A sophisticated page-turner about a wealthy New York family embroiled in a financial scandal with cataclysmic consequences.
Now that he's m... read full description
reviews
Jan 26, 2012
Lee-ann
rated it: 
The Darlings by Cristina Alger from Penguin Books 2012
This review almost wrote itself and didn't feel like I was forcing it. I received an ARC of The Darlings from Penguin Canada and have been looking for an opportunity to read it for the last little while.
When you hear a title like The Darlings and see the cover of this novel you expect it to be set during the late 19th and early 20th century during the Gilded age in the United States. I was pleasantly surprised More...
This review almost wrote itself and didn't feel like I was forcing it. I received an ARC of The Darlings from Penguin Canada and have been looking for an opportunity to read it for the last little while.
When you hear a title like The Darlings and see the cover of this novel you expect it to be set during the late 19th and early 20th century during the Gilded age in the United States. I was pleasantly surprised More...
Jan 14, 2012
Jessica
rated it: 
The Darlings begins with the disappearance of a hedge fund manager. Once the rest of the world realizes he's gone, there will be hell to pay. The story of a Ponzi scheme that gets taken down is one we've heard. What makes The Darlings interesting is watching it play out within the course of one long weekend.
The book centers mostly on Paul Ross, married to Merrill Darling (of the titular family). They are a wealthy high-society family, still somewhat foreign to Paul who comes from a m More...
The book centers mostly on Paul Ross, married to Merrill Darling (of the titular family). They are a wealthy high-society family, still somewhat foreign to Paul who comes from a m More...
Dec 29, 2011
Leah
rated it:
The Darlings aren't your average family. They're the 1%, with Park Avenue apartments, weekends in the Hamptons, and jobs in high finance. Paul Ross, however, wasn't born into this life. He married into it when he married Merrill Darling. He feels lucky to be part of the family and to have a job working for Merrill's father, Carter, when so many others are getting laid off in financially troubling times.
But something isn't right. When one tragic event brings attention not only from th More...
But something isn't right. When one tragic event brings attention not only from th More...
Feb 06, 2012
Christina (A Reader of Fictions)
rated it:
Normally, I probably would not have picked this up, despite the lovely cover. When offered a review copy from Penguin, I figured why not, since I can be a bit narrow in my reading tastes these days (YA, YA, YA). Yet again, I am glad I did. The Darlings was a good read, even for one such as myself, who does not follow anything about the economy (more than my own bank account anyway).
The entirety of the story, with the exception of the epilogue, takes place within just one week. I love More...
The entirety of the story, with the exception of the epilogue, takes place within just one week. I love More...
Nov 21, 2011
Jill
rated it: 
At a time when the attention of the country is on the Occupy Wall Street Movement and the 99%, Christina Alger’s book centers on that elusive 1% -- the truly wealthy. And she does it so well.
It was no surprise for me to read that she had worked as an analyst at Goldman, Sachs & Co. and as an attorney at Wilmer, Cutler, Pickering, Hale & Dorr. Only a true insider could have written a book as authentic as this one. It’s page gripping and authentic, thrilling and gasp-inducing. In sh More...
It was no surprise for me to read that she had worked as an analyst at Goldman, Sachs & Co. and as an attorney at Wilmer, Cutler, Pickering, Hale & Dorr. Only a true insider could have written a book as authentic as this one. It’s page gripping and authentic, thrilling and gasp-inducing. In sh More...
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Feb 15, 2012
Elizabeth
rated it:
Let me start by saying I’m not big on mainstream fiction and definitely not a fan of financial novels. So, imagine my surprise when I became totally engrossed in this book and devoured it in one setting. The writing isn’t that of an everyday thriller type novel but instead is just eloquent enough to reach beyond average to make you feel like you are stepping into a book written in the past. The descriptions are perfectly balanced so that you get a wonderful picture of the story in your head b
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Feb 19, 2012
Jenny
rated it:
Taken from my blog at www.takemeawayreading.com.
Don't you just love the cover for this? This is what initially peaked my interest, especially since it's clearly New York City! And then I read that it was about a wealthy New York family and a financial scandal and I was hooked. Last year I was fascinated when I read Tangled Webs, a non-fiction book about perjury which included the story about the Madoff ponzi scheme scandal. The Darlings definitely paralleled this scandal in many way More...
Don't you just love the cover for this? This is what initially peaked my interest, especially since it's clearly New York City! And then I read that it was about a wealthy New York family and a financial scandal and I was hooked. Last year I was fascinated when I read Tangled Webs, a non-fiction book about perjury which included the story about the Madoff ponzi scheme scandal. The Darlings definitely paralleled this scandal in many way More...
Jan 20, 2012
Zen
rated it:
The Darlings of New York -- a family of top-tier wealth and privilege -- prepare for their annual Thanksgiving gathering in the Hamptons. But this year, the holiday arrives under a cloud of dark discoveries involving a Ponzi scheme within their offices and it’s perpetrator’s suicide. This novel unfolds over the days that follow, revealing an intricate lacework of loyalties and maneuvers, both legal and illegal. The secrets and lies that the 99% believes always exist just a scratch away from the
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Nov 06, 2011
Emily
rated it:
Frankly I'm surprised how much I enjoyed this novel--I'd rank it somewhere in the 3.5 range. I'm not usually drawn to novels of elite Manhattan, with its socialites, investment bankers, philanthropists, It-Girls, and trustafarias, but this one grabbed me right away. I'm still filled with disgust from the behind-the-scenes glimpses we get of the demise of Wall Street and its power firms, but what average American wouldn't be?
I found myself reading the book so quickly that I would so More...
I found myself reading the book so quickly that I would so More...
Feb 16, 2012
Amy
rated it:
I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher.
THE DARLINGS offers readers a chance to view a Madoff-style scandal from the viewpoint of the 1%. New York attorney Paul Ross has finally made it. He is married to Merrill Darling, daughter of billionaire financier Carter Darling who is a successful lawyer in her own right. After weathering the downfall of his former financial employer, Paul finds a position in Carter's hedge fund as the head of the legal team. A few months More...
THE DARLINGS offers readers a chance to view a Madoff-style scandal from the viewpoint of the 1%. New York attorney Paul Ross has finally made it. He is married to Merrill Darling, daughter of billionaire financier Carter Darling who is a successful lawyer in her own right. After weathering the downfall of his former financial employer, Paul finds a position in Carter's hedge fund as the head of the legal team. A few months More...
Feb 11, 2012
Kim
rated it:
The Darling family of New York City are not your run of the mill wealthy family - they are part of the elite rich who are wooed by the socialites, the politicos and the society papers. They are the policy makers, the trendsetters, the people to watch. During one week their lives will begin to unravel due to the suicide of one of their own and a very public financial scandal. I received an advance copy of this book and would recommend it to anyone who appreciates an elegant telling of a family
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Feb 18, 2012
Yukari
rated it:
I have received a digital ARC from Penguin USA.
This financial thriller immediately reminds readers of the famous Madoff Ponzi scheme.The author's bio (received B.A. from Harvard College and her J.D. from NYU Law School. She has worked as an analyst at Goldman, Sachs, & Co. and as an attorney at Wilmer, Cutler, Pickering, Hale, & Dorr. She was born and raised in New York City,etc.,) tells you she is the perfect person to tell this story.
The Darlings is interesting enough More...
This financial thriller immediately reminds readers of the famous Madoff Ponzi scheme.The author's bio (received B.A. from Harvard College and her J.D. from NYU Law School. She has worked as an analyst at Goldman, Sachs, & Co. and as an attorney at Wilmer, Cutler, Pickering, Hale, & Dorr. She was born and raised in New York City,etc.,) tells you she is the perfect person to tell this story.
The Darlings is interesting enough More...
Feb 17, 2012
Charlotte
rated it:
http://charlotteswebofbooks.blogspot.com...
I really enjoyed The Darlings. The concept is very similar to Elin Hilderbrand's Silver Girl, but told with much more literary precision. In Silver Girl we only get one side of the story, but The Darlings is so much more encompassing. It is hard not to feel a little compassion for the Darling family (except for Carter. He is an ass, in my opinion) . They are completely blindsided when the truth is revealed. I am really surprised this book More...
I really enjoyed The Darlings. The concept is very similar to Elin Hilderbrand's Silver Girl, but told with much more literary precision. In Silver Girl we only get one side of the story, but The Darlings is so much more encompassing. It is hard not to feel a little compassion for the Darling family (except for Carter. He is an ass, in my opinion) . They are completely blindsided when the truth is revealed. I am really surprised this book More...
Feb 22, 2012
Angela
rated it:
This was a decent book. Maybe it wasn't as much of a page-turner as I was led to believe, but was very interesting to see the financial collapse from the point of view of the wealthy, not the middle class or poor. I think that it's a bold move to depict this, considering the recent upsurge in sympathy for the 99% and the vilification of the 1%. I even at some points was rooting for people that I would have despised, had I read their story in the news. It really brings home the point that people
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Nov 29, 2011
Dawn
rated it: 
Cristina Alger puts a human face to the movers and shakers of Wall Street who have been the target of public scrutiny and hostility in recent years. "The Darlings" follow the lives of the titular Darling family as they try to come to terms with an eminent pitfall caused by a scandal involving the head of the family, Carter Darling. As they deal with the possible outcomes of such a scandal their loyalties are tested and the value of family is realized.
The entirety of the nov More...
The entirety of the nov More...
Feb 18, 2012
PopcornReads
rated it:
Book Giveaway & Review: When the publisher told me the subject matter behind The Darlings by Cristina Alger, and asked if I wanted to review it, I jumped on it. I can’t imagine a timelier novel. We’re all still reeling from the Wall Street scandals that set off this abysmal recession, so a novel set in that world and featuring a Ponzi scheme scandal sounded perfect to me. What I hadn’t imagined was that it would be so much more than that. Read on and meet The Darlings. Once you have, I think you
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Dec 29, 2011
Laura
rated it:
This really Bonfire of the Vanities 2.0: a Madoff-esque Ponzi scheme married to insider trading, bribery at the SEC, the lives of the incredibly rich and a Samuel Isreal-like figure. Even the name of the family at the heart of the book, Darling, reminds one of the tv series "Dirty Sexy Money" (there's another character whose first name is Tripp. sigh).
So, timely. And at times well-written but other times description and detail get in the way of the plot. It's also inter More...
So, timely. And at times well-written but other times description and detail get in the way of the plot. It's also inter More...
Dec 08, 2011
Diane
rated it:
Written by a former analyst at Goldman Sachs, this novel portrays the wealthy society and the financial shenanigans that brought about the crisis on Wall St. She does this very well, as I have to say that I really did not like any of these characters at all, except for Paul. He finds himself part of the family and working for his father in law and must figure out where his loyalties lie. A twist at the end, well at least I didn't expect it. The games the rich play, the pressures and the stress,
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Feb 17, 2012
Nette
rated it:
A satisfyingly melodramatic story of a richy-rich Manhattan family and what happens when a Bernie Madoff type threatens their empire. I did get annoyed by a plot device (beloved of potboiler authors like Penny Vincenzi) where a character will read a letter or an email and think, "Oh my God! This is terrible! This will change everything" and then the chapter ends without the contents of the letter or email being revealed to the reader. Kind of literary Ponzi scheme.
Feb 12, 2012
Omar
rated it:
While I know 80% of all novels are read by women, I tell you this one is a page turner for all you fellas out there. From page 1 I could not put the book down and after I finished it this morning, I have felt a void in my life not being able to share sunday with one of the many "Darling" characters. This book will not disappoint!
Oct 06, 2011
Wendy
rated it:
An incredibly gripping story about a powerful, wealthy NY family that implodes as they become part of a huge financial scandal. This fictionalized Bernie Madoff-type plot rivals bestsellers like Bonfire of the Vanities and The Firm. Wonderfully readable.
Feb 20, 2012
Serena
rated it:
A fictional account of a Madoff type scenario that impacts a wealthy New York family. Lots of insight into the world of finance and privilege, written by an author who must know the inside dirt. Fun to read.
Dec 06, 2011
Julie
rated it:
I am a sucker for books about rich New Yorkers- probably because I would like to be one. This one has a great plot and is well written for a first novel. A fun, quick read.
Feb 20, 2012
I enjoyed every minute of this book. It was immensely readable without being total fluff. I highly recommend it!
Jan 24, 2012
Marie
rated it:
Nov 21, 2011
Louise
rated it:
I don't really go for the whole Wall Street mystery kind of book. It could have been better.
**Won on GoodReads First Reads**
**Won on GoodReads First Reads**
Dec 21, 2011
Amber
rated it:
Despite taking me so long to read, this book was excellent. It kept me interested in what was going to happen next. The happenings of rich people always make me thankful for what I have (or don't have), but it's so interesting.
Won on Goodreads First Reads!
Won on Goodreads First Reads!
Dec 04, 2011
Don
rated it:
Not what I was expecting. Although I enjoyed the writing and the opening caught my interest is slowed down and was not intriquing enough.
