Thursday, May 5, 2022

Review: Darling Girl by Liz Michalski

Darling Girl
by Liz Michalski 

Publisher: Dutton Books
Pages: 352
Format: eARC
Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  Life is looking up for Holly Darling, granddaughter of Wendy--yes, that Wendy. She's running a successful skincare company; her son, Jack, is happy and healthy; and the tragedy of her past is well behind her . . . until she gets a call that her daughter, Eden, who has been in a coma for nearly a decade, has gone missing from the estate where she's been long tucked away. And, worst of all, Holly knows who must be responsible: Peter Pan, who is not only very real, but more dangerous than anyone could imagine.

Eden's disappearance is a disaster for more reasons than one. She has a rare condition that causes her to age rapidly--ironic, considering her father is the boy who will never grow up--which also makes her blood incredibly valuable. It's a secret that Holly is desperate to protect, especially from Eden's half-brother, Jack, who knows nothing about his sister or the crucial role she plays in his life. Holly has no one to turn to--her mother is the only other person in the world who knows that Peter is more than a story, but she refuses to accept that he is not the hero she's always imagined. Desperate, Holly enlists the help of Christopher Cooke, a notorious ex-soldier, in the hopes of rescuing Eden before it's too late . . . or she may lose both her children.


Kritters Thoughts:  What a fun book!  If you are a fan of those classic fairytales and of course, particularly Peter Pan, then this book is so worth an afternoon or two of reading!  

Told from the perspective of Wendy Darling's granddaughter as she is raising her own kids after a few of her own life tragedies.  Holly Darling has one son and one daughter and she is doing her very best to protect them and allow them to grow up without the Darling name hanging over their head.  After her daughter goes missing, Holly must return to England and confront some of the family lore and legend and end things once and for all.  

While I don't tend to read magical realism, I can go there when the author is using Peter Pan as source material!  I can suspend reality when it comes to that story and I loved how the author made it seem as though Peter Pan was fact and not fiction.  AND the easter eggs!  There are so many little things that having seen the story in many different ways - Disney, live action by NBC, books and so on, I think I picked up on most of the small little things and I loved each and every one of them.  

I would recommend this to any reader who is already a fan of Peter Pan and may be in one of those pesky reading ruts.  I read this book at a time where life was distracting and this was the perfect book to block it all out and just get swept away.  


Rating: enjoyable, but didn't leave me wanting more

Ebook 2022 Challenge: 36 out of 100

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from HarperCollins.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

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