Little Darlings

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Unfortunately, no one believes her story. The hospital staff didn't see anyone. Additionally, how could an intruder have gotten past the surveillance cameras without being seen? Imagine giving birth to a set of lovely twin boys. Imagine in the middle of the night on the very day of their birth a vile woman invades your hospital room and insists on swapping your babies for hers. Imagine that no one, not even your own husband, believes you. Claudia was one of the few nice adults in the story and it was obvious she really cared about Sunset and her siblings.

She was still waiting for the rush of love. That one you feel, all at once the second they're born, like nothing you've ever experienced before. The rush of love that people with children always go on about. She'd been looking forward to it. It worried her that she hadn't felt it yet." Little Darlings has caused quite a buzz in the literary world. I read where the UK publisher snatched up the manuscript within 48 hours of submission! A six-figure sum for the book and now news of the movie rights being sold—wowzah, great news for a debut author. I think the police procedural aspects are the weakest part of the novel. Little Darlings is at its strongest when hovering somewhere between a portrait of postpartum depression and a dark, sinister fairy tale. I can speak from experience when I say depression can be terrifying. And just like in this novel, you can never quite be sure what is a legitimate feeling and what is an exaggerated response brought on by your mental state; these two often overlap.

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Little Darlings is inspired by dark fairy tales and folklore. This book is sprinkled with quotes and passages referring to "changelings". The folklore and fairy tales fit seamlessly into this tale and further add to the feeling of dread and provide for an eerie atmosphere. The entire book I was guessing just what was going on. Was Lauren correct, was there some sinister woman attempting to swap babies with her, was Lauren experiencing symptoms of postpartum psychosis. I love trying to figure things out in books, and this one had me guessing! As a mystery/thriller/horror/whatever genre you want to market this as, I found it ok. My intense love of all things involving Welsh folklore should have sealed this as a 5 star read, but I think my expectations were not on par for what this book is meant to offer. That's not a bad thing, just simply a form of miscommunication and overeagerness on this reader's part. Obviously, (and keeping this spoiler free) you are made aware that Little Darlings is considered a paranormal thriller, due to the plot engaging in a tango of "have Lauren's babies been swapped with changelings or is she suffering some form of postpartum psychosis?" I think the reason I was a little let down in this aspect is due to a number of influences. Could it be that, because I have read so many incredible mysteries lately indulging in Welsh folklore that I'm oversaturated at the moment? Could it be that I've just read so many mysteries that I've come to demand an unfair level of "confound me, dammit!" in my reads? It's quite possible. I'm clearly in the minority that I found the pacing to be slow and drawn out, and that could be because of point two. Golding reportedly received a six figure publishing deal from HarperCollins for the book. It was published by HarperCollins in Canada and Crooked Lane Books in the United States and United Kingdom. [8] It was published on April 30, 2019. [9] The character of Jo Harper appeared in Golding's second novel The Hidden. [10]

But it should be considered as a dark fiction, an adaption of Welsh fairy tale with its magical, folklore elements. A fairytale about a mother gave birth to her newborn twins who were swapped with changelings. I know this story line is already makes you say WTH! Immediately after finishing, I was thinking I would give it a 4.5-star rating. There were a couple of plot points that I wished had been expanded on, or moved around in the context of the story, but upon further reflection, to hell with that. Lauren has newborn twin boys. One night, in the hospital, she sees an ugly woman who also has twin boys. The creepy woman wants to switch her babies with Lauren's. Lauren called the police, but no one believes her story because nobody saw anything. Everyone says Lauren is exhausted, that she needs rest. But Lauren knows what she saw, and the things are getting worse. Double Act won the prestigious Smarties Medal and the Children’s Book Award as well as being highly commended for the Carnegie Medal. The Story of Tracy Beaker won the 2002 Blue Peter People’s Choice Award.a b Wiseman, Andreas (2018-04-03). " 'My Cousin Rachel' Director Roger Michel & Producer Kevin Loader Board Psychological Thriller 'Little Darlings' ". Deadline. Archived from the original on 2023-07-04 . Retrieved 2023-07-04. After the birth of my first child, I found myself crying uncontrollably. I was exhausted, confused and afraid of absolutely everything. On top of the hormonal crash that comes after giving birth, for most people there's also the pure terror of being wholly responsible for someone else's wellbeing for the first time in your life. Unless you were previously a carer, the emotional shift that comes with knowing the responsibility falls entirely on you changes you beyond belief. Sutherland, Doris V. (2019-11-26). "Changeling Times: Melanie Golding's Little Darlings". WWAC. Archived from the original on 2023-07-04 . Retrieved 2023-07-04.

Let me begin this review with saying that I have absolutely no business reviewing an ARC that doesn't even publish until April 2019 when I have so many ARC's pending soon or better yet the ones I'm behind on BUT the synopsis for this is beyond intriguing and it's October when it's time for all things creepy and spooky and this one seemed a perfect choice for the season. I was very intrigued by the premise of this book, it reminded me of Don't Breathe a Word by Jennifer McMahon, which I loved. In this book, the story alternates between that of Lauren, a mom who just gave birth to twins and is struggling to adjust, and that of Joanna, a police sergeant who eventually investigates a crime that Lauren reports to the police. Lauren's storyline is definitely more exciting as it is difficult to tell if what is happening to her is real or the result of some postpartum psychosis. Additionally, old-timey fairy tales are used to start each chapter, which serves as a reminder that these stories have been around for centuries, and which leads you to wonder: if people have been telling these stories for so long, does that mean there is some degree of truth to them? Having said that there are some parts that didn’t work. Detective Harper and her storyline with a reporter didn’t add to the story at all and were in fact distracting,g from the main mystery. Also, the ending did not answer all the unanswered questions, which was sort of disappointing. A huge thank you to Sarah at Crooked Lane Books, NetGalley and Melanie Golden for a galley of this novel to read and review.Notting Hill director Roger Michell has died aged 65". The Independent. 2021-09-23. Archived from the original on 2021-09-23 . Retrieved 2023-07-04. I could not put this one down! If you want a creepy read then this is a MUST READ! On a side note, this has been optioned to film and I hope with all my heart that this happens. This would be perfect on the big screen. An easy 5 Stars! That this book and French's new one (which I requested but wasn't given) are two of only three books that I've requested from publishers lately is telling (not that there aren't others I've been interested in, but really trying not to take as many ARCs until my physical to-read pile has decreased). LITTLE DARLINGS by MELANIE GOLDING is an unsettling, compulsive and mysterious tale that had me constantly wavering between believing Lauren’s story and thinking maybe she really is just imagining it all. The feelings that I had for Lauren throughout were quite intense and had me feeling her fear. I wanted to believe her! The mom of newborn twins, Lauren's intense love for her boys shines throughout the book. She took me through many emotions and while she was surrounded by a cloud of mystery. I wanted to believe her. Real or imagined ? This is what I kept asking myself.