The Perfect Child

The Perfect Child gave me serious deja vu in the best, most unsettling way. It instantly reminded me of a movie I’ve seen. The story follows a couple who adopt a young girl, hoping to finally have the family they’ve dreamed of but from the start, there’s an unease you can’t quite shake. And that’s what made this book so addictive. It plays on that familiar psychological thriller trope, yet still feels intense, gripping, and deeply disturbing in its own way. Even though the idea felt familiar, it didn’t ruin it for me, it actually made it more addictive because I really wanted to see how it ends. I devoured it in less than 24 hours. And then it ends on a cliffhanger, so now I have to read the sequel, Her First Lie. Dark, unsettling, and impossible to put down this is one of those thrillers that lingers long after the last page.

This book was a page turner! I didn’t want to put it down. I would have liked a better ending, but overall the book was good.

Lo acabo de descubrir y es una de mis mejores lecturas

“For eager adoptive parents, getting what they always wanted has chilling consequences.” Genre: Psychological Thriller Thriller Suspense Mystery Horror Tropes & Themes: Foster-to-Adopt Buyer’s Remorse Orthopedic Surgeon & ER Nurse 💕 Adoption Paradox Adoption Hero Expectation versus Reality Department of Child Disservices Trigger Warnings: Child Abuse/Neglect; Animal Abuse ⚠ “No one would ever see Janie through my eyes.” Rating: 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 The Perfect Child, a psychological thriller by Author and Trauma Psychologist, Dr. Lucinda Berry, is a novel about Ortho-Surgeon, Dr. Christopher Bauer, and his wife Hannah, an ER Nurse, who seemingly have it all, but are desperate for the one thing they want most: a baby. Just as the Bauers are considering adoption after several failed IVF rounds, a young girl with substantial injuries and a dog collar on her neck is rushed by ambulance with a police escort into the emergency department, after the little girl was found wandering in a parking lot. “… it’s a lost kid or something, and she’s in really bad shape. Ambulance is bringing her in with a police escort.” The timing of the young girl, (Janie’s), arrival at the hospital where the Bauers worked, while they were nearly desperate for a baby, were the makings of a perfect storm (and the perfect psychological thriller!) While Hannah avoids Janie at first to protect her own heart, (injured kids are the most difficult cases, especially for a woman who’s only wish is to raise a child) Christopher and Janie instantly connect and share a special bond, made stronger after he performs Janie’s orthopedic surgery. Christopher, believing it’s fate that Janie be placed with them, enthusiastically convinces Hannah that Janie, a traumatized six year old, could be their “baby”. I felt like Christopher, while likeable, had a bit of a hero complex. His refusal to see the truth was not just because he believed that girls are made of sugar and spice and everything nice, it was also because it threatened the facade that Janie was a regular young girl and he “fixed” her, in my opinion. He did a lot alongside Hannah to get Janie help, like therapy, but it was more “parenting class” (with a Dr. who diagnosed Janie with reactive-attachment-disorder and wouldn’t budge) than it was “psychotherapy session”. Both Hannah and Christopher made choices that frustrated me, in their attempts to control and alter Janie’s behavior: THE CAT, REALLY? I gritted my teeth and just waited for the worst. Hannah was more of a realist when it came to Janie but unfortunately her husband, Christopher thought Janie could do no wrong. Unaware of Janie’s disturbing past, they foster-to-adopt her and are assigned to DCF caseworker, Piper, who oversteps the boundaries far more than she knows she should. Janie never discusses her mother (who was found deceased in a trailer park) leaving me wondering what on earth happened to Janie and why doesn’t she mention anything from her past? The dog collar, fused and broken bones — all a mystery. The suspense and final reveal is an absolute shocker. I loved the ominous ending. There are three alternating POVs: Christopher’s, Hannah’s, and Piper’s. I loved having the perspective of the DCF social worker too. I appreciate multiple POVs, especially with a complex story like The Perfect Child. Hannah was my favorite character, partly because she saw through Janie’s manipulative tactics, and there were quite a few. I felt terrible for Hannah as I saw her slowly losing herself, her dream became a nightmare. A surprise pregnancy further overwhelms her and Janie’s regression, aggression, and violence reach new levels, while Christopher is off in fairytale land, his head in the clouds. Hannah, the primary caregiver, is at her wit’s end. The Perfect Child is a page-turner. I absolutely loved this dark read. I’ve watched documentaries on feral children and severely abused and neglected children and find the psychology and stories like this that are built from real cases morbidly fascinating as well as horrific and shocking. Janie reminded me of a young German girl who was labeled as a sociopath at an extremely young age. She was downright frightening, much like little Janie, and said terrifying things in the sweetest voice while she batted her big beautiful blue eyes. “She’s just a girl. There’s nothing to be afraid of.” AWELLREADWOMANBLOG dot COM

Great plot, couldnt stop reading until i got to the last page

Very thrillering good book I Love it big recommendations

A colleague of mine read this book and recommended it to me so when I saw it was on kindle unlimited, I thought why the hell not! (Not that that effects my review in any way) I read the entire book in one sitting and was hooked by the first few chapters. I liked how it was written and the chapters were short. Normally I don't like books that flick between characters but I found this one really easy and didn't get muddled up at all. I liked how Piper's side of the story was set after the incident and it kept me gripped. "This case will live with me for the rest of my life" and "Maybe it would of helped" kept me guessing WHAT HAPPENED?! I thoroughly enjoyed The Perfect Child and will be looking into Lucinda Berry's other books. I never ever look at reviews before reading a book as I don't want my opinion to be swayed by others and I'm glad I didn't. After I finished reading, I came on here to have a look what others thought and am surprised others didn't enjoy it as much as me... Both my parents and my uncle and aunt are foster parents and I have grown up surrounded by the experiences of foster care and troubled children. A lot of the reviews I read were how it's unrealistic but in actual fact, it really isn't. My uncle took in a young boy a good 10 years ago who actually done a fair few things mentioned in The Perfect Child and my own parents have had troubles of their own. My parents have fostered one boy for the last 7 years and we've definitely had our up's and down's and there's been plenty of times my mum has physically pulled her own hair out and cried for hours over the stress of it, she has to write daily reports and have a weekly check in with social workers but not once have they ever felt the need to intervene or think we're struggling (when in fact we have, and we've needed help more than once) even when my mum asked for help! To read reviews on how this book is unrealistic and social workers/professionals would of picked up that Christopher and Hannah were struggling and needed help, is unrealistic in itself. People are blind to the real life of foster carers/social workers/foster children. I personally think The Perfect Child was a brilliant, well thought out, realistic story and will highly recommend it to others. Good job Lucinda Berry.