Book Review: "The Need" by Helen Phillips
Synopsis: When Molly, home alone with her two young children, hears footsteps in the living room, she tries to convince herself it’s the sleep deprivation. She’s been hearing things these days. Startling at loud noises. Imagining the worst-case scenario. It’s what mothers do, she knows.
But then the footsteps come again, and she catches a glimpse of movement.
Suddenly Molly finds herself face-to-face with an intruder who knows far too much about her and her family. As she attempts to protect those she loves most, Molly must also acknowledge her own frailty. Molly slips down an existential rabbit hole where she must confront the dualities of motherhood: the ecstasy and the dread; the languor and the ferocity; the banality and the transcendence as the book hurtles toward a mind-bending conclusion.
In The Need, Helen Phillips has created a subversive, speculative thriller that comes to life through blazing, arresting prose and gorgeous, haunting imagery. Helen Phillips has been anointed as one of the most exciting fiction writers working today, and The Need is a glorious celebration of the bizarre and beautiful nature of our everyday lives.—Simon and Schuster
Rating (out of 5): 3.75
Review: I got sucked in by the synopsis of this quick and frightening book, and ended up finishing it in about two hours or so. It is very well-written and intelligent, but I do get the feeling that it was just not the right book for me. I generally eschew anything with an element of fantasy to it, and a twist that happens early on in the book changed the plot from a terrifying domestic thriller to a (still very scary) more fantastical thriller.
Unfortunately the nature of the book means that I can’t tell you much about the plot without giving away the pivotal twist that informs the majority of the novel. However, I can tell you that there’s a great deal to love about this book: the writing is direct and powerful and harrowing, and yet there are acutely heartwarming and funny moments with Molly and her children.
Motherhood seems like quite an unrelenting beast in this book, and I won’t lie when I say the combination of the primal love and existential fear for one’s children was anxiety-provoking to read. If you check the GoodReads reviews, I’m not alone in this, so I will mention that the incessant commentary about nursing was tiresome.
My bias against fantasy is simply that if something occurs in a mystery that is not realistic, intentionally or not, I’m drawn away from the action. I know some people love this, but I have trouble being scared by anything supernatural (beyond ghosts. ghosts are definitely real.) It’s a testament to this book that I stayed with it after it was clear that it wouldn’t be realistic fiction. The writing is excellent, and there’s a fever-dream quality to the narrative that is extremely compelling. I definitely recommend giving it a try, especially if you aren’t as selective about genre as I.
TL;DR: A strange but very well-written thriller about the fears inherent in parenting. If you do not enjoy fantasy elements, be prepared for the fact that this is not a straightforward domestic thriller.
If you liked this, try:
“A Separation” by Katie Kitamura
“Give Me Your Hand” by Megan Abbott
“Doctor Sleep” by Stephen King
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