Kirkus - Style Review – “My Darling Girl” by Jennifer McMahon
Allison O'Conner is living an idyllic life in small town Vermont until her carefully cultivated and well-ordered existence is undermined by the arrival of her ailing mother.
Christmas festivities are afoot in the O’Conner household
when Allison receives an unexpected phone call from her mother’s dutiful
assistant, Paul. She learns that her estranged mother, Mavis, has recently been
diagnosed with terminal cancer. On a quick visit to the New York hospital where
Mavis is convalescing, Allison’s mother humbly expresses her desire to live out
her last days with her only daughter. Allison is hesitant to entertain her mother’s wishes, as she fears her
presence might reignite the terrible feelings of trauma she experienced as a
child. Allison is a likeable and relatable protagonist, and readers will sympathize with her as she wrestles with excruciating childhood memories while painstakingly
endeavoring to create a happy childhood for her two daughters, 6-year-old Olivia
and teenage Izzy. Allison agrees to take her
mother in but maintains a guarded optimism. McMahon paints a claustrophobic and
menacing picture in her vividly dark descriptions of the supernatural events that
begin to occur regularly in the home upon Mavis’ arrival; from the appearance
of unseasonal swaths of invading flies, “the flies readjusted, crawling over
each other, the fingers on the hand stretching out” to the appearance of a
grotesque rat in her daughter’s room, “Its fur was dark gray, nearly black, and
shiny as an oil slick. It moved like oil too—viscous and flowing…” Allison
suspects the demonic, but neither her husband, Mark, nor her best friend, Penny,
believes her. Mark’s reluctance to support Allison, and instead suggesting a brief
stint in a mental asylum, will frustrate some readers,
especially as it flies in the face of his often-saccharine overtures of affection
toward her (Mark has a PhD in Literature and quotes Emily Dickinson in his
wedding vows). Things go from bad to worse as Allison is forced to live out a
nightmare in isolation and singlehandedly battle against a grave evil.
While readers might wonder why Allison never thinks to employ
the assistance of a priest (which would be the obvious course of action in many
readers’ minds), and despite the sometimes-frustrating secondary characters, McMahon
has nonetheless created a dark and claustrophobic page-turner that will
maintain readers engagement up until the untidy and very uneasy conclusion.
Callie, you are so kind, and you made me feel really good about my first review. I appreciate you taking the time to read it! I didn't even realize that I used the alliteration until you pointed it out! I like how you noticed the "readability" and flow of the review and not just the content. It appears that that stuck with you the most. I'll keep the "readability" component in mind for future reviews!
ReplyDeleteBased on your review I would read this book just because of the dark and supernatural themes alone. I also highly appreciate the warning on the frustrating secondary characters. I hate when secondary characters constantly dismiss the main character's worries and fears. But now that I know beforehand I can prepare myself in advance for the anger and frustration.
ReplyDeleteHi EmLayne! Thank you for the comment! I'm not sure if you will share my opinions about the secondary characters, but I sure thought that they (especially her husband, Mark) could have been a lot less dismissive of the possibility of an evil presence. Maybe it was because McMahon makes sure that we as readers know that Allison is exactly on point in her suspicions. We actually know more than she does!
DeleteWow, fantastic review Melissa! You've nailed the Kirkus-style review. Sounds like this book is worth picking up. I'm intrigued by the supernatural elements and the uneasy conclusion! I'm adding this to my Goodreads TBR.
ReplyDeleteHI Mallory! Thank you for reading my review! I'm excited that it has inspired you to read the book! It's absolutely a worthwhile read!
DeleteI have to echo your classmates! What a fantastically written Kirkus review! Your attention to detail in the words and summary is great!
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