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The Other Child
Sometimes a lie seems kinder than the truth . . . but what happens when that lie destroys everything you love?
When Tess is sent to photograph Greg, a high profile paediatric heart surgeon, she sees something troubled in his face, and feels instantly drawn to him. Their relationship quickly deepens, but then Tess, single mother to nine-year-old Joe, falls pregnant, and Greg is offered the job of a lifetime back in his hometown of Boston. Before she knows it, Tess is married, and relocating to the States. But life in an affluent American suburb proves anything but straightforward.
Unsettling things keep happening in the large rented house, Joe is distressed, the next-door neighbours are in crisis, and Tess is sure that someone is watching her. Greg's work is all-consuming and, as the baby's birth looms, he grows more and more unreachable. Something is very wrong, Tess knows it, and then she makes a jaw-dropping discovery . . .
When Tess is sent to photograph Greg, a high profile paediatric heart surgeon, she sees something troubled in his face, and feels instantly drawn to him. Their relationship quickly deepens, but then Tess, single mother to nine-year-old Joe, falls pregnant, and Greg is offered the job of a lifetime back in his hometown of Boston. Before she knows it, Tess is married, and relocating to the States. But life in an affluent American suburb proves anything but straightforward.
Unsettling things keep happening in the large rented house, Joe is distressed, the next-door neighbours are in crisis, and Tess is sure that someone is watching her. Greg's work is all-consuming and, as the baby's birth looms, he grows more and more unreachable. Something is very wrong, Tess knows it, and then she makes a jaw-dropping discovery . . .
390 pages, Paperback
First published June 4, 2015
218 people are currently reading
3412 people want to read
About the author
Lucy Atkins
66 books424 followersLucy Atkins is an award-winning author and journalist. Her bestseller, MAGPIE LANE, is a literary mystery set in an Oxford College, and was chosen as a Book of the Year by the Guardian, The Telegraph, Good Housekeeping magazine and Radio 4's Open Book. THE NIGHT VISITOR has been optioned for television. Her latest novel, WINDMILL HILL has been described as 'a triumph' by Philip Pullman and was a Summer Books 2023 pick in The Guardian and The Observer.
Lucy teaches on the Creative Writing Masters degree at Oxford University. She is a book critic for The Sunday Times, the Guardian, and other publications. She has also written several non-fiction books, including the Amazon #1 parenting bestseller, First-Time Parent (Collins, 2008).
Instagram @lucyatkinswriter (includes Free Live Creative Writing Classes)
www.lucyatkins.com
Lucy teaches on the Creative Writing Masters degree at Oxford University. She is a book critic for The Sunday Times, the Guardian, and other publications. She has also written several non-fiction books, including the Amazon #1 parenting bestseller, First-Time Parent (Collins, 2008).
Instagram @lucyatkinswriter (includes Free Live Creative Writing Classes)
www.lucyatkins.com
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 356 reviews
February 24, 2017
I absolutely loved this book. It grabbed my attention from the first page and did no let me go until the very end. I was yet again lost in a book and have only had a few of those types of reads this year sadly It was a great escape read for me.
When Tess is sent to photograph Greg, a high profile paediatric heart surgeon, she sees something troubled in his face, and feels instantly drawn to him. Their relationship quickly deepens, but then Tess, single mother to nine-year-old Joe, falls pregnant, and Greg is offered the job of a lifetime back in his home town of Boston. Before she knows it, Tess is married, and relocating to the States. But life in an affluent American suburb proves anything but straightforward.
Unsettling things keep happening in the large rented house, Joe is distressed, the next-door neighbours are in crisis, and Tess is sure that someone is watching her. Greg's work is all-consuming and, as the baby's birth looms, he grows more and more unreachable. Something is very wrong, Tess knows it, and then she makes a jaw-dropping discovery . . .
The book kicks off pretty early on with Tess moving into this big foreboding house initially on her own with her son due to husband being tied up with work with his new high flying role that has brought them from England to Boston. She has not yet even seen the house so exploring it with her through her eyes was great.
There is this subtle undercurrent of tension and suspense I found when reading this one, like I kept waiting for something to happen and things certainly do. Not all is well and cosy in the new house, something or someone wants to disturb the house and it's peace I found Tess to be quite brave staying as she did on her own a lot with all the strange things going on. There is a lot of focus on both Tess and her husband Greg which is significant as it's ultimately where the story goes (No spoilers). It's not a happy marriage and the stresses of the house, the isolation and the strange happenings just starts to wear Tess down.
They say curiosity kills the cat and one day when Tess decides out of both boredom and curiosity to sort out some old boxes of items everything in her world changes, in an instant you could almost hear time stand still...what if, just what if nothing was real any more and she was standing on sinking sand?
The plot just weaves it's magic, this is a steady paced book but not for one second slow or boring, in fact quite the opposite, it certainly hooked me right in. I loved where the plot ended up going and each time line event along the way that was significant. I loved Tessa's determined love to protect her son Joe, she really is a mother bear with her cub in this book.
As for the twists and the reveals? They are brilliant, things slowly start to unravel and you see things more clearly bit by bit as the puzzle pieces get found and locked into the big picture. I loved this part of the book where nothing seemed to be what it first was. It has plenty to keep you really interested to keep reading and getting excited about the ending, the grand finale and what was going to happen. The ending surprised me, it was not one I predicted and it had me on edge the whole time.
In conclusion this is an exceptionally well written psychological thriller that just delivers. There was nothing about this book that I did not like. I loved the main characters and all the peripheral ones too, each added to the mix to make for very tasty reading. I highly recommend this book to anyone and I am honouring it with five big fat paw prints.
For more of my reviews, author chat, book giveaways and competitions plus more visit me at:
https://www.facebook.com/BookloverCat...
Follow me on Twitter: @promotethatbook
I received a copy of this book direct from the author in paperback and then also from the publisher via NetGalley, many thank nits for the opportunity to read and review it.
When Tess is sent to photograph Greg, a high profile paediatric heart surgeon, she sees something troubled in his face, and feels instantly drawn to him. Their relationship quickly deepens, but then Tess, single mother to nine-year-old Joe, falls pregnant, and Greg is offered the job of a lifetime back in his home town of Boston. Before she knows it, Tess is married, and relocating to the States. But life in an affluent American suburb proves anything but straightforward.
Unsettling things keep happening in the large rented house, Joe is distressed, the next-door neighbours are in crisis, and Tess is sure that someone is watching her. Greg's work is all-consuming and, as the baby's birth looms, he grows more and more unreachable. Something is very wrong, Tess knows it, and then she makes a jaw-dropping discovery . . .
The book kicks off pretty early on with Tess moving into this big foreboding house initially on her own with her son due to husband being tied up with work with his new high flying role that has brought them from England to Boston. She has not yet even seen the house so exploring it with her through her eyes was great.
There is this subtle undercurrent of tension and suspense I found when reading this one, like I kept waiting for something to happen and things certainly do. Not all is well and cosy in the new house, something or someone wants to disturb the house and it's peace I found Tess to be quite brave staying as she did on her own a lot with all the strange things going on. There is a lot of focus on both Tess and her husband Greg which is significant as it's ultimately where the story goes (No spoilers). It's not a happy marriage and the stresses of the house, the isolation and the strange happenings just starts to wear Tess down.
They say curiosity kills the cat and one day when Tess decides out of both boredom and curiosity to sort out some old boxes of items everything in her world changes, in an instant you could almost hear time stand still...what if, just what if nothing was real any more and she was standing on sinking sand?
The plot just weaves it's magic, this is a steady paced book but not for one second slow or boring, in fact quite the opposite, it certainly hooked me right in. I loved where the plot ended up going and each time line event along the way that was significant. I loved Tessa's determined love to protect her son Joe, she really is a mother bear with her cub in this book.
As for the twists and the reveals? They are brilliant, things slowly start to unravel and you see things more clearly bit by bit as the puzzle pieces get found and locked into the big picture. I loved this part of the book where nothing seemed to be what it first was. It has plenty to keep you really interested to keep reading and getting excited about the ending, the grand finale and what was going to happen. The ending surprised me, it was not one I predicted and it had me on edge the whole time.
In conclusion this is an exceptionally well written psychological thriller that just delivers. There was nothing about this book that I did not like. I loved the main characters and all the peripheral ones too, each added to the mix to make for very tasty reading. I highly recommend this book to anyone and I am honouring it with five big fat paw prints.
For more of my reviews, author chat, book giveaways and competitions plus more visit me at:
https://www.facebook.com/BookloverCat...
Follow me on Twitter: @promotethatbook
I received a copy of this book direct from the author in paperback and then also from the publisher via NetGalley, many thank nits for the opportunity to read and review it.
June 17, 2015
***CONTAINS SPOILERS***
The Other Child starts off well as a gripping and suspenseful thriller, but as it goes on the reader becomes smarter than the protagonist. The Other Child is about a pregnant woman called Tess who falls in love with paediatric heart surgeon Greg and when he is offered a job in a top hospital in Boston, she moves out there with her young son, Joe, to join him. However Tess and Joe struggle to fit in with the American life and living in suburbia. Greg is always working and Tess is left in the house alone most of the time. Unsettling things begin to happen; Tess feels as though she is being watched and her neighbours seem suspicious. Things start to escalate, but Greg becomes more secretive and distant. Tess grows suspicious of her husband and feels that he's hiding something from her.
The author doesn't do a very good job of connecting the dots and a lot of the things that are meant to cause the most suspense end up becoming irrelevant or has already been given away far too early. I just felt that this didn't piece together very well to be a successful thriller. I just felt that the story was a bit weak and there are a lot of gaps and unanswered questions for example what is Greg's connection with the suspicious next door neighbour, Helena or why is the case about the illegal abortion never settled? These things just become irrelevant when initially they arouse huge suspense.
I felt that Tess as a character was a bit bland and stupid and that the reader is a step ahead of her most of the time. Most of the time she seems dumb and in denial about her marriage and the secrecy that shrouds her husband. In the end it turn out that he hasn't even done anything bad and she decides that she doesn't want anything to do with him. The twist is really disappointing and to be honest I expected more. Greg is portrayed as someone who you think will turn out to be really evil or flawed, but he's just an ordinary guy with a messed up family. I just felt sorry for Greg in the end. Tess knew her husband wasn't telling the truth and was in denial, yet when he tells her the truth she cannot even forgive him when it's clear that he loves her and only wanted to protect her. Tess is just a flaky and unstable character.
I felt all in all reading this was a bit of a waste of time. I read on just because I wanted to find the answers and see how everything connected and what the big twist was, but for me this was disappointing and badly written.
Grade: D-
The Other Child starts off well as a gripping and suspenseful thriller, but as it goes on the reader becomes smarter than the protagonist. The Other Child is about a pregnant woman called Tess who falls in love with paediatric heart surgeon Greg and when he is offered a job in a top hospital in Boston, she moves out there with her young son, Joe, to join him. However Tess and Joe struggle to fit in with the American life and living in suburbia. Greg is always working and Tess is left in the house alone most of the time. Unsettling things begin to happen; Tess feels as though she is being watched and her neighbours seem suspicious. Things start to escalate, but Greg becomes more secretive and distant. Tess grows suspicious of her husband and feels that he's hiding something from her.
The author doesn't do a very good job of connecting the dots and a lot of the things that are meant to cause the most suspense end up becoming irrelevant or has already been given away far too early. I just felt that this didn't piece together very well to be a successful thriller. I just felt that the story was a bit weak and there are a lot of gaps and unanswered questions for example what is Greg's connection with the suspicious next door neighbour, Helena or why is the case about the illegal abortion never settled? These things just become irrelevant when initially they arouse huge suspense.
I felt that Tess as a character was a bit bland and stupid and that the reader is a step ahead of her most of the time. Most of the time she seems dumb and in denial about her marriage and the secrecy that shrouds her husband. In the end it turn out that he hasn't even done anything bad and she decides that she doesn't want anything to do with him. The twist is really disappointing and to be honest I expected more. Greg is portrayed as someone who you think will turn out to be really evil or flawed, but he's just an ordinary guy with a messed up family. I just felt sorry for Greg in the end. Tess knew her husband wasn't telling the truth and was in denial, yet when he tells her the truth she cannot even forgive him when it's clear that he loves her and only wanted to protect her. Tess is just a flaky and unstable character.
I felt all in all reading this was a bit of a waste of time. I read on just because I wanted to find the answers and see how everything connected and what the big twist was, but for me this was disappointing and badly written.
Grade: D-
August 15, 2024
As a quick thriller this is perfectly fine but I can't help but feel a little underwhelmed. If you sit and think about this book the cracks start to form. The majority of this book could have been solved with better communication which just isn't enough for me.
Gregg as a character was really dull - he is supposed to be dark and mysterious but in the end he's just emotionless and self-involved. He leaves his pregnant wife in a plethora of dangerous situations and never seems like he genuinely care, I don't know if this was done on purpose or it was just a poor character.
The twist was obvious from the first 100 pages, it wasn't revealed well either. Tess is our main character she is described a clever but she does so many dumb things. She also has little fear for her unborn baby or 9 year old when she starts digging into Gregg's past and meets up/chasing a few dodgy characters.
I did kept putting this book down, because I found myself not interested enough to get hooked. Some of the writing and descriptions of isolation in this book were pretty decent though and we had some kind of suspenseful moments too. This one just wasn't for me.
Gregg as a character was really dull - he is supposed to be dark and mysterious but in the end he's just emotionless and self-involved. He leaves his pregnant wife in a plethora of dangerous situations and never seems like he genuinely care, I don't know if this was done on purpose or it was just a poor character.
The twist was obvious from the first 100 pages, it wasn't revealed well either. Tess is our main character she is described a clever but she does so many dumb things. She also has little fear for her unborn baby or 9 year old when she starts digging into Gregg's past and meets up/chasing a few dodgy characters.
I did kept putting this book down, because I found myself not interested enough to get hooked. Some of the writing and descriptions of isolation in this book were pretty decent though and we had some kind of suspenseful moments too. This one just wasn't for me.
July 21, 2016
Reminiscent of nineties classic film "Sleeping With The Enemy" this is an enjoyable psychological thriller with an emotional edge. Pregnant Tess has moved her life, and her young son Joe, across the Atlantic to be with her new husband. But life in the east coast of the US isn't all it seems; her seemingly perfect paediatric surgeon extraordinaire husband Greg has a secret...
I found this book very readable; some thrillers are difficult to grasp but this wasn't. I thought Tess was a very realistic and believable character; her thoughts and actions are very true of that of an anxious expectant parent.
I didn't trust Greg in the beginning of the book. He came across cheesy and too perfect. I considered whether or not this was a fault on part of the author or if she was genuinely trying to lure her readers into a false sense of security.
The novel is well written, creepy, and I can see it working well in film. If and when it is adapted, I hope the script stays true to the plot and the characters. It's rare I can read a book and almost insist it makes it onto the big screen, so that's quite a compliment for the author!
There are a few errors in the text, namely Joe referred to as Jo, which irritated me. It's poor editing, which isn't the authors fault.
The ending wasn't as big and bold as I would have hoped. It takes until the last thirty or so pages to find out what the big secret is. The last few pages conclude the story to an extent, but I feel the author left herself open to writing a sequel, which I would definitely read. The book has a few minor plot holes and a couple of unanswered questions, hence my belief the author could publish a sequel to tie up some loose ends.
Recommended for fans of crime fiction, mystery and psychological thrillers.
I found this book very readable; some thrillers are difficult to grasp but this wasn't. I thought Tess was a very realistic and believable character; her thoughts and actions are very true of that of an anxious expectant parent.
I didn't trust Greg in the beginning of the book. He came across cheesy and too perfect. I considered whether or not this was a fault on part of the author or if she was genuinely trying to lure her readers into a false sense of security.
The novel is well written, creepy, and I can see it working well in film. If and when it is adapted, I hope the script stays true to the plot and the characters. It's rare I can read a book and almost insist it makes it onto the big screen, so that's quite a compliment for the author!
There are a few errors in the text, namely Joe referred to as Jo, which irritated me. It's poor editing, which isn't the authors fault.
The ending wasn't as big and bold as I would have hoped. It takes until the last thirty or so pages to find out what the big secret is. The last few pages conclude the story to an extent, but I feel the author left herself open to writing a sequel, which I would definitely read. The book has a few minor plot holes and a couple of unanswered questions, hence my belief the author could publish a sequel to tie up some loose ends.
Recommended for fans of crime fiction, mystery and psychological thrillers.
June 16, 2015
I was a huge fan of “The Missing One”, one of my favourite books of it’s year so I was extremely happy to find a copy of “The Other Child” popping through my letterbox – and boy it was a corker.
So we are following along with Tess, who after a whirlwind romance finds herself fairly isolated in a strange new environment – her young son is reacting badly to the move, pregnant and struggling to cope, Tess starts to feel like there is something going on with her new husband Greg that is not quite right…
Lucy Atkins really has a beautiful turn of phrase and wonderfully engaging descriptive prose when it comes to setting her characters in place and drawing you into the tale. In this case it is immediate and irrevocable – once you pick this up and start identfiying with Tess, which trust me you will, you won’t want to put it down until you are done.
There are two elements really to this that keep you up into the night – the mystery element which is absolutely intriguing and so gorgeously twisty and turny that it will keep you right on your toes. Who to believe, when to believe it, poor Tess she is pulled this way and that, trying to keep her family together and discover the truth. The journey is terribly addictive and perfectly done.
Then there is the character drama that lives and breathes within that – the relationship between Greg and Tess is fascinating – they don’t know each other that well and here they are. When at least one of them is keeping secrets, it makes for some highly complex interactions and emotions that just pop off the page. I especially liked the dynamic between the three, Joe, Tess, and Greg who Joe is wary of…there is an authentic edge to the whole story as it plays out, even allowing for the mystery portion interwoven therein.
A nod to Greg before I’m done – he was the one who perhaps intrigued me the most, a workaholic quietly quivering character who exudes an ever growing sense of menace – the tension in him building along with the plot, until you are on the edge of your seat…Lucy Atkins manages to keep you totally off balance when it comes to him and whether or not Tess really should be worried..
Basically I loved it. A really terrific mystery thriller with some memorable and heartfelt characters that packs a real punch.
So we are following along with Tess, who after a whirlwind romance finds herself fairly isolated in a strange new environment – her young son is reacting badly to the move, pregnant and struggling to cope, Tess starts to feel like there is something going on with her new husband Greg that is not quite right…
Lucy Atkins really has a beautiful turn of phrase and wonderfully engaging descriptive prose when it comes to setting her characters in place and drawing you into the tale. In this case it is immediate and irrevocable – once you pick this up and start identfiying with Tess, which trust me you will, you won’t want to put it down until you are done.
There are two elements really to this that keep you up into the night – the mystery element which is absolutely intriguing and so gorgeously twisty and turny that it will keep you right on your toes. Who to believe, when to believe it, poor Tess she is pulled this way and that, trying to keep her family together and discover the truth. The journey is terribly addictive and perfectly done.
Then there is the character drama that lives and breathes within that – the relationship between Greg and Tess is fascinating – they don’t know each other that well and here they are. When at least one of them is keeping secrets, it makes for some highly complex interactions and emotions that just pop off the page. I especially liked the dynamic between the three, Joe, Tess, and Greg who Joe is wary of…there is an authentic edge to the whole story as it plays out, even allowing for the mystery portion interwoven therein.
A nod to Greg before I’m done – he was the one who perhaps intrigued me the most, a workaholic quietly quivering character who exudes an ever growing sense of menace – the tension in him building along with the plot, until you are on the edge of your seat…Lucy Atkins manages to keep you totally off balance when it comes to him and whether or not Tess really should be worried..
Basically I loved it. A really terrific mystery thriller with some memorable and heartfelt characters that packs a real punch.
January 17, 2016
'I saw your picture. Years have passed, but I'd recognize your face anywhere. I STILL SEE YOU IN MY NIGHTMARES.'
Lucy Atkins weaves an elaborate tale of love, lies, death and deceit. Her language, always gentle, and enticingly descriptive, somehow makes what is happening even more poignant, more chilling.
Her characters are people you probably know - your family, your neighbours, your lover. You will recognise them as you read.
Tess is divorced from her husband David, father of her nine year old Joe. She is a professional photographer and meets Greg, a paediatric cardiac surgeon, on assignment. They fall for each other, and despite their agreement to have no children, Tess finds herself pregnant. They marry, seemingly the perfect couple. Tess is five months pregnant when they move from London to Boston for Greg's career.
Tess feels isolated, Joe is not settling into his new school, her neighbour Helena is manipulative, and she is sure that someone comes into the house when she is not there. Things are moved, the house smells different. And then there are the notes that Greg is receiving; that he tells her not to worry about; notes that she finds unsettling and threatening.
Just what is her husband hiding?
Thank you to NetGalley and publishers Quercus for the gift of a copy of The Other Child in exchange for an honest review.
Lucy Atkins weaves an elaborate tale of love, lies, death and deceit. Her language, always gentle, and enticingly descriptive, somehow makes what is happening even more poignant, more chilling.
Her characters are people you probably know - your family, your neighbours, your lover. You will recognise them as you read.
Tess is divorced from her husband David, father of her nine year old Joe. She is a professional photographer and meets Greg, a paediatric cardiac surgeon, on assignment. They fall for each other, and despite their agreement to have no children, Tess finds herself pregnant. They marry, seemingly the perfect couple. Tess is five months pregnant when they move from London to Boston for Greg's career.
Tess feels isolated, Joe is not settling into his new school, her neighbour Helena is manipulative, and she is sure that someone comes into the house when she is not there. Things are moved, the house smells different. And then there are the notes that Greg is receiving; that he tells her not to worry about; notes that she finds unsettling and threatening.
Just what is her husband hiding?
Thank you to NetGalley and publishers Quercus for the gift of a copy of The Other Child in exchange for an honest review.
August 10, 2015
I enjoyed this riveting psychological thriller. Story was fast paced and suspenseful throughout. Ending was a major twist I did not see coming, extra star for this as it left you feeling not quite how you thought you would.
July 26, 2015
It's been a few weeks since I read this book, and I still have nothing but loathing for it. To begin with, it was filled with unlikely coincidences:
1) Tess and her new hubby move into a new home, where their neighbors just happen to include a woman who's obsessed with Tess's hubby.
2) Tess is stalked by someone who turns out to be the long-ago ex-girlfriend of her hubby. This woman starts stalking them because she just happens to see an article about Tess's hubby, and, in spite of longstanding psychological problems, manages to locate their new house (the location of which wouldn't have been listed in any article) so that she can stalk them
3) Tess and her hubby go on a trip where they just happen to run into a guy who thinks her husband is a violent menace (this guy seems like he'd read papers, but he didn't see the article that the mental patient/ex-girlfriend managed to find -- maybe the mental patient had set up a Google alert?). Oh, and this guy just happens to have met the husband's identical cousin, and during their brief encounter he found out that the cousin was gay.
But even worse than all this was the narrator, Tess. Normally I'm on the side of the wife in these domestic psychological thrillers, but she just kept pushing and pushing at her husband and his bloody secret (which wasn't even that big of a deal, all things considered). Even after they've reconciled, and she's promised to let her obsession go, she keeps emailing people and demanding private information about events that happened decades earlier. Her excuse is that she wants her newborn daughter to know about her heritage -- so does this mean that every adoptee who doesn't know the ins and outs of their genetic lineage has a gaping psychic wound, or is Tess just a lunatic? My vote goes toward Tess being crazy pants.
Oh, and Tess's little boy is unhappy in his American school. I can understand the new kid being bullied, and fully support taking steps to help a bullied child, but Tess uses this as an excuse for why she had to move back to England; her son never would've fit in there. Maybe, or maybe you could've found him a new school? But doing that, although it would've let both her kids be close to their respective dads, who live in the U.S., wasn't what she wanted, so they left the States and returned to England, where Tess got to be smug and self-satisfied in the end, ugh.
1) Tess and her new hubby move into a new home, where their neighbors just happen to include a woman who's obsessed with Tess's hubby.
2) Tess is stalked by someone who turns out to be the long-ago ex-girlfriend of her hubby. This woman starts stalking them because she just happens to see an article about Tess's hubby, and, in spite of longstanding psychological problems, manages to locate their new house (the location of which wouldn't have been listed in any article) so that she can stalk them
3) Tess and her hubby go on a trip where they just happen to run into a guy who thinks her husband is a violent menace (this guy seems like he'd read papers, but he didn't see the article that the mental patient/ex-girlfriend managed to find -- maybe the mental patient had set up a Google alert?). Oh, and this guy just happens to have met the husband's identical cousin, and during their brief encounter he found out that the cousin was gay.
But even worse than all this was the narrator, Tess. Normally I'm on the side of the wife in these domestic psychological thrillers, but she just kept pushing and pushing at her husband and his bloody secret (which wasn't even that big of a deal, all things considered). Even after they've reconciled, and she's promised to let her obsession go, she keeps emailing people and demanding private information about events that happened decades earlier. Her excuse is that she wants her newborn daughter to know about her heritage -- so does this mean that every adoptee who doesn't know the ins and outs of their genetic lineage has a gaping psychic wound, or is Tess just a lunatic? My vote goes toward Tess being crazy pants.
Oh, and Tess's little boy is unhappy in his American school. I can understand the new kid being bullied, and fully support taking steps to help a bullied child, but Tess uses this as an excuse for why she had to move back to England; her son never would've fit in there. Maybe, or maybe you could've found him a new school? But doing that, although it would've let both her kids be close to their respective dads, who live in the U.S., wasn't what she wanted, so they left the States and returned to England, where Tess got to be smug and self-satisfied in the end, ugh.
August 10, 2015
I really loved this book, I mean REALLY loved it.
I like Lucy Atkins as an author. I love the way she writes, the way she puts over things and her way of narration is superb. Its not distorted, it flows as you read. I can't explain it, but I will try:
He put his cup over there.
Instead of that written as an action it is interwoven with the dialogue and that is what makes it flow. Its the only way I can describe what I mean. Its just a personal pet hate of mine which really adds to the enjoyment of any book written by Lucy Atkins.
We have Gregg who is a paediatric heart surgeon. He takes his carer very seriously and seems to be always working. I sometimes wanted him to take more time out for his wife Tess, but, that wouldn't be right as it would loose some of the essence to the story.
Tess and Gregg meet under a fairly tale romance.
But it has grown to be solid.
Tess has a son by another man. He picks his son up on a regular basis and all works well.
Gregg has moved to US to work and Tess has to give up everything to move there with him. Of course, his work is important to both of them, but it doesn't stop her missing her best friend Nell.
Nell features quite a bit in the story as its her that Tess contacts when things go wrong.
More mysterious confusing things come to light.
She is pregnant with they're child, but Gregg really didn't want to be a Dad.
This has a connotation on the story too, you will be amazed at how this author has weaved such a tale.
Half way through I was thinking I knew it. I knew how the story would end, but you know what? nope I didn't I was so so so so wrong.
This is a mysteriously piece of woven jigsaw puzzle that when Tess had discovered the missing pieces even I had a job to piece them together, I was what is the hell well who was that then? how do they fit in
All my questions were answered in the end. I was so eager to read until the end to "get it all" that I was so sorry to put the book down.
I absolutely loved the ending. It doesn't end in the traditional way that a lot of books do lately.
I was so excited that this author did what she did at the end.
[NOT TELLING.....]
I would highly recommend this book to you, and I most definitely would buy this for a friend or two.
Thank you to Quercus Books for my copy to read and review and to the author of course
May 13, 2018
Tess a photographer is a single mother to her nine-year-old son Joe, and expecting a baby with her loving husband Greg, who is a high-profile pediatric heart surgeon.
While Greg is at work Tess hears unsettling noises in their large house and the scenes get rather scary as she feels that someone is watching her.
With the new baby on the way Tess can never get hold of her husband at work and her relationship with her husband becomes rather strained.
Crisis deepen further when Tess son Joe doesn't get on with the neighbours son.
There are moments when your mouth will open in astonishment as Tess can't never reach her husband at work she now begins to know that something is wrong making a jaw-dropping discovery.
An energetic ending with a brilliant twist that you will not see coming. This is Lucy Atkins at her very best with a packed ride of suspense.
This is Lucy Atkins at her very best with a packed ride of suspense.
June 18, 2020
After reading three books by this author this year which I totally adored, I found this one a bit predictable, but it still kept me listening to the audio version. I liked the way the author presents Tess' growing sense of suspicion and isolation, even though I felt that the story lost a lot of momentum towards the end.
June 22, 2015
I follow Lucy on twitter and when she asked if I would be interested in hosting her for part of the blog tour for The Other Child I jumped at the chance. I love reading contemporary novels and thrillers, especially psychological ones and The Other Child sounded right up my street. I was just about to go off on holiday so I headed to Amazon to download an ecopy of the book as I couldn't wait for the review copy to arrive in the post.
There was no softly, softly introduction to this novel. Lucy dragged me straight into this edgy, psychological thriller, that had me looking behind doors and talking out loud to Tess on more than one occasion, willing her not to say or do something for my fear of the consequences. I felt uneasy from almost the first page. Tess and her situation just didn't sit right with me.
The story begins when Tess and her son Joe arrive outside their new home in a Boston suburb that Greg, Tess's husband had rented for them. He had lived in the UK for 15 years but had applied and got his dream job back in his home country, America. As a result, he quickly proposed to Tess, not wanting to leave her behind. A whirlwind wedding and Tess found herself emigrating to begin married life with her new husband in another country at a time when her life was already in turmoil. Pregnant with Greg's child, despite him making it clear to Tess he never wanted to be a father. He was so good with Joe she was sure things would be ok once the baby was born. Everything should be hearts and flowers but tension and stress oozes out of the pages.
Lucy's descriptive skills are brilliant, she got inside my head with both the characters and the physical descriptions of places, with the intricacies of what at first appeared a simple story. A story that got right under my skin. Half answered questions, situations that couldn't quite be explained, neighbours that blew hot and cold, an elusive husband who was vague and evasive yet at the same time loving and caring. Each of these saw me turning the pages faster and faster - wanting to calm my racing heartbeat. At the same time, holding my breathe - willing Tess not to do or say something for fear of the consequences.
Time and time again I thought this would make such a good film - a jumpy, edge of the seat one - I held my breathe, untangled the story, decided what was happening and why only to change my mind again with the next chapter. Some things just can't be explained. I would recommend this book to anyone who like me, likes that heart pounding, clammy hand feeling that gets the adrenaline pumping. I loved this book so much and don't think I've ever read a book that had me contradicting my own thoughts so many times. Over and over again I veered from not believing a word that was written on the page to believing every one of the same words - I was so convinced by the story.
Lucy you had me hook, line and sinker. So very rarely does a book leave me so drained. I, unlike Tess can't blame pregnancy hormones, absence of close family and friends or worry over an unhappy child to explain my state of mind - I blame you! This rib crushing, adrenaline inducing story held my attention, I never for a minute had to suspend believe as every scenario and character was so very plausible. Thank you so much for inviting me to be part of the blog tour for this amazing book.
There was no softly, softly introduction to this novel. Lucy dragged me straight into this edgy, psychological thriller, that had me looking behind doors and talking out loud to Tess on more than one occasion, willing her not to say or do something for my fear of the consequences. I felt uneasy from almost the first page. Tess and her situation just didn't sit right with me.
The story begins when Tess and her son Joe arrive outside their new home in a Boston suburb that Greg, Tess's husband had rented for them. He had lived in the UK for 15 years but had applied and got his dream job back in his home country, America. As a result, he quickly proposed to Tess, not wanting to leave her behind. A whirlwind wedding and Tess found herself emigrating to begin married life with her new husband in another country at a time when her life was already in turmoil. Pregnant with Greg's child, despite him making it clear to Tess he never wanted to be a father. He was so good with Joe she was sure things would be ok once the baby was born. Everything should be hearts and flowers but tension and stress oozes out of the pages.
Lucy's descriptive skills are brilliant, she got inside my head with both the characters and the physical descriptions of places, with the intricacies of what at first appeared a simple story. A story that got right under my skin. Half answered questions, situations that couldn't quite be explained, neighbours that blew hot and cold, an elusive husband who was vague and evasive yet at the same time loving and caring. Each of these saw me turning the pages faster and faster - wanting to calm my racing heartbeat. At the same time, holding my breathe - willing Tess not to do or say something for fear of the consequences.
Time and time again I thought this would make such a good film - a jumpy, edge of the seat one - I held my breathe, untangled the story, decided what was happening and why only to change my mind again with the next chapter. Some things just can't be explained. I would recommend this book to anyone who like me, likes that heart pounding, clammy hand feeling that gets the adrenaline pumping. I loved this book so much and don't think I've ever read a book that had me contradicting my own thoughts so many times. Over and over again I veered from not believing a word that was written on the page to believing every one of the same words - I was so convinced by the story.
Lucy you had me hook, line and sinker. So very rarely does a book leave me so drained. I, unlike Tess can't blame pregnancy hormones, absence of close family and friends or worry over an unhappy child to explain my state of mind - I blame you! This rib crushing, adrenaline inducing story held my attention, I never for a minute had to suspend believe as every scenario and character was so very plausible. Thank you so much for inviting me to be part of the blog tour for this amazing book.
July 6, 2015
What’s with this fictional trend which finds seemingly smart and successful women married to men they barely know, all of whom are inevitably harbouring deep dark secrets behind invariably perfectly polished and dashingly handsome appearances? It’s a trend that lends itself to a sometimes good story, yes, but it’s also pretty much guaranteed to leave me rolling my eyes and wishing and hoping that the women in question will hopefully wise up and grow a brain before they end up in dire straits indeed.
Sheesh.
Tess, the protagonist in The Other Child by Lucy Atkins is a case in point. Tess, a photographer who lives in London with her nine year old son Joe is sent to photograph paediatric heart surgeon, Greg, for an upcoming publication. Tess, who is drawn to Greg on sight, more or less because of the guarded, troubled look in his eyes, quickly marries him, falls pregnant and relocates to Boston, where it is evident from the get-go that Greg is not who he seems, and is, in fact, keeping a whole lot of secrets from her. It soon occurs to Tess that she really doesn’t know her new husband at all. Maybe that should have occurred to her before she married him and moved her son half way across the world? Just saying. Also, who is drawn to someone because she sees a troubled look in their eyes? Wouldn’t most people run a mile?
Read the rest of this review: http://daisychainbookreviews.blogspot...
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Initial thoughts:
This one was just an OK read for me in the end. A solid enough mystery, but not really the twisty thriller I was hoping for!
Sheesh.
Tess, the protagonist in The Other Child by Lucy Atkins is a case in point. Tess, a photographer who lives in London with her nine year old son Joe is sent to photograph paediatric heart surgeon, Greg, for an upcoming publication. Tess, who is drawn to Greg on sight, more or less because of the guarded, troubled look in his eyes, quickly marries him, falls pregnant and relocates to Boston, where it is evident from the get-go that Greg is not who he seems, and is, in fact, keeping a whole lot of secrets from her. It soon occurs to Tess that she really doesn’t know her new husband at all. Maybe that should have occurred to her before she married him and moved her son half way across the world? Just saying. Also, who is drawn to someone because she sees a troubled look in their eyes? Wouldn’t most people run a mile?
Read the rest of this review: http://daisychainbookreviews.blogspot...
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Initial thoughts:
This one was just an OK read for me in the end. A solid enough mystery, but not really the twisty thriller I was hoping for!
October 6, 2023
Setting: Boston, USA; modern day.
UK photographer Tess meets American paediatric heart surgeon Greg on a photo shoot assignment near her home - Greg falls for her, the feeling is mutual, they start dating and then Tess falls pregnant. She already has a nine-year-old son Joe from a previous relationship yet, when Greg is offered a prestigious position in a Boston hospital, Tess has few qualms about uprooting herself and Joe to the USA. But she soon finds it hard to settle into life in the Boston suburb where Greg has found a house to rent - problems with the neighbours, trouble with Joe setting in at school and someone apparently stalking Greg all add to her unease. Then Tess begins to sense things in Greg's past are not quite how he has reluctantly portrayed them....
I must admit that I was not terribly enamoured with this one! I thought the main character (Tess) who narrated the tale was a bit of a bland character and, if not bland, downright stupid. The tale itself was intriguing at times but there were several threads that could have led somewhere but were simply allowed to peter out - which is basically what the book did at the end, finishing with a whimper rather than a bang. I have several other books by this author on my Kindle but am encouraged to see that they all attract a higher average rating than this one! Shame really as it was quite promising at times - 5/10.
UK photographer Tess meets American paediatric heart surgeon Greg on a photo shoot assignment near her home - Greg falls for her, the feeling is mutual, they start dating and then Tess falls pregnant. She already has a nine-year-old son Joe from a previous relationship yet, when Greg is offered a prestigious position in a Boston hospital, Tess has few qualms about uprooting herself and Joe to the USA. But she soon finds it hard to settle into life in the Boston suburb where Greg has found a house to rent - problems with the neighbours, trouble with Joe setting in at school and someone apparently stalking Greg all add to her unease. Then Tess begins to sense things in Greg's past are not quite how he has reluctantly portrayed them....
I must admit that I was not terribly enamoured with this one! I thought the main character (Tess) who narrated the tale was a bit of a bland character and, if not bland, downright stupid. The tale itself was intriguing at times but there were several threads that could have led somewhere but were simply allowed to peter out - which is basically what the book did at the end, finishing with a whimper rather than a bang. I have several other books by this author on my Kindle but am encouraged to see that they all attract a higher average rating than this one! Shame really as it was quite promising at times - 5/10.
June 13, 2015
This compulsive psychological thriller tells us about Tess a freelance British photographer, single mother of one son, Joe, who marries an eminent paediatric cardiac surgeon, Greg and relocates to Boston. As well as uprooting her life and career, Tess is pregnant but Greg never wanted children and Tess is not certain his feelings to her pregnancy have changed but she remains optimistic that he will fall in love with their baby once he or she arrives.
However, the move to America is hard work as are her neighbours and Joe faces difficulties settling in. Tess soon discovers odd incidents, which make her question how well she really knows the man she has moved for.
I was consumed by this gripping read and this book is another example of why I love the psychological thriller genre so much. Well written and completely plausible this one will chill you.
However, the move to America is hard work as are her neighbours and Joe faces difficulties settling in. Tess soon discovers odd incidents, which make her question how well she really knows the man she has moved for.
I was consumed by this gripping read and this book is another example of why I love the psychological thriller genre so much. Well written and completely plausible this one will chill you.
June 27, 2015
This was a magnificent psychological thriller by Lucy Atkins. The book was very atmospheric and had beautiful, yet eerie writing.
I really warmed to the main character, who was heavily pregnant whilst trying to solve the mysterious occurrences in her new life in America, big changes for her relocating from the United Kingdom.
A very enjoyable read which I would highly recommend to my friends and family.
Many Thanks to the author and her publisher for making this available to me on Net Galley in exchange for a fair and honest review. I look forward to reading other novels by Lucy Atkins.
I really warmed to the main character, who was heavily pregnant whilst trying to solve the mysterious occurrences in her new life in America, big changes for her relocating from the United Kingdom.
A very enjoyable read which I would highly recommend to my friends and family.
Many Thanks to the author and her publisher for making this available to me on Net Galley in exchange for a fair and honest review. I look forward to reading other novels by Lucy Atkins.
October 19, 2015
This review was originally posted on [Between My Lines]
Twitteresque reviews are for books where I don’t feel like writing a full review but I want to give you a flavour of how I felt during the book. All in 140 characters or less!
An isolated woman + threatening atmosphere + uncomfortable events + dark secrets = A scarily riveting and edgy read.
Twitteresque reviews are for books where I don’t feel like writing a full review but I want to give you a flavour of how I felt during the book. All in 140 characters or less!
An isolated woman + threatening atmosphere + uncomfortable events + dark secrets = A scarily riveting and edgy read.
June 27, 2015
Greg and Tess are perfect for each other. Two halves of the same coin. Which is why, when Greg gets offered the job of a lifetime in Boston, Tess agrees to marry him and move, along with her nine year old son Joey and soon to be born baby, from her home in England. This despite their romance having been something of a whirlwind and her misgivings about how Greg feels about the pregnancy (he never wanted children).
Once they arrive, things don’t go as Tess hoped. Greg is from the States and fits back into the life straight away, that’s when he isn’t at work – which is pretty much all the time. Tess feels like a fish out of water. Her neighbour Helena seems to hate her. Joey hates school and is being bullied. Then there are the mystery notes that keep turning up threatening Greg, possibly left by the disheveled red-haired woman Tess keeps seeing outside their house. Greg seems to find it all perfectly normal but Tess isn’t so sure. She starts asking questions and Greg, she starts to find out, hasn’t been telling her the truth about his past.
I really like these type of books, where you spend most pages wondering if a character is or isn’t up to no good. When they are done well, they are real page turners and this one was, despite the slow start. Lucy Atkins builds up the tension bit by bit. At first, you think Tess is being paranoid because of the stress of the move and the new baby. All along, though, you know Greg is slightly off. The question is just how off? I just had to know and loved all the twists that got me there, though I must admit there were a couple of times I thought we could have gotten there quicker (the timeline is written to fit with the pregnancy).
What didn’t work so well for me was the ending, which left me a little flat and thinking “is that it?”. The run up had been quite intense with a drive through a storm and a remote house. I was started to get worried about what would happen to more than one character. Then it was all over. I wanted a bit more and felt I had been promised that. Looking back, though, the ending wasn’t bad and it is a bit different from the usual ones for these type of stories but it wasn’t what I expected and so I’m left with mixed feelings about the book.
Note: I received this book from a Goodreads giveaway
Once they arrive, things don’t go as Tess hoped. Greg is from the States and fits back into the life straight away, that’s when he isn’t at work – which is pretty much all the time. Tess feels like a fish out of water. Her neighbour Helena seems to hate her. Joey hates school and is being bullied. Then there are the mystery notes that keep turning up threatening Greg, possibly left by the disheveled red-haired woman Tess keeps seeing outside their house. Greg seems to find it all perfectly normal but Tess isn’t so sure. She starts asking questions and Greg, she starts to find out, hasn’t been telling her the truth about his past.
I really like these type of books, where you spend most pages wondering if a character is or isn’t up to no good. When they are done well, they are real page turners and this one was, despite the slow start. Lucy Atkins builds up the tension bit by bit. At first, you think Tess is being paranoid because of the stress of the move and the new baby. All along, though, you know Greg is slightly off. The question is just how off? I just had to know and loved all the twists that got me there, though I must admit there were a couple of times I thought we could have gotten there quicker (the timeline is written to fit with the pregnancy).
What didn’t work so well for me was the ending, which left me a little flat and thinking “is that it?”. The run up had been quite intense with a drive through a storm and a remote house. I was started to get worried about what would happen to more than one character. Then it was all over. I wanted a bit more and felt I had been promised that. Looking back, though, the ending wasn’t bad and it is a bit different from the usual ones for these type of stories but it wasn’t what I expected and so I’m left with mixed feelings about the book.
Note: I received this book from a Goodreads giveaway
October 16, 2018
Not quite the ending I was expecting. For some reason, my brain thought it would be gorier, or more violent. There were a lot of red herrings in this one, and I fell for every single one of them. Which I guess is a sign of a good thriller. Yet something didn’t site quite right about this tale. It was lacking something I can’t quite put my finger on.
February 19, 2023
Audio. 2.5⭐️.
June 29, 2015
The Other Child is the second book I've read by Lucy Atkins and after reading the blurb I was really looking forward to reading it.
Tess has met leading paediatric heart surgeon Greg through her photography work and after a whirlwind romance Greg is offered his dream job back in his home country and Tess falls pregnant. Not wanting to leave her behind Greg proposes and Tess and her nine year old son, Joe, move to the suburbs of Boston.
Right from the outset unsettling things start to happen, noises that seem to be coming from within the house, standoffish neighbours and Tess can't shake the feeling that she is being watched. Greg always seems to be at work and is becoming more and more distant. It becomes apparent that Tess doesn't know as much about Greg as she first thought and when she starts to question his background he becomes very evasive.
I truly wanted to love this book but for me it fell short of the psychological thriller label it's been given. I didn't find myself engaging with the character of Tess as much as I wanted to and there were a few times throughout the book when she really frustrated me. She was too easily fobbed off with Greg's excuses for not wanting to open up about his past for my liking. Surely if someone had the questions Tess did she would have forced the issue more, especially considering her circumstances. I actually felt more for Greg's character and by the end the majority of my sympathy was with him.
I won't say don't read this book as it is an entertaining read but I will say that if you're looking for the type of story that will have you frantically turning the pages to find out what's coming next, this one doesn't really make the grade.
With kind thanks to NetGalley and publishers Quercus Books for the review copy.
Tess has met leading paediatric heart surgeon Greg through her photography work and after a whirlwind romance Greg is offered his dream job back in his home country and Tess falls pregnant. Not wanting to leave her behind Greg proposes and Tess and her nine year old son, Joe, move to the suburbs of Boston.
Right from the outset unsettling things start to happen, noises that seem to be coming from within the house, standoffish neighbours and Tess can't shake the feeling that she is being watched. Greg always seems to be at work and is becoming more and more distant. It becomes apparent that Tess doesn't know as much about Greg as she first thought and when she starts to question his background he becomes very evasive.
I truly wanted to love this book but for me it fell short of the psychological thriller label it's been given. I didn't find myself engaging with the character of Tess as much as I wanted to and there were a few times throughout the book when she really frustrated me. She was too easily fobbed off with Greg's excuses for not wanting to open up about his past for my liking. Surely if someone had the questions Tess did she would have forced the issue more, especially considering her circumstances. I actually felt more for Greg's character and by the end the majority of my sympathy was with him.
I won't say don't read this book as it is an entertaining read but I will say that if you're looking for the type of story that will have you frantically turning the pages to find out what's coming next, this one doesn't really make the grade.
With kind thanks to NetGalley and publishers Quercus Books for the review copy.
July 13, 2015
This is an incredible beautifully written book about trust and family that I read in just 2 sittings. I was desperate to get to the end to solve the mystery of Greg's past and I wasn't disappointed.
Tess has moved to America with her new husband Greg and her 9 year old son. She is newly married and also unexpectedly pregnant. She should be relaxed and happy but something is not quite right. There are strange goings on in the neighbourhood and Greg seems distant. Joe is struggling to fit in with his peers and Tess is finding evidence that maybe Greg has lied about his past.
This book kept the same pace from start to finish and builds the tension slowly. The writing is beautifully descriptive and evocative. I took an instant dislike to Greg but warmed slowly to the character of Tess. Her son Joe and his relationship with his mum, and also his real dad David, rang true and I really felt his distress at being in a foreign country where he was seen as an outsider.
I enjoyed this immensely and will now look for the first book Lucy Atkins wrote as I really love her style of writing and the way she explores family connections and relationships.
I received a copy of this book via netgalley in return for an unbiased review.
Tess has moved to America with her new husband Greg and her 9 year old son. She is newly married and also unexpectedly pregnant. She should be relaxed and happy but something is not quite right. There are strange goings on in the neighbourhood and Greg seems distant. Joe is struggling to fit in with his peers and Tess is finding evidence that maybe Greg has lied about his past.
This book kept the same pace from start to finish and builds the tension slowly. The writing is beautifully descriptive and evocative. I took an instant dislike to Greg but warmed slowly to the character of Tess. Her son Joe and his relationship with his mum, and also his real dad David, rang true and I really felt his distress at being in a foreign country where he was seen as an outsider.
I enjoyed this immensely and will now look for the first book Lucy Atkins wrote as I really love her style of writing and the way she explores family connections and relationships.
I received a copy of this book via netgalley in return for an unbiased review.
August 18, 2015
One of my favourite books of 2014 was the debut novel by journalist and author Lucy Atkins. The Missing One was about a woman's search to understand more about her distant mother after her passing.
Her second novel features some similar elements, again focussing on someone uncovering the past of one they love... which will ultimately change the way they view the person they thought they knew.
Soon after her arrival in the US Tess discovers someone is sending threatening notes to Greg and she sets out to discover more about his past. He lost his family many years before and he's been loath to talk about them. The threat to her family and Greg's reluctance to share his history however has her wondering how well she knows the man she married and what secrets he's keeping.
It's hard to talk too much about the book without giving too much away. Atkins does a great job of taking readers on a roller coaster of an emotional journey.
It's a novel of suspense which forces us to accept that secrets might not always be sinister and that people aren't always beyond redemption. It's also one which has had me pondering on it long after I turned the final page.
Read the full review on my blog: http://www.debbish.com/books-literatu...
Her second novel features some similar elements, again focussing on someone uncovering the past of one they love... which will ultimately change the way they view the person they thought they knew.
Soon after her arrival in the US Tess discovers someone is sending threatening notes to Greg and she sets out to discover more about his past. He lost his family many years before and he's been loath to talk about them. The threat to her family and Greg's reluctance to share his history however has her wondering how well she knows the man she married and what secrets he's keeping.
It's hard to talk too much about the book without giving too much away. Atkins does a great job of taking readers on a roller coaster of an emotional journey.
It's a novel of suspense which forces us to accept that secrets might not always be sinister and that people aren't always beyond redemption. It's also one which has had me pondering on it long after I turned the final page.
Read the full review on my blog: http://www.debbish.com/books-literatu...
February 19, 2017
This book had so much promise and so many ways for the plot to go! The writer could have done almost anything and it would have been amazing. I was so ready to absolutely love this! The main character annoyed the heck out of me and everybody but her could see a mile off that something was wrong, but she needed everything spelling out to her which part irritated me but part led me to think when she did finally find out it would be amazing.
The twist came a mile off and was obvious to everybody but Tess , but then the ending that nobody expected - pretty much nothing happened. I'm so disappointed I can't even write a proper review, just that I can't believe it all fizzled out like that. I was ready for the husband to be this cheater with a double life, or drugging his wife, or beating her son, or a secret murderer or something, but it turned out he didn't do that much wrong and she left him anyway and I ended up feeling kinda sorry for him.
2 stars because up until the end I was riveted and really excited, but I won't be reading this again and pretty sure in a few months I'll have forgotten it entirely.
The twist came a mile off and was obvious to everybody but Tess , but then the ending that nobody expected - pretty much nothing happened. I'm so disappointed I can't even write a proper review, just that I can't believe it all fizzled out like that. I was ready for the husband to be this cheater with a double life, or drugging his wife, or beating her son, or a secret murderer or something, but it turned out he didn't do that much wrong and she left him anyway and I ended up feeling kinda sorry for him.
2 stars because up until the end I was riveted and really excited, but I won't be reading this again and pretty sure in a few months I'll have forgotten it entirely.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 3, 2017
I loved this story and admire Tess's fortitude. She follows her new husband to another country with her young son, only to be left alone for days on end. Greg, the husband has just taken up a new post in Boston (away from her beloved England). Her son is having difficulty fitting in at school and is being bullied. She is pregnant with Greg's child and you wonder how she keeps on top of everything. All is not quite right with her home and her marriage.
Eventually she decides to repack Greg's boxes that are stored in the basement from cardboard to plastic when she comes across a worrying find.
Pretty damn good book and does not end the way "some" writers would have rounded it off.
Eventually she decides to repack Greg's boxes that are stored in the basement from cardboard to plastic when she comes across a worrying find.
Pretty damn good book and does not end the way "some" writers would have rounded it off.
August 29, 2021
Tess is married to Greg and they're expecting. Unfortunately someone keeps showing up at the house, the neighbor has a thing for Greg, Tess's son is having issues at school, and Greg's past just isn't didn't adding up.
Neither did this book. The ending was so unbelievable, that I was still convinced the dude was still lying! 🤣🤣
Neither did this book. The ending was so unbelievable, that I was still convinced the dude was still lying! 🤣🤣
June 26, 2015
Originally posted on http://beccasbooooks.blogspot.co.uk/2... for part of the blog tour.
From beginning to end, Lucy Atkins had me hanging on the very precipice of her every word. The Other Child had an incredibly heavy, dark atmosphere that followed me throughout my progression of this novel like a suffocating fog, truly emphasising the oppressive onslaught of emotions felt by the protagonist, Tess. Despite not actually being able to pinpoint what it was that seemed so dark and dangerous, Lucy tugged me along as I turned the pages, and I couldn't dare to look away for fear of missing some crucial point or clue as to what exactly was amiss.
Within The Other Child, the reader is placed alongside Tess as she begins to fall into routine in her new surroundings and home, alongside son, Joe, and husband, Greg, in Boston. It's away from her friends and the comforts which she is so used to, meaning she's still trying to get to grips with everything. As Lucy begins the story, Tess is taking her first glimpse around the house that she will now call 'home'. The novel quickly turns into a guessing-game when peculiar things begin happening to Tess, and husband Greg starts to become evasive. Just like Tess, I couldn't help but to wonder what, if anything, was going on, or whether it was just all in her imagination. Lucy kept me hanging, keeping all of the deepest, darkest secrets to herself until, as if by magic, she knew that I couldn't wait a moment longer for everything to unravel. At the precise moment that I felt I was going to BURST with anticipation, things finally began to slip out from between the cracks, and by the end, I felt completely satisfied from reading this novel.
The characters within The Other Child were in-depth, and I felt like I knew each of them to their very core, despite reading from only Tess's third person narrative. Their expressions, actions and dialogue held everything that I felt I needed to know as the reader. I was curious in regards to Greg almost as soon as Tess began to talk about her husband. Although things seemed normal on the surface, there was a strange undercurrent in regards to him that I just couldn't put my finger on, and this continued, holding me captive throughout the story. I found myself worrying for Tess and the growing child within her, once I was aware that she'd moved to Boston with Greg, away from her good friend Nell and everything that she'd known previously. But again, due to Lucy's fantastic descriptions and ability to hide secrets so well, I just couldn't fathom why! Greg, as mentioned before, just didn't sit right with me. There was something about his character that niggled away at my brain, and during Lucy's descriptions of Greg, I found myself studying everything about the man, trying to figure out exactly what it was that made me feel that way towards him. Together, Greg and Tess held such a massive force within this novel, constantly snatching my attention towards every interaction between them. Lucy's brilliant plot and hints towards mystery really did keep me guessing, and guessing again.
I think what also added to the shady tone of Tess's new life in Boston was the complete 'newness' of it all. I could tell that it was taking some time for Tess, and her son Joe, to get used to their new surroundings, and at certain parts throughout the novel, I did begin to wonder if perhaps the peculiar happenings that began to arise were, actually, born from paranoia and nerves at being alone in the new surroundings. There were neighbours who Tess watched carefully, strangers who took her by surprise and all sorts of intense, heart-racing moments that had me gripping the book extra-tightly. The Other Child was absolutely rammed with all manner of moments that had me holding my breath, letting my breath out hurriedly, or just forgetting to breathe altogether. It was so gripping, so thrilling and ultimately one hell of a haunted-maze novel that had me second-guessing everything and everyone.
Becca's Books is awarding 'The Other Child' by Lucy Atkins with FIVE DELICIOUS CUPCAKES! This novel had it all, everything that keeps your mind ticking over, wondering what's going to happen next.
From beginning to end, Lucy Atkins had me hanging on the very precipice of her every word. The Other Child had an incredibly heavy, dark atmosphere that followed me throughout my progression of this novel like a suffocating fog, truly emphasising the oppressive onslaught of emotions felt by the protagonist, Tess. Despite not actually being able to pinpoint what it was that seemed so dark and dangerous, Lucy tugged me along as I turned the pages, and I couldn't dare to look away for fear of missing some crucial point or clue as to what exactly was amiss.
Within The Other Child, the reader is placed alongside Tess as she begins to fall into routine in her new surroundings and home, alongside son, Joe, and husband, Greg, in Boston. It's away from her friends and the comforts which she is so used to, meaning she's still trying to get to grips with everything. As Lucy begins the story, Tess is taking her first glimpse around the house that she will now call 'home'. The novel quickly turns into a guessing-game when peculiar things begin happening to Tess, and husband Greg starts to become evasive. Just like Tess, I couldn't help but to wonder what, if anything, was going on, or whether it was just all in her imagination. Lucy kept me hanging, keeping all of the deepest, darkest secrets to herself until, as if by magic, she knew that I couldn't wait a moment longer for everything to unravel. At the precise moment that I felt I was going to BURST with anticipation, things finally began to slip out from between the cracks, and by the end, I felt completely satisfied from reading this novel.
The characters within The Other Child were in-depth, and I felt like I knew each of them to their very core, despite reading from only Tess's third person narrative. Their expressions, actions and dialogue held everything that I felt I needed to know as the reader. I was curious in regards to Greg almost as soon as Tess began to talk about her husband. Although things seemed normal on the surface, there was a strange undercurrent in regards to him that I just couldn't put my finger on, and this continued, holding me captive throughout the story. I found myself worrying for Tess and the growing child within her, once I was aware that she'd moved to Boston with Greg, away from her good friend Nell and everything that she'd known previously. But again, due to Lucy's fantastic descriptions and ability to hide secrets so well, I just couldn't fathom why! Greg, as mentioned before, just didn't sit right with me. There was something about his character that niggled away at my brain, and during Lucy's descriptions of Greg, I found myself studying everything about the man, trying to figure out exactly what it was that made me feel that way towards him. Together, Greg and Tess held such a massive force within this novel, constantly snatching my attention towards every interaction between them. Lucy's brilliant plot and hints towards mystery really did keep me guessing, and guessing again.
I think what also added to the shady tone of Tess's new life in Boston was the complete 'newness' of it all. I could tell that it was taking some time for Tess, and her son Joe, to get used to their new surroundings, and at certain parts throughout the novel, I did begin to wonder if perhaps the peculiar happenings that began to arise were, actually, born from paranoia and nerves at being alone in the new surroundings. There were neighbours who Tess watched carefully, strangers who took her by surprise and all sorts of intense, heart-racing moments that had me gripping the book extra-tightly. The Other Child was absolutely rammed with all manner of moments that had me holding my breath, letting my breath out hurriedly, or just forgetting to breathe altogether. It was so gripping, so thrilling and ultimately one hell of a haunted-maze novel that had me second-guessing everything and everyone.
Becca's Books is awarding 'The Other Child' by Lucy Atkins with FIVE DELICIOUS CUPCAKES! This novel had it all, everything that keeps your mind ticking over, wondering what's going to happen next.
September 28, 2016
The Other Child should come with a warning, something like: Only read if you want to be extremely irritated!
Tess had a nine-year-old son named Joe and was five months pregnant, and newly married to Greg, a man she barely knew. In the beginning the family moved to Boston from England for Greg's new jobs at a children's hospital and Harvard.
From the moment Tess arrived at the new house in Boston, she did nothing but whine. She hated the house and wasn't so sure she would like America. Greg was born and raised in America, so it was a homecoming for him after years of living in England. Tess was annoyed that he still thought of America as home.
Right away Tess starts suspecting Greg of keeping secrets and having a relationship with Helena, the attractive neighbor who is also a doctor like Greg.
Greg denied that he was keeping secrets, even though he refused to tell his wife much about his past, and kept four boxes in the basement sealed with tape to ensure that nobody went into them.
Greg had a God complex. He spent most of his days performing successful heart surgeries on children. In cases where he was not successful, he had no empathy for the parents and seemed to think they were little more than pests who should be glad he even worked on their child.
Tess and Greg were not presented as a loving couple, and he was cold and callous. I had the hardest time understanding how they could have met and instantly fallen in love and married. We are given some of the backstory, but even that didn't sound romantic.
Tess and Greg's unborn baby may as well have been a main character. I have never read anything quite like what took place in this book. Every two pages the reader is told in detail what the baby is doing inside Tess.
The baby kicked inside her, the baby danced inside her, and the baby stretched inside her. The baby buzzed like a fat hornet inside her, the baby kicked with both feet inside her, and the baby shifted inside her. The baby flipped inside her, the baby did a somersault inside her, and the baby relaxed inside her. The baby twisted inside her, the baby kicked with all its might inside her, and the baby was quiet inside her.
The above was a small example of what took place in this book. I got so sick of Tess and her stupid belly. She was either holding it, touching it, or trying to fit it into small spaces as the pregnancy went on.
Joe was 9, but acted like he was 2, and that is how Tess treated him. She read him bedtime stories and tucked him in at night and waited until he fell asleep before leaving the room. There is nothing wrong with being loving towards a child of any age, but Joe clearly had issues, and all Tess did was coddle him and ensure that he would have no motivation to act his age.
Tess was also stupid. The truth would literally be looking her straight in the eye, and she wouldn't see it. When she started investigating Greg, she would discover things and insist there had to be some reason for it, it couldn't actually be what it looked like. People would give her information and she would justify it away.
Tess simply didn't make any sense. She was so concerned about her pregnancy, but when she had a bleeding scare, instead of going to the hospital she dressed in sweats and crawled on the sofa to wait for Greg.
On another occasion her back was killing her, she was having what felt like mild contractions, and was sick to her stomach, but instead of going to her doctor, she decided to go grocery shopping. When she got back she decided the entire house needed a deep cleaning, and the laundry needed doing.
I can't imagine any woman who is 7 months pregnant and having anything that feels like contractions would suddenly start mopping, scrubbing, and trudging down to their moldy basement to do loads of laundry.
Tess made me wish that Greg would turn out to be a hatchet man and do away with her no more than two seconds after the baby was born.
In the end I felt like I had wasted my time reading the book. There was a flat epilogue and it was over. All that had gone on in the story amounted to nothing.
Tess had a nine-year-old son named Joe and was five months pregnant, and newly married to Greg, a man she barely knew. In the beginning the family moved to Boston from England for Greg's new jobs at a children's hospital and Harvard.
From the moment Tess arrived at the new house in Boston, she did nothing but whine. She hated the house and wasn't so sure she would like America. Greg was born and raised in America, so it was a homecoming for him after years of living in England. Tess was annoyed that he still thought of America as home.
Right away Tess starts suspecting Greg of keeping secrets and having a relationship with Helena, the attractive neighbor who is also a doctor like Greg.
Greg denied that he was keeping secrets, even though he refused to tell his wife much about his past, and kept four boxes in the basement sealed with tape to ensure that nobody went into them.
Greg had a God complex. He spent most of his days performing successful heart surgeries on children. In cases where he was not successful, he had no empathy for the parents and seemed to think they were little more than pests who should be glad he even worked on their child.
Tess and Greg were not presented as a loving couple, and he was cold and callous. I had the hardest time understanding how they could have met and instantly fallen in love and married. We are given some of the backstory, but even that didn't sound romantic.
Tess and Greg's unborn baby may as well have been a main character. I have never read anything quite like what took place in this book. Every two pages the reader is told in detail what the baby is doing inside Tess.
The baby kicked inside her, the baby danced inside her, and the baby stretched inside her. The baby buzzed like a fat hornet inside her, the baby kicked with both feet inside her, and the baby shifted inside her. The baby flipped inside her, the baby did a somersault inside her, and the baby relaxed inside her. The baby twisted inside her, the baby kicked with all its might inside her, and the baby was quiet inside her.
The above was a small example of what took place in this book. I got so sick of Tess and her stupid belly. She was either holding it, touching it, or trying to fit it into small spaces as the pregnancy went on.
Joe was 9, but acted like he was 2, and that is how Tess treated him. She read him bedtime stories and tucked him in at night and waited until he fell asleep before leaving the room. There is nothing wrong with being loving towards a child of any age, but Joe clearly had issues, and all Tess did was coddle him and ensure that he would have no motivation to act his age.
Tess was also stupid. The truth would literally be looking her straight in the eye, and she wouldn't see it. When she started investigating Greg, she would discover things and insist there had to be some reason for it, it couldn't actually be what it looked like. People would give her information and she would justify it away.
Tess simply didn't make any sense. She was so concerned about her pregnancy, but when she had a bleeding scare, instead of going to the hospital she dressed in sweats and crawled on the sofa to wait for Greg.
On another occasion her back was killing her, she was having what felt like mild contractions, and was sick to her stomach, but instead of going to her doctor, she decided to go grocery shopping. When she got back she decided the entire house needed a deep cleaning, and the laundry needed doing.
I can't imagine any woman who is 7 months pregnant and having anything that feels like contractions would suddenly start mopping, scrubbing, and trudging down to their moldy basement to do loads of laundry.
Tess made me wish that Greg would turn out to be a hatchet man and do away with her no more than two seconds after the baby was born.
In the end I felt like I had wasted my time reading the book. There was a flat epilogue and it was over. All that had gone on in the story amounted to nothing.
April 24, 2018
So completely sad!
Only 1 likable character in the book and his is the most tragic story of all :(
Readable but utterly depressing.
Only 1 likable character in the book and his is the most tragic story of all :(
Readable but utterly depressing.
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