#CJSReads2017 Review: Bad Little Girl by Frances Vick
Bad Little Girl by Frances VickBookouture
Releases today 2/22/17!
Bookouture is on FIRE with all these great releases! Bad Little Girl is no exception. The prologue sucks you in and then it slow burns you to a thrilling ending. Sam, Jess and I are lucky to have read so many fantastic thrillers already this year. Bookouture is definitely the publisher to keep an eye out for. Read below for a synopsis and our reviews!
‘I’m not safe – you have to help me…’
Little Lorna Bell is from a notorious family on a rundown estate. Everyone thinks she’s a nasty piece of work. The schoolchildren call her a thief. But Lorna’s hair is matted, her shoes pinch her feet and school teacher Claire Penny can’t help herself; some kids just need a bit more support, a bit more love, than the rest.
As the bond between teacher and pupil grows stronger, Claire sees Lorna’s bruises, and digs to uncover the disturbing tale behind them. Heartbroken, Claire knows she has to act. She must make Lorna safe. Just when Claire thinks she has protected Lorna, a chance encounter brings enigmatic stranger Marianne Cairns into their lives. Marianne seems generous and kind but there is something about her story that doesn’t quite add up. Why does she feel so at home, and why is Lorna suddenly so unsettled?
Claire has risked everything to save Lorna. But what can save Claire from the shocking truth?
An utterly unputdownable and darkly compelling read that will have fans of The Girl on the Train, The Sister, and Gone Girl absolutely hooked.
Little Lorna Bell is from a notorious family on a rundown estate. Everyone thinks she’s a nasty piece of work. The schoolchildren call her a thief. But Lorna’s hair is matted, her shoes pinch her feet and school teacher Claire Penny can’t help herself; some kids just need a bit more support, a bit more love, than the rest.
As the bond between teacher and pupil grows stronger, Claire sees Lorna’s bruises, and digs to uncover the disturbing tale behind them. Heartbroken, Claire knows she has to act. She must make Lorna safe. Just when Claire thinks she has protected Lorna, a chance encounter brings enigmatic stranger Marianne Cairns into their lives. Marianne seems generous and kind but there is something about her story that doesn’t quite add up. Why does she feel so at home, and why is Lorna suddenly so unsettled?
Claire has risked everything to save Lorna. But what can save Claire from the shocking truth?
An utterly unputdownable and darkly compelling read that will have fans of The Girl on the Train, The Sister, and Gone Girl absolutely hooked.
Jessica's Thoughts:
5 / 5 Stars
5 / 5 Stars
Typically when books are compared to The Girl on the Train or Gone Girl, I become a little skeptical. Only because those are both such amazing reads and crazy thrillers. I definitely was not disappointed by Bad Little Girl! I could not put it down!
Without giving away any spoilers or too much of the plot, we follow Claire Penny, a teacher at a school and her desire to help a student, Lorna Bell. Vick does an amazing job developing the characters and helping us really connect with them. Characters you love and characters you love to hate. Another great release from Bookouture
Sam's Thoughts:
5 / 5 Stars
Bad Little Girl, the newest Bookouture suspense by Frances Vick, was unputdownable. I don’t often agree with books that align themselves with Gone Girl and Girl on the Train, but for this book, I’d have to make an exception. From the unreliable characters to the fast paced plot, this one had my eyes glued to the pages. Bad Little Girl was undeniably addicting.
From the first pages, I felt a connection to the protagonist, Claire. Vick does an amazing job at making her extremely relatable. As a teacher, I was able to understand Claire's plight. As she continuously tries to do the right thing for Lorna, tensions rose and I
found myself filled with anxiety and anger. I felt Claire’s desperation and watched the story unfold in horror. I don’t want to give away any of the plot, but trust me, there are a few characters in this story that you will love to hate.
My only complaint, and it was a small complaint, was that the passing of time was not always clearly noted throughout the chapters. There were sometimes some significant jumps in time that I found hard to follow.
My Thoughts:
4 / 5 Stars
Claire is a teacher who brings Lorna under her wing as she notices Lorna is having trouble fitting in. Lorna is from a poor family, lacks any hygiene or good manners but Claire knows it's just because of her upbringing. Her mother and her mother's boyfriend hit her and yell at her in public. Lorna cries from the shoes that don't fit her feet and from the lack of attention she receives at home. No one will listen to Claire that Lorna needs help. Why can't anyone else see the bruises on Lorna's body and the pain in her eyes. As years pass, Lorna and Claire develop a mother/daughter type bond and they take off to take Lorna away from the abuse. Here Marianne enter their lives on a chance encounter that rapidly goes south. Bonds shift and now it's a matter of who will win this wicked game. Bookouture is on FIRE with all these great releases! Bad Little Girl is no exception. The prologue sucks you in and then it slow burns you to a thrilling ending. For me, the book was less about the title and more about Claire and her grief, saviour complex and lack of self esteem. The slow burn comes from the build up of Claire and Lorna's relationships over years which ultimately culminates into a fantastic ending! The last quarter of this book really did it for me. Kids with no moral compass? CREEPY. Sign me up!
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