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![The Perfect Child by [Lucinda Berry]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41nIy5r2KRL._SY346_.jpg)
The Perfect Child Kindle Edition
Lucinda Berry (Author) See search results for this author |
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A Washington Post and Amazon Charts bestseller.
A page-turning debut of suspense about a young couple desperate to have a child of their own—and the unsettling consequences of getting what they always wanted.
Christopher and Hannah are a happily married surgeon and nurse with picture-perfect lives. All that’s missing is a child. When Janie, an abandoned six-year-old, turns up at their hospital, Christopher forms an instant connection with her, and he convinces Hannah they should take her home as their own.
But Janie is no ordinary child, and her damaged psyche proves to be more than her new parents were expecting. Janie is fiercely devoted to Christopher, but she acts out in increasingly disturbing ways, directing all her rage at Hannah. Unable to bond with Janie, Hannah is drowning under the pressure, and Christopher refuses to see Janie’s true nature.
Hannah knows that Janie is manipulating Christopher and isolating him from her, despite Hannah’s attempts to bring them all together. But as Janie’s behavior threatens to tear Christopher and Hannah apart, the truth behind Janie’s past may be enough to push them all over the edge.
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherThomas & Mercer
- Publication date1 Mar. 2019
- File size2982 KB
Product description
Review
“I am a compulsive reader of literary novels—but this has been a terrible year for fiction that is actually readable, and not experimental. I have been so disappointed when well-known writers came out with books that, to me, were just duds. But there was one book that kept me reading, the sort of novel I can’t put down…The Perfect Child by Lucinda Berry. It speaks to the fear of every parent: What if your child is a psychopath? This novel takes it a step farther. A couple, desperate for a child, have the chance to adopt a beautiful little girl who, they are told, has been abused. They’re told it might take a while for her to learn to behave and trust people. She can be sweet and loving, and in public is adorable. But in private—well, I won’t give away what happens. But, needless to say, it’s chilling.” —Gina Kolata, New York Times
“[O]n the nightmare scale, Lucinda Berry’s thriller may top the charts.” —Popular Culture Association
“A mesmerizing, unbearably tense thriller that will have you looking over your shoulder and sleeping with one eye open. This creepy, serpentine tale explores the darkest corners of parenthood and the profoundly unsettling lengths one will go to to keep a family together—no matter the consequences. Electrifying and atmospheric, this dark gem of a novel is one I couldn’t put down.” —Heather Gudenkauf, New York Times bestselling author
“A deep, dark, and dangerously addictive read. All-absorbing to the very end!” —Minka Kent, Washington Post bestselling author
From the Publisher
When abandoned child Janie is brought into the hospital where Chris and Hannah work, it’s obvious she’s experienced severe trauma, and they know raising her will be hard. Yet they can’t help but fall in love with her. But once they bring her home, things quickly start to go south. As the pair slowly starts to uncover pieces of Janie’s past, the child’s behavior grows more disturbing.
I was spellbound as I started to unravel the mystery of Janie and watch a once-perfect couple struggle to keep their marriage alive. I love when a book leaves me in chills, and The Perfect Child did not disappoint.
- Megha Parekh, Editor
About the Author
Dr. Lucinda Berry is a trauma psychologist and leading researcher in childhood trauma. She uses her clinical experience to create disturbing psychological thrillers, blurring the line between fiction and nonfiction. She enjoys taking her readers on a journey through the dark recesses of the human psyche. If she’s not chasing after her ten-year-old son, you can find her running through Los Angeles, prepping for her next marathon. To hear about her upcoming releases, visit her on Facebook or sign up for her newsletter at https://about.me/lucindaberry.
Product details
- ASIN : B07F6C3YYL
- Publisher : Thomas & Mercer (1 Mar. 2019)
- Language : English
- File size : 2982 KB
- Text-to-Speech : Enabled
- Screen Reader : Supported
- Enhanced typesetting : Enabled
- X-Ray : Enabled
- Word Wise : Enabled
- Print length : 371 pages
- Page numbers source ISBN : 1503905128
- Best Sellers Rank: 4,927 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- Customer reviews:
About the author

Dr. Lucinda Berry is a former clinical psychologist and leading researcher in childhood trauma. Now, she spends her days writing full-time where she uses her clinical experience to blur the line between fiction and nonfiction. She enjoys taking her readers on a journey through the dark recesses of the human psyche. Her work has been optioned for film and translated into multiple languages.
If Berry isn’t chasing after her son, you can find her running through Los Angeles, prepping for her next marathon. To hear about her upcoming releases and other author news, visit her on social media or sign up for her newsletter at https://lucindaberry.com/.
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Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 23 April 2020
Top reviews from United Kingdom
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The book is well written, although some of the dialogue is banal. I didn’t warm to the characters and felt no sympathy and very little interest in their plight. Overall, the plot became less and less plausible and way beyond where I could suspend disbelief. Also, rather than build tension and drama, there are a couple of scenes which are genuinely disturbing. I know child and animal cruelty goes on and I’ve worked professionally in situations where I encountered both. But in this novel, the graphic descriptions felt gratuitous. I don’t believe the detail was necessary and sometimes the skill of writing is that the author is able to build a mental picture for the reader, rather than spell out the horror. That, for me, is what builds tension and keeps you reading. I didn’t enjoy the book at all.
I got increasingly annoyed with Christopher who put the child first beyond everything even when it was obvious they were getting nowhere with her.
I don’t want to add any more spoilers but if you are a reader who likes a good ending even if it’s not a happy one I wouldn’t read this book. It has one of the worst endings of any book I’ve ever read leaving you so frustrated and just hanging there you want to scream.!!!
Utterly compelling yet disturbing. I put my Kindle down at intervals to take a break, but each time soon felt bound to pick it up again. Horribly realistic, well plotted with very well drawn characters. It reminded me of Lionel Shriver's "We Need to Talk About Kevin".
Strongly recommended.