Find out what Mumsnetters thought of Good Me Bad Me by Ali Land

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This week we're introducing you to debut author Ali Land and her psychological thriller, Good Me Bad Me.

Annie's mother is a serial killer. The only way the 15-year-old can make her mother stop is to get the police involved – but out of sight doesn't mean out of mind. Despite having a new identity, the secrets of her past won't let her sleep.

We ask all winners to share their thoughts about the book on this discussion thread. However, you don't have to win a free book to take part in the discussion - you're welcome to grab a copy of Good Me Bad Me and post a review on this thread.

Everyone who posts detailed feedback on the book by midday Tuesday 7 March will be entered into a prize draw to win a £100 Love2shop voucher.

This giveaway is sponsored by Michael Joseph

I thought this book was quite dark, and even a little disturbing. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys reading something different - albeit not enjoyable. You are drip fed snippets of Milly's past life, before she was taken into foster care, whilst she lived with her abusive mother in a cold environment. It's quite shocking. Everything Milly knows is evil and she has to learn how to live differently, she is so keen to be loved.
Milly is both fragile and damaged. This book made me smile in places and shudder in others. Not an "enjoyable" read - due to the topic - but very absorbing. I couldn't put it down.

To say that this is a chilling story would be a gross understatement. I think my heart was in my mouth for the whole time I was reading this, and I really resented having to put it down.
This is the story of 15 year old Milly, and how she copes with her life after she informs the police that her mother is a serial killer. A killer of small children. She has also been horrifically abused by her mother. We follow her in to her foster family, a family where she is not completely welcomed. The teenaged daughter of her foster parents is a troubled, bullying, frankly rather horrible teenager. It's interesting to look at the similarities and differences between these two characters. How a child who has lived a terrible life seems to outwardly cope better than one who has had a loving (if rather distant) family.
Milly's inner voice, that of her mother, is a chilling reminder that she was controlled completely by this evil woman, to the extent that she finds it difficult to cope without her. The story shows the love of a child for their mother, even though they have been terribly abused by her and seen her do abhorrent things to other children.
I don't want to say too much more - I'd hate to spoil it for anyone else. I will say that this was an excellent story though. I received this as a free book from Mumsnet, and I've been more than happy to read and review it! I'll be recommending it too!

A disturbing but thought-provoking read. I wonder if it will be made into a movie or serialised in TV drama. It would certainly be as much of a 'must see' as it is a page turner.

Well thanks very much, it's your fault I didn't go to bed until 1.30am! I couldn't put this book down. It's a fairly straightforward read, not too long, which with the lead character of 15 year old Milly made me think it was aimed at young adults. But the language is explicit, and whilst the violence is not graphically described it paints enough of a picture to be very disturbing. I don't think you'd want your under 16 reading it.

I thought the book was well written - I found myself simultaneously urging Milly to stand up for herself and not be a doormat, and thinking "no Milly don't do that!!" It's an interesting idea, if you bring a child up in a very abnormal moral environment, presumably they would end up with different boundaries to the norm.

Recommended, and I shall seek out more of Ali Land's books - after I've caught up on my sleep!

Thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to read this book.
I am two thirds into it and I literally can't put it down.
It is gripping, it is thrilling, it is disturbing - I am scared and hooked at the same time.
I keep thinking about it and it's the highest praise for the author I believe.

An amazing effort, it was so difficult to put down, I was entranced, at times horrified , as the story unfolded. It's a brilliant take on twisted minds and their aftermath, with more than enough twists in the plot to keep one guessing right till the end. I need to thank Mumsnet for letting me have the opportunity to read this, I'm not sure it'll be a favourite book, it's too harrowing for that, but I certainly felt that I learned a lot from the experience, and its made me more aware of the problems of bullying and domination among teenagers, I just hope mine never have to face anything like that.

Received my free copy, thank-you!
Fantastic book, loved it. Totally hooked until the very end. Liked the way the writer gave insight to the main character's past but felt we could have known a little more about her and her family. Particularly her parents. Nonetheless I would recommend this book to everyone.

Don't want to read the thread yet for fear of spoilers but mn sent me a copy of the book and I started it a couple of days ago and already past half way. It's a tough subject matter but I'm enjoying the book. I'm waiting to see what the mother has in store at the trial that Milly is so worried about her bringing up and I'm wondering what part she actually had in the murders.

Will update when I finish.

Well, I've finished, and only took me a few days from start to finish (which is some feat ATM). Found it very much a page turner and the pages flew by.

It wasn't an easy read but I was glad there wasn't a lot of gory details on the child murders throughout the book (which there sometimes is in this genre). The ending I saw coming and felt right for the characters and the story. I swayed from feeling hatred to feeling immensely sorry for the character of phoebe and the inner turmoil of the good and bad inside of milly and the hold her mother mentally had on her very interesting.

I'm very glad to have had the chance to read this book as I may not have otherwise read. Since finishing I've been imagining what would become of milly in the rest of her life. Would she be good, would the bad seep out to deal with situations she found herself in to manipulate things her way.

Thank you Mumsnet for my copy of Good Me, Bad Me by Ali Land, a really dark, chilling read.
Annie's mother is a serial child killer, and Annie herself had an abusive relationship with her mother, who she finally reports to the Police. She is then taken into care and becomes 'Milly', with a brand new start......
'Milly' tries to be good, but can hear her evil side telling her to do bad, but which side will win....
It is good that the book also goes into the subject of school bullying, which is soul-destroying for the victims (as I know from experience), and it can be enough to make any teenager act in an irrational way, let alone a troubled one.
I don't think this book would be for everyone because of the subject matter and the depths of darkness that it reaches, but for me it was a brilliant page-turner.

Thank you for the book. I wasn't sure what to expect, but from picking it up and reading a few pages I was gripped. Milly was an interesting and complex character, quite obviously damaged from the relationship with her mother. In a grim sort of way I would have liked a little more detail about how the children died but this was very much left to your own interpretation and imagination!

I did guess the twist at the end, Millie's character certainly gives you something to think about and how children's minds can be manipulated- there could be some dangerous characters out there!

I've read a lot of crime and thrillers and I liked how different this one was from others. I really liked the fact it focused on the child and how Annie / Milly gradually shared information about her experiences.
I was gripped at the beginning but lost this a bit about pages 50-100 as I didn't really like and warm to any of the supporting characters. However, the more Milly shared the more interested I became. I particularly liked Milly's interaction with other young people at and outside school.
I would say it was a very good read - not a great one - as it gave me lots to think about but I prefer more to happen.

Finished reading this today.

Overall a good read.

I thought the gradual revealing of details about Annie's past and her mother's crimes worked well. I liked that the murders were not described in graphic details - I find too many gory details offputting, especially in a book like this one where the victims are young children.

I liked the way Annie's "good me" and "bad me" are in conflict. Part of Annie wants to be better than her mother, but part of her is drawn to act in ways that are harmful to others, but that feel normal to her because of her abusive upbringing. I was curious to see which side of Annie would win out in the end, and just how far Annie would be capable of going in the wrong circumstances.

The interactions between Annie and the other characters were interesting to read. Phoebe, the foster sister and prime bully, behaves very badly and doesn't come across well at all, which made it a bit hard for me to feel sympathetic towards her. Part of her behaviour seems to be motivated by jealousy towards Annie for taking up her parents attention, but there's also some nasty bullying aimed at other characters too.

I'm not sure if the ending of the trial or the ending of the book was meant to be a twist, but neither of them came as a surprise. The hints given throughout the book meant that both outcomes felt entirely predictable to me. Although it did make me wonder what would become of Annie later in life if she finds herself in testing situations.

Now I have finished the book I would like to add a couple of thoughts.
I would overall recommend the book. It was interesting, gripping and I liked how details about the past were introduced bit by bit but still leaving a lot to imagination.
I would have liked to read a bit more in depth about the situation between Sas and Phoebe. Also possibly extracts from the book written by Mike, what his observations were and how close he was to see what's inside the head, what hypnosis revealed, etc...
I wasn't surprised at the end, I knew that half way through the book but I still very much enjoyed the book, the language, the insight into teenagers' life (I don't envy them at all), the portrayal of dynamics of dysfunctional families. It definitely made me think about the book even after I finished it.

So I loved the cover of this book (a recommendation from Matt Haig is a great start before you even open the cover!) the face lost within tears and one staring eye is very effective.
Annie/Milly has turned in her serial killer mother to the police and has a new identity with a new foster family whilst preparing to give evidence against her Mum.
That's horrific enough but her mother is not just a serial killer but a serial killer of children. She has also made her daughter watch what happens in "the playground" through a peephole in the door.
It's clear Annie/Milly is going to be damaged and I felt really uncomfortable throughout the book as you can't imagine anyone experiencing that kind of trauma without it affecting them. I felt as though I was just waiting to see Annie/Milly follow her Mother's example - surely you can't experience that kind of childhood without becoming a monster yourself?
On the outside she is coping well - despite being bullied at her new school - but nevertheless, when she makes a new (younger) friend you feel concerned for how the friendship may end.
The exploration of Annie/Milly's mental health clearly comes from an author with experience in this field and walking alongside her you feel her pain and struggles.
It's a really poignant book and you can't help feeling a heart wrenching sympathy for Annie/Milly, even when it becomes apparent that it may be a case of "like mother, like daughter"
The ending has a certain inevitability about it but that doesn't detract from the fact that it was an absorbing read from start to finish with moments that made me gasp out loud or want to cry.
I would definitely check out future books from this author

Thank you for my copy of “Good Me Bad Me” by Ali Land who has a degree in mental health and worked for many years in young people’s units. Clearly she does know this area inside out, and her novel is very well observed.

She writes this dark history as narrated by a deeply damaged 15 year old girl who makes a statement to the police in order to gain freedom from her abusive mother. Given a new identity Annie becomes Milly, fostered in the home of a psychologist while awaiting her mother’s trial. But making a new life is never easy.......
This book is compelling, and I read it with a mounting sense of dread.

All about pain and fury, I can’t claim it was an enjoyable experience, but it is certainly not anodyne, and although I was waiting for a diabolical confrontation I did not expect the devastation of the final chapters.

I found it quite a tough book to read. Like many of the other posters have said it is very disturbing. There was definite chills going down my spine when I was reading it. Entering the mind of Milly/Annie, seeing the inner turmoil of the character, was bound to be unnerving. A gripping read. Excellent for anyone who enjoys a tense, psychological novel.

Just finding this thread again as I'm about to start reading it

I started this book last night and couldn't put it down. I thought when I started it might be a bit too dark for me which is saying something but I'm coping so far. Can't wait until bedtime tonight so I can carry on reading! Will be back when I've finished, thanks for the free copy.

First, I'd just like to say thank you for the opportunity to read this book for free!

I've not been able to finish it as of yet (children!) but what I have read thus far is gripping, well-written and certainly well thought out. The questions raised about the whole 'nature versus nurture' debate are intriguing. I'll do my best to post a more thorough review once I've finished it, which I hope to do on a road trip tomorrow!

my child hasn't read this one just yet

Thrillers are my favourite books to read, so this one is ideal- full of suspense and one that I had to finish as soon as possible

I found this novel to be very disturbing – but isn’t that the point of psychological thrillers?
The author has told a very interesting, yet chilling, tale which I found difficult to read at times but was so hooked that I had to keep reading – and read it in a day.
I did struggle with the author’s style of writing at the beginning. It seemed more young adult fiction than psychological but once I got over the tone I did enjoy the book, although did find it predictable.

I just received the book. Many thanks and I look forward to reading this.

I really enjoyed this book and felt it was very well written and gripping. It was not at all predictable and had a great ending.