ISBN-13: 9780060816223
Grade: A+
This book like We Were the Mulvaneys should come with a box or three of tissues as the crying risk is rather high. I was in tears on the first page. Don't say I didn't warn you.
A little background on my relationship with Joyce Carol Oates. To say that I am a little biased towards JCO is an understatement. I fell in love with her writing ten years ago in high school during a creative writing class. We got to pick stories to read and discuss in class, and a short story called Shopping caught my attention. The love affair grew uncontrollably since then (thanks Mr. Jones, I owe you one). She is one of my favorite authors and all but one book of hers so far has been incredible. This latest book, Missing Mom, is no exception. JCO has such a gift of pulling people in to her characters and storylines so that you almost feel like a fly on the wall in her books.
Missing Mom is definitely one that I would take with me to a deserted island. It's not the lightest of reads, nor is it a particularly uplifting book, but it is one of honesty and one young woman's journey through grief. It is the story of Nikki Eaton as she deals with the horrific murder of her mother Gwen. It follows Nikki and her sister through the agony of losing their mother and the resulting trial. This book is so much more than a mother-daughter and sister-sister relationship. While Nikki may not be a likable character, she's real...flaws and everything. Same said for Clare, yet I didn't like her anywhere near as much as Nikki, probably because Nikki was a such a glorious misfit.
Missing Mom is shelved next to We Were the Mulvaneys as they are both perfection. This is JCO at her finest, a masterpiece of grief.
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