Book Review: Darling

It is time for our third review of the day! This is the last one for today unless I finish another book and decide to come back and post it but don't hold your breath. I haven't been feeling super great and I have my physical later this afternoon so I need to try to stay awake for that. I've been napping a lot lately and I just feel blah. 

Darling - Rachel Edwards

A white teenage girl clashes with her new black stepmother in this debut reading group thriller.

Lola doesn’t particularly want a new stepmother. Especially not one who has come out of nowhere and only been with her dad for three months. And – she’s not racist or anything – but since when did her dad fancy black women anyway?

Darling didn’t particularly want a new stepdaughter. Especially not one as spiteful and spoilt as Lola. She does want Lola’s dad though. And he wants her, so that’s that: Darling and Lola will just have to get used to each other.

Unless Lola can find a way to get rid of Darling. 

As soon as I read the synopsis for this one, I knew that I HAD to read it. I love the white daughter vs. black stepmother storyline but also, I love a good debut and that is exactly what this one was. I really enjoyed it and I am definitely looking for the next book by Rachel Edwards because this was twisty and interesting throughout. I will tell you that I did not see that ending coming at all. Frankly, the ending was straight bananas and I found myself going back to re-read a few key sections just so I knew I read it correctly the first time. 

I have to be real, though, you know how I roll. The writing isn't amazing, there is definitely room for growth here. The story is interesting and weird and enough to keep you wondering what the heck could possibly happen next, but the writing itself isn't great. Secondly, the book alternates between Darling and Lola, which is fine, but Lola's chapters are just.. probably written the worst. I am raising a teenager and I can tell you right now that no teenager speaks this way. Never, ever. 

You do need to know that the book does have racism, abuse, and mental health issues throughout so if those are triggers for you, maybe avoid this one. You know right from the get go either Darling or Lola would be killed because the tension between the two is at an all-time high, but the race to that is what keeps you turning these pages. If it is a bizarre and outrageous plot twist, it is probably in here. I'm not kidding. The story is bananas and that kept me reading this. 

Thank you to Harper 360 for having me on this tour and sending me a copy for review! I am all about these thrillers lately and I think I have a few more lined up in the next month or two, so stay tuned for that. Head over to my Instagram because I have a giveaway happening today, make sure you enter. 

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