You Know What You Did is a thriller that delves into OCD, generational trauma, and emotional abuse. Vietnamese American Artist Annie Shaw seems to have a good life with her husband and daughter. But shortly after her mother dies, things seem to fall apart. Annie's unraveling is relentless and at times it was hard to read her struggles. As Annie becomes a suspect in the disappearance of a well know art patron, we are left, along with Annie, to try and figure out what happened and if she had a role in the events. Annie is an unreliable narrator in the present, but it is the disturbing events of her past, as well, that were gripping. Annie's relationship with her mother, who was a Vietnam War refugee as incredibly fraught. All of Annie's relationships are complicated and seem to leave her with no support.

I was caught by surprise at the twists and the ending. The story provides a remarkable portrayal of a woman who has been left with little to hold onto.

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

Thanks for the opportunity to read and review this book before publication. My review will post to my blog on April 11, 2024. I will also post a featured review to Instagram that day and post my review to Goodreads, The Storygraph and retail sites as well.

Review:
If you've followed me on Bookstagram, my podcast, or my blog for any length of time, you know that I tend to gravitate toward thrillers - the twistier, the better. This is a blessing in that there is no shortage of thrillers out there, but it's also a curse in that after a while, I get burned out, and it seems that nothing shocks me. I think I may be in a bit of a thriller slump because this is the second book that got me really excited based solely on the synopsis but left me feeling a little underwhelmed by the time I finished it.

"You Know What You Did" follows Annie "Anh Le" Shaw, a first-generation Vietnamese American artist who seems to have it all - a successful career, a beautiful home, and a loving family. However, when Annie's mother, a Vietnam War refugee, passes away suddenly, her carefully constructed life begins to unravel. Annie suffers from OCD - specifically disgust-driven/fear of contamination where everything seems dirty and disgusting, and she can't seem to get clean enough. Her OCD has been under control for a while thanks to therapy and medication, but after her controlling and abusive mother passes away, Annie finds her OCD coming back.

Not only is Annie dealing with the death of her mother, but she's also experiencing some trouble in her marriage, and her relationship with her teenage daughter is rocky at best. When a woman whom Annie has been working on commissioned art pieces for is found dead, Annie finds herself at the center of the investigation. She is sure she had nothing to do with the woman's death, but then again, there have been times in her life when she has blacked out - could this be one of those times?

As Annie's OCD worsens and more weird and unexplainable things begin to happen, Annie can't help but wonder if someone is out to get her and if that someone might be the spirit of her dead mother. Things are further complicated when Annie wakes up in a hotel room, naked and next to the lifeless body of a man. With her mind fragmented and the police closing in on her, Annie is faced with a desperate need to protect herself and her relationships at all costs.

Nguyen's writing expertly captures the complexities of Annie's character as she grapples with the resurgence of her obsessive-compulsive disorder and the disturbing fixations that plague her mind. The author suffers from the same condition, so she knows firsthand the complexities of this type of OCD. I was both fascinated and frustrated by Annie's condition. I can't imagine having to live with something like that.

Nguyen also does a great job of taking a deep look at the experience of refugees, the lasting impact of trauma, and the unbreakable bonds between mothers and daughters. Annie had a turbulent childhood and has vowed that she will never treat her daughter the way her mother treated her, but when old wounds are opened, and her relationship with her daughter gets even more strained, it's difficult for her not to revert to known behavior. Nguyen's depiction of Annie's struggles with her identity, her heritage, and her mental health is both poignant and thought-provoking, adding layers of depth to the story.

While this novel covered some important and interesting topics, I also felt it was lacking in some areas. There were scenes that seemed to drag too long, and at times, Annie's OCD struggles seemed to take precedence over the forward movement of the plot. I felt like we had a pretty good idea of what Annie was struggling with and some of the lengthy descriptions of her struggles could have been shortened or omitted later in the book to help keep a steadier pace. There were also a few "b" plots that could have been omitted (for example, Annie's friend's cheating husband storyline felt unnecessary to the overall plot). I also didn't find any of the twists or reveals particularly shocking. If you follow true crime at all, it's pretty easy to peg what is going on fairly early in the book. I liked how it all ended, but again - it wasn't particularly shocking.

Overall, I liked the book, but I didn't love it. I enjoyed the OCD aspect and most of the characters; I just felt like it all could have been a little tighter. While I wasn't surprised by the big final reveal, I think lovers of mysteries will enjoy this one.

When a story is being told from a single POV and that person happens to be unstable, I absolutely love it. Meet Annie, who has OCD, PTSD, anxiety, with a touch of pathological liar thrown in. And she has truly earned each illness the hard way. Her childhood, her mother, the recent death of an acquaintance, and being a suspect of said death. But she’s worked hard and turned her life around.
In the process, she discovers a new strength in herself: the desire to be with someone she’s attracted to instead of the boring love life she has with her “sort of a schmuck” husband. She has affairs when her husband is traveling for work. She’s feeling independent, strong, and considering how to leave her husband when she wakes up next to her dead lover. Not just dead, but covered in venomous spider bites dead. Here's where the roller coaster really hits the big hills and valleys!
With a twisty plot, colorful characters, and a guessing game of events, K.T. Nguyen is establishing her place as an up-and-coming author. Keep writing, please! Love this debut novel.
Thanks so much to Penguin Group Dutton for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. The publishing date is April 16, 2024.

Love the suspense and drama to this read! I enjoyed it! There are some triggering topics like OCD so be mindful if this is something that would affect you.

She is a master queen of Psychological Thrillers. This book had me addicted from the start! It was so intense that I could not wait to see the twist. She knows how to deliver the breath taking, draw dropping twist that we all know and love and never expect the ending. I believe this book is her best one yet but I say that everytime I read one of her books. Thank you for allowing me to read your book in advance.

Dawn Angels

This book definitely picks up in the last third. It’s a little slow to start. Overall, I enjoyed it.

You Know What You Did is a creepy, difficult-to-follow thriller with an extremely surprising ending. The difficulty to follow seems to reflect the deterioration and persistent OCD of the major character as she spirals seemingly out of control and apparently on a killing spree. Parts of the story were grim and in retrospect, very sad as the truth is revealed.

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group Dutton for the opportunity to read this ARC.

You Know What You Did follows Annie as she tries to deal with her mother’s death, mange her worsening OCD, and understand all the unexplainable things happening in her life. The first part of the book I honestly didn’t know where it was going with the story! Seeing Annie experience OCD in such detail was very intense, but it really added to the story. I read this pretty quickly because I really wanted to see how it turned out. Amazing debut, and I will definitely read more from K. T. Nguyen.

Thank you Dutton and NetGalley for the digital ARC in exchange for my review.

Publishing April 16, 2024

The story was good but could be a little repetitive at times.. I stuck it out and I really didn’t expect the twist at end! I would recommend this book for those who enjoy guessing to the end.

Anh Le (Annie Shaw) has a seemingly perfect life: a wonderful husband, a beautiful home, and a teenage daughter. But Annie is not handling her mother’s recent passing very well. The relationship between them was tenuous at best, and in her final stages, Mẹ, a hoarder, barely let her into the carriage house Duncan had renovated for her use. To make matters worse, Annie and Duncan’s teenaged daughter Tabby is acting very much her age, and Annie’s OCD seems to be spiraling, and there are blank spots in her memory. The stress and frustration mount; Duncan leaves, frustrated at Annie for long-term work in Syria as a war correspondent and Tabby for equestrian camp. The resultant freedom from familial and relationship constraints don’t help as much as add to the isolation, and as the pieces continue to crumble from the facade she’s built of her life, Annie finds herself under investigation for a murder. Ugly truths are exposed, and Annie is forced to reckon with terrifying reality.

I won’t forget this story. Nguyen uses Annie’s severe OCD as a means to propel the reader into a state of nervous tension, and Annie’s fears become very real. I appreciated the drama inherent in all the broken pieces of Annie’s life that add up to the dramatic conclusion.

2.5 stars rounded up

I really really wanted to like this book. Annie/Ahn’s experiences with OCD were so vivid and intense. The author vividly captured and painted such a raw picture of intrusive thoughts and the physical and mental toll this disorder takes on people. Additionally, Ahn’s relationships with Me and Tabitha were heart wrenching. I couldn’t help but emphasize.

Although in many ways brilliantly written, my critique focuses on the structure of the plot and the pacing. I just could not get into the story. The plot is a bit all over the place with a focus on mental illness, bonds between mothers and daughters, the immigrant experience, and murders to boot. As literary fiction and without the murders, this would have all the hallmarks of a bestseller. As a literary thriller, the pacing and order of events needed work to make it more engaging.

Despite my lackluster review, I do this this story will resonate with many readers and my perspective should be taken with a grain of salt. This just wasn’t the right book for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and PENGUIN GROUP Dutton for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the e-ARC. This is a 4 ⭐️ for me.

I really enjoyed the depiction of OCD and felt that the story was exciting, keeping me turning the page.

I love a good thriller! This will be a fun summer read for most folks.

Thank you, NetGalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review. Sorry, I wasn't able to get into this book. Mainly because it was written in the third person. It just wasn't for me.

In "You Know What You Did," Annie "Anh Le" Shaw's seemingly perfect life shatters when her mother's sudden death triggers a resurgence of her long-buried OCD and disturbing premonitions. As accusations swirl around her in the wake of a disappearance, Annie finds herself unraveling, isolated from those she loves. But when she wakes up next to a corpse with no memory of how she got there, Annie's desperation to protect her daughter leads her down a perilous path. With gripping twists and a poignant exploration of identity and sacrifice, this debut thriller delves deep into the complexities of family, trauma, and the lengths we'll go to for those we love.

Thank you to NetGalley, the Publishers, and K.T. Nguyen for an ARC of You Know What You Did. This was such a compelling and moving story of generational/hereditary trauma and expectations of motherhood. I loved the thriller portion of it along with the perspective of being a first generation in the United States and how to make it in a new country. This book made me reflect on a lot of issues people face nowadays. This book is about Anh Le/Annie and growing up poor with her mother who was a Vietnam War refugee and Annie met her husband and has it all. Her mother passes away, and her OCD that has been under control is now out of control. When it rains it pours - next an art Patreon disappears and Annie is at the head of the police investigation. Then Annie wakes up next to a lifeless bodies. All Annie knows is she will do what it takes to protect her daughter at all costs.

"In this heart-pounding debut thriller for fans of Lisa Jewell and Celeste Ng, a first-generation Vietnamese American artist must confront nightmares past and present....

Annie "Anh Le" Shaw grew up poor, but seems to have it all now: a dream career, a stunning home, and a devoted husband and daughter. When Annie's mother, a Vietnam War refugee, dies suddenly one night, Annie's carefully curated life begins to unravel. Her obsessive-compulsive disorder, which she thought she'd vanquished years ago, comes roaring back - but this time, the disturbing fixations swirling around in Annie's brain might actually be coming true.

A prominent art patron disappears, and the investigation zeroes in on Annie. Spiraling with self-doubt, she distances herself from her family and friends, only to wake up in a hotel room - naked, next to a lifeless body. The police have more questions, but with her mind increasingly fractured, Annie doesn't have answers. All she knows is this: She will do anything to protect her daughter - even if it means losing herself.

With dizzying twists, You Know What You Did is both a harrowing thriller and a heartfelt exploration of the refugee experience, the legacies we leave for our children, and the unbreakable bonds between mothers and daughters."

Personally I'm in to for the journey as to how OCD leads to you waking up naked next to a corpse. Because that hasn't been my experience. Yet.

There’s a lot of different things happening in this book. I felt like the first 40%ish was just fluff before you get to what’s really going on. I felt like there wasn’t a focal situation, but instead the author just kept adding more and more to the story. There’s alot of mention of her mother being a refugee and the Vietnam war but I don’t feel like there was much more besides mentioning it. The ending was predictable because of the lack of characters and overall had some holes. There’s death but I feel like this came across more as literally fiction that thriller/mystery.

My thanks to Net Galley and Penguin Group Dunton for allowing me to review this arc.

This is 3.5 stars for me. The premise of Annie dealing with her OCD , PTSD, life as an immigrant, dealing with her mom s death, and waking up in a hotel room with an injured body next to her was good. However there were times I wasn't sure what this was about? In between chapters it went back in time in Annie's life which yes, she had a bad childhood with not a great mother...But then we had marriage issues, issues with Tabby. What was this book really about? It did not pick up till about the last hour reading the book which made up for, but a but late.

3⭐️

Annie has worked hard to control her OCD symptoms and has done well on medication for years. But following the death of her mother, her life begins to spiral out of control. Her symptoms not only effect her everyday life, but they also effect her relationship with her husband and her daughter. To make matters worse, there have been several crimes in Annie's orbit that she has no memory of but she's the prime suspect.

I'm conflicted on this one. I really enjoyed the deep dive into Annie's OCD and PTSD and how that effects the relationships in her life. As her symptoms worsen throughout the book, the story feels more tense as Annie begins to doubt her reality. I liked how Annie was an unreliable narrator, intentional or not. I liked the focus on generational trauma and how easy it is to pass struggles down the family line. Annie's mother escaped a war torn area and struggled to make ends meet. She was very strict with Annie and often came across as cold. This was something that Annie had not processed and passed on to her own daughter.

While the mental illness and generational trauma was described very well, overall I was a little bored with the story. The beginning of the book dragged for quite a bit and since all of the characters came across as morally gray at best, that was little that drew me into the story.

Thank you to Netgalley and Dutton for providing this ARC to me!

I wish I liked this book more but it was just very hard for me to get into. It was kind of all over the place for me which made it hard to keep track.