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A review by yunsq
The Perfect Child by Lucinda Berry
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Read content warnings first before reading the book!!
I am struggling to rate this one. Don’t get me wrong, I devoured the book in 3 days. The fastest I’ve read since I’ve gotten into a reading slump in the last months. I say struggle because of how dark, stomach-churning and unsettling the story is, and anxiety-inducing it was for me.
Not to say that the ending was too open for my liking. I felt like I pulled through all of the front bits for no reward lol. Perhaps it was meant to replicate real life? Where there really isn’t a well-crafted ending?? Maybe we don’t really have to know how the couple would react to the news for us to acknowledge that evil exists? It also didn’t sit right with me that we quickly went from trauma-informed behaviour to born-evil conclusions. Could’ve been handled better and with more sensitivity, in my opinion.
Another review mentioned how the world-building and some of the major events were contradicting throughout the multi-POV chapters, or even just completely forgotten. This I absolutely agree with.
Overall, maybe a 3? I’m not really sure what to feel about it. Other than my lingering fear from the story maybe.
I am struggling to rate this one. Don’t get me wrong, I devoured the book in 3 days. The fastest I’ve read since I’ve gotten into a reading slump in the last months. I say struggle because of how dark, stomach-churning and unsettling the story is, and anxiety-inducing it was for me.
Not to say that the ending was too open for my liking. I felt like I pulled through all of the front bits for no reward lol. Perhaps it was meant to replicate real life? Where there really isn’t a well-crafted ending?? Maybe we don’t really have to know how the couple would react to the news for us to acknowledge that evil exists? It also didn’t sit right with me that we quickly went from trauma-informed behaviour to born-evil conclusions. Could’ve been handled better and with more sensitivity, in my opinion.
Another review mentioned how the world-building and some of the major events were contradicting throughout the multi-POV chapters, or even just completely forgotten. This I absolutely agree with.
Overall, maybe a 3? I’m not really sure what to feel about it. Other than my lingering fear from the story maybe.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Violence, Infertility, and Torture
Moderate: Death, Excrement, Animal death, and Vomit