Cover Image: The Foster Child: 'a sleep-with-the-lights-on thriller'

The Foster Child: 'a sleep-with-the-lights-on thriller'

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Member Reviews

"When child psychologist Imogen Reid takes on the case of 11-year-old Ellie Atkinson, she refuses to listen to warnings that the girl is dangerous.

Ellie was the only survivor of a fire that killed her family. Imogen is convinced she's just a sad and angry child struggling to cope with her loss.

But Ellie's foster parents and teachers are starting to fear her. When she gets upset, bad things seem to happen. And as Imogen gets closer to Ellie, she may be putting herself in danger..."

This was an average psychological thriller, as for me, it was fairly easy to predict what was going to happen and how it would probably end by about half way through the book. I continued, and although I enjoyed the book it did not have enough depth of storyline for me.

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What a thrilling read!

The Foster Child focuses on 11 year old Ellie Atkinson who is renown for being dangerous. Imogen, a child psychologist, is tasked in supporting Ellie’s case and gives her the benefit of the doubt despite warnings from those around her about what she’s capable of doing.

If you want chills and suspense, this is definitely the book for you! There were times when I was genuinely afraid for Imogen and it meant I literally couldn’t put the book down until I knew what was happening next.

I would also strongly praise the ending - I thought I had it all figured out but the twist at the end truly knocked me sideways!

A fantastic thrill - the perfect read for adrenaline seekers.

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This book scared the hell out of, I couldnt wait to read it on a night to see what was going to happen with the foster child next. I read it in about 3 days I enjoyed it that much

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This book is so creepy and terrifying that I genuinely had disturbing dreams when I finished it. I loved it! Jenny Blackhurst is a great writer!

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Well this is a belter of a book! It's written in a style that I prefer, short quick chapters, making oh so easy to read that one more chapter.

We meet a young psychologist Imogen who has recently begun to treat Ellie and she has some serious issues. Strange things happen to people when they cross Ellie and it's not long before people begin to wonder whether such a young girl could have done them

I hadn't come across this author before but I must say I'll definitely be looking out for more of her work. It's an easy book to recommend and I have done just that.

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Having read everything she has published, I already love Jenny Blackhurst's books so I knew what I was letting myself in for when I picked up The Foster Child. Jenny writes books that draw you in immediately and you simply can't put them down and The Foster Child is no different. I positively whizzed through this with a few late nights of reading and I'm surprised I managed to sleep without nightmares as this creepy book well and truly got under my skin.

I love the two main characters of Imogen and Ellie, who are both damaged by less than perfect childhoods. They have so much in common that it's no wonder that child psychologist, Imogen, is drawn to foster child, Ellie, when she is allocated her case. It often felt like the whole town (creepily named Gaunt) was against 11 year old, Ellie; with children, mothers and teachers whispering in corners and branding her a witch. Strange things do seem to happen when Ellie gets upset and, as much as I looked for a logical explanation, I did have the awful feeling that something supernatural was going on in Gaunt.

My mind was twisting itself into knots as I tried to explain how the bad things were happening. Everything points towards Ellie having some kind of psychokinesis power but that's something that would only appear in an X-Men movie...isn't it?

This dark, disturbing and intensely creepy thriller will have you up all night, one way or another; you will either be unable to put it down or you will have nightmares! The Foster Child is another cracking psychological thriller from the super-talented Jenny Blackhurst; you really don't want to miss this one or Ellie will really be mad...

I chose to read an ARC and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

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I really enjoyed this atmospheric, entertaining read. With plenty of psychological suspense mixed in with a hint of the supernatural, you're never quite sure if things are quite what they seem. (Without spoiling any of the story, I should point out that I am not usually a fan of novels that lean too far towards the supernatural, but The Foster Child doesn't place too much emphasis on this, and it leaves enough room for doubt as to what really caused the 'occurances' in question...) As the reader finds out more about main character Imogen's life, as well as what's going inside Ellie's brain (and foster family) and insights into other characters' lives, it's easy to start to think you understand what's going on in the mysterious town of Gaunt... but do you really?

I think Jenny Blackhurst has done a great job of making you think you know more than you do, before throwing in a well-timed curveball to keep you guessing. There are several factors at play within this novel that reminded me of key historical events or settings, and many of these similarities help to create a truly eerie, threatening atmopshere within The Foster Child. I swung between feeling sorry for little Ellie, to thinking she's dangerous, to believing she's a victim of superstition and hysteria - much like a modern-day Salem Witch Trials.

It's hard to know whose side to be on, and there's the ongoing 'unexplained' parts of both Ellie and Imogen's history, which - as more and more is slowly revaled - help to create the strong sense of unease throughout this book. And that ending - fab! I'd definitely recommend this book; it's a fairly easy but addictive read which left me feeling thoroughly entertained!

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Thanks to netgalley for the opportunity to have read this brilliantly written book.
The book jumps between two points of view, that of Ellie and of Imogen. It was done well, didn't confuse me and made the book more enjoyable. Imogen is a do-good-for-all type of social worker and gets given Ellie as a charge. She soon gets involved with Ellie, especially when Ellie starts being accused of everything evil happening at school.
Throughout the book I was waiting for something to happen (no spoilers!), and only didn't it happen, the total opposite happened, and then it reversed.....
Bloody well done.

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This one wasn't for me as I didn't like the writing style and found the plot a little weak.

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Avery tense,scary and well written book with many twiats.....be prepared to go ‘WOW’ and to sleep with the lights on!!!! Would reccomend

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This is my first Jenny Blackhurst book although I do have one other on my TBR pile. It's moving up rapidly after finishing this one. I loved it, I was gripped from the beginning and finished it in a day.

Brilliantly written, a whopping 5 stars from me for this one!

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Imogen has returned home to Gaunt, the small close-knit town she grew up in. Circumstance rather than choice has forced her back there and into taking a job with a child services team that as a child psychologist she is vastly over qualified to do. She's given the case of 11 year old Ellie, a strange young orphan who was the only survivor of a fire that killed the rest of her family. Strange things have a habit of happening around Ellie and many in the town try to convince Imogen to be wary of the child. But Imogen is convinced they are paranoid and is sure she can help Ellie. But as the odd and dangerous events continue Imogen begins to wonder if she should have listened to the warnings.


Well how bloomin' creepy was that? Jenny Blackhurst has done it again, another fantastic novel. I did guess the twist fairly early on but it really didn't matter. The author has created layers of tension....there's the claustrophobic paranoia of Gaunt, where teachers and children alike of scared of Ellie, the tense home life with her foster family who don't know how to help her, and then there's Imogens return home to the house of her dead mother, where childhood memories taunt and haunt her at every turn. It all adds up to a taut and often spooky story with a thrilling finish. Five stars are well deserved.

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This is a tremendously good read following the story of Imogen, a child psychologist who has left her London job under a cloud and returned to her home town of Gaunt a small town with what appears to be some small-minded inhabitants. Imogen is asked to take on the case of Ellie, an 11 year old girl who is in foster care following the death of her family in a house fire in which Ellie was the only survivor. Some town folk try to warn Imogen away from this case citing Ellie as a dangerous child who bad things happen around but Imogen ignores these warnings.
What is the truth? A dangerous child or a small town witch-hunt? Imogen is determined to help Ellie even if that places her in danger.
This book is very atmospheric and almost creepy. I loved everything about it and read this in just over a day. The pace is relentless and the characters very "real". 5 Stars!
Thanks to Netgalley and publishers for the advance review copy.

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The Foster Child is without doubt one of the eeriest psychological thrillers I've read in a while. It's dark, disturbing and creepy - a very twisty read with more than a hint of Carrie-esque horror within its pages.

I love Jenny Blackhurst's writing and how she really gets into her character's heads, looking into the psychology of 'why' as well as 'how'. All of her characters are so compelling, realistic and well-drawn that I changed my opinion of them throughout the book several times. This book is a very emotional thought-provoking read as well as being an intriguing one. There's so much going on, not only in the words on the pages, but also under the surface.

The Foster Child gave me many 'gasp out loud in horror/surprise' moments, as it's filled with suspense and tension. Jenny Blackhurst manages to drip-feed little pockets of information like a trail of breadcrumbs - which kept me guessing and hanging on tenterhooks right until the end.

With so many similar-themed psychological thrillers on the market, The Foster Child totally stands out from the crowd. Highly recommended!

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Given the missing 7 days in hospital when I lost the calm and tranquility to read, this was always set aside as the first serious novel to read in 2018.
Not that this is a book to treat as a page turner though the text is driven and builds tension. No, for me it is a novel to become engrossed in and saviour as you read. Jenny Blackhurst is a wonderful writer who doesn’t introduce an unfamiliar world to her readers, rather, she takes the straightforward, the common elements in families and what we appreciate but with a twist.
For we are caught up in a parallel existence, doubting our senses and realising we know nothing.
The facet of the precious stone, that brief hint of multicoloured sparkle that causes us to blink and then see things in a whole new light.
How a young author can have the confidence to stand back and await the reviews to arrive is hard to comprehend as someone who dislikes any criticism. But, as in her previous books, when so much work has gone into a project it must be daunting when so much effort has been invested in a story.
A real pleasure to read, writing grounded in what we know and have seen but as unsettling as much as if she wrote the aliens have landed.
The book is multilayered and packed with rooms to explore and get lost among. Part of Jenny’s skill is that although no words are wasted they are applied like rich oils on a canvas. So we have Imogen and Dan journeying “Home” to where Imogen grew up to inherit the family property upon the death of her Mother. Imogen is also fleeing a professional disaster where she became too close to a child she was supporting. When she cried abuse, her team felt there was insufficient evidence. When she breached client confidentiality her employers had to let her go on the promise she no longer practiced. This is a whole wing in the building of this story that is slowly revealed in time. Since Imogen still wants to work with children, not in a professional role but as a support worker her boundaries need clear definition and yet she can’t fully share her past. Dan doesn’t fully understand his wife or her damaged upbringing but it is clear she yearns to save just one child where her own self was lost.
None of this is confusing as the narrative slowly spins out into this amazing tapestry of loss and pain, family and the need to belong.
For even before she finds her new property she meets and needs to defend Ellie a young girl in foster care. She can’t comprehend the gossip over her as an evil presence. She sees herself in Ellie and when we learn she is the new case worker for Ellie we are wondering where this will go. Even your best guess won’t be close. I’ve just read it and I’m reeling still.
I loved the everyday subject matter. Changing schools, incomplete school uniform identifying poverty or difference. The need to fit in and be accepted; the cost of standing out and being a target for bullies and suspicion. The changes in family dynamics and sibling jealousy. With Imogen a lack of confidence and personal grief. One’s own parenting casting doubt on your ability to be a good parent yourself. The closing of professional bodies to maintain the status quo. The book also highlights possible dangers of believing the child and being led by their needs. How, under stress and enough chatter thrown into the mix rational thought can be set aside.
Above all it speaks to me of the need to support and accept children for themselves, embrace feelings of anger and hatred to remove blame, show balance of emotions that a new sibling may seem a threat but without communication and shared love negative feelings can fester. If you believe some of these scenarios Jenny cleverly poses along the way think what it must seem for a 12 year old child caught up in the reality.
A book that reaffirms our need to love and care for our children and another masterpiece that confirms this author’s place in psychological mysteries.

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This is a really good modern thriller. The story is told by Imogen who is a Child Psychologist and Ellie who is an eleven year old foster child. Ellie lives in the village of Gaunt where everyone believes that she is a witch! Imogen believes Ellie innocent of the events, the villagers have voiced their suspicions on, so she tries to help her. Is Ellie innocent?. There is a brilliant twist at the end, so read on!

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This is the third book that I have read by Jenny Blackhurst and I have thoroughly enjoyed them all. An uncomfortable but fabulous read. Totally gripping, a real can't put it down book! Please read this, you won't be disappointed. My thanks to the publisher & NetGalley for the advance reader copy

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Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this book in return for an honest review.

I was pleased to be granted a copy of this new offering from Jenny Blackhurst, after enjoying her previous books. I was intrigued by what I perceived to be a supernatural spin, which is very unusual in this genre of psychological thriller. I was disappointed to find this not to be the case and, without wanting to give any spoilers, everything which could have been scary was all very conveniently explained away. Not quite the 'sleep with the lights on' thriller I was expecting.

The ending was apparent almost from the first chapter. Yes, there were a few red herrings but the grand reveal managed to fall quite flat.

Not as good as her previous books, but well written and managed to hold my attention.

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I enjoyed The Foster Child, just when I thought I had answers a spanner was thrown and I was wrong.
Great twist at the end, it had me gripping my seat at times, I loved it.

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Wow, this book was truly spooky. I read it over the course of a weekend (whilst ignoring the marking which was piled up beside me!). It really was impossible to put it down and I was dying to know why Emitly had left her job suddenly, why Ellie was so creepy, and what her foster mother was trying to hide. Nice twist at the end when you think it’s all wrapped up too. I would highly recommend this book. Thanks netgalley and headline for sending me a preview copy for in exchange for my honest opinion.

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