Thank you Dutton / Netgalley, #partner, for the advanced e-copy of You Know What You Did in exchange for my honest review.
Publisher: Dutton
Published: April 16, 2024
Summary:
In this heart-pounding debut thriller for fans of Lisa Jewell and Celeste Ng, a first-generation Vietnamese American artist must confront nightmares past and present…
Annie “Anh Le” Shaw grew up poor but seems to have it all now: a dream career, a stunning home, and a devoted husband and daughter. When Annie’s mother, a Vietnam War refugee, dies suddenly one night, Annie’s carefully curated life begins to unravel. Her obsessive-compulsive disorder, which she thought she’d vanquished years ago, comes roaring back—but this time, the disturbing fixations swirling around in Annie’s brain might actually be coming true.
A prominent art patron disappears, and the investigation zeroes in on Annie. Spiraling with self-doubt, she distances herself from her family and friends, only to wake up in a hotel room—naked, next to a lifeless body. The police have more questions, but with her mind increasingly fractured, Annie doesn’t have answers. All she knows is this: She will do anything to protect her daughter—even if it means losing herself.
With dizzying twists, You Know What You Did is both a harrowing thriller and a heartfelt exploration of the refugee experience, the legacies we leave for our children, and the unbreakable bonds between mothers and daughters.
My thoughts:
You all know how I love my debuts and this one was so incredibly written, with a personal touch that I think really enhanced the authenticity of the writing. This is one stressful, addicting book and I loved it!
Once I saw the comps for this book, it being for fans of Lisa Jewell and Celeste Ng, I just knew I had to read this one, and I was not in any way disappointed. This book grabbed me from the get-go and I found myself on the edge of my seat the entire time. It’s not too often we read about obsessive-compulsive disorder, a disorder I find utterly fascinating in and of itself, so right away I was so intrigued with Annie’s character. I loved that the book is told completely from her perspective. It definitely made for some stressful times, for sure, but I don’t think the book would have had the same impact any other way. You really feel that anxiety that she feels in certain situations – it truly comes off the page and this is where knowing the author herself has OCD comes into play. That authenticity really shines through.
I also loved that at times, Annie come across as unreliable so you aren’t ever sure if she is completely trustworthy. This makes you wonder if the story you are getting is believable or not and I just loved this as it really kept me on my toes, wondering what was really happening and needing to filter out what was real and what if anything was not. This is not a fast-paced book by any means and yet I could not put it down once I started it. I was so invested in Annie’s story, needing to know how things would be resolved. I loved the fact that the phrase “you know what you did” is repeated through-out…it comes into play in a big way and had me questioning just what Annie had done and when we would find out.
I cannot recommend this book enough. It’s the perfect mix of a psychological thriller with just a hint of horror elements mixed in. For a debut novel, K.T. Nguyen knocked it out of the park with this one and I cannot wait to see what she writes next!
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