I wouldn't call this a thriller, but rather a dark, heartbreaking tale about the dark side of the foster care system and how humans develop mechanisms to protect themselves. Definitely not a light read (so much child abuse) but really well-written and the bond between the sisters despite all they went through was a beacon of light in the darkest moments.

Premise - three foster sisters are reunited when human bones are found under their old foster home. Told through their alternating perspectives, and a fourth unnamed perspective (though it's pretty obvious pretty early on who it is), the story goes back and forth between the modern day police investigation and the past horrors of their shared childhood.

I thought this was going to be a 5 star read the whole way through, but the ending really didn't work for me. After what was a really well-written story of the dark side of the foster care system (I dare you to read this and not wish you could rescue all the foster kids in unkind placements) the ending flopped into popcorn thriller villainy. I love a good popcorn thriller (I'll 5 star a Freida McFadden without a second thought) but this book spends the first 80% as not a thriller at all, and certainly not a popcorn one. It just didn't fit tonally and left me with a bad taste and more than a little disappointment.

📚 Characters: 5/5
📚 Writing: 5/5
📚 Plot: 4/5
📚 Pacing: 4/5
📚 Unputdownability: 4/5
📚 Enjoyment: 4/5
📚 Book Cover: 4/5

Thanks, NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, for the gifted ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Jessica Paige (Exercise_Read_Repeat)
1,274 reviews
175 followers
November 12, 2023
Darling Girls is a slow burn suspense that follows three “sisters” who grew up in foster care together. When the remains of a body are found underneath their childhood home, they are brought back to the scene of the crime curious as to what can be found.

This was a quick read that kept me glued to the pages. Though, I will admit, the subject matter was darker than usual so definitely look up any TWs beforehand. I loved how we got chapters from each girl’s perspective in the past and present as well as chapters from a mysterious POV recounting her childhood abuse with a psychologist. This set up made for some great twists as the storylines weaved together. Hepworth also did a great job showing how in the present, these girls’ lives were heavily influenced by their childhood trauma and how despite their own issues and mess ups, they would do anything for each other. This depiction made these humanely flawed characters feel realistic and easy to emphasize with. My favorite part was how the story ended! A great listen too!

Read if you like:
-Slow burn suspense
-Character driven stories
-Themes of fostering, childhood trauma, and sisterhood
-Dual and alternating timelines
-Flawed but likable characters