I’ve read a few retellings but this was my first of Peter Pan! I’ve always loved this character growing up, but I didn’t know much about him beyond the Disney story! This dark twisted version really piked my interest and I look forward to reading some more dark Peter Pan retellings!

This story follows Holly Darling, granddaughter of the famous Wendy. She spends her time running a successful skincare company until one day when she gets a call that her daughter has gone missing. Holly knows there’s only one person who could be responsible for her daughter’s disappearance.

While the premise really intrigued me, I didn’t love this one as much as I would have hoped. For a story centered around Peter Pan, there was no real magic and we didn’t even get to visit Neverland! The writing was very easy to follow and I was able to finish this one pretty quickly, but that’s because the middle was pretty slow with action. A lot of the big events are told to us instead of shown, which took away from the overall story (in my opinion).

Short synopsis: Holly Darling (granddaughter to Wendy Darling) heads to London to search for her daughter Eden who has been in a coma for 10 years. Eden is special, she has a rare disease that makes her blood precious. When signs of Peter begin to appear, Holly knows she must act quickly.

My thoughts: What a fun DARK retelling of Peter Pan. I went into this blind, knowing it was dark but not realizing the extent of how evil Peter could be. There were definitely things I wasn’t expecting such as rape, kidnapping, and drug dealing/use.

I loved how each of the main characters from the original story had an appearance in this, even Smee and Tiger Lilly.

I found the ending to come somewhat abruptly, and more vague than I was hoping but I definitely enjoyed the adventure.

“Sometimes it’s easier to remember sorrow than joy, sorrow doesn’t hurt as much”

Read if you love:
* Dark Fairytale retellings
* Magical realism
* Mothers love
* Plot twists

3.5 Stars

This book had so much potential. I feel from around 15%-75%, everything was building up at a great pace and I was really enjoying the characters and the flow of the story. It was just unfortunate that the book started off a little confusing and I was struggling to understand how it was a Peter Pan book despite the characters being descended from THE Darlings, and the ending felt a little rushed and messy, with a few things glossed over and not quite developed enough.

I really liked the premise of this book but unfortunately despite the great writing and the atmosphere that had me feeling like I was reading a murder mystery/thriller, I felt the characters weren't used to their full potential. Peter in particular was just such a disappointment to me. I also didn't like that when things finally kicked into gear, all the action seemed to happen off-screen and I didn't enjoy the second-hand account of events rather than reading as they happened.

That being said, this book was a unique take on the Peter Pan story and I did feel a lot of atmosphere from it which is what raised the rating. I just feel that this could have easily been written without the Peter Pan references and been as good if not a little better as the Darling plotline felt once again underwhelming. Would I read it again? No. Would I read a potential sequel? Yes, I would, if only to see these issues fleshed out a little more.

Wendy's granddaughter starts a skincare line that is infused with pixie dust.. that's how this book starts off and I am immediately hooked. What was the secret Holly was keeping? What happened in her past that was so secretive that she couldn't tell anyone? Why didn't she talk to her family? What is going on?

I had so many questions within the first few chapters and you wait a long time to get answers but it's well worth the wait.

The story of Eden and Jack was very sad and it also opened up an entirely different part of the story - a part of the story that cracked open the rest of the plot. This book took a turn I didn't see coming, a very dark turn where Peter Pan is involved and introduced.

When you meet Jane and start to understand the story of the Darling girls, it feels oddly like coming home. It's like you're saying 'I know these people, I know this story'. It was so meta and a little odd because it's like they were breaking the 4th wall. In this story, Peter Pan is real and the Darlings are a real family... the Disney movie and the original book were just based off of them. It wasn't make believe, it was reality.

I can't tell you too much about the book without giving the entire plot away but nothing is what it seems in this story. It's adventurous, off putting, confusing and sad. It had me cringing but also had me on the edge of my seat.

Peter Pan is the villain in this story and that was something that was really clear from the beginning. Holly is not a fan of him and there is more to him than what fairytales have told us.

Darling Girl was a wild ride - I loved every moment of it. It was an odd story with unlikable characters, I didn't love anyone in the novel and found Holly, Jack and Jane annoying but when you find out more about their relationships and see the character development, it all makes sense.

The writing in Darling Girl is superb. It was eloquent, detailed, thoughtful and developed. The characters changed throughout the story, solved their problems and came out on the other side.

If you want to read something different and weirdly nostalgic, and don't mind a dark story then I think you'll really like Darling Girl.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for my e-arc of DARLING GIRL in exchange for an honest review. This book published May 3, so you can grab a copy now!

I love fairytale retellings. I took Children's Lit in highschool and university, and we studies fairytales, and the "darker" ones that are the "real" ones. i.e., not child friendly. This books gives readers a darker take on the Peter Pan story. I really liked it! I would have never thought of telling the classic tale this way - and now I don't think I will look at the original story in quite the same way again.

I did think it would be a tad darker than it was- just based on other people's thoughts and reviews. Don't get e wrong - it was still dark and I will not be reading or letting young children read this! Maybe I had over-prepared myslef on how dark I thought it would be, I didn't find it overly that bad.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. I wasn't a big fan of this book. It started off strong and then became very boring for a good 60% of the book. So I kept putting the book down because I couldn't concentrate on it. I did like how well written the characters were and how descriptive everything was that made it easy to immerse myself during the interesting moments..

I love a modern retelling of a classic tale, especially if it is made more real or gritty. I didn't love Holly, Wendy's granddaughter, or her mother, Jane, but I did like the uniqueness of the rest of the characters and story. There are a few things at the end that are conveniently, magically "fixed" that seemed like an easy way out for the author. I think this would have been a great book to do multiple points of view in and would have liked to see more from Eden and Bell. It is left open enough for another book but I think an epilogue would be a better fit.
I was given a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Darling Girl was such an interesting premise but my god was it boring. I kept reading just hoping something interesting would happen, but it never did.

This book was not it for me. I hate that I hated it especially since a few of my close friends absolutely adore it but I just couldn't deal! This book absolutely needed trigger warnings at the beginning especially since rape and medical abuse was a huge forefront in this story. The characters, especially Holly, had little to no personality at all. I just...really didn't like this. Thank you for the opportunity to review,

I enjoyed this book. I thought it was an imaginative continuation of the old story of Peter Pan. We find out how Wendy's daughter and granddaughter lives are affected by their famous heirs with slight twists. It was a nice read.

Peter Pan as a bad guy, Hook as a good guy= my cup of tea! What a fantastic remake of Peter Pan. Wonderful!

This retelling of Peter Pan is anything but innocent and whimsical. In this adult fantasy novel, Holly Darling, the Granddaughter of Wendy, runs a very successful skincare company. She is a single parent to Jack after a terrible accident killed her husband and Jack’s twin.

When she gets a call that her daughter Eden is missing from the home where she has been hidden away in a coma for a decade, she knows that Peter Pan is the one responsible.

Peter Pan is dark, sinister, and grown-up. Holly must get Christopher Cooke to help her find her daughter and defeat Peter.

3.5⭐️
Darling Girl was a retelling of one of my favorite stories. Peter Pan! It was magical for me as a child so I was hesitant about this story.
It was told with great care and I thought the author did a descent job. But I will say that it got a little to crazy for me and I thought it could of been shortened.
The plot kept me reading and I did enjoy it.
Thanks Dutton via NetGalley

I really love retellings of classic fairytales - and bonus points if they are dark and twisty like this one!⁣
⁣
Holly Darling — Wendy’s granddaughter appears to have it all. She has a great career and wonderful - but she also has a daughter.. with a mysterious illness and an even more mysterious past.

This one was DARK... a little icky in some parts... questionable decisions that sometimes didn't make sense for the story - but what a fun ride. I loved the incorporation of her cosmetics company and the secret "ingredients" for everlasting youth - and the blood angle was definitely cool.

I did have some questions at the end and felt there were some plot holes - but as far as dark, and twisted fairytale retellings go - this one defiantly nailed it!

Darling Girl: A Novel of Peter Pan by Liz Michalski is an amazing escape novel as we enter the darker realm of Peter Pan in today’s world. I knew little about this book which was beneficial as it allowed me to just soak it all in with no expectations.

The Darling family is still alive and well in this book, but it comes at a cost. Holly Darling, the granddaughter of the storybook Wendy Darling, is pitted against Peter in order to save her daughter’s life. The blurb from the book’s flap gives a good guide as to what the story is about and that’s more than enough for you to know. What is important to note is the author’s keen writing skills and her ability to pace the story with precision.

This book would be a great read for anyone who enjoyed the Peter Pan book or one of the remakes in film such as Hook. It will also be a great selection for anyone who likes suspense, a bit of fantasy/magic, mother and daughter relationships, romance and the cost one will go to save their child. Overall, his is an unusual and satisfying read!

Talk about a twisted retelling of Peter Pan!
He’s not the always happy smiling little boy that it’s best friends with Tink in here, he’s actually the villain and Tink is his captive.
The story started slow for my liking but it builds up quickly and it’s so well written and developed that it really makes you want to read it in one sitting.
The characters are so interesting, the magical realism inserted will make you question a lot of actions and honestly, I don’t think I’ve actually liked any of them in the end.
It’s one of those books that must be read and discussed in my opinion.

🆓📖Very grateful to the publisher for my review copy.

Thank you NetGalley for one of the most interesting books I’ve read in some time. Holly Darling, granddaughter of Wendy, yes, THE Wendy Darling, has a child with Peter Pan. Dr Darling has experienced loss and pain and is trying to keep her son alive using a serum from Eden, her daughter with Peter. Great story. Not too complicated. Great premise.

Darling Girl is a dark, modern day retelling of Peter Pan where Peter Pan isn't the fun innocent boy we think we know, but he's actually the villain. This is a story filled with well-developed characters, family drama, magical realism, and so many Peter Pan easter eggs throughout. It's fun to see the twists on familiar characters, plot points, and everything in between. I enjoyed the Captain Hook twist where he's a man named Christopher Cooke with a hook for an arm. This is an engaging retelling that still manages to be filled with magic even when the magic isn't real. Highly recommended to anyone interested in a dark reimagining of Peter Pan.

This was the dark and whimsical retelling I was looking for! I enjoyed the change of perspective and modern setting while keeping the classic pieces of the story included as well. The science parts of the book were interesting and unique compared to my normal reads. I found every character to be developed well for their purpose and especially became fond of Jane. I will recommend to my fantasy and contemporary fiction loving readers!

Imagine if Peter Pan was not an innocent but a childish malevolent middle-aged man.

This book was smart thought provoking and darkened a childhood fairy tale story.
We had an excellent book discussion regarding this novel, and I really appreciated the mix between Neverland and reality. I love a book that takes me by surprise and tells a story I had never read before. This accomplished that!