Favourite Daughter is a sharp, emotionally layered debut that blends family drama with biting social satire. At its core, the novel follows Mickey, a woman navigating grief, complicated family dynamics, and the long shadow cast by her charismatic and deeply flawed father. When he dies, Mickey is pulled back into a world of half-truths, favoritism, and unresolved resentment, particularly in relation to her sister. The “favourite daughter” of the title becomes less a fixed identity and more a shifting role shaped by memory, manipulation, and longing. Morgan Dick’s writing stands out for its wit and precision. The dialogue feels natural but loaded, often revealing more in what’s left unsaid than what’s spoken outright. There’s a dry humor running throughout the book that keeps it from becoming overly heavy, even as it digs into themes like parental approval, sibling rivalry, and emotional inheritance. One of the novel’s strengths is how it resists easy answers. The characters aren’t neatly likable or unlikable; instead, they feel frustratingly real. Mickey, in particular, is a compelling protagonist, self-aware but not always self-correcting, caught between wanting closure and clinging to old narratives. If there’s a drawback, it’s that the pacing can feel uneven in places, especially in the middle sections where introspection slows the plot. But for readers who enjoy character-driven stories, this introspection is also part of the appeal. Overall, Favourite Daughter is an insightful and often darkly funny exploration of family identity and the stories we tell ourselves to survive it. It’s a strong debut that suggests Morgan Dick is a writer worth watching.