Mother by Laura Jarratt Blog Tour

 There are some books that can terrify me, even more so when children are involved in the storyline. One such book that gave me chills recently was Mother by Laura Jarratt.

Two Girls. One Chance.

When I received the email to take part in the blog tour for this standalone psychological thriller, the blurb alone sent shivers down my spine.

When Lizzie's car crashes with her two daughters inside, she faces a terrible choice. And when she recovers from her injuries, she has to deal with the impact of that tragedy as well as the police investigation into it.

As Lizzie and her family struggle to come to terms with the events of that night, things take an even darker turn. Just what did happen on that remote country road? Who is responsible? And can the family get through this together...Or will the truth finally tear them apart?

This is a very articulate tale.

Lizzie's car crashes as she's travelling back from a week away with her two daughters. She is immediately confronted with an awful choice, which daughter to save. Time is not on her side, trapped under water and running out of air, her motherly instincts kick in and what's decided is something that Lizzie will forever have to live with.

One daughter dead, the other alive.

Switching between the past and present. Before the crash and the aftermath of the tragic events that occurred.

Could you choose between your children?

I was immediately impressed with Laura's style of writing.

The tension gradually building. Pieces of information missing. We aren't initially aware of which daughter survived and beyond that, Lizzie's reasons for the choice that she made. It's all very heartbreaking, I just kept imagining how I'd feel if faced with the same situation. 

How can you decide such a fate for somebody?

A stunning, deeply emotional and beautifully realised cross between SOPHIE'S CHOICE and DAUGHTER.

The fallout from that impossible choice seems inevitable.

Grief leads people to do and say things that they don't mean. Survivor's guilt for the chosen daughter. Overwhelming sorrow for the mother who had to choose, seeing her daughter, forever reminded of the decision she made. Then there's the husband who also feels deep sadness but is trying to be strong for his family

Beyond this horrific event, something more sinister lurks in the background.

Could it be that this wasn't some unlucky accident, instead that someone despised Lizzie so much that they purposefully caused her car to crash?

Is there a moment in the life of every mother with more than one child when she fears she will be in this predicament?

Emotions intensify with each turn of the page with this book.

Intense and edgy.

My only negative feeling about Mother was the ending. This is an extremely fast-paced read and after all of the twists and turns, I was expecting a more explosive way to end it. I understand what the author was trying to do to give it some resolve but after a certain scene (won't say anymore as I don't want to spoil for others) it just seemed to lose its momentum slightly.

It's dark where I am. I need a light to guide me out.

Over all I liked it. 

A promising start into this genre of writing for Laura Jarratt. I'll definitely be reading her next release whenever that might be.

For more reviews and thoughts on Mother do check out the rest of the blog tour outlined below: