A review by whatsbethanyreading
The Perfect Child by Lucinda Berry

tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

I don’t think I’ve ever had this many conflicting emotions about a book. I really struggled with how to rate this one. On the one hand, I absolutely could not put it down. It takes a lot for me to read a book this quickly because I have so much going on right now (new mom).  It was so captivating, infuriating, and suspenseful. This book is the definition of a page turner. 

However, I absolutely could not stand the characters. Janie and Christopher were totally insufferable. Obviously, Janie was supposed to be unlikable, but I almost hated Christopher even more! His inability to see the bad in Janie, his gaslighting behavior toward Hannah, and his ambivalence toward his biological son just made me hate his character. 

What made me unsure of how to rate this one was the ending. I don’t want to spoil the book, but it was totally unsatisfying. It almost felt like the author forgot to finish the book, and I’m not even exaggerating. I read the last chapter out loud to my husband and he said “that’s it?” I was extremely disappointed. I immediately picked up the novella sequel and guess what? It ended just as badly. I was just expecting SO much more. 
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