Book Review: Good Me Bad Me
Good Me Bad Me
by: Ali Land
Finished on: August 20, 2017
Publisher: Flatiron Books
I received a free Advanced Reader's Copy of this book from the publisher, Flatiron Books, in return for an honest review. I highly recommend this book for suspense/mystery lovers.
"As I look down at their beautiful faces I remember a story I read. A Native American tale where the Cherokee tells his grandson there's a battle between two wolves in all of us. One is evil, the other good. The boy asks him, Which wolf wins? The Cherokee tells him, The one you feed."
Synopsis:
Good Me Bad Me tells the story of Milly, a teenager who was recently placed into foster care after she turned her mother into the police for murder. Let me clarify - Milly's mother didn't only murder one person, but rather, she was a serial killer. And her victims? Young children.
Milly wants to start fresh. She is given a new name, identity and family to live with. She starts a new school and is hopeful that things will be different for her. Milly worries about how much she was affected by her mother's past and questions whether she is good or evil. She starts to grapple with the nature versus nurture debate; conscious that she has both working against her. For Milly, will the good or the bad in her overrule?
"The brain of a psychopath is different from most. I've weighed up my chances. Eighty percent genetics, twenty percent environment.
Me.
One hundred percent fucked."
"Chill out, who needs mothers anyway when we have each other?"
As with most psychological thrillers, I can't go into too much detail about my review without giving away any of the twists. But trust me, this one is good! Good Me Bad Me is a unique read. On one hand, we are given a glimpse of a female serial killer - something extremely rare. But within the same book, we are given an inside peak into her teenaged daughter's mind. As a reader, you will question right along with Milly about whether or not she will turn out to be good or bad.
"Child and parent, no other relationship more complicated exists."
This book is dark and twisted. If you have triggers, then this is definitely not the book for you, as it both describes and alludes to some seriously disturbing situations. While the author never comes right and and says exactly what the mother did to all of her victims, sometimes your imagination may make it even worse. You will question what could drive someone to such egregious actions, or if this is simply how she was made.
The book is told from the point of view of Milly, after she is placed into foster care. When considering Milly, you will be guessing until the very end about her very nature. Can Milly turn her life around, be accepted for who she is, and be good? We are shown flashbacks to her time growing up with her mother and you can slowly start to unravel what happened to Milly and possibly why she ultimately turned on her mother.
"Siamese twins inside me, at war."
Overall, I rate this 4/5 stars. If you are looking for a tense read that keeps you guessing until the end, then this is the one for you! Psychological suspense at its best with a cast of characters who are all messed up in their own ways. Good luck picking your favorite!
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