I picked this up because it is the Literally Dead Book Club pick for June.
"You Know What You Did" follows a woman named Annie Shaw. Despite humble and often challenging beginnings, Annie seems to have the perfect life now with her wealthy husband and sassy teenage daughter. Somewhat unexpectantly, Annie's mother, a Vietnam War refugee, passes away, and Annie's life seems to be coming apart at the seams. People around Annie seem to be disappearing or turning up dead, and she cannot believe she is the catalyst for all of this, but she also does not know if she can trust her own mind.
This was a highly enjoyable mystery. Annie's story felt very relatable, but unique at the same time. All of the relationships in her life seem to be complicated and rife with turbulence. For example, despite loving her mother dearly, and appreciating the sacrifices she made for Annie, Annie and her mother had a complex relationship that became very difficult at the end. Annie knows what her mother would want, and she still hears her mother's voice criticizing her every day. This is really compounded by her increasingly difficult relationship with her own daughter.
I really enjoyed the idea that Annie was an unreliable narrator. Annie really struggles with some mental health issues, and throughout the book, Annie herself does not trust her own mind. I really enjoy this trope because it really forces the reader to trust their gut and analyze every angle of every situation.
The ultimate twist and resolution of this story was fine, but I was kind of disappointed. The person responsible for what was going on felt very cliche to me, and easy to predict. I was also left feeling lackluster about where Annie ultimately ended up. It was poetic in a way, but it almost did not feel authentic to her character.
Overall, I had a fine time with this debut, and I will be curious to keep K.T. Nguyen on my radar in the future.