I loved this book. I bought myself a copy, not realising I had a NetGalley copy. A gripping premise with great writing.

This was another book that felt like it was trying so hard to be another Gone Girl. Maybe this is true for most psychological thrillers of the past ten years but with this one it felt particularly obvious. Plus the whole 'child of a serial killer' is another very popular trope. I think that I've really grown out of wanting to read about fictional awful people since the pandemic - there's enough genuinely dreadful people in government without spending my off time reading about them too. While the pace was maintained throughout the novel, I did not take to the central protagonist and the finale felt absolutely ghastly so ultimately I did not take to this book. It feels like more a question of personal taste however so I will keep my review private.

Milly loves her mother however she has a dark secret. Milly’s mother is a serial killer and Milly has handed her in to the police. It is the only way to stop her and save anyone else from getting hurt. Milly is given a fresh start. A new name and a new school along with a new family. All Milly needs to do is testify against her mother in the upcoming trial. Milly’s life is complicated with all the secrets she has to keep. She struggles at school and home. Is she good or is she bad like her mother?
This book is told from Milly’s point of view. It is a deeply disturbing psychological thriller. Worth reading and keeps you guessing at every twist and turn.

Omg talk about a roller coaster read wow this book kept me on the edge of my seat threw out I just couldn't put it down this writer keeps you hooked and once your hooked your not letting go I found this book thrilling the characters were fantastic and well thought out and the little clues all the way threw keep you guessing until the end this book stays with you long after you close the book this book is well worth the read I promise you wont be disappointed

Loved, loved, loved this book. So well written and a new take on the serial killer genre. It made you think about the family of these evil people and how they must feel and what they must be going through.
Minnie was a great character and I rooted for her throughout the story.

Minnie's mother is a serial killer who has committed some bone chilling crimes. she finally breaks her silence and gives her mother away to the cops. She is a child, and she needs a way to start a new life. Mark takes her in, tell her mother's trial is over and till she finds a new foster home.
Life isn't easy in the new set up, and Mark's daughter hates her foster sister. All the secrets that Millie comes with leaves her vulnerable. Could she be as evil as her mother? Is she going to be any different? How far could she go to protect herself and to have a chance at a new life?
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I took my time with this book as it wasn't exactly fast paced. It took its time to finally get around to where it did. The writing is good but it's slow paced. There are so many details that I wanted to know more about, but there wasn't enough emphasis on the same. I really wished there was more about the main characters, but information was scant. I wanted more on her crimes, but there was little information about them. The climax was something I totally saw coming. Though it was supposed to blow your mind, it just mildly shakes you up! No major shocker there!
Overall, it was a good read, but a lot more potential.

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So tense! So tense I felt physically sick reading it but equally I couldn’t put it down. This is a MUST read.

Great book with a really interesting premise that I’ve never come across before. Super fresh idea and will worth a read

Wow this book was absolutely fantastic. I was hooked from the first chapter. Just brilliant. I look forward to reading more from this author .

There was much to enjoy here, but I found I couldn't connect with it. I'd read more from this author in the future though.

Good Me Bad Me by Ali Land is a debut book that was riveting from page 1. An expertly written story that brings us a thriller and a family drama that is also on the psychological side too.
A story of a daughter of a serial killer who has turned her into the police. Annie now Milly is 15 and preparing to give evidence against her mother in court. She has gained a new life with foster parents and a new name so she will be protected. The story unfolds and we are faced with dark and disturbing themes that Milly has to face, is she like her mother or not?
A stunning book that really kept me thinking and my heart pumping.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the copy of the book

Milly is a fifteen-year-old who has been domineered by her sadistic mother for more than a decade. The only way out is to tell the police what has been happening at home, tell them about the nine other children who have fallen victim to her deranged mother.

This is the opening which draws the reader into the world of a deeply disturbed teenager struggling to come to terms with her childhood — even though she has been given a new identity and parachuted into foster care. Despite her mother being incarcerated while awaiting trial, Milly is psychologically unable to break free from her mother's malign influence. The fact that Milly is subjected to catty behavior from her foster family's daughter, which overflows into tussles at school where Milly finds herself friendless, heightens the stakes.

Told from Milly's viewpoint, the narrative gives insight into her guilt at having delayed revealing the crimes of her mother, constantly questioning her own motives and actions. Brusque and disjointed, the narrative is indicative of Milly's troubled emotional state. Adding veracity it may do, but I found it somewhat hard to "tune into".

The denouement contains a couple of neatly crafted, but well signposted, twists which highlight Milly's dilemma from a different perspective, and in doing so they bring the tale to a brutal, if predictable, end.

I enjoyed this, but I wouldn’t go so far as to call it the thriller of the year. A gripping read, with plenty of twists. Recommended.

I liked this book quite a lot. The MC was developed enough that I sympathized deeply with her. I found her complex, compelling and authentic sounding.

The character, Millie, is the daughter of a serial killer who kidnapped and murdered children. Millie turned her mother in, and is in preparations for testifying against her mother in court. Millie is, of course, a very damaged girl who is dealing with the psychological aftermath of being raised by her psychopathic mother while living with a foster family that is not as idealistic as it might seem from the outside. For anyone who enjoys dark stories with troubled protagonists, this is a deeply immersive read. I was fascinated as I followed Millie's journey, always wondering what she was going to do next and how she was going to fight against the dark impulses instilled in her by her upbringing.

Unfortunately, I read this book back in 2017 but completely forgot to upload a review on here, so can't remember exactly what I was going to say about it!

This book was great to read I couldn't put the book down. I didn't see the twists coming until they did like others. I really enjoyed it but also felt very uncomfortable at times as well.

This gave me chills!

The novel follows 15 year old Annie/Milly, whose mother is a serial killer. Annie loves her, but knows what she does is wrong, and turns her in.

Now known as Milly, she is promptly placed in foster care with a husband and wife who have a teenage daughter of their own. Perfect, right? Nope! The husband, Mike, acts as Milly's therapist, and his daughter, Phoebe becomes jealous of the time her dad spends with this strange new girl. She combats her jealousy by making Milly's life miserable through bullying.

This is where the "good me, bad me" comes in. Milly's mother's voice is a constant companion for the teen, and as her situation grows more and more dire, will Milly choose to be "good me" or follow in her mother's footsteps and become "bad me"?

Very chilling, and definitely gets in your head. You can tell that Milly wants to be good, but years of torment have left her soul and perception of the world bent. Honestly a jarring and disturbing novel that gets right under your skin and makes you shudder.

Creepy thriller with a surprising twist at the end I never saw coming. Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy.

The book starts of strong as we meet Milly (previously called Annie) as she copes with a guilty conscience from both knowing about her mothers crimes, and turning her in to the police. This has a lot of trigger warnings and is very dark, these include abuse, sexual abuse, murder, child abuse and bullying.

The Peter Pan Serial Killer – as her mother has been named by the press, is a particularly horrifying child killer. We start to uncover more and more of the details of her as Milly narrates throughout the book. She turns in her own mother and has to fight her natural urges to protect and be on her side because it’s her mother.

Milly’s new foster family is dysfunctional at best. Mike her foster dad works all the time and has fostered too many children, which has upset his daughter Phoebe. Saskia, her foster mother has her own secrets, which Milly discovers and tries to exploit in such a well-written manipulative tendencies.

The entire arc of Milly’s behaviour after joining her foster family is written so well that it’s almost believable. It reads like a true story crime book. From her reactions to new people, to her being bullied in school and her attachment to the new adults in her life – they were detailed and so well planned.

I can’t talk about the plot too much as I wouldn’t want to spoil anything, but it is chilling. There’s a few twists and turns that I was not expecting – and some that I expected but weren’t there. It really grips you into finding out what will happen next

Positives of Good Me Bad Me
Good psychological thriller
Surprising twists
Negatives of Good Me Bad Me
Can be a bit dark

I actually don't have anything good to say about this novel. I didn't like the style, I didn't find it engaging, but kept reading hoping something fascinating will happen at some point. It ended up being boring and uneventful till the very predictable end..