Book Review: The Other Mother by Matthew Dicks
The Other Mother by Matthew Dicks
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Publication Date: January 12, 2021
My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars
Publisher’s Description:
Thirteen-year-old Michael Parsons is dealing with a lot. His father’s sudden death; his mother’s new husband, Glen, who he loathes; his two younger siblings, who he looks after more and more now that his mother works extra shifts.
And then one day, Michael wakes up and his mother is gone. In her place is an exact, duplicate mother. The ‘other mother’. No one else seems to notice the real version is missing. His brother, his sister, and even Glen act as if everything’s normal. But Michael knows in his heart that this mother is not his. And he begins to panic.
What follows is a big-hearted coming-of-age story of a boy struggling with an unusual disorder that poses unparalleled challenges―but also, as he discovers, offers him unique opportunities.
Thirteen-year-old Michael Parsons is under a lot of stress. He cares for his younger brother and sister while his mother works double shifts to make up for the fact that his scheming, deadbeat step-dad contributes almost nothing financially to the household. Michael has anger problems that have gotten worse since his father died. It seems likes he’s always in trouble at school. Then, one day he wakes up to discover that his mother is missing. She has been replaced with an exact replica. No one else seems to notice that this woman is not his mother. Michael needs to find out what this other mother has done with his real mother. He can’t tell anyone because he knows they’ll think he’s crazy.
Michael clearly has some sort of behavior disorder, although a specific diagnosis is never given in the book. He meets with the school counselor daily to help develop coping mechanisms for his anger. Because he has outbursts at school, he doesn’t have any friends. His inner thoughts reveal some of the causes of his behavior but it confuses him almost as much as it confuses the people around him. Matthew Dicks has a real insight into the minds of troubled people and Michael’s inner thoughts are authentic and revealing. I felt such empathy for him, my heart hurt while reading this book.
There are bright spots for Michael. Sarah, the prettiest girl in school, happens to live next door. When Michael’s little sister invites her to go fishing with them, Sarah and Michael hit it off and become fast friends. She’s only the second friend Michael has ever had. Michael also meets a woman on his paper route who knew his dad when they were kids. He enjoys hearing stories about when his dad, who he misses terribly, was younger. Michael has to decide if he trusts either Sarah or the woman enough to tell them that his mother is missing.
Dicks wrote Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend, which is one of my all-time favorite books. I’m happy to say that The Other Mother is in league with that book. Highly recommended.
Other books I’ve reviewed by Matthew Dicks:
Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend
The Perfect Comeback of Caroline Jacobs
(I received a complimentary copy of The Other Mother for review.)
