The Dark Side: A Novel

A very different story line from Danielle Steel but a book that I could not put down, The story flowed very easily. It touches on a subject that is most likely much more common than we want to think. Zoe didn't have a good childhood with her younger sister dying but now as a wife/mother she wants to be that perfect mother until her past starts to haunt her. This is a book that I could not put down, a psychological thriller that will keep you turning the pages. I only wish there was an epilogue.

Zoe seems to have it all ... a loving husband, a job she loves, and now a baby girl. But things aren't going as smooth as she thought it would. She's finding motherhood a challenge, although some of it may be her own fault. She absolutely refuses anyone's help, she has definite ideas on how to raise a child, even though it seems a bit disjointed at times. As her daughter gets older, her husband begins worrying. At 18 months old, she's already had a broken arm, dislocated elbows, she's fallen off a changing table. Granted, the daughter may be a little rough and tumble, but something feels off. Things get serious when Zoe schedules to have tubes put in her daughter's ears. She has only had one serious ear infection, but Zoe lies to the doctor and the baby undergoes a minor surgery. Zoe's husband goes through the roof, she didn't even inform him. Later on, she schedules an appointment with a doctor to see about having her screened for scoliosis. Even the family physician is puzzled about this, as the child has never had a problem. Old scars long dormant begin to pull Zoe to the edge of an abyss too terrifying to contemplate as Zoe is haunted by the ghosts of the past. This is a well written psychological drama that becomes darker with each incident that occurs. The author has done excessive research and her finely drawn, credible characters are a result. Many thanks to the author / Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine / Delacorte Press / Netgalley for the advanced digital copy of this psychological women's fiction. This was read and reviewed voluntarily. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

The Dark Side is darker than Danielle Steel’s other novels, but it still contains her unique and engaging writing style. The Dark Side is a fascinating story that quickly pulled me in and had me staying up late to finish it. The book is well-written with a good flow and steady pacing. I like that the story is written in the third person. Zoe Morgan is a developed character, though, not likeable. Her childhood shapes her whole life. Zoe becomes an overachiever determined to excel at everything she does and that includes motherhood. I like how the story gradually evolves as you move through the book. The Dark Side deals with a topic that is rarely addressed and is very hard to prove (I do not want to say too much and spoil it for you). It is an emotional story that will touch the heart of parents. The Dark Side is a psychological suspense that will linger in your mind long after you finish it.