Nine years ago, Charlie is involved in a nightmarish event at her college and flees the press to rebuild her life. Now, a classmate makes a film about the event and it threatens to shatter Charlie’s life and all she’s worked hard for to forget.

𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬:
𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐬: I really wanted to love this book but it didn’t work too well for me. The beginning drug on and was a bit hard to follow at times. I felt some of the characters didn’t serve much of a purpose in the story and added to the confusion. The storyline did not pull me in like I was thinking it would.

𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐬: I did like that there were some great twists that I didn’t predict and the writing was very atmospheric. The narrator did a fantastic job, as well. I think the author’s writing style was excellent but the story just wasn’t for me. I would definitely try another one of her books, though!

Also, many reviewers rated this 5 stars so if you like dark academia, twisty suspense reads, then definitely try this one!

Thanks to @netgalley and @macmillan.audio for this advanced audio book in exchange for my honest review.

There are just times when a book doesn’t work for me. Was it a bad book, no. Was it a plot that has been used before in one form or another, yes. It was just too slow and listening to this one didn’t work for me. I felt lost in a crowd as it took way too long to figure out what happened that fateful night and even then I still had questions. A slow burn for sure, and my thoughts are that it would be a better read than audio. Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for an ALC of this book.

Everyone Who Can Forgive Me Is Dead follows a main character that suffers through loss and PTSD. The book centers around this concept instead of the mystery that the main character works through. I think that this book is a good emotional read and is easy to get through. Though I do not find the intrigue in the mystery itself, information is given slowly and piece by piece throughout the story. This did not have me on the edge of my seat in anyway, though the plot twists did throw me off several times. It is a decent read but I would not recommend for a mystery/thriller genre reader.

Everyone Who Can Forgive Me is Dead by Jenny Hollander. I really enjoyed this book up until the last 25 percent or so. I don't know if I missed something but the ending was a bit confusing and rushed. The narrator was fantastic. I did overall enjoyed this book but wish the ending was a bit more detailed.

The narrator for the audiobook was excellent, and had distinct accents and tones for each character, based on the author's description. However, I felt like the book could have been half the length that it was, and the second half dragged a bit. I would still recommend this book for patrons who don't mind a slower twist and thriller (such as lovers of Jodi Picoult and Alice Feeney), but it will not be a top read or praised debut.

This was a psychological thriller about friend drama. The story is one that seemed familiar. The characters were interesting, but I didn't really connect with them. I felt, at times, that there were some characters that were introduced that didn't really need to be. Overall, I just didn't really get into it. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

This psychological thriller is a fast-paced twisty ride! Nine years ago, during what is dubbed as ‘Scarlet Christmas’, Charlie survives a brutal bloody knife attack on her graduate school’s campus. During the tragic event, Charlie blacked out and only remembers bits and pieces of what unfolded; and part of what she can remember, she’s never told the police. Readers are brought forward to Charlie’s new meticulously crafted life as a powerhouse magazine publisher, engaged to her supportive partner, and completely out of touch with any other of her peers from her journalism grad school days. Only now, someone is threatening to have ‘new evidence’ and ‘new details’’ of shocking coverup and is planning to produce a movie detailing what truly happened that night. Told between Charlie’s current efforts to prevent the film from being made, and flashbacks to the months leading up to the massacre, readers are on a frantic quest to learn more about who died, who survived, as well as who led the attack. Full of tense flashbacks, shocking twists, secrets, lies, and betrayals presented neatly through an unreliable narrator struggling with PTSD, this thriller was one I could not set aside! Buckle up and enjoy this atmospheric and dark academia book.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio for my advanced listener’s copy; I did a tandem read and the audiobook deeply enriched my reading experience! Marisa Calin did a phenomenal job portraying Charlie’s past and present identifies with nuance. Additionally I enjoy her performance for the mixed-media components between chapters!

Thank you Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to this audio book.

This one just didn't do it for me. The "twist" the awaiting the reveal.... just wasn't on the mark.

It wasn't terrible... just off. I would be willing to try this author again when another book comes out.
BUT this one just wasn't there.

I thought this one way okay.

I will say that the narrator and audio version are what kept me from DNFing this book. It was easy to listen to, and the narrator kept a steady even flow that kept me engaged and moving through because I found the story itself to be oddly dull.

Plot -
Charlie has her life together as an editor-in-chief of a major magazine, but nine years ago, she was at the center of a horrific tragedy. She was the only witness to a murder on her college campus. Now, a friend from college is about to release a movie that spills “the truth” about that night. Nine years ago, Charlie told the police what happened, but in reality, she blacked out and has no idea. Now she will stop at nothing to keep the truth from coming out.

Thoughts -
Nothing really made sense to me. Charlie had blacked out that night, so she didn’t know what happened, yet she was so determined to keep the truth she didn’t know from being revealed? At one point, Charlie thinks she pushed the murderer out the window and reacts like it is the end of the world, and she is going to prison forever. I couldn’t wrap my head around why she would think pushing someone on a stabbing frenzy out a window would result in that, but okay. When the truth was actually revealed, it was really anti-climactic, and I didn’t really care.

Overall, it was a good idea for a story, but the actual plot and “big reveal” were so meh that this won’t be a memorable one for me.

I did listen to the audio book of this one! It is the first time in years that I've done an audio book. It helped pass the time on my drive to and from work. I really enjoyed it; however, I find that I process it differently and don't fully feel like I read the book. I am a visual learner, so I have a little trouble assessing the "writing" having listened to it.

Everyone who can Forgive me is Dead focuses on Charlotte Colbert, 10 years after her experience of tragedy and violence in what had been dubbed "Scarlet Christmas." A horrible Christmas Eve attack at her journalist school, where 3 of her classmates died. Charlotte moved on after the event with great difficulty and trials and now has a successful career. As the 10 year anniversary nears, news of a film about the event emerges and Charlotte reaches crisis mode attempting to remember what really happened that night. What was her involvement and how can she stop this movie from ruining all she has built.

Hollander approaches the impact of trauma in a unique way, from the viewpoint of an individual who thought she had gotten past it and was living her life. I am a certified trauma professional and I think Hollander gives an accurate portrayal of how this tragic event may have impacted one of the survivors. It is a fast paced novel and I was eager to find out the truth and to know if Charlotte is able to hold it together and really deal with her trauma narrative in a way that is healing. Would she run from the truth, try to hide it again or would she finally process things and take steps in the right direction? I admit there were a couple of twists that I wasn't sure were necessary; however, it did not detract from the overall plot or character development. I would recommend this book to others, especially those who enjoy psychological thrillers.

Charlie has rebuilt her life; 9 years ago while in graduate school she witnessed an event that the press has called “Scarlet Christmas”. Now she is the editor-in-chief of a major magazine, she is engaged to a publishing heir, and ready to move on. But out of the blue an old classmate (and twin sister of one of the victims who was also Charlie’s best friend), wants to do a tell-all movie and Charlie is terrified that that details she has been hiding will no longer remain buried in the past, and the life that she has carefully built will come crumbling down.

The unreliable narrator made the beginning of this book a bit confusing for me; I didn’t really understand what was going on until halfway through the book and that’s when I started to enjoy it. I initially thought that the audio was why I was finding the story confusing, but then I realized the narrator didn’t remember what had happened that night and that my confusion was due to hers and had nothing to do with reading vs listening and after that I actually really enjoyed the audio narration. This ended up being a quick engrossing story with some fun twists.

Thank you to NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for the ARC to review

This one was just ok for me. I did really enjoy it being an audiobook and made for a quick listen. There’s plenty of suspense but the build up just didn’t match the twist to me.

Let's talk cover so stunning!

I found the characters build to just be unnecessary at some points in the story! It fell flat for me and even though there were some twists I just felt some parts were rushed and the ending just wasn't to me worth reading the rest of the book.

Thanks NetGalley for letting me listen and review

Fashion editor Charlie intimidates her employees, but is a wreck inside. She was part of an infamous crime scene 10 years ago, and can't remember big swaths of it. Now a movie is coming out for the anniversary and she will have to confront her past.

This book checks so many boxes for a 2024 thriller. First person POV, dual timelines, news stories mixed in with the narrative, well placed twists. It's also fairly short at about 300 pages or 8.3 hours of audio which to me is a plus. I listened to the audio and enjoyed the performance.

The first chapter is excellent and sets the stage really well. I think this author is skilled at characterization, including painting characters fairly quickly without feeling like she's writing stock "types'. Also I enjoy that there were several characters characters you aren't sure if you like or not, or that surprise the reader.

Things I didn't enjoy as much...
- Charlie isn't credible as an NYC executive
- Despite being short, this dragged at times. I think Charlie's memory holes + improbable career + improbable fiance made it feel inauthentic, so you end up just reading to see what happened with the plot.
- The first big twist is fun, the rest of the twists are pretty unsatisfying
- the ending (post mystery solved), woof

I think this is a skilled author and I suspect she has a very good book to write, but this one seems to be commercially aimed and I don't think it is super successful.

Thank you to NetGalley and MacMillan audio for providing this book for review.

I received a complimentary egalley of EVERYONE WHO CAN FORGIVE ME IS DEAD by Jenny Hollander thanks to Minotaur Books and Netgalley. I also received the advance listener copy thanks to Macmillan Audio!

EVERYONE WHO CAN FORGIVE ME IS DEAD follows Charlie, a young woman who survived an event dubbed “Scarlet Christmas” by the public when she was in graduate school. It is a Christmas Eve not easily forgotten, but for Charlie there are pieces missing from her memories of the night and she’s not sure if she wants to know what she’s forgotten.

Nine years later, Charlie is a successful career woman with a fiance and an outwardly perfect life, but it all turns out to be somewhat precarious. When a former classmate starts discussions for a film based on the events of that long ago terror, Charlie is afraid about how it will impact her life and those around her. She’s determined to put a stop to the media frenzy even as she must come to terms with what she does, and does not, remember about her role in the tragedy of Scarlet Christmas.

I didn’t know a lot about this book going into it. The premise sounded a bit familiar to other thrillers I’ve read and enjoyed and I do think that the reading process felt the same. Still, I had a good time following along with Charlie as she works to keep her past from destroying her present. We’re getting action in the present along with Charlie’s flashbacks to the past as she begins to sort through her memories and try to recover more. This did keep up a good pace with slow reveals coming through as we get more and more of the story.

Charlie wasn’t a particularly lovable character for me, but in a way that she was still compelling to read about. I definitely didn’t agree with all of the decisions she was making, but I could see why she would go those directions. The end wraps up things a bit quickly and a bit neatly considering how messy things got along the way. I did appreciate that we see Charlie working through things with professional help as what she went through understandably left a lot of traumatic scars in her mind and her life.

This is going to be a middle-of-the-road review for me…

This was a very suspenseful mystery about a woman named Charlie who witnesses an infamous “killing spree” on her college campus and is still dealing with the effects of that trauma nearly a decade later. The mystery is in the fact that there are details from that night that have never been revealed.

The positives to me are that the narration is great for the audiobook, and the writing is pretty decent and I was intrigued by the mystery. But there is such a sense of selfish panic from Charlie the entire time, and that felt strange and made Charlie’s character pretty hard to like. She not only made poor decisions, but she acknowledged it and didn’t care or try to change. The end kind of tries to make up for that, but it still fell flat for me. Overall I’d say it was a not great but not terrible 3 star read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the audio ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I feel like I’ve seen this title EVERYWHERE and maybe my expectations were just too high (after all, the name is cool, right?) but like the reviews seem to reflect, it was just… dull. The plot is formulaic, the “twists” are expected, the main character isn’t relatable or sympathetic in any way. It has potential to be an exciting and interesting story with some major rewrites (controversial opinion maybe?) but it really missed the mark for me.

There is a lot to like about "Everyone Who Can Forgive Me Is Dead." I really enjoyed the flashbacks as the main character, Charlie, struggles to remember the events leading up to a horrific night when her schoolmates died. I found her interactions with her therapist interesting and liked the glimpse into her very elite current lifestyle.
I think that the pacing of this story was what mainly threw me off. It started slow, with a lot of buildup over Charlie's angst, and then seemed to move at lightning speed at the end. I think that certain information should have been revealed WAY sooner than others, as the reader ended up feeling a little jerked around by the end. This one fell into a middle category for me. I felt it had its highs and lows, and could see people both loving and hating this story!

Thank you to NetGalley for an early audiobook edition of “Everyone Who Can Forgive Me is Dead” by Jenny Hollander, narrated by Marisa Calin. Marisa did a nice job. This is a story about a mass murder on Christmas Eve at a college in NYC. Charlie, the protagonist of the story was there when the murders happened, but cannot remember the details of what happened. Why did she survive when the others died? This is the question Charlie has been grappling with for the past 10 years

Over the past 10 years, Charlie has made a very successful life for herself. She has a successful job and is engaged to a rich aristocrat, but her world is about to come crashing down around her. One of her former college mates is making a movie about that night, Charlie is petrified they will find out the truth about what really happened that night. The story proceeds to drag you through Charlie’s fear of this movie being made.
I hate when I do not love the book NetGalley gives to me, but I must tell you, the future readers of this story, it was dragged out. I was bored, there was not enough anticipation, action, thrills, there was nothing but Charlie’s worries for the entire 8 hours of the audiobook. The character development was OK for Charlie, but in my opinion, not the other characters. The author wanted the ending to be a surprise, but it was not.

Unfortunately, in my opinion, this was an interesting story that fell flat.

My true rating would probably be closer to 3.5 stars but since that wasn't an option and 4 felt too much, here we are.

The title and synopsis of this book are amazing. Very intriguing and draws you in. A tale as old as time in a sense- what really happened all those years ago?

Charlie had everything: money, career, fiance and yet she has nothing as she is just going through the motions and is still stuck in the past that she can't quite remember. The protagonist's relationships feel forced and disconnected but I believe that is intentional as Charlie herself doesn't feel comfortable in her life and is trying to fit herself into where she should be.

I listened on audiobook and had an incredibly difficult time keeping the timelines straight; as well as what the truth was. The story was juicy, yet confusing. The end wrapped up neatly and I hope that Charlie got everything she wanted.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for my advanced copy of this audiobook