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bookcheshirecat's review against another edition
3.0
“Yellow wallpaper. White grip. Red hand.”
➽ No One Can Know is Kate Alice Marshall's newest Thriller! I have to admit that I had some mixed feelings on this one. The story follows Emma who was accused of having killed her parents years ago and is still struggling with this trauma. Back then she protected her two sisters Juliette and Daphne, but they're now estranged and haven't spoken in years. When she has to come back to town and live in her parent's old house because she has no choice, Emma discovers that her past isn't done with her yet!
➽ My favorite thing about this book was the complicated sibling relationship! The focus is on Emma, but her sisters also get POVs - both in the past and present. They grew up with an abusive father and a controlling mother who expected them to fit into their roles perfectly. Each girl dealt with this in her own way. Juliette played the perfect daughter, always trying to cater to her parents so no one looks closer and gets suspicious of her. Emma never managed that so she lashed out and became a troublemaker. She dreamt of going to art school away from her parents, but they weren't planning on letting her go. Daphne is neurodivergent (it's not really explored in more depth though) and gets panic attacks sometimes, so she had a hard time during her childhood. Her mother was super ableist and never got her the proper care she needed, so she had to be quiet and keep everyone's secrets.
➽ After their parents were murdered, the three sisters drifted apart and couldn't look past what happened. Emma did everything to protect them but felt rejected and left behind. I felt sorry for her, as she was terrified everyone else would leave her like her sisters did. She keeps putting herself in smaller boxes and unlike in the past, she tries to cater to everyone's needs to make them stay.
➽ I think I just don't enjoy Domestic Thrillers, as despite KAM being an amazing author, I had some issues with this book. I much preferred What Lies in the Woods! The author does a good job of writing a compelling book, but I thought the mystery wasn't as engaging as I hoped it would be. The twists didn't really shock me and when I think about it now, the ending didn't really satisfy me. I wouldn't say that the mystery was predictable, but I don't think I cared about it too much. I also hated how big of a role Emma's horrible husband Nathan played. I wish I had known beforehand how controlling and abusive he was. There were a lot of red flags from the beginning, but the longer the book goes on, the more obvious it becomes that their relationship is toxic. It was difficult to read about, especially as it took Emma until the very end of the book to realize how abusive Nathan was and that she shouldn't feel guilty for not loving him. The first half of the book was dominated by Nathan gaslighting, belittling and controlling Emma. I could have done without the abusive husband storyline and would have loved more insight into the estranged sisters in the present.
Graphic: Gaslighting, Pregnancy, Child abuse, Ableism, Toxic relationship, Emotional abuse, Death, Murder, and Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Car accident, Abortion, Homophobia, Infidelity, Terminal illness, Drug use, and Stalking
aileron's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Violence, Death, Gore, Physical abuse, Gun violence, Child abuse, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Blood, and Murder
Moderate: Car accident, Injury/Injury detail, Panic attacks/disorders, Infidelity, Animal death, and Pregnancy
Minor: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Stalking, Suicide, Cancer, Abandonment, and Terminal illness
flaminggecko's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Suicide, Death of parent, Drug use, Eating disorder, Infertility, Lesbophobia, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Domestic abuse, Addiction, Blood, Bullying, Car accident, Grief, Abandonment, Animal death, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gaslighting, Miscarriage, Murder, Body shaming, Child abuse, Death, Gun violence, Police brutality, Stalking, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Classism, Terminal illness, and Medical content
Minor: Abortion and Cancer