INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER AND THE NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW’S EDITORS’ CHOICE HOW FAR DOES THE APPLE REALLY FALL FROM THE TREE? Good Me Bad Me is dark, compelling, voice-driven psychological suspense by debut author Ali Land: “Could not be more unputdownable if it was slathered with superglue.” –Sunday Express Milly’s mother is a serial killer. Though Milly loves her mother, the only way to … serial killer. Though Milly loves her mother, the only way to make her stop is to turn her in to the police. Milly is given a fresh start: a new identity, a home with an affluent foster family, and a spot at an exclusive private school.
But Milly has secrets, and life at her new home becomes complicated. As her mother’s trial looms, with Milly as the star witness, Milly starts to wonder how much of her is nature, how much of her is nurture, and whether she is doomed to turn out like her mother after all.
When tensions rise and Milly feels trapped by her shiny new life, she has to decide: Will she be good? Or is she bad? She is, after all, her mother’s daughter.
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I absolutely loved the way this author built tension by sharing chilling and timely glimpses into Millie’s past and found myself wondering how the abuse she suffered at her mother’s hand might influence her behavior. I was not disappointed. The characters were exceptionally drawn, and I remained riveted by this story to the end. If you love a good psychological thriller, this book is for you.
Good Me, Bad Me is a fantastic example of grip-lit. We follow Milly as she is fostered by a psychologist and his family after her rescue from the clutches of a female serial killer. Milly appears desperate for love and companionship, but she is rejected by her foster-sister Pheobe, who instead instigates a series of nasty bullying incidents at Milly’s new school.
There are many disturbing aspects to this novel, from Milly’s abusive childhood, to the actions of her serial killer mother, to the blinding ambition of her foster father, and lastly, the cruelty of unhappy teenager girls. These disturbing aspects are all shown to us in glimpses, through Ali Land’s stream of consciousness style. Good Me, Bad Me has a poetic flow to it that many readers will love, but some may find difficult. I happened to love it, and found it to be a page-turner right to the very end.
There are so many things about this book that I loved! I listened to the audio and bought the print book right away just so I could have it on my shelf and reread!
I normally read romance novels, so I never would have searched for a psychological thriller such as this one. But I received an arc in the mail (even though don’t remember asking for one) and I am beyond grateful that I received it. This is the debut novel for Ali Land. And by her writing technique, you would never know it. It is haunting, intriguing, and it will blow your mind! I think about her characters and this story everyday! Everyday. That is no exaggeration. And she is not what I would have pictured her to be, either. I looked her up after reading her book. She is humble and beyond grateful for all the book reviews and fan shout-outs on her Twitter and Instagram pages. She’s so cool! And she will be on my pre-order/one-click buy list forever. You will not regret reading this book! Buy it today and you’ll see what I mean! Well….what are your waiting for?! Go now!!
I enjoyed this book had a crazy twist
Terrific. A psychological thriller well worthy of the name. The novel delves deep into the mind of the main character, lingering in a sad and dangerous place. A proper page-turner.
I really enjoyed the Nature versus Nurture aspect of this book. A young girl struggling with her past and uncertain of her future. Really enjoyed this book!
Wow! Creepy! Milly is a 15-year old girl who is a foster child of Mike and Saskia, who also have a 15-year old named Phoebe. Milly is in their care because her mother has been arrested after Milly turned her in for unspeakable crimes. Phoebe despises Milly, and makes life rough for her at the private school they attend. Mike is a psychologist, and is helping to prepare Milly for when she needs to testify against her mother. MIlly is very fragile from the abuse her mother dished out and the crimes Milly witnessed her mother doing.
Milly is fighting against the demons of her mother inside her and trying to be a good child and to be loved. It is a battle that she fights each day.
This was an intriguing look at mental illness and the effects it has on everyone.
#GoodMeBadMe #AliLand
I was hooked from page one. I really enjoy a book that grabs my attention straight off. It is a must read.
I read this book a while back and failed to leave a review.
Not being in a good place at the time, it would have been unfair to do so.
In the past week, I have read the book again and have to say, it’s very very good.
The plot is well thought out and the writing is brilliant. If I was forced to pick one flaw from the story, it would be that it’s predictable, but to be honest, I’m not sure it’s been written to be a complete mystery. I feel it’s more of a character study of the twisted damage done to a young girls mind living with an abusive mother. A mother that has cruelly groomed her daughter to be just like her: bad. The thing is, Milly, real name, Annie, isn’t all bad.
She is placed within a family while being prepared for the upcoming trial of her mother. The family have a teenage daughter, Phoebe, who is the same age as Milly. Phoebe is beautiful, popular, and pretty much a bitch to Milly. But in a way, she has her own reasons for being this way, one of which is, she see’s Milly as a threat. The other’s are a mother with her own mental health problems who has failed to build any kind of bond with her daughter, and a father who, as a child psychologist spends most of his time trying to fix other children’s problems while neglecting his own daughter’s need for a parental figure to help nurture her. Phoebe has a need like any other child, not just to be loved and supported emotionally by her parents, but to actually feel said love and support. Knowing you are loved and feeling you are loved are not the same thing.
Milly has the exact same need: to feel love and support, but also extra needs that have never been met, like being part of what she would consider to be a normal loving family life. She doesn’t want to be a loose cog that doesn’t fit anywhere into a family unit. She just wants to belong. The only problem is, she has been taught the skills to make it happen, and if she has to, she will use them. An overwhelming desire to protect and keep what she has never had.
It is a difficult, sad, and tragic story depicting real feelings inside real people. Ali Land’s telling of such a delicate story is brilliant, and her work in this area has helped her to see, hear, and experience awful true stories that I don’t doubt for a second brought many tears to her eyes.
Super debut!……..haunting, sinister!
A chilling book about a young girl, whose mother is a serial killer. This book was hard to put down!!
The pacing and writing are fantastic! I would love a sequel or follow-up just to hear more from Milly / Annie somehow.
Fantastic book. Love Ali’s writing style.
I loved the haunting voice of this book and it’s originality. The main protagonist, despite being quite disturbed was the hook for me…
It had you rooting for the main character because she had such a hard life and was being bullied. It was an interesting ending.
This was an amazing read, if I could give it more than five stars I would. Milly grew up with a serial killer mother and now that she has gotten herself free we get a look into nature versus nurture. She is taken in by a psychologist and his family who are there to help her while she awaits her mothers trial. We see her actions and reactions to living a life that she is unfamiliar with. The author delves into the mind of this 15 year old who has spent her life at the mercy of her mother. Does she still love this woman who has done unimaginable things? Has it made her into the monster that her mother wants her to become? She has her own secrets, does she tell them or keep them all her own? Just how effected was Milly? This was a truly thought provoking book, it kept me on edge the whole way through, and I couldn’t put it down if I tried. I liked how the author pulled me in and grabbed the emotions right out of me. I look forward to seeing what else this author publishes.