Just Like Mother

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. (May.)