Wow!
Have you read “Baby Teeth”? If you have you Will really this book. I really enjoyed this one, a lot of people have complained the author left too many things in answered in this book.. I did not feel that way..

Ok. The Perfect Child is just my type of book. It's suspenseful, thrilling, brutal and just SO addicting I could not put it down. Lucinda Berry's writing so good. The chapters are really short and fast paced so, trust me, it's impossible to just leave it when you get into the story and the character's dilemmas.

It reminds me a lot the movie "Orphan" (2009), one I love. They are both scary in different ways, and both stick with me. I'm still thinking bout this book. The ending, tho... I have to admit I am a little disappointed. I want more. Can't help myself. Need more!

So yes, I truly recommend "The Perfect Child". It's about a couple desperate to finally have a child / a abandoned six-year-old girl / a adoption that turns into a criminal investigation. When the little Janie enters Christopher and Hannah's life, things change. They will never be the same.

I received a copy a this book from netgalley. This book was definitely a page turner that left me intrigued to continue reading every single minute I had available. It was very well written with suspense but had very disturbing events occur. I can say I really enjoyed reading this book but I was very disappointed with the ending. #ThePerfectChild#Netgalley

This was a very intense book. I was on the edge of my seat waiting to see what this terrible
child would do next. I was always terrified of Janie. I could never see what Chris saw in her. I would have been like Hannah and not wanted to take her on. Everything was described in such detail that I could picture the events unfolding before my eyes. Would definitely recommend.

First, I want to thank Lucinda Berry, Thomas and Mercer, and NetGalley for providing me with this book so I may bring you this review.

Lucinda Berry’s Perfect Child is a must-read book of 2019! It is one of those books that you will long remember after you finish reading it. You will fall in love with Janie’s sweet character at first and then learn how troubled she really is. It is one book that will stay with you for a long time after. One of the many reasons Lucinda has become one of my new favorite authors in this genre.

I do want to warn the readers that there are some very graphic scenes of child self-mutilation, violence, and child neglect and abuse.

Perfect Child is broken down into three points of view. There is the view of Piper Goldstein in interview form (the social worker), Hannah Bauer, and Christopher Bauer (also known as Dr. Chris to Janie).

Janie’s interaction with Dr. Chris melted my heart from the beginning. He went above and beyond to make sure she felt safe during her medical procedure. Janie instantly took a liking to him. They had an incredible bond.

Perfect Child needs to be made into a NetFlix or Lifetime movie!

An intense psychological thriller dealing with child abuse, but with a twist. Flooded with thrills, chills, and horror. Extremely suspenseful and emotionally riveting.
Very dark, very disturbing, but in the best, most desirable way! Finished it in less than a day.

That being said, I had a slight problem with the characters, especially Christopher. I couldn’t believe how he could be so blind, and honestly, stupid. I wanted to slap him a few times! I also wanted to snap Hannah back to reality a few times as well. And Janie was something else. But really, that’s the beauty of a psychological thriller.

Thank you Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer for this copy in return for an honest review.

Whew! I read this one in less than 24 hours. Just could NOT put it down!
Hannah and Christopher have it all, except a child of their own. When a 6 year old girl is found abandoned in a parking garage, severely abused and malnourished, the couple get close to her and eventually take her home. What follows is straight out of a horror movie. I don’t want to give anything away, but the ending seemed so abrupt. I NEED to know what happened next. Other than the disappointment I felt over the way it ended, this is a must read.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

I need to keep this review short because I really do not want to spoil anything for anyone!
This book was insane. I mean it seemed normal enough, You have a very happy couple (Chris and Hannah) who want nothing more than to have a child, but are unable too. Then an abandoned 6 year old shows up at the hospital where they work and they begin to foster her.

That's it. that is all I can say because the things that happen next freaked me out!
Great book and I look forward to reading more from Lucinda Berry

Lou Jacobs's Reviews > The Perfect Child

The Perfect Child by Lucinda Berry
The Perfect Child
by Lucinda Berry (Goodreads Author)
M 50x66
Lou Jacobs's review Mar 19, 2019 · edit
it was amazing

Infertility - a not uncommon problem that places undue pressure on a marriage ... and often leading to frustration , anxiety and even depression. Dr Christopher Bauer, an orthopedic surgeon, and his wife Hannah, a nurse, work in the same hospital. They have wanted and tried for a child unsuccessfully for years. An unexpected opportunity presents itself. He is called to the emergency room to evaluate Janie .. an abandoned and obviously abused six year old girl that is emaciated with multiple chronic injuries and appears to be the size of a toddler. After a prolonged hospital stay that involves multiple surgeries including repairing old fractures the realization occurs to Christopher that Janie has nowhere to go. He offers to foster and then adopt Janie .. a rare opportunity to nurture a child back to health.
All is not what it seems! With great storytelling skills Lucinda Berry propels a haunting and mesmerizing narrative filled with dread and anxiety that sucks the reader into a vortex of contradictions . Hannah's anxieties and frustrations leap off the page. The crux of the story deals with a surprisingly real medical malady of Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD) - due to a lack of attachment to a loving caregiver at an early age the infant is unable to form normal loving relationship with others. Janie is plagued by this and greatly interferes with her rehabilitation ... not to mention her extensive manipulative behavior.
The story unfolds with three viewpoints. The social worker, Piper Goldstein, is being questioned and really interrogated by police. Someone has been killed but not directly named in the narrative... in counterpoint fashion the dynamics of the situation is slowly unfolded involving Christopher , Hannah, Janie and those around them. This alternates with sections from the viewpoint of both Christopher and Hannah Bauer .... presented are their inner thoughts and interpretation of ongoing events ... surprisingly at odds with others. Unfortunately Christopher appears clueless to the unfolding tragedy. Who is the villain? Is Janie a severely wounded innocent child or a monster.
Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer publishers for providing an Uncorrected ARC of this page-turner in exchange for an honest review.

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.

The first thing that drew me to this book was the cover art, I absolutely love it! Then reading the description I knew I would love the story as well. It was a great book but very intense, so much so I had to take breaks every now and then. I thought it was very well written and the characters and writing were put together nicely.

Thank you #NetGalley for the ARC of #ThePerfectChild
Pub Date: 01 Mar 2019

Absolutely terrifying! I read a lot of books and am not easily surprised but his book is shocking. I can't wait to read more by this author.

This book was a quick and engaging read -- I was hooked and read it in just a few days. The author truly developed all the character narrators and I felt connected to all of them, even the one that I wanted to shake some sense into.

However, I had to deduct stars for the following reasons: 1. If you are uncomfortable reading about child abuse, sometimes graphic, this book is not for you. As a parent, I found it hard to read sometimes. 2. I was reading an advance digital copy and when I got to the "end," I truly thought that there was a defect in the digital copy.....but then I saw other reviews and realized that there was not. The "end" was so unsatisfying. I don't need a happy ending, but I would love some closure!

This was a very disturbing domestic thriller. This was the first book I have read by this author, and will now look up her previous novels to read.
It was very clear from the beginning of the book that something VERY BAD happened involving this perfect child, but it isn't revealed until the very end. This made me devour this book within 2 days and recommend to all my friends.

Very enjoyable and fast read for me. Lots of twists and turns that will keep the reader guessing. I will definitely check out more of Lucinda berry’s Books after this read. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free copy in exchange for review.

I. Could. Not. Put. This. Down.

This exceeded my expectations by a mile. The plot was out of control great and characters were fantastic. This was a rollercoaster ride of emotions that never got boring. I had read a synopsis and was looking forward to reading The Perfect Child, I just had no idea how great it was going to be. If you like dark and disturbing (like I do) this is the book for you. Not for the faint of heart!

I was hooked on the characters from the beginning. You know the parents (Christopher and Hannah) are heading down a bad path from the start. They frustrated me to no end (especially Christopher), but in a good way. I had to keep reading. It was easy to see where the story was heading (no huge surprises) but this didn't keep it from being a page-turner.

Some might find the ending unsatisfying. I thought it was perfect for the story I had just been told.

I can't wait to get my friends reading this one!

1 word : unputdownable !

When six-year-old abandoned and battered Janie winds up in the ER, Dr. Chistopher Bauer and his wife Hannah decide to adopt her. Despite warnings that Janie's trauma will take years to heal, if it ever does, the couple are convinced they will have it all under control. Oh how so completely wrong they were ...

Some readers will believe that this story is unbelievable and far-fetched but sadly it's not. Lucinda Berry's description of Janie's behavior and of her reactive attachment disorder is so on point that I wasn't surprised when I found out she is a psychologist specializing in trauma and children.

Best to warn you that there is a lot of vivid detail regarding child and animal abuse ; not everyone's cup of tea.

So why only four stars you ask ? ... The ending. If you can even call it that !
Don't get me wrong, i wasn't looking for a happy ending but any ending would have been nice at this rate. For me, this was the end of a chapter, not a book ... I was disappointed to find out it was over with so much unfinished business.

I will still most definitely be on the look out for Lucinda Berry's new releases and I am already thinking about purchasing her older ones.

I read this book in a day. It is brilliantly written, and I went through so many emotions while I was reading it. I really liked the characters of Hannah and Piper, the social worker, though I found Christopher a little irritating. I liked the way the story was narrated, switching between Hannah and Christopher’s stories, and Piper’s police interview.

I know that the author, Lucinda Berry, is a trauma psychologist and leading researcher in childhood trauma, and this showed through in the excellent writing. I couldn’t put it down, even though it meant I spent my entire evening on edge! There were a few moments in the book that made me feel a little queasy, and there are some bits that I found quite upsetting – because of the subject matter, it’s not a particularly easy read, but I was completely gripped throughout. My main criticism is that the ending felt slightly rushed and I wish the conclusion had been a bit more satisfying.

I'm not sure I've ever read such a crazy, intense, non-stop, haunting, anxiety producing novel...but only in the best and most desirable way. I didn't want it to end.

Once this book has you in it's grips, it won't let go. I was slowly mesmerized by it's intensity and unparalleled chaos. I started it this morning and literally could not put it down. My poor husband probably feels deprived.

The characters, particularly Hannah, were so beautifully tragic...she felt very real to me. I could relate so very much to her feelings, her anxieties...virtually everything. Having said that, at times I also felt frustrated, primarily with Christopher. His choices and actions were questionable, even during the best of times. But the character who had my jaw dropping at virtually every turn of the page was Janie. HOLY COW! I don't want to say much for fear of giving anything away, but Janie may be the best "villain" I've read in years. Little girl was beyond vile!

Is the story a bit predictable? I'd say yes, which is why I didn't give it a full 5 stars. One of the main threads was incredibly obvious to me, but that took nothing away from the story-line. And there were a couple twists which shocked me...not necessarily because they were unexpected, but because of how they actually occurred. There is also some animal torture/death, which is another deduction for me. I HATE animal torture in any book. Fair warning.

I can't end this review without making the obvious comparisons to Baby Teeth. Clearly, Lucinda Berry was somewhat inspired by the Zoje Stage novel. There are many similar threads throughout...but the stories diverge enough to make them each incredibly readable in their own ways.

I'm a fan, fellow readers. I haven't checked to see if this is Ms. Berry's first novel or not, but she has definitely become a must read author in my eyes. I'll be thinking about this novel for a long, long time.

I was given the opportunity to read this book thanks to NetGalley. Christopher and Hannah are happily married but unable to have children. They both work at a hospital where a young child who is starved and abused is brought after she is discovered. Christopher is a surgeon who becomes involved in her case and in the process falls in love with the child. They end up fostering her once she is released from the hospital. From there things are very different and the truth about the past is revealed and it is not what it seems. The ending was wild with many twists and turns. This book was fast paced and highly entertaining albeit at times disturbing. Thanks once again to NetGalley for the chance to read this book!

Thank you NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the ARC.

WOW! What a creepy read this was. However, it was also super compelling, and I could not put it down. Read it in just a couple of hours, one sitting, sort of scared to even take a bathroom break while reading it. And it might be the first time I'm glad that I don't have children in the house. If I did, I would not be sleeping tonight.

Will definitely read more from this author, although I do fear a bit of the subject matter. Well written, engaging, fast paced, definitely up my alley.

Highly recommend for fans of thrillers.