Author: K. T. Nguyen
Publisher: Dutton
Genre: Mystery & Thrillers
Format: Kindle ARC
No. of Pages: 384
Date of Publication: April 16, 2024
My Rating: 4 Stars
DESCRIPTION:
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:
In K.T. Nguyen’s debut novel, “Annie “Anh Le” Shaw,” the protagonist grapples with profound guilt and a series of unsettling events that disrupt her seemingly perfect life. The sudden death of her mother triggers a downward spiral, causing her obsessive-compulsive disorder to resurface and causing her to confront the painful legacy of her mother’s struggles.
Amidst her personal turmoil, Annie awakens one morning in a hotel room, naked and beside the lifeless body of a man. This harrowing discovery plunges her into a state of confusion and disorientation, as she grapples with the unraveling of her seemingly idyllic existence. The complexities of her past are revealed as the narrative unfolds, shedding light on her upbringing in a challenging environment marked by poverty and her mother’s mental disability, which manifested in physical and emotional abuse.
Despite these hardships, Annie emerges resilient, achieving a life that appears idyllic—a beautiful home, a fulfilling marriage, and a typical teenage daughter. However, the loss of her mother shatters this facade, and Annie’s life spirals into a rapid descent. Her unraveling mirrors the unfolding of the novel, as the reader witnesses the gradual erosion of her carefully constructed reality.
A deeper examination of Annie’s life reveals strained relationships, particularly with her daughter, who enjoys a harmonious partnership with her husband. This disparity increases Annie emotional distress, which she struggles to acknowledge. As the narrative shifts its focus back to her relationship with her mother, it becomes evident that Annie harbored deep unhappiness. The loss of her mother serves as a catalyst for her realization that the idyllic bubble she had constructed was destined to burst.
Nguyen’s novel offers a diverse perspective, highlighting the stark contrast between Annie’s memories of growing up in Japan and her current experiences in America. Memories play a pivotal role in the narrative, particularly after Annie’s memory loss in the hotel room. The novel’s tense atmosphere compels the reader to contemplate Annie’s disturbing childhood and the unfolding events that shape her future.
Many thanks to Dutton and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.
In my twenties, I was a writer at a glossy magazine—jetting from my desk overlooking Times Square to the fashion tents that were, at the time, in Bryant Park. In my thirties, I joined the corporate world as a working mother, travelling from San Francisco to Washington, D.C., Paris, London and Shanghai. Now in my forties, I’m embarking on a new career writing fiction—and I hope you’ll join me on the adventure.
My psychological thrillers offer a veneer of glamour—think of that lust-worthy, buttery-soft Birkin. But they also give you a birds-eye view inside the bag. Messy contents made all the more fascinating because we keep them hidden. A crumpled facial tissue reserved for one more use, leftover painkillers from last year’s dental surgery, an illicit phone number—the one you’re definitely planning to throw out eventually, your secret kill list (yeah, that escalated quickly).
My cast of characters includes first- and second-generation immigrants, refugees who recognize that beneath the suffocating success stories and “model minority” myths, lies a darker side. Many know all too well the trauma of war cannot be contained, seeping across generations and borders—even bleeding through the sleekest crocodile leather tote.Perhaps, there are people whose real lives are as carefully curated as their social media feeds. If so, I haven’t met these folks…not sure I’d want to. I doubt they’d be much fun.
Instead, let’s allow ourselves to be messy, to spill out of the jeans that, if I’m being honest, barely fit in college, to take a break from our public personas, and to be whoever we damn well want to be. This is the year. This is the moment. I’m looking forward to meeting my fifties. —K.T.
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