Thank you to NetGalley, Theo Baxter and Inkubator Books for an ARC of this thriller. This book was “okay” for me. The subject and content was heavy, although there was a disclaimer at the beginning. Overall a 3.5 star read in my books.

What a page turner. I could not put this books downs. Theo Baxter is an amazing author. The plot twist that takes place leaves you wanting to read more and more. it goes to show how far a parent is willing to go and what they are willing to do for their child. Also, to was trust your extinct and be aware of your surroundings. I love how Theo Baxter emphasizes the importance of teaching your children how to defend and think for themselves. While reading, I felt what Samantha was feeling. I felt her hurt, anger, sadness and powerfulness. Beautifully written. I highly recommend reading this book.

Thank you, NetGalley, the author and publisher, for the advance copy of an honest review.

This book was insane.

I really enjoyed the father daughter dynamic and that the book showed the effects that PTSD can have on a person. In this case though, that PTSD leading to survival instincts being taught literally saved lives and I thought that the ending was very fitting and was what everyone in the book deserved.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the chance to read this ARC.

I really enjoyed this book and always enjoy a good book by Theo Baxter!

A full review and has been left on Goodreads

The other family by Theo Baxter definitely lives up to its reputation as a nail-biting psychological thriller.

The other family is told in alternating points of view. We see the view of Jesse and his daughter Samantha (Sam). Jesse is former military, struggling with the death of his wife. After a particularly hard day, his daughter Samantha gets placed in foster care.

Samantha is sent to live with Reverend and Mrs. Bradford on their farm in the middle of nowhere. Things take a serious turn when Sam finds herself trapped and in extreme danger at her new foster home. With limited communication to the outside and the Bradford's monitoring her every move, can her dad rescue her before it's too late?

For such a heart pounding, gut wrenching thriller I was pleasantly surprised with how it ended. I will definitely be reading more books by Theo Baxter in the future!

Special thanks to Theo Baxter and Inkubator books for working with NetGalley. I received an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion and review.

3.5 stars
This is a gripping psychological thriller that follows a 15 year old Sam, whose life goes suddenly topsy-turvy after her father, a former military man suffering from PTSD, loses custody of her.
She is sent to live with the Bradfords, a seemingly perfect foster family and Sam initially starts to feel safe, but soon begins to notice disturbing signs that something isn't right. Despite their polite and religious exterior, the Bradfords are hiding dark secrets, including the mysterious disappearances of previous foster children. As Sam uncovers the truth, she must navigate a world of strict rules, constant surveillance, and limited communication, all while trying to raise alarms about the danger she’s in.
The novel starts off slow, but quickly picks up pace, becoming a thrilling and suspenseful ride. Sam’s intelligence and resilience make her a captivating protagonist as she faces unimaginable fear and tries to escape the nightmare she’s found herself in. The story delves into deep themes of trust, manipulation, and survival, with plenty of shocking twists along the way.
This is a dark, uncomfortable read that’s not for the faint of heart, but for those who enjoy psychological thrillers, this is a chilling and captivating page-turner.

This story I almost gave up on because the first so many chapters were kind of slow and somewhat repetitive but I was glad I kept going. This was a story that I haven't read in a book ever. Samantha lives with her dad, an ex military man. Her mother had died and it was just the two of them. He has PTSD and was going off the deep end but Sam was always there to stop him. Then all hell breaks loose and he loses his daughter to the state. Sam ends up in a very bad situation and there's no way to get help. What can she do to get out of this nightmare?? Thanks Netgalley and the publisher for the advance ecopy.

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

A young girl is placed into foster care due to her father's mental health. The home is another version of unhealthy.

The Other Family by Theo Baxter is a gripping and eerie psychological thriller that will keep readers on the edge of their seats. Fifteen-year-old Sam Cotton's world is turned upside down when her father experiences a mental breakdown following the death of her mother. Sam is placed with a new foster family, the Bradfords, who seem perfect at first — polite, religious, and seemingly wholesome. But as Sam settles into her new home, she begins to notice unsettling details that suggest something far darker lies beneath the surface.

From forbidden rooms and intrusive surveillance to the disappearance of previous foster children, the Bradfords' sinister secrets slowly unravel. As Sam uncovers more, the tension rises, creating a suspenseful atmosphere that heightens the sense of danger. Despite her young age, Sam proves to be both resourceful and determined as she faces the terrifying reality of the family she’s been placed with.

Baxter’s writing is tense and atmospheric, with well-developed characters and a plot full of twists and turns. Sam’s resilience and intelligence make her a compelling protagonist as she fights to uncover the truth and escape the nightmare she’s found herself in. The Other Family is a thrilling and chilling read, perfect for fans of dark suspense and psychological mysteries.

This novel is not for the faint of heart, as it explores deep themes of trust, manipulation, and survival, offering a page-turning experience with plenty of shocking moments.

I really enjoyed this book and the gripping and mysterious storyline. Sam is with a foster family - The Bradfords, things seem ok to begin with but once Sam settles in with the family she feels they start to act strangely and are keeping secrets, there are rooms in the house that seem to be locked. What secrets are the Bradfords keeping and what are they hiding? Will Sam find out?
These are the questions that had me intrigued throughout, I really enjoyed this story and it kept me hooked.

Thank you to netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

When 15 year old Sam is removed from the care of her father and placed into foster care with the Bradfords things very quickly start to feel uncomfortable. The Bradfords foster three other girls, all of which abide by strict rules under the constant fear of punishment.

When Sam discovers that two other girls have previously disappeared from the couple's care; she does everything she can to raise the alarm via the limited communication she's allowed with her father and social services.

After a bit of a slow start this had me completely hooked and I read it in a couple of days. At times it was uncomfortable to read, definitely one of the darker thrillers I've read so far and my first by this author. I would recommend checking trigger warnings before starting as it probably won't be for everyone.

The Other Family was a very well written suspense thriller, that truly had moments that had me at the edge of my seat. I felt the intensity of some of the chapters through the words as the pages continued. There was huge character development, in which I love to see. It was paced very well, with enough back story to be pleased as the plot progressed.

The story follows Sam and her father Jesse, as they weave through the web of life together after Sam’s mother has passed. Jesse still battling from PTSD, has a mental lapse in judgement that causes him to loose custody of Sam and she is forced into temporary foster care. When Sam arrives at the Bradfords farm, it doesn’t take her long to discover that something very sinister is taking place there. With strict rules, monitored conversations, and limited alone time, Sam is faced with the challenge of surviving this nightmare that she has been forced in, as she secretly tries to figure out how to ask for help without being caught. There are also 3 other girls living there that she feels obliged to help. When Jesse finally reads between the lines and discovers that his daughter is in danger, he shows just how far a father would go to protect his child!

Highly recommend & definitely plan to check out more of Theo Baxter’s work.

Thank you Inkubator Books and NetGalley for this advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

A psycological thriller which deals with sensitive subject but in a way that does not go into graphic detail. Sam Cotton world is turned upside down after her father has a mental breakdown after the death of her mother. Sam finds herself in foster care with very shady foster parents.

The story started off slow however once you get into it, the book is hard to put down.

Thank you to the publishers and NetGallery for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest thoughts on the work.

This was a thrill of a ride. What a great story. Very believable characters. Even the ones I didn’t like and there were a few. Totally necessary for the story. Theo Baxter did it again!

Baxter does write a good book or two doesn't he, The Other Family being my absolute favourite of his to date.

Things just got a whole lot darker and we're taken on a wild ride through what can only be described as hell for Samantha when she's sent to stay with the Bradfords, a God fearing family...with a revered Reverend at its helm...I'll say no more...

It's fast, frantic and extremely bingeable. Just like a tube of Pringles, once you pop (or in this case read the opening chapters) you can't stop!

Intense, intriguing and insanely good.

If you're a parent who finds sensitive topics related to children difficult to read, I strongly recommend reviewing the trigger warnings for this book. Once I began reading, I found it nearly impossible to put down. The story is told through the eyes of a young girl grappling with the loss of her mother, while also trying to cope with her father’s struggles. Her journey takes her to a foster home where the family is nothing short of terrible, and the emotional and mental toll is overwhelming. However, rather than giving in to despair, Sam proves herself to be a resilient fighter. This entire narrative is a tense, edge-of-your-seat experience that kept me on high alert throughout.

What is perhaps the most unsettling aspect of this book is that these painful and harrowing situations are not just fictional—they happen in real life.

The second half of the book was great, it picked up traction and has a lot of suspense and thrills. The first half was a little slow paced and was hard to grasp my attention. It felt a little more YA, which is totally okay! Just not as thrilling as I generally reach for.

There’s a lot of mention of PTSD, mental health and a few other trigger warnings but it was written well and was educational in those aspects in my opinion.

Overall I enjoyed it!

Theo Baxter does it again. Another great read that is hard to put down, grips you from the very first page.

I really enjoyed the format of this book. The chapters were short and changed perspective between a dad and a daughter. I felt like the ending was rushed but also slow to get there, somehow? Either way, I read it very quickly and would read more by this author.

Theo Baxter’s The Other Family is a chilling psychological thriller that grips readers from the very first page and doesn’t let go. The story follows fifteen-year-old Sam Cotton, who, after losing her mother and witnessing her father’s mental breakdown, is placed in the care of the seemingly devout Bradford family. However, what initially appears to be a fresh start soon unravels into a terrifying ordeal as Sam begins to uncover the sinister reality lurking beneath the Bradfords’ wholesome exterior.

Baxter does an excellent job of building suspense through Sam’s growing unease. The isolated setting, the constant surveillance, and the eerie sense of control the Bradfords exert over her create an atmosphere of creeping dread. The novel skillfully balances psychological tension with fast-paced action as Sam pieces together the unsettling truth—two other foster girls have mysteriously vanished, and she might be next.

Sam is a well-crafted protagonist, whose intelligence and resilience make her a character to root for. Her inner strength and determination to escape the Bradfords’ grasp add depth to the story, making her struggle all the more compelling. The Bradfords themselves are unsettling antagonists, with their outward kindness masking something far more menacing beneath.

Baxter’s writing is sharp and immersive, with a steady escalation of suspense that keeps the reader eagerly turning pages. Twists and revelations are delivered at just the right moments, and the final act is both harrowing and satisfying, ensuring the story lingers long after the last page.

Overall, The Other Family is a thrilling and unsettling read that explores themes of trust, survival, and the darkness that can hide behind a façade of normalcy. Fans of psychological thrillers and domestic suspense will find it a gripping and disturbing tale that keeps them guessing until the very end.