This was an enjoyable read. The narrator may be unreliable, the atmosphere is totally creepy, and there are little plot reveals all along the way. Just when you think you know what happened the night of ‘Scarlet Christmas,’ there will be a twist or reveal that turns it all upside down. This was an engrossing page-turner and a nice debut for Jenny Hollander.

This book has a very slow start. You don't get much information until a bit later in the book.
I found myself not caring about any of the characters and when everything was finally revealed it was just meh.
Not really anything I didn't like or had a huge problem with so I'd say this is just an average thriller.
Thank you to the publisher for the copy.

3.5 I definitely don’t have very strong feelings about this one unfortunately. The plot was dramatic and juicy but our main character was terribly frustrating for a lot of the time. She is panicking and paranoid for the majority of the book, which is understandable, but it wasn’t my favorite perspective to be in. I thought the unfolding of events leading up to present day was interesting and I had no problem picking the book back up. This just maybe didn’t feel very memorable in the long run, but was entertaining in the short term!!

This was such an amazing story! I loved Charlie and the entire cast. The writing was beautiful and ominous which made it so immersive for me. The way the alternate timelines were presented was really unique and i loved how they complimented and contrasted one another!

Everyone Who Can Forgive Me Is Dead was a miss for me. At about 25% I debated whether I should continue but I was still intrigued enough I decided to see where it was headed. Unfortunately it didn’t pick up for me and I should have just stopped this one when I felt it. The story felt too similar to too many other thrillers I’ve read and I think I’ll quickly forget it entirely. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the free audiobook and ebook to review.

I just finished reading "Everyone Who Can Forgive Me Is Dead" and it was a fantastic book to kick off the new year! The characters are all unique, but Charlie stands out as the main character with her originality and coping mechanisms.

The story follows Charlie as she navigates through the present timeline while having flashbacks that lead up to the tragic event on Christmas Eve, where several college students lost their lives. The writing is brilliant as the author slowly feeds us information in alternate timelines. In the present, Charlie is seen as a successful survivor who is engaged to Tripp, the son of a wealthy and influential family of publishers. The second timeline is Charlie's therapy sessions, which are extremely intriguing. Her therapist is trying to retrieve buried memories leading up to the event, and they come out as a slow drip of intense flashbacks. I chose to listen to the audiobook, and the narrator keeps the story engaging.

Overall, it is a pleasure to discover such a talented new author! I would like to thank Macmillan Audio for providing this complimentary audiobook through NetGalley. As always, all opinions are my own and are left voluntarily.

#EveryoneWhoCanForgiveMeIsDead #JennyHollander #MacmillanAudio #Debut #Minotaur #NetGalley #ARC #ReadersOfTheLateArc #TalkWordyToMe #UpcomingRelease #HonestReview #JustFinished #ComingSoon #ThrillerBookLoverPromotions ThrillerFriendsUnite #ThrillerObsessedBookishClub #LoveToRead #BookAddict #Bookstagrammer #BookReels #LoveBooks #ThrillerBookLovers #BookReview #SMPinfluencers #stmartinspress

this one was such a ride!! I binged it in the span of one night, and I still am confused about the wild ride I went on 🧐 it gave all of the luckiest girl alive vibes with an added twist at the end

charlie has all but forgotten about the worst night of her life, when she survived the “scarlet christmas” aka a massacre at her university in new york. but now, a classmate is drudging up the entire event all over again when she decides to make a movie about the event. and I … really didn’t care about any of it?

I just felt super disjointed from the story going back and forth between charlie’s current life and her recalling her past with her therapist. it didn’t feel like a normal dual timeline and instead forced the reader into the memories versus allowing it to happen organically.

and charlie herself was a world class narcissist 🤪 she truly pushed away everyone who truly loved and cared about her without a moment’s thought, while simultaneously convincing herself that she’s the key to solving the mystery. if she just took five seconds and talked to others, she would have found out the truth instead of speculating events 😕

a big thank you to minotaur for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

rating: 3 stars
wine pairing: dry creek zinfandel

Charlotte Colbert appears to have a charmed life. She is the editor-in-chief of C, a magazine supplement of The Chronicle, the nation's fourth largest newspaper. She is in love and engaged to marry Tripp Goodman West, a very wealthy and charismatic member of a publishing family. Charlotte has worked hard, and is proud of her accomplishments; she is also a survivor of a tragic and traumatic incident that took place when she was a journalist major at Carroll University of Journalism.. She has also worked hard to heal and move on, as best as she is able, however ithe 10th anniversary is approaching and one of the students wants to make a "tell all" film to set the record straight. Charlotte has refused all opportunities to talk about the tragedy and adamantly opposes the making of the film. Everyone Who Can Forgive Me Is Dead is a thought provoking and well crafted novel. It explores the effects of tragedy on the involved as well as those close to them, the commitment it takes to recover and the long lasting healing that must take place.. it's also a suspense filled story that I thoroughly enjoyed- a very good read.
Thank you to NetGalley, Minotaur Books, St. Martin's Press and the author, Jenny Hollander for the opportunity to read an ARC in exchange for this candid review.

This is such a twisty story. I had all these assumptions in the beginning but as the story progressed I realized I was wrong. It is ultimately a story about a gal who is damaged and trying to cope. I loved it.

Everyone Who Can Forgive Me Is Dead started off very slow, but it ended up surprising me in a good way. Around the midway mark, I was invested and eager to find out what actually happened. While the bulk of the characters are unlikable, I think that worked well with the plot line. I will say, the main character, Charlie, was incredibly annoying; however, I've never experienced the level of trauma that she has so it's hard to really form an opinion on her or her actions.

The main things I liked:
- I did like how the story was wrapped up in regards to Charlie (though albeit a little too perfectly).
- One thing that stood out to me that I really appreciated was the fact that Charlie and Cate bought sought the help they needed through professional services.

The main things I didn't love:
- The revelations regarding what happened on "Scarlet Christmas" did fall a bit flat. I think I was expecting something a bit more shocking. As such, I do feel that the actual events probably could have been predicted had I not been expecting something different.
- Charlie's fiance Tripp. They seemed more to be roommates than lovers.
- It took a bit too long for something to "happen."
- I very strongly disliked Steph. She was horrible and there didn't really seem to be any growth there.

Overall, I would give this one 3.5/5 stars. Thank you to Minotaur and Netgalley for an e-arc in exchange or an honest review. All opinions are my own!

🤫 M Y S T E R I O U S ❓ M O N D A Y 🤐 featuring “Everyone Who Can Forgive Me is Dead” by Jenny Hollander!

BOOK REVIEW: 🖤🖤🖤🖤/5

Nine years ago, a BRUTAL nightmare happened at an elite graduate school on Christmas Eve. The murderous events that took place were dubbed the “Scarlet Christmas”.

Charlotte (Charlie) Colbert was a witness to the events and what happened to her friends. She never spoke out publicly about what happened and she fled from the school and her friends. Now in present days, with the 10th anniversary of Scarlet Christmas approaching, Charlie finds out that a movie about that night is in the works. One of her former classmates has “new information” and wants the world to know the full truth about what happened.

Charlie begins to completely SPIRAL ... after years of therapy and trying to move past the horror of that night and being harassed by journalists and paparazzi … she knows deep down that she cannot go through this again. And she must do everything in her power to stop production on this movie. AND the truth from surfacing.

THIS BOOK 🤯!! It touches on SO many things and is an intense psychological suspense story! The unreliable narrator faces such crippling effects of trauma, anxiety so debilitating that her body shuts down and gut punching twists and turns that totally shatter her world. This stunning debut novel is a mix of dark academia, mystery and suspense and I am HERE FOR IT!

Thank you kindly to @jennyhollander @stmartinspress @minotaur_books @netgalley for my advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest reviews! This book releases on February 6, 2024!

Thank you to NetGalley for and advanced digital copy of this book.

What do you do when you are attending graduate school in a strange country, with a large group of friends, drinking buddies and fellow students, and something horrible happens? What do you do when you were right in the middle of the horrible happening, but you can't EXACTLY remember what happened?

Well, Charlotte "Charlie" Colbert gets out of the school, arranges to finish her degree online, and reinvents herself. Now, almost ten years later, she is the editor-in-chief of a very successful magazine, which she has almost single-handedly rescued from the ashes. Oh, yes, and she is also engaged to marry the oldest son of a prominent, and VERY wealthy, publishing family. So why isn't she happy? Why does she have nightmares? And why can't she remember what actually happened that night?

When one of her former classmates announces there will be a movie recreating that night, set to premiere on the tenth anniversary, Charlie loses it. She decides she HAS to find out what happened. Why does she have that black hole in her memory? But does she REALLY want to remember? She has a feeling she may have been more involved than she remembers. In fact, she thinks she MAY have committed two of the three murders that night.

Working with her therapist, she begins to relive those days so long ago, but she is not sure what she is "remembering" is real. And her fiance gives her some news she is not prepared to handle. And all the publicity has stirred up the press to harass her parents and sister back in England.

Getting to the bottom of what actually happened is not easy, and it is not an easy read. Sometimes I felt like I was having a bad dream, too!! The story is good, and it is compelling. I didn't want to quit reading, but I wanted it to just move along a little faster.

This is about a young woman named Charlie who was one of the victims/survivors of the "Scarlet Christmas".

She doesn't remember what happened that night, she blacked out, but she lied to the police when she gave her statement. Now it's a decade later and her new and shiny life being a NY editor and engaged to a man from a prominent family is at risk when she finds out a movie is being made about the event.

Charlie is worried about internet sleuths and other obsessed parties putting together the missing pieces of the night and finding out that Charlie lied. The problem is, Charlie still doesn't remember what happened, so this book is her present day confusion coupled with flashbacks, guided by her therapist to unearth her trauma.

This thriller has every element I enjoy typically with an unreliable narrator, past and present timelines, a narrator with secrets.

Even though I found the writing to be choppy and I was constantly confused, the twists were good, I was surprised by one or two things, but ultimately this wasn't the mind-blowing thriller I was fully hoping for.

Thank you St. Martins Press for my ARC of this one in exchange for my review.

"Everyone Who Can Forgive Me Is Dead" by Jenny Hollander presents a psychological thriller that weaves a tale of secrets, trauma, and the consequences of a haunting past. While the novel has its gripping moments and a compelling premise, there are certain aspects that leave it falling slightly short, earning it a three-star rating.

The story follows Charlie Colbert, who, nine years ago, fled from the traumatic events at her elite graduate school known as "Scarlet Christmas." Labeled a witness by the press and police, Charlie has since rebuilt her life, becoming the editor-in-chief of a major magazine and engaged to a prominent figure in the publishing industry. However, when a film made by a former classmate threatens to expose her past, Charlie is forced to confront the changes in herself and the potential unraveling of the life she has carefully constructed.

One of the strengths of the novel lies in its exploration of trauma and the impact of past events on the protagonist's psyche. The author delves into Charlie's complex emotions and the ways in which she has coped with the trauma over the years. The portrayal of Charlie's struggle to maintain control over her life is both poignant and relatable.

The narrative unfolds with a mix of present-day events and flashbacks, gradually revealing the details of Scarlet Christmas. However, the execution of this storytelling technique, while intriguing, occasionally results in a disjointed flow. Some readers may find the transitions between timelines challenging to follow, affecting the overall coherence of the plot.

While the premise holds promise, the characters, including Charlie, may come across as emotionally distant and difficult to connect with on a deeper level. The engagement with secondary characters feels limited, and their motivations are not always fully fleshed out, leaving certain relationships underdeveloped.

The suspense and tension build gradually throughout the story, and the novel succeeds in keeping readers intrigued about the unraveling mystery. However, the resolution of certain plot points may feel abrupt, and some readers may have hoped for a more satisfying and conclusive ending.

In conclusion, "Everyone Who Can Forgive Me Is Dead" offers a psychological thriller with a compelling premise and moments of emotional resonance. While the exploration of trauma and the consequences of the past is noteworthy, the novel falls short in terms of character depth and narrative cohesion, warranting a three-star rating. It may appeal to readers who enjoy psychological mysteries but may leave others seeking a more tightly woven and emotionally resonant storytelling experience.

3.5⭐️
9 years ago, Charlie was a witness to a traumatic event at her graduate school. Also known to the public as “Scarlet Christmas”.
Now she has a great job, super rich finance and keeps her guard up. But when she finds out a former classmate is going to release a film about the event for the ten year mark, she panics. Because she didn’t tell the truth about that night and she must stop this film from happening to save her and her family.
Charlie is an unreliable narrator and she definitely keeps truths to herself. The actual traumatic event is withheld until the end. So it kept me up reading until very late at night because I HAD to know. But once we find out and a few twists were thrown in, I was left with a “that’s it?” feeling.
I still really enjoyed this book and will definitely recommend it to others for a psychological suspense read. It certainly kept me up needing to know the truth.

This is about a young woman named Charlie who was one of the victims/survivors of the "Scarlet Christmas". She doesn't remember what happened that night, she blacked out, but she lied to the police when she gave her statement. Now it's a decade later and her new and shiny life being a NY editor and engaged to a man from a prominent family is at risk when she finds out a movie is being made about the ordeal. Charlie is worried about internet sleuths and other obsessed parties putting together the missing pieces of the night and finding out Charlie lied. The problem is, Charlie still doesn't remember what happened, so this book is her present day confusion coupled with flashbacks, guided by her therapist to unearth her trauma.

I don't understand what went wrong with this book? It has every element I enjoy. Potential unreliable narrator, past and present timelines, a narrator with secrets, some mild romance, and murder. However, the writing style wasn't enjoyable for me. Pair that with a really bad audiobook with a narrator attempting so many different accents and trying to be breathy at the same time, and I did not enjoy this experience.

Even though I found the writing to be choppy and I was constantly confused (especially over audio, the dialogue would jump from person to person without a break in between), I didn't DNF this. I was still intrigued and invested in the story because with a tragedy called "Scarlet Christmas" and all of the other elements, I really wanted to know what the twists would be. The twists were okay, I was surprised by one or two things, but ultimately this wasn't mind-blowing.

I wish this author the best of luck and I hope I don't deter people from reading this with my honest opinion, but the writing was not for me...at all. I think this story had so much potential, but I just didn't enjoy it in the end.

Thank you NetGalley, St. Martins Press, and Macmillan audio for the ARCs and ALC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion. This publishes on 2/6/24.

The narration of the book is fantastic. And Charlie’ voice was so easy to collapse into. Its an immersive and effortless to read. Soon the words disappeared and I saw the action playing out in front of me in rich detail.

A page turner. I read it in one sitting. Murder on campus, very suspenseful. I enjoyed the twists as well. I found Charlie’s character to be believable and her sister was adorable. Great read.

When Charlotte ‘Charlie’ Colbert was a young, impressionable twenty-three year old just starting her graduate degree in journalism, her world was rocked off of its foundation. Supposedly just a mere witness, the life-altering events that took place on Christmas Eve at her crème de la crème university, have left Charlie scarred by the past. It took everything she had to get through the aftermath of what the country coined ‘Scarlet Christmas.’ Especially given that she knows she was so much more than just a spectator, which is a fact she’s worked hard to keep hidden.

Now nine years after that fateful, blood-soaked night, Charlie has worked her way up to editor-in-chief of a glamorous magazine and is engaged to the heir of a major publishing house. With a thicker skin and quite the reputation to protect, Charlie is adamant that no one will ever be able to get through her defenses again. Especially once she learns of a new movie set to be filmed. Based on the events of the worst night of her life, Charlie knows she can’t let it go ahead. She simply has too much to lose. No matter the cost, she will stop the film in its tracks—even if it means more blood must be spilled.

Everyone Who Can Forgive Me Is Dead was quite the slow burn psychological suspense novel. Not exactly a thriller, in my humble opinion, it was nevertheless a startling exposé on grief and trauma. Complete with several shocking twists and a top-notch unreliable narrator, this compelling debut from Jenny Hollander was a solid read for this mystery lover.

The strongest piece to this puzzle of a plot were certainly the dynamic characters—especially Charlie herself. Taut and beautifully written, her fragile state was perfectly crafted. From debilitating anxiety to life-altering dissociation, Charlie’s mental health drove the storyline for much of the book. Don’t get me wrong, there were plenty of well guarded secrets and underhanded motivations, but the characters were easily the star, as the rest of the cast were also simply sublime.

As for that plot, around halfway through I was utterly floored by what I thought would be a game-changing twist. Sadly, however, it didn’t quite lead anywhere in the end. Even the perfectly set up climax was somewhat of a let down when it too was less than I expected. Just the same, Charlie’s unraveling and the much hinted at mysterious history kept me gladly turning the pages until the final conclusion, which had me smiling with glee.

My biggest issue with the story, however, was the very format itself. Told via dual timelines of then and now with the focus primarily on the latter, I personally thought it could’ve been a much stronger novel if the emphasis had been on the former. With constantly building foreboding and mania for days, I would have much preferred to see the events taking place live, so to speak, instead of them coming across as rather flat, all said and done.

Still, it was quite the gripping novel. Starting with a bang with an attention-grabbing prologue that promised one heck of a plot, the poignant exploration of trauma was a serious hole in one. On top of that, the tension I could feel seemed to raise the stakes as the plot continued to unfold, making me race through the pages to learn the truth of what happened that fateful night. In the end, while it wasn’t necessarily perfect, I enjoyed this book wholeheartedly and look forward to seeing what Hollander writes in the future. Rating of 3.5 stars.

Everyone Who Can Forgive Me Is Dead is Jenny Hollander's debut suspense novel, and I think she did a wonderful job. I will admit, the premise of the story itself - that being a violent event at a picturesque university where students die - did not intrigue me much, as I had read many suspense books like it before. However, the way in which Scarlet Christmas was portrayed to the reader was clever and unlike other books in this niche of the genre. Not only was I trying to guess who the culprit was, but for a while, I was also guessing who the three victims even were and how it all happened. Hollander gives bits and pieces of the story away as our protagonist uncovers her repressed memories of the event, bringing us on the wild ride with her. When the twist(s) were finally revealed, I was impressed because the thought did not even cross my mind. I was guessing until the reveal, which is a sign that the plot had me captivated.

I will say, I was not fond of the protagonist or the characters in general. I feel like they had little substance, and that for many, their only distinguishing characteristic was what kind of accent they had. I did love Charlie's sister, though, and the Down Syndrome representation in the novel. I also appreciated Charlie's humour and inner monologue. There were some tongue-in-cheek remarks and jokes that had me smirking while I read.

All in all, I think that this was a wonderful debut from Hollander and, despite some areas for improvement, she has the solid workings of a thriller writer and I cannot wait to see what she writes next!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an electronic advanced copy of Everyone Who Can Forgive Me Is Dead by Jenny Hollander. All thoughts and opinions are my own and are not influenced by any third parties.