Out of the Dark

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ ARC Review

A really well-written story with strong pacing and twists that kept me completely hooked. The plot unfolded in such an engaging way that I couldn’t help but keep turning the pages.

The twists were brilliant — clever, unexpected, and perfectly placed. By the time I reached the end, I was confused in the best possible way, the kind of ending that sticks in your mind and makes you think.

Overall, a gripping and cleverly crafted read. A solid 4.5 stars.

ARC Review
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Out of the Dark by Carol Gulliford

First things first: thank you for this ARC. And thank you to Inside Story for once again handing me a book that gently took my heart, squeezed it, and then pretended it hadn’t done anything wrong.

This story wrecked me. Quietly. No explosions. Just that slow, suffocating kind of ache that builds up over years — like being the child who tries a little too hard to be loved and still somehow gets it wrong.

Maddie. God. Maddie.

She wants to be chosen. That’s it. Not worshipped. Not perfect. Just chosen. Her father is her safe place, and then life does what life does best — it takes him away. Her sister? The golden one. The easy one. The loved one. And Maddie loves her, but also resents her, because that’s what happens when you grow up competing for crumbs of affection. It’s messy. It’s human. It’s ugly in the most honest way.

And her mother… well. Some people shouldn’t have children. Some people love trees more than their own daughters. Some people close doors and call it parenting.

This book follows Maddie through years of trying. Trying to be enough. Trying to be loved. Falling in love with people who don’t love her back — because when you grow up starved, you’ll accept emotional breadcrumbs and call it a feast. Death circles her life like it’s on payroll. The people she clings to leave. Over and over. And still she keeps going. I don’t know whether that’s resilience or pure stubborn survival instinct, but I respect it.

She finds comfort where she least expects it. And yes, that too comes with grief, because apparently peace in this book comes with a price tag.

I won’t spoil anything — I’m not a villain — but I felt this one in places I usually keep locked up. I wanted to step into the pages, grab Maddie by the shoulders and say, “You are not hard to love. You were just surrounded by people who didn’t know how.”

This story isn’t shiny. It’s not dramatic for the sake of drama. It’s the slow burn of growing up unwanted and learning — painfully — that you can choose your own family. That you can choose yourself. Even if no one else ever did.

Five stars. Not because it was easy. But because it was real. And when a character feels this alive, this painfully human, it earns every single one of them.

If you’re ready for an emotional rollercoaster wrapped in abandonment issues, complicated love, grief, and the brutal art of surviving your own childhood — pick this up.

Just maybe don’t read it if you’re already emotionally stable.
Wouldn’t want to ruin that.

#books #review #bookstagram Carol Gulliford - Author

Maddie and Lizzie have an interesting home life. Their cold, distant mother has an obvious preference for Lizzie, and she’s not afraid to show it. Maddie’s father, Trevor, is the complete opposite. He’s a family man who loves both of his girls equally. However, the family is full of secrets and after a random accident one night outside of a pub, the family will be ripped apart. Lies, secrets, and drama abound! Just when you think you’ve caught your breath, another twist flies in your face!

This is the third book I’ve read by the author and they keep getting better and better. The characters were vivid and I felt like I was there in every scene. Every revelation made me gasp and I couldn’t put this book down!

Yet another amazing book from this author. Highly recommend!