Nobody knows who I am, except me.

What a pleasant surprise this book was...a surprise I truly wasn't expecting. These days, any time I finish reading a psychological drama, and feel it was a refreshing change from the over-saturated norm, I call that a win.

A highly atmospheric story, set in a blustery New England town, Tell Me Everything gives us a glimpse into the lives of six "mini-Ivy League" students. Told strictly from Malin's point of view, the timeline bounces from her 1997 Texas childhood, to her freshman year at Hawthorne College, and finally, to the tragic events which occurred her senior year. This is a slow-burning, character driven novel, but the interactions between this group of people is effortlessly gripping. The tension builds after every flip of a page, eventually coming to a surprising, and satisfying, conclusion. Having said that, please don't misunderstand what I mean by "surprising." This isn't a twisty novel. It wasn't sold that way in the synopsis, and it doesn't read that way. I believe we were meant to intuit most of what happens...and I did. Regardless, thanks to some pretty stellar writing from Cambria Brockman, I still found my jaw dropping near the end.

Frankly, this could have potentially been a 5 star read for me, had it not been for one of my least favorite triggers...animal abuse. Animal torture or death never fails to dampen my enthusiasm. I understand why the author did what she did...in this case, it worked, and was probably even necessary to further the story line...but yuck. It makes me feel sick and I never enjoy reading or thinking about the suffering deaths of innocent animals.

My favorite thing about the book? Malin. There was nothing archetypal about her character. She was described as blonde and pretty...but shadowed by her friends' beauty; shy, quiet, and highly intelligent...I loved the way her mind worked.

Pretend.

**Thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the complimentary copy, in exchange for reviewing purposes.

Publication date: July 16, 2019
Goodreads review posted: July 11, 2019

I am exhausted today. I had to take my seven year old to her 6 month check up at the dentist and that's always so...fun. Just nonstop thrills. But when I finished my previous book and received the notification from Random House Publishing Group that my request to read Tell Me Everything had been approved I was thrilled. I downloaded the book immediately and began reading.

And I kept reading.
And I continued reading...
I didn't stop until I was done.

And now it's nearly 1:30 and I'm exhausted and my jaw is on the ground because this book, was not what I was expecting in the least.

This book is about a college student named Malin whose name I absolutely love. We shift through her perspective through her freshman year of college, her senior year of college, and when she was a kid. Malin has not had an easy childhood and she seems to be a bit of a straight laced perfectionist with no time for anybody's bullshit and I can't help but respect it. Right off the bat we meet the people who Malin surrounds herself with the rest of her college life. Insecure Gemma, Lovely Ruby, Jock John, Prince Khaled, and Quiet Max. These are Malin's friends and they are an indomitable crew who love to party and eventually settle into a beautiful Victorian together dubbed the 'Palace'. I really liked that each of the characters were relatable and you found yourself knowing people exactly like them. I identified with Malin in more ways than I felt comfortable with. She craved solitude and pretended in certain social interactions and I inwardly whispered to myself: "Me too, girl. Me too."

I did find the plot to be a tad bit clunky and wondered exactly where the murder came in when the synopsis did say this was about a murder after all. It was a bit of a shock and I feel as though it could have been done a bit better, it felt as though there were many loose ends left open. I enjoyed the ride and the manic twist at the end. This being the author's first novel is incredible to me and I'm looking forward to many more.

Thank you very much to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC. All opinions are my own. I will be posting this on my blog 07/10/2019 and Goodreads and you can catch more reviews just like this on my blog at:
https://aelilyreads.home.blog/

Set in Hawthorne College, Maine, the protagonist, Malin, starts college and quickly becomes part of a group that will remain friends throughout their college years, including Ruby, her new BFF, Gemma, from London, John, from New England wealth, Max, his cousin and Khaled, from Abu Dhabi. The timeline occasionally flashes back to Malin’s childhood, letting the reader become acquainted with her, and her difficult older brother, who died when Malin was younger. While she pretends to drink at parties, she really prefers to read and study, and is at the top of her class. As the friends make their way to senior year, the trials of friendship and relationships become more complicated and difficult, and Malin tries to intervene to fix things. Typical college kids, right?
Turns out we doesn’t know Malin at all, and the ending is a complete surprise, with only a very small foreshadowing subtly hinting at the real story. It is very well written, the characters are real, flawed and believable. I most definitely recommend this novel.

“Tell Me Everything” by Cambria Brockman, is a Nobel about college friendship, loyalty, deceit and eventually death. The story follows a group of six friends during Freshman orientation through senior year. The reader gets to see how those friendships develop and eventually shatter during their four-year college career. The main character, Malin, is an awkward girl who realizes the she is not quite like those around her. She spends much of her time trying to reinvent her former self. She hides her past and struggles to “pretend” so that she can appear normal to those around her. While she attempts to develop and nurture those friendships and act as protector, she finds that her decisions result in a devastating path to murder. The story is told in present day events with flashbacks to freshman year, as well as the years that cultivate her secrets.

I had such high hopes for this book, and I’m sad that it did not turn out quite like I had hoped. I wanted so badly to review it well and give it higher marks. Let me start with the things I liked...the author had an overall good plot, but the writing wasn’t polished enough to get us there smoothly. We have to muddle through 75% of the book to finally get there. She also did a good job creating characters the reader would greatly hate. I also liked the ending. I do, however, see potential in this author’s writing, and I imagine she will improve as she hones her craft.

Now on to the things that dashed my high hopes. My number one pet peeve will ALWAYS be this: “I could care less.” (Found at loc 3625 in chapter 29). Come on writers (and editors)...shame on you!! It’s “I couldn’t care less.” Additionally, there was far too much foreshadowing that never quite came to fruition. Likewise, characters were rather weak. Finally, it took nearly 75% of the book to get to the reason we should have read it in the first place.

Thank you to #Netgalley, Cambria Brockman, and #Ebury Digital for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review. To be published July 16th, 2019.

A fun, fast-paced summer read that's breezy but not fluffy. Brockman builds a world with intriguing, psychodynamic characters that you want to keep returning to until the end, when you finally discover all the narrator's dark secrets. An impressive debut from a new author.

2.5 stars

“You have to make friends.” Is what Malin’s father tells her when her parents drop her off at Hawthorne College. So make friends she does. Malin is quickly drawn into a group of 5 others and the 6 become fast friends and eventually roommates. But by senior year, friendships are cracking and a murder seals their fate.

This book just did not do it for me. I found the characters to be a bit boring, and honestly was only truly interested in the sections that went back to Malin’s childhood. I really wanted to like it, but it just wasn’t for me. If you enjoyed Normal People-I think you will like this one. I know people either loved or hated that book and this felt like very similar, so I expect mixed reviews.

Thank you to Ballantine books and Netgalley for allowing me to read and review this book in advance.

I am known to love a good thriller… however, Tell Me Everything was not your typical Gone Girl or Girl on the Train type thriller. This book was so different but in such a good way!

The story is told from the perspective of the main character, Malin. Switching between Malin’s childhood, her freshman year of college, and various points in her senior year (leading up to the infamous Senior Day). To really understand Malin, we need to go back to her childhood.

Brockman did a fantastic job of laying out little clues to Malin’s childhood, but pulling us so deep into desire to know what exactly happened and what exactly is her “condition” that makes her such an introvert. I had predictions, but not a single one of them was correct.

Brockman shared a twisted story while incorporating friendship (or lack thereof), family dynamics, and psychological disorders. I haven’t ever been so drawn to a thriller and more work from an author, as I am after reading Tell Me Everything. Cambria Brockman’s debut novel has earned her a five out of five-star rating from me.

Ok, so whoa. This book is set in some serious dark academia, a la The Secret History. When I was reading it the other night, my plan was to stop at about halfway through the book, and then go to bed. But instead, I read about 6 more chapters and was disappointed in myself that I was getting tired.

I truly enjoyed this book. All the characters, even one or two that I didn't like, were interesting, and I found myself wanting to know about them....even though I sort of hated them. Then there was the main character, and I loved her. The author did a great job setting up the story, and any twists along the way.

Enjoy!

This was a very chilling, multi-layered, twisted, and shocking read. I would’ve given 5 stars for the original chilling content and the many shocks, but felt that the different timeline jumping and chapter length, which would give lots of detail of some things and not enough of other events really took away from my enjoyment of the story. Overall, it was a good psychological thriller, which I will be recommending to the members of Chapter Chatter Pub and others who enjoy the same novels as I!

This book follows a group of friends at an elite New England college. The main character, Malin, is hiding a dark family secret. She's very good at hiding her past and is even better at acting concerned with those around her. It's not surprising that the friends Malin has at college also have secrets that they keep hidden.

This book had me hooked from the beginning. It was a really fast read and I loved it from beginning to end!

HIGHLY recommend this book to anyone who enjoys the mystery/thriller genre.

This one is tough for me to review. On the one hand, the beginning totally captured my attention, there were multiple twists that I didn’t see coming, and I thought the writing was excellent. On the other hand, the ending was severely lacking, some of the plot lines were underdeveloped and some parts of the story were so slow. That being said, I’m glad I finished it and I did enjoy it, overall.

Okay, so I’m leaning more toward 3.5 stars for this because the book hooked me right away, but the ending wasn’t anywhere as good as the rest of the story—such a bummer!

Let’s dive in.

The story begins in the middle of senior year at an Ivy League-ish college in Maine, where we’re introduced to the main characters: Malin and her friends/roommates Ruby, Gemma, John, Max, and Khaled. They’re all participating in a day of debauchery, which will end in murder.

The book is split into three parts. Parts One and Two jump around in time between Senior Year, Freshmen Year, and Malin’s childhood in Texas, while Part Three stays mainly in Senior Year.
Personally I didn’t find the jumps confusing at all. They would always leave off on a bit of a cliffhanger, so a question or two would be answered, but the full puzzle was never revealed.

Right off the bat, Malin is shown to have ulterior motives and multiple schemes going on. Everything is told from her POV, so we get a front row seat to what she’s really thinking.
I both liked and disliked this. There were times I found it incredibly hard to believe that she didn’t care at all about at least a few of the others. Was she really that good at pretending?
The thing about Malin that I was constantly asking was “what’s her endgame?” Despite being “in her mind” throughout the story, she really doesn’t give away the whole enchilada until the very end.

...And here’s where the letdown happens. Malin was manipulating everyone from the moment they met, but the explanation for her motives was nothing short of anticlimactic.
“But wait,” you’re thinking, “Wasn’t there a murder?”
Oh yeah. That. I guess you’re supposed to have it in the back of your mind over the course of the novel (the first chapter sure sets it up that way), but it honestly just seemed forgotten about until the last few chapters.

Now don’t get me wrong, I actually really enjoyed this book. The writing was great, and like I mentioned before I was hooked from the beginning. I just wish the ending had lived up to the rest of the book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

A group of friends from college living together - each has their own agenda - whether it be dreams of wealth and grandeur, love (from someone else’s partner) or just covering what they can’t have - what could possibly go wrong?

Tell Me Everything opens with Senior Day, where we learn nothing will ever be the same, but then we flash back to Freshman year to learn what and why everything changes. Told in alternating timelines, with additional flashbacks to our narrator Malin’s childhood, we begin to learn more about each of the friends.

The writing style kept me engaged from start to finish and I flew through this interesting ride - at times more of a character study, but the mystery is still at the root of the novel. I heard this one has been picked up to become a series at Netflix so I’ll expect to hear tons of buzz once it’s released - and rightfully so!

Thank you to Random House for an advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

Decent writing and plot twist...academic setting well done. I was totally underwhelmed by the last couple chapters not sure why psychopaths
and serial killers aka class valedictorian Malin capture the reader, her motives back story require total suspension of disbelief...By way of contrast to Girl on A Train which appears in comparison blurbs this was a total waste of reading hours.

I liked this book quite a bit. I knew there was a twist coming, but I couldn't quite figure out what it was. While the characters weren't quite likeable with the exception of Max, they were interesting. And the way the story jumps back and forth between Malin's childhood with her brother in Texas and her years in college with her friends keeps you guessing.

Plus, I love a story set on campus...

Comparisons with The Secret History abound and are apropos. Cambria Brockman has written a stellar read with Tell Me Everything. Look forward to more from this gifted author.

I greatly enjoyed this one! It involves several mysteries surrounding a group of college students- love, lust, death and friendship, and does a great job keeping the reader guessing, with several surprises at the end. Definitely a page turner!

Ohhh my!!! Cambria Brockman really captivated me with her debut novel Tell Me Everything!! After just reading the first chapter, I was on the hook and this book took up lots of space in my mind until I finished!

This fast paced read centers around a group of friends who meet on their first days as freshmen at Hawthorne College. As how their relationships/friendships develop, complications arise and lines get blurred! The book time jumps throughout and we get to see how some characters childhoods greatly effect their current personalities (which ultimately alters the entire group). Wow, wow, wow!

I found this novel unputdownable! There were several major twists that had my jaw completely dropping! I still can’t get the cast of characters out of my head! I thought Cambria Brockman did a great job with keeping the storyline intriguing, shocking, and menacing —all necessary components for a fantastic thriller! Everyone should check out this 4.5 star read! I am so excited to read what Cambria comes out with next!

Tell Me Everything left me feeling extremely cheated. This book is advertised as some kind of mystery thriller that involves a murder, but it makes it sound like the murder is going to be early on and the story will revolve around it. Instead, this is a book about Malin and her group of friends as they bounce through college, and all the dark secrets Malin claims she knows about everyone. Spoiler: there are hardly any real secrets to be divulged throughout. So mostly, this is a book about a group of friends in college and all the drama they harbor. There is a murder in this book, but it happens way too late in the story and offers almost no resolution for any of the characters. It seems completely out of left field because it is. The author uses the cheap tactic of creating a twist that isn't practical or logical whatsoever, but it makes the character edgy and dark, and apparently we're supposed to root for that.

And then there's Malin. I knew I wasn't going to like her after the first 30 pages when I was hit with this lovely little snippet:

In high school, I got away with being a loner. I knew I was pretty enough, definitely smarter than everyone else, and even though the boys gave up trying to date me in the middle of sophomore year, I could have been in the popular crowd. But I didn't want to try.

Of course you didn't, Malin. Being mainstream and popular didn't pique your interest because you were too busy being dark and mysterious. Instead, she comes off as incredibly vapid: she offers nothing to any of the people in her life because she never opens up, and other than being the narrator, for most of the book, she could have been missing and not even the reader would have remembered her. This character trope has been done to death already, and it really offered nothing new or unique. What I'm saying is this story has been done before, and it's been done better.

I will say the flashbacks into Malin's life when she was younger were well done and intriguing, and they were the one part of the story I really wanted more of. They finally tied some of the rest of the book together toward the end, which I appreciated.

OK so this was a tough one for me. I loved the characters and the Dynamics between each friendship but that ending! I was so let down... This book kept building and building in the secrets department but fell pretty flat in the end unfortunately.