Member Review

Darling Bud by C.J. Skuse

⭐ 4.5 stars

Genre: Dark Comedy Thriller

Release Date: 4th June

Publisher: HQ Digital

Murder, teenage hormones & generational trauma …. what could possibly go wrong?
Darling Bud throws us straight into the chaotic mind of sixteen-year-old Ivy daughter of the infamous Sweetpea killer, Rhiannon Lewis & I was hooked from page one. Set in 2035, this is such a clever return to the wonderfully twisted macabre Sweetpea world, balancing dark, dry humour with genuine emotion as Ivy struggles with grief, her mother’s legacy & simply surviving being a teenage girl.
The bloody “annoyed lists” replacing the classic kill lists had me grinning throughout & Ivy gradually learning more about her mother was such a smart way to reconnect readers with the previous books.
What really worked for me was how sharp & witty the story felt while still giving Ivy a voice entirely her own, separate from Rhiannon. I flew through this and genuinely didn’t want it to end. And that last chapter (no spoilers) left me both satisfied & desperate for more from this deliciously chaotic world.
If you love morally messy female characters, dark humour, vigilante chaos, & thrillers with bite, this absolutely deserves a spot on your radar.
Content warnings for murder, violence, trauma & predatory behaviour.
Huge thank you to the author & HQ Digital for the ARC.
I already know Ivy is going to live in my head rent free until C.J. Skuse writes another book.