Summary and Reviews of All the Other Mothers Hate Me by Sarah Harman

All the Other Mothers Hate Me by Sarah Harman

All the Other Mothers Hate Me

by Sarah Harman
  • BookBrowse Review:
  • Critics' Consensus (12):
  • First Published:
  • Mar 11, 2025, 384 pages
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About This Book

Book Summary

"The missing boy is 10-year-old Alfie Risby, and to be perfectly honest with you, he's a little shit."

Florence Grimes is a thirty-one-year-old party girl who always takes the easy way out. Single, broke and unfulfilled after the humiliating end to her girl band career, she has only one reason to get out of bed each day: her ten-year-old son Dylan. But then Alfie Risby, her son's bully and the heir to a vast frozen food empire, mysteriously vanishes during a class trip, and Dylan becomes the prime suspect. Florence, for once, is faced with a task she can't quit: She's got to find Alfie and clear her son's name, or risk losing Dylan forever.

The only problem? Florence has no useful skills, let alone investigative ones, and all the other school moms hate her. Oh, and Florence has a reason to suspect Dylan might not be as innocent as she'd like to believe…

Hilarious and twisted, propulsive and furious, All the Other Mothers Hate Me is the must-read book of 2025.

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What are you reading this week? (02/20/2025)
"All The Other Mothers Hate Me" by Sarah Harman
-Cindy_R


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Reviews

BookBrowse Review

BookBrowse

Sarah Harman's All the Other Mothers Hate Me is a darkly funny exploration of maternal existential dread, loneliness, aging, and identity that had me equal parts barking out laughter and holding my breath. Harman's ability to wield playful humor without undercutting the seriousness and grave circumstances of her subject is something I absolutely loved. As much as I enjoyed the ridiculousness of the novel, the ending is so very strange. I think the novel could have maintained its sinister but generally upbeat ambiance with a different ending, though the resolution didn't put me off so much as to make me write off everything else I loved about the story as a whole...continued

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(Reviewed by Lisa Ahima).

Media Reviews

E! News
[A] funny, exciting thriller.

Marie Claire
Comedy and crime don't always mix, but they do perfectly here. Harman's debut novel stars Florence, a single mother whose 10-year-old son becomes the lead suspect in the disappearance of his bully. Florence, a former girl band star and party girl, takes on the task of clearing her son's name, and hilarious, twisty chaos ensues. If that sounds like the makings of a perfect TV show, fear not: The creator of The Bear is already on it over at FX.

Readers Digest
I picked up All the Other Mothers Hate Me looking for a juicy mystery with an unreliable narrator, and wow, did Sarah Harman deliver ... This dramatic, fast-paced read is being developed into an FX TV series by the creator of The Bear, so read it before it hits your streaming devices.

Shelf Awareness
All the Other Mothers Hate Me lives up to the promise of tension and hilarity suggested by its title. In Sarah Harman's sensational debut work of comic domestic suspense, Florence Grimes, 31, is an underemployed former pop star who begins her first-person narration barely keeping it together as a single mother of 10-year-old son Dylan... . Harman incorporates plenty of very funny social satire, which, in addition to her skillful plotting, gives the narrative depth along with its sizzle. Fast paced and engrossing, All the Other Mothers Hate Me is a book that readers are sure to enjoy and will want to share widely—before it inevitably shows up as a series on one of the streaming services. All the Other Mothers Hate Me is a hilarious, well-plotted thriller that goes racing through the streets of London, powered by frantic maternal desperation.

The Nerd Daily
Hilarious and twisted, propulsive and furious, All the Other Mothers Hate Me is a mix of Catastrophe and Fleabag with a dash of Nancy Drew.

Screen Rant
Harman has chosen a subject and story that's thrillingly readable but also touches upon the joys and perils of motherhood. These topics have been getting more attention in recent years, and it's always fantastic to see another novel grapple with the humor and headaches of parenthood.

Daily Mail (UK)
Funny, heartwarming and readable: the best Debut fiction out this month.

Booklist (starred review)
It's no easy feat to write an equally comical and compelling novel about a missing child, but Sarah Harman accomplishes just that in her wild romp of a debut ... All the Other Mothers Hate Me introduces an unforgettable bumbling detective, and hopefully Florence will find other mysteries to solve. Whatever the case, Sarah Harman is a writer to be watched.

Kirkus Reviews
Sly red herrings and surprise reveals are par for the course in this tightly plotted story that, while it satirizes the British obsessions with appearance and class, also celebrates the power of personal redemption through love. A smart, page-turning suspense novel debut.

Publishers Weekly (starred review)
Journalist Harman debuts with a funny, fast-paced blend of domestic thriller and social satire...Harman's winning protagonist, page-turning plot, and delightfully irreverent tone will have readers clamoring for a sequel.

Library Journal
Harman creates a unique main character who experiences significant growth and moral life lessons along the way, which will have readers rooting for her triumph in the end. This thriller debut will add flair to libraries' crime fiction sections.

Author Blurb Caitlin Mullen, author of Please See Us
All the Other Mothers Hate Me is a twisty mystery, a shrewd send up of London's upper crust, and a hilarious, heartfelt story of a woman pushed to extremes to protect her only son. Like its protagonist Florence Grimes, this debut is truly one of a kind.

Author Blurb Clémence Michallon, internationally bestselling author of The Quiet Tenant
All the Other Mothers Hate Me is a darkly funny, irresistibly suspenseful mystery, featuring a protagonist I loved spending time with. And this novel has voice for days.

Author Blurb Liv Constantine, New York Times bestselling author of The Next Mrs. Parrish
Sarah Harman has created a potent mix of mystery, laugh out loud humor, and one of the most indelibly matchless protagonists ever. I rooted for Florence, this hilarious, unreliable, party girl who will go to any lengths to protect her son. Put this at the top of your to be read list!

Reader Reviews

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Beyond the Book



Mariah Carey's The Emancipation of Mimi

Mariah Carey photographed against a background that appears to be promoting her album The Emancipation of Mimi In Sarah Harman's All the Other Mothers Hate Me, Florence, an ex-pop star, clings to a notion: that one day, just like Mariah Carey, she will have what she calls her Emancipation of Mimi moment. I immediately knew what she meant, because The Emancipation of Mimi was one of my most impactful musical albums; it was the first CD I remember scraping money together to buy that I didn't have to share with anybody else. Florence and I weren't the only ones who found this album particularly powerful. But what made The Emancipation of Mimi so special to millions? What does it mean to have an Emancipation of Mimi moment?

The Emancipation of Mimi was released in April of 2005 in the United States. Of the 14 original tracks, seven were released ...

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