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alibi313's review against another edition
2.0
Maybe interesting for YA readers, but it was much too repetitive (could easily have been a novella or short story), and had an insufferable protagonist. Plus the “big secret” was obvious from the beginning. And because it was an audiobook, I couldn’t stop hearing this:
https://youtu.be/WH_SK0Jvq8M
Just not for me.
https://youtu.be/WH_SK0Jvq8M
Just not for me.
tiffanychan's review against another edition
3.5
Pros: an easy read. Cons: comes off as juvenile (to me). Which is not the book's fault, since it is children's literature. But it just didn't have enough substance to keep me engaged.
reemio's review against another edition
4.0
This was surprisingly heartfelt and endearing. I say surprisingly because I'm of the bad habit where I judge books by their cover and title. It is definitely not what I was expecting, but it ended up being very bittersweet and I actually teared up a little at the end. It's been such a long time since I read a book from the point of view of a middle schooler, so it really brought back a lot of memories from that time. Crazy how time flies.
Anyways, it was good. I'm not entirely sure how to rate it. It wasn't exactly a page turner, but I enjoyed it nonetheless.
Anyways, it was good. I'm not entirely sure how to rate it. It wasn't exactly a page turner, but I enjoyed it nonetheless.
k4tno3lle's review against another edition
4.0
coraline and the beldam are shaking with this title.
3.5 ish but rating up
it was cool, but i definitely enjoyed twenty one truths about love more, but still good. i liked the psychological element too (capgras) & how we look into the mind of someone who has some troubles/problems.
the characters were ok. michael was kind of annoying ofc but i can’t blame him. i really don’t have much else to say about it but i hope i had enjoyed it more than i did, but i guess it’s because i had convinced myself it would be a humorous fiction rather than psychological. but it was still funny at times. the story itself strayed away from the other mother problem a lot, like there were a lot of other side stories, which was fine i guess.
i think it would make a good tv show, maybe breaking the fourth wall like fleabag or deadpool. i think walker scobell would be a good michael. idk many other teenage boy actors. maybe jacob tremblay? oh and that girl from once upon a time in hollywood can play julia. the mom on the other edition of the book looks like zoe kazan so maybe she can play the mom. she’s very motherly & she played a struggling mom in the kindness of strangers
also in the end he’s just accepting that it’s not his mother? i guess his mind is telling him it’s his mother but it’s weird that he still doesn’t believe it. i guess eventually he’ll get through it especially now that his mom knows what issue he has and so now they can go about fixing it.
also this is my 20th book of the year!!
3.5 ish but rating up
it was cool, but i definitely enjoyed twenty one truths about love more, but still good. i liked the psychological element too (capgras) & how we look into the mind of someone who has some troubles/problems.
the characters were ok. michael was kind of annoying ofc but i can’t blame him. i really don’t have much else to say about it but i hope i had enjoyed it more than i did, but i guess it’s because i had convinced myself it would be a humorous fiction rather than psychological. but it was still funny at times. the story itself strayed away from the other mother problem a lot, like there were a lot of other side stories, which was fine i guess.
i think it would make a good tv show, maybe breaking the fourth wall like fleabag or deadpool. i think walker scobell would be a good michael. idk many other teenage boy actors. maybe jacob tremblay? oh and that girl from once upon a time in hollywood can play julia. the mom on the other edition of the book looks like zoe kazan so maybe she can play the mom. she’s very motherly & she played a struggling mom in the kindness of strangers
also in the end he’s just accepting that it’s not his mother? i guess his mind is telling him it’s his mother but it’s weird that he still doesn’t believe it. i guess eventually he’ll get through it especially now that his mom knows what issue he has and so now they can go about fixing it.
also this is my 20th book of the year!!
ellydania's review against another edition
lighthearted
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
kimjunmyeon's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
karreaderwriter's review against another edition
4.0
Michael, still in middle school has so much to deal with. His father died, he takes care of his younger siblings because his mother works so much, and his stepfather is a loser asshole.
This boy has a lot of anger. He sees his school psychologist who helps him deal with his emotions. He takes medication for attention deficit disorder. He’s a loner. I felt so much for this kid maybe because I see a lot of these kids dealing with god knows what. That’s the thing you never know what people are dealing with at home. What makes them act out.
Michael starts believing that his mother has been replaced by someone else even though she looks the same. He’s convinced his real mother is dead or gone and this clone has taken her place. The stress of his pain and keeping a terrible secret manifests itself into believing this.
After confronting this other mother and finally revealing his secret does he begin to accept that it’s been his real mother all along and that she’s been keeping secrets of her own which has worn her down and changed the person she was.
A touching, emotional story of dealing with pain and trying to heal.
This boy has a lot of anger. He sees his school psychologist who helps him deal with his emotions. He takes medication for attention deficit disorder. He’s a loner. I felt so much for this kid maybe because I see a lot of these kids dealing with god knows what. That’s the thing you never know what people are dealing with at home. What makes them act out.
Michael starts believing that his mother has been replaced by someone else even though she looks the same. He’s convinced his real mother is dead or gone and this clone has taken her place. The stress of his pain and keeping a terrible secret manifests itself into believing this.
After confronting this other mother and finally revealing his secret does he begin to accept that it’s been his real mother all along and that she’s been keeping secrets of her own which has worn her down and changed the person she was.
A touching, emotional story of dealing with pain and trying to heal.
energyrae's review against another edition
4.0
Michael is convinced his mother has been replaced. She looks and talks like his mother, but she isn’t his mother. He’s not sure why his brother and sister don’t see it, but he wants to uncover the truth. Michael is incredibly insightful. I highlighted so many things he said or thought, and I think his insight will stick with me for a long time. He’s also very clever, and he makes for a good main character.
When I read the blurb, I immediately thought of Coraline. But we didn’t get that at all with this, and that’s okay. This is definitely more a book about Michael’s hardships, of struggling with loss and keeping secrets. He has a lot of responsibility, and sometimes it’s too much for him. Let’s be honest, his mother was less than stellar, and that didn’t help his anxiety at all. I feel the author rushed the ending. We spent all of this time watching Michael, convinced in his beliefs, to have it wrap up too quickly at the end. I would have liked to see that fleshed out a bit more.
I appreciate that the author included so many real-life issues in the story, including bullying, suicide, and mental health. Michael is a very special young man. Overall, The Other Mother is a quick and enjoyable read. Thank you, St. Martin’s, for sending this along.
When I read the blurb, I immediately thought of Coraline. But we didn’t get that at all with this, and that’s okay. This is definitely more a book about Michael’s hardships, of struggling with loss and keeping secrets. He has a lot of responsibility, and sometimes it’s too much for him. Let’s be honest, his mother was less than stellar, and that didn’t help his anxiety at all. I feel the author rushed the ending. We spent all of this time watching Michael, convinced in his beliefs, to have it wrap up too quickly at the end. I would have liked to see that fleshed out a bit more.
I appreciate that the author included so many real-life issues in the story, including bullying, suicide, and mental health. Michael is a very special young man. Overall, The Other Mother is a quick and enjoyable read. Thank you, St. Martin’s, for sending this along.
anjreading's review against another edition
4.0
Eighth grader Michael Parsons has a lot on his plate: the death of his father, serving as a proxy parent to his younger siblings, dealing with ADHD and anger management issues, and an awful stepfather. Out of the blue one morning, he wakes up to find that his mother has been replaced by a stranger who looks and acts exactly like his mother. (This is not a fantasy novel; check out Capgras Syndrome if you've never heard of it.) Thanks to a new friendship with the next-door neighbor, an excellent school therapist, and Michael himself, he finds a way to deal with the huge secrets that he's been carrying around in a way that will absolutely warm your heart and have you rooting for this special, unusual boy.