For some reason I really struggled with this book. Can't quite put my finger on why this was but many times I felt like giving up on it . I persevered with it and although I loved the ending I struggled with the most part of it . I found it difficult to like any of the characters and found myself skimming through a good
part of the book .

This is Jenny Blackhurst's third standalone psychological thriller so I was very excited to get the chance to read an advanced copy of The Foster Child - thanks to Netgalley and her publishers Headline.

As a huge fan of psychological thrillers it's always a pleasure to read a story which is different to all the others and keeps you guessing throughout. Any book featuring a creepy, spooky and troubled child is guaranteed to make me turn the pages, bite my acrylic nails and double lock the windows and doors.

Imogen Reid is the psychologist who has returned to her childhood hometown after a serious incident regarding a child under her care in her previous job.  Full of remorse, guilt and determined to move on, her hometown of Gaunt brings nothing but unhappy and traumatic childhood memories.

Ellie is the 11 year old child whose family were killed in a house fire and is the "Foster Child".  Alienated, teased and bullied by the children of the town because bad things seem to happen around Ellie especially when she gets upset.

This is a really atmospheric, spooky and tense thriller which creeped me out and kept me guessing until the final chapters.  Read this with the lights on and stay away from young girls chanting incantations.

I do love a creepy child don’t you? And from the beginning it became obvious that this book was going to be one to make me question every action of both the main protagonist Imogen and Ellie, the strange, introverted foster child that Imogen becomes involved with.

Having left her last job, under a cloud that we have to wait for an explanation for, Imogen dreams of a new start in the town where she was brought up. Her husband is supportive but his desire for a family seems at odds with her own feelings about having children and her career is the focus of her ambition for the near future. When she is given the case files for her new position, she becomes entangled in the life of Ellie who has lost her whole family in a house fire. But Ellie seems to attract trouble wherever she goes-could this quietly watchful young girl really be a jinx?

Oh what a twisty tale Jenny Blackhurst weaved here! I was seriously creeped out by Ellie but those feelings were conflicted with my desire to just give her a huge hug and make everything better for her. My maternal feelings took over and I became as passionate as Imogen regarding the issues Ellie faced. But then unexplained events begin to make me question everything that had gone before! The tension was built up to an unbearable level at times and I seriously began to doubt every single theory I had about what had happened and why. And most of my frustrations were directed towards the adults who should have known better! I was determined to support Imogen in her single handedly unorthodox attempts to support this sad and lonely young girl but around every corner was another mountain waiting for Imogen, always trying to hinder her attempts to help Ellie.

I loved Jenny’s first two books and this is a worthy successor to them both. Her writing style seems to have developed a maturity and confidence so that she was able to pull off the ability to keep her readers guessing what the outcome would be here. I had serious chills throughout this disturbing storyline, compelled to continue until the very end without putting it down, convinced something awful would befall the characters if I stopped giving them my full attention!

Although aimed towards an adult readership I do think a teenage audience would also appreciate the issues raised here of not fitting in and feeling outcast by their peers often for no other reason than just being “different”.

There was a sublime finish to this cleverly crafted psychological thriller that left me feeling unsettled and thoughtful. This is one that will be haunting me for some time to come! Definitely her best book so far!

A really good read. I didn't know who or what to believe in this plot, which kept me guessing throughout. A gripping but sad at the same time thriller.

This is my first book by Jenny Blackhurt and won't be the last, this book is a story about an 11 year old girl called Ellie who has been placed in foster care after the loss of her family in a house fire. Strange things happen when Ellie is around and she only has two people that don't seem to fear Ellie, her foster sister Mary and her psychologist/foster worker Imogin. When they first met Imogin related to Ellie due to her past and feelings of being unloved by her mother.
I enjoy the dark twist and turns of this book. I felt it was creepy at times and unpredictable which for me is a good psychological read.

Is Ellie a monster - or a victim?

Imogen and her husband Dan have just moved back to her childhood home, a place of which she does not have fond memories. Imogen has a new job facilitating mental health support for children in schools, after her previous job in the private sector came to a disastrous end.

Eleven-year-old Ellie, who attends the local school, is in foster care after her whole family died in a house fire. Ellie is an understandably deeply troubled young girl, but is she also something rather more sinister? Alarming things do seem to happen when she’s around…

This was a very intriguing and addictive read which effectively creates a growing sense of unease. I’m not a fan of the “creepy child” trope beloved of certain Hollywood films, but while some of the people around her certainly see Ellie that way (the references to Stephen King’s Carrie are no coincidence), there’s enough doubt to keep things interesting. Should we be afraid of Ellie… or afraid for her? Who, if anyone, is really on her side?

It’s also an effective portrayal of a certain kind of mob mentality and the willingness of some people to point the finger at anyone who appears strange and different – even when that person is a vulnerable young girl. For this reason some parts of the book make painful reading, though there is enough nuance here that we can also, mostly, see things from all sides.

The story was not necessarily what I expected – the “supernatural” element does add an unusual dimension, and this might not be for everyone. However I enjoyed it very much, right up to the end which unfortunately did not really work for me and while I can understand why the author chose to do it in this way, I’d prefer it if she hadn’t as it's a type of ending I dislike. Can’t say more without spoilers! While the “twist” was cleverly done, I did also feel there were a couple of unanswered questions. For these reasons I give the book four stars rather than five.

Overall though an excellent read with characters which really do get under your skin.

Well, I am not really sure what to make of this book. It seemed a little confused and unsure if it wanted to be a thriller or a supernatural book. I had to go back to it a couple of times. Ellie is a foster child who everyone is scared of and convinced she can make things happen by being angry. Her new social worker Imogen is even scared of her, what is going on and is everyone who goes against Ellie in danger? A good read in parts but a bit confusing in others.

Took me a little while to get into the book, however once I was, I was engrossed. Such an intense and terrifying read. Some chapters gave me shivers to read. Had no idea what was gonna happen from one chapter to the next. Such an unpredictable ending! Another briliant read from this author.

This was tough for me as I generally love Jenny's writing. This very much mirrored Carrie for me, and even referenced it multiple times throughout. I found it a bit far fetched and puzzling!

Oh dear just not for me. Sorry could not finish this - all the references and suggestions re witchcraft etc just started to annoy me so l left the book after 25%

Creepy, cleverly written, dark & twisty - perfect ingredients for a damned good read!

Thanks to Headline for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book follows the story of Ellie, a child who lost all her family in a tragic house fire and is now living with foster parents, and Imogen, who is a psychologist that has returned to Gaunt to live in her family home, and has been assigned the case of Ellie in her new job. From the first time of meeting Ellie, Imogen knows she has her work cut out getting through to this vulnerable little girl, but she can sympathise with her as she had a tough childhood herself. Ellie is different though, when she gets angry or upset, bad things happen and even though Imogen is warned that Ellie is dangerous, she is determined to prove them wrong.

This is the 3rd book by Jenny Blackhurst and, while it is slightly different to her other two, it is just as good. The author, in her usual style, draws you slowly into the story like a spider drawing in its prey and once captured, you can't escape and to be quite honest you don't WANT to! It has a touch of paranormal about it and is very creepy. I was convinced from about half way through the book that I knew what was happening and even though I was partly right I was not prepared for what was to come. I am a massive fan of this author and cannot wait to see what she has in store for her readers next time!

I would like to thank Headline for approving me to read this book and will post my review on Goodreads now and on Amazon and Twitter on publication day.

If you are looking for a creepy psychological thriller then look no further, this book will put chills up your spine and make your heart beat a little bit faster.
It is very well written and I highly recommend it.

I did enjoy this book and you spent quite a bit of time trying to work out what was going on. I did work out the ending though, but I guess like any book, things do become clearer towards the end.

The Foster Child by Jenny Blackhurst is a psychological thriller about a psychologist trying to help a child in foster care. Strange things happen when someone is unkind to this child and it turns into a modern day witch hunt. I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

Is foster child, Ellie Atkinson a witch as people have been saying? Not just the children but the adults too? Or is she just a traumatised 11 year old who is not getting the support she needs? Case worker, Imogen, is new to the job and sees herself in Ellie. The young girl who didn't get the support she needed but is it Ellie who needs this support or her stressed foster mother & the school?

This book has all the ingredients of an excellent psychological thriller. There are plenty of options for the reader to believe what they want and see things in one way or the other. It is the reader's choice. There are plenty of twists and turns - is it co-incidence that Ellie's teacher finds hundreds of spiders in her desk just after Ellie does a project on them? Or is Ellie a witch? Or is there someone else pushing to get Ellie into trouble? The twists and all very logical and work well within the story.

The characters in this book are all quite complex. Imogen has her own issues to deal with from the past as well as a situation within her own marriage. Her husband Dan is one of the least complex characters but is his desire for a baby too consuming? The school teachers and foster parents aren't actually that nice and seem to have no concept of how to support a child who has suffered a big trauma and is being bullied at school.

There were a couple of things that grated in this book such as the use of americanisms - vacation instead of holiday for example. The beginning of the book included the arrival in the town of Imogen and Dan. Much of the description led me to think this book was set in America rather than the UK; a feeling I found hard to shake throughout the book. There were also a couple of occasions when I felt the behaviour of the foster mother and school were slightly unbelievable. However these were minor irritations and didn't really effect my enjoyment of the book.

This is a good, solid psychological thriller which I enjoyed. I haven't read any other books by this author but would be happy to give them a try.

I received a free copy of this book via Netgalley.

Wow this book was great, but so creepy and it freaked me out a bit! I was a little bit lost in the beginning but once it got going it had me hooked and I couldn't put it down. It was very well written and full of twists and turns, I certainly didn't know who to believe or trust. Would definitely recommend this book

Imogen Reid is a child psychologist and takes on the case of 11 year old Ellie Atkinson. She refuses to listen to the warnings that Ellie is dangerous. Ellie was the soul,survivor of a fire that killed her family. But Ellie's foster family and teachers are starting to fear her. When Ellie gets upset, bad things seem to happen. As Imogen gets closer to Ellie., is she putting herself in danger....

This book actually gave me goosebumps with its creepiness. It has a good plot line with many twists and turns right to the very end. I did see where the story was going but the final twist I certainly did not. The characters are a mixed bunch of likeable and unlikable. The pace is fast and gripping. I enjoyed everything about this book.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Headline and the author Jenny Blackhurst for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I have enjoyed Jenny Blackhurst's previous books so I was looking forward to reading The Foster Child.

When Imogen reluctantly returns to her childhood home with her husband she is apprehensive about her new start in a town that she hated and a home that never quite felt like a home. To make matters worse she is also starting a new job, one that she was forced to take after leaving her previous role after something happened with a child that she was treating.

When Imogen is assigned Ellie, a young girl who lost her family in a fire who is now being looked after in a foster home, we know that all is not as it seems when Imogen discovers that her teachers are scared of her and her foster mother thinks that when Ellie gets angry things go wrong and people get hurt.

Imogen defends Ellie and soon oversteps her boundaries, seeing Ellie outside of work hours and taking her shopping for new clothes. While everyone is suspicious of Ellie, Imogen becomes more determined to help her and to show everyone that they are wrong. But are they?

I thought that The Foster Child by Jenny Blackhurst is brilliantly written and woven, the characters are all believable and the reader is never quite sure what is really going on with Ellie.

What I liked most was that everyone's behaviour and actions had a reason which helped to make it all so much more real and believable, the author had thought about everything and I couldn't help but be impressed.

Overall, The Foster Child is a great read that takes the reader on a real journey where you won't be sure what is really happening, then you'll think that you worked it out before you realise just how cleverly written The Foster Child is.

The Foster Child

Child psychologist Imogen returns to Gaunt, the town she grew up in to start afresh with her husband Dan. Starting a new job she comes across Ellie Atkinson, a child this is fostered due to losing her family in a fire. Very strange and bad things seem to happen when Ellie is around causing the people of Gaunt to point the finger at 11 year old Ellie. Imogen refuses to believe that an 11 year old could be responsible for all that is going on and tries to protect Ellie. The question is, has Imogen got it all wrong and is actually in danger ? This is a brilliant psychological drama that is a little different from others I have read. I was gripped from the first chapter.