Rating: 
Summary: Enjoyable read, but not Shakespeare.
Review: Though it definitely has flaws (chief among them being a certain lack of subtlety on the author's part - as soon as he introduces a character, you know whether you are supposed to like, hate, or be tolerantly amused by him/her) this book definitely compares favorably to anything that's currently being put out by say, Dean Koontz. By the way, for you purists, Rhoda isn't a serial killer in the book at all (only two victims) though it discusses the cases of a number of female serial killers, real and fictional.
Rating: 
Summary: A Great Thriller!
Review: What makes this story so scary is that it's so real. Rhoda could be living right next door and you'd never know. The film is excellent for its performances alone (Patty McCormick in particular), but its a shame they had to change the ending. I think if I ever make it to Hollywood as a director I'll make my own film of the Bad Seed the way it was meant to be told! However, I may have a problem casting the part of Rhoda, because no one could ever play her as good as Patty McCormick.
Rating:
Summary: It's not morbid, it's good!
Review: When someone first gave me an outline of the plot of this book, I thought, "Oh, great, an eight-year-old serial killer." Surprisingly, though, the book isn't morbid and gory, it's just intense and suspenseful. It's not exceptionally well written, but the thing that matters is that the plot is so intriguing! One last thing I want to make clear -- I don't care what the cover artist or movie producer of The Bad Seed thinks -- Willam March made Rhoda a brunette, not a blond!
Rating:
Summary: A classic, and rightly so
Review: Wonderfully conceived, chillingly realistic. I won't give away the plot in case you've never read the book. By today's standards the approach is subtle, not for those looking for fast-paced thrills. There is no sex and no violence; at least not of the athletic, face-to-face type. At the same time, the story is thoroughly fascinating, sinister and appalling. A thinking person's horror tale and a must read for anyone taken by the genre.
Rating:
Summary: Congenital Predestination for Evil!
Review: Young Rhoda Penmark (the author chooses names which offer clues as to his characters' agendas) is not a typical elementary schoolgirl: too well behaved, fastidious in her habits, and outwardly obedient, she covets the penmanship award--and her privacy. When a boy dies on a school picnic, some folks begin to be suspicious of the perfect but cold little lady. This dark tale of transmitted evil and intergenerational guilt gradually reveals Rhoda's callous activities when younger, as well as her amoral attitude. Harried by the nasty janitor who proves too smart for his own good, this child can be driven too far, as she experiences the only human emotion in her repertoire: Terror of discovery. On another level this novella-noir is also the story of Rhoda's gentle, naive mother. Unaware of her own tragic past (foster-parented), Christine's memory returns in disjointed but terrifying dreams, as her repressed childhood painfully forces itself into the light of adult cognizance. She begins to study True Crime, but the book she claims to be writing is merely a smokescreen to hide her shocking research. How will she end her "novel"--in ink and in blood? Will March choose criminal Irony or pathetic Justice? This gripping thriller is definitely not for elementary children. This horror classic is one chilling mystery, probing the dark recesses of human aberration. Must the children pay for the crimes of the parents--or grandparents? Should one generation play the scapegoat for familial guilt? Is there any way to end the spread of the bad seed?
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