Content levels
Trigger warnings
Positive tags
Heroine archetypes
Protagonist archetypes
Themes
Synopsis
A #1 Amazon Charts and Wall Street Journal bestseller. A bittersweet short story about mothers, daughters, and the witches’ brew of love—and control—that binds them, by the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Handmaid’s Tale and The Testaments . Life is hard enough for a teenage girl in 1950s suburbia without having a mother who may—or may not—be a witch. A single mother at that. Sure, she fits in with her starched dresses, string of pearls, and floral aprons. Then there are the hushed and mystical consultations with neighborhood women in distress. The unsavory, mysterious plants in the flower beds. The divined warning to steer clear of a boyfriend whose fate is certainly doomed. But as the daughter of this bewitching homemaker comes of age and her mother’s claims become more and more outlandish, she begins to question everything she once took for granted.
Is My Evil Mother: A Short Story appropriate for my child?
Suitable for most readers 13 and up.
A literary short story exploring the complex, sometimes toxic dynamics between a teenage daughter and her possibly-witchy mother in 1950s suburbia. Contains themes of manipulation and maternal control but no graphic content.
What to know going in
This book has no graphic violence, no sexual content, and clean language. Content notes include manipulation and gaslighting.
Publisher ages reflect reading level; our rating reflects content maturity — they can differ.
Who'll love this
Teens will relate to the protagonist's growing doubt about her mother's claims and her journey toward independence.