Thanks NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review! The main idea of the book is based on the European myth of the Changeling, an evil fairy who abducts babies and leaves in their place its own creatures. Jacqueline's books include The Story of Tracy Beaker, which has become a hugely successful BBC TV series; Girls in Love, which together with its two sequels was filmed for ITV television; and Double Act, which she adapted for Channel 4 and which won the Royal TV Society's Best Children's Fiction Award.

Okay, yeah, I get it, I shouldn’t expect the good shit from only 25% (which is like how much anyway? I felt myself shift from believing her, to feeling that she was in the midst of a breakdown, back to believing that what she was going through was real.It has some great things to say about new motherhood and modern relationships, and will probably delight many readers who their thrillers dark with a dash of magic. A bit of grit always appeals to me in novels- I like to know that the author won’t shy away from anything difficult, and Golding proves herself right away with ripped stitches and an invasive fix made by a doctor who says “tell me to stop if it hurts too much,” and then doesn’t. But she knows what she saw: that night, in her hospital room, a woman tried to take her babies and replace them with her own…creatures. So receiving this book for Christmas I had low expectations for Little Darlings, but it managed to surprise me and grab me. How could her brain conjure something that seemed so real, something laden with so much horrifying detail, and yet there be nothing at all?

The eventual climax is a heartbreaking ordeal which no mother wishes to experience and just when we think it’s over, Melanie Golding hits us with another twist and the story goes in a different direction. Sunset was a wonderful sister to her siblings and it was sad to see her being the responsible one and trying to fix things. is about as supportive as a dead jellyfish, so without any relief, she really begins to sink toward rock bottom. I tutted at the end of one chapter because I needed to know what was going to happen, but in true thriller fashion, there was a break.The Nickert is a small gray person that lives in the water and has a great desire for human children.

Destiny's narration was very honest and you could clearly see how her mothers actions were affecting her. The writing leans much heavier in the literary and folklore realm than a traditional thriller and the pacing is also a bit steadier than a fast-paced thriller.Joe Hartlaub of Book Reporter described it as "an excruciatingly frightening but nonetheless irresistible tale". If you looked up the definition of ‘page-turner’, I’d be surprised if Little Darlings wasn’t featured. Now I know that I have a very vivid imagination, and can literally picture anything in front of me, but this book gave me the creeps big time. It turns out there is much folklore about the idea of babies being stolen or switched just after birth.

She sure does like the name star and diamond, because I think the names were mentioned very briefly for a short second.Despite this, the story itself and the themes explored are extremely important and make this a worthwhile read. There were many times when I just wanted to put it down and start another book but I'm the type of person that when I start a book, I have to finish it. You empathize with Lauren, even though you mostly think her ordeal is caused by her depression But…there’s still something about her case that doesn’t sit quite right. Girls keeping their families going, girls trying to get away… Jacqueline Wilson’s written about them all!