I Can Be a Better You

Colleen Hoover

Rating: really liked it
Wow.
Just wow.
Is Tarryn a psychic because this book is a mirror image of my life. Word for word, I kept thinking, "Did I write this book?"
When I got about halfway through, it finally hit me. I DID write it. That's why I'm giving it five stars. Because I wrote it.
Not Tarryn.
Bad Mommy? More like bad friend.

Candace

Rating: really liked it
Check out more of my reviews at www.bookaddicthaven.com

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.

Melissa ♥ Dog/Wolf Lover ♥ Martin

Rating: really liked it
Holy Mother of Pearl! This book is off the rails! And I loved it!





I don't even know what to say about this book people!

Okay, lets just go for it.

So this crazy chic named, Fig (yes, Fig) moves in next door to Jolene, Darius and little girl, Mercy. Gah, I don't even. Okay so the book is written in three different POV's, which threw me for a loop. You have Fig telling her story in the beginning, then Darius and finally Jolene. There are some other characters involved and some that I didn't even think were involved until reading other pov's because I was stuck inside of crazy trains head for a bit and didn't know what was what.

Not everyone is what they seem in the book and than are more than one crazy minds going on up in here!

Fig wants what Jolene has, the child and the husband. And she does a damn good job and trying to insert herself into that picture. But let me tell you, this author put those other POV's in the book and I had no freaking clue how much more cray it was going to get! It was bloody brilliant. And I wanted to punch a few people. Actually someone did get punched and I freaking loved it. Heh!

I recommend this book to anyone that likes crazy psychological nut case books!

MY BLOG: Melissa Martin's Reading List

Bibi

Rating: really liked it

Unique. Intoxicating. Disturbing. Jaw-dropping. Authentic. Perfect.

There are few people who write as captivatingly as TF. Fewer who, with sparse but intoxicating words, draw you deep into the world and lives of their characters. There's not one thing I'd change about this book. It's a story that escalates in increments, with three POVs unraveling the truths and the lies. Lies dammit, and more lies. The reader becomes anxious, knowing things can't possibly end well. But for who and how?

This is the Tarryn from Marrow, Fuck Love, Dirty Red. The Tarryn who writes dysfunctional and psychotic like it's her second name. Baaaah... Dear sweet lawd, I didn't want this book to end despite the messed up, fucked up, characters. Or should I say because of the messed-up characters. Holey Moley on a cheese stick, that last paragraph has me like noooooooooooo?!!!

A.

Rating: really liked it
3 Stars

That ending... I hope it was a joke.



I didn’t like this book. I mean, it was interesting but I didn’t like it.

It’s not the story. The story is great. Gripping and f*cked up, just the way I like it. I love Tarryn’s imagination. She’s a brilliant writer. I love her unconventional and unique stories and her multi-layered and complex characters.

But I felt like I was being told a story from three different perspectives without experiencing it with the characters. I didn’t relate to any of them. I wasn’t emotionally invested. I felt nothing.

Maybe I wasn’t supposed to, I don’t know. But I’m the kind of reader who always puts herself in the main characters' shoes and who mainly bases her ratings on emotions and impressions.

Enjoyment: 3/5
Writing style: 5/5
Storyline: 4/5
Hero: 2/5
Heroine: 3/5
Secondary characters: 4/5
Hotness/chemistry: 1/5
Romance: 1/5
Angst: 2/5
Darkness level: 4/5
Humor: 3/5
Depth of the book: 4/5
POV: multiple, 1st person
Triggers: (view spoiler)[cheating (hide spoiler)]

Crumb

Rating: really liked it
What do you get when you put a sociopath, a psychopath, and a writer (that has some issues) all in the same story...
BAD MOMMY
A brilliantly dark novel

I know they say "don't judge a book by it's cover," but how many of us actually listen to this adage? I'll be the first to admit that I am not a fan of bland, ugly, or plain old boring covers. Specifically, I have never been attracted to this cover. In fact, I think it is straight up.. ugly. However, for a challenge I am participating in, I had to read a book that had an "ugly cover." I knew at once, that this would be perfect. Not only did I end up liking it, I ended up loving it!


This book was divided into three sections: The Sociopath, the psychopath, and the writer. I thought this was a technique that worked well throughout. I was introduced to Fig, Darius, and Jolene intimately.

So.. the plot goes something like this..Fig is this crazy lady that moves in next door to Darius and Jolene. Darius and Jolene have a daughter, Mercy. Fig doesn't think Jolene deserves Mercy. Fig thinks Mercy should be hers.. and she will do anything to make that possible.

The crazy factor in this book was off the chain and I loved it! Each character had varying degrees of neurosis and charmed me with their cray-cray.


I learned to love each one of them for different reasons; acknowledging that while they all had their faults, they weren't necessarily evil. Domestic noir is something that is overdone and is often poorly executed. This book was not only expertly crafted but it had the perfect amount of tension and darkness. It was ugly and sick and beautiful.. all at once. I can't wait to read more of Tarryn Fischer's work.

Barbie

Rating: really liked it
[ Where was George?! He was mentioned about 2 times, and in the end he magically re-appear? (hide spoiler)]

Pearl Angeli

Rating: really liked it
5 Tarryn-Fisher-Did-it-Again Stars!

(I've read this book together with my awesome sis Bea. Check her review by clicking her name. :))

"What a book." These were the first three words that came to mind while I was scouring my brain in an effort to find a fitting definition of what I had just read. I was honestly blown away, and I have to agree with every praise that the reviewers have given this book.

Tarryn Fisher has always been great when it comes to writing dark and twisted books. I was awed by her Mud Vein and now I'm once again impressed with this nerve-wracking masterpiece.

"I can make you a part of something great and beautiful and still portray you as the ugly thing you are."

Told in three POVs, the story of Bad Mommy revolves around the characters Fig Coxbury, Darius Avery, and Jolene Avery. Picture Fig, a woman who moved to West Barrett Street when she started obsessing over a particular stranger's (Jolene's) life-- her daughter, her happy marriage, her personality, her everything. She's a stalker who soon invaded Jolene's home and life. Things eventually got messier when Fig's obsession became serious-- to the point of trying to steal Jolene's husband and imitating everything that she does and she likes.

You cannot predict the outcome of this book. It sure did a fantastic job keeping me guessing what will happen to the characters in the end. What's even more impressive about this book is the fact that it depicts psychological problems that exist in real life. I didn't know that too much obsession over some things can be dangerous. I was too freaked out by Fig's personality. And the way her POV was written in a disturbing way did not even help.

Gripping, thought-provoking, and at times creepy, this book was all kinds of twisted it's painful to put down. And the best part of this book? The ending. It was like a bomb creating a total explosion. Good job, Tarryn Fisher!

BernLuvsBooks

Rating: really liked it
4 Stars for Bad Mommy

Want a peek inside the mind of a psychopath or a sociopath? This is a book that does just that!

The book is told in 3 different (unreliable) POVs and I have to give Tarryn credit for truly making each POV/voice unique and giving us insight into each character while craftily adding pieces to the puzzle with each chapter that we didn't even realize were missing.

The twists & turns in this book are nothing short of a roller coaster ride. These characters are deeply flawed and when you think you have them figured out - think again because you don't! Beware - this book will pull you in & the characters won't let go. This was a fast, unputdownable ride on the crazy train & I loved every disturbing minute of it!

Hulya Kara Yuksel

Rating: really liked it
First of all, I must say that Tarryn Fisher is one of my favorite authors. I always love her wicked mind and sick sense of humor about love BUT no matter how I try, I didn't love this book, I didn't enjoy it at all. Don't get me wrong the blurb was very catchy but I didn't get into this story. :( And I respect to my friends who gave this book 5 stars, and I'll never, ever judge them for this but it seems I'm the main problem in here... Well, sometimes I'm being the jerk one! Sorry Tarryn! :-\

But still please don't mind my rating, go and give a shot this book! Who knows, maybe you love it. ;)

Maxine (Booklover Catlady)

Rating: really liked it
Wow. Wow. Wow. I have just read this for a second time and my review still stands strong!

Tarryn Fisher is officially now one of my favourite authors ever. I adore her books. This was absolutely freaking brilliant.It just got better and better as it rolled out. An author that loves to shock her readers. She's one exceptional talent.

This is a very clever book. You like twisted characters? Damaged goods? Messy people? Don't blink, get this book. It will suck you in and leave you gasping at the end. Bloody brilliantly plot!

Written in three parts, three perspectives. Each one building on what is an exceptional storyline. Every time I thought this book had reached it's peak it kept climbing. Even the very last sentence had me fist-pumping with thrills.

Tarryn writes exceptionally good characters, they get under your skin. Psychopath? Sociopath? Heck - have both in a novel just for starters before main course is served. I read this book until the sun came up over a few hours, no chance of putting it down. I loved every single word, comma and letter. Every single one.

I was knocked around psychologically by her book Marrow last year and this was a different story but just as brilliant. If you've not read this author yet then trust me, you need to. Start here. I'm moving on to read Mud Vein next. Heck, I'll read everything. A stand out book that's set the bar high for 2017. A contender for my Top Ten Reads of 2017! 5 stars.

I can't really express fully how this book worked it's magic, it just did. Please, pop it on your to-read list and personally message me what you thought after you've read it. I love you Tarryn Fisher, I wish you pumped out a new book each week.

Expect the unexpected and enjoy!

Jennifer Kyle

Rating: really liked it
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Melanie

Rating: really liked it
Bad Mommy is a story that is broken down in three parts, each told by a different unreliable narrator, and will make you question everything, including how you perceive others. It is no secret that Tarryn Fisher is one of my favorite authors, and that Mud Vein is my favorite book of all time (minus Harry Potter, because, you know, it is Harry Potter). Yet, even though I've read her entire works, I don't think she ever comes as close as to the perfection that is Mud Vein, but Bad Mommy is for sure my new second favorite.

“You couldn’t put three crazy people into a story and not have their worlds teeter-totter.”

Also, I just have to state that I started 2016 with F*ck Love, and now 2017 with Bad Mommy. If you haven't tried anything by Tarryn Fisher, please rectify that in 2017, please. She is honestly in a league of her own.

In true Tarryn fashion, this story surrounds two girls and one guy protagonist. One is a psychopath, one is a sociopath, and one is Tarryn a writer. The book is broken down in those three parts, yet the twists and turns are, as always, a roller coaster ride. Like, reading Darius' chapters felt like I was being punched in the gut over and over. I felt so much surprise, heartbreak, and betrayal. No other author invokes these raw feelings from me.

Besides that, you should go into it blind because that's just how Tarryn Fisher masterpieces are read best.

“We were products of our earliest experiences, replicating the ways we were taught to love, and fuck, and interact with humanity. Some of us broke free of our pasts; some of us weren’t that clever.”

As a warning, I will say: If you do not like incredibly flawed characters do not attempt to read this book. There is homophobia, slut shaming, cheating, lying, stalking, and more. Obviously, Tarryn is an amazing human being who would never condone or justify these things, but she's also the master at writing really fucked up characters and stories, so I felt obliged to put a warning out there; especially with infidelity, because there is a lot of it. Tarryn writes very morally grey and black characters, and she does so unapologetically.

Another important trigger warning is that the topic of miscarriages and infertility are touched upon a lot. We, as a society, put such an emphasis on a woman's worth being tied to her ability to bear (and want to have) children. This is something one of our main protagonists will never be able to do, and she doesn't shy away from her feelings on the matter. In fact, it is the reason she does some pretty scary and horrible things.

“It wouldn’t matter to me if she’d known he was married and thrown herself at him. It was his job to tell her NO, to protect our relationship and keep his dick in his pants”

I can't speak for the mental illnesses that are very prevalent in this book; but I can speak for the actions of the mentally ill characters: it feels incredibly real. I'm sure most of us have someone in our life that doesn't have our best intentions at heart, or someone who will always make the situation about them, no matter what, or someone who will never love anyone as much as they love themselves. These traits were so real to me, and I couldn't help but be very impacted by them and their heartbreaking realness.

“Any good therapist would tell you that sociopaths and psychopaths can fool almost anyone, even them.”

Tarryn weaves a story with the most beautiful prose I've ever read in my entire life. The word addicting doesn't even do her justice. Her books always leave me feeling haunted, and I think about them for days and weeks after completion. She is truly a master at her craft, and I will always read and support her. How is she still an independent author, though? How are the big five not having a battle to the death to sign her?

All of Tarryn's stories and characters feel real, but this one feels a little too real. Like, I was 99% sure Jolene was Tarryn before the last sentence of this book. I know the beauty is that we will never truly know, but I'm going to believe this was true until the last of my days.

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Lindsay - Traveling Sisters Book Reviews

Rating: really liked it
5 stars! I LOVED this!!

What a wild, twisted, crazy addictive book!

Earlier this year, I read and loved The Wives which is the most recent release by this author. I’m thrilled to report that I loved this one EVEN MORE! I can’t stop thinking about these crazy characters!

Told through three brilliant perspectives, this story had me on edge with shock and confusion from start to finish. The tension was palpable. I simply couldn’t wrap my mind around the intentions of each character. The writing was excellent. The pace and flow were perfect and kept me glued to the pages. This easily makes my Favourites List.

A psychological thriller you don’t want to miss!

❥ KAT ❥ Kitty Kats Crazy About Books

Rating: really liked it



*Hangs head in shame* this has been sitting, glaring at me since I once clicked it in 2016 *Gasps* this year I'm going to read as many as my one click books as I can that are collecting dust on my ipad!!

BAD MOMMY: Is a standalone fucked up novel by Tarryn Fisher which can’t even be called a romance novel or such as really there was no romance to be had in this.
This is broken up into three segments/parts the first is Fig Coxbury’s POV <— Now this bitch here is cuckoo, like certifiable straight jacket kind of cray cray.
Then the second part of the story is the hubby’s POV and seriously I think he’s pretty much up there with Fig, I didn’t connect with him one iota.
Last but not least we reach Jolene’s POV <— The only bad thing you can really say about her is that she was so self absorbed that she never paid attention to what was going on around her (Big mistake)

So the gist of the story runs like this, Fig Coxbury has an odd fascination with a little girl and her bad mommy and her good looking husband on West Barrett Street to the point where she’s become fixated on them, so when she sees that the house next door to this happy family is up for sale she jumps at the chance to purchase it, she wants their life, the child, the bad mommy and the husband, in her eyes that should’ve been her life.

“I watched people, and then I wanted what they wanted. Does that make sense?” 

But to understand this you need to go back to where it all began, Fig had miscarried her child a few years ago so one day whilst at the park she sees Jolene Avery and her daughter Mercy and from that day onwards she became certifiably obsessed by them, but why these two you ask? Well and this is where it goes beyond crazy tunes she is convinced without a shadow of a doubt that the wee girl is the reincarnated lost soul of the baby she’d miscarried, see what I mean bt shit looney bin cray cray..

We all have that one person that we follow/stalk/ like/want the things she has, copy/buy what she's brought but Fig took that bitch to the next level, you have to read this to understand to what extent Fig went to.

This was all kinds of crazy, you know that feeling where you question “what the hell am I reading?” that was a typical question throughout, but like a train wreck that you can’t stop looking at you keep on reading to see how it’s all going to end and that there is where all the fuckery that happened in this novel spins your mind on its axle.