Reviews tagging 'Pregnancy'

Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth

45 reviews

smagzisreading's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse and Child abuse

Moderate: Abandonment, Addiction, Child death, Confinement, Death of parent, Suicide attempt, Alcohol, Pregnancy, Rape, Drug abuse, and Sexual harassment

acarolinabelle's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

Multiple POV, multiple timelines, so the story comes out in pieces with a twist at the very end. The characters are former foster sisters, now adults, and the foster mother, a narcissistic abuser.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Death of parent, Child death, Gaslighting, Sexual content, Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Pregnancy, Toxic relationship, Addiction, Alcohol, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Sexual harassment, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Child abuse

booksinkandpaper2's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Murder, Death, Abandonment, Sexual assault, Self harm, Physical abuse, Mental illness, Emotional abuse, Addiction, Suicide attempt, Pregnancy, Drug use, and Confinement

elyssas_editions's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Vomit, Suicidal thoughts, Emotional abuse, Rape, Abandonment, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Grief, Incest, Bullying, Drug use, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Kidnapping, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Sexual assault, Suicide attempt, and Violence

kaylasbookgram's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

What on Earth did I just read !?!? 🤯🤯🤯

I absolutely devoured this book! I will say please k is there are triggers for this book in my opinion and the biggest one being child abuse.

Right when I thought this book couldn’t get anymore dark the ending just jumped out and made my jaw drop to the ground! And that alone gave it five stars for me. However the entire book was so incredibly done. I love all the shocking events and turns of events. I loved trying to figure out what happened to Amy along with the three girls. Just bravo on this book 👏🏻 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Torture, Emotional abuse, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Chronic illness, Grief, Mental illness, Child death, Confinement, Death, Sexual content, Child abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual assault, Violence, Abandonment, and Alcohol

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Body shaming, Gaslighting, Torture, Cursing, Drug use, Abortion, Addiction, Alcohol, Infertility, Pregnancy, Bullying, and Panic attacks/disorders

catriona176's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Confinement, Grief, Trafficking, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Sexual assault, Abandonment, and Child death

Minor: Vomit and Pregnancy

mosreads's review against another edition

dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Violence, and Child abuse

Moderate: Pregnancy

Minor: Sexual assault

nanirump's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful informative mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Rape, Child death, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Torture, Murder, Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Incest, Child abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Addiction, Bullying, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, and Pregnancy

znvisser's review

emotional mysterious sad tense

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

Earlier this year I happily discovered Hepworth so when I came across this one, it went on my TBR immediately. And once again, it didn’t take long before I just couldn’t put it down. Even though I did enjoy this, I didn't as much as I had hoped; I think Hepworths plot work is stronger than her character work and I generally care more for the latter. 

The women are shown as the embodiment of three different ways of handing childhood trauma as an adult, but especially Norah and Jessica were too close to becoming caricatures. I also found it a bit hard to believe that these three damaged women, who are so extremely different and “closer than family”, got along so swimmingly ALL the time. I would expect there to at least be some - sure, low-stakes - tensions and family drama when they are so on top of each other continuously, even though it might have distracted from the already quite full plot. You can love someone unconditionally while also being annoyed by some of their habits or traits and it would have felt more real were this reflected.

Despite her thorough research, my second Hepworth book left me once again with some doubts as to how certain issues are portrayed and how they can contribute to a certain image: crime is linked to mental illness again - this time the most evil character turned out a narcissist; there is obviously a risk-central perspective to the foster care system and

then there is the suggestion that an experienced forensic psychiatrist can be this easily tricked - including the assumption it was even his job to find out what happened, rather than to evaluate her as part of the judicial process.

Even though Hepworth works hard to handle these topics with care, she does tend to seek them out and that fact alone leaves me somewhat uncomfortable. 

But as long as I’m not taking it too serious, this was another speedy, interesting read, with great tension and seamlessly integrated plot twists.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Violence, Gaslighting, Addiction, Drug abuse, Child abuse, Confinement, Domestic abuse, and Mental illness

Moderate: Kidnapping, Abandonment, Child death, Panic attacks/disorders, Pregnancy, Sexual assault, and Suicide attempt

Minor: Death of parent

traceyanderson's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Death of parent, Drug use, Toxic relationship, Violence, Bullying, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Pregnancy, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Blood, Body shaming, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Grief, Physical abuse, Kidnapping, Trafficking, Vomit, Child death, Confinement, Death, Medical content, Murder, and Suicide attempt