My Darling Girl by Jennifer McMahonMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
Gives a whole new meaning to the phrase "possessed by a demon"
Alison had a horrible childhood, growing up with an abusive, alcoholic mother, Mavis, who made her life miserable. She survived, going on to marry her cheerful husband, Mark, with whom she has two children, teenage Izzy and young Olivia. When Mavis' assistant reaches out with the news that Mavis is dying of cancer and wants to spend her final days with family, Alison is torn. She finally agrees, dreaming of closure with her mother. But when strange things start happening, Alison is convinced her mom is the cause.
This was such an eerie book! Even better, it's set around the Christmas holidays, making all the terrifying events even more awful against the backdrop of holiday pageants and movies and cookies. Alison is clearly (justifiably) traumatized by her childhood, leaving us to wonder if her suspicions toward her mother are true, or just paranoia. These feelings of paranoia weave across the story as weirder and creepier incidents occur once Mavis arrives at Alison's house. Alison begins to suspect her mother is not who she seems, going so far to wonder if she's possessed by a demon.
The plot sounds far fetched, but works surprisingly well. McMahon, as always, creates expert creepy, crackling tension. It's easy to fly through the pages of this one. The cast of characters is limited, but intriguing, and there's the dynamic of wondering whether Alison remembers her childhood correctly and then what exactly is happening with Mavis. The result is a terrifying, spooky read that also explores the issues of motherhood and family. 4 stars.
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