The Foster Child keeps you gripped from beginning to end.....so many things keep happening to Ellie, a little child who was orphaned and fostered by a family, psychologist Imogen is trying to help her but even she cant ignore it......The book is very well written and you read it not sure where it is going and where will it end?? I wont ruin it for you, but please do read it!!!

I found this book, for the most parts gripping and exciting, yet in other parts I felt it was a little lacking. Don't get me wrong I thoroughly enjoyed it, but as I don't want to give to much away at times I found Imogen a little annoying. I just wanted her to open her eyes and at times stop feeling so damn sorry for herself. All that aside this was a really interesting creepy thriller.
Imogen is returning home to her hometown after the death of her mother. Gaunt isn't a town where she couldn't wait to get away from. Yet here she is returning after the death of her mother to start over again with her husband.
It will certainly keep you thinking, and all along I was waiting for the twist, which yes comes right towards the end.
Very well written and an enjoyable read, I just had a little bug bear with one of the characters. I don't think this took to much away from the book for me though.
If an author can get your emotions going with your feelings towards characters, and grab you in with a story line you want to continue reading, then it's job well done. That is certainly what Jenny Blackhurst has done here.

Just the creepy little thriller to curl up with on a lazy weekend. It took me a while to get into the book, but once I got an idea of the protagonists, it was pretty gripping. The story mostly keeps you guessing as to whether you're reading a supernatural thriller or a plain old psyho thriller. I won't spoil the suspense.

There were parts that were predictable, but that twist at the end makes you forget everything. The only thing I didn't particularly like was Imogen Reid, one of the protagonists. While it's true that she's a complex character with a back story, the part where she seems to be pressurised into having a child (I won't say if she was or not) felt uncomfortable to me. I wish this could have been a stronger pro-adoption story, but of course, that's not my decision.

what a read !! Dark, twisting and gripping ! If psychological thrillers with dark, believable characters are your thing you will love this !!!

Having previously loved Jenny Blackhurst's Before I Let You In, I was really excited to read The Foster Child. This book is another well-written, slow-burning thriller which raises lots of questions from the start. I could really empathise with the characters of Imogen and Ellie (although some of the other characters were horrible!)

It is quite an emotive read overall: there's a lot of unhappiness here, some of the passages about Ellie's school mates made for uncomfortable and upsetting reading and the death scene is creepy and scary.

I did suspect where the story was going towards the end, so I didn't feel totally surprised by the conclusion...until the final couple of pages gave me something to think about!!

I'm already looking forward to the next one. Thank you to NetGalley and Headline for the ARC of The Foster Child.

This is one of those books where you race through going 'just one more chapter' and before you know it you've (sadly) reached the end. Loved it.

The Foster Child By Jenny Blackhurst was one hell of a spooky book, having never read anything by this author before I wasn't quite sure what to expect.
I really didn't need to worry from the first page this story captured the reader building the atmosphere gradually and hooking its audience so subtly that before you knew it you were so emotionally invested in what was playing out before our rapt eyes.
So The Foster Child tells the story of Ellie Atkinson a foster child placed in the system after the death of her family in a house fire.
Along comes child psychologist Imogen Reid who upon returning to her childhood town after a big blip in her illustrious career inherits Ellie's case.
From day one on the job, it's apparent to Imogen that things in her old town are not right.
Everybody seems afraid of the quiet eerie eleven-year-old and Ellies only supporters are Her fifteen-year-old foster sister Mary and Imogen herself.
So, my god, this was creepy.
I actually found myself questioning everything I thought I believed.
You could feel the mass hysteria building as it was fueled by what people thought was real.
Taking on a life all of its own, like a snowball building its momentum.
Then BAM!!!!
everything came to a head and you were left feeling a trifle dim questioning yourself, did I really think that ?.
You as the reader have been swept along in the mass hysteria along with everyone else in this small community.
I loved this story, the characters were so real and interesting, this could be set in any small town around where I live.
The Foster Child was a fascinating insight into small-town dynamics and also a creepy atmospheric chiller.
Do you know what I liked best, it was how one young girl can start a rumour that actually takes on a life all of its own.
fuelling its own journey along the way.
Or did it!!! that twist at the end Man, didn't see that coming.
It left us the reader with a whole host of new questions to ask.
So I end this review in a bit of a quandary.
What do I actually take away from this as the truth, I think in this instance only Ellie is aware of the bigger picture she is the puppetmaster of this chilling tale.
That is the only reason I deducted 1/2 a star from this as I was left feeling slightly confused, wondering what to actually believe.
I would like to thank Netgalley, the publisher and the author for providing me with a free ARC of The Foster Child this is my own free and honest opinion.

Reviewed By Beckie Bookworm.

When Imogen and Dan decide to move back to her childhood home after the death of her mother, it is with the idea of starting a new life after a difficult year, one where Imogen found herself unemployed and suffering from a breakdown.
Unable to find work in London and maintain their lifestyle, a chance to move to a home already paid for seems like a good idea, as does taking a job at a local child protection agency (Imogen is a child psychologist).  If only Imogen could stop feeling full of dread.
These feelings only get worse as she starts to work with a young girl in foster care, Ellie, who has lost her family in a fire.  Imogen can’t help but feel a connection to Ellie and the need to defend her against what seems like the whole town – teachers, her foster parents, and other kids; all seem convinced something isn’t quite right with Ellie.
Even Ellie thinks that something isn’t quite right.  When she gets angry, strange things seem to happen, people get hurt.  Only Imogen is certain that Ellie is innocent and she will do anything she can to defend her, including putting her career and her relationships on the line.
I have to say I wasn’t sure if Imogen was being wonderfully loyal or plain stupid by believing Ellie and I spent a lot of time second-guessing myself (though my initial instincts turned out to be right…though what they were I won’t say).  Jenny Blackhurst does a brilliant job of keeping you guessing, adding a supernatural twist that kept things fresh in what might otherwise have been a fairly standard plot.
There are plenty of twists and turns and unreliable characters here, all things I love in a book.  Imogen (who tells her story) and Ellie (whose version of events you hear in alternating chapters) are well drawn if somewhat unlikeable.  I really wanted to warm to them but I just couldn’t, which is a shame as there were already plenty of other characters for me not to like – I’m not sure any had many, if any, redeeming features.
Unfortunately, my not liking them did impact my enjoyment of the book.  I loved the plot and the twists and turns, I really liked the writing, but I just didn’t like the characters and – as a result – I found myself struggling at times.  I wanted to shake Imogen for the way she treated her husband and some of the decisions she made and, whilst I understood why Ellie was withdrawn and uncommunicative, I just didn’t feel the sympathy for her that I think I should have done.
Where does this leave me?  With mixed feeling if I’m honest.  I liked this book, I just didn’t love it.  Sorry!

„The Foster Child“ is a disturbing psychological thriller about a creepy child.

Child psychologist Imogen Reid returns to her hometown after the dead of her mother. She has to build a new life for her and her husband. Something happened in her old job in London and they have to make a new start. One of her first cases is elven year old Ellie. Something is odd about the girl. She has a reputation to cause bad things to people who get cross with her. But Imogen takes a liking to that poor girl. She defends her and crosses the lines of what she is allowed to do - again.

There are a lot of creepy thinks going on and I found myself pitying Ellie and a moment later I was scared of her. I got an idea of what was going on while I was reading. It turns out I was almost right. But not entirely.

I think it is better not to know too much about the plot. A lot of the story is transported through the characters involved. And I think it is for the best when you just get to know them yourself. I had some problems with the main character Imogen. I found her extremely unprofessional. She is a complicated character and very changeable. I understand she had a troubled childhood (I would have loved to learn more about that and the reason) but I could not connect to her. Everybody in her surrounding is revolving around her but it is obviously not enough for her. She is very self-centered. For my taste the story stays too much at the surface. A lot of things don’t get explained deeper. And some characters are really plain.

This book is an easy and creepy read although it is a bit superficially. But it is entertaining. And Ellie is a remarkable character.

This is definitely a book that will definitely give you a chill and a thrill. Imogen Reid is the main character in this disturbing thriller. Imogen has moved back to her old village into her grans old house that has been left to her with her husband and this has brought back some disturbing thoughts about her childhood that you get to find out throughout the book. Imogen is a child psychologist and after starting her new job takes on the case of Ellie Atkinson who is living with a foster family due to being the sole survivor of a house fire where her famly died. Imogen feels a connection with Ellie and defends the 11 year olds every wrong doing by insisting its either not her or she is suffering extreme loss. Imogen starts to loose confidence in Ellie when things escalate and even her foster carer and teachers think that Ellie is some kind of witch. Ellie seems to get really angry quite quickly and finds that if she gets really, really angry the nasty thoughts she has in her head start to become a reality.
This is a twisty tale and I did thanked sussed it but at the end there was another twist that left me gobsmacked!! I enjoyed this book and will be looking out for more by Jenny Blackhurst in the future.
I would like to thank netgalley and Headline for the ARC I received in exchange for an honest review.

Spooky, intense and oh so uncomfortable, this one ticks all the boxes of a creepy psychological thriller, one you'll find difficult to put down!

In The foster Child, we get to meet Imogen, a discredited psychologist who takes on the case of Ellie, an orphan living in foster care, as a result of a fire killing her parents and her baby brother. Terrible things start happening to people when Ellie gets upset with them, and the small townsfolk begin to make the connection. Are there dark forces at play here, or, are these occurrences coincidence and Ellie is simply the victim of narrow minded townsfolk?

With themes of bullying, manipulation and small town discrimination, you won't help but feel sorry for 11 year old Ellie, but should you be?

The short chapters ending in many a cliffhanger and the book's twists along the way had me flipping through the pages with much anticipation to get to the bottom of the mystery of Ellie. I was swaying back and forth and back again in my opinion of what the truth could be.

Although I eventually figured out which direction this one was going in, I certainly didn't see that final twist coming, but did I like it? Was it the perfect ending? I'm undecided. I prefer to be left with a warm fuzzy feeling when I get to the end of my books. Did I get that? No! Was it apt for this type of book? I would say so!

This disturbing, unsettling and eerie book had me thinking of it long after I lay my eyes on its final words. Well done to Jenny Blackhurst on achieving all of the above qualities, making this a bewitching thriller.

Many thanks to the author, Headline and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion of this book.

An interesting story. How much control does a young girl have over other people? Is she really able to think things and cause harm to people she is angry with? I didn't enjoy the story quite as much as previous by this author but it is still a very good read

I loved Jenny Blackhurst’s debut novel, ‘How I lost you’ and the concept of ‘The Foster Child’ intrigued me. It did not disappoint me and I enjoyed it as much as her debut.
The way Jenny has written the book is amazing, so many twists and turns it is absolutely brilliant. I started with the thought that no eleven year old child can be as some of the villagers believe she is, but Jenny pulled me in and and I was backwards and forwards in my opinions as to what I believed. The ending did take me by complete surprise, which I always find a complete delight in a good book.
I must now buy Jenny’s second book ‘Before I let you In’.
Thank you to NetGalley for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I’d recommend this book to all mystery and thriller fans who would like a plot with a difference which keeps you on the edge of your seat and has a superb ending.

This is one very disturbing psychological thriller from a writer who has more than secured her place in my must-read authors with her first two books How I Lost You and Before I Let You In. It is a testament to the writer’s skill that despite the book more than gently touching on supernatural elements, which I normally avoid, that I was able to put this to one side and still enjoy the read, this review should therefore be read with my personal feelings on the subject matter taken into account.

Imogen Reid is moving from private practice as a child psychologist to one who works as part of a social work team who find the resources to support children. Her reasons for leaving aren’t voluntary and as a result the house move and new role do not instantly sit easily with her. One of her first cases is that of Ellie Atkinson, just twelve who lost both her parents and her brother in a fire and is now being fostered by a family with their own daughter and a son who is also fostered.

No sooner have we got some idea about Imogen as she travels to her new role than we meet Ellie in a somewhat bizarre incident full of furious adults. It doesn’t take much longer to realise that Ellie is distrusted by those around her. What I struggled with, as alluded to above is the nature of the distrust but as a story about the behaviour of groups, this is frighteningly accurate and all the more disturbing for that.

There is no let-up in the tension throughout this book, the scenes move at a fast pace with no break at all from incident to incident, scary child to really horrific scenes of bullying from irrational adults to the inadequacies of those who should be helping to actually being able to. As the story raced along my uneasiness about the true nature of the story becoming less entrenched as I began to at least begin to put the pieces of the puzzle the right way up if not managing to make a full picture before the reveal. As might be expected from this author though there were still a few surprises to pull the rug from under my feet.

The scenes in Imogen’s office, especially the lack of technology on the first day, will be familiar to practically anyone who has been in this position and for me it was these scenes that kept me rooted. There are simply so many real truths within the books that I could either relate to or fully believe that the supernatural element became less and less important as the book progressed. The bullying aspect was so well portrayed, some of it far more horrific to read but the endless bubbling of discord amongst Ellie’s peers was an all to accurate picture of how a child, who you would naturally assume is given some sympathy for all she’s been through, is singled out for being different.

I did enjoy the read despite my initial reservations and I’m sure that <em>The Foster Child</em> will be a huge hit with many lovers of psychological thrillers – it is creepy, it is full of tension and it is definitely thrilling.

Wow where do you start with this book, for me it was more chiller than thriller, almost a new genre definitely a disturbing thriller at the very least and these days it takes some thing to make a thriller stand out there are so many good ones out there, but this did stand out.Interesting idea and I am desperately trying not to say too much about the plot.There was a lot to keep my mind ticking and I think when there are children involved and they are kind of creepy it makes for a disturbing read, but in a good way if that makes any sense.Quite unputdownable in fact .I'm not going to compare it to anything else I can't it is highly original and well worth a read.Thanks to netgalley and the publishers for an ARC

Brilliant. Fantastically written, interesting characters, exciting and fast paced storyline. Jenny never fails to disappoint

Actually 4.5 stars but rounded up.
This is the third book by this author. Having already read and loved Before I Let You In and How I Lost You, I was really looking forward to reading it. To be completely honest, and I have to be, it didn't quite hit the spot as well as the previous two did although it was a really good read in itself. Could be the fact that I managed to guess a few things early; who knows...
Anyway, Imogen has returned to her childhood home after the death of her mother. It's a financial plus to her and her husband as well as a bit of a fresh start for her as there is something in her own recent past that still haunts her. Along with this new start geographically, she is about to start a new job as a case worker for a child protection unit. One of her first cases involves Ellie, a young girl who was the sole survivor of a house fire which claimed the lives of her immediate family. With the rest of her relatives not wanting to take her on, she has been fostered and is now growing up with fellow foster child Billy and foster parent's own daughter Mary who is trying to help Ellie fit in. A fruitless task as it appears as she is not really having a great time of things at school from parents and other kids alike. It appears that Ellie has been deemed a witch as strange things happen around and about her. There is even talk of her being responsible for the fire. Is she really evil or just a frightened child that has been let down. Is Imogen right to side with her or is she just trying to make up for what happened to her both recently and in her own past?
I am not quite sure why exactly this book fell a little short for me. I have already mentioned the fact that I did guess one of the main things very early on but, knowing books of this ilk very well, there was always the chance I was wrong and, even if right, I could never be sure that I would be completely right. There's always the possibility of that extra last minute twistette!
Another thing that maybe contributed to my not being 100% sold on the book is probably that I really didn't get on with Imogen. I know I don't have to like a character to connect with them but I do have to feel something, especially with the main character and, to be honest, she left me a little cold. I wasn't convinced that her unresolved past wouldn't have already been dealt with in some way prior to her having made her previous mistake. She was too maverick in this book for me to believe that nothing in her past had affected her enough to warrant closer supervision before.
The story itself, guessing aside, was well plotted and executed. It is disturbing and creepy and the author has managed to catch that claustrophobic feeling perfectly. It's the sort of book that you really want to keep reading but at the same time, really need a break from it as it is quite powerful at times. It definitely sent one or two shivers down my spine. But, at the same time, it's not overly heavy. There are some lighter moments that redress the balance and that gave me as a reader a bit of respite from what was happening.
All in all a satisfying read that kept my interest nicely throughout. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

Wow! That was creepy....and good....creepy good. I was thrown of the right path almost throughout the entire book, thinking how I got it wrong and not reading a thriller but more like something paranormal. And when I thought I’d got it, there comes a twist. In the end though, nothing is as it seems.The right book for dark nights.... Nail-biting to be expected. Highly recommended! I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thanks to NetGalley and Headline!

Excellent story by this author. Another that I could not put down. Really kept me gripped till the end.

Thanks for the chance to read this.

Great book. A bit creepy and hooks you straight in..