When I first saw Daughter on NetGalley, I was mildly intrigued. But, at the time, I didn’t request it. I figured that if the book gods wanted me to read this book, they would make it happen. Well, it happened. I got the invite from SMP, and I was pretty excited to read it. But I got it at a pretty bad time. I had some personal things going on and had to push this book to the back burner. It sat on my TBR for almost two months, and during that time, I kept seeing reviews for it everywhere. Nearly all were favorable, and that kept me amped to read it. I was blown away when I read it. It lived up to my internal hype and the hype I kept seeing.

Daughter had an exciting plotline. Scarlet is your typical seventeen-year-old. She has a great group of friends, a boy that she is interested in, and a mother who is beyond overprotective. That is blown away when Scarlet finds out that her life is a lie. She has been in hiding her entire life. Why? She is the daughter of a serial killer. That same serial killer is dying and wants to talk to Scarlet. The FBI is hoping that he tells Scarlet about his remaining victims and hopes to keep her identity under wraps. But that is blown when pictures of Scarlet and her mother are leaked to the press. Overnight, Scarlet’s life is ruined. She is stalked by the paparazzi and groupies of her father. Most of her friends turn on her. But Scarlet feels connected to her father’s victims and is determined to find her way through this mess. What will Scarlet do?

I will admit, I am a true crime junkie. I watch everything and anything on serial killers. But I have never seen anything that discusses what the families of the serial killers go through. I have seen plenty of speculation but never what their trauma was and how they coped with it. So, reading a book from the perspective of a serial killer’s daughter was interesting.

The author chose to interweave news articles, web forums, and podcasts throughout the book. It made me upset and very uncomfortable to read those articles. I also got mad that one outlet released Scarlet and her mother’s home address, city, and state. I also was a little irritated by how cruel some of those articles/forums/podcasts were. Scarlet was a baby. She had nothing to do with her father’s crimes and was actively helping the FBI. What else did they want her to do?

Scarlet was a powerful young woman. Her reaction to what her mother and the FBI told her was nothing short of what I would expect from a teenager. She handled everything else with grace. I did think what the FBI asked of her was a little too much. But she was a boss when it came to talking with her father. She couldn’t have handled it any better. I also loved her idea of honoring the victims. I thought it would be healing not only for Scarlet but for the loved ones the victims left behind.

Jeffery Lake was an absolute monster. My skin crawled when I read his interactions with Scarlet, and I wanted to throw up when he told Scarlet the reason behind her “real” name. And what he did after he died, I have no words.

The thriller angle of Daughter was a bit slow at times, but it was there. It did ramp up when Scarlet and her mother traveled to Raleigh—not knowing what Lake would do or say added to that.

The suspense angle of Daughter was excellent. I never knew what direction their conversations would take. Would he give her another name, or would he play mind games with her? It was that part of the book that kept me glued to it.

The end of Daughter was a bit anti-climatic. I was waiting for the other shoe to drop or something to happen (different than the storage unit deal). Nothing happened, though. I liked seeing how Scarlet and her mother were thriving now that Lake was dead. The legacy he had left was awful, but they both were learning to live with it.

I would recommend Daughter to anyone over 21. Drug use, alcohol use, language, description of necrophilia, language, sexual situations, and mild violence.

Thank you NetGalley for providing this book for an honest review. Daughter by Kate McLaughlin is a fantastic YA book. The story centers around a teen that finds out she is the daughter of a famous serial killer. He is dying and agrees to tell her where more bodies are located if she meets with him.. The characters are very well-written and easy to identify with. The plot is pretty unique, I mean imagine if you found out your dad was a serial killer. It is a great read not only for YA but for adults as well. I look forward to reading more by this author.

Well this was quite the unexpected gem!! I went into this one blind and absolutely loved it, finishing in one sitting because I could not stop reading. I listened to this one via audiobook and really enjoyed it that way as the narrator was great.

It really is best if you go into this one blind, but you can read the synopsis if you have to know what is going on, it will still be a great read. I would also say this is not really a thriller per se, but given the subject I understand why it is categorized as such. This was very well done, it is a YA book that absolutely does not read like YA. And that ending?? SO good!!

Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for the advanced digital copy to review.

True crime and Criminal Minds fans unite!

Haunting and utterly disturbing, this is the story of a daughter of a serial killer who is forced to face her estranged father in order to help bring some closure to his victims families. And when I say disturbing, this book pulls very few punches. It was like reading an episode of Criminal Minds (one of my favorite shows).

It was fascinating to have the focus of a book like this be less on the killer, and more on the killer’s family and the victims’ families. The crimes are in past tense, the killer having been in jail for almost 20 years, but there are a lot of his victims who haven’t been confirmed and/or found. Our MC meets with him in exchange for more victims’ names and in doing so, the author pulls the focus from glorifying the thrill of a crime story and drives the focus to the victims, who are often forgotten amongst the morbid fascination with serial killers.

Now, while the focus is less on the crimes, as a reader, be aware that what the killer did to his victims is talked about. It’s not overtly graphic by any means, but the acts chosen by the author are horrific in name on their own.

There is very little that I didn’t enjoy with this book but my biggest grievance is that I believe there was too much focus on teenage marijuana use. That honestly may sound like a stupid thing to dislike about a story, but the sheer amount in which it’s talked about is just kind of annoying. The MC has pretty bad anxiety and she uses marijuana as a coping mechanism. I’ve read plenty of books with varying depictions of drug use, but this time it felt like it just pulled too much focus from the story. Especially when just about every time the MC and her friends were together they were getting high.

Please do not take into account how long it took me to finish reading this book as any indication of my enjoyment. I majorly slumped about half way through but over all, I really enjoyed it. I think the author’s attempt at honoring serial killer victims and just to bring understanding and empathy to the killer’s families was respectfully done. I was as creeped out as I am when I watch Criminal Minds and that’s a win in my book. I definitely recommend this to true crime and Criminal Minds fans and hope others enjoy it as much as I did!

Kate McLaughlin has crafted a thoroughly enjoyable read with #daughter that kept me saying “one more chapter” instead of doing other things! I found the characters to be realistic, believable and I found myself to be invested in their story. This was unlike any other YA psychological novel I have read. Thank you to #netgalley and #wednesdaybooks for this to read and review.

Scarlet is a regular teen with a pretty overprotective mother until the FBI show up at her door letting her know she is the daughter of one of the most notorious serial killers of her generation. He's dying, and is willing to give up the names of his unfound victims, but only to his daughter who he hasn't seen since she was a baby.

As soon as I started this book I was hooked on the story. It was told in a completely fascinating way, from Scarlet's perspective. The details about her father and his history and actions kept me interested the whole way through.

I was a little surprised with how quickly her mother went from protective to trusting as soon as Scarlet knew the truth about her father. It felt like a switch flipped and suddenly. Similarly, Scarlet adjusted very quickly to her new family and history which made it felt a little rushed - I think the book would have benefitted from extending the timeline from a few weeks to at least a few months.

I appreciated Scarlet's ability to receive a message from her friends on her phone, and leave it without answering or letting them know she would talk about details with them later - this is something that can be hard to do but was a great example for us to strive to emulate.

Overall, I really enjoyed this YA Thriller, not as dark and gorey as some of the other thrillers I gravitate, but quick and attention grabbing.

3.5 stars rounded up.

This book was straight up crazy! The author’s debut was incredible so I had high expectations for this one and she blew this one out of the water too! Kate McLaughlin has the rare ability to take super taboo topics and weave them into a riveting and unique young adult story. This one is captivating, haunting and quite uncomfortable. Scarlet was a great character who had a lot of growth throughout the novel. It was wonderful to see her really come into her own. She dealt with many things young adults deal with but with the added knowledge that she is the daughter of a serial killer. I’m pretty into true crime but I must say the way Scarlet’s father was portrayed was deeply disturbing. All of the secondary characters added great dimension to the story. The love interest was sweet. It did stall a little bit in parts. I did listen to the audiobook on this and the narrator was excellent. This author can do no wrong in my eyes. Cannot wait to see what she writes next! Definitely recommend.

Daughter gets a 4.0 star rating for being unique in a sea of recently hum-drum young adult novels that I've stopped reading after a few chapters. Being a true-crime fan, I was instantly drawn to the story of a young girl discovering that her father is a well-known serial killer. I know that my students will find this enticing as well. Now for the negatives...Scarlet is obviously a smart girl who has goals and aspirations. Why does she also have to be a binge drinking, pothead? Why does she have to automatically have to consider sex with the two boys she connects with in the story? I work in a public high school and while I'm sure there are students who conduct their lives this way, I wouldn't consider them the majority and I think it does a disservice to accomplished young women when they can't just be smart and capable without also being slutty stoners.

This one just didn't land for me. I wish it could have but it didn't resonate with me in any way. I do appreciate the author being able to accurately depict the thoughts and feelings of a teenager but other than that and a unique plot, my attention wasn't kept the whole time.

This has an intriguing, gripping and very unique storyline. A teenaged girl learns that her father is an infamous serial killer and she must visit with him in trade for the names of his unknown victims. The character development is outstanding. The characters are well-rounded, flawed and relatable on many levels. The descriptions are so vividly drawn that I found that my heart was pounding in certain instances. I found the outcome to be fitting and very satisfying.

This is a story about family…. The kind you don’t get to pick.

I really enjoyed the pacing of this- it feels like it was made to be a movie (I’ve got casting ideas!). I’ve been feeling nostalgic lately for 90s thrillers (Double Jeopardy, anyone?) and this totally hit me the saw way- just some good, stressful, fun. I also appreciated the larger conversation it alluded to around nature vs nurture & the difficulty in determining if anything foreshadows who we’ll be.

Thank you so much netgalley recorded books & St. Martin’s press for the e & audio copies! daughter is out now!

Eh, did not love this book. I DNF as I just got bored about half way through this book. I would not particularly recommend this book to a friend

I’m usually not a fan of serial killer books (either real or fictional) but I absolutely LOVED how the focus was shifted from the killer and the spotlight was placed upon the daughter of a serial killer and how finding out what her father had done affects her and how she perceives herself and the victims. This book was unflinchingly realistic and I loved it. Then I realized that this is the same author that gave us What Unbreakable Looks Like and I understood why we had such a kickass protagonist in Scarlet.

I loved that Scarlet refused to be damaged goods because of her psychopathic father, and instead tried to create something positive from the experience of getting to know him, by recording a web series that highlighted the lives of the victims and allowed people to get to know them rather than focus on her father’s hideous crimes.

This is both a chilling read and a realistic look into how a murder affects those who loved the victim and how to move on from that.

This book is perfect for fans of true crime and serial killers. You won’t be disappointed!

*Thank you so much to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Scarlet leads a pretty average teenage life, except for her very overprotective mother. Her mom has always watched Scarlet's every move and kept her from engaging in a lot of activities. When FBI Agent Logan shows up on their doorstep, it all starts to make sense. He reveals her mother was once married to notorious serial killer Jeffrey Robert Lake, known for killing and burying many women at his family's lake house. And Scarlet? She's his daughter. Now Lake is dying, and he will only reveal the names and locations of more victims to one person--his daughter. Scarlet is suddenly faced with a horrible decision, as well as the burden of learning about her troubled past.

"Her father's crimes will haunt her for the rest of her life. God help her. I don't reckon she'll ever get a moment's peace."

This is a captivating story that I breezed through in one day. If you like shows like Criminal Minds, this is the perfect book for you. Does it simplify a lot of things? No doubt. Is it completely entertaining? Yes.

Just imagining what it would be like to learn Scarlet's news is pretty insane, and McLaughlin, as always, does a wonderful job of capturing Scarlet's teen voice. She's an engaging narrator and it's quite easy to get sucked into her world. The book also features articles and new pieces about Scarlet's father (and mother) back in the day, so we learn about Lake's evil side and all his horrific crimes and are led to wonder--what sort of role did Scarlet's mother play in his crimes?

There are certainly some simplified pieces to this story. Scarlet and her mom deal with the same FBI Agent as she did nearly twenty years ago, even stay with his family at their home, and, of course, Scarlet develops a crush on his son. One has to question the wisdom of sending a teen in to meet with an infamous serial killer... but, hey, it's mesmerizing in the story. The book also does a great job of illustrating how society focuses on killers and not the real victims.

Overall, this is a quick read, even though it covers a lot of serious topics. Its narrator is excellent, and I would have loved this book as a teen. (I quite enjoyed it now!)

Scarlet is your typical teenage girl. She crushes on guys, pushes the limits with her friends, and has a parent seemingly always breathing down her neck. But Scarlet’s mom’s overprotective nature has always been a point of contention. She understands as single parent her mom has to do double the worrying, but sometimes her concern feels so extreme.

Then the FBI show up at their door. That’s when Scarlet learns the horrible truth about who her father was- an infamous serial killer. Understandably reeling from years of lies, Scarlett is further thrown for a loop when its revealed her dying father’s last wish is to be reunited with her in exchange for information about his victims and their whereabouts. Can Scarlet put her fear and anger aside to help others gain closure, or is she opening up Pandora’s box by meeting with him at all?

The story of Daughter kept me interested. I wanted to know the origin behind the mind of a killer and what it meant to Scarlet and her mom in the aftermath. Instead I felt like a lot of the book just skimmed the surface, missing key opportunities for deeper exploration. This is not a mystery or thriller with heart pounding twists at every turn. Rather, its a rather linear depiction of the fallout of especially sinister family ties.

I flew through this book. I was enticed by both the story and the characters.

Scarlet has an over-the-top, overly protective mom. This often dampens her plans and frustrates Scarlet to no end. She knows that little paranoia is good for two women living alone. But she suddenly understands it's not paranoia—her father is a serial killer and he is dying. He has made a plea to the FBI: bring in his daughter and he will tell them about more missing girls. Scarlet must decide if she faces the monster that she never knew or sill guilt of the unknown victims haunt her?

I enjoyed this book and just kept turning the pages. I enjoy serial killers and trying to figure out what makes them tick and feel like their families get too much shit. This book looks at that later idea. These men are great at acting, their significant others often don't know. Kate McLaughlin gave us Gina and how she deals with media, her own guilt, and raising her daughter. Though fiction, the character makes the women who didn't know human.

I kept waiting for the twist. I knew it was coming. But it was nothing like I expected and couldn't believe that the main characters didn't see it coming either. This was on a smaller scale than I expect but it stayed with the story McLaughlin was telling and wasn't a shocker that didn't fit in with her tale which has been a trend as of late.

The only way that this would have been better was if there were vignettes of the victims. The author made a big deal of knowing them and Scarlet wanted to honor them. I feel the author missing out on telling their stories and fleshing out the story completely.

Overall, I enjoyed Daughter. Seeing the family of the killers is a refreshing view of serial killer novels. These people become human and hopefully, help others truly understand that they are victims too,

Thank you so much, NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and Wednesday Books, for the chance to read this book in exchange of an honest review.

Scarlet's life is pretty normal. She has an overprotective mother, friends, a boy she's interested in and a father she's never know, until the FBI shows up at her door and so she discovers her father is a notorious serial killer.
A serial killer who's dying of cancer and who will give the names and where to find his victims only to Scarlet, who hasn't seen since she was very little. Even though her mother did everything to protect her from learning this horrible truth, Scarlet's life is turned upside down by the media firestorm and her father's request, from people who blame them for her father and so much more.

Daughter is a brilliant young adult novel with deep characters, brilliant storytelling and a story impossible to forget. Scarlet is a wonderful character, whose life is turned upside down and her reactions, feelings are relatavle and very realistic.
The story hit me since the beginning and I love how the author dealt with traumas and difficulties, with a skillful characterization. I was hooked and I loved this book so much, it was really intriguing and so well written.

Daughter is a darkish YA psychological thriller.

The narrator is 17 year old Scarlet. She has an overprotective mom. But she doesn't really understand why.

The book is about a famous serial killer. And we find out how he is relevant to Scarlet's story.

This book is Young Adult because the narrator is a senior in high school. But the topic is fairly disturbing. The book isn't overly graphic. But the overall story felt slightly mature. There is sex, drugs and a psychopath/serial killer.

The story was definitely interesting. And it kept my attention. Overall a good psychological thriller.

Scarlet is in high school. She has an overprotective mother. She wants to be noticed by the boys.she wants to be a filmmaker.. she gets anxiety attacks which she treats with medication and sometimes weed. Her friends noticed a black suv at school and then at home. Scarlet initially ignores it. When the FBI agent comes to the door. She ends up calling her mom to tell her a FBI agent was sitting in their living room. Mom comes home to find out why the fbi is there. It turns out that her father is dying in prison. Scarlet also finds out that he is a serial killer. He has told the fbi that he will give out more names if he seess her. Since he’s in the prison’s hospital, Scarlet goes as there are at least twenty more bodies to be found. Scarlet is afraid of him. The first visit goes okay but shakes up Scarlet. Online articles and post s about her dad. Upset over this she takes a off visiting him.
Will she get names and locations of the bodies to give closure to the families.with progress of being able to learn her father’s torture and sexual abuse? She gains confidence and understanding of herself. She know that she is not defined by her dad’s criminal behavior.

The author has written a thrilling, gripping and psychological novel. It kep me enthralled as I wanted to know what Scarlet was going to do next. She and her mother finally develop a good relationship. There is a little romances for Scarlet which is a positive outcome. It also shows the freedom her mother and Scarlet have.after seeing and speaking to him. This is an inspiring and heartfelt story. For Young Adults. It has a beautiful insight to hope and healing.

This book sounds fantastic and has a great rating on goodreads but it just was not a good fit for me. I liked the beginning of the book and it does suck you in right away. Unfortunately it goes a bit off the rails after that. The first issue I had was believability. There were several scenes that I just couldn't sink into because I kept thinking how that couldn't happen that way. I felt like certain characters were portrayed as being one way but only when it fit the current scene, then they acted completely different later one. Overall this one just really wasn't for me.