The Perfect Review . . . of The Perfect Child by Lucinda Berry

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of this book that I received in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Half the time, unless I find it to be just dreadful, I don't even write about endings. Endings, to me, are such a small part of the book that unless they are just dreadful, they just aren't that important. they are a way to wrap things up, which is always my least favorite part. That's why it will probably seem unusual that for this book, Lucinda Berry's The Perfect Child, I'm going to (no spoilers!) talk about the ending first.

I wasn't bothered by the ending of this book. A lot of people really, really were. In fact, if you spend three minutes on Goodreads looking at reviews of this book, that is by far the most common review point: no ending. Now, I get that complaint. Technically, it is a bit open-ended. But seriously, only technically. Like I said above, I won't give you spoilers, but what I'll say is this: the event that the book ends on is outlined enough in the pages leading up to the end that readers should get a sense of closure. The major question that is asked throughout the book is answered (although I will say that anyone who has ever read a book will know the answer pretty much from the jump). There is official closure. The book does have an ending.

All that said, I don't know how I felt about this book.

Once I was able to get into it, I read it pretty quickly. I kind of had trouble getting myself to read it at first, but once I started *actually* reading (you readers know what I mean) I finished it in two days. It's a quick, easy read and there's enough consistent action that I was sucked in.

that said, what's with all these books having such a gross, anti-adoption undertone? Before someone says I'm reading too much into it, let's be real: the attitude is very much "because she's a bit troubled, this adopted kid is not our actual family." it is there and it is blatant enough that a family member even says it.

Now, I can already hear your protestations: but Bib, she's evil. the child is evil.

Okay, that's true, but biological children can be evil. Biological children can be rapists, murdered, thieves, whatever. There is just as much chance of that. and don't we see it on the news all the time: when children mess up in huge ways that hurt people, their parents, for the most part, are still their parents. I'm not sure it's fair to the adoptee-adoptor relationship to suggest that most adoptive parents aren't just as loyal to their non-biological children.

and speaking of not fair: Christopher, whyyyyy? why are you, and basically all men in similar books (think Baby Teeth) such gaslighting buttholes to your practical, logical wives? Do you have no respect for them? Do you think they're dumb? why do men treat their wives live crazy, irrational children in this whole evil-child genre? It's a bit upsetting.


In summation: this was a quick and easy read that, despite making me want to throw it once or thrice, was worth the couple hours it would take to read it. 3.5/5 stars.