I Know Who You Are by Alice Feeney #NetGalley #IKnowWhoYou Are #bookreview @alicewriterland @HQstories

 

I Know Who You Are by Alice Feeney

Published by HQ

Publication Date 23rd April 2019

I read this book as part of #NetGalleyNovember, an online annual event where NetGalley reviewers use the whole month of November to try and catch up on some of the older titles which we have sitting on our virtual shelves. My review is based on a finished, paperback copy of the book which I purchased from a charity bookshop.

Book Description:

Aimee Sinclair: the actress everyone thinks they know but can’t remember where from. But I know exactly who you are. I know what you’ve done. And I am watching you.

When Aimee comes home and discovers her husband is missing, she doesn’t seem to know what to do or how to act. The police think she’s hiding something and they’re right, she is – but perhaps not what they thought. Aimee has a secret she’s never shared, and yet, she suspects that someone knows. As she struggles to keep her career and sanity intact, her past comes back to haunt her in ways more dangerous than she could have ever imagined.

My Thoughts:

I have to say of all the ones I've read recently this book is one of the most difficult to relate my thoughts about. I didn't like any of the adult characters however child Aimee was SO well written that she broke my heart on numerous occasions. The book flips back and forth timeframe-wise as is the case of many books these days but I feel in this instance it works particularly well. There is so much trauma in Aimee's life that it is understandable that she should be so damaged emotionally and struggles with relationships both socially and romantically in her adult life. I don't think writing the story in any other format would have portrayed the damage done to her in quite the same way.

I would be careful who I would recommend this book to as there are some shocking events dotted right throughout the whole story. Anyone of a particularly sensitive disposition would certainly be affected by at least two scenes which readily spring to mind. The treatment of Aimee once she arrives in England is harsh and upsetting and her 'parents' have some strange ideas when it comes to how to bring up children. Then as she finally starts to find her feet in the acting world and feels that life is finally giving her a break it becomes clear that someone out there knows things about her that she thought nobody else possibly could. And without disclosing her darkest secrets to the police, she is struggling to prove her innocence when she is implicated in a major crime. 

I am still trying to process the ending of this book even now as I try to express my thoughts about it. Certainly not the climax or explanation I was expecting, it threw me a curveball of monstrous proportions. Was I shocked? 100% yes. Did I get even a hint of where the story was going? 100% no. Whether it sits comfortably as a satisfactory conclusion the jury is still out, but this book has definitely left its mark on me. I'd say that's a success then, but it would be a bit of a stretch to say I enjoyed it.

About the Author:

Alice Feeney is a New York Times million-copy bestselling author. Her books have been translated into over twenty-five languages, and have been optioned for major screen adaptations. Including Rock Paper Scissors, which is being made into a TV series by the producer of The Crown. Alice was a BBC journalist for fifteen years, and now lives in Devon with her family. Daisy Darker is her fifth novel.

You can follow Alice on Instagram/Twitter: @alicewriterland

To find out more visit: www.alicefeeney.com

Sticks and Stones by Jo Jakeman @penguinrandom @JoJakemanWrites #NetGalley #paperbackbooks #bookreview

 

Sticks and Stones by Jo Jakeman

Published by Random House UK, Vintage Publishing

Publication Date: 12th July 2018

Book Description:

Imogen’s husband is a bad man. His ex-wife and his new mistress might have different perspectives but Imogen thinks she knows the truth. And now he’s given her an ultimatum: get out of the family home in the next fortnight or I’ll fight you for custody of our son.

In a moment of madness, Imogen does something unthinkable: she locks her husband in the cellar. Now she’s in control. But how far will she go to protect her son and punish her husband? And what will happen when his ex and his girlfriend get tangled up in her plans?

My Thoughts:

Also released under the title of The Ex's Revenge this is a tale of narcissism, gaslighting and abuse, both psychological and physical. Imogen is the second unfortunate wife of Phillip Rochester, his first wife Ruby still feels that there could be the chance of rekindling their relationship, especially once she finds out Phillip has asked for a divorce from Imogen. New girlfriend Naomi could well have something to say about that though as she's not backward in voicing her opinion. 

The opening chapter is set at Phillip's funeral and it doesn't take many paragraphs to get the general feel of just how much bad feeling there is towards Phillip from the various women who have populated his life. Surprisingly, they're all present at the funeral which kind of spoils the overall story as you know where you're going to end up but that's not to say it's not full of tension and feelings of dread. It most certainly is and there are times when you wonder just how the scenario at the start of the book is going to even happen. The chapters are headed with a timeframe relating to how far ahead of the funeral events happened with a couple of flashback chapters which add to the reader's dislike of Phillip.

The three women involved soon come to realise that they're stronger working together than as individuals despite them being so completely different personality-wise and understandably full of mistrust of one another. Ruby seems quite hippy-ish and 'new age', something Imogen struggles to deal with, and Naomi is much younger but has been through experiences which make her tougher than her years. Imogen is quite average in comparison to them both - something Phillip uses as a put-down (amongst many other things) to make Imogen feel useless and that now he doesn't want her nobody else will either: washed up, middle aged and unwanted. I was delighted to find there was still fire in her belly even if she had to dig deep for it.

By the end of the book I was rooting so strongly for the three women although the author did have me wondering right to the conclusion whether Phillip had persuaded one of the three to take his side or not. Very cleverly written, there is a constant worry as to just who you can trust when life has made you question everyone and everything around you. There was even one part where I had to go back a few pages and check my facts myself!

This book should definitely come with trigger warnings but that said I did find it a very engaging read.

My thanks to the publisher for allowing me access to this title through the NetGalley platform however my review is based on a finalised paperback copy. My apologies to both author and publisher for the delay in reviewing this book.

About the Author:

Jo was the winner of the Friday Night Live 2016 competition at the York Festival of Writing. Born in Cyprus, she worked for many years in the City of London before moving to Cornwall with her husband and twin boys. Find out more at www.jojakeman.com