A long twisting story for readers. never read anything like this before. The story made me frustrated because I could clearly see how manipulative a certain character was and the stupid mistakes that were made. It showed the story from both main characters.

Claire is obviously a soft touch, which we learn via her mother, headmaster and family friend. She's well meaning though Vick briefly sneaks in some information about Claire's own childhood which allows readers to see exactly why she's so sympathetic to children she believes to be at risk.

I suspect Claire was the last to realise what everyone else did in this case... even we readers and it's a bit frustrating after the point it becomes obvious. Having said that though, Claire's in denial and seemingly disempowered and struggling with confidence.

I would have liked a little more backstory on Claire. She seemed close to her mother but the older woman seemed quite dismissive of her daughter by the time we meet her. And Claire constantly talked about being 'past it' in a teaching sense, but I got the impression she wasn't actually that old. And I'm not sure I really had a good grasp on her as a character. Again, that could be because she's meant to come across as well-meaning but submissive at the same time.

Although much of what happened seemed obvious, there were a couple of surprises at the end and I'm glad the 'conclusion' wasn't dragged out. We all got closure. Well, kind of.

I absolutely loved this book. I was totally immersed. An excellent read!

Claire is a teacher who brings Lorna under her wing as she notices Lorna is having trouble fitting in. Lorna is from a poor family, lacks any hygiene or good manners but Claire knows it's just because of her upbringing. Her mother and her mother's boyfriend hit her and yell at her in public. Lorna cries from the shoes that don't fit her feet and from the lack of attention she receives at home. No one will listen to Claire that Lorna needs help. Why can't anyone else see the bruises on Lorna's body and the pain in her eyes. As years pass, Lorna and Claire develop a mother/daughter type bond and they take off to take Lorna away from the abuse. Here Marianne enter their lives on a chance encounter that rapidly goes south. Bonds shift and now it's a matter of who will win this wicked game.

Bookouture is on FIRE with all these great releases! Bad Little Girl is no exception. The prologue sucks you in and then it slow burns you to a thrilling ending. For me, the book was less about the title and more about Claire and her grief, saviour complex and lack of self esteem. The slow burn comes from the build up of Claire and Lorna's relationships over years which ultimately culminates into a fantastic ending! The last quarter of this book really did it for me. Kids with no moral compass? CREEPY. Sign me up!

Where to start with this book!
I did enjoy this book but found it incredibly slow to get going.
There was too much unnecessary story.

I would of liked the background of Claire and Lorna to be told then moved onto the gritty storyline.

There was alot of watching and waiting in the background.
Claire seemed to spend alot of time observing and time seemed to pass in huge chunks for the first several chapters.
There is no real exciting build up to the main story. We don't get enough of Lorna's story.

Towards the end of the book the storyline does take an unexpected twist and it gets really intriguing. Another main character gets introduced but at what cost!

This book was about Lorna a young child who Claire suspects of being abused at home. Claire is a teacher and she becomes attached to Lorna when she asks for help.

I feel Claire as a teacher has a unhealthy relationship with Lorna regardless of her suspicions. So much so she even let's her go to her house.
I understand Claire wants to protect Lorna but something just doesn't feel right.
Is Lorna more clued up than we believe? Claire is vulnerable as she has just lost her mother to cancer. So I think Lorna has come at a time where both need someone.
But at what cost?

If the initial story had been more intriguing and more of a build up to begin with then I would of given 4 stars.
However for me this let the story down a little bit as I wanted more. I wanted more intrigue, suspense.
For example when we see Lorna steal the rubbers the story picked up it got interesting as we got to see a glimpse of Lorna's character. But that was it then we didn't see any more of this behaviour apart from suspecting her of being destructive at school.
I do feel this book lost a little sense of reality. However this maybe how Frances wanted the reader to feel.

I love reading books like this. I do believe this book has so much potential.
For this reason my actual rating is 3.5 stars.

Sorry Kim I just couldn't get into this book and gave up.

Didnt do it for me Im afraid, Its not a bad book but its not a great book either. I found it very slow going, predictable and far fetched, Im not one to let that bother me normally but some of the decisions made by the characters really irritated me. The story took so long to get going that once it did I had lost any feelings, Good or bad that I may have had for the characters or storyline.

Im not really sure why we had so much of the life of Claire Penny and her mother at the beginning of the book it added very little to the story and made it drag on a bit, it didnt give me that need too read feeling and consequently became a chore rather than a pleasure.

Bad little girl by Frances vick is a mystery and thriller and general fiction (adult) read.
‘I’m not safe – you have to help me…’

Little Lorna Bell is from a notorious family on a rundown estate. Everyone thinks she’s a nasty piece of work. The schoolchildren call her a thief. But Lorna’s hair is matted, her shoes pinch her feet and school teacher Claire Penny can’t help herself; some kids just need a bit more support, a bit more love, than the rest.
OMG. Absolutely fantastic read with brilliant characters. Completely had me fooled. Full of twists and plots. Highly recommended 5*. I voluntarily reviewed an advanced copy of this book from netgalley.

Bad Little Girl has to be one of the best thrillers I have read so far this year, if I am being honest I picked this book not knowing anything about it. I found the description and cover so enticing that I had to read it! My background in college was in psychology so this was up my ally completely. I could not put it down It has been sitting completed on my kindle for over a week I just needed to find time to tell you how amazing it is. Thank you to Netgalley Frances Vick and Bookouture for my advanced copy of this gem. Lorna Bell is an eight-year-old Jekyll and Hyde who comes from a broken home who in the first half of the book you want to feel bad for because no child should go through everything that she has. On the opposite side of that coin you have Claire Penny the teacher with a heart of gold. I to say that this is a hard review to write without giving too much away. I can’t stress enough how much you have to read this book Lorna thrives on the attention ... she loves Miss Penny....wants to be with her all the time. She tells Miss Penny ... I'm not safe. Please help me. And Miss Penny does something unthinkable. She takes the child away from a bad situation only to find out everything is not what it seems. If you LOVE thrillers this is a must have. I can’t say I enjoyed any of the characters I felt sympathy for everyone in different ways in different parts of the book but not this over the top I LOVE this character kind of moment. A tough subject wrapped in a creepy perfect package. A must read.

Bad Little Girl, the newest Bookouture suspense by Frances Vick, was unputdownable. I don’t often agree with books that align themselves with Gone Girl and Girl on the Train, but for this book, I’d have to make an exception. From the unreliable characters to the fast-paced plot, this one had my eyes glued to the pages. Bad Little Girl was undeniably addicting.

From the first pages, I felt a connection to the protagonist, Claire. Vick does an amazing job at making her extremely relatable. As a teacher, I was able to understand Claire's plight. As she continuously tries to do the right thing for Lorna, tensions rose and I found myself filled with anxiety and anger. I felt Claire’s desperation and watched the story unfold in horror. I don’t want to give away any of the plot, but trust me, there are a few characters in this story that you will love to hate.

My only complaint and it was a small complaint, was that the passing of time was not always clearly noted throughout the chapters. There were sometimes some significant jumps in time that I found hard to follow.

Overall, I’d have to give this one a 5/5 stars based on the entertainment value alone. Looks like another home run for Bookouture.

Six-year-old Lorna Bell makes a terrible mistake in her first few years of schooling; she steals a set of erasers from an older girl. They are new edition ‘cult’ erasers, the very popular ‘must haves’ of schoolchildren and everyone knows that a little girl from a poor family in a rundown backwater estate could not possibly have come by these erasers unless she had stolen them. Her popularity wanes and she is outcast by her peers, but one teacher within the school is full of empathy for the little girl. She has noticed her too-tight scruffy shoes, her thin dress and the lack of a coat even in the cruellest winter frosts. She has also seen bruises and bites on her thin, pale body. So the teacher, Claire, starts to look out for little Lorna and the bond between teacher and pupil grows stronger. She talks to the head teacher about her concerns for Lorna’s welfare but no action is taken, much to the grave concern of the kind-hearted teacher who is on a mission to make sure she keeps Lorna safe.
Lorna is desperate to escape her horrible, abusive background and Claire is desperate that no harm should come to Lorna. Lorna wishes Claire were her mother and then and only then will she be safe, cared for and happy. In truth Claire wishes that Lorna was her daughter too, so that she would have the safe, secure life that any little girl should have. Dreams, dreams dreams….or maybe the dreams could become reality if only Claire were courageous enough to make them come true. But sometimes judgement can be clouded by emotion and what should be safe is anything but.
I really loved the premise for this story about a poor neglected child and a kind-hearted though ill advised teacher. It zinged with promise and I felt the thrill of a great story in the making. The storytelling was fluid and had me gripped to begin with. However, I thought the middle and third section of the story were just too unbelievable and farfetched to give the story credence. The blurb was right about the shocking twist at the end of the novel though, and despite my reservations about the story, the twist was both shocking and unexpected. I didn’t warm to any of the characters. I thought Lorna was manipulative and cunning because she made every effort to get her own way by flattery, exaggeration and fibbing. I thought Claire was unprofessional and gullible and could have found better solutions to her quandary. I thought the head teacher’s attitude to Claire’s concerns bordered on negligent and heaven help us that people with this uncaring and unprofessional attitude are not promoted to leaders of a school; particularly a primary school where young children rely on adults to guide and help them. All teachers have a thorough grounding in child protection issues and Claire could have sought help and advice through other professional channels, all of which she would have had access to. Marianne was a totally unrealistic character with issues and agendas of her own. I intensely disliked her and would not like to think of her working in a school in any role at all. Lastly I thought the title was very apt indeed. I know that I have been reading fiction and that other reviewers have found this novel to be an exciting psychological thriller. I would like to thank NetGalley and Bookouture for my copy of this novel, sent to me in return for an honest review.

Thank you Netgalley, Bookouture and Frances Vick for this ARC.

Claire Penny is the sort of teacher you pray your kid will end up with. She cares passionately about education but she cares even more about the well being of her students......maybe a little too much. Enter Lorna, a little girl seemingly uncared for by her family, a family who make you think Shameless were missing some cast members. Over the years Claire becomes convinced that there is more to Lornas mistreatment and tries to help but no one listens. Eventually she feels she needs to take drastic action. But is Lorna all that she seems to be? Could a young child be as manipulative as everyone has tried to warn Claire?

Well the title kind of gives away the answer to that question but I really didn't care! I really enjoyed the journey and I just could not put this down! This is just quite simply a brilliant read. Yes OK sometimes it does veer into the unbelievable, but if I wanted true to life I'll go for true crime. Saying that though it does raise some interesting questions about the nature of evil....are some people born that way or if it is nurtured by those around us.....hmm I don't know the answer to that but I do know if you like a good psychological thriller that will keep you attached firmly to your e reader or book then this is the book for you.

Claire is a single, "older" teacher, respected by some, snickered about by the "young" ones, and she knows that something just isn't right about how everyone treats Lorna Bell. Claire fully believes that all Lorna needs is someone to show they care. Lorna isn't in Claire's classroom but she finds herself drawn to the child. Lorna is drawn to Miss Penny. Miss Penny smiles at her, Miss Penny doesn't raise her voice at her, and Miss Penny is pretty.

Claire slowly starts noticing that Lorna's school uniform is showing it stains and could use a good washing, her shoes once too big are now pinching the child's feet, and many times the child is left outside long after all the other students have gone home. Claire's mother is the head administrator at another school across town. Even she cautions Claire from getting too involved.

As time moves on and Claire notices her bruises, the lack of care, the way the other teachers and kids seem to dislike and ignore Lorna she slowly takes notes in a notebook. When Claire finally thinks there is something the school can do to intervene she takes her concerns to her superiors but after conferences with Lorna's mother to the school, he decides there is nothing more that they can do. Lorna starts showing up, at her mother's home, did Claire tell her where her mother lived? She doesn't think so. When Claire has to take a leave of absence from the school to take care of her mother, Lorna comes around.

When her mother dies Claire extends her leave of absence. She remembers fondly the times her mother and she would go to her Aunt Tess cottage by the beach. As Claire is evaluating her life and what to do now, she extends the sublet to her place and tries to decide what to do with her aunt cottage. Claire is finding herself at odds.

When Lorna shows up covered in a strong smelling liquid and hysterical, Claire knows she has to keep Lorna safe. She knows what she has to do and she has to do it quickly. They leave to go to the cottage by the beach. On the way there, Claire sees, on a television screen, something about a fire back home.

Once at the beach, Lorna and Claire settle into their new life. When they discover that the house fire was at Lorna's and that they still hadn't found all the bodies, with everyone assuming Lorna died in the fire, investigation still ongoing, the only survivor from the fire is in critical condition, the mom's boyfriend. Lorna and Claire are sure that they can pretend Lorna is Claire's daughter. Perfect?? Then they meet Marianne. Will Claire and Lorna trust her? Will life ever be normal again?

As you read, the twists and turns just keep coming. I feel in love with Claire, she is the type of teacher we all dreamed of having and want for our own children. At first, you see in Lorna what Claire sees but then...

Bad Little Girl By Frances Vick is a roller coaster ride for the reader. You get the rush of going downhill with every layer peeled away. This is one you won't want to miss.
Out in the shelves February 22, 2017, you will want to get your copy.

Claire Penny can't shake her concern for a disheveled student, Lorna Bell. The little girl's older brother had quite a reputation at the school and the others teachers expect Lorna to follow in his footsteps. What else could they expect of a child from that family? The stories that Lorna tells her fill Claire with concern, but there's just not enough solid information for the school to take legal action. She knows that with the right care and encouragement, Lorna would grow into a lovely young lady. The book took a while to pick up speed but once things got going I was holding my breath. It's a thriller that will keep you wondering what's next.

So. You know when you read a book and you get a growing feeling of unease? Not a sudden burst of high stakes, adrenaline pumping tension that puts you on the edge of your seat, but that kind of slow build up of nerves that unsettles you. That knowledge, or rather than overwhelming feeling that something isn't quite what it seems and that when the truth finally comes out, someone is going to pay a very high price. That's how I would sum up Bad Little Girl by Frances Vick.

This is, in essence, a story of a very young girl from a troubled family background, Lorna Bell. Her brother is notorious around the school for his bad and disruptive behaviour, so much so that he has been excluded. Lorna is quiet, very reserved and so very clearly neglected that you have to wonder quite how the authorities have not been involved. Indeed, it is exactly this that teacher Claire Penny is wondering when she tries to help the young girl and get to the root of what it is that scares her. She tries to intervene with her mother, becomes infatuated with the family and the idea of saving Lorna, so much so that she becomes blinded to the impact it is having on her own life, especially after she suffers a devastating loss of her own.

Now the characters in this book are extremely well written, from the naive and incredibly caring Claire, to the neglected and troubled Lorna. Even Lorna's mother and Step-father are so wonderfully crafted that you can't help but take a dislike to them from the first moment you meet them. There seems to be little love for poor Lorna and the family home and circumstances are enough to elicit pity and concern from even the hardest heart. And as for the mad-cap Marianne, a woman they meet by chance who seems to move into Claire's life with practiced ease, taking over in a way that both disturbs and delights in equal measure, you are never quite sure of her motivations. Is she friend or foe? Will Claire come to regret letting Marianne into her life, or will it be the other way around.

Frances Vick has achieved a great balance of pace and setting throughout. From the squallor of Lorna's home, to the beauty and isolation of the Cornish coastline, the setting is matched perfectly by the pace of life. The urgency with which Lorna pleads for Claire's help is a well played mirror of the tragedy unfolding in her life, and the pace ebbs and flows with the narrative, matching the tide of the wild seas battering the coastline and the growing tension within the small home Claire tries to build in Cornwall. And the way in which the author uses misdirection while dropping subtle hints which are easy to overlook or dismiss, just as Claire does, is quite effective.

I wouldn't say that I was entirely surprised by what came to pass, or the revelations which came about two-thirds of the way through the book. As I said, subtle hints were dropped throughout and the eagle eyed would have put two and two together as I did. That said, there is a clear sociopath in amongst our not so happy little trio. someone whose actions have the capacity to shock even those who believe they are ready to expect anything. The final chapter was effective, the interaction between the characters true to form and the simple easy attitude of one of them quite chilling in truth.

I will be honest and say that the final few chapters of the book did seem a little hurried, the wrapping up of things quite quick given how long the author spent building the tension and bringing things to a head. That is probably the only thing stopping me giving this five stars as the writing was assured, the plot intriguing, and the characters engaging in a way that kept me glued to the book from start to finish.

If you like a good solid thriller with a bit of kick, and characters that can elicit both sympathy and fear, then I would say give this one a whirl. I would definitely read something by the author again, and look forward to seeing what Frances Vick releases next.

A troubled and twisted 4 stars.

Ooooo I love a book questioning the nature vs nurture theory. Anyone who has read my reviews and knows my taste in psychological thrillers will appreciate that it’s a HUGE fascination for me, debating whether or not evil is born within some people or whether their circumstances and upbringing mould the adult we eventually become. Just don’t ask which I believe in the most as I still unfortunately don’t have all the answers! But having twins who have been brought up the same way living in the same environment and who are very different in personality has given me the confidence to say I am veering towards the “born bad” tag.

Which leads us to Lorna Bell. Lorna has been born into a notorious family on a rundown estate, she stands out at school with her messy hair and unclean appearance. But teacher Claire feels sorry for her as she has a soft spot for Lorna, who picks up on this very quickly as children do. Now working in a school I know the processors that should be in place for circumstances like this and Claire was WAY off the mark in her actions. I know we can have soft spots for certain children but professionalism is always the order of the day so I had absolutely no sympathy for Claire when it lead to what happened next! I did feel for poor 5 year old Lorna at first but as the book progressed I started to wonder whether there were some psychopathic tendencies there! We are kept wondering throughout the slower first half of the book where we see Lorna and Claire’s obsession with each other increase until suddenly Marianne is thrown into the mix! And that’s when the action starts heating up and preconceptions about our main characters are thrown into array. As the book reaches its climax, there are some distressing situations for Claire but it’s up to the reader to decide where their sympathies lie.

Frances Vick has taken some very damaged individuals and weaved a twisted tale around their journey to the happiness they believe they deserve. It throws up some moral dilemmas that leave you thinking “what would I have done” . Sometimes difficult to read but nevertheless compelling, this is a creepy and disturbing thriller that you will devour in one goosebumpy session.

Thanks to Kim at Bookouture for my review copy of Bad Little Girl.

Well! This was an unexpected treasure. I knew a few pages in I'd be reading this book every waking moment I had. It had that special something.

Oh the plot! Holy moly. I love a twist and turn storyline with elements of light and shade. This book excels at that. Take one very caring (somewhat over-involved) English teacher who has concerns about one of her students from a local housing estate. The girl is ostracised by here peers, has shoes that don't fit, seems neglected and damaged.

It's like a magnetic attraction these two finding each other. One day a terrible event changes everything - especially in their relationship and its psychological fun from there onwards. This book tackles emotional manipulation, nurture vs nature, dysfunctional people, lies, deception and power struggles.

Can this sweet little girl ever live an okay life? How is the teacher going to help her? All is revealed like the peeling back of an o ion. It's an amazing insight into human nature and the choices we mags and why.

I'm not talking about the plot as the plot is what makes this novel such an exceptional book. It's disturbing one minute, warm the next, you will question what you are reading and your decisions on things. I love being in chatscter's heads and we get loads of that.

I fluctuated on feelings on many characters from anger to empathy, disgust to delight. It kept me on my toes and the grand finale is both satisfying and sad at the same time.

A top of the line psychological thriller that will engage the reader fully abs one of those books I simply loved to read. Escapism at its best. 5 stars!

This story went way beyond where I thought it would and even when I did finally work out what I believed Truth was I still had that niggly feeling a curve ball could come my way. I devoured this book every waking hour until finished. Don't miss this one in 2017!

Meh...

Not horrible, not great either. Predictable and at times pretty far fetched story line that took a LONGGGGG time to get to the heart of the plot.

The last 50 pages were the best for me, and while the ending seemed a bit rushed in comparison to the slow lead in, it was still satisfactory.

Not much to say about the actual plot, as the title sums it up perfectly!

ARC provided by NetGalley

Typically when books are compared to The Girl on the Train or Gone Girl, I become a little skeptical. Only because those are both such amazing reads and crazy thrillers. I definitely was not disappointed by Bad Little Girl! I could not put it down!

Without giving away any spoilers or too much of the plot, we follow Claire Penny, a teacher at a school and her desire to help a student, Lorna Bell. Vick does an amazing job developing the characters and helping us really connect with them. Characters you love and characters you love to hate. Another great release from Bookouture.

Big thanks to Bookouture for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

This book had me hooked in the beginning but then started to annoyed me for some reason.
I understand the plot and that Claire is grieving her mum so isn't thinking straight and how Lorna is so manipulative but it just annoyed me.
I did finish the book as I wanted to know how it ended, it was a good story but I didn't enjoy it as much as I thought I would.