Serial Killers. They are infamous and closely studied. Shows and documentaries are made about them, novels are written. But what about their kids? What happens to them?

The book begins with Milly, a fifteen year old girl, turning her mom, a serial killer with nine victims, into the police. As a result, Milly becomes the star witness for the prosecution in the case against her mother.  She is placed into witness protection where she is given a new identity as she awaits her mother’s trial. Apart from her mom, Milly has many internal struggles: is she a good or bad person, can she shake off the scars of her childhood and start over, can she fit in and be a normal teenager?

I found myself totally engrossed in this story. Milly is broken and desperately yearns for validation and love. Milly wants love like she reads about or sees on TV, something different than the kind of love her mother offered. Despite their complicated relationship, she loves her mom but wants a clean break, a new beginning. I was on Milly’s side, hoping that she could have that fresh start she yearned for.

This book is dark and messy – it is not for the faint of heart. I do enjoy an occasional Woman in the Window or The Girls, but I found this even more encapsulating and enjoyable because it was from a different perspective. Instead of focusing on the killer or the murdered, Ali Land tells a story of the collateral damage left behind by serial killers, the forgotten victims – their loved ones.

Verdict: Read it!
Length: 338 pages
When: You’re in the mood for something dark.
Favorite Quotes: “I can’t help but feel sorry for her. I’ve felt it too. The hunger of loneliness around the people, or person, you’re supposed to be protected by.”
Also Try: The Girls by Emma Cline or MindHunters on Netflix

Buy Good Me Bad Me HERE

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