Lucinda Berry is a great writer, that’s not something to argue with. I was pulled into this book and found it tough to put down, especially once I got halfway through. The story was good, but not great. Reminded me a lot of the movie The Orphan due to some similarities in the story. When I first read others reviews of this book, I thought it was going to be intense and maybe even scary, but it wasn’t - perhaps I listen to too much true crime?. Overall, it was a predictable book with a not so great ending. Worth the read but I wouldn’t go out of my way to recommend it

“For eager adoptive parents, getting what they always wanted has chilling consequences.” Genre: Psychological Thriller Thriller Suspense Mystery Horror Tropes & Themes: Foster-to-Adopt Buyer’s Remorse Orthopedic Surgeon & ER Nurse 💕 Adoption Paradox Adoption Hero Expectation versus Reality Department of Child Disservices Trigger Warnings: Child Abuse/Neglect; Animal Abuse ⚠ “No one would ever see Janie through my eyes.” Rating: 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 The Perfect Child, a psychological thriller by Author and Trauma Psychologist, Dr. Lucinda Berry, is a novel about Ortho-Surgeon, Dr. Christopher Bauer, and his wife Hannah, an ER Nurse, who seemingly have it all, but are desperate for the one thing they want most: a baby. Just as the Bauers are considering adoption after several failed IVF rounds, a young girl with substantial injuries and a dog collar on her neck is rushed by ambulance with a police escort into the emergency department, after the little girl was found wandering in a parking lot. “… it’s a lost kid or something, and she’s in really bad shape. Ambulance is bringing her in with a police escort.” The timing of the young girl, (Janie’s), arrival at the hospital where the Bauers worked, while they were nearly desperate for a baby, were the makings of a perfect storm (and the perfect psychological thriller!) While Hannah avoids Janie at first to protect her own heart, (injured kids are the most difficult cases, especially for a woman who’s only wish is to raise a child) Christopher and Janie instantly connect and share a special bond, made stronger after he performs Janie’s orthopedic surgery. Christopher, believing it’s fate that Janie be placed with them, enthusiastically convinces Hannah that Janie, a traumatized six year old, could be their “baby”. I felt like Christopher, while likeable, had a bit of a hero complex. His refusal to see the truth was not just because he believed that girls are made of sugar and spice and everything nice, it was also because it threatened the facade that Janie was a regular young girl and he “fixed” her, in my opinion. He did a lot alongside Hannah to get Janie help, like therapy, but it was more “parenting class” (with a Dr. who diagnosed Janie with reactive-attachment-disorder and wouldn’t budge) than it was “psychotherapy session”. Both Hannah and Christopher made choices that frustrated me, in their attempts to control and alter Janie’s behavior: THE CAT, REALLY? I gritted my teeth and just waited for the worst. Hannah was more of a realist when it came to Janie but unfortunately her husband, Christopher thought Janie could do no wrong. Unaware of Janie’s disturbing past, they foster-to-adopt her and are assigned to DCF caseworker, Piper, who oversteps the boundaries far more than she knows she should. Janie never discusses her mother (who was found deceased in a trailer park) leaving me wondering what on earth happened to Janie and why doesn’t she mention anything from her past? The dog collar, fused and broken bones — all a mystery. The suspense and final reveal is an absolute shocker. I loved the ominous ending. There are three alternating POVs: Christopher’s, Hannah’s, and Piper’s. I loved having the perspective of the DCF social worker too. I appreciate multiple POVs, especially with a complex story like The Perfect Child. Hannah was my favorite character, partly because she saw through Janie’s manipulative tactics, and there were quite a few. I felt terrible for Hannah as I saw her slowly losing herself, her dream became a nightmare. A surprise pregnancy further overwhelms her and Janie’s regression, aggression, and violence reach new levels, while Christopher is off in fairytale land, his head in the clouds. Hannah, the primary caregiver, is at her wit’s end. The Perfect Child is a page-turner. I absolutely loved this dark read. I’ve watched documentaries on feral children and severely abused and neglected children and find the psychology and stories like this that are built from real cases morbidly fascinating as well as horrific and shocking. Janie reminded me of a young German girl who was labeled as a sociopath at an extremely young age. She was downright frightening, much like little Janie, and said terrifying things in the sweetest voice while she batted her big beautiful blue eyes. “She’s just a girl. There’s nothing to be afraid of.” AWELLREADWOMANBLOG dot COM

I think it's extremely unfair that people are giving low ratings based on the "graphic" content. In truth, child abuse is horrific and most definitely graphic, but I would not call the the content of this book particularly graphic. Disturbing, yes! Graphic, meh.....not really. I'm not sure how people expect an author to write about PTSD resulting from abuse without discussing the "T", unless they don't understand that the "T" is for trauma. The child in this book is very, very emotionally disturbed, and the author did a phenomenal job of making this story very real. Yes, it bothered me beyond words to read certain passages, but that's what a writer's job is! Nobody wants to read a book that doesn't reach out and pull you in. Seriously. The facts and details are realistic due to the author's profession, and her experience with cases like Janie's. If you don't want to read (and learn, yes LEARN a little) about survivors of trauma then simply do not read this book. There are many lessons to be learned in this book, and I applaud the author for tackling such a tough topic. Don't get me wrong, this is not a self-help book. It is fiction. It is written as fiction, and it reads like fiction. But that's the entire point! So please, don't read the book if your delicate sensibilities cannot handle such an in-your-face story. Furthermore, please don't read it and then post such negative drivel because you didn't like the topic of the story. I have to assume that the reviewers who are so upset about the content are the same people who don't watch the news because it upsets them. All in all, this book is exactly what it says it is. A book about a child who has been abused, the lasting effects it has on her and how it impacts her adoptive family. In real life love does not conquer all, and this book is one of those examples. **The characters are very well written, and I easily formed attachments to (or distaste for) them. **The plot moves along steadily and keeps you drawn in. I was always eager to find out what was next. **The factual information is entirely reliable. The author is a doctor and knows her stuff! **The language style and dialog are realistic and easily relatable. **The vocabulary is still easily understood for laymen, even though the author is a doctor. I wanted so badly to give 5 stars to this book, and up until the last page I was positive I would. But......(and this is my one and only complaint for the entire book) the book ends with a small cliffhanger. Some people might enjoy the cliffhanger-style ending, but I always feel ripped off. Especially when the author has done such a fantastic job of making me feel invested with the characters! I want to know what happens next! I need to know what happens next! All of the main and major points are wrapped up neatly (and realistically) by the time you reach the end, but one issue remains intentionally unresolved with that last page. So, yes, there are some passages that make your skin crawl, but they're supposed to elicit that reaction. If child abuse doesn't make you feel queasy, then I hope to never know you. There are no descriptions of sex abuse though, so if that is a specific concern you'll be ok. There are two instances of animal abuse, but they are not haphazardly tossed in as gratuitous gory details. They are used for the specific purpose of demonstrating Janie's complete inability to feel empathy. I highly recommend this book. If you also do not like cliffhanger endings, I STILL recommend this book. It's most definitely worth the read.

Im technically giving this book 4.5 stars just because I wish the ending would’ve wrapped up a more neatly. Or that there was a sequel to this. I loved the pacing, writing style, and overall plot. I also enjoyed that so many of the details were very accurate to real life. The description of the hospital experience, the newborn experience, the first hand account of PPD/PPA, the pressure Hannah puts on herself as a first time mom. All of it felt incredibly true to a lot of moms I know, myself included. We see the slow build from the beginning which makes this book a page turner. You know things are headed for disaster but you don’t know how bad it will be. I’m really surprised at people saying this book was graphic because it actually wasn’t. It speaks to some very heavy topics but doesn’t go into great detail which I appreciated. I expected a lot worse when I read the reviews ahead of the actual book.