I Know You
by Annabel Kantaria
Publication date: June 28th 2018
Publisher: HQ
Pages: 384
Summary:
You trust her.
You shouldn’t.
That picture you just posted on Instagram? I’ve seen it.
The location you tagged? I’ve been there.
You haven’t been careful enough, have you?
Because I know all about you.
But when I meet you, I won’t tell you that.
I’ll pretend. Just like you do.
You’ll like me though. You’ll trust me enough to let me into your life.
And then I’ll destroy it.
Source: Goodreads
Thoughts:
Here we all are online, sharing little snippets of our lives with little care for who can see what we’ve posted and the consequences of what we post could have. Have you ever considered that tagging your location in an Instagram snap could lead to something a lot more sinister?
“We’re actually friends on Goodreads. Do you know that? Probably not. You just say yes to everyone who wants to follow you – never check them out; never check their own pages – you just assume they want to follow you because, well, you’re so f****** marvellous, who wouldn’t?”
Taylor Watson has recently moved from sunny California to the far-from-glamorous Croydon after a hiccup in her marriage. She and her husband Jake are now expecting a baby and while he travels for work, Taylor is left alone in a new town and a new country, lonely and missing the company of a BFF.
After a couple of months of desperate attempts (she goes to the deli just to chat to the lady who works there!), she’s determined to find a new pal and builds up the courage to join a local walking group where she meets Simon and Anna, who’s also new to the neighbourhood. Soon after she is invited to join newly formed book club with her (somewhat quirky) neighbours Sarah and Caroline.
“’It got good reviews,’ Sarah says. ‘The book bloggers like it, and that’s always a good sign.””
Highlighting the risks of sharing our lives on social media, the alternating chapters are from a stalker who knows an awful lot about their stalkee. But who is the stalker and who is being stalked? We don’t know and that’s one of the main reasons I liked this book. I was always kept guessing, right up until the end.
In general, this was a quick read and I flew through the pages with anticipation, keen to find out who, what, where, when and how. While unlikable at times, I felt a connection with Taylor and was routing for her throughout, especially in the early stages of her friendship with walking pal Anna. The supporting characters were also realistic and I was constantly questioning their motives (could this one be the stalker?).
“You trust me. You shouldn’t.”
For me this was very well written, it was casual and chatty while still keeping me engaged in the story. “I Know You” is my second Annabel Kantaria book and I’ll be keeping an eye out for more of her work in the future.
Overall rating: “I Know You” is a fast paced, gripping psychological thriller that I really enjoyed. It’s certainly one that’s going to make you think and perhaps review your privacy settings online too! It’s 5 stars from me!
See my other reviews of books by Annabel Kantaria here:
Glad you liked this book, Rebecca. I agree, the fact that you didn’t know who was stalking who made the book very interesting and quite sinister. Enjoyed your review!
I had mixed feelings about it because I struggled to connect with Taylor, and didn’t like any of the other characters much either.
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Thanks for reading Stephen! Getting on with a character is pretty important to me so I can see why this would have been an issue for you. Have you read any other books by this author?
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You’re welcome, Rebecca! No, I haven’t read any more books by her, but I might one day. What have you made of her other books? 🙂
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I’ve only read one other, The Disappearance. I remember it being a good read too so would like to read some more of this author’s work in the future! 😊
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That sounds really good, like, exactly the type of book I’m interested in. I’ll have to pick that one up.
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Glad to hear that! I’d definitely recommend you give it a go! 😊
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Ooooh a thriller with social media! Sounds very interesting, I’ll have to put it on my TBR list!
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This sounds so interesting!! Not normally a thriller reader unless it really intrigues me, but this might be my next one.
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Ooh I love the sound of this, it’s definitely going on my TBR! I find books about stalking fascinating and this one sounds even more incredible as you don’t know whose stalking who. Wonderful review.
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Thanks for reading Charlotte! 😊
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