Book thoughts: Mother by Laura Jarratt

Blurb: Two Girls. One Chance.

When Lizzie's car crashes with her two daughters inside, she faces a terrible choice. And when she recovers from her injuries, she has to deal with the impact of that tragedy as well as the police investigation into it.

As Lizzie and her family struggle to come to terms with the events of that night, things take an even darker turn. Just what did happen on that remote country road? Who is responsible? And can the family get through this together...Or will the truth finally tear them apart?

my thoughts:  So this is the Story of Lizzie and her family. Lizzie goes away with her children, alone, as her husband Dan has to work.

On the return journey,  as her two daughters sleep, she spots strange lights that look as if they are in the trees, but she can’t be sure, as the road in her location is very twisty. 

Suddenly bright white lights are coming right for her and she tries to swerve out of the way. And in the process her windscreen is smashed out and she finds herself bumping down through the woods and the trees at a frightening pace, unable to get her breaks to work.

She hears her eldest daughter scream, feels the car flip, and then the car, with them inside, crashes down into the water and rabidly begins to sink. 

Suddenly Lizzie is faced with a terrible choice, freeing herself from her seatbelt and swimming into the back of the car which is already underwater, she is forced to make a choice, or which daughter to save. They are both unconscious, neither able to free themselves and she has just second to choose, or she will lose them both. 

Can you imagine how awful that would be? The agony of that moment, of making a choice like that? She makes her choice, get the daughter she choose to the shore and preforms CPR. Once her daughter is breathing, she hurry’s back to the water, knowing it is hopeless,  knowing it is too late but having to try.

Laura, writes this difficult scene beautifully and has you on the edge of your seat as you wait to see the outcome. 

Who will she choose? Will she be able to get back to the other child? While worrying to about the child she has left on shore. Cold and alone. Might she still loose them both? Or will she die trying to save them? 

This is a heartbreaking look at grief and family. Laura shows, how we all deal with grief differently, in this accurate and at times devastating plot.

She builds characters that are perfectly in-perfect, and full of depth. That pull you into the story and make you bleed with them. 

There are plenty of twist too, to keep you hooked.

An amazing author with an amazing talent and I will definitely be reading more by her in the future. 

A big thank you to NetGalley, Laura Jarratt and her publishers for allowing me to read this book for free, in exchange for an honest review. It has been an absolutely pleasure.