To say this book was a “bit chilling” would be an understatement. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not exactly a horror novel but it was indeed odd - in every good sense of the word. I finally moved into the audiobook world and stumbled upon “The Perfect Child” by Lucinda Berry. The moment I started listening I was hooked. I found this book very disturbing and painfully real; with every chapter, I braced myself for the well of emotions I would feel, although I could not put it down. I finished this 10-hour book in 7 days. Today I’m sharing with you my thoughts on the novel. If you haven’t read the book as of yet, I suggest picking it up, diving in and then continuing with this post because there will be SPOILERS.

You have been warned.

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Read The perfect Child by Lucinda Berry

The book tells the story of a happily married, Orthopedic Surgeon and Nurse couple encountering a small child admitted to the hospital they work at. The shy, fearful, malnourished, and clearly abused child takes an immediate liking to the main character Dr. Christopher and he visits her daily, on his breaks. Chris decides that he wants to adopt the abandoned six-year-old, Janie. Unfortunately, she does not take a liking to his wife, Hannah, at all, and the dynamic does not improve even after the couple adopts the child. The reader soon discovers Janie’s damaged psyche creates an almost split personality within Janie. At one point she can be the most innocent, sweet loving child, but in Christopher’s absence, she runs havoc around Hannah and other members of their family. Janie inevitably begins driving a wedge between her parents, painting the two against each other. Christopher’s love for Janie blinds him to the girl’s actions until the situation escalates and it becomes too late to do something about it. In case you were wondering, no this is not the plot of the 2009 thriller, The Orphan, this book is quite different.

The book is written from alternating perspectives, Christopher, Hannah, and the social worker Piper. It helped to make the story more rounded and worked beautifully to move the plot forward. For the majority of the book, I found myself becoming infuriated with Christopher’s character and his tendency to ignore or justify Janie’s bad behaviour, dismissing Hannah’s experience and concerns as her “overreacting” as most men do to women’s feelings.

"We'd like to think a mother and father's love can turn everything around, but there are times where parents do the very best they can, but the kid- even from the get-go - is just a bad kid ... Ignore the problem, and we could have blood on our hands." Adrian Raine, psychologist (University of Pennsylvania), The Atlantic .

There are a few bones I have to pick with the novel, in terms of its believability and the ending. An obviously disturbed child, an open investigation on her condition and a medical professional being so… unprofessional with this child seems outlandish to me and makes the story a bit whimsical, but at the end of the day, this is why it is a novel. In addition, the ending simply didn’t seem like an ending. It felt like the ending of a chapter more than the end of a novel. I am someone who enjoys happy endings. Not only did this novel not have a happy ending or even a bittersweet ending, it barely had an ending to begin with. It leaves the reader with more questions rather than answers.

Nonetheless, I found the book to be an interesting tale of family dynamics, highlighting the importance of communication within a relationship. It also dives deep into the issues within the child services sector in society. The system is overflowing with children in dire need of love and affection. Although this book seems to have an underlying Murphy’s Law air; all that can go wrong will go wrong - don’t let this novel shy you away from looking into adoption if it is something you are interested in.

In my family, my grandmother is a shining example of what love can do for a child. My grandmother gave birth to 3 children but she raised 11 children in total. My aunties and uncles are very dear to me although not all related by blood. Children have this amazing ability to thrive in a flourished environment. Taking in a child who desperately needs a home, and a family is a life goal I have had for as long as I can remember. I cannot remember a time when adoption was not a part of my life plan.

Overall, this novel was a page-turner - although technically I never turned any pages as I was listening to it on Audible. The point of the matter is, I truly enjoyed how Lucinda wrote this book. This novel is pointedly not for the faint of heart, as it details experiences of child and animal abuse and may be triggering to some people. Else, I would recommend giving it a listen or a read. This is my first read from Lucinda and it most certainly won’t be my last.