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kimmiereadsalot's review against another edition
3.5
I liked this one overall. And while I stayed mostly engaged the whole time, I did often feel like I wanted a bit more to happen. I wished for some earlier revelations or something.
I will also add that had I read this a few years ago (prior to my mystery/thriller rabbit hole of books), I’d have probably rated this higher. However, the two bigger twists of the book I had guessed pretty early on. I’m not sure if it’s because I’d read books with similar twists. Maybe. Maybe not.
Again, overall I liked it. And I thought the ending was interesting.
Recommend overall.
I will also add that had I read this a few years ago (prior to my mystery/thriller rabbit hole of books), I’d have probably rated this higher. However, the two bigger twists of the book I had guessed pretty early on. I’m not sure if it’s because I’d read books with similar twists. Maybe. Maybe not.
Again, overall I liked it. And I thought the ending was interesting.
Recommend overall.
devreighreads's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-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? Yes
4.0
designsbymeghen's review against another edition
3.0
Not bad. A lot of internal turmoil with clear mental health issues so you know the main character is dealing with some shit. I kind of liked the ending, but it felt a little drawn out. I did like the twist with the orphanage. It’s totally fucked up that they swapped the girls. But the whole, hiding the wife thing seemed like a reach.
macjack's review
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? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Loved it. Kept me guessing to the very last page.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Sexual assault, and Alcohol
kdahlo's review
3.0
Twisty and a quick read. I feel uncomfortable about the 'sinister adoptee' trope. Does this book subvert that trope, or play into it? Kind of both. Pushes the limit on the idea of the unreliable narrator in a fun way.
phibourjreads's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
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? Yes
4.25
fanoora's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
thephdivabooks's review
4.0
Full review on my blog!
Told in dual timelines between the present mystery and Paloma’s time at the orphanage, My Sweet Girl was an instant hit for me, and a completely engrossing psychological suspense novel with an absolutely jaw-dropper of an ending.
In the present…
Paloma Evans is thirty years old and living in San Francisco. She feels abandoned by the only parents she has ever knows, the ones who adopted her from Sri Lanka so many years before. They’ve cut her off financially. Paloma drinks too much and has taken up a fairly racy side hustle to make money. She’s also taken on a roommate named Arjun who recently arrived from India.
Paloma also worries that she is being haunted by Mohini, a ghostly spirit that terrified her and the other girls at the Sri Lankan orphanage where she grew up. She’s certain that Mohini has found her in America and returned to scare her. Or maybe it’s the drinking…
In the past…
Paloma is a young girl living at Little Miracle Girls’ Home, an orphanage in Sri Lanka. The girls in the orphanage live under strict guidelines, and all hope to someday be adopted by a family who wants to care for them. This is just a dream for most girls though, who spend their days trying to do everything the administrators at the orphanage ask of them.
Paloma and her best friend Lahini love books, though. They try to stay away from the meaner girls who bully them at night, and are scared of Mohini, a spirit who one of the girls alleges haunts the orphanage. When a couple visits the orphanage, they connect with Paloma as she is reading one of the wife’s favorite books. They ask to adopt her, and Paloma is over the moon, though she is devastated knowing she must leave Lahini.
As the day of her departure nears, things become more tense at the orphanage for Paloma. She does her best to avoid the jealousy from the other girls, but the ghost Mohini may not let her leave… When the day finally comes, it is a relief to leave with the Evans for her new life.
In the present…
Paloma is enjoying feeling like she is helping another model minority find their way in America, until Arjun discovers a secret about Paloma and blackmails her. Before she can pay him off, Paloma arrives home one evening and finds Arjun murdered. She flees the scene, but when she returns with the police, the apartment is spotless. There’s no sign of Arjun, dead or alive. Does this have anything to do with the desperate actions she took many years ago to come to America for a better life?
Review
This is a well-written and compelling psychological thriller that succeeds in hooking the reader despite Paloma’s challenging personality. One thing that helps is seeing her past storyline intermixed and understanding where she came from. Paloma is a girl who has been abandoned time and again, and it is easy to see why her parents cutting her off might trigger her.
I absolutely was captivated by the past storyline at the orphanage, even more than I was by the alleged murder and disappearing body in present day. It was clear everything would tie to what was happening now, but not how.
The ending is an absolutely banger, with a twist that left my jaw on the floor. Everything tied together in such a satisfying way.
Told in dual timelines between the present mystery and Paloma’s time at the orphanage, My Sweet Girl was an instant hit for me, and a completely engrossing psychological suspense novel with an absolutely jaw-dropper of an ending.
In the present…
Paloma Evans is thirty years old and living in San Francisco. She feels abandoned by the only parents she has ever knows, the ones who adopted her from Sri Lanka so many years before. They’ve cut her off financially. Paloma drinks too much and has taken up a fairly racy side hustle to make money. She’s also taken on a roommate named Arjun who recently arrived from India.
Paloma also worries that she is being haunted by Mohini, a ghostly spirit that terrified her and the other girls at the Sri Lankan orphanage where she grew up. She’s certain that Mohini has found her in America and returned to scare her. Or maybe it’s the drinking…
In the past…
Paloma is a young girl living at Little Miracle Girls’ Home, an orphanage in Sri Lanka. The girls in the orphanage live under strict guidelines, and all hope to someday be adopted by a family who wants to care for them. This is just a dream for most girls though, who spend their days trying to do everything the administrators at the orphanage ask of them.
Paloma and her best friend Lahini love books, though. They try to stay away from the meaner girls who bully them at night, and are scared of Mohini, a spirit who one of the girls alleges haunts the orphanage. When a couple visits the orphanage, they connect with Paloma as she is reading one of the wife’s favorite books. They ask to adopt her, and Paloma is over the moon, though she is devastated knowing she must leave Lahini.
As the day of her departure nears, things become more tense at the orphanage for Paloma. She does her best to avoid the jealousy from the other girls, but the ghost Mohini may not let her leave… When the day finally comes, it is a relief to leave with the Evans for her new life.
In the present…
Paloma is enjoying feeling like she is helping another model minority find their way in America, until Arjun discovers a secret about Paloma and blackmails her. Before she can pay him off, Paloma arrives home one evening and finds Arjun murdered. She flees the scene, but when she returns with the police, the apartment is spotless. There’s no sign of Arjun, dead or alive. Does this have anything to do with the desperate actions she took many years ago to come to America for a better life?
Review
This is a well-written and compelling psychological thriller that succeeds in hooking the reader despite Paloma’s challenging personality. One thing that helps is seeing her past storyline intermixed and understanding where she came from. Paloma is a girl who has been abandoned time and again, and it is easy to see why her parents cutting her off might trigger her.
I absolutely was captivated by the past storyline at the orphanage, even more than I was by the alleged murder and disappearing body in present day. It was clear everything would tie to what was happening now, but not how.
The ending is an absolutely banger, with a twist that left my jaw on the floor. Everything tied together in such a satisfying way.
babs_reviews's review against another edition
5.0
Cleverly crafted.
I think if you enjoy psychological thrillers you'll enjoy this one. From the paranoia of our main character to the haunted ghost story, there was enough here to keep my interest.
Paloma grew up at an orphanage in Sri Lanka and gets adopted from a couple in the United States. We get her adult paranoid, alcoholic self and then we also get sweet younger version of her. She carries with her a great guilt from her orphanage days and as that story unfolds she faces the present day...which may include a murderer/stalker. I really enjoyed the dual timeline and seeing different versions of Paloma.
The ending was a shocker, though you could probably figure it out a few chapters before the big reveal it wasn't super super obvious and the way the story was told kept it hidden, kudos on that.
Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for allowing me an early copy to read for my honest review.
I think if you enjoy psychological thrillers you'll enjoy this one. From the paranoia of our main character to the haunted ghost story, there was enough here to keep my interest.
Paloma grew up at an orphanage in Sri Lanka and gets adopted from a couple in the United States. We get her adult paranoid, alcoholic self and then we also get sweet younger version of her. She carries with her a great guilt from her orphanage days and as that story unfolds she faces the present day...which may include a murderer/stalker. I really enjoyed the dual timeline and seeing different versions of Paloma.
The ending was a shocker, though you could probably figure it out a few chapters before the big reveal it wasn't super super obvious and the way the story was told kept it hidden, kudos on that.
Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for allowing me an early copy to read for my honest review.