So many things are uncovered throughout the plot that you DONT WANT TO PUT THIS DOWN and you NEVER are really sure what happened 9 years ago until the author wants you to know.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
WOW what a psychological thriller. I could not put it down.

I will say that I went into this with fairly high expectations based on the description - which was captivating - and after starting, I wasn't sure it was going to live up to expectations. STICK! WITH! IT! The second half of this book brings everything together and it is so satisfying!

It’s giving In My Dreams I Hold A Knife meets Final Girls Support Group, meets The Only Survivors? It’s got academia, it’s got a dual timeline, it’s got a mildly unreliable narrator (but for a legitimate reason), it’s got a tragedy with multiple layers and more than one person trying desperately to keep a secret. It has a few mildly predictable twists mixed with a twist or two that you don’t see coming (which is the best combination of twists, IMO).

Nearly a decade ago, Charlie Colbert was the key witness in a horrific event that left her and her friends wounded - and some dead.

With the ten year anniversary rapidly approaching, the media’s interest in the story - namely, in some gaps in timelines and unanswered questions - is being fervently renewed.

Charlie has made a point to distance herself not only from the tragedy but from the version of herself that survived it. Poised, polished, and ready to begin the rest of her life with her equally upstanding fiancé, she has no interest in reliving the events that shaped her all those years ago.

But someone close to the center of it all has a vested interest in telling the world what happened that night - almost as much of an interest as Charlie has in keeping them quiet.

And when it turns out that the people closest to her have been keeping secrets, too, Charlie only has so much time to get to the bottom of what she witnessed that Christmas Eve… before someone else does it first.

An impressive debut! Charlie is a survivor of what was called “Scarlet Christmas” because of the bloody scene that was found at the Carroll University where she attended for Journalism. Ambulances took the injured and the dead whereas Charlie walked away with no injuries. Because her brain is trying to protect her by not letting her remember exactly what happened, Charlie believes that she may have had something to do with the tragic events. Now, a “based on a true story” movie is being made for the ten year anniversary and Charlie is afraid of what lies she told might be uncovered. What lengths will Charlie go to so this movie never gets made? I was hooked from the first chapter and found it to be quite an interesting and entertaining page turner. I thank Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read and review this book.

*3.5 stars rounded up*

Thank you to St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books, and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A successful businesswoman has spent years trying to move on from her past - or at least, the parts of it she can remember - until an old classmate brings the events of Scarlet Christmas back to disrupt everything she's fought for.

The book is full of twists and turns, in a race against time for Charlie to figure out she was responsible for that bloody night (and find a way to cover it up, if need be). Charlie is a great unreliable narrator, and I loved the redemption arc she had despite how frustrating she could be at times! The overarching theme of redemption added a layer of complexity, which was appreciated. However, the ending fell a bit flat in terms of believability.

This thriller is a nail-biting ride from start to finish. Between flashbacks to Scarlet Christmas, plus the tension of the black hole of memory and the movie that could ruin everything in the present, we are presented with a well-rounded main character in Charlie. Her increasingly erratic behavior and determination to protect her family and safeguard her future were compelling to read about, and the conclusion was both emotional and satisfying.

This book had some really strong parts, alongside some parts that I just could not stay interested in. I really like the sections when Charlie is working with Noor to recall the memories her trauma locked away - it was like solving a puzzle , piece by piece, without looking at the design printed on it. Outside of this, there were sporadic moments that hooked my attention, but otherwise I found myself speed reading ahead or struggling to follow the point of the plot. It felt like there was a fair bit of fluff, some expendable characters, and a little too much going on that felt undeveloped.

The ending was just okay, for me. I’m not surprised by it, and the way it was revealed was lacklustre. It does raise interesting questions and thoughts around our memories, and the way they are largely unreliable; how this is both protective and a vulnerability - which Charlie’s story makes clear.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a chance to review this arc.

I went into this novel blind after receiving an ARC and it captivated me from the start. Charlotte (Charlie) is a successful editor in chief at a hot magazine and is about to marry a wealthy publishing magnate. But her past keeps coming back to haunt her. Her past that includes being a survivor of a college killing spree known as Scarlet Christmas. Charlie won’t talk about it. The trauma of that night has caused her mind to block out the events that she witnessed. She calls it a black hole. She has panic attacks when things remind her of the night. So she keeps herself in constant go-mode so she doesn’t have to think about it at all. Until she is forced to relive what really happened that fateful Christmas Eve and come to terms with her role in the murders.

This was a fun and suspenseful psychological thriller. A little suspense, mystery and drama, this was a solid debut novel.

Charlie has rediscovered herself nine years after the so called Scarlett Christmas. A horrific nightmare of an experience that she doesn’t remember much of other than her friends are dead, she was covered in blood, and considered a survivor/ victim. Now nine years later, someone wants to do a movie about the incident which brings back a flood of anxiety over what really happened.

This started out strong and fast paced with the suspense adding up about her lost memories and the real events of that frightful night but to me it kind of lagged in the middle. The ending was also a bit anticlimactic but we did get answers. Overall though it’s a solid psychological thriller for most of the story.

I think this would have been 4 stars if not for the ending. I loved the buildup, things kept getting a little crazier and crazier and I was really expecting to be blown away by how it all tied together. However I wasn’t.

It was a bit of a letdown with details seeming to be rushed. Still a very entertaining book though!

i enjoyed the dual timeline and charlie being an unreliable narrator, but this book felt kinda dull.

Good thriller, very compelling. A couple of the characters and relationships felt a bit undeveloped, but overall, loved it. Thank you NetGalley for this ARC

It was an enjoyable thriller/whodunnit story! Was a bit slow in the beginning, but it picked up in the middle for me. Definitely recommend!

This book was a WILD ride, and I actually ended up really enjoying it!

Thanks Netgalley for an opportunity to read an advanced galley of this delightful thriller/mystery 🔎

‘Everyone Who Can Forgive Me is Dead,’ by Jenny Hollander— REVIEW

College friends trying to live normal lives post ‘Scarlet Christmas’… It’s coming up on the ten year anniversary of the event that shaped their lives, but some things are still left unknown. Will a tell-all movie unveil secrets that have been hidden since the incident?

Final girl trope vibes (but not actually final girl trope) ✔️
Whodunnit ✔️
Dual timelines ✔️

I was riveted, invested, and actually surprised! I read 85% of this on a plane, and kept gasping and throwing my hands up. Let’s just say the strangers sitting around me must have been VERY confused about what I was reading…

Out in February!

I enjoyed this mystery/thriller. Dark academia is popular right now so I can see this being a hit when it releases. I did feel like it dragged a tiny bit toward the end but still really enjoyed it.

Loved the duel timelines..great characters that make you want to find out what happened.
Started off really slow for me took a few pick ups of the book but once into it was very enjoyable..the ending was just..wanted more of an ending.

Thanks to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for an early release of this book.

I'm not sure what I was expecting, I actually had low expectations, but this was more enjoyable than I thought it would be. I liked the premise, characters, and the twists. It definitely had a thrill element to it.

"Everyone Who Can Forgive Me Is Dead " was an enjoyable read. The cover is what initially caught my eye but the author's writing style held my attention throughout this book.

Things I enjoyed:
-The storyline had intriguing plot twists that had me questioning if I could rely on the narrator.
-The dual timeline (then and now) I think it added more depth to the plotline.
-A very complex FMC.

Overall I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading in the Mystery Thriller Genre.

Thank you Jenny Hollander, Net Galley and St. Martins Press - Minotaur Books for providing me with an ARC of this book.

This was a fun page-turner that kept me up late reading. I enjoyed the setting and the different characters. My one issue is that the ending felt a bit anticlimactic after such a tense buildup. But overall, this was a very entertaining book. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.