A good read, despite a bleak view of the future! Not sure I would re read, and I found the ending was a little abrupt

Kate Mildenhall's *The Mother Fault* is a captivating dystopian thriller that explores the lengths a mother will go to protect her children. Set in a near-future Australia ravaged by climate change and governed by a surveillance state, the story follows Mim, whose husband, Ben, disappears under mysterious circumstances. Faced with government scrutiny and the threat of losing her children, Mim embarks on a perilous journey to find Ben and uncover the truth behind his disappearance.

Mildenhall vividly portrays a society grappling with environmental collapse and the erosion of individual liberties. The oppressive atmosphere is palpable, and the constant surveillance creates a sense of unease that permeates the narrative.

Mim is a compelling protagonist, and her fierce determination to protect her children is both admirable and heartbreaking. As she navigates the dangers of this dystopian world, she is forced to confront her own past and the choices that have led her to this point. The supporting characters, particularly Mim's children, Essie and Sam, are well-developed and add depth to the story.

The plot is fast-paced and suspenseful, with twists and turns that keep readers guessing until the very end. Mildenhall skillfully weaves together elements of mystery, thriller, and social commentary, creating a thought-provoking and emotionally resonant tale.

Mildenhall constructs a believable and terrifying dystopian future that feels all too plausible. Mim is a strong and resourceful protagonist, and her struggles resonate deeply throughout the narrative.

While the story keeps readers on the edge of their seats from beginning to end, it does slow down in the middle, which some may find drawn out. Additionally, while the ending is satisfying in some ways, it may leave some readers wanting more closure.

Overall, *The Mother Fault* is a powerful and moving story about family, resilience, and the fight for freedom. It is a must-read for fans of dystopian fiction and anyone who enjoys a suspenseful thriller with a strong emotional core.

I’ve arrived at the conclusion that dystopia isn’t really for me, despite grabbing my interest in the blurb. My apologies but I just couldn’t get to grips with this world and it lost my interest. I do appreciate the opportunity to try it for myself though and feel that fans of the genre will enjoy this much more than me.

Another excellent title, which will challenge readers and writers alike. Excellent choice of protagonists and plot line that will engage all.

This is a twisty dystopian book. The world building lacked some detail and I felt that the ending was poor
The main character was unrelatable so I wasn’t invested

The Mother Fault is a chilling dystopian thriller that follows Mim, a mother of two, who goes on the run to find her missing husband, Ben. In a near-future Australia, the government has fitted everyone with a tracking chip to keep them ‘safe’, but Ben has somehow gone off the grid. Mim is threatened by the sinister Department, who wants to take her children away and send her to a re-education camp. She decides to risk everything and escape, embarking on a perilous journey across the outback and the sea, with the help of some unlikely allies.

The book is well-written, with a gripping plot, believable characters, and vivid descriptions. The author creates a realistic and terrifying scenario, where climate change, surveillance, and authoritarianism have taken over the country. The book also explores the themes of family, identity, love, and courage, as Mim faces her past and discovers her inner strength. The book is the third in the Detective Gaby Darin series, but it can be read as a standalone, as the author provides enough background information and references to the previous books.

The Mother Fault is a compelling and thought-provoking thriller that will appeal to fans of Margaret Atwood, George Orwell, and Aldous Huxley. It is a book that will make you question, fear, and hope for the future.

Dystopia is my catnip. I can’t resist it. But as I’ve said before, I have to be careful how much of it I read (overactive imagination alert!). And even more so with these dystopian novels that seem plausible and could actually happen sooner than you think!

The Mother Fault is one of these books. It’s set in the not too distant future in Australia - but a very different Australia. The country seems to be under the control of an organisation called BestLife. They even make sure that babies are implanted with a chip. The adults all have them, and life is made more difficult for those who opt out.

Mim’s husband goes missing whilst working in a mine in Indonesia. But instead of care and support, BestLife respond by asking for Mim’s and her children’s passports, offering to ‘take care’ of the children. It’s a barely veiled threat.

Mim responds by trying to drive away as far and as fast as she can. Everywhere she goes, she’s surveilled, and everyone she sees or visits is in danger.

The descriptions of an Australia ravaged by climate change are haunting. The decisions Mim makes can be questionable, but that just makes it more interesting!

It’s a really tense read, I continually felt that they would be caught, even when they were at sea (especially so really, because who would be there to witness whatever BestLife would do?!).
The part of the book that took place in the boat was so frustrating at times, and really helped to put the reader in Mim’s shoes.
This was a great read, and I’ve added another writer to my watch list!!

This was a very clever and interesting dystopian thriller set in Australia and Indonesia. I found this book to be a real page turner with an interesting plot and character development. Thankyou to Netgalley for the advanced copy

This was a good book and good storyline and I apologise for not reading it sooner. The characters were good and I liked the writing style.
Recommended

This was a bit hit and miss. There are some aspects of the story that are brilliant, and scary, and very, very human. Mim is a great main character and her fear for her children and her need to keep them safe are really relatable.

The future world in which she lives feels, unfortunately, very real, and it isn’t hard to imagine things going the way they have in her life – with the government taking over everything, tracking every move, and those who don’t fit being sent off to ‘BestLife’ facilities. It’s all very eerily believable.

The novel moves at a pace to begin with and is very dramatic and exciting. but once Mim is at sea, it all slows down a great deal and the details about the technicalities of sailing drag the story down, unfortunately.

When Mim is back to tracking her husband, the pace picks up again, and the ending is really good, very exciting and fast-paced.

While there was, in my opinion, too much detail of the intricacies of sailing, there were other aspects of the story that I felt didn’t get the depth they needed. There were hints that Mim was frustrated and unhappy at home, that things in her marriage weren’t all they appeared, and I felt this could have been explored a little more, as could the relationship she had with her brothers. I do thin this would have helped me to care more about Mim, and what happened to her.

So definitely worth a read, but not quite as gripping as I’d hoped – but I’d certainly read more by this author.

I tried with this one. I love Aussie fiction and dystopian thrillers so I expected it to be a big hit. Alas I found the main character to be quite unlikeable and the main plot failed to engage. It's an interesting notion particularly given the real life political and climate upheavals within Australia today - some of the actual corrupt politicians are wilder than anything fiction could dream up - but it still slightly fell flat. While the oppression was reasonably well-drawn, the ideology behind it was not and felt rather bland. Still the children characters were well-drawn and there were moments where the writing was reasonably compelling.

This was a fast paced dystopian thriller set in Australia and Indonesia in the near future. Very clever plot, excellent characters and the story was a real page turner. I was really rooting for Mim and her children!

I have to admit that I was a bit underwhelmed by this book. I think I expected it to be a bit more than it was. A bit more dystopian. A bit more thriller(y)? Instead, it was just a mild version of those things and so I just really struggled to get into it. Mimi wasn't the most relatable character and I wasn't a fan of some of her choices. As a Mother myself I just couldn't relate to her or follow her logic (or lack of it).
I really enjoyed the dystopian scene setting at the beginning. Mothers being monitored, people being chipped and the government tracking them, what's not to love. But then those dystopian elements sort of faded out as the story moved on and I think that was where I started to struggle with my level of interest. The mother and her children embark on a journey to find the father all whilst trying to avoid the Police. The book then just became a very average thriller.

The Mother Fault is a dystopian thriller, set in the near future. Climate change has caused a huge shift in conditions, how people are forced to live within this harsh new reality, and the way in which the ruling power deals with this new reality.

Mim, lives with her two children, Essie and Sam. Ben, her husband, is due to return home from his overseas work in Indonesia, but, he doesn’t come home.
The Department, the ruling power with decidedly Orwellian overtones, has a way of dealing with situations and people, to make problems simply disappear.

I found Mim tricky to like, I found her decisions hard to understand.
For some reason, the book didn’t grip me. I found myself distracted. I wasn’t desperate to read what would happen next. I really hoped the end of the book would make me love it, but it didn’t feel satisfactory sadly.

Thrillers are my genre, and I’m partial to a dystopian setting, but the pace was too slow for me. I just didn’t gel with the book, I don’t think I am the right reader. I’m sure many others will love the writing. The frequent timeline changes, sometimes led to confusion. Just 3⭐️⭐️⭐️ from me.

Very gripping and exciting. I was on the edge of my seat throughout. Great characters and plot that kept me engaged.

This was an interesting book but the genre was not one I was used to.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I quite enjoyed this book in the way that this could be our futures one day! Chipped and monitored ! I found it hard to get into at first but after a while it picked up pace for me and I found myself page turning like a mad woman!

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book. Unfortunately this book was not for me and I was unable to finish it. I am sure other reader will enjoy it.

Sadly this was a DNF for me. That said I’m sure it will appeal to others but not my vibe at all. Thank you to netgalley for this arc in exchange for my honest review

I really enjoyed this book, the story kept you on your toes and in the world we live in today, not totally out of reach!
However I found the ending rushed, I did enjoy it but I also felt it was way too rushed.