Good Me Bad Me

Product Information

Mike and his wife have a teenage daughter of their own, named Phoebe, who, unaware of Milly's past, is jealous of the time her father spends with Milly.

Though I finished this book before its publication on September 5, 2017, I just couldn’t decide how to sum up it up without spoilers while relating my enjoyment of this book. While the mother of the house, Saskia, was clearly damaged and should never have been placed in charge of the care of a troubled teenager.The creepy and disturbing parts of this story are handled extremely well and are done in a way that didn't give too much detail (which I was very thankful for). This is a tough read to be in the head space of Millie and all that she is going through with such intensity. At the same time I didn't feel like the author overdid it with descriptions of what happened and I appreciated that. The concept of the story told through Millie and the idea of her mother's murderous tendencies coming though in Millie was excellent and from start to finish I loved this book and never wanted to put it down.

It takes a lot to well and truly wreak havoc with my psyche, to really give me a case of the shivers, and leave me feeling unsettled.I had previously read good reviews for this book from Goodread friends so when I was offered the opportunity to read it I felt I couldn't refuse. An intensely creepy novel about a young teenage girl Milly, who was unfortunate enough to grow up with a sadistic mother. It might not be for everyone, but upon much reflection, I think the story is more troubling that it appears on the surface, which is weighty enough, but it also opens up a plethora of questions and endless ‘what if’ scenarios, that kept my brain buzzing deep into the night.

It was Annie that reported her to the police after she felt her mother had gone too far and needed to be stopped. The victim's real mother was a monster who passed on these traits through her abuse and more and then there was the foster sister who was the stereotypical bully with bully friends. As Milly befriends another neglected girl who comes from a council estate, whose poverty is in contrast to the foster family’s middleclass privilege, the full meaning of the ‘good me’ and the ‘bad me’ seems to become concrete, ramping up the tension. She’s in a foster home with a psychologist father; a stand-offish, absent mom; and a bratty, probably psychopathic daughter named Phoebe (who is Milly’s age). Phoebe, the daughter was utterly despicable, a child completely indulged, who was never going to offer Milly a welcoming environment.The story is told solely through Milly's eyes and consists mostly of internal thoughts over dialogue or action. As her mother’s trial looms, the secrets of her past won’t let Annie sleep, even with a new foster family and name – Milly. Parts are harrowing, particularly as we're dealing with a young teenage girl whose mother is a serial killer of young kids. This is a chilling debut novel that does not flinch in the picture it paints of the traumatic consequences of a monstrous childhood for fifteen year old Millie.