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A review by janane
Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
A story about three sisters by bond, their foster mother & a body discovered in the home they grew up in; with brilliant writing & unexpected twists.
Pick it up if you want to read a bond of sisterhood that withstands everything + foster care struggles + twisted characters that will make you rethink whatever you might have read.
I remember reading “The good sister” by Sally Hepworth last year and loved it; I have been wanting to read her books from then on. But unfortunately, I was not able to get around until now. I badly wanted to read The Soulmate by her, but I got this book available before that, so I read the synopsis; it seemed interesting enough so I picked it up. And I’m glad I did. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, with a perfect blend of flawed & twisted characters and writing that keeps you hooked to the pages; this page turner book is a definite win when it comes to the suspense genre.
Jessica, portrayed as the elder sister with the need to be perfect all the time & carries the responsibility to protect her sisters. She is also someone who longs for validation like any of us; her longing stems from the fact she has been in a foster home since infancy. She just needs attention, love & validation. The way she craves for these has shaped her personality & her relationships. And that just might be the downfall for her & her sisters.
Norah, the ever-hot-headed second sister. Who does what she thinks & really doesn’t care about anything & has her own way of showing the world how strong she is. She comes as the short tempered & lashing out; but as the story progresses, we get to see her being levelheaded – when needed & just longing for some form of love.
Alice, she dreams about living life, but afraid of the consequence she would be bringing in; she never starts to live the way she wants to. And at a point she starts running in the opposite direction even when the chance at love is in front of her & knocks the door. The portrayal of her vulnerability was so real, it somehow hit me more than others.
Jessica, Norah & Alice meet each other at different stages of their childhood through foster care & form a bond of sisterhood for a lifetime. So how did they form such a strong bond & can it withstand when secrets & body buried resurface again.
The story is told in two alternate timelines; past that takes such through how they came into foster care, the struggles they faced & how they survived despite everything. And present how they are living their lives on the foundation of how they were brought up.
The writing is powerful enough that kept me hooked to the page & the characters anchored me to the story. The combination of these two made this book a great suspense read.
I'm definitely going to read more of Sally Hepworth books.I feel she just has way with writing that makes the story more real & emotional.
Pick it up if you want to read a bond of sisterhood that withstands everything + foster care struggles + twisted characters that will make you rethink whatever you might have read.
I remember reading “The good sister” by Sally Hepworth last year and loved it; I have been wanting to read her books from then on. But unfortunately, I was not able to get around until now. I badly wanted to read The Soulmate by her, but I got this book available before that, so I read the synopsis; it seemed interesting enough so I picked it up. And I’m glad I did. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, with a perfect blend of flawed & twisted characters and writing that keeps you hooked to the pages; this page turner book is a definite win when it comes to the suspense genre.
Jessica, portrayed as the elder sister with the need to be perfect all the time & carries the responsibility to protect her sisters. She is also someone who longs for validation like any of us; her longing stems from the fact she has been in a foster home since infancy. She just needs attention, love & validation. The way she craves for these has shaped her personality & her relationships. And that just might be the downfall for her & her sisters.
Norah, the ever-hot-headed second sister. Who does what she thinks & really doesn’t care about anything & has her own way of showing the world how strong she is. She comes as the short tempered & lashing out; but as the story progresses, we get to see her being levelheaded – when needed & just longing for some form of love.
Alice, she dreams about living life, but afraid of the consequence she would be bringing in; she never starts to live the way she wants to. And at a point she starts running in the opposite direction even when the chance at love is in front of her & knocks the door. The portrayal of her vulnerability was so real, it somehow hit me more than others.
Jessica, Norah & Alice meet each other at different stages of their childhood through foster care & form a bond of sisterhood for a lifetime. So how did they form such a strong bond & can it withstand when secrets & body buried resurface again.
The story is told in two alternate timelines; past that takes such through how they came into foster care, the struggles they faced & how they survived despite everything. And present how they are living their lives on the foundation of how they were brought up.
The writing is powerful enough that kept me hooked to the page & the characters anchored me to the story. The combination of these two made this book a great suspense read.
I'm definitely going to read more of Sally Hepworth books.I feel she just has way with writing that makes the story more real & emotional.