Good Me, Bad Me

Publication Date: 12 January 2017

Goodreads Description

'NEW N A M E . NEW F A M I L Y. S H I N Y. NEW. ME . ' Annie's mother is a serial killer. The only way she can make it stop is to hand her in to the police. But out of sight is not out of mind. As her mother's trial looms, the secrets of her past won't let Annie sleep, even with a new foster family and name - Milly. A fresh start. Now, surely, she can be whoever she wants to be. But Milly's mother is a serial killer. And blood is thicker than water. Good me, bad me. She is, after all, her mother's daughter...

My Review

Oh. My. Gosh. I'm still reeling from this one. Last year when I first heard about this book I knew that I had to read it. The blurb just appealed to me on so many levels. And having finished it a short while ago I can safely say that it lived up to all the hype. This book is a knock out and although it's early days, I'm quite sure that this one will make it on to my list of top ten reads of 2017.

The story is narrated by Milly aka Annie. She's the 15 year old daughter of a serial killer. And not just any serial killer. This is a woman who killed children, nine of them to be exact. Until Milly turned her in to the police. And as one can imagine, the country is angry and outraged and they want this vicious serial killer put behind bars. Will Milly stay strong enough to testify against her mother? Will her mother's voice that ricochets around her head finally be put to rest?

The author's writing style and the way the story is told is so different to the norm, and I say that in a good way. There are short sentences. And sometimes, even just one word sentences. As the reader, you can't help but feel like you are right inside Milly's head. You read her thoughts and then you read her verbal answers to questions and often the two are polar opposites. Milly doesn't always say what she's thinking. In fact, most of the time she doesn't. This makes for a strong attachment between reader and character. I felt like I was getting to know Milly really well. But was I really? Snippets are dropped at opportune moments that make you step back and think "hold on a minute, what's that about? I didn't expect that from her." Oh yes, this is a great read. It's going to be a big hit in 2017.

My rating: * * * * *

Many thanks to author Ali Land and publishers Penguin Random House SA and Michael Joseph for my copy.