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emilygoods's review against another edition
3.0
i don’t know why my current genre is demon children or children being taken by fairies but…here we are.
i did like the ending but i found myself bored with 80 pages to go. for a story about twins being taken and turned into changelings, parts of this story really dragged.
i did like the ending but i found myself bored with 80 pages to go. for a story about twins being taken and turned into changelings, parts of this story really dragged.
emleemay's review against another edition
4.0
How could her brain conjure something that seemed so real, something laden with so much horrifying detail, and yet there be nothing at all?
This book is seriously creepy, creative and sad. I think it's a bit misleading that it has found its way to the mystery/thriller section when it is mostly a contemporary with elements (or suggestions) of magical realism. But either way, it's a moving, frightening, psychological portrait of new motherhood, set in the Peak District.
[b:Little Darlings|41806986|Little Darlings|Melanie Golding|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1537554545s/41806986.jpg|61722329] is inspired by the Welsh fairy tale A Brewery of Eggshells, about a woman with newborn twins who are swapped with changelings. Lauren Tranter has just given birth to two beautiful twin boys who quickly become her whole world. When a disheveled woman appears on the maternity ward and threatens to swap them with her own sons, she is rightfully terrified and will do anything to protect her babies.
Lauren is tired and stressed like all new mothers, but she knows the woman is real. Even though the doctors and the police and her husband keep telling her that she is seeing things, that she needs help, she knows the truth. When her babies go missing one day, a frantic search begins and they are quickly found, seemingly unharmed. But Lauren knows the truth about that, too - these babies are not the children she lost.
Everyone wants to dismiss her as mentally ill except Detective Sergeant Joanna Harper, who has her own reasons for believing Lauren. Against the wishes of her superiors, Harper opens her own investigation into what really happened.
I think the police procedural aspects are the weakest part of the novel. [b:Little Darlings|41806986|Little Darlings|Melanie Golding|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1537554545s/41806986.jpg|61722329] 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.
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.
I think this book captures all that. Maybe the woman is real and this is a dark fairy tale, and maybe she is not and this is just a book about a woman struggling with mental illness. But it actually doesn't matter that much. The fear - of getting it wrong, messing up, of losing your baby, of not being a good mother - all of that is very real either way. I found it highly effective.
CW: Depression.
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anjanettew13's review against another edition
3.0
Quick read - as a mom of twins, I can vouch for the exhaustion even when you have help. The loss of your own identity is real and hopefully temporary. I enjoy creepy mythical stories so this did not disappoint.
alienclans's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed this book. I knew I would just from the description because it’s right up my alley. It’s got a flawed, female main character, the reader is left wondering what’s real, and it uses horror/fairy tale to explore other topics. That’s about all I ever look for in this kind of novel.
Lauren gives birth to twin boys and fears that they may have been replaced by changelings. It’s a story about motherhood and the toll that it takes on new mothers. It really roped me in. I could relate to Lauren and I understood her mindset. I loved how she was written. The reader can clearly see her unraveling but still kind of roots for her (or at least I did). Even though most everyone else in the story sees it one way, the reader can’t help but wonder if Lauren’s perspective has some merit. Lauren was so captivating. Looking back on where the novel started after having finished it, it’s surprising to me how well executed her character development felt, considering the book is just barely over 300 pages.
The characters in general were well executed. Patrick was so frustrating! He seemed so real. At the beginning, he was so selfish and I disliked him immensely but I understood him. By the end, I had stopped hating Patrick. As for Harper, the detective, she grew on me too. My complaint early on was that I found Harper much less interesting and wanted to get back to Lauren’s point of view. However, her sections became more interesting as the story went on.
This was the kind of book that I wanted to rush home from work to read. It even gave me the true creeps once or twice, which I rarely get from books. I found myself avoiding the windows while reading and glancing around my apartment at the dark corners. You know, just to check.
All that being said, I found the ending somewhat disappointing. I can’t explain why without spoilers but one specific thing that Joanna finds bothered me because it felt unnecessary. Other than that though, I liked how Lauren’s story concluded. Had that last bit with Joanna been left out, I’d probably be giving this 5 stars. Probably.
I’m kind of sad I finished it. I enjoyed it so much that I want to dive back in.
Lauren gives birth to twin boys and fears that they may have been replaced by changelings. It’s a story about motherhood and the toll that it takes on new mothers. It really roped me in. I could relate to Lauren and I understood her mindset. I loved how she was written. The reader can clearly see her unraveling but still kind of roots for her (or at least I did). Even though most everyone else in the story sees it one way, the reader can’t help but wonder if Lauren’s perspective has some merit. Lauren was so captivating. Looking back on where the novel started after having finished it, it’s surprising to me how well executed her character development felt, considering the book is just barely over 300 pages.
The characters in general were well executed. Patrick was so frustrating! He seemed so real. At the beginning, he was so selfish and I disliked him immensely but I understood him. By the end, I had stopped hating Patrick. As for Harper, the detective, she grew on me too. My complaint early on was that I found Harper much less interesting and wanted to get back to Lauren’s point of view. However, her sections became more interesting as the story went on.
This was the kind of book that I wanted to rush home from work to read. It even gave me the true creeps once or twice, which I rarely get from books. I found myself avoiding the windows while reading and glancing around my apartment at the dark corners. You know, just to check.
All that being said, I found the ending somewhat disappointing. I can’t explain why without spoilers but one specific thing that Joanna finds bothered me because it felt unnecessary. Other than that though, I liked how Lauren’s story concluded. Had that last bit with Joanna been left out, I’d probably be giving this 5 stars. Probably.
I’m kind of sad I finished it. I enjoyed it so much that I want to dive back in.
princess_marie's review against another edition
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Medical content, and Medical trauma
Moderate: Blood and Pregnancy
Minor: Death, Infidelity, Blood, Dementia, Stalking, Death of parent, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
sargasso_c's review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Forced institutionalization, Dementia, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Abandonment
Moderate: Child death, Drug use, Infidelity, Toxic relationship, Grief, and Death of parent
Minor: Injury/Injury detail
33tbird's review against another edition
4.0
Creepy folklore (that prompted a deep dive into changeling stories/history) intermixed with the story of a mother losing her mind. Some parts felt unnecessary, but considering I just picked up this book randomly, I liked it!!
books_unraveling's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
It’s been a bit since a book totally captured my attention to the point I couldn’t put it down. This book was nothing like I expected and had spookiness, creepiness, drama, and psychological thrills. First Melanie Golding book I’ve read, but certainly not the last.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness and Pregnancy
Moderate: Kidnapping
Minor: Child death
blueshadow80's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75