ARC Review: Mother Knows Best

I received an ARC of this book through Netgalley

Mother Knows Best by Kira Peikoff

September 10, 2019

Hardcover, 288 pages

CW: infertility, harmful portrayal of mental illness (psychosis), violence, sexual harassment, child death (mentioned), gun violence, stalking

 

 

Goodreads Synopsis

A mother’s worst nightmare, a chance at redemption, and a deadly secret that haunts a family across the generations.

There’s only room for one mother in this family.

Claire Abrams’s dreams became a nightmare when she passed on a genetic mutation that killed her little boy. Now she wants a second chance to be a mother, and finds it in Robert Nash, a maverick fertility doctor who works under the radar with Jillian Hendricks, a cunning young scientist bent on making her mark—and seducing her boss.

Claire, Robert, and Jillian work together to create the world’s first baby with three genetic parents—an unprecedented feat that could eliminate inherited disease. But when word of their illegal experiment leaks to the wrong person, Robert escapes into hiding with the now-pregnant Claire, leaving Jillian to serve out a prison sentence that destroys her future.

Ten years later, a spunky girl named Abigail begins to understand that all is not right with the reclusive man and woman she knows as her parents. But the family’s problems are only beginning. Jillian, hardened by a decade of jealousy and loss, has returned—and nothing will stop her from reuniting with the man and daughter who should have been hers. Past, present—and future converge in a mesmerizing psychological thriller from acclaimed bestselling author Kira Peikoff.

A decent thriller for scifi fans

As a kid I was a genetics nerd and while these days my interest doesn’t run as deep, I’m always up for a medical ethics story.

The Pros

The writing is extremely engaging; the book was hard to put down because I wanted to see what happened next.

Abby is a great character. She is brave and smart, while also naïve and impulsive. Her perspective as a young teen was very well executed.

Some of the twists were quite surprising and their reveal upped the tension even more.

The Cons

Abby’s parents make dumb decision after dumb decision. After a wile it becomes unbelievable.

For a book about medical ethics there were way too few connections to our situation. I was expecting some commentary on current fertility treatments or what the future might hold, but there was none.

I’m not familiar enough with mitochondrial disease to comment on that representation, but I found the portrayal of psychosis to be very poor. Some aspects were downright innacurate and I did not enjoy how it was used to make Claire look scary and unreliable.

Biological parents are not real parents and a book about genetics & fertility treatments should know the difference.

Would I recommend it?

It’s an entertaining read for sure, but you wouldn’t miss much it you decided not to pick it up.