A solid three star read. Maybe 2.75.

The romance and "I just want to be a regular teen" scenes felt disconnected from the rest of the story. Not that suspenseful/horror stories can't have those aspects, but in this case it just didn't feel right. Who would finish up a meeting with their serial killer father and then worry about what to wear to a bonfire within the hour?

Another thing that I really was not a fan of is the demonization of personality disorders. It's 2022, haven't we retired this ableist trope? I know that I, for one, am truly tired of it.

The story should have focused more on the victims and telling their story, as the protagonist said she wanted to do. But we barely got a glimpse of that even at the ending in favor of instead including another scene where she's making out with her new boyfriend and thinking "maybe some good did come out of meeting my father."

As I said before, the plot points within the book felt disconnected. Which is such a shame.

***Thanks to NetGalley for providing me complimentary digital and audio copies of DAUGHTER by Kate McLaughlin in exchange for my honest review.***

4.5 STARS

Scarlett discovers she’s the daughter of a notorious serial killer when on his deathbed, he agrees to give the names and locations of other victims if she visits him.

I wanted to love DAUGHTER as much as I liked Kate McLaughlin’s THIS IS WHAT UNBREAKABLE LOOKS LIKE. DAUGHTER starts off slowly with party scenes not central to plot or character. Once Scarlett learns her identity and that of her mother, the pace picked up a bit and I finished the story in one sitting.

Scarlett should be a more compelling character, but I never *felt* her pain, anger or fear. The minor characters had more personality and nuance. I did root for her. Her father was felt more like a character than an actual serial killer.

Scarlett’s narration grabbed me more than the articles and letters, which felt more like info dump than useful additions to the story. McLaughlin didn’t do a lot of research about death row, prison security or prisons in general. Her father wouldn’t have his own room in an infirmary and Scarlett would have never been left alone with him etc.

DAUGHTER had more potential than the story, which made the book disappointing, though I still enjoyed it.

I raised the review a full two stars after listening to the audio ARC. The narrator engages me more into the story than the reading experience. I was better able to notice the quality of McLaughlin’s writing and her word building. I felt more engaged in Scarlet as a character and her experience. I even listened to the audiobook twice before writing the review.

DAUGHTER was certainly a ride! It gripped me in the same way that a good true crime documentary does, so McLaughlin does a great job hooking the reader into this story and bringing out the human aspects of it. Obviously, I am NOT the daughter of a serial killer, but I have experienced having a difficult relationship with a parent, so on that level I could really identify with Scarlett and her complicated feelings about her father once she finds out who he is and what he's done. The interactions between the two were equally disturbing and interesting. While McLaughlin draws upon our society's fascination with serial killers, this story is ultimately one of the victims and families they leave in their wake, something that unfortunately gets overlooked in the media coverage of these sorts of things. The author's writing does a really good job at maintaining a reader's attention and comes at you with twists that just leave you floored. I also really loved how Scarlett was able to reconnect with her family through this experience and the character development, especially between Scarlett and her mother, was really phenomenal. DAUGHTER was a story about the ghosts of the past, dealing with complicated familial legacies, and learning who we are in the midst of all of it.

I listened to the audio thanks to NetGalley and the narrator was fantastic.

The story was great. It DID feel kind of anti-climactic for the most part though, that's why I only gave it four stars. I thought it was very well written and fluid, but *JUST* missing something. I was never bored, just felt a little let down when it was over.

I really enjoyed this on audio. The story was excellent and held my interest throughout. The characters were deeply flawed and very real. The plot was fresh and original. The narrator was perfect for the story. I flew through this.

Wow, this was SUCH an intriguing plot! It’s categorized as a YA Thriller but it’s really so much more than that!

It’s a dark story that’s certainly disturbing but it’s complicated and equally captivating. I was truly absorbed from start to finish and felt like I was reading a real true crime story and had me constantly questioning what I would think of Scarlet and her mother if it was in fact a non fiction read.

The characters felt incredibly realistic and I totally connected to them. I loved reading that McLaughlin was inspired after watching ‘Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile’ and have always been curious how someone gets involved with a serial killer and the many different angles and perspectives that can follow.

I flew through this clever and extremely thought provoking story and I highly recommend it!

Thank you Net Galley for an audio copy of Daughter by Kate Mclaughlin. This book has whole new way of Daddy Issues. Wow. This was highly entertaining and suspenseful. Scarlet finds out about her past life and deals with it in a positive way. I really had a good time listening to this book!

Another audiobook hit! This story is written from the perspective of a 17 year old girl who finds out her father is a serial killer. I loved watching her grow into a strong young woman. I felt some things weren’t wrapped up and was left wanting a little bit more, but I found it very entertaining and flew through the audio.

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!

Overall entertaining! It was definitely like a Criminal Minds episode (even if Scarlet and her father insist that it's not) but with slightly shakier psychoanalysis. Scarlet was kind of an idiot though... like common sense wasn't so common for her. Oh well, still had a good time reading it.

Daughter by Kate McLaughlin is a great listen! I loved how the author wrote a story of something horrendous outside of one's control. The book grabbed me from the very beginning. Initially I was hesitant to request listening to the book based on the category of Teens & YA, Mystery-Thriller. The book is mainly Mystery/Thriller. The main character is a teen/young adult (almost 18), with a grown up attitude. I loved how unpredictable and realistic the story was in parts. The details were great, yet not quite believable, (this is fiction)! Justice Bolding performed the book great. She brought the characters to life with her voice, and I could differentiate whom was speaking. I want to thank #NetGalley and #RB Media for allowing me to listen to this book. I loved the twists that were in the story.