Review by kaatzoetekouw - Someone Knows: A Novel

kaatzoetekouw 's review for:

Someone Knows: A Novel by Vi Keeland

4.0

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

Note: a list of content warnings can be found at the end of this review.

English Professor Elizabeth Davis gets the shock of a lifetime when she reads one of her student's assignments for her yearlong fiction-writing class. The first chapter of this Hannah Greer's thriller is too familiar, chronicling the beginning of a jarring event in Elizabeth's life, exactly 20 years ago. She tries to reconcile it in her mind: it's simply not possible someone knows. It's just a coincidence. Doesn't matter that the events, location and names are completely the same. Doesn't matter that the first chapter describes, to the letter, the start of the affair (if you can call it that) between best friend Jocelyn and their 40 year-old high school English teacher, Mr. Sawyer. When more chapters make their way to Elizabeth's inbox, she is forced to confront the fact that someone does know everything... including how everything culminated in the murder of Mr. Sawyer by Elizabeth's hand... and whoever it is is inching closer toward a reckoning. What follows is Elizabeth's frantic attempt to discover Hannah's identity, before it's too late.

As someone whose formative years were spent watching hours of slasher movies, I was intrigued by the "I Know What You Did 20 Years Ago" premise of this thriller-with-a-touch-of-spice. Much like the antagonist of that film, Hannah Greer lets Elizabeth know the cat's out of the bag: they know everything. But rather than spit it out immediately, Hannah taunts Elizabeth by sending her eerie novelized chapters of various moments leading up to Mr. Sawyer's (deserved!) demise. None of them mention the murder, but Elizabeth senses the implication regardless.

Hannah's chapters, which we of course get to read too, are not for the faint of heart. I don't subscribe to the idea that a relationship between teacher and minor student is anything other than abuse of power, and Keeland doesn't romanticize this at all. Thankfully. But it does mean the chapters are deeply unpleasant to read, and readers should check content warnings.

Someone Knows is a gripping psychological thriller. The more Elizabeth tries to stay ahead of whoever this Hannah person is, the more desperate and paranoid she becomes. It's palpable and awkward at times, because it's almost a self-fulfilling prophecy: in ruling people out and fishing for information, she draws a lot of attention to herself, which only causes her to spiral further, not knowing who to trust.

Can she trust her current lover, police officer Sam? What about Ivy, the only other person who was there that night, besides Jocelyn and Elizabeth? The Sheriff clearly thinks she's behaving strangely, which, facts, she is. What about Jocelyn? There are so many more people to consider, and it's no wonder Elizabeth's despair grows. So when a handsome young man, Noah, shows interest in Elizabeth back home in Louisiana, the passionate distraction is very, very welcome. As her relationship with Noah develops, another continues deteriorating: the already strained relationship with her dying mother. Elizabeth's navigation of all of these relationships is uncomfortable at times, but I quite like that Elizabeth isn't altogether morally superior to those around her. Keeps things from being too predictable.

Every time I think I've got this book pegged, I'm sent in another direction with more whiplash. And because the book is fast-paced, it becomes almost overwhelming at times to keep track and doubt creeps in again and again. (Which is fantastic for a thriller.) Everyone and their chia pet is a suspect at one point. The eventual reveal is both surprising and not surprising at all, which sounds illogical, but it is what it is. I thought it was infuriatingly awesome to feel both proud of myself for actually figuring it out, AND feel thrown for a complete and utter loop regardless.

I would have liked to read more about some of Elizabeth's other significant relationships, in particular the one with Ivy. I also wanted to know more about what actually went down the night of the murder. We don't get that. There is a lack of closure in many ways: the ending can be considered to be open. It's jarring enough to fill in some blanks for us, but I'm also not entirely resigned with it. I have questions! Argh. It'll stay with me for a long, long time though. My lower jaw is still on the floor.

Thank you NetGalley and Atria / Emily Bestler Books for generously providing me with a copy of this book; all opinions expressed are honest, voluntary and 100% my own.

See content warnings for a detailed TW list.

Content Warnings