The School for Good Mothers by Jessamine Chan

Frida Liu had one bad day. She hasn't been sleeping that well, she needed a coffee and that one file from work. Harriet wouldn't stop screaming. She put Harriet in her chair and was just going to be gone for a few minutes. 2.5 hours later, she returns home and Harriet has been taken by the police and Frida has entered a new nightmare.

A few months later, Frida is taken by bus to a large campus with 200 other 'bad' mothers. They will learn how to become good mothers again. They will learn how to take care of their children again, they will learn how to prepare for anything, they will learn how to love. What actually happens is a mix of The Handmaid's Tale + Orange is the New Black. There are uniforms, relationships, bullying, racism, violence, and non-stop surveillance.

Frida's motivation to survive until the end, to reunite with Harriet, is her only way to survive. After the 'school', what can be worse than this? ...

Jessamine Chan has written a nightmare of a novel about a AI-Big Brother-esque future. Some reviewers have called it over the top, but honestly, it's not over the top - it's scarily almost realistic.

This is a terrifying look at the power of government and motherhood. It's fabulous and powerful and speaks volumes about being a woman and trying to have a voice. I love every single word.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read this book.