YMMV / Daddy's Little Girl

• Alternative Character Interpretation: Ellie firmly believes that if it weren't for her sister's tragic death, her parents would still be Happily Married today. However, Ellie also mentions that her parents didn't see eye-to-eye on some things even before Andrea died, in particular the move to Oldham; Genine was thrilled by the idea of fixing up an old farmhouse and rubbing shoulders with high society, while Edward was less enthusiastic about this lifestyle and missed living in the city, though Ellie insists her father would've come to like it eventually. This suggests that Edward and Genine's marriage was perhaps not as perfect as Ellie likes to believe and that there were underlying causes for the divorce beyond the murder of their daughter; it's understandable that Ellie wouldn't pick up on this as a young child and that as an adult she heavily idealizes the life she had before Andrea's murder.
• Nightmare Fuel:
  • The opening scene where Ellie, then just seven years old, discovers her sister Andrea's murdered body. Ellie goes to the old garage owned by the Westerfields that Andrea uses as a hideout, hoping her sister is there. She sees Andrea lying on the floor half covered by a blanket and assumes she's asleep. When she pulls back the blanket, Ellie is greeted by the sight of her sister's face after she was fatally bludgeoned; the only detailed description we get is that it's so distorted-looking Ellie initially thinks Andrea is wearing a Halloween mask. She tries to take off the 'mask' and realizes her sister's skull has a hole in it. Ellie finally grasps what she's really seeing and begins to panic, slipping in Andrea's blood as she tries to get up. And then to cap it all off, Ellie hears someone breathing heavily and giggling close by and realizes the killer is still there. Ellie takes off screaming and it's unsurprising she still has nightmares about it years later.
  • The climax in its entirety. Ellie drives to a remote location in the middle of the night to meet who she thinks is Rosita, the Westerfields' old housekeeper who says she has information for her, only to be greeted by Rob mimicking Rosita's voice. Realizing too late she's been lured into a trap, Ellie takes off down a narrow country road, chased by Rob and his crony, who repeatedly slam into her car and try to force her off the road. At one point, Ellie looks in her rearview mirror and sees Rob leaning out the window to wave a tyre iron at her, the same weapon he previously used to fatally beat her sister. After Ellie crashes at the roadside, she has to crawl out of the wreckage while Rob attacks her, narrowly missing being struck by the tyre iron several times. As she desperately tries to escape, all Ellie can think is that this is how her sister must've felt in her final moments.
• Values Dissonance: Possibly a case of Deliberate Values Dissonance, combined with Unintentional Period Piece. Joan tells Ellie that when she and Andrea were teenagers they used to sneak cigarettes with their friends, but they never smoked pot or any other illegal substances. The book was published in 2002 and is presumably set around the same year, meaning Joan and Andrea would've been teens in the late 70s and early 80s. These days, due to increased awareness about the harmful effects of smoking traditional cigarettes yet looser attitudes towards marijuana usage amongst the younger generations, many teens would be more likely to experiment with pot and frown upon cigarettes. This is especially so given that the story is set in New York State, which legalized cannabis for medical and recreational use in 2021.
• Values Resonance: The novel's calling-out of the elite who use their wealth and influence to cover up or get away with horrible things seems just as resonant now as in 2002, particularly in the Me Too era. Although Rob's not accused of sexual assault, the way he and his family cover up his scummy behavior by paying people off or threatening them, and them spinning a sob story about how his life got ruined, sounds all too familiar. There can also be parallels drawn to the Westerfields' attempt to discredit Ellie by portraying her as a vindictive hysterical woman and suggesting Andrea courted jealousy by being sexually loose.
• Woobie Family: The Cavanaughs. They were a happy family until the eldest daughter Andrea was brutally murdered and it was her seven year old sister who found her body. Even though the killer was seemingly caught, the grief and trauma drove Edward and Genine to divorce. Genine spent years moving around the States and Drowning Her Sorrows, never getting over her loss before dying at a rather young age from liver failure. Edward managed to build a new life for himself, marrying again and having a son, but the loss of his eldest daughter is still painful and his remaining daughter doesn't want to know him. Ellie is so filled with guilt and rage over her sister's murder, she's willing to do anything to ensure Rob Westerfield never gets exonerated, putting her personal life on hold for around two decades and even disregarding her personal safety. And poor Andrea was a bright and bubbly fifteen year old girl who got in over her head and spent the last moments of her short life in terror.

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