Good Girl Bad Girl
Michael Robotham
Jonathan Ball
Review: Lindiwe Mlandu
Evie McCormac doesn’t have any friends. This is despite being surrounded by other teenagers at the place of safety.
She keeps to herself and has a reputation for a bad temper.
She wants to be released from the place of safety so that she can start her life as an adult. However, her situation is complicated as no one knows her real age.
Evie was found hiding in a secret room six years ago. She was malnourished and had been living with a decomposed body.
Despite many efforts to get her to open up, Evie won’t reveal her true identity. Her story was widely publicised, but no one came forward to claim her.
Her life changes when she meets psychologist Cyrus Haven. Cyrus is tasked with trying to get Evie to talk about her previous life. Just like Evie, Cyrus lost his parents at a young age when they were murdered by his brother.
Cyrus tries every trick in the book to get Evie to face her past, but she refuses. She doesn’t trust anyone. This is fuelled by the fact that Evie has a unique gift. She can tell when someone is lying.
This thriller is masterfully written. Michael Robotham weaves together a story about childhood trauma and the secrets that destroy everything when they are revealed.