Member Reviews
I am not quirt certain how I feel about this one. What would you do if you were getting married and the one person in the world you didn't want there comes and mysteriously dies? Truths are let out, lies uncovered, horrible things discovered.
Thank you Netgalley, the author and publisher for my ARC!
Happy publication day!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy of this ebook.
This book contains dark, heavy, potentially triggering subject matter. Gregg Olsen put in the work to research childhood/generational sexual abuse and the affects it has on family and on the victim’s life later on and it shows. I do however think there was an over-generalization on the portrayal that all SA survivors want to murder their abusers/ their lives would instantly be better if their abuser was dead. It would have been better to see some dealing with their trauma and grief in a healthy way.
The secondary story with the nurse seemed unnecessary. It caused some confusion and just took away from The rest of the book.
2.5 - rounding up to a 3
I Know Where You Live by Gregg Olsen promises revenge, secrets, and lies. Overall this book has multiple POVs from Rose (the mother), Violet (the eldest sister), and Lily (the youngest sister). Each chapter bounces between the family members and timelines ranging from a specific date to "After Everything Happened". Whilst I can understand the wanted effect of the ever changing POVs and non-linear timeline, this caused confusion for me as a reader. The family members are all named after flowers and more than once I found myself trying to figure out who's perspective I was reading from and from what portion of the timeline. This muddied up parts of the plot and unfortunately caused the actions of the characters to be overlooked because of above mentioned confusion.
The relationship between Violet and Lily were one of my favorite things to read. The familial ties, the secrets shared, the confiding and chiding were all wonderful and added depth to the characters.
I applaud Gregg for taking on such dark and heavy subject matter; however, unfortunately the plot and characters fell flat for me because of the confusing timeline and POV jumps.
If you are interested in reading this book, please look into all book content warnings as many dark and heavy subjects are discussed in details in this book.
Thank you NetGalley and publishers for an eARC in exchange for a review.
I Know Where You Live touches on the delicate subject of sexual abuse and a little vigilantism. Violet wants one thing from her mother for her wedding, for her abuser, her grandfather to be there. He attends against her wishes and then collapses during the reception. Family secrets must be faced as the past comes out as monster Papa’s cause of death is ruled homicide. Violet turns to other means of therapy to deal with her trauma and her mother Rose finally faces the truth about everything. Dark and twisted, the story is fast paced and told in alternating views with a unique take on vengeance and redemption. My voluntary, unbiased review is based upon a review copy from NetGalley.
I Know Where You Live by Gregg Olsen is an intense family drama involving a search for closure and revenge.
Violet told her mother, Rose, what Papa, her grandfather did to her when she was a child and she wasn't believed. Rose told her to forget about it, to let it go. Violet's younger sister Lily didn't know what happened, but she knew her sister was experiencing some emotional trauma. Now Violet is getting married and she does not want Papa there, but he shows up with Nana anyway. At the reception he experiences a severe allergic reaction to shellfish, collapses, is hospitalized, and then unexpectedly dies in the hospital.
At the same time Violet, who has been attending a support group for survivors of sexual abuse is trying to take back her power. She believes the best course of action is to eliminate the perpetrators permanently. If the monsters are removed, the survivors can experience healing and reclaim their power.
Chapters alternate between the point-of-view of Violet, Lily, and Rose. All three women are fully realized characters. Their relationships with each other are complicated. Violet calls Rose by her given name and not mom. She talks to her, but gives a measured amount of time to her. Lily will not speak to her mother at all. Roses mother, Nana, has been in denial over what her husband has done too. It is truly a family legacy of abuse and denial which may be difficult for some readers.
The writing is quite good and the pace moves along quickly. Along with the multiple characters there are also multiple timelines, all of which is easy to keep track of as the narrative continues. The interaction and drama between the family members is compelling and realistic. The surprises aren't really twists or shocking reveals as they are easy to guess. The vigilante behavior is a shocking surprise, but also sadly understandable as a form of justice. This is a family trying to heal a deep wound and overcome a devastating legacy.
Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Thomas & Mercer via NetGalley.
The review will be published on Barnes & Noble, Google Books, Edelweiss, and Amazon.
This book was dark and deals with difficult subject matter, but was so good! Read the trigger warnings for sure.
Multiple narrators - Rose and her two daughters Lilly and Violet. I liked this format and seeing all of their perspectives.
It's Violet's wedding day. She had one request. That her grandfather (aka Papa) not attend. She had valid reasons. Lily, her sister, knows the truth. Her mother, Rose, and her grandmother are in denial about Papa. At the wedding, Papa suffers a fatal allergic reaction to shellfish, Violet is not saddened by this. He doesn't make it.
Violet comes to realize that maybe others in her survivor support group are right. You can never truly move on from the abuse until the monster that haunts you is removed from the equation permanently. Violet becomes a bit of a vigilante and decides to help others get justice, no matter the cost.
Watching this family face what happened is hard and sad, but happens in real life far too often.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
I have read alot of Gregg Olson's books. I have loved them all. This was is a little different book. I loved the story line and it was very intriguing. On some of his book you really think about what happens. This tells
about what people would do about sex pedophile and the effect on their lives.
I thought this book was very interesting.and sad to the people involved.
I think you did a great job on this book Gregg. Another great book.
I don’t love this one at all. I think the main reason is the topic of it and the abuse that’s happening in here. I kinda hate to leave these reviews but I had to skip big portions of it because I couldn’t read it all.
Very grateful to the publisher for my review copy through NetGalley
I Know Where You Live is dark story of sexual abuse within a family.
Violet is preparing for her wedding day. She hopes the day will be perfect. Her mother breaks the bad news that the one person she didn't want to come, the one person she asked not to be at the wedding has decided he will be there. Her wedding day will be one that she never remembers with pleasure.
This is the day her mother becomes Rose never to be called mom again. Angry at her mother for not keeping her grandfather away she lashes out and her mother slaps her. Things will be different from now on.
At the reception her grandfather collapses and goes to the hospital, and later dies. A nurse is accused of suffocating him.
While on her honeymoon, Violet reads a newspaper about a young woman that committed suicide after her abuser is released from prison. Violet seeks out the mother and they talk. Violet can't let it go and she starts to research the abuser. Violet takes things too far.
Rose is a grade schoolteacher. As she gets to know her students, she becomes aware of Piper. Piper is struggling in class and is showing signs of abuse. Rose is determined to do something this time.
This story is told from Rose, Violet and Lily's points of views. Every relationship is fractured in this family. Rose is angry with her mother, Violet and Lily are angry with their mother. Rose and her husband's marriage is in shambles and yet they pretend everything is fine. Rose is good at pretending, she learned it from her mother. Even though we know what is going on there is so much more that we don't know even as it is unfolding.
I really liked this story even though the subject matter is very dark and not normally something I read about. But the telling of what goes on in a family and how they each deal with it, or don't, is worth reading. As I was reading, I thought this can't keep escalating, it has to stop somewhere, and it does. But it is a shocking conclusion. The ending is a huge twist that I didn't see coming. No one comes out unscathed.
⚠️Trigger Warning⚠️ - sexual abuse, child abuse, gaslighting, rape, neglect.
“Telling your truth might feel good; finally letting go of something dark often is. That’s why counselors are in business. That’s why confiding to a perfect stranger next to you on an airplane sometimes does the trick. The flipside is that sometimes when you release a dark secret, it comes back, a boomerang trimmed and razor blades.“
“…only once you’re away from home do you fully understand the magnitude of the harm that’s been done to you.”
So excited to be a part of this book tour. I was really excited to dive into this book but I probably should’ve checked the trigger warnings before starting it. So prior to reading this I definitely recommend checking the trigger warnings before reading because some parts of this book are pretty intense…and graphic.
Living in world where people turn a blind eye to child abuse of any kind is horrifying but it is even more disgusting & vile when sexual abuse is involved.
We live in such a different time now, that hopefully the instances of sexual abuse are becoming less and less…because people are speaking up more and more against their abusers.
I don’t want to say too much about this one because I don’t want to give anything away but…good riddance…see ya never. 😂🤣
I definitely recommend checking this one out…especially if you like everything wrapped up nice and neat. I finished this in just over 24 hours.
Violet is trying to move on from the abuse she suffered at the hands of her grandfather, then he shows up at a wedding he was not supposed to attend and suffers an allergic reaction. She is thrilled! Revenge is sweet, but now she is moving on to other abusers! Heavy subject matter but well handled. Dark and sad.
Thank you to UpLit Reads for my finished copy of I Know Where You Live by Gregg Olsen.
This was my first book by this author, and it will not be my last. I was happy to know that he also writes true crime and plan to read one of his nonfiction books next.
I Know Where You Live is a novel about 2 sisters, Lily & Violet, and their mother, Rose. Violet is getting married and has requested that her grandfather not attend her wedding as he molested her as a child. At the wedding, grandpa suffers a health event and is rushed to the hospital, where he later dies.
The novel is told from the point of views of Rose and her 2 daughters. Their relationship is strained and both girls express their hatred for their mother.
I will say this book is pretty dark and deals with some content that some may find offensive; be sure to check trigger warnings before reading.
I liked that the novel was quick paced and evolving. I liked the differed POVs; I didn't find it distracting, but felt it really added depth to the story. The story flowed well for the most part; there are some side characters that I could have done without. I'm not quite sure what their roles were in the story. I feel like Violet and Zach's story didn't add much to the story. I was beginning to wonder if Zach was also a predator, but not much insight was given into his history. With what I do know, I'm not sure how their relationship works considering all the secrets Violet has kept from him. Violet hasn't told Zach of her history with her grandfather or mother; and she doesn't tell him how she has become basically a the "angel of death" for sex offenders.
I would have given it one last star had the story just followed Rose, Violet, and Lily and explored their relationships much more. There are some generational stuff going on and it appears to be passed on from mother to daughter.
I also liked the timeline of the book. For the most part, it was chronological, then it jumped to present time.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It definitely kept my attention, it's a page turner for sure. I didn't feel like 300 pages at all!
Its easily a 4/4.5 star read for me! Having more info into Zach and Violet's relationship would have made this a 5-star read for me; or not include Zach at all would have been fine too!
I will definitely recommend this to my friends and those whom I connect with on my platform.
This book includes some sensitive topics; I personally feel the way the book was written was respectful to those affect by SA.
The subject matter this story is based on is heartbreaking and angering so reading this made me very uncomfortable for many reasons. I never really connected with any of the characters, but it was interesting enough to to keep me engaged and wanting to know the outcome.
This was a very difficult book to read. The whole subject of child abuse is a difficult subject to process and was definitely "swept under the carpet" years ago. Gregg Olsen writes a harrowing story of abuse, deception and secrets kept by one family over three generations. The story follows Violet, her impending marriage, her broken relationship with her mother and all the reasons why. Her sister Lily, on the outside of the circle, becomes the first person to know what happened. This takes Violet until she's grown up to tell that story..... Her family's whole dynamic is not the norm'. It's only taken one person to wreck what could have been a close family. Even Violet's mum and dad have a fractious marriage.
I shall think about this story for days to come.
Many thanks to Netgalley for the free ARC book for an honest review.
#Netgalley, #amazonpublishing, #greggolsen
Greg Olsen is one of my top authors who as soon as his books come out you have got to get it and read it! This one didn’t disappoint! Always on the edge of your seat!
.Gregg Olsen wrote about a very sensitive subject, sexual assault against children. Going into this book I was blind on the topic which could be a trigger for readers.
Family secrets breed family drama and in this family, the secrets run deep. Violet was the child assaulted but Lily holds the bigger grudge agains her mother for not taking action. Rose, Violet and Lily’s mom, was dismissive when Violet told her about the abuse she endured, even calling her a liar. Thanks to a survivors group, Violet found her voice. With the death of her abuser, Violet feels a freedom that she wants every victim to feel which leads her down a path that can land her behind bars for life.
Olsen did a great job covering some of the feelings that survivors struggle with. It felt like he put in the time to really research and understand the emotional, mental and physical impact that abuse leaves a victim with.
Very good book but trigger warnings may be necessary out of respect to survivors and their family.
My thanks to Thomas & Mercer Publishing, The Author Gregg Olsen, as well as NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review an early copy of I Know Where You Live.
Your wedding day should be one of the happiest days of your life. For Violet, it will be a day she and her family will never forget. He wasn’t supposed attend, but of course he does... and then chaos ensues. Violet’s grandfather dubbed Papa wasn’t welcome. So, when Papa suffers a sudden, and suspicious heart attack at Violet's wedding, she can barely conceal her joy. Violet attends a support group for abuse survivors. Could one fellow survivor be right: moving on is possible only when monsters are removed from society permanently. Violet is reclaiming the power stolen from her as a child.
I love books written by Gregg Olsen, and of course this one did not disappointed. The book was very well written, told in alternating chapters between Rose and her two daughters Lilly and Violet, you get to see each of their perspectives on the situation. This book had it all. Generational family drama, mystery, suspense, there was something for everyone. This was literally a page turner for me. At times I felt like I was on the side of our Protagonist. Yet, all the of the characters were compelling, and then I found myself rooting for them all for different reasons. I read this book in one day and it stuck with me after it was done. I Know Where You Live is available Tuesday, November 15,2022.
When Violet's Papa drops in an anaphylactic shock at her wedding, she is actually relieved. He was not supposed to be there- it was her only wedding demand. Afterall, why would she want the man who abused her as a child at her wedding? But her mom, Rose, never believed her and swept everything under the rug, so it is no surprise she let him show. And when Papa ends up dying, Violet feels such relief she has an epiphany. Maybe her trauma coach is right and the only way to truly feel free is for your abuser to be gone for good. After this, Violet decides to take things into her own hands and track down other abusers in attempts to get justice.
The chapters shift from "after everything happened" and dated entries leading up to modern day and shares the views of Violet, her sister, Lily, and her mom. I really liked seeing the viewpoints of all three characters. The story had pretty dark subject matter, but unfortunately it was very realistic. The flawed characters mirror pretty common reactions to trauma, especially childhood traumas. That said, I felt Violet's character development changed pretty rapidly. Without giving away spoilers, I thought the escalation of Violet's treatment of Faraday to her treatment to Stone seems outlandish, especially since the escalation seemed purely based on Ellie's feedback.
Thank you NetGalley for an arc of this book in exchange for my honest feedback.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to review this book.
Violet's wedding is upended when her grandfather collapses suddenly. While in the hospital, he succumbs. But was it natural or was it murder? The women in Violet's family like to sweep things under the rug and pretend they didn't exist. They bury them down...and that includes assault. If you are sensitive to SA and the like, don't pick this one up.
This book is basically about generational trauma and curses. It's also about the ties that bind and female relationships. Violet and her mother don't have a good relationship because her mother didn't believe her when she told her she'd been assaulted by her grandfather. Lily's mother didn't believe her when she shared the same story to her. it doesn't just cause more harm, it brings out a dark side to Violet that she doesn't know how to fight. And when that dark side takes over...bad things happen.
If vigilante justice is your thing, you'll really like this book. For me, this book was about a 3.5. It wasn't bad at all, but I feel some of his other books have been stronger.
A gritty read about a disturbing subject. Told in multiple POVs and timelines made it confusing at times but the start of each chapter stated the POV and time frame. It was interesting to see how family dynamics are affected when abuse is perpetuated and people turn a blind eye to it. I was hoping for a bit more suspense as far as the vigilantism went as I think that would have made for a better read. Overall I found this to be an okay book.
Thank you Netgalley and Thomas Mercer for this ARC