Book Review: Little Darlings | Melanie Golding

Eerie, innovative, and at times bleak, Little Darlings by Melanie Golding is the type of book that will get into your head. I wouldn’t consider this a psychological thriller in the traditional sense (or the one that people most commonly think of). There are elements of magical realism and lore that push it almost towards non-gruesome literary horror, if I had to describe it.

The book is inspired by a Welsh fairy tale called A Brewery of Eggshells. In the original tale, a woman gives birth to twins, but has to leave them alone for awhile. When she returns, she discovers the babies are swapped with changelings. If you’re a fan of fairy tales, you know that these stories tend to be quite dark, though we may brighten them up in modern society for kids.

What is Little Darlings about?

In Little Darlings, the same premise is used as inspiration for this spooky, somber tale. Lauren has given birth to twins, and her experience with childbirth was much more traumatizing than she was led to believe it would be. She’s exhausted, and she hasn’t even met her babies yet. Lauren is convinced that a strange woman with elf-like twins entered her hospital room and threatened to take Lauren’s babies. No one believes Lauren when she tells them about the woman, but she knows what happened.

A month later, Lauren is in the park with the twins when they disappear from her side. After a frantic search, the babies are found but Lauren insists there is something different about them. Detective Sergeant Jo Harper is assigned to the case. Harper has her own issues with authority, which may make her the one person who will actually try to help Lauren with her concerns. Harper doesn’t let go of the case, despite direct orders from above her to do so. Even with Harper’s help, Lauren may be pushed to make the worst decision a mother could have to make.

What did I think?

Lauren becomes more and more difficult to believe, though. Even for the reader, I found Lauren’s manic cycles and sheer exhaustion to make me question if she might be unconsciously making this up. I think any mother reading this book will be both terrified and sympathetic—though most mothers don’t have their babies replaced with changelings, I think many understand that post-partum phase and the pain of everyone wanting you to be ok when you aren’t

At times Lauren seemed normal (relatively speaking)—she made decisions with clarity and calculations. These moments constantly changed how I was viewing Lauren and her story—did she believe it? Was it psychosis? Lauren’s “madness” is a constant ebbing and flowing presence in the story, taking the reader on a journey to unveil what really happened.

I have to wonder if this story (and the original fairy tale) are meant to make a statement about post-partum depression. Certainly, that’s an unspoken but boldly present part of Lauren’s story. It’s that more than anything that makes this story feel somber. Lauren is either having a mental health issue related to her pregnancy, or she is telling the truth and no one believes her. I wondered which would be worse?

I won’t tell you what happened, obviously, but I did find the ending to be satisfying, infuriating, and perfect in equal measure. Golding knows how to spin a tale. I loved the quotes included throughout, as well as the story. Jo Harper (mostly she goes by Harper) is a fantastic character. She’s the sort that many would describe as “rough around the edges,” but I’ll tell you that there is no one I’d rather have assigned to my case than Harper. She does not care what her superiors tell her to do, she will continue to search for the truth at all costs.

A haunting story, one that will stick with the reader long after the final page.

About the Author

Melanie Golding grew up in Leicestershire, UK. Her first novel, Little Darlings, which has been optioned for screen by Free Range Films, became an e-book bestseller and won the DragonCon award for Best Horror Novel 2019. Her second novel The Hidden, (titled The Replacement in the UK), was a B&N monthly pick in March 2023. She holds a PhD in Creative Writing from Bath Spa University which examines the use of folklore in contemporary thrillers. 

About the Book (Goodreads)

Everyone says Lauren Tranter is exhausted, that she needs rest. And they’re right; with newborn twins, Morgan and Riley, she’s never been more tired in her life. 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. Yet when the police arrived, they saw no one. Everyone, from her doctor to her husband, thinks she’s imagining things.

A month passes. And one bright summer morning, the babies disappear from Lauren’s side in a park. But when they’re found, something is different about them. The infants look like Morgan and Riley―to everyone else. But to Lauren, something is off. As everyone around her celebrates their return, Lauren begins to scream, These are not my babies.

Determined to bring her true infant sons home, Lauren will risk the unthinkable. But if she’s wrong about what she saw…she’ll be making the biggest mistake of her life.

Compulsive, creepy, and inspired by some our darkest fairy tales, Little Darlings will have you checking―and rechecking―your own little ones. Just to be sure. Just to be safe.