Karen spent 30+ years as a Civil Servant, mostly in Revenue which is where she developed my absolute hatred of poor writing skills! Her favourite genre is now crime/thriller/police procedural/legal genre with the occasional foray into chick-lit and general fiction.
This twisty and dark narrative follows the path of Ellie (the eponymous foster child) and the psychologist Imogen, who tries to help her.
It appears that bad things happen to those who cross Ellie and in consequence people fear her.
Imogen can’t believe Ellie is dangerous. At times this novel felt akin to Carrie by Stephen King as it ploughs an adjacent furrow, however this is a psychological thriller with no supernatural element. That being said, it is indeed very creepy in parts.
I was gripped early on as I was intrigued to find out how this was going to play out with such an evocative premise.
It is well written with an ear for realistic dialogue and short chapters making the pages flow elegantly. Though as an avid reader of psychological thrillers, the ending felt slightly predictable, and there was a timing issue (which the author did not resolve) so while you know who was responsible, you perhaps cannot see how.
Apart from those observations, I loved the book with its inbuilt creepiness; it brought something new to the genre - and it was exciting to see how the author worked it.
I would recommend this to anyone who loves a good psychological thriller with a intriguing premise.
