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bookswithbec's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
namitakhanna's review
3.0
★★★☆ 3 ½ stars
Lauren a new mother has just given birth to twins, Morgan and Riley ,and is truly exhausted suffering from sleep deprivation. In the hospital though she becomes convinced that she saw a menacing woman who wants to take her twins and replace them with her own. When she reports it to the cops they don't find anything and everybody starts questioning her sanity but Lauren seriously believes that her babies are in danger and will stop at nothing to protect them.
Little Darlings is a creepy psychological thriller with some paranormal aspects to the story. It’s a well written story relying heavily on dark fairy tales and changeling stories. An interesting slightly unsettling read.
I would like to thank Crooked Lane Books & NetGalley for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest and fair review.
This and more reviews at https://chloesbooksblog.wordpress.com/
Lauren a new mother has just given birth to twins, Morgan and Riley ,and is truly exhausted suffering from sleep deprivation. In the hospital though she becomes convinced that she saw a menacing woman who wants to take her twins and replace them with her own. When she reports it to the cops they don't find anything and everybody starts questioning her sanity but Lauren seriously believes that her babies are in danger and will stop at nothing to protect them.
Little Darlings is a creepy psychological thriller with some paranormal aspects to the story. It’s a well written story relying heavily on dark fairy tales and changeling stories. An interesting slightly unsettling read.
I would like to thank Crooked Lane Books & NetGalley for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest and fair review.
This and more reviews at https://chloesbooksblog.wordpress.com/
rereader33's review against another edition
4.0
Okay, I'm not going to be able to make a coherent review about this novel because I have WAY too many jumbled thoughts about it, so it's back to the good ol' bullet point style! Enjoy!
-I don't know how anyone else felt while reading this, but to me this felt like a commentary on new mothers' mental health. Lauren's struggle figuring out what she was supposed to do, the utter lack of support she received from hospital staff and her husband, the way she was talked down at the psyche ward, how her children were a greater priority than her, it all seemed to come back to that.
-Going off of that, this gave me serious The Yellow Wallpaper vibes, ESPECIALLY how her husband treated her and spoke to her. And people wondered why her mental health was deteriorating?!
-While I was bummed that the supernatural aspect of the story was written off as delusions towards the end, I think what made me okay with that is because a) the supernatural aspect was a central part of the story and was treated as such AS OPPOSED TO OTHER THRILLERS *cough The Au Pair cough* and b) even though it was explained away, I didn't feel like it invalidated Lauren's struggles. I'm sure I'll be the only one who thinks this, but as someone who has struggled with mental health my whole life (two bouts of clinical depression, social and generalized anxiety, and autism) for once I felt like the story wasn't saying, "yeah, it was just in this woman's head all along, carry on folks," instead focusing on how this ordeal had seriously affected her and her pain shouldn't be dismissed.
-I was kind of excited with the LGBTQAI+ rep in this story until Harper says something along the lines of, "it's harder to love women than men. Men are easier to read and understand," and I was like thank you, Golding, for ruining this rep with sexist gender stereotypes! Bravo, take a bow!
-The ending wasn't the best, but it was satisfying in that it made sense in the context of the story.
-Patrick was a shit husband and a shit father and I FUCKING HATED HIM.
-I'm gonna be honest, people on the fence about having kids should NOT read this book because it will make fear and loathe having and raising kids. It doesn't bother me since I'm never having kids, but I truly believe this is contraception in literary form.
That's about it. I really liked this novel and it's definitely one of the best thrillers I've read this year. I highly recommend it, please give it a shot.
-I don't know how anyone else felt while reading this, but to me this felt like a commentary on new mothers' mental health. Lauren's struggle figuring out what she was supposed to do, the utter lack of support she received from hospital staff and her husband, the way she was talked down at the psyche ward, how her children were a greater priority than her, it all seemed to come back to that.
-Going off of that, this gave me serious The Yellow Wallpaper vibes, ESPECIALLY how her husband treated her and spoke to her. And people wondered why her mental health was deteriorating?!
-While I was bummed that the supernatural aspect of the story was written off as delusions towards the end, I think what made me okay with that is because a) the supernatural aspect was a central part of the story and was treated as such AS OPPOSED TO OTHER THRILLERS *cough The Au Pair cough* and b) even though it was explained away, I didn't feel like it invalidated Lauren's struggles. I'm sure I'll be the only one who thinks this, but as someone who has struggled with mental health my whole life (two bouts of clinical depression, social and generalized anxiety, and autism) for once I felt like the story wasn't saying, "yeah, it was just in this woman's head all along, carry on folks," instead focusing on how this ordeal had seriously affected her and her pain shouldn't be dismissed.
-I was kind of excited with the LGBTQAI+ rep in this story until Harper says something along the lines of, "it's harder to love women than men. Men are easier to read and understand," and I was like thank you, Golding, for ruining this rep with sexist gender stereotypes! Bravo, take a bow!
-The ending wasn't the best, but it was satisfying in that it made sense in the context of the story.
-Patrick was a shit husband and a shit father and I FUCKING HATED HIM.
-I'm gonna be honest, people on the fence about having kids should NOT read this book because it will make fear and loathe having and raising kids. It doesn't bother me since I'm never having kids, but I truly believe this is contraception in literary form.
That's about it. I really liked this novel and it's definitely one of the best thrillers I've read this year. I highly recommend it, please give it a shot.
lala_tour's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
scepter's review
4.0
Little Darlings definitely is all about dark and twisted folklore mixing with the struggle of a young mother of newborn twins.
In the beginning, the reader learns of Lauren's difficult early days with her newborn twins and how her husband is not making it easier for her. She often has to care for the two boys all herself, getting more and more absorbed in the little world she confines herself and her baby boys in. It's all too much, too little help too late and when a rather dark book of folklore about twins mysteriously appears amidst other gifts from a friend, who swears she never bought this book, Lauren gets caught in one particular tale.
The fear is real in this story and Lauren's downward spiral into the space where reality and fairytales meet is almost terrifying sometimes.
It's a dark tale of motherhood and too much pressure, of the traumatic events giving birth can have and the ways a fragile mind can be shattered.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this intense ARC.
In the beginning, the reader learns of Lauren's difficult early days with her newborn twins and how her husband is not making it easier for her. She often has to care for the two boys all herself, getting more and more absorbed in the little world she confines herself and her baby boys in. It's all too much, too little help too late and when a rather dark book of folklore about twins mysteriously appears amidst other gifts from a friend, who swears she never bought this book, Lauren gets caught in one particular tale.
The fear is real in this story and Lauren's downward spiral into the space where reality and fairytales meet is almost terrifying sometimes.
It's a dark tale of motherhood and too much pressure, of the traumatic events giving birth can have and the ways a fragile mind can be shattered.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this intense ARC.
viscountess_black's review against another edition
challenging
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
This was a slow reading, although listening along the audiobook helped.
It isn't a bad book or a bad concept, but I found the writing to be a bit dull sometimes. My favourite parts were always Harper's pov, and Lauren's made me feel for her and for the babies.
It isn't a bad book or a bad concept, but I found the writing to be a bit dull sometimes. My favourite parts were always Harper's pov, and Lauren's made me feel for her and for the babies.
laurenjmil's review
The main character had my first name and it wasn't flowing for me
lucita_knjige's review against another edition
4.0
I am never having babies. Read this in one sitting, because I wanted, NAY, needed to know what happens next. For crime book lovers, it's a definite recommendation. Unless you're expecting a baby. Also, did I say I'm not having babies, ever?