You will not be able to put this book down with all of the tests and turns! A very different book as it is through the eyes of a child! This is definitely worth a read but be warned it is very chilling!

I was really excited to read this as I’d heard so many good things about it but actually I was disappointed by it. The premise from the blurb sounds brilliant - a girl forced to change her identity as her mother is a serial killer and about to go on trial. This book follows from the point of her reporting her mother to the police to the conclusion of the trial. You can tell that the author has worked with adolescents in the mental health services as her portrayal of the social care system was accurate and well developed. My frustration came with the voice of the narrator - she was supposed to be a 15 year old girl but a times the writing style didn’t match her age. This could have been to represent the trauma of her childhood and how she was still so young and damaged on the inside bhut I just found it difficult to read. The ending was good but didn’t live up to the hype I was expecting - in my opinion it’s not the new ‘Girl on the Train’.

'Good me, bad me' by Ali Land is a psychological thriller that will pull on your heart strings whilst leaving a bitter taste in your mouth. This was going to be a 5 star read for me but the predictability of the ending brought it right down to a 3 star for me. I loved the originality of the novel so for it to end so obviously and somewhat rushed was a huge disappointment. The bullying also troubled me. Yes I know I am no Spring chicken and I understand technology is making it easier for children to bully each other but the extend of the bullying was unrealistic and far too extreme. I refuse to accept this height of bullying would take place and not one person would intervene.

If it wasn't for these 2 points "Good me, bad me" would receive 5 stars from me because; up until the finale it was SO original, Lands choice of language and story telling meant it flowed so well that it was extremely difficult to put down, his character building made you so interested and intrigued in every character even if they weren't the most likeable and finally his achievement of sensitively, raising the topic of child abuse without making it too graphic and still managing to capture the horror of the abuse.

I would like to thank the publisher for a free ARC in return for an honest review and I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys psychological thrillers if they aren't too worried about a predictable ending.

Good Me, Bad Me had me interested from the first line, and delivered a suitably thrilling look into the mind, and motives, of a child left behind after the killings have stopped.

Milly is the daughter of a serial killer. A serial killer that she's helped to put away. Given a fresh start away from the past, and thrown into a normal family life, Milly hopes to move forward and leave her demons behind her. However, when her new family life begins to fall apart behind closed doors, will Milly be able to keep her bad side in check? Or is she more like her mother than she'd like to admit?

I enjoyed the plot for this. We see Milly go from the early days away from her mother with a middle class foster family, up to and beyond her mother's trial for the murder of several children. As the story develops we see more of Milly's background and childhood, and begin to understand who she is, and why she behaves the way she does. The murders are, thankfully, left largely to the imagination, but I really felt the claustrophobia Milly must have experienced while living with her mother, and the desperation that resulted in her going to the police. At times these flashbacks were quite intense, and I admit I had to put the book down several times to catch my breath. It wasn't an easy read.

The story is told from Milly's point of view, as if we the reader are inside her head. Because of this, the writing can be difficult to get into with short staccato sentences. This sometimes made the story jumpy and confusing - much like Milly's frame of mind, and at times I found this hard to wade through - although I felt it added to the overall feel of the story. We also only see the other characters from Milly's perspective, who at best could be described as an unreliable narrator. Milly's mother is never properly introduced, and we only see flashes of her in Milly's nightmares and flashbacks. This made the mother appear as very enigmatic, and perhaps even more intimidating.Her total control of Milly goes above and beyond. We also never get any insight into what the other characters are really feeling, which I might have appreciated - although I admit this is definitely Milly's tale to tell.

Milly really carried the story well for me. As a character she's vulnerable and yearning for love, yet her manipulation of her foster family, especially her foster mother, is delicious. It's the off-hand comments and subtle remarks that lead her family to doubt themselves that show she's really coming into her own. The student becoming the master. The slow unravelling of her foster family's life, and Milly at the heart of it, begs the question - is Milly the puppet or the puppet master? I thought this was wonderfully done.

Phoebe, her foster sister, is another great character. In some ways she's Milly's twin - yearning for the love of her mother, yet not receiving it in the way she craves. Acting out, bullying Milly at school, reflects her insecurities with her home life - and you can see the jealousy she has with regards to Milly muscling in on her taken-for-granted family time.

The ending I found strong. The build up to it paid off in such a way that I knew something was going to happen, but not quite what and when. The consequences of actions pans out perfectly.

A great thriller, that I feel has rightly been called one of the best this year.

Crikey I feel thoroughly emotionally exhausted after reading this. It's sinister, creepy and has enough suspense to keep you turning until the last page.

The main character is the daughter of a child serial killer. If that isn't bad enough, the parent was the MOTHER. I know, heartbreaking or what!!! The author only had to hint at how the crimes were committed, it's only as gruesome as your imagination.

Great beach read, definitely not one for a raining camping holiday.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.
Milly's mother is a serial killer and is awaiting trial. Milly is to be star witness for the prosecution and has been placed with foster carers until the hearing. As the book progresses we learn more and more about the nature of her mother's horrific crimes against children. Milly, however, is conflicted. Her mother is a cold and callous killer but she is family and she is inside Milly's head.
This is an incredible read with great twists and well developed characters..I couldn't put it down!

What a harrowing read!
Admittedly I'm not all the way through this book yet, and I tend not to read misery memoirs, (yes, I know this is fiction, but still) so I'm unused to this level of horrible. Not at all sure I'll get to the end, but I'll be brave and try.

What a page turner - I could hardly put his book down. I had to keep reading to find out what happens. The story is told by Annie who later becomes Millie, an unforgettable character. Throughout the question is whether Milly is truly the innocent; or is she is just putting on an act? A dark and engrossing thriller – highly recommended.

Twists and turns will keep your attention through this book. A very different perspective on things and definitely worth a read!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an advance copy of this publication in return for an unbiased review.
Interesting debut from Ali Land and one that certainly had me hooked from the early stages of the book.
The story revolves around a teenager in care and fostered with a family who have a daughter of the same age.
MIllie's birth mother is a serial killer and the book builds up to the trial.
Expect the unexpected and the odd twist or two along the way.

I've heard a lot about this book and seen it in the shops a lot when I go to the books section, usually hearing it being compared to The Girl on the Train or Gone Girl. I had an e-book copy of this book from Penguin UK and my husband had the paperback version. He read it before me and couldn't really get into the book and wanted me to have a go at reading the book to see what my opinion would be because he knows I've read books of a similar genre.

The main character is Annie, now called Milly and living with a foster family. The book is narrated as if she is talking to her mother all the time which my husband didn't really like. Early in the book, we learn that Annie/Milly went to the police and exposed her mothers crimes and that is why she is now living with a foster family as her mother will have to stand trial for the murders she has committed.

Her new life with her foster family isn't very easy; Mike, the father is the psychiatrist who is helping Milly with her problems and getting her ready to give evidence in the trial against her mother; Saskia, the mother isn't liked very much by her own daughter and seems to keep her distance from Milly; and Phoebe, the daughter clearly doesn't like Milly and begins bullying her at school with her group of friends.

Throughout the book, we follow Annie/Milly as her mothers trial is getting closer and her confusion between betrayal and love for her mother. I found the book really easy to get into and found myself already halfway through the book within a few hours. She is told not to let others know her old identity for fear of what will happen, but we can see that she is desperate for her own friends and comfort.

The ending wasn't as I thought it would end but with links to The Girl on the Train and Gone Girl, I think that was to be expected. The book is very well written and you won't want to put it down so I can see why it is a best seller! Give this book a go if you like a good thriller!

Why is it that whenever a book seems to be love/hate I always get stuck in the middle?

Good Me Bad Me had such a strong character voice. Milly was unforgettable. It's obvious from the start that she's undergone something terrible. She's gone to the police and told them about what's been going on at home. Now in a foster home, she's struggling to move on and the voices in her head and pulling her in all sorts of directions.

Milly's complex relationship with Phoebe was chilling to read about. The tension between them kept building until their actions became completely unpredictable and that's what kept me reading.

BUT (yes, this thriller didn't blow me away) the ending was predictable and there was literally no tension in the unravelling of what happened in Milly's past. I was confused. Were we or were we not supposed to know? Her relationship with her foster parents was also bizarre, especially Saskia. Saskia' personal issues were hinted at but never fully uncovered and they seemed completely pointless. Like in Pretty Little Liars when they start a sub-plot thread but forget about it. Likewise, Milly makes friends with a girl in her area and it's almost entirely pointless. Their interactions hardly move the story forward at all and some instances, like the phone swap, felt painfully forced.

I'm still glad I read Good Me Bad Me and now I can see both sides of the debate! If you love character-led thrillers and strong voices, this is one I'd recommend for you.

Physcological, unputdownable thriller! I went from feeling empathy for the main character Milly to slightly scared of her! Really fast paced story although maybe a little predictable. However, a really enjoyable read.

Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Star Rating: 5/5 stars

This book has already been released in the UK, but I was very kindly given an e-book copy through Netgalley and Simon & Schuster in exchange for an honest review.

Since the release of pioneering psychological thrillers such as ‘Gone Girl’ or ‘The Girl on the Train’, almost every single new release has been gifted with the tag line that they stand in the same league as those works of fiction. More often than not, the tag line is simply used because they’re in the same genre, the text inside doesn’t even come close to resonating the chill that these previous novels gave its reader. Thankfully, ‘Good Me Bad Me’ is one novel completely deserving of that particular tag line.

In terms of sheer messed-up-ness, this book is on par with Gone Girl. Its twists and turns, lain over the evil nature of teenagers and the ongoing voice in the back of Milly’s head throughout the book is enough to make you want to devour this book, which is exactly what I did.

This book follows Milly, a teenage girl whose mother is arrested and convicted of murdering nine individual children at their home, as well as physically, sexually and emotionally abusing her daughter too. She is placed in a foster home under the watchful eye of psychologist Mike, his drugged out wife Saskia, and their jealous, wicked teenage daughter Phoebe, who sets out to make Milly’s life a living hell.

I’m going to go out on a limb and say that this might be one of my favourite books this year, as well as perhaps one of the best thriller’s I’ve ever read. And I have read a lot of thrillers. From the very first page, it grabs you by the collar and demands that you envelop yourself in this messed up world where nothing is quite as it seems. Ali Land manages to keep the suspense high until the very last page, keeping secrets close to her chest until it’s a strangely poignant time to reveal them.

It’s twisted and sinister and often times difficult to read, but all that seems to do is make you want to read more and more, to discover what might be lurking on the next page. For me, it definitely brought back some harrowing memories of being at school and being bullied, particularly when you were never sure when the next strike was going to come and how many secrets you kept from others that they didn’t know. It was in those times that I really connected with Milly as a character.

This book was absolutely amazing and I ate it up in two or three sittings. It makes the perfect read for this October when you’re looking for something a bit creepy or a bit sinister to read over the Halloween season. Thoroughly recommend to any lover or connoisseur of the psychological thriller.

The idea of the book was great, the book not so much. The plot made me think about the Jasper Dent's series by Barry Lyga, and that wasn't so bad because I really liked that series and so I was really curious about this Land's book. And the premises were good: we have Milly, who turns her mother in because she's a serial killer and she's gotten enough.
The author was good with Milly's feeling. I think she did her research because I can't complain about how Milly is feeling, it seems so real, and so difficult. I mean, she grew up with a serial killer, and she was a victim, too, and a forced accomplice in some of her mother's dealings, so she's feeling guilty, she's suffering, and she's also scared. She's scared because she misses her mum, and she is scared by this feeling too, and she's scared because she fears to be like her, like the monster that gave her life, and death too.
And there is not just Milly's past here, but also her present (and her future). She's waiting for her mother's trial, she's scared by it (obviously) and in the meantime, she is with foster parents and she has to adapt to a completely new life, that's not so easy or so perfect as could appear from afar: her new family is not the perfect family, the mother and the daughter doesn't get along too well, the mother is a drug's addicted and she has a lover, and the daughter, Milly's step-sister? foster sister? almost sister? I don't know which one is the right one, is the queen bitch at school. And she's a real monster.

Needless to say, Phoebe, the step/foster/almost sister hates Milly with a vengeance, and she goes way beyond herself to make sure that school for Milly is a living hell. And that's the thing that most disturbed me.

I mean: Milly is a really controversial character, is an unreliable narrator and her voice is strong, she spoke with short sentences, she always makes a point, and for all the book she is constantly involved in continue conversations with her mother in her own head. She heard her voice sometimes, and the voice urges her to do the bad when she is trying so hard to make the good. It's a dark story, with a really peculiar character, so maybe this book is not for everybody, yes, but it has a lot of potentialities, a lot of "what if" that are there, just waiting to happen, and the narration is compelling, it really is, and it's fast-paced, even if the book is sort of slow. I know it doesn't make a lot of sense, but it doesn't happen much, so it's slow in this sense, but the reading, Milly's voice, urges you to go on, to turn page after page to see what would happen next, so it's fast-paced, too.

But the core of this book, the main part, it's not about a child who was grown by a serial killer, neither a child who was victim and accomplice of a criminal, neither a new potential serial killer (or serial killers' hunter or whatever!), neither something related. The core of this book is to speak about how much cruelty, meanness, and nastiness you can find in high school. The serial killer parts didn't bother me as much as the high school parts! Those were really terrifying! And I found that these parts are the most central, maybe because they are the parts with more space in the narration, and that they overshadow all the rest. For me, this was a disappointment, because we have a lot of potentialities (hey, her mum is a serial killer!) and in the end, the author points hers and our attention on the less interesting and the less original point. It's a shame.

And I was expecting soooo much more from the ending! So, yeah, this book was disappointing in many and different ways. But it was not a bad reading, I enjoy the reading, if "enjoy" is the right words for this kind of book. It's a fast-paced reading, and a dark, controversial, disturbing book, maybe not for the faint of heart, that's for sure, but it's not bad. It's just that this one could have been way way better!

Loved this creepy and surprisingly moving book! Will be covering on my YouTube channel. Also really enjoyed the audiobook.

http://stephnoelpeterson.blogspot.com/2017/10/good-me-bad-me.html

Milly has been abused for most of her life when she eventually goes to the police and escapes her mother, she ends up with a foster family that are warm and loving apart from their daughter. Told from Milly’s point of view this book is deeply disturbing but a fantastic page turner.

I really enjoyed this book. It kept me ill at ease the whole way through wanting to sympathise with Milly/Annie but with the under-current that something was not quite adding up. Very cleverly laid out. A definite page-turner.
My only gripe was that after a long build up to the 'finale' it all felt over quite quickly, a little too quickly on reflection.
However, no other complaints from me a solid 4 stars ****.
Thank you.

To be a teenager in the current day must be hard with all the technology and social media about. To be a teenager with the above and to have a serial killer mum must be unbearable. This book was so dark and left me not wanting it to end. Highly recommended.