- Title: Little Darlings
- Author: Melanie Golding
- Book Form: E-Galley
- Pages: 304
- Publisher: Crooked Lane Books
- Genre: Thriller, Mystery, Horror
- Rating: ★★★★.5
-Goodreads
“Mother knows best” takes on a sinister new meaning in this unsettling thriller perfect for fans of Neil Gaiman and Grimms’ Fairy Tales.
Everyone says Lauren Tranter is exhausted, that she needs rest. And they’re right; with newborn twins, Morgan and Riley, she’s never been more tired in her life. But she knows what she saw: that night, in her hospital room, a woman tried to take her babies and replace them with her own…creatures. Yet when the police arrived, they saw no one. Everyone, from her doctor to her husband, thinks she’s imagining things.
A month passes. And one bright summer morning, the babies disappear from Lauren’s side in a park. But when they’re found, something is different about them. The infants look like Morgan and Riley―to everyone else. But to Lauren, something is off. As everyone around her celebrates their return, Lauren begins to scream, These are not my babies.
Determined to bring her true infant sons home, Lauren will risk the unthinkable. But if she’s wrong about what she saw…she’ll be making the biggest mistake of her life.
Compulsive, creepy, and inspired by some our darkest fairy tales, Little Darlings will have you checking―and rechecking―your own little ones. Just to be sure. Just to be safe.
Thank you to Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Little Darlings will have you checking―and rechecking―your own little ones. Just to be sure. Just to be safe. If this isn’t the TRUEST thing. Yall. I don’t read horror. I’m a baby. This book reminded me why. But would I recommend it to EVERYONE? Yes, yes I would.
Little Darlings was probably the creepiest book I’ve ever written. And it started so soon! Like, no buildup. Just creep factor 1000. So this is about Lauren, who has twins, and is convinced that the Lake Lady switched them with changelings. Did she? I still don’t know, man. Not to say the book doesn’t give you resolution – it does! But it still leaves you wondering is that what really happened?!
Aside from the creep factor, questioning yourself, and wondering how we got to where we are, this book shines very important light on post-partum depression and post-partum anxiety. I suffered with both after the birth of my two year old, and still struggle today. I remember thinking the same things as Lauren. Checking him 100 times a night to make sure he’s breathing. Not really trusting anyone else with him, because what if they do something wrong? I think that is where the book hit me the hardest. It’s easy for people to say, ‘Oh, she’s crazy.’ But was Lauren crazy? These thoughts were very very real to her. It was way too easy to put myself in her shoes and question everything.
Little Darlings gave me nightmares, guys. I read it before bed twice, and each night had super freaky dreams. For that reason, it took me a little longer to read since I could only read it during daylight hours.
This book blew me away. I would recommend it to anyone who likes horror or a good psychological thriller. Maybe not if you just had a baby, though.
Until next time…
Mithah Reads 