Review: Darling Girl
Available at Bookshop.org
4/5
For fans of: Peter Pan, family secrets, unreliable narrator
The Big Questions:
What genre is this in? Magical realism, mystery, adult fiction, romance, retelling
Are there any swoon-worthy characters? There is an intriguing ex-military/private detective character with a hook for a hand wink, wink but romance a minor plot point in this story
Is it spicy? There is a description of consensual sex, but not graphic
Is it violent or gory? There is a description of rape, but not graphic
Should I buy, borrow, or pass on this book? Unless you are an avid Peter Pan fan and collector, I would borrow this one.
“Time stopped for Holly the day of the car crash. She’s been defying death, defying time, for all these years & she’s not going to stop now.”
Synopsis: Holly Darling of the famous Darling family wants nothing more than for her skincare company to finally reach international success on its own merit. Her life in New York City with her teenage son, Jack, has hidden away the trauma of her past in England after the tragic loss of her husband and Jack’s twin, Isaac, long ago. She thinks all is well and that her secrets are hidden until her secret daughter, Eden, suddenly disappears from her bed where she has been in a coma for nearly a decade. To make matters worse, Jack’s robust health is a lie and based entirely on blood drawn from Eden. If Holly does not find her daughter, she may lose both children in the process. Her only lead is her biggest danger, Eden’s father, the very real, very magical, and very dangerous Peter Pan.
“They stay with us, you know. The friends you lost...They’re still here. ...”
Review: This story hooked me, pun intended. The plot is excellent, weaving the past and present as Holly must confront her demons and find her daughter. Seen through her eyes, Holly is quite the unreliable narrator as she tries so hard to avoid delving into her past for clues and continuously lie to everyone she loves to keep her secrets. She became increasingly frustrating for me as the story moved along, but I also felt strongly for her and understood why. The trauma she has carried and the hope along with it bleeds through the pages. Her mother, Jane, quickly became my favourite character as she sweeps in from her jet-setting lifestyle to find her granddaughter and possibly meet the person responsible for her whole life. She is the only Darling who has not met Peter, but her extensive research and knowledge makes her the expert on his behavior. The relationship between different generations of mothers and daughters in the Darling family felt very real. Mothers and daughters have a tension of lived experiences clashing with perception. I wish there was more delving into the world of Neverland and the magic it entails as well as the hinted true Peter Pan story, but that is another book for another time.