Sins of Our Mothers (WiDo Publishing, 2020)
Nicole Souza
Dystopian Fiction
It’s a dystopian world, post solar flare and Global Catastrophe. Women run everything. “Defectives” (aka: men) are unnamed chattel property and rock-splitting Troglodytes. Any defective deemed “Exceptional” is in deep doo-doo. Think The Matrix meets Planet of the Apes with a stop in Amazon Women on the Moon.
This book starts off on the wrong foot, with two badly overwritten lead sentences that make Methuselah look like a youngster. I was hoping it’d get better. A hundred pages in, I was still hoping.
The characters are just ridiculous. Straight out of central You’re Kidding, Right? Like General Sarah Love. She makes Josef Mengele look like a piker. And “President of the United Sisterhood” (POTUS)? Seriously?
This is one of those books that you’ll either really like or you really won’t. I didn’t. The plot is so hackneyed, it made my hair ache. Example: How did women miraculously survive the calamitous solar flare A-okay, and men didn’t? Did the flare discriminate based on gender? Maybe that’s explained later on. I don’t have that kind of patience.
I tried and tried to get into this book. Gave it so many “second” chances, I lost count. Finally bailed after about 150 pages. I mean, hey. I could watch grass grow instead.
This thing is way out in left field, even for dystopia. As windy as a Kansas tornado. As subtle as a ton of bricks.
Whether the author intends to provoke, preach, inform, query, offend, alarm, entertain or just shock is unclear. And that’s part of the problem. A flea treatment is more entertaining than this brick. (We will not be rating this book. Puh-leeze!)
This review is part of a blog tour hosted by WOW! Women On Writing.
Pages & Paws 
May 10, 2021 at 3:25 pm
I read the critique about this book from Kimber and mom. I have been following the tour because I was interested in Sins of Our Mothers. I’ve read it and loved it! Clearly Kimber and mom didn’t read the book. This critique is ridiculous to anyone who has read it. It has strong, determined characters, great plot, interesting twists and intrigue that kept me guessing throughout the book. By page 150, if you had actually read that far, you would know that the men weren’t affected by the flares (because there were no flares). You would know that the solar flares were a coverup by the government to hide the truth about men and the segregation. I suppose if you don’t believe in the importance family then I can see why you would be provoked, offended and alarmed. I loved the ultimate message of this book. In society today, men are being marginalized to a great extent and it’s time we stop and think about their importance and the significance of women and families in the health, happiness and well being of the world.
May 10, 2021 at 10:34 pm
Let us count the inaccurate assumptions. Whatev. To each his/her own. Not our cuppa.
May 11, 2021 at 12:27 am
Lol.. yeah, I have to agree with Gammy. It seems silly to post so confidently about a book one hasn’t read. I can understand not relating to an author’s writing style or getting bored with a slow-paced plot for sure. Everyone has their preferences. I’m also following this tour and bought the book a couple few nights ago because previous posts had made it sound worthwhile. I’m not quite to page 150 but it has already been explained (and frankly was quite obvious from the start) that the entire premise of a global catastrophe was a conspiracy coverup for gender segregation by women in power. I am enjoying the story a lot and am always anxious at work to get home and keep reading. Just thought I would add my two cents. A single story isn’t for everyone, but this one is good in my opinion.
May 11, 2021 at 12:57 am
Assumptions much? Cheers.
May 11, 2021 at 12:40 am
I’ve read this book and based on your review I’d have to ask if you actually read any of it? It’s really obvious right towards the beginning that the solar flares didn’t happen. It was a made up thing to cover up taking men out of society. Men clearly didn’t die because the entire book is about them. So no the solar flares didn’t discriminate. 🤦♀️ If you’re going to say you read 150 pages of a book and give a review, maybe pay a little more attention to what you read next time? Maybe that way you’ll save yourself a hair ache lol
For sure each person is entitled to their own opinion and if you didn’t enjoy it that’s completely fine. It’s just obvious that you completely missed the whole point, plot and message of this book.