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A review by _onemorechapter_
Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
fast-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? It's complicated
3.75
๐ป.๐พ: Child Abuse, Torture, Trauma
๐ญ It's a gripping tale of resilience and sisterhood. Sets in Australia focusing on three foster children, Jessica, Norah, and Alicia who all lived at Wild Meadows with their maniacal foster mum, Holly Fairchild. The biggest irony? This woman was never FAIR to any CHILD, as the three girls continually found out. She may have been Mary Poppins on the outside, but she was far from it underneath! All came there under different circumstances and quickly bonded, forming lifelong bonds. They suffered together under the rule of the highly unpredictable, extremely strict, and often cruel Miss Fairchild.
In the present timeline, the three women who have a โsisterโ bond tighter than most biological ones, have been brought back to Port Agatha and the memories of Wild Meadows when theyโre informed by three detectives: Patel, Hando and Tucker that human bones have been discovered buried under the farmhouse.
Who do those bones belong to? Were the girls involved? If not them, then who?
The story is primarily told through their eyes, in both past and present chapters, with interspersed chapters of an unknown POV who discusses her past with a super creepy psychologist named Dr. Warren. The rotating POVs kept things interesting and allowed me to feel more bonded to each of the three women. I felt for Alicia, Jessica, and Norah. I loved that they always had each other's back and had such a tight bond. I immediately bonded with these women! I felt so much for them during this book. I appreciated how Hepworth showed the strength of their relationships with each other.
I loved the characters. I especially liked Norah and her unconventional attitude. The chapter on her date with Kevin was hilarious.
Hepworth masterfully crafts complex characters, each wrestling with the trauma of their upbringing and the burden of their shared history and takes the reader on a trip into the girlsโ past and why they have turned out the way they have. Each is damaged, in its own way. The suspense builds steadily, with the narrative shifting timelines to reveal the chilling truth behind their charismatic but manipulative foster mother. While the plot occasionally feels predictable, the emotional depth of the characters and the exploration of themes like abuse, trauma, and the enduring power of family ultimately make "Darling Girls" a satisfying and thought-provoking read.
Hepworth also does a commendable job of depicting the flaws of the foster care system and the long-lasting effects of childhood trauma.
Itโs a rollercoaster read and as for the twist at the end, oh boy, itโs so good that it blows my mind.
Overall, an exciting, fast-paced and well-written book with a bit of predictable twists except for the ending!
๐.๐ Dog lovers will love reading about three Greyhounds and how they got their names!
๐ธ๐ด๐ ๐น๐๐๐๐๐: โญโญโญ.75
๐ธ๐ฎ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ ๐น๐๐๐๐๐: 4.07 (69567)
๐ธ๐ฎ๐๐๐๐: Psychological Thriller, Fiction, Mystery
๐ธ๐น๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐: Yes!
Enjoyable & gripping thriller
This is a character-driven story, so if youโre looking for a nonstop action, you might be disappointed.
๐ญ It's a gripping tale of resilience and sisterhood. Sets in Australia focusing on three foster children, Jessica, Norah, and Alicia who all lived at Wild Meadows with their maniacal foster mum, Holly Fairchild. The biggest irony? This woman was never FAIR to any CHILD, as the three girls continually found out. She may have been Mary Poppins on the outside, but she was far from it underneath! All came there under different circumstances and quickly bonded, forming lifelong bonds. They suffered together under the rule of the highly unpredictable, extremely strict, and often cruel Miss Fairchild.
In the present timeline, the three women who have a โsisterโ bond tighter than most biological ones, have been brought back to Port Agatha and the memories of Wild Meadows when theyโre informed by three detectives: Patel, Hando and Tucker that human bones have been discovered buried under the farmhouse.
Who do those bones belong to? Were the girls involved? If not them, then who?
The story is primarily told through their eyes, in both past and present chapters, with interspersed chapters of an unknown POV who discusses her past with a super creepy psychologist named Dr. Warren. The rotating POVs kept things interesting and allowed me to feel more bonded to each of the three women. I felt for Alicia, Jessica, and Norah. I loved that they always had each other's back and had such a tight bond. I immediately bonded with these women! I felt so much for them during this book. I appreciated how Hepworth showed the strength of their relationships with each other.
I loved the characters. I especially liked Norah and her unconventional attitude. The chapter on her date with Kevin was hilarious.
Hepworth masterfully crafts complex characters, each wrestling with the trauma of their upbringing and the burden of their shared history and takes the reader on a trip into the girlsโ past and why they have turned out the way they have. Each is damaged, in its own way. The suspense builds steadily, with the narrative shifting timelines to reveal the chilling truth behind their charismatic but manipulative foster mother. While the plot occasionally feels predictable, the emotional depth of the characters and the exploration of themes like abuse, trauma, and the enduring power of family ultimately make "Darling Girls" a satisfying and thought-provoking read.
Hepworth also does a commendable job of depicting the flaws of the foster care system and the long-lasting effects of childhood trauma.
Itโs a rollercoaster read and as for the twist at the end, oh boy, itโs so good that it blows my mind.
Overall, an exciting, fast-paced and well-written book with a bit of predictable twists except for the ending!
๐.๐ Dog lovers will love reading about three Greyhounds and how they got their names!
๐ธ๐ด๐ ๐น๐๐๐๐๐: โญโญโญ.75
๐ธ๐ฎ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ ๐น๐๐๐๐๐: 4.07 (69567)
๐ธ๐ฎ๐๐๐๐: Psychological Thriller, Fiction, Mystery
๐ธ๐น๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐: Yes!
Enjoyable & gripping thriller
This is a character-driven story, so if youโre looking for a nonstop action, you might be disappointed.