You Know What You Did by K.T. Nguyen
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.
Review:
I received an advance galley of this book courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest 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.
