on people's brains, I have to settle for second best, their censored thoughts in the form of literature.  But Tarryn doesn't censor.  She gives us everything and then some.  Despite the villainy, she isn't a heathen, all of work features an underlying Biblical theme.  Whether in the names of her characters or with direct Biblical ideology. This is one of my favorite things about her writing, trying to find the underlying messages of the story.  I'll still be reflecting on Bad Mommy for days to come. It's like a code readers have to unravel.
Her books are addicting, and I'm drawn to the crazy.  Most authors write pristine characters, with shocking good looks, and perfect relationships.  I want none of this.  The flaws Tarryn portrays are real.  People always wonder how she comes up with such developed characters.  As a writer should, Tarryn simply studies the crazy around her and her writing is always so much deeper than any surface level drama.

Everyone needs to read Bad Mommy.  This book is purely artistic, original, and intoxicating literature. The entire story will leave you guessing until the very end.  The last sentence even made me say "Whoa!" out loud.  I'm still trying to figure out what the heck I read. I'm already bummed I'll have to wait possibly another year for another book from our Evil Queen.
READ. THIS. BOOK now!

Review originally published on 5171 Miles Book Blog.

Tarryn’s books are always so unique, so different. So Tarryn.

What happens when someone becomes fixated on your life? Obsessed with everything and everyone in it? Wants to be you? Wants what you have? Wants who you love? Infiltrates herself into every aspect of your life? And somehow you don’t even realize it’s happening?

Fig Coxbury is f’ed up. Bottom line. That girl is wacked. Crazy. She sees Jolene one day and wants her life, her husband, Darius, and her daughter, Mercy. Everything she has. And goes to measures to get it. Seriously who does that????

I don’t want to give any of the story away (the above is obvious from the synopsis) but I will say a few things.

Tarryn’s books are so very different from my typical reads. I’m all about the romance and love and happy. Tarryn’s books are not that. That said, I’ve read and loved all her books and I love her mind. Just because something is different doesn’t mean you won’t love it. Different can be refreshing. It can be fun. It can make you think. And I welcome different.

Anyway. I digressed.

Bad Mommy is written in three point of view. First we get Fig, then we get Darius, then we get Jolene. When I started reading Bad Mommy I thought it was going to be all Fig. Which was fine with me. I was enjoying reading what that crackpot was thinking. But when I got to part two and it changed to Darius I was happy to see it switched. At first I was a little confused as to who was talking. But I caught on. And to be honest, I was caught off guard. I didn’t see all that went on in part two coming. Like I had no clue all that was Darius. I don’t want to spoil it so that’s all I’m going to say. But it was interesting, addicting and I needed more and kept reading and reading.

When I finished, I thought back and I was really happy with the way it was broken down and we got to see into all three heads. We might not always understand why people do what they do, say what they say, and act how they act but Tarryn gives us life from their views and I thank her for that. I think all Fig would have been boring.

Tarryn’s books are always so well written, so creative, and so full of twists and turns that have you gasping and thinking wtf. Bad Mommy is no different. It’s one crazy ride. A train wreck you can’t look away from. You need to keep reading to see where it’s going, how this mess will end. And to be honest, I did feel bad for Jolene. Some may say she was blind to what was happening in front of her, but there’s more to it than that.

And if you ever think you are crazy, think of Fig- you will feel better about yourself. That’s for damn sure.

Definitely another must read from Tarryn!!!

**My review might be considered SPOILERY if you want to go in blind**

How does Fisher's brain come up with this stuff? Dang that was good. I know I've criticized Fisher's previous work for those pesky plot holes (this has a few too...George??) but this is her best writing imo. The imperfections don't matter when an author can make you feel something. When you're just gripping your kindle holding on for the ride. No surprise twists. No unnecessary drama. Just storytelling at it's finest.

Told from three povs:
Fig - She sees Jolene and her daughter, Mercy, at a park and is convinced the soul of her miscarried daughter is in the body of Mercy. So she makes it her mission to get her "daughter" back. But somewhere along the way Fig completely wants Jolene's life.

Darius - Jolene's husband who also happens to be a shrink. He has Fig's number from the start. But he also has his own issues and he's attracted to crazy. So he's warning his wife away from her with one hand and inviting her in with the other.

Jolene - She is highly charismatic and likeable. She's just a cool chick. She likes charity cases like Fig. She's a fixer. But she's also blind to the red flags. The ones Fig is waving and the ones Darius is is waving.

Will Jolene wake up in time? Will Fig succeed?

If you need a break from romance and are in need of something original give this a shot. I highly recommend.

Unfortunately, I have met women like this, have crossed paths with women with this mindset. Jealousy, obsession, okay maybe not to this degree, but pretty close.

At the park, Fig crosses paths with a mother Joline and her daughter Mercy. Her obsession is instant her crazy mind telling her that the little girl is the reincarnation of the baby she had miscarried. She begins to stalk Joline, learning her daily habits and even purchasing a house directly next door.
Fig befriends Joline, and the more she gets deeper into Joline's life the more she is convinced she deserves it. She works fast, befriending Jolines friends, showing up during family dinners. This woman was completely off her rocker.

I enjoyed this book because Tarryn Fisher can write with an authority that keeps you reading. She has no limits or boundaries and neither does real life, and that's why I enjoyed it so much. There's no cookie cutter writing when it comes to this author and that is definitely an amazing thing.

I AM... Skeptical
I AM... In disbelief
I AM... Angered
I AM... Heart palpitations
I AM... Gut wrenched
I AM... Saddened
I AM... FLOORED

Tarryn writes life in her art, and her art is life. I've loved her art since TO, there's a connection with her story telling, a truth to it and this was no different. Tarryn, you have an undeniable gift, you have a way of enrapturing us with your words and making us go through all these stages of emotions with your stories. Thank you for giving us a glimpse of you in your books. And EFF YOU for making me love this book more than TO!!

Twisted people causing twisted chaos! Tarryn Fisher brings a unique story that is addictingly (Is that even a word) unpredictable! Our brains tend to plot out what we think the whole movie is about within the first few minutes or a book within the first few chapters; and that is exactly what mine did when I started Bad Mommy. I had no idea what this book was about when I started. I knew the title, knew the author, and saw the cover... the end. I love going into books completely blind! I feel like it makes it more real for me and I can't guess as much. Well, I would be completely surprised if anyone can predict what happens throughout this crazy story line!
I think everyone is a little twisted in some way or another, but what happens when the truly twisted make their way into the lives of the not-so twisted? That's what happens in Bad Mommy; add in some angst, roller coaster feelings and some more crazy and Fisher gives you an amazing read!
Bad Mommy was my first read of 2017 and if the rest of my reads leave me feeling anything like this book then I cannot wait!

What a ride. There were times reading this I thought, "Wait. What? Did I miss something?" But I know how Tarryn writes and it usually all comes together in the end. So I kept on.. feeling a little lost here and there, feeling like I got slapped in the face a couple times, because some stuff I never saw coming. But in the end, I really liked it. After some reflection, it all came together and my earlier questions were answered. You have to use your mind and think a little. I like that. Good book!

Intriguing..... Kept my attention and drew me in. Artistically written in three viewpoints. Could have had a better ending as with most books lately. Felt like the ending summed up too fast and dropped off.

This review originally appeared on herestohappyendings.com.

I heard about Bad Mommy through a few other fellow bloggers, and while I hadn't read anything by Tarryn Fisher, I knew I wanted to read this book. From the cover, the intriguing yet vague synopsis, and all the great praise I have heard about it, I just knew that it would be right up my alley. And for the most part, I was right. When the book went on sale for Kindle, I picked it up in a hurry because I wanted to read it. It was one of those rare times when I wanted to read something so much that I actually dropped the book I was currently reading just to start this one.

Bad Mommy starts off with Fig Coxbury stalking a woman and her daughter, because she believes that the woman has her daughter. Right off the bat, you can tell she is a bit unstable, but wait - things get worse from there.

"I see you getting things you don't deserve, living it up. It f------ sucks. I feel resentful because I deserve it more than you do. I could be a better you, that's what it boils down to. I'm every woman; it's all in me."

Fig buys a house right next door to "Bad Mommy," which is what she calls Jolene, the woman she is pretty much stalking. She buys the house, finds a way to befriend Jolene, and starts spending time with both Jolene and Darius, Jolene's husband. She more or less makes herself a member of the family - coming over all the time, trying to spend as much time with Jolene's daughter as she can, and eventually she starts trying to win over Darius by sending him dirty pictures and flirting with him all the time.

This goes on, and then we get to the part of the book told from the point of view of Darius. This more or less explains the various problems that he is having with women - he isn't very faithful to Jolene at all, and instead flirts with women and gives out his number to those he sees at his practice as a psychologist. Eventually, one of the women decides that she wants to file a lawsuit against him because of the way he behaves, and he has to find a way to tell Jolene. Through all of this, he is still flirting with Fig, and Fig is a constant in their home, spending more and more time there.

When we get to the point of view of Jolene, things take a turn - she tries to stop spending time with Fig as she realizes that Fig isn't good for her, and that she might be a little bit scary at times, with how much time she spends around her and how she has even decorated her house to look like Jolene's. She discovers something about Darius that throws their life for a loop, and she is forced with some big decisions.

Bad Mommy wasn't really what I was expecting. I was expecting a thriller, sure, but this was told in a different manner than what I thought it was going to be. When I started reading, I thought I was just going to be reading the story from Fig's point of view. But then it changes to Darius's point of view, and finally, the last section is told from the point of view of Jolene. I honestly thought this was a nice touch, but I was kind of hoping for more from Fig's point of view. She was such an unreliable narrator and that made the book a lot of fun. I didn't care much for Darius at all, and Jolene was incredibly serious and it added a completely different layer to the story. I think that the author did a great job naming each character's section of the book: The Psychopath, The Sociopath, and The Writer (Fig, Darius, and Jolene). The chapters were also titled in a way that made reading them pretty exciting.

To be completely honest, while I wished for more narration from Fig, I didn't like her character at all. I thought she was ridiculously obnoxious, and slightly homophobic, and God, it really pissed me off.

"Nothing was the same as it used to be. Not that I was homophobic or anything, but it was unfair that the gays were being given babies and I was not."

...Yes, Fig actually referred to them as "the gays."

"Plus, George was probably right: she had just gotten a pixie cut. If that didn't scream lesbo then I didn't know what I did."

Yep.

"Then one day he stopped delivering my packages and was replaced by a dikey middle-aged blonde named Fern."

..."Dikey."

Okay, to be fair, like I mentioned, I really did like this book. I loved Jolene's character, and while I didn't feel like Darius really contributed that much to the story in terms of his point of view, I still enjoyed reading it. I think the author did such a great job when it came down to writing this story, because there was a lot going on and damn, it had to be difficult to wrap this story up in such a fantastic way. I really did love the ending - I wasn't expecting it at all.

The only reason I'm giving this three stars instead of four or more is probably because of the amount of homophobic comments that were uttered or thought by Fig.

Would I recommend this book? Sure. It was a fast read and I spend most of my day reading it, completely lost in the thrilling and kind of creepy story that Tarryn Fisher wove together. She did a wonderful job, and I will definitely be reading more books by her.

Whew! I just finished 'Bad Mommy' last night and I'm still trying to process everything I read. This is one of those stories that will leave you questioning exactly WTF you just read. As much as I enjoyed this book - and I did enjoy it - I am so glad to have gotten off of that crazy train! One more hour in the mind of Fig Coxbury and I'm sure the craziness would've rubbed off on me.

As many others have pointed out, including Tarryn Fisher, this story has a 'Single White Female' meets 'Fatal Attraction' feel to it. Although, 'The Hand that Rocks the Cradle' is the movie that stands out in my mind, if we're throwing out movie comparisons. Remember that one? Creepy stuff.

In any case, Fig Coxbury is one seriously crazy lady. There is no disguising the fact that this woman is certifiable. Nutso. Bonkers. Cray-cray. You get the picture. This lady was 100% looney tunes.

Fig sees Jolene Avery and her daughter, Mercy, at the park one day and becomes obsessed. She convinces herself that Mercy is the reincarnated soul of the baby that she miscarried years ago. Fig begins stalking Jolene, going so far as to purchase the house next door to her when it goes up for sale.

Jolene has the life that Fig thinks she deserves. In her mind, Jolene has her daughter and the "perfect" husband, Darius. Fig befriends Jolene and slowly infiltrates every aspect of her life. She hangs out with her friends, invites herself over during family time and shows a complete disregard for normal boundaries and socially acceptable behaviors. If Jolene buys something, so does Fig. It is very, very creepy.

Although Fig's feelings toward Jolene bounced back and forth between resentment, envy and admiration, somewhere along the way her actions become more laced with malice. She is no longer satisfied to be the friend in the shadows. She wants everything that Jolene has and she begins actively plotting to get what she wants.

At first, I was enjoying the novelty of Fig's craziness. I kept thinking that Fig was the perfect mate for crazy Joe from Caroline Kepnes's 'You'. She was like the female version of Joe with her crazy rationalizations and her stalker behaviors. However, just like Joe, crazy gets old.

After a while, I was irritated with the bat-shit crazy thought processes that made up Fig's inner monologue. Luckily, about the time that I had had all I could take of her insanity, the POV changed. It happened rather abruptly and I didn't see it coming, but I was grateful. If the story had continued in Fig's POV, I'm not sure I could've handled it. Ms. Fisher did a great job of impressing upon me the craziness of the situation and taking me right to the brink of what I could handle, and then changing it up before I lost interest.

Darius' POV is presented next. Surprisingly, he was just as crazy as Fig! I knew this guy was kind of a douche, but the depths of his betrayal was shocking. His duplicitous nature was a complete surprise to me.

Finally, Jolene's POV is provided. Although all of the narrators were unreliable, Jolene was the only one that didn't exude craziness. My heart went out to her. She had invited a whole lot of crazy into her life and paid the price. Move away Jolene -- far, far away. Change your name. Live off the grid. Hide!

All in all, I enjoyed this trip to crazy town quite a bit. It was definitely a unique and unexpected reading experience. I don't think I could handle reading too many stories like this in a row, but it provided a nice change of pace. And that ending - creepy. I hope it was a joke. Creepy. Very creepy.

I have been reading Tarryn Fisher for years. She's one of my heroes. When I get discouraged, her words find me. Fierce, unapologetic, honest, defiant, and relentless, Bad Mommy showcases all her strengths in one concentrated dose. Fisher's powerful prose and constant foreboding keeps the story moving forward like a banshee. What will happen next? Where is she taking us? Suddenly the story crashes and we are left feeling shock, triumph, and awe over what just happened. Tarryn's business is people and she writes them with no apologies. The narrative is potent. Her characters are still haunting me; the psychopath, the sociopath. Allow yourself to get lost in her art. Submerged in alluring words, broken characters, a colorful world.

And kudos Miss Tarryn. You wear truth on your sleeve. Strength in your pen. Power in your words. I applaud you for giving what I feel is your most empowering work.

I went into this book knowing that Tarryn Fisher likes to mess with people's minds. I was not wrong. While Fig is clearly deeply flawed it was in part to I had my "oh holy sh*t" moment, so many intricacies in the storyline, and a few little jabs at herself thrown in. If you're a fan of Tarryn's work, you'll love Bad Mommy.

Bad Mommy has her own issues, but compared to the other lead characters in this book, she had it going on! This book takes you into the mind is delusional stalker chick and a sorry excuse for messed up husband.

The beginning was a bit hard for me to read. Being inside her head made me feel uncomfortable but as I read on it became easier. In some parts I just had to laugh- not the mental illness is anything to laugh at. STSD is very real and it effects everyone differently.

I deducted a star because in the beginning, the lead crazy was divorced, at the end she was with him again and it never said how he came back into her life. For a moment, I thought she made him up the throw off the other crazy couple.

The writing is amazing. It will blow your mind, no doubt.

Such a crazy read!! Tarryn can't get any better. I am such a fan. Writing was superb. The flow was excellent which is why you read this book in one sitting. The only thing I was thrown of by was George, because I can't remember him in the first part, being in the picture, I will have to reread to see what I missed.

The Queen of ?'s does it again! Whenever I finish one of Tarryn's books, I always think it's the best one she's written. BUT, this one is by far, one of my favorites! It was the BEST birthday present she could have secretly given me!

This book .....I felt like I knew these people. Like these people could be us, in some way. It's a story about a woman named Fig who is a psychopath and a sociopath and her journey about manipulation and her stalker tendencies......and she's pretty freaking good at ALL them! I could not put this book down once I started reading it.....its THAT good.

I love Tarryn's writing, her books speak to my soul, they give me something to think about after reading them. I have a book hangover after I finish one of her books and this one will be no different!

We all have a little Fig in us when it comes to Tarryn's books! THIS IS A MUST READ!!!!