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readwithria's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Darling Girl wasn’t for me, but it very well could have been for someone else.
I have some issues with this book, and I think they can be summed up in 3ish points
1. The first two thirds of this book were SO SLOW. It felt like nothing happened, which leads me to…
2. The action of the book happens TO the protagonist instead of BECAUSE of the protagonist. That is one thing I absolutely do not like, but that’s not to say someone else wouldn’t like it. I think the book would have been more interesting if it had been from multiple POVs, perhaps Holly, Jane, and Eden? I’m not sure how that would have worked, but I think I would have preferred it.
3. This book doesn’t feel all that much like a fantasy until the last ~60ish pages. It’s so low fantasy, and that’s not at all what I was expecting given the dust jacket blurb and the marketing. I wanted more of the magic, MORE of Neverland and it’s denizens, but alas that’s not what I got.
The last third of the book did pick up a bit, and the themes of the book were explored quite well, but the blurb and the themes didn’t seem to match. This book is about grief and what a mother will do for her children, not about Peter Pan.
Peter Pan is a childhood favorite of mine, and this didn’t scratch the itch. 2.75 stars
I have some issues with this book, and I think they can be summed up in 3ish points
1. The first two thirds of this book were SO SLOW. It felt like nothing happened, which leads me to…
2. The action of the book happens TO the protagonist instead of BECAUSE of the protagonist. That is one thing I absolutely do not like, but that’s not to say someone else wouldn’t like it. I think the book would have been more interesting if it had been from multiple POVs, perhaps Holly, Jane, and Eden? I’m not sure how that would have worked, but I think I would have preferred it.
3. This book doesn’t feel all that much like a fantasy until the last ~60ish pages. It’s so low fantasy, and that’s not at all what I was expecting given the dust jacket blurb and the marketing. I wanted more of the magic, MORE of Neverland and it’s denizens, but alas that’s not what I got.
The last third of the book did pick up a bit, and the themes of the book were explored quite well, but the blurb and the themes didn’t seem to match. This book is about grief and what a mother will do for her children, not about Peter Pan.
Peter Pan is a childhood favorite of mine, and this didn’t scratch the itch. 2.75 stars
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Medical content, Drug abuse, Car accident, Blood, and Drug use
Moderate: Medical trauma, Grief, Death, Child death, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Deadnaming
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