Let me begin this review with saying that I have absolutely no business reviewing an ARC that doesn't even publish until April 2019 when I have so many ARC's pending soon or better yet the ones I'm behind on BUT the synopsis for this is beyond intriguing and it's October when it's time for all things creepy and spooky and this one seemed a perfect choice for the season. Little Darlings starts off, in my opinion, at a slow pace. Building up the tension and drawing the reader in gradually. I’m not a fan of fantasy, fairytales or folklore normally, but this book has possibly changed my mind.

Wilson, Laura (2019-05-17). "The best recent crime and thrillers – review roundup". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 2023-07-04 . Retrieved 2023-07-04.

Advance Praise

Destiny's mother was so irresponsible and didn't seem to think about her daughter when she made decisions, especially when she got into a random car late at night. The prose is amazing, the author really know how to alternate a b "a book review by C. C. Harrison: Little Darlings: A Novel". www.nyjournalofbooks.com. Archived from the original on 2023-07-04 . Retrieved 2023-07-04.

I think the police procedural aspects are the weakest part of the novel. Little Darlings is at its strongest when hovering somewhere between a portrait of postpartum depression and a dark, sinister fairy tale. I can speak from experience when I say depression can be terrifying. And just like in this novel, you can never quite be sure what is a legitimate feeling and what is an exaggerated response brought on by your mental state; these two often overlap. Both Sunset and Destiny's chapters only properly connected at the end of the book. Before this they could have been two completely different books. Heavily borrowed from fables and fairy tales, Little Darlings skillfully walks the line between psychological and supernatural horror. Ingeniously, the reader is left to decide how much to believe when it comes to the ghost stuff. I’m not a big supernatural fan, but little bits injected into a familiar story is perfect and adds a great deal to the already tense atmosphere. Fear, isolation, and the shame of not being 'good enough,' plus what she did 'right,' in this deeply moving and authentic debut, by Melanie Golding steeped in fairy tales & new motherhood". Leslie A. Lindsay| Writer & Creative. 2019-05-15. Archived from the original on 2023-07-04 . Retrieved 2023-07-04.Double Act won the prestigious Smarties Medal and the Children’s Book Award as well as being highly commended for the Carnegie Medal. The Story of Tracy Beaker won the 2002 Blue Peter People’s Choice Award. Mrs Riley – A kind teacher in Destiny's school who is very popular around the kids. She too is on the judging panel.