Tantrum

I went into Tantrum with no expectations and came out absolutely blown away. Rachel Eve Moulton takes feminine rage to a whole new level in this haunting, visceral, and utterly original novel.

Thea is a wife and mother of two beautiful boys, deeply in love with her husband, though frustrated by how much of the domestic burden falls squarely on her shoulders. By the time she’s pregnant with her third child, Thea finally feels at peace—after two anxiety-ridden pregnancies, she’s sure this one will be different. Her daughter will be perfect too.

But when baby Lucia is born—with a full set of adult teeth and an unsettling aura—Thea immediately senses that this child is unlike the others. At just thirteen weeks, Lucia can walk, talk, and promises Thea that she’ll do anything to make her happy—even if that means eating her brothers or father. Horrified but oddly proud, Thea makes a choice: she will raise her daughter to be strong, fearless, and unrelenting, everything Thea wishes she had been.

As Lucia grows, she awakens dark, long-buried memories from Thea’s childhood, forcing her to confront generational trauma and her own fears about motherhood. From there, the story takes a shocking, unpredictable turn that is as devastating as it is cathartic.

Moulton masterfully explores themes of womanhood, motherhood, and rage, weaving a story that is equal parts horror and liberation. The dual lens of Thea’s relationship with her own mother and with Lucia adds incredible depth—revealing how trauma can be passed down, but also how it might be confronted and broken.

Tantrum is a dark, thought-provoking, and wildly inventive novel that lingers long after the final page. This was my first Rachel Eve Moulton book, but it certainly won’t be my last.