Book Review: Darling Girl by Liz Michalske

 GOODREADS SUMMARY:

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.

Darling Girl brings all the magic of the classic Peter Pan story to the present, while also exploring the dark underpinnings of fairy tales, grief, aging, sacrifice, motherhood, and just how far we will go to protect those we love.

TEE'S THOUGHTS:

I was looking for something to buddy read with Ro and ran across this book in May's BOTM club selections. I am not much a fantasy reader but I do on occasion enjoy a fairy tale retelling, even when I am not that fond of the fairy tale ( I am calling Peter Pan a Fairy Tale and I know it is probably not but go with me lol )

The author Liz Michalske made Darling Girl work for me however, by not making it the out in left field fantasy I seem to get lost in, this book I would call more magical, so I was able to enjoy it a bit more than I expected.

It is a creative tale of the Darling family, Wendy's granddaughter Holly Darling is the star of the show here. She has had a bit of a tragic life, her husband, Robert, and one of her twin sons, Isaac, were killed in a car accident that injured Holly and the other son Jack, who is confined to a wheelchair. She also has a daughter Eden who was born with a strange genetic problem that causes her to age faster than most children, she has also had an accident, falling out of a tree and getting a brain injury that puts her in a coma. 

So here is my main problem. I know people have bad luck and people have accidents, but dang this writer slammed this poor girl with problems. I guess in my own way I found it unbelievable, but then again it's fantasy right? See this is why I don't read it...I am too logical thinking and can't let my mind just go with it.

Ok back to the story...there is something strange about both Jack and Eden in the story, but I don't want to say much about it or it would give away a lot of the story.

Peter of course plays a major part in the story without really being seen. There are a lot of flashbacks about him, and he finally makes a live appearance at the end of the book. Be warned, he is not the Peter Pan of your childhood, this Peter is a dark disturbed version of him.

There are a lot of triggering subjects in this book...a lot. Rape, murder, and drugs to name a few, but it does warn that it is a dark retelling so you should expect some, it certainly did not stop me from reading and enjoying the story.

None of the characters really stood out as extremely likable, they all had long lists of faults. I for one do not really count that as a bad thing in a story, I usually get bored with perfect characters. If I have one thing to tell someone about to read this book, it is this....you will never look at Peter Pan the same again!