In summary ---generational trauma is a son of a bitch.

I have to give it up for my Asian sister, K.T. Nguyen for this AMAZING debut thriller. This had me spiraling along with Annie. But....let's back up.

Anh Le (Annie) is an artist, living with her husband and teen daughter. Annie's mother, a Vietnam War refugee, also lives on the property, however, the relationship between the two women has been contentious, at best.

After the sudden death of her mother, Annie's life starts to unravel. Her severe-OCD come back and she starts having dark visions in her mind that slowly have her questioning what is and what isn't. A wealthy patron disappears and the police are all up in her business. Then, on top of all of that, Annie starts to question her marriage. Does she even love the guy?

This is a story that people need to read themselves. There's too much going on for me to summarize fully without giving everything away. Nguyen's writing is detailed and engrossing and I truly can not wait to see what she does next.

YOU KNOW WHAT YOU DID is not your typical thriller. It's psychological horror mixed with domestic suspense. The beginning third, or so, introduces the characters and I love how you never quite know what's going on. (In general, I love books that keep me guessing.) The middle and final third go really fast as the more thriller-y plot-driven part takes over. Read this if you're in the mood for something offbeat and dark. Not for the faint of heart but so, so good.

Annie seems to have it all - a successful career, a cute doggy, a doting husband and a moody daughter. From the outside, she has an envious life, but behind closed doors, she struggles with OCD. Triggered by the recent death of her mother, Annie’s obsessive disorder roars back to life, bigger and badder than ever, causing the ultimate unreliable narrator.

One of her clients is murdered and Annie was one of the last people to see her alive. Then, more bodies turn up. Now matter how much Annie tries to remember, the fuzzy details refuse to come to light and Annie soon becomes a suspect, especially with that one time in Hong Kong that she never talks about.

I enjoyed this story. It was fresh, original and kept me turning the pages into the night. Annie was a fascinating person to root for because I didn’t know whether I was rooting for a killer, or someone who was in the wrong place at the wrong time… several times. One is a coincidence, but two? Three? But her story was not black and white and I was enthralled by her and needed to know her truth. If you’re on the hunt for a fast paced story with a narrator, who is nuanced and relatable, give this story a chance, then let’s discuss that ending.

Annie "Anh Le" Shaw seems to be living the American dream - a devoted husband, a daughter, a home and a career.
However, her childhood with her Vietnam War refugee mother was anything but normal. When her mother dies,
Annie's OCD comes back, leaving her with memory lapses and unable to separate real happenings from
delusions. Is she a killer? When the truth comes out, the most important thing is to keep her daughter safe.
A book that will have one turning the pages until the end.
#YouKnowWhatYouDid #NetGalley

You Know What You Did started off really strong with an immediate dive into death (possible murder) and false memories. As the story progressed though, I enjoyed the small horror takes but the story began to slow down for me. Typically I enjoy fast paced thrillers, which is why this one fell a bit short for me but still a great psychological thriller (heavy on the psychological). If you enjoy slow burn and mess with your mind stories, you will definitely enjoy this one, 3⭐️ Trigger warnings for multiple mental health mentions.

Thank you to Dutton for providing me with an advanced reader’s copy of the title via NetGalley.

I feel so conflicted on this book and decided my review is I felt very middle of the road toward it. I wanted to like it more than I did, but I found myself figuring out the ending and then just waiting for it to happen and speed up. I thought the author did a great job of bringing OCD and paranoia to life but I felt all the characters had moral issues and I didn’t really connect or enjoy any of them. I can easily see how others would enjoy this one even more.

I didn’t care for this at first. The characters were not very likable and it seemed like a dark, gross and depressing story. But as Annie’s mind became more fractured, bizarre things began to happen. It was hard to tell Annie’s “fact from fiction” and I wanted to know what was going on. In the end, I stayed up very late to finish it because I couldn’t stop reading.
Advanced reader copy courtesy of the publishers at NetGalley for review.

I really tried to give this book a chance. I first considered dnfing around 25% but I decided not to give up so soon. Finally at 64% I dnfed. The plot progression is so painstakingly slow. I was bored.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced eARC.

I could not get into this book. It was a struggle to get past the beginning. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

While this book covered many important topics and was well-written, it overall was just not for me. I appreciated the way the author covered difficult topics from OCD to being a Vietnam War refugee to the complicated relationships between mothers and daughters. The characters were generally unlikable but I enjoyed the way the reader was left questioning whether the Annie was a reliable narrator or not. The book was quite long and became repetitive and a bit outlandish at different parts. Some of the deaths in the book were too upsetting for my taste. If you enjoy books where you question who can be trusted, you may enjoy this read!

Thank you to NetGalley and Dutton Books for this eArc in exchange for my honest review!

I'm sorry I just could not get into this book. It was all over the place and I could not stay engaged, I had to push myself to finish it.

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Group, Dutton for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

This book was just not it for me. There are a lot of reasons why, but I think I’ll set this review up as a what I liked/what I didn’t like format.

LIKED:
- I think Nguyen did a remarkable job forcing readers into the headspace of someone living with contamination/disgust based OCD. It was so uncomfortable being inside Annie’s head; I felt frustrated because I knew I couldn’t rely on her depiction of events, but was so embedded into her thought process that it was hard to see things clearly.
- The overall concept was cool. I liked the idea of a Vietnam war survivor struggling to make a new life in a new country after losing basically everything, and the exploration of how that could manifest mental illness.

MISSES:
- Wow, the teenage daughter was repulsive. As someone who has worked with teens for 10 years, I just could not handle what a rude, thoughtless jerk the 15-year-old daughter was…and how her parents basically just excused it nonstop or blamed it on the mother’s mental instability. Absolutely not. Me and that kid would have been having lots of touchy-feely heart-to-hearts to unpack why she was so hateful.
- Dialogue, in general, was really cringey. The way people spoke was just not natural a lot of the time, to the point where it was distracting (and sometimes funny.)
- The pacing is all over the place. It was hard to follow some events. Parts of the book were really repetitive. The last third of the book felt really disconnected from the rest of it.
- The twist at the ending was not a good payoff for me. It felt really outlandish and almost cartoonishly evil. That’s just not my taste when it comes to a thriller.

All that said, I dislike a lot of thrillers (despite loving the genre!!!) and could see this working well for fans of Lisa Jewell, Ruth Ware, and Alice Feeney.

I am super grateful to the publisher for allowing me early access to this novel & all of the opinions in this review are my own.

Thank you Dutton for inviting me to review this novel! I appreciate the depth given to the main character (annie) in terms of themes on immigration, intergenerational trauma, mental health, and grief; a deft writing style allows these features to be a part of character in ways that help develop and enhance a twisty plot. This is a read worth sticking with if you find the start slow, the story does move faster later in the book and the exploration of suspense, mystery, and character details come together for a fast paced conclusion!

A novel that captures the complications of the mother-daughter relationship. Annie’s own mother has just passed away, the intro setting up a link between the two for a secret her mother concealed for her daughter, hence the title that constantly haunts Annie. Even though that seems like a complicated relationship, the one between Annie and her own daughter is apparent to mirror the same. So do we ultimately just become our mother? What a scary thought

A twisty thriller that kept me intrigued the whole time. The author has in depth details and descriptions, leaving the reader guessing what is real or not. The first half of the book felt more literary, exploring generational trauma and mental health. This thriller part doesn’t really pick up till the back half. But that’s part of the reason I enjoyed it. Please have trigger warnings on this one.

Nope this wasn’t for me didn’t care for it didn’t finish to predictable. Thank you NetGalley for your advanced copy

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House/Dutton for the ARC in exchange for my review.

This is a debut novel that really did keep me guessing. Trigger warning-this book deals with OCD in a couple of different forms. There was a lot going on in this one. There are childhood flashbacks to Annie’s past with her mother as well as some from her mother’s perspective. These help to unfold the story, but I do felt this could’ve been slightly shorter. At almost 400 pages, some parts felt a bit repetitive. Annie is definitely as unreliable narrator and with some crazy stuff going on, you never know quite what to believe. The twist at the end I honestly didn’t see coming then was kicking myself for not seeing it sooner! @ktnguyen_author covers not only OCD, but mother/daughter relationships, marital relationships and that of Vietnam refugees-all in a book filled with missing bodies and murder! This comes out April 16th, so definitely check it out!

You Know What You Did is a thriller told in a single-person POV by Vietnamese American Artist Annie Shaw. In the beginning, she seems to have a pretty decent life with her career, dog, husband, and daughter. When her mother dies, things start to fall apart pretty quickly for Annie. The story dives into the struggles of Annie's past and present, battling OCD, generational trauma, and emotional abuse. A further look into the story reveals none of her relations left her with any support. I found this story to be a little confusing initially and had a pretty slow start. I did rate this 3.5 stars, rounding up to 4. The story picks up about the halfway point and does have a nice twist at the end.

Thank you, NetGalley and Dutton Books, for providing me with an e-copy in exchange for my honest review.

Annie's life goes from having it all to doing anything she can to protect her daughter. It all starts when her mother suddenly dies. Her OCD comes back and things she didn't think were real are happening. Annie becomes the center of a police investigation and more and more incomprehensible things keep happening to Annie. Or is she doing them to herself...

First off, thank you NetGalley and Penguin Group, Dutton for granting me access to this book in exchange for an honest review.

Navigating the unsettling world of psychological horror, "You Know What You Did" delivers a chilling, harrowing narrative that unfolds with a slow burning intensity. Exploring themes of OCD and the enduring impact of generational mental disorders, this debut thriller immerses readers in a deeply disturbing journey. I would categorize this as more of a mystery rather than a twisty and unpredictable thriller.

The author skillfully crafted characters and infused their experiences with raw emotions, which truly enhances the story. However, the first half of the book dragged, and the loss of the beloved dog was particularly heart-wrenching. It left me questioning if I could endure further. Fortunately, the narrative gained momentum, compelling me to continue as I sought resolution. Although the ending felt somewhat foreseeable, it remained a gratifying conclusion. Personally, I rated it a solid three stars, but I recognize that others may find it more appealing. Therefore, I urge readers not to rely solely on my review when considering this book ⭐️⭐️⭐️.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an E-ARC of You Know What You Did. I found the pacing of this book a bit slow, I read about half of it before I decided not to finish.