Milly (not her real name) is trying so hard. She wants to fit into her new high school, to her foster family, to just be normal for a change. But she can't. Her mother is a serial killer, and Milly is the one who went to the police to turn her in.
Milly's mother is a woman who murders little children. She made Milly watch, made Milly help her trap other kids, and now Milly is both greatly traumatized by her experiences and the prosecution's star witness. She is confused but trying to cope with everything on her plate. And keeping all those secrets locked inside create a special kind of stress, especially because she feels like she can't know for sure if she's the good person who went to the police to report the crime or if she's her mother's daughter, a bad woman who wants to make others suffer.
To make her life more difficult, her temporary family, fathered by the psychiatrist who is helping her prepare for the upcoming trial, has another teenaged daughter, Phoebe. And Phoebe is intent on making Milly's life as difficult as possible. At school, Phoebe is one of the class leaders, and she abuses her power and bullies those she considers weaker. Like Milly. Things are no better at home, where Phoebe's mom is unable to deal with her daughter's big personality and explosive emotions, drowning out Phoebe's needs with drugs and alcohol.
So now Milly is trying to figure out how to deal with her past, how to behave in her present, and how to possibly consider building a future for herself. She has shown some talent for art, and her mother taught her how to make friends and influence people (although clearly she used her powers for evil), so Milly does have some skills she can build on. But the memories and the guilt of her past experiences haunt her, as do the questions of her character. Will she become a better woman, following the angels of conscience, or will she instead follow the voice of her mother and become the worst version of herself?
Ali Land's debut thriler Good Me, Bad Me is not for the faint of heart. Milly's mother's crimes are not easy to process, and Milly's feelings about her mother, about her crimes, and about herself are complex and dark. It's a beautifully written, well plotted novel with all the twists and juicy turns you expect in a good thriller. So if you think you're up for it, if you think you can take it, then grab this one and don't stop reading until you get to the end. You won't be disappointed.
Galleys for Good Me, Bad Me were provided by Flatiron Books, with many thanks.