What you Never Knew by Jessica Hamilton is a very well written mystery with buried family secrets that keep the book interesting. Going between the living and the dead was also something new for me but hey, it worked. It is definitely a must read if you love thrillers.


4 out of 5 stars


Thank you to NetGalley as well as the author/publisher for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my unbiased and honest review.

I love that this book went back and forth between living and dead points of view. That was a very unique addition to the story.

I thought this was very cleverly written in relation to the two parts and the two perspectives, it was both chilling and dramatic and kept me intrigued the whole way through

Thank you netgalley & crooked lane books for sending me this ARC in exchange for my honest review. This wild story is told from 2 POV. One side is coming from the dead sister and the other from the one still living. All surrounding their past and the beloved family cottage that's been closed up for 30 years. As June heads back to the island more of the families skeletons emerge from the closet. What happened all those years ago? And is something more sinister happening now?

Dark thriller that had you hooked from the off. The book was very well written. Great plot. Very exciting. Fast paced to get your heart racing. Loved this book

After losing her mother and sister in close succession, June returns to her family vacation spot and also the spot where she believes her father walked out on them many years ago, Avril Island. When she begins reconnecting with some of the locals, June discovers that her beloved island holds unexpected secrets. With many twists and turns, this book was engaging and hard to put down.

3.7

Marks off for the content of the big reveal(s) being Nancy Drew level easy, but points awarded for making it an enjoyable ride nevertheless.

The only other book I have read that narrates from the perspective of someone who is dead is The Lovely Bones which is a fantastic book by the way. This was the second one like this. https://fashionandfrappes.com/everything-i-read-in-august-2021/

DNF - Did not finish. I did not connect with the writing style or plot and will not be finishing this title. Thank you, NetGalley and Publisher for the early copy!

I would rate this book 2.75 out of 5 stars.

This story had a really great atmosphere but the love story was really over the top. I also really didn't buy parts of the ending.

After the death of a family member, June Bennett comes to learn that the cottage her family had on Avril Island when she was kid is actually still in the family name and she's now inherited it. June returns to the cottage she thought was gone to find the answers she seeks.

This story was told in alternating points of view between the living and the dead. That was such an interesting take for the book and I thought it worked very well for the narrative. June is reeling from grief as she's also finding out what really happened the night her father disappeared and why her family still owns the cottage. I think it's interested to have the point of view of the dead who is on this journey of re-discovering along with June and it's also comforting to know June is not alone. This is def more a slow burn mystery but I did like the final reveal and was surprised by one of the two twists. I believe this is Jessica Hamilton's first novel and I will for sure be picking up anything else that's published!

Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Land Books for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

I liked this one! It kept me guessing, but was also kind of a slow burn. I love me some family secrets on an old estate, so this was right up my alley. I thought the addition of a ghost perspective was kind of fun.

I liked this book enough. The story and the characters were fleshed out and I was invested. I’d recommend this author to other people.

Thank you to Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this book.
Wow! What a well-done debut from Hamilton. This kept me up into the early morning hours because I just needed to find out the conclusion. I really enjoy reading books with alternative viewpoints and this had me on the edge of my seat. People keep saying that fans of the Lovely Bones will enjoy this read and I think I'd have to agree. If you're up for a well-written mystery (and suspense), you will love this one!

What you Never Knew by Jessica Hamilton is a story told from the perspective of two sisters, May and June. Every chapter switches between the two sisters. They loose there mother and find out that she never sold the island her husband gifted her – Avril Island. June is left without her sister and she can feel that May is still around. It is full of mystery, family secrets and some really haunting parts. The book started off slowly but it definitely picked up. An amazing debut book from the author.

June Bennett remembers idyllic childhood summers on her family's private island with her older sister May and her best friend Ezra. But the summer she was 12, her father disappeared never to be found again and they never returned to Avril Island. Her mother told her and May that the island had been sold years ago, but now 30 years later after May's traffic death in a car accident, June finds out that the island was never sold and now belongs to her. But when she decides to go there, she finds out her father didn't disappear, he was believed to be murdered and the case is now cold. Then strange things start happening on the island... getting locked inside her bedroom, creaking on the stairs in the night, her father's missing watch reappearing. Is the island really haunted or does someone not want her to find the truth?
I felt so bad for June after losing her mother and sister so close together, she then finds out she was lied to all these years. It was almost like another death...her childhood memories. Then the shocking truth in the end threw me for a loop!
I received an advance review copy of this book through Netgalley. This review is given voluntarily.

I loved they way the author told this story. I enjoyed the alternating points of view. I found this book a beautiful and haunting page turner. The characters were well developed and the plot was amazing. I enjoyed reading this debut book.

When I first heard this described as for fans of Lovely Bones, I jumped. I loved that book and this didn’t disappoint.

It was a chilling mystery that I wanted! The setting was amazing and transcendent. I can’t believe this was the authors debut book.

I really enjoyed the multiple POVS and thought it provided a lot more to the story.

Loved the cover of this book and the book is just as good! If you like creepy mysteries with buried family secrets, you will thoroughly enjoy this book. Very entertaining and kept me up too late at night reading! Thank you #NetGalley for letting me read and review this book. It's a great read and I'm not sure why I didn't read it sooner because it is right up my alley!

This book alternates between point of views which was a little hard for me to follow at first, other than that, I was sitting on the edge of my seat for this whole book. June is grieving the loss of her sister when she uncovers a family secret, she then travels back to her families cabin which she had been told had been sold for years. The cover is what intrigued me originally, the picture is so pretty, I'm glad that this book also ended up being a 5 star read for me.