Scarlet is a regular teen with a pretty overprotective mother until the FBI show up at her door letting her know she is the daughter of one of the most notorious serial killers of her generation. He's dying, and is willing to give up the names of his unfound victims, but only to his daughter who he hasn't seen since she was a baby.

As soon as I started this book I was hooked on the story. It was told in a completely fascinating way, from Scarlet's perspective. The details about her father and his history and actions kept me interested the whole way through.

I was a little surprised with how quickly her mother went from protective to trusting as soon as Scarlet knew the truth about her father. It felt like a switch flipped and suddenly. Similarly, Scarlet adjusted very quickly to her new family and history which made it felt a little rushed - I think the book would have benefitted from extending the timeline from a few weeks to at least a few months.

I appreciated Scarlet's ability to receive a message from her friends on her phone, and leave it without answering or letting them know she would talk about details with them later - this is something that can be hard to do but was a great example for us to strive to emulate.

Overall, I really enjoyed this YA Thriller, not as dark and gorey as some of the other thrillers I gravitate, but quick and attention grabbing.

3.5 stars rounded up.

This book was straight up crazy! The author’s debut was incredible so I had high expectations for this one and she blew this one out of the water too! Kate McLaughlin has the rare ability to take super taboo topics and weave them into a riveting and unique young adult story. This one is captivating, haunting and quite uncomfortable. Scarlet was a great character who had a lot of growth throughout the novel. It was wonderful to see her really come into her own. She dealt with many things young adults deal with but with the added knowledge that she is the daughter of a serial killer. I’m pretty into true crime but I must say the way Scarlet’s father was portrayed was deeply disturbing. All of the secondary characters added great dimension to the story. The love interest was sweet. It did stall a little bit in parts. I did listen to the audiobook on this and the narrator was excellent. This author can do no wrong in my eyes. Cannot wait to see what she writes next! Definitely recommend.

Daughter gets a 4.0 star rating for being unique in a sea of recently hum-drum young adult novels that I've stopped reading after a few chapters. Being a true-crime fan, I was instantly drawn to the story of a young girl discovering that her father is a well-known serial killer. I know that my students will find this enticing as well. Now for the negatives...Scarlet is obviously a smart girl who has goals and aspirations. Why does she also have to be a binge drinking, pothead? Why does she have to automatically have to consider sex with the two boys she connects with in the story? I work in a public high school and while I'm sure there are students who conduct their lives this way, I wouldn't consider them the majority and I think it does a disservice to accomplished young women when they can't just be smart and capable without also being slutty stoners.

This one just didn't land for me. I wish it could have but it didn't resonate with me in any way. I do appreciate the author being able to accurately depict the thoughts and feelings of a teenager but other than that and a unique plot, my attention wasn't kept the whole time.

This has an intriguing, gripping and very unique storyline. A teenaged girl learns that her father is an infamous serial killer and she must visit with him in trade for the names of his unknown victims. The character development is outstanding. The characters are well-rounded, flawed and relatable on many levels. The descriptions are so vividly drawn that I found that my heart was pounding in certain instances. I found the outcome to be fitting and very satisfying.

I'm a tiny bit bummed because I was expecting this to be mostly a mystery, but it really is just a straightforward account on a daughter dealing with the aftermath of finding out her father is a disgusting necrophilliac serial killer. Lots of teenage drama, parties, and slang thrown in, which didn't bother me in the slightest, but I know will be a dealbreaker for some adults who like to occasionally jump on the YA band wagon. Overall, a darkish read that straddles the line between YA and adult, but failed to deliver on the building tension and mystery aspect.

This is a story about family…. The kind you don’t get to pick.

I really enjoyed the pacing of this- it feels like it was made to be a movie (I’ve got casting ideas!). I’ve been feeling nostalgic lately for 90s thrillers (Double Jeopardy, anyone?) and this totally hit me the saw way- just some good, stressful, fun. I also appreciated the larger conversation it alluded to around nature vs nurture & the difficulty in determining if anything foreshadows who we’ll be.

Thank you so much netgalley recorded books & St. Martin’s press for the e & audio copies! daughter is out now!

Eh, did not love this book. I DNF as I just got bored about half way through this book. I would not particularly recommend this book to a friend

I’m usually not a fan of serial killer books (either real or fictional) but I absolutely LOVED how the focus was shifted from the killer and the spotlight was placed upon the daughter of a serial killer and how finding out what her father had done affects her and how she perceives herself and the victims. This book was unflinchingly realistic and I loved it. Then I realized that this is the same author that gave us What Unbreakable Looks Like and I understood why we had such a kickass protagonist in Scarlet.

I loved that Scarlet refused to be damaged goods because of her psychopathic father, and instead tried to create something positive from the experience of getting to know him, by recording a web series that highlighted the lives of the victims and allowed people to get to know them rather than focus on her father’s hideous crimes.

This is both a chilling read and a realistic look into how a murder affects those who loved the victim and how to move on from that.

This book is perfect for fans of true crime and serial killers. You won’t be disappointed!

*Thank you so much to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Scarlet leads a pretty average teenage life, except for her very overprotective mother. Her mom has always watched Scarlet's every move and kept her from engaging in a lot of activities. When FBI Agent Logan shows up on their doorstep, it all starts to make sense. He reveals her mother was once married to notorious serial killer Jeffrey Robert Lake, known for killing and burying many women at his family's lake house. And Scarlet? She's his daughter. Now Lake is dying, and he will only reveal the names and locations of more victims to one person--his daughter. Scarlet is suddenly faced with a horrible decision, as well as the burden of learning about her troubled past.

"Her father's crimes will haunt her for the rest of her life. God help her. I don't reckon she'll ever get a moment's peace."

This is a captivating story that I breezed through in one day. If you like shows like Criminal Minds, this is the perfect book for you. Does it simplify a lot of things? No doubt. Is it completely entertaining? Yes.

Just imagining what it would be like to learn Scarlet's news is pretty insane, and McLaughlin, as always, does a wonderful job of capturing Scarlet's teen voice. She's an engaging narrator and it's quite easy to get sucked into her world. The book also features articles and new pieces about Scarlet's father (and mother) back in the day, so we learn about Lake's evil side and all his horrific crimes and are led to wonder--what sort of role did Scarlet's mother play in his crimes?

There are certainly some simplified pieces to this story. Scarlet and her mom deal with the same FBI Agent as she did nearly twenty years ago, even stay with his family at their home, and, of course, Scarlet develops a crush on his son. One has to question the wisdom of sending a teen in to meet with an infamous serial killer... but, hey, it's mesmerizing in the story. The book also does a great job of illustrating how society focuses on killers and not the real victims.

Overall, this is a quick read, even though it covers a lot of serious topics. Its narrator is excellent, and I would have loved this book as a teen. (I quite enjoyed it now!)

Scarlet is your typical teenage girl. She crushes on guys, pushes the limits with her friends, and has a parent seemingly always breathing down her neck. But Scarlet’s mom’s overprotective nature has always been a point of contention. She understands as single parent her mom has to do double the worrying, but sometimes her concern feels so extreme.

Then the FBI show up at their door. That’s when Scarlet learns the horrible truth about who her father was- an infamous serial killer. Understandably reeling from years of lies, Scarlett is further thrown for a loop when its revealed her dying father’s last wish is to be reunited with her in exchange for information about his victims and their whereabouts. Can Scarlet put her fear and anger aside to help others gain closure, or is she opening up Pandora’s box by meeting with him at all?

The story of Daughter kept me interested. I wanted to know the origin behind the mind of a killer and what it meant to Scarlet and her mom in the aftermath. Instead I felt like a lot of the book just skimmed the surface, missing key opportunities for deeper exploration. This is not a mystery or thriller with heart pounding twists at every turn. Rather, its a rather linear depiction of the fallout of especially sinister family ties.

I flew through this book. I was enticed by both the story and the characters.

Scarlet has an over-the-top, overly protective mom. This often dampens her plans and frustrates Scarlet to no end. She knows that little paranoia is good for two women living alone. But she suddenly understands it's not paranoia—her father is a serial killer and he is dying. He has made a plea to the FBI: bring in his daughter and he will tell them about more missing girls. Scarlet must decide if she faces the monster that she never knew or sill guilt of the unknown victims haunt her?

I enjoyed this book and just kept turning the pages. I enjoy serial killers and trying to figure out what makes them tick and feel like their families get too much shit. This book looks at that later idea. These men are great at acting, their significant others often don't know. Kate McLaughlin gave us Gina and how she deals with media, her own guilt, and raising her daughter. Though fiction, the character makes the women who didn't know human.

I kept waiting for the twist. I knew it was coming. But it was nothing like I expected and couldn't believe that the main characters didn't see it coming either. This was on a smaller scale than I expect but it stayed with the story McLaughlin was telling and wasn't a shocker that didn't fit in with her tale which has been a trend as of late.

The only way that this would have been better was if there were vignettes of the victims. The author made a big deal of knowing them and Scarlet wanted to honor them. I feel the author missing out on telling their stories and fleshing out the story completely.

Overall, I enjoyed Daughter. Seeing the family of the killers is a refreshing view of serial killer novels. These people become human and hopefully, help others truly understand that they are victims too,

Thank you so much, NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and Wednesday Books, for the chance to read this book in exchange of an honest review.

Scarlet's life is pretty normal. She has an overprotective mother, friends, a boy she's interested in and a father she's never know, until the FBI shows up at her door and so she discovers her father is a notorious serial killer.
A serial killer who's dying of cancer and who will give the names and where to find his victims only to Scarlet, who hasn't seen since she was very little. Even though her mother did everything to protect her from learning this horrible truth, Scarlet's life is turned upside down by the media firestorm and her father's request, from people who blame them for her father and so much more.

Daughter is a brilliant young adult novel with deep characters, brilliant storytelling and a story impossible to forget. Scarlet is a wonderful character, whose life is turned upside down and her reactions, feelings are relatavle and very realistic.
The story hit me since the beginning and I love how the author dealt with traumas and difficulties, with a skillful characterization. I was hooked and I loved this book so much, it was really intriguing and so well written.

Daughter is a darkish YA psychological thriller.

The narrator is 17 year old Scarlet. She has an overprotective mom. But she doesn't really understand why.

The book is about a famous serial killer. And we find out how he is relevant to Scarlet's story.

This book is Young Adult because the narrator is a senior in high school. But the topic is fairly disturbing. The book isn't overly graphic. But the overall story felt slightly mature. There is sex, drugs and a psychopath/serial killer.

The story was definitely interesting. And it kept my attention. Overall a good psychological thriller.

Scarlet is in high school. She has an overprotective mother. She wants to be noticed by the boys.she wants to be a filmmaker.. she gets anxiety attacks which she treats with medication and sometimes weed. Her friends noticed a black suv at school and then at home. Scarlet initially ignores it. When the FBI agent comes to the door. She ends up calling her mom to tell her a FBI agent was sitting in their living room. Mom comes home to find out why the fbi is there. It turns out that her father is dying in prison. Scarlet also finds out that he is a serial killer. He has told the fbi that he will give out more names if he seess her. Since he’s in the prison’s hospital, Scarlet goes as there are at least twenty more bodies to be found. Scarlet is afraid of him. The first visit goes okay but shakes up Scarlet. Online articles and post s about her dad. Upset over this she takes a off visiting him.
Will she get names and locations of the bodies to give closure to the families.with progress of being able to learn her father’s torture and sexual abuse? She gains confidence and understanding of herself. She know that she is not defined by her dad’s criminal behavior.

The author has written a thrilling, gripping and psychological novel. It kep me enthralled as I wanted to know what Scarlet was going to do next. She and her mother finally develop a good relationship. There is a little romances for Scarlet which is a positive outcome. It also shows the freedom her mother and Scarlet have.after seeing and speaking to him. This is an inspiring and heartfelt story. For Young Adults. It has a beautiful insight to hope and healing.

This book sounds fantastic and has a great rating on goodreads but it just was not a good fit for me. I liked the beginning of the book and it does suck you in right away. Unfortunately it goes a bit off the rails after that. The first issue I had was believability. There were several scenes that I just couldn't sink into because I kept thinking how that couldn't happen that way. I felt like certain characters were portrayed as being one way but only when it fit the current scene, then they acted completely different later one. Overall this one just really wasn't for me.

What would you do if you found out you were the daughter of a serial killer? And how far would you go to help find the rest of his victims? That is what Scarlet is faced with when the truth is revealed.

This new YA book is told from the perspective of Scarlet, Jeffrey Lake's daughter. Growing up she had no idea who she was and it isn't until he is dying of cancer that the truth comes out. Her mother did a great job of protecting her, but maybe too good of a job since she is blindsided by the truth and it turns her life as she knew it upside down. To make things worse, he has told the FBI that if they bring his daughter to visit him, he will reveal more of the women that they didn't find that he murdered. What a quandary for Scarlet, does she help bring peace to the families that don't know what happened to their daughters, or does she continue her life such as it is?

This book reminded me of a series by another author that deals with how the families of serial killers are perceived by others. If you look at what we see in the media today, people are presumed guilty just by association and that isn't fair to the innocent. However, the media likes to stir up controversy so this really isn't anything new.

I was very surprised at how many times Scarlet and her friends would smoke pot and get high. I realize she has an anxiety disorder, but she does have medication for that. But by the end of the book, I wondered if the anxiety was caused by her mother and the lengths she went to in protecting Scarlet. And the fact that her mother could smell it on her and just let it slide was surprising considering she ran background checks on everyone that came into their lives.

This book made me think about how I would handle myself if placed in the same situation. Would I meet my father to quell the curiosity I have about him? Would I do this for the victim's families to give them closure? It would not be an easy situation because you have to be on guard when dealing with a psychopath.

There is some information about the killings and what Jeffrey Lake did with these women that is a little hard to read, but sadly, is not uncommon when it comes to serial killers. There are some sick people in this world.

I felt that this was a somewhat realistic view of teen life and how people treat those that they have presumed to be guilty even if you were only 2 at the time. I admired Scarlet for wanting to bring the victims out and have people remember them for who they were, not just that they were a victim of her father's.

We give it 4 paws up.

This one fell flat for me :(
I did like the premise but didn’t feel freaked out by the conversations between serial killer father & daughter. I found several parts predictable and others to be not believable.

Wow! What an amazingly written book. It was griping and had me on the edge of my seat for the entire wild ride. As a reader of true crime, this FELT so damn real. I was fully immersed and vested in the story from the very beginning. I felt Scarlet and her mother's pain. The horrifying details that her serial killer father shares with her are vile. No child should ever have to hear it.

Not everyone will be able to handle this book, but if you have the stomach for it. Read it. You won't be disappointed.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press, Wednesday Books and NetGalley for the #gifted copy of the book.

Seventeen year old Scarlet is a typical teenager dealing with school, boys and parties while trying to get her overprotective mom to loosen the reins a bit. She doesn't have a clue that her world is about to be shattered until two FBI Agents show up to talk to her and her mother. The conversation that follows leaves Scarlet reeling, angry and in shock. How is it possible that she is the daughter of serial killer Jeffrey Robert Lake aka the Gentleman Killer? How is it possible that her entire life is a lie? That she's been living in a witness protection program most of her life? This revelation leaves her questioning who and what she is - a daughter with a serial killer's DNA. What does that make her?

Daughter is the story of a young, confused teenager facing difficult choices after being side-blinded with life-altering news. Scarlet is led to question everything and everyone in her life while dealing with the information that her father is dying in prison and will speak only to her. He'll only reveal the location of the bodies of more victims if she comes to see him. The story that ensues is highly emotional as Scarlet struggles to accept reality and find her own way forward. Through her point of view, readers will feel her confusion, pain and frustration.

Several questions about how families left behind cope when serial killers are incarcerated or killed are raised in Daughter. It speaks of families, in this case a daughter, dealing with unwanted media exposure, being spurned by friends, and eschewed by society for things beyond their control like the sins of a father. But most of all, it speaks of becoming a survivor, of a young girl finding her own identity and voice and finding a way to leave the past behind. While I expected more thriller scenes between father and daughter, I feel like this book is meant to be an inspiration for those learning to live with reality while claiming their own space and future in this world as Scarlet does. Daughter is a bit heavy in teenage high school party scenes with sex, drugs and alcohol that I honestly feel are more appropriate for a college age crowd, but I'm admittedly way out of touch with this particular age group. It is, however, sad to think these things are now common in this age group.

For this reader, Daughter is more of a coming of age and romance story than a thriller although it does have some suspenseful scenes. McLaughlin is a skilled writer with a talent for delivering emotional characters who grow and develop throughout the story. She sets a pace that keeps the plot moving forward and paired with short, concise chapters, keeps readers flipping pages seeking answers. Fans of young adult, coming of age stories will enjoy Daughter.