Name: Jb's review of Good Me Bad Me by Ali Land
Item: Good Me Bad Me
Rating: 4
Author: Jb

Ali Land

ONE OF THE MOST EXTRAORDINARY, CONTROVERSIAL AND EXPLOSIVE DEBUTS OF 2017, Good Me Bad Me is for fans of quality psychological suspense and reading group fiction. 'The new Girl on The Train, which was the new Gone Girl. You get the picture. This psycho-thriller by Ali Land is set to be massive' Cosmopolitan 'Incredible, very special' Radio 4's Open Book 'NEW NAME . NEW FAMILY. SHINY. NEW. ME.' Annie's mother is a serial killer. The only way she can make her stop is to hand her in to the police. But out of sight is not out of mind. 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. A fresh start. Now, surely, she can be whoever she wants to be. But Milly's mother is still a serial killer. And blood is thicker than water. Good me, bad me. She is, after all, her mother's daughter... Translated into over 20 languages, Good Me Bad Me is a tour de force. In its narrator, Milly Barnes, we have a voice to be reckoned with, and in its author, Ali Land, an extraordinary new talent. 'Ali Lane has created a creepy and haunting read. Thriller of the year so far.' Sun 'Gripping, unsettling and unforgettable' Heat 'Frightening and enthralling' Grazia 'Unsettling. Holds our attention from the opening page. There is so much to praise here' Guardian 'Spellbinding. Will have you on the edge of your seat. Sure to be a big talking point this year' Daily Express 'A creepy, compulsive thriller I read in one breathless gulp. Good Me Bad Me reveals its shocking secrets slowly while reeling in the reader with all the intricate skill of a spider spinning a web. One not to be missed'Red 'Original and compelling - what a sensational debut!' Clare Mackintosh, number one bestselling author of I See You and I Let You Go 'An astoundingly compelling thriller. Beyond tense. You hardly breathe. Best read in ages' Matt Haig 'Intelligent and disturbing, Good Me Bad Me had me hooked from the first page' Debbie Howells, author of Richard & Judy book club bestseller The Bones of You

The Sunday Times Bestseller

Good Me Bad Me

Kirsty

ONE OF THE MOST EXTRAORDINARY, CONTROVERSIAL AND EXPLOSIVE DEBUTS OF 2017, Good Me Bad Me is for fans of quality psychological suspense and reading group fiction. 'The new Girl on The Train, which was the new Gone Girl. You get the picture. This psycho-thriller by Ali Land is set to be massive' Cosmopolitan 'Incredible, very special' Radio 4's Open Book 'NEW NAME . NEW FAMILY. SHINY. NEW. ME.' Annie's mother is a serial killer. The only way she can make it stop is to hand her in to the police. But out of sight is not out of mind. 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. A fresh start. Now, surely, she can be whoever she wants to be. But Milly's mother is a serial killer. And blood is thicker than water. Good me, bad me. She is, after all, her mother's daughter... Translated into over 20 languages, Good Me Bad Me is a tour de force. In its narrator, Milly Barnes, we have a voice to be reckoned with, and in its author, Ali Land, an extraordinary new talent. 'Ali Lane has created a creepy and haunting read. Thriller of the year so far.' Sun 'A novel of complex motivations that will test readers' capacity for empathy, Good Me Bad Me is already a strong contender for debut of the year' The Irish Times 'Gripping, unsettling and unforgettable' Heat 'Frightening and enthralling' Grazia 'Unsettling. Holds our attention from the opening page. There is so much to praise here' Guardian 'Spellbinding. Will have you on the edge of your seat. Sure to be a big talking point this year' Daily Express 'A creepy, compulsive thriller I read in one breathless gulp. Good Me Bad Me reveals its shocking secrets slowly while reeling in the reader with all the intricate skill of a spider spinning a web. One not to be missed' Red 'Original and compelling - what a sensational debut!' Clare Mackintosh, number one bestselling author of I See You and I Let You Go 'An astoundingly compelling thriller. Beyond tense. You hardly breathe. Best read in ages' Matt Haig 'Intelligent and disturbing, Good Me Bad Me had me hooked from the first page' Debbie Howells, author of Richard & Judy book club bestseller The Bones of You

Good Me, Bad Me

Denaiir

This was a suspenseful, unsettling and creepy story revolving around the daughter of a serial killer who tries to create a new life for herself after she turns her mother in, but it proves to be harder than she hoped it would be.

The disturbing parts of this story were handled extremely delivately and even though I prefer books that don't shy away from the horrible details, I recognized good writing in this one. It was done so well, and everything that had happened was very clear even though nothing was graphic.

The writing was quite peculiar, the reader was in the mind of Milly, and it took some getting used to, which was greatly eased by the good narration. 

I didn't really enjoy the parts where Milly was being bullied, but it provided some good twists even though the ending was very predictable. Overall I quite enjoyed the book.

Emmm :p

This was amazing! The book kept me gripped and I never knew what was coming next. It was an amazing ride and definitely wasn’t too disturbing which some novels are. I think that the portrayal of english teenagers was really accurate and not cringe. Such an incredible read I would recommend to anyone who loves mystery, suspense and plot twists!

Jasmine

4 Stars

  "I said goodbye that night, whispered it. I think I might have also said, I love you, and I did. Still do, though I’m trying not to"

Woah, I've never read a book about the daughter of a killer and definitely never one that delves into the psyche of the daughter of a killer. This was something else, and that ending... Such a chilling read, amazing psychological thriller imo!! This book gripped me right from the beginning and kept me glued all the way till the end. It was intense but in a very quiet slow building and completely fucked up way.

 Good Me, Bad Me is the kind of story that sneaks up on you, makes you feel unstable, and then proceeds to invade all your thoughts. The way certain parts of the story were written in such a fragmented, and disjointed way which made it so you as the reader also feel completely off balance. I love a good unreliable narrator and that's exactly what this book delivers! 
  "More disturbing than hurt is love when it’s wrong"

Gabrielle Oxley

A rollercoaster from beginning to end! I thought I knew what was happening but then she threw another twist in and I was gobsmacked! Absolutely amazing!

Paulina 

Jak na kryminało-thriller klasy B to nawet się endżojowałam.

Heather Harrington

I found this a bit boring, and didn't get much of a thriller vibe at all.

"INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER HOW FAR DOES THE APPLE REALLY FALL FROM THE TREE? Milly's mother is a serial killer. Though Milly loves her mother, the only way to make her stop was 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. Her foster sister, Phoebe, starts to bully her. A teacher betrays her trust. And her new best friend tempts her into behaving badly. They have no idea who they are dealing with. 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"--

A Novel

Corrie White 

Wow. Wow. WOW. What an interesting and unique read centred around a young teenaged girl named Milly, and her ongoing battle throughout the book of dealing with the aftermath of turning her mom in for the murder of nine children. This book is chilling and really questions whether homicidal tendencies are the result of genetics or environment, and unfortunately for Milly, she’s got both working against her.

In the immediate aftermath of turning her mother in, Milly is temporarily placed in the home of a psychiatrist, Mike, and the rest of his family: his daughter, Phoebe, and his wife, Saskia, as Milly awaits her mother’s trial. Due to the nature of the crime, no one, aside from Mike, Saskia, and a few people at Milly’s school know her story. She’s been given a new name and Milly hopes to give herself a fresh start, though try not to look at her too closely or else you are sure to see her mother’s face reflected. Since Mike is usually the home for wayward children, and therefore spends a lot of time with the children placed in his care, Milly and Phoebe do not get along, which strains their already tumultuous relationship both at home and at school.

As the trial date looms, Milly struggles to reconcile what happened when she was with her mother and the blame she puts on herself; as much as she wishes she could hate her mother and what she did to her and the other children, the familial bond is strong and nearly impossible to break. How can she cope with testifying against her mother and what is going to happen to her when it is done?

This book was a great read, and it had me hooked from the very beginning. I’m a sucker for psychological thrillers, and this book hits all the high notes of one. It makes you think, makes you feel for the main character and what she is going through, and inevitably sucker punches you by the end.

I really like the way the dialogue is sometimes spoken within the book. It is included within the paragraphs, almost giving the book a diary-like feel to it; it also disjoints the reader, a kind of back and forth between the main character and whomever, like if you were standing right there watching them speak.

The rest of the novel is also written in this choppy, sort of disjointed way, which really had the effect of putting me on edge, anxiously awaiting what was going to happen next. For the most part, this was executed well, however there were times where I found myself checking the page number, because it felt as if nothing had happened for pages and pages. This is one of my few critiques of the book; the beginning and end I absolutely plowed through, could not get enough, but the middle tended to drag at times.

I both liked, and disliked, the way the adults in this book were portrayed. It made me feel like I was reading a YA book at times, because of how absolutely oblivious the adults were, especially at school. There are numerous occasions in the book where teachers overlook the extreme bullying that Milly is experiencing. And then seem shocked at the repercussions. The biggest perpetrator of this though is Mike. He even expresses shock when he learns later that Milly and Phoebe have not been getting along. Like…??? It happens right in front of his face. I dislike this, just because it seems unrealistic that not one teacher or parental figure would notice what was happening, but I also really like it too because it shows, yet again, that everyone is failing this poor girl.

My only other gripe with this book is how the ‘twists’ were portrayed. I’m not sure if it was just me, but I had correctly assumed what was going to be happening early in the book. Even the ending, which was AMAZING, did not shock me. I almost wish Ali Land had taken it further. Overall though, this book is incredibly well written, well characterized, and accomplished that feeling of anxiety in a way I’ve never experienced in a book. I gave this book 3.75 out of 5, only because of the few issues I highlighted above. I definitely recommend this for the thriller lover in you!

FOR ANYONE WHO IS YET TO DISCOVER THE MUST-READ PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLER. The SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER and the unputdownable RICHARD & JUDY BOOK CLUB PICK that will chill you to the bone . . . AWARDED HEAT'S UNMISSABLE, BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR. 'It's rare to come across a book you can't stop thinking about, talking about and pushing it into the hands of everyone you know.' Heat One of THE TELEGRAPH'S CRIME BOOKS OF THE YEAR ___________ When Annie hands her mother over to the police she hopes for a new start in life - but can we ever escape our past? 'NEW NAME. NEW FAMILY. SHINY. NEW. ME.' Annie's mother is a serial killer. The only way Annie can make it stop is to hand her in to the police. With a new foster family and a new name - Milly - she hopes for a fresh start. Now, surely, she can be whoever she wants to be. But as her mother's trial looms, the secrets of Milly's past won't let her sleep . . . Because Milly's mother is a serial killer. And blood is thicker than water... ___________ 'The new Girl on The Train, which was the new Gone Girl. You get the picture. This psycho-thriller by Ali Land is set to be massive' Cosmopolitan 'Original and compelling - a sensational debut' Clare Mackintosh, bestselling author of I Let You Go 'Utterly compelling, extraordinary, breath-taking' Joanna Cannon, author of The Trouble with Goats and Sheep 'An astoundingly compelling thriller. Beyond tense' Matt Haig 'Could not be more unputdownable if it was slathered with superglue' Sunday Express 'A strong contender for debut of the year' Irish Times

b.andherbooks

After years of torture and abuse, Millie turns her serial killer mother in to the police. As she awaits the trial of the now notorious "Peter Pan Killer" Millie is sent to live with a foster family and to try and live a "normal" life.

But, Millie is worried she will become her mother. She still hears her voice. She still hears the voices of the nine little somebodies her mother killed. Her foster sister is a horrible bully that brings out the worst in Millie.

Will the good wolf or the bad wolf inside of Millie win? Depends on which one she feeds...

Super horrific and compelling premise, but the ending was such a disappointment! The narrator was most excellent, so still worth a listen.

Kirsty &
Good Me Bad Me by Ali Land

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Good Me Bad Me by Ali Land