A review by dontmissythesereads
Daughter by Kate McLaughlin

5.0

Book #48 read in 2023

Thank you to @wednesdaybooks, @recordedbooks and @netgalley for the #gifted book.

Summary: Scarlett is a normal teenager living a normal life with her overprotective mother. Until one day when the FBI shows up at her door and she finds out the life she’s been living is a lie. She is really the daughter of notorious serial killer Jeffery Robert Lake and he wants to see her. In return for her visit, Lake promises to give her the names of unknown victims of his crimes.Can Scarlett leave her cocoon and face the uncertainty of life as a serial killer’s daughter?

💭 From the first page, I was hooked. I loved the premise of this book, and Scarlett as a main character. She has spunk and the belief of invincibility of a typical teenager which is just the combination needed to confront her serial killer father. The interactions between Scarlett and her father were tense and dramatic. Her relationship with her mom, after learning all the secrets she kept, is tenuous at best. Scarlett’s relationship with the FBI agent and his family is lovely, and they are just what Scarlett needs to offset the struggle in her own family. Agent Logan is like the father Scarlett never had. 

The only disappointment to me was that every character self-medicated. It was used as a solution to all problems. Whether it was weed, anxiety pills, or alcohol, it was the go-to to get through every situation. While it would be understandable for one character to do this, all of them make it an unfortunate plot point.

The struggle to decide if mistakes made in the past will define her future, Scarlett is resilient and fierce. How she decides to take control of the narrative is exactly what I would expect from her character. I just wish we got to see the end result.

I definitely cannot wait to read more from this author and, in fact, already have her next book.