Review by Booklist Review
Poppy, already distressed when her husband leaves her for her best friend, finds herself rejected again when a local Facebook group doesn't accept her because she's not a mum. Tired of being pushed aside by mothers and their kids, Poppy and her friend Annalise start their own Facebook group dedicated to women who have chosen not to have children. Before long, what starts out as a fun escape turns evil when a member of Poppy and Annalise's group begins sharing their posts with the mums group, starting a series of destructive events that may expose secrets on both sides. Moriarty (The Fifth Letter, 2017) takes another look at friendships and the secrets that can destroy them. Focusing on building the characters as much as the suspense, Those Other Women tugs at the threads of relationships among women, asking why we end up tearing down those we should be helping to stand up. Filled with humor and likable characters who are flawed like the rest of us, Moriarty bravely questions why we hold onto our secrets and hold one another in judgment.--Tracy Babiasz Copyright 2018 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Australian author Moriarty follows her debut, The Fifth Letter, with a darkly droll page-turner. Devastated Poppy Weston, who's been blindsided by her husband's announcement that he's dumping her for her best friend and that he has changed his mind about not wanting kids, finds comfort where she can, first from office mate Annalise and then from the Facebook group they launch to connect childfree working women like themselves in the Sydney suburb of Parramatta. But each of these brings problems of its own. Beneath spunky Annalise's exterior lie disturbing-maybe even dangerous-secrets. And the Facebook group, known as NOP (for Non-Mums Online in Parramatta), begins to fall apart after a mole leaks some of the more vitriolic anti-mum posts to their archenemies, MOP (Mums Online-Parramatta), leading to a few hairy real-life run-ins. Although Moriarty doesn't quite manage to successfully infuse the weightier material that appears, including abuse and early-onset dementia, into a thriller that's largely a chick-lit soufflé, she does serve up a tasty divertissement. Agent: Pippa Masson, Curtis Brown (Australia). (June) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Library Journal Review
Moriarty (The Fifth Letter) delves into the perils of social media in her new novel. -Poppy's husband and her best friend have fallen in love. Even worse, Garrett and -Karleen are going to have a baby. Poppy never wanted children and thought Garrett felt the same. While she's still stinging from the breakup, she is befriended by coworker Annalise. The two decide to form a private Facebook group for other women who don't want to have kids. Initially the group works well, offering tips and support for those who deal with the challenges of nonmumhood. Then someone in the group shares an angry, drunken post of Poppy's to a mom's Facebook page. As Poppy realizes she has lost control of the gang, she's also becoming aware that Annalise has not been honest with her. VERDICT Moriarty expertly captures the tensions women face from all sides about all of their choices. There is real suspense here, generated not by a crime, but by the snowball effect of small actions and how they can grow and grow. [See Prepub Alert, 12/11/17.]-Jane Jorgenson, Madison P.L., WI © Copyright 2018. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
