Not exactly sure what happened here, but this book just didn't hit the target for me. The idea of it was great, The characters were ehh - some horrible, some okay, but overall not memorable. The plot is similar to many others, but moves way too slowly for a mystery/thriller. I was never on edge waiting for what happened next, in fact I often struggle to get fully engaged while reading. I found parts were slow, parts did not make sense and other parts were very predictable or unrealistic. It seems that there are two camps with this book - Love or just ehh - so definitely give it a chance if it sounds interesting to you.

Charlie fled after she was a witness known as Scarlet Christmas at her graduate school. She ran away and rebuilt her life, leaving the past in the past. When a former classmate makes a film about the night, Charlie fears for everything she has built. She also learns that she has changed and will not let anything ruin her new life.

Thank you Netgalley for my advanced reader copy.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this read. This book was shocking to me and I am even more shocked it was a debut. The writing was strong and it was believable and realistic. I like the academic setting. Some may think the mental health references may be too much but I thought it was good for the story.

hen the unreliability of the #unreliablenarrator is unreliable 😄

Thank you #netgalley for this #arc 🏙️🔪🩸💀

This was a twisty, dual timeline thriller set mostly on a college campus in NYC - lots of things to love. And while it wasn’t the best unreliable narrator book I’ve read recently (that would be the St. Ambrose School for Girls), I found myself really rooting for the main character and was very happy with how the book ended.

Synopsis:
Nine years ago, with the world’s eyes on her, Charlie Colbert fled. The press and the police called Charlie a “witness” to the nightmarish events at her elite graduate school on Christmas Eve—events known to the public as “Scarlet Christmas”—though Charlie knows she was much more than that.

Now, Charlie has meticulously rebuilt her life: She’s the editor-in-chief of a major magazine, engaged to the golden child of the publishing industry, and hell-bent on never, ever letting her guard down again. But when a buzzy film made by one of Charlie’s former classmates threatens to shatter everything she’s worked for, Charlie realizes how much she’s changed in nine years. Now, she’s not going to let anything—not even the people she once loved most—get in her way.

Everyone Who Can Forgive Me Is Dead

Publication date: 2/6/24

By: Jenny Hollander-debut author

Format: audiobook and eBook

🏃🏾‍♀️Run Time: 8:32

🙏🏾Thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Macmillan Audio for this ARC and ALC! I voluntarily give an honest review and all opinions expressed are mine alone.

⚠️: mental health issues - anxiety attacks/ PTSD/ disassociation, death by stabbing and falling, and stalking.

The narrator is Marisa Calin with all characters read by 1 person. I believe the voice fit the characters with the standout from the heroine Charlie(Charlotte). Her voice was the most distinct, but I could easily tell the difference between all characters. The reading style did bring the story to life especially in parts I found a bit confusing. The pacing was great and flowed easily with the story. The narration and the author were in sync, and they fit together perfectly.

The audiobook's flow was pretty good. As I said there were a few confusing parts-mostly Charlie's account of events. She had mental health issues, so I had trouble believing most of what she said. The narrator paused and announced every time a new chapter came. The book had a table of contents which helped me follow along with the e-book and audio.

Charlie is the only survivor of a massacre at her journalism graduate school on Christmas. The story is told in dual timelines before and after the events nine years prior. Charlie has revamped her life, is engaged to Tripp- a publishing mogul's son, and Charlie has a successful career as editor in chief of a magazine. One of the victim's twin sister (Stephanie) is making a film about that night, threatening Charlie's new life. Can she remember what really happened before she's blamed?

Overall, the psychological thriller/ mystery was good. Even though Charlie's memories were questionable at times, I liked how everything was revealed. There were some unresolved plots to speculate about, but I just let my imagination take over.

My recommendation is to read the audiobook because you can adjust the speed, skip parts easily (if desired), and picture the characters more vividly.

Rating 4/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Everyone Who Can Forgive Me Is Dead by Jenny Hollander is a slow burn psychological thriller with strong ‘last-girl’ vibes. Nine years ago on December 24th three college students were killed in what became known as “Scarlet Christmas”. Charlotte was one of the surviving victims. Her memories of the event are extremely scattered, but at the time she lied and gave a full statement to police. Now a former classmate is making a movie based on the events. Charlotte is now the editor at a respected magazine, has a supportive boyfriend, and continues to see a therapist. Renewed attention and scrutiny will threaten the life Charlotte has worked so hard to build.

This is Hollander’s debut book. It starts out incredibly strong and had me hooked. It’s a moody, atmospheric read, that delves into trauma, memory, and formative relationships. Told through a ‘then-now’ format we get many of the blanks filled in through flashbacks. I really appreciate the raw unresolved feelings the remaining students still have. It felt very honest, a nonlinear journey with trauma. Hollander’s premise is engaging, if a little messy at times. I was left confused on how some things fit together despite a final chapter wrap up that felt a little too warm-fuzzy. I read on ebook, but noticed the audiobook is narrated by Marisa Calin. I’d highly recommend that format if you get a chance! She always adds a wonderful element to her voice acting, really uplifting any story. I’m excited to see what Hollander does next and will definitely be reading!

I received an advance copy from the publisher @MinotaurBooks via @Netgalley

"There's nothing more tantalizing to the press than a shiny, pretty person who won't spill the beans."

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This was unfortunately a bad case of the cover & title being 100000x more intriguing than the story itself. When they say don't judge a book by it's cover.... maybe sometimes they actually mean it.

Everyone Who Can Forgive Me Is Dead is set up to be a twisty, mystery-thriller that jumps back and forth between the past and present as our MC Charlie attempts to uncover what really happened the night of the Scarlet Christmas, where she was a survivor of a supposedly "nightmarish" event.

I think my biggest issue with this is the fact that for at least 75% of the book, you actually have no idea what the Scarlet Christmas is. You know that something really awful happened at a Journalism college, and that no one but Charlie made it out alive. That's it. Yet, for the first 75% of the book, we're supposedly uncovering what happened that night and between the old news interviews, Charlie's talks with her therapist and the fact that an entire movie is being made... except we don't actually uncover anything?

On top of that, we're constantly being jerked in one direction or another with things that are supposed to make us think that Charlie knows more than she lets on, or that so-and-so is responsible or whatever red herring Jenny Hollander throws at us. Except it's obvious that none of those things are real, and that we're going to get some sort of big reveal eventually. Which means that this entire book feels like a very slow, very predictable lead-up to something that SURPRISE, isn't actually a surprise.

Side note: I've never met a cast of characters more one-sided, flat, and boring than the characters in this? They all feel exactly the same, and are supposed to be in their thirties, but they seem exactly the same in the flashbacks to their teens/twenties, as they are in the present day of their thirties. There is nothing special about any of them, and it makes it really hard to care about what happens to anyone.

Anywho. For how much I've heard people talking about this, maybe I had too high of hopes? Maybe I read too much into the premise? I dunno. This is only barely above 300 pages and it took me twice as long to read this as it did to get halfway through the almost 900 page book I'm also reading. Which should tell you something.

Whatever it is, this fell extremely flat for me, and I probably will never think about this again after writing this review.

───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────

Everyone Who Can Forgive Me Is Dead is set to be published on February 6, 2024. Thank you to St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books, NetGalley and the author for the digital advanced reader's copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Charlotte Colbert (“Charlie”) is a British expat and a successful magazine editor. But she might be best known for having survived a deadly incident at her Manhattan grad school nine years ago, where three students died in what’s been called “Scarlet Christmas.” One of her classmates, now a well-known TV journalist, plans to make a film based on the incident to, in her words, “set the record straight.” Charlie had already experienced terrible anxiety and depression based on her part in the tragedy, but this sends her into a tailspin, one which threatens her career and her engagement to a wealthy heir to a publishing fortune.

It’s another psychological thriller, a very gradual unveiling of events and feelings from that horrifying evening. Charlie’s psyche has blocked off the memories, so she undergoes an intense method of remembrance with her therapist, which I thought was a creative way of uncovering clues about the murders. It’s hard to say, through these sessions, what’s real and what’s imagined, making Charlie seem unstable and unreliable, adding to the tension. The midrange (25-75%) has the best action: schemes, secrets, desperate attempts to fix what’s about to happen or rearrange the past.

Hollander employs the setting with expertise, but of course, that might just be because it’s my home city. But there are plenty of references to NYC as a crazy, frustrating, complex, but ultimately fulfilling place. Charlie’s unease at the pace of life, but embracing of New York’s vibrant culture, pervades the novel. There’s a clear look at the publishing and journalism industries, complete with its rivalries and slights.

The mystery of what happened that night is exciting and scary, but I thought the slow obfuscation of facts made it hard to follow. There were a few switchbacks that threw me off too far. Although the timelines are spelled out (chapters are labeled “Then” and “Now”), keeping dates and people straight was difficult. Also, the set-up and resolution were, for my liking, much too long. A quick wrap-up of the mystery would have been great. Hollander does a great job creating psychological intrigue, so why not play to that strength? That said, even though I thought it could’ve been summarized faster, readers always want to know how things panned out for the protagonists.

In sum, this cleverly named novel is a good entry into the psychological thriller genre with an interesting female protagonist. Hollander’s got smash hit potential with her wit, dialogue, and prose.

Thank you to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for an advance review copy in exchange for an honest review. Everyone Who Can Forgive Me Is Dead gets published February 6, 2024.

Maybe not everyone. I don't feel like forgiving the main character for being so entitled and judgmental . I keep getting reminded of all those Brits on the internet who don't have any understanding of how large the United States is or how different. The narrator didn't do any better. Her "British/New York" accent is not. Her American accents were weird and distracting. I've been to every state but Alaska and couldn't figure out what she was going for. Not all Americans say "yer". And we don't need to have it pointed out every time something is called different things in different countries.

Still, I was interested in finding out what happened. I carried on. Honestly, I don't think I would have finished it if I hadn't been stuck with nothing to do, no internet to download another book, and a long wait. The characters are all pretty thin and forgettable. The story kind of dragged and I think that is because it was mislabeled as a thriller. It was more about how the MC was dealing with her grief. Except she is so unpleasant, so she wasn't relatable at all.

On to the story itself. There was a lot of running in circles in the middle and then a huge information dump at the end. And the part that everyone was so desperately worried about coming out would have been really easy to explain. There were some twists, I guess. Nothing that made the long trudge to the end worth it.

Everyone Who Can Forgive Me Is Dead is a heartbreaking book. I thought it would be more of a riveting thriller with flashbacks from a terrifying night on a college campus, but it was more of a devastating slow burn. I felt myself floating back to my college days with house-parties and intersecting friend groups. I could feel all the tension of unrequited love and contrasting personalities tiptoeing around each other.
I much preferred the past timeline to Charlie’s current day life in NYC, though. I felt sad at how horrible Charlie was to her fiancé and how cold and determined she was to focus only on her career. I felt irritated that she hadn’t handled &/or faced her memories from that horrible night. I also felt like “9 years later” wasn’t really enough. It felt strange that she’d so successfully erased herself from that life that wasn’t that far away in both time & distance.
Overall, though, this book was full of twists and flashbacks and character growth. I’d definitely recommend it.

This book was such a pleasant surprise. I was intrigued by the title and immediately got sucked it. Alluding to a terrible tragedy with the survivor unsure of her own memories, as a reader you're never left with a dull moment. You're by her side while she deals with PTSD and attempting to move forward, afraid of elevators and never letting her guard down, even when she's with her fiance. Not every author can write anxiety well, sometimes as a reader you're left frustrated, struggling to identify with the protagonist and what they're going through. That's not the case with this book. There were moments when my own heart was pounding. By the end of the book I felt like crying as Charlie worked to unwind what happened that night. I could see the events perfectly in my head (and would love to see this onscreen in some way).There were several twists I did not see coming that I loved. This book was the type that you put down and tell everyone about, which is what I'm doing here. You won't regret giving Charlie, and Jenny Hollander, your free time.

3.5/5 stars (rounded up to 4 on here)

Thank you NetGalley, Macmillan audio and Minotaur Books for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!
*
This was a debut novel and while this might not be my favorite debut novel this year, I am still excited to see what this author has for us in the future! I loved the dual timelines of the book and going back in time to see all the events that lead up the traumatic event that the FMC experienced back in college. I felt like this gave us such a good understanding of who the characters were back then and how the previous events have impacted them in the current events. I found myself questioning if I was trying to finish the book just so I could figure out what happened, or if I was really invested in the book because it felt slow at times. At least until the end where the ending felt a bit rushed. I wished the ending was flushed out a bit more because I do feel like there were parts of the book that were a lot of repeat and could have been taking out and added to the ending a bit more. However, I loved how the author portrayed the FMC with trauma and showing readers how trauma can affect people differently. Overall, it was still a book that I was invested in and could see people enjoying if they wanted a more lighter read that had some mystery and an unreliable narrator.

This book had so many things that I love in a thriller. Academia setting. Unreliable narrator. Dual timeline. Whodunnit mystery. Perfect recipe for a 5⭐️ for me. The lost memories trope felt like it went on just a touch too long so I deducted one star. The writing was great. There was a great small twist about 50% in that I didn’t see coming. I kind of had a feeling about the very final twist but I loved the build up to it. The secondary characters in this one are great! Especially in the epilogue too! Overall, I really liked this debut book. It hooked me from the first chapter and was a great quick read! I can’t wait to see what the author does next!

Read if you like:
▫️academia settings
▫️unreliable narrator
▫️intriguing twists
▫️satisfying conclusion

Wow! What a whirlwind of a debut from Jenny Hollander. I read probably 50-75 thrillers a year and it’s gotten hard to truly surprise me with twists, but I really didn’t see this one coming.

This dual timeline POV was a great way to present the narrator’s memory gaps in the traumatic “Scarlet Christmas” event that the novel revolves around. It allowed her processing of them in therapy in the present timeline to meet up with the actual event itself in the past timeline for a dramatic climax at the end that will make you want to start the book over to see if you can find the breadcrumbs!

Expertly woven and such a fun, twisty read! Thank you to NetGalley for this digital ARC.

I want to say thank you to Netgalley and Jenny Hollander for this advance copy.


Everyone Who Can Forgive Me Is Dead was one of the best thrillers I have read in a while. The other does a fantastic job at writing a main character who suffers from PTSD and is shaped by a tragic event.

Our main character, Charlie, is a British grad student who gets into her top-choice journalist school. Everything is going perfectly in her new life as a NYC resident till one tragic snowy night. This tragic event leads to trauma, causing her to have black holes in memory as well as severe PTSD. When the tenth anniversary approaches the news, one of her past colleagues is creating a movie, which plagues her.

Charlie has to decide what is more important: living her new life haunted by her past or facing the truth her mind is hiding from her. She knows she must stop the film from telling the truth she is afraid of being discovered- but who can she trust if she cannot trust her memories?

Overall, this was such a good read; I was on the edge of my seat throughout it. The ending was so unpredictable, and I enjoyed that aspect. I also enjoyed how the MC wasn't your typical brave fighter; she was terrified and plagued by her past. It gave a glimpse at how trauma can affect your memory and day-to-day life.

Charlie Colbert was a British grad student in NYC who survives "Scarlet Christmas" in her 20s. In her 30s, she is living the high life, editor of a fashion mag, and engaged to a publishing heir. Now someone wants to do a movie and dredge up her past. The premise of the book was good. I can even take an unreliable narrator; as after all, trauma has a way of blunting recall of 100% truth. But for a seemingly smart successful woman in therapy, she immediately turns into a weepy, booze guzzling, and benzo popping twit overnight. Seriously, who was prescribing this woman not one, not two, but three benzos (diazepam, lorazepam, and clonazepam)? What pharmacist was filling those scripts? There are state prescription monitoring programs for a reason! I just couldn't like such a sad sack female character, and I started hoping her past would put her out of my misery.

Overall, it was a decently written debut, and I would read a subsequent book from this author. But, I hope there is a stronger, smarter, and more loveable heroine for which to root for in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books for opportunity to read and review this ARC.

This was a really honest look at PTSD and how difficult it is to fight past trauma. It’s sort of a mystery thriller but I do think, if you’re looking solely for that, you may be bored with the heavy emphasis on mental health. I wasn’t; I like when books are realistic.

My only issue with the book is the characters in grad school read a little immature/young. I kept reading it as being set in college and I think that worked better.

Overall, 4.5 rounded up. It was compelling.

Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for this ARC of Everyone Who Can Forgive Me is Dead. British grad student Charlie gets in to her top choice journalist school, but pretty soon her NYC dreams are shattered by a traumatic experience. The trauma causes many black holes in her memory and she is dealing with the consequences as the 10 year anniversary approaches with news of a film based on the events. Charlie needs to stop the film from telling the truth she is afraid of being discovered- but who can she trust if she cannot trust her memories? This was such a fun book that kept me guessing and not ever sure who was telling the truth!

This didn’t really work for me. I liked the first half, and it kept me invested, but then it fell flat for me. I felt like the stakes felt higher than they actually were and the twists weren’t really earned. But I did really like the idea of this story and thought it was well written. Definitely check it out if you like dual timelines with an unreliable narrator.

This started off so strong. There was a great mysterious atmosphere, fantastic British narration, and a plot that was engaging. I had to know what happened on Scarlet Christmas and with Charlie’s involvement. The book was fast-paced, which kept me wanting to listen. I do feel like the ending was a bit convoluted and wish it hadn’t been so drawn out. Overall, it’s a popcorn thriller and can easily be read quickly.

I was sucked in from the very beginning. I wouldn't call it a thriller, per se, but it is an interesting mystery, and I felt compelled to find out what happened.

Scarlet Christmas - the worst day of Charlie's life. She can't remember what happened, but is trying, if only to stop new publicity from ruining her life. Told in alternating time lines THEN (before and during Scarlet Christmas) and NOW, this debut novel moves along and keeps you interested in the various characters actions and motivations.

"What if everything you know about the worst night of your life turns out not to be true?

Nine years ago, with the world's eyes on her, Charlie Colbert fled. The press and the police called Charlie a "witness" to the nightmarish events at her elite graduate school on Christmas Eve—events known to the public as "Scarlet Christmas"—though Charlie knows she was much more than that.

Now, Charlie has meticulously rebuilt her life: She's the editor-in-chief of a major magazine, engaged to the golden child of the publishing industry, and hell-bent on never, ever letting her guard down again. But when a buzzy film made by one of Charlie's former classmates threatens to shatter everything she's worked for, Charlie realizes how much she's changed in nine years. Now, she's not going to let anything—not even the people she once loved most—get in her way."

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books for the free ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed herein are my own.