I can't say that I loved this one, but it was definitely a unique take on the world of Peter Pan. ⭐⭐⭐

Darling Girl by Liz Michalski was a very interesting read. I didn’t really know much about the book and the reviews were all over the place. But I started reading it anyway and I wasn’t disappointed. It happens to be a modern version of Peter Pan and he isn’t the one we know of. He is dark and dangerous. Holly Darling, knows what he is capable of and how he can bring trouble with him. Holly’s grandmother Wendy, yes the Wendy of the original story has a completely different view of him. Holly’s daughter Eden has gone missing and Holly panic’s. She must reach out to her grandmother and they must find away to get Eden back, safely. The story touches so many topics and addresses how life isn’t a fairytale. I really enjoyed this book and the characters. It was a good twist on an old story. This was a four star read for me. I want to thank Netgalley & the author for my copy, for an honest review. It was my pleasure to read and review this book. Who doesn’t like to get lost in a story? Enjoy

Peter Pan is one of my favorite stories of all time, so I was super excited about where this retelling would go. The story felt really disjointed. It felt like you’d move forward, then take a step back to recap. Then move forward again, just to recap. It was intriguing, I wanted to know where the story went but it all just felt very meh.

beautiful prose but underbaked story and main character. also contains heavy heavy content i wasn’t prepared for at all. not for me

I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

Started off really strong. The first two chapters had me so excited. And then it just… stopped. So boring the rest of the way through. Not my favorite.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for giving me free access to the advanced copy of this book to read.

Liz Michalski’s Darling Girl takes a twist on the beloved classic Peter Pan story and explores the depths of its dark underpinnings. In the heart-stirring story, readers meet Holly Darling, granddaughter of Wendy, whose life is thrown upside down when her daughter, Eden, goes missing. Through an unforgettable and intricate tale of grief, aging, sacrifice, and motherhood, Michalski captures the complexity of a mother’s love for her child and her family.

While all the elements of J.M. Barrie’s original masterpiece are present, Michalski breathes new life into the story with her imaginative take. For those familiar with the original Peter Pan, readers will be enthralled by the new way that Michalski illustrates Peter’s character, exploring how a story can drastically change as we age and time passes.

Darling Girl is a gripping, yet enjoyable, journey through the classic Peter Pan narrative with just the right amount of surprise and drama. It is a page-turning reminder of the magic of fairy tales, while still grounding us to the real, dark elements of life. It is a beautiful, uplifting read and certainly a must-have addition to the library of any Peter Pan fan.

Darling Girl is a dark retelling of Peter Pan that I throughly enjoyed. I often find that a lot of fractured fairy tales stray too far from the original source material, but that was not the case with this story — it was true to the original plot and characters. The plot was suspenseful and left me engaged the entire time. I liked most of the characters, but Jack the teenager, took angsty teen to new levels. There were also some fun and unexpected twists throughout the story, and I was left satisfied with the ending. However, I should note that parts of the story were disjointed, and I was left with a few unanswered questions. Overall, if you appreciate fairy tales, Darling Girl should go on your TBR list.

I love retellings of fairy tales and this story was so well done and had me at the edge of my seat throughout. What a unique Peter Pan retelling.

The story follows Holly, the owner of a cosmetic company that helps people look younger than their age. Holly is Wendy Darling's granddaughter. Holly wants no part of the family legacy where Holly's family is heartbroken after the death of a child and husband and when her daughter goes missing she knows only one person can be responsible.

Peter being a villain was such a masterstroke. I loved the characters and all the connections. There are some dark themes in the story which enhanced the story for me.

Thank you to the publishers and Netgalley for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

it was a beautifully written reimagination of Peter Pan. everything was given a brand new turn of perspective from the original story -- Peter Pan, what happened to him and Wendy, to Michael, Tinker Bell, Captain Hook!, and even the playwright J.M. Barrie was given a new light -- i liked it all so much.

As a rule, I don't tend to read novels based on other novels, "reboot with a twist" movies or tv shows. Oh, and I detest fanfic. So I went into Darling Girl with some reservation. Of course, I saw the Disney film as a child and later read the book by JM Barrie, but it's been a really long time since I did.

This isn't a sentimental retelling. It's pretty dark. I liked how the author moved it beyond Wendy Darling to her adult daughter, now elderly and her granddaughter and her children. I liked the plotline. Even a version of Captain Hook turns up at one point. Tinker Bell is not the pixie figure she has always been portrayed as, and Peter is a creep. Speaking of which, holy trigger warnings! I wish there had been some, somewhere. This book needed a rating! If it were a film, it's easily an R rating.

This book made me wish I stuck to my rule about novels based on other novels and reboots with a twist. I'd like to read more by this author, but I'd love to see what she can do with her own characters, her own world.

Thank you, NetGalley, for the chance to read and review this book. All the opinions expressed are mine and freely given.

I was hooked from the start. I enjoyed how you get information on the history with memories but it didn't overdo. The characters were great but I did get annoyed at times with the main one being too much of a "smother". I highly recommend this book! I love a retelling and this was wonderful! Full of little Easter eggs and coincidence. All in all a great read!!! Please try it out!!!

This book was everything I wanted it to be - a little nostalgic, a little grown up, a little dark. I appreciated the twist on the Pan tale, and the just right amount of magic that parallels the idea of growing old and growing up. While Holly's decisions as a mother (and human) were questionable at times, I was wrapped up enough in the story that I didn't spend too much time disliking her. And actually, I didn't really like Jane all that much either, but maybe that was part of the spin? Either way this story definitely sent me down a rabbit hole of Peter Pan retellings - so please pass on the recommendations! Would definitely recommend.

I don't read many retellings but this one was great! Very interesting to learn more about the Darling Family, their legacy, and loved seeing different characters from Peter Pan pop throughout the book. Very clever and fun!

This was quite a dark retelling of Peter Pan and I did quite enjoy it but there was something about it that didn’t quite connect with me

I loved the idea and unique twist on Peter Pan for this story, but the execution fell short. I thought the main character's actions and feelings toward her daughter were not realistic of how a mother would act. I felt like there were too many plots lines going and that some of them could have been left out.

This book is great! Would definitely recommend. Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

This was my first Peter Pan retelling. I do want to read more Peter Pan retellings so leave a rec if you have any.

This one was dark, like kind of really dark. From the kidnapping, to the sexual assault, to the drugs, to the tons of death. I knew they were going to make Peter Pan the bad guy in this one but I was not expecting the level of messed up. He is a predator who doesn't care about the ages of his victims according some things that were implied in the book. I think I probably would have rated this five stars if it wasn't for some of the messed up images and implied material.

While I think this book was written very well, the concept unique, and the plot held my attention the whole time, and just is a good book, I didn't enjoy it. Like I did, and I didn't. Does that make sense?

The characters were very interesting. The Darling family was just so freaking intriguing. And how Hook was kinda included being the good guy was good to read. I was left with a few questions of why didn't the original Wendy ever say that Peter Pan was the bad guy especially with one of the reveals.

The ending was I think perfect for this story like it fit really well and for some reason a tatted up Tinker Bell is a funny image in my head. It was like a bittersweet ending if you will, not exactly a happily ever after like the fairytale and other retellings tend to take. I do recommend this book overall.

I DNF this book - I loved a good retelling but I felt that the execution wasn't fully there. The world wasn;t built as strongly as I'd hoped and the beginning was super confusing. I hope others enjoy it but it wasn't my cup of tea.

While the premise of the book was intriguing, the execution was a little lacking in my opinion. The characters felt one-dimensional.