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An Intriguing Premise That Falls Just Short
Lucinda Berry’s A Welcome Reunion offers a chilling concept that keeps you on edge, but as a standalone short story, it struggles to deliver the full impact. For readers familiar with The Perfect Child, this might serve as a gripping follow-up, but for those coming in fresh, it feels like crucial context is missing to truly appreciate the stakes and depth of the characters’ trauma.
The story’s strongest element is the tension surrounding Janie’s return. Berry excels at creating an atmosphere of unease, and Janie’s transformation into a poised yet unnerving young woman is compelling. The Bauers’ fear and desperation are palpable, but without a deeper understanding of their past with Janie, it’s harder to feel fully invested in their plight.
At just over 50 pages, the plot moves quickly but lacks the breathing room needed to explore the characters or their history in a meaningful way. The revelations and twists come fast, yet they feel rushed rather than earned. While the writing is sharp and the suspense is there, the story feels incomplete, like a snapshot of something bigger.
Overall, A Welcome Reunion is a decent read that offers glimpses of Lucinda Berry’s talent for psychological thrillers. However, it’s best suited for fans who’ve read The Perfect Child and can fill in the gaps. Without that background, it’s an intriguing but somewhat unsatisfying experience.
Blurb
From the bestselling author of The Perfect Child comes a short thriller about a couple faced with the terrifying return of a girl they once called their own who threatens everything they hold dear.
Janie is the last person Hannah and Christopher Bauer want to see again.
But Janie’s moved back to Clarksville. She’s no longer the frail child Hannah and Christopher adopted over eleven years ago. The child who destroyed their lives. Now Janie is out of juvenile detention—a beautiful, confident young adult—and publicly promoting her new tell-all memoir.
At just eighteen, Janie has a violent and tragic story to share, brimming with grisly details. Details the public can’t get enough of…and that the Bauers can’t bear to relive. Janie has taken a new name and claims to have reformed her sociopathic ways. She’s ready to make amends. But when the Bauers refuse to meet with her, she takes matters into her own hands.
After the social worker formerly assigned to the case makes disturbing revelations about Janie’s calculated behavior, the Bauers brace for Janie’s next move, determined to protect their family—at any cost.
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