Search This Blog

2024 Bookish Books Reading Challenge (Hosted by Yours Truly)

My Progress:


30 / 30 books. 100% done!

2024 Literary Escapes Challenge

- Alabama (1)
- Alaska (1)
- Arizona (1)
- Arkansas (1)
- California (7)
- Colorado (1)
- Connecticut (1)
- Delaware (1)
- Florida (1)
- Georgia (2)
- Hawaii (1)
- Idaho (2)
- Illinois (3)
- Indiana (4)
- Iowa (1)
- Kansas (1)
- Kentucky (1)
- Louisiana (1)
- Maine (1)
- Maryland (1)
- Massachusetts (3)
- Michigan (1)
- Minnesota (1)
- Mississippi (1)
- Missouri (1)
- Montana (1)
- Nebraska (1)
- Nevada (2)
- New Hampshire (1)
- New Jersey (1)
- New Mexico (1)
- New York (8)
- North Carolina (4)
- North Dakota (1)
- Ohio (2)
- Oklahoma (2)
- Oregon (2)
- Pennsylvania (2)
- Rhode Island (1)
- South Carolina (1)
- South Dakota (1)
- Tennessee (1)
- Texas (4)
- Utah (2)
- Vermont (2)
- Virginia (2)
- Washington (3)
- West Virginia (1)
- Wisconsin (1)
- Wyoming
- Washington, D.C.* (2)

International:
- Australia (2)
- Bolivia (1)
- Canada (3)
- China (1)
- England (20)
- France (1)
- Ghana (1)
- India (1)
- Indonesia (1)
- Ireland (4)
- Italy (1)
- Poland (1)
- Russia (1)
- Scotland (3)
- The Netherlands (1)

My Progress:


51 / 51 states. 100% done!

2024 Historical Fiction Reading Challenge

My Progress:


44 / 50 books. 88% done!

2024 POPSUGAR Reading Challenge


36 / 50 books. 72% done!

Booklist Queen's 2024 Reading Challenge

My Progress:


52 / 52 books. 100% done!

2024 52 Club Reading Challenge

My Progress:


50 / 52 books. 96% done!

2024 Build Your Library Reading Challenge

My Progress:


36 / 40 books. 90% done!

2024 Pioneer Book Reading Challenge


17 / 40 books. 43% done!

2024 Craving for Cozies Reading Challenge

My Progress:


21 / 25 books. 84% done!

2024 Medical Examiner's Mystery Reading Challenge

2024 Mystery Marathon Reading Challenge

My Progress


17 / 26.2 miles (3rd lap). 65% done!

Mount TBR Reading Challenge

My Progress


38 / 100 books. 38% done!

2024 Pick Your Poison Reading Challenge

My Progress:


92 / 104 books. 88% done!

Around the Year in 52 Books Reading Challenge

My Progress


52 / 52 books. 100% done!

Disney Animated Movies Reading Challenge

My Progress


125 / 165 books. 76% done!

The 100 Most Common Last Names in the U.S. Reading Challenge

My Progress:


76 / 100 names. 76% done!
Wednesday, December 21, 2016

Thought-Provoking Family Drama Asks, "How Far Would You Go to Protect Your Own?"

(Image from Barnes & Noble)

For Katie and Eric Knox, nothing is more important than their daughter's gymnastics career.  An Olympics hopeful, 15-year-old Devon has been training at BelStars since she was three years old.  She and her family have sacrificed everything—everything—for the chance to vie for Olympic gold.  Now that that goal is closer than ever to being achieved, the Knoxes will allow nothing to stand in Devon's way—not money, not time, not BelStar's financial troubles, not Devon's overlooked little brother.  Nothing.  

When a young man associated with the gym is killed, his death rocks the competitive, but close-knit BelStars community.  As the investigation reveals shocking truths about her friends and family, Katie grapples to keep herself together.  No matter what happens, she can't let the tragedy distract Devon from reaching her golden dream.  With the police inquiries creeping ever closer to home, Katie must ask herself just how far she's really willing to go to protect her family. 

My daughter's brief infatuation with gymnastics gave me a disturbing glimpse at how serious many gymnastics parents are about their children's success in the sport.  Because of this, I found the plot of You Will Know Me by Megan Abbott especially unsettling.  And frighteningly realistic.  The novel is more family drama than mystery, yes, but it does revolve around how a suspicious death affects a community.  It's a tense story, compelling despite being a bit predictable.  Yes, the story gets stagnant at certain points.  And yes, the characters are not always easy to connect with, the lot of them being almost wholly unlikable.  Still, You Will Know Me remains an engrossing, thought-provoking tale that asks some chilling questions about marriage, parenting, ambition, and obsession.  I can't say I loved the novel, but it has stayed with me.  If your book club is searching for a read that will provoke a lively discussion, this one should do the trick.  

(Readalikes: Um, I can't really think of anything.  Can you?)

Grade:


If this were a movie, it would be rated:


for language, violence, sexual content, and depictions of illegal drug use

To the FTC, with love:  I received an ARC of You Will Know Me from the generous folks at Spark Point Studios as part of the BookSparks Summer Reading Challenge.  Thank you!

2 comments:

  1. Hmmm. These obsessive mothers pushing their daughters to be famous don't do it for me. I think I'll skip this one.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I have had this one on my TBR and glad to hear that it stayed with you. I look books with an impact. Great review!

    ReplyDelete

Comments make me feel special, so go crazy! Just keep it clean and civil. Feel free to speak your mind (I always do), but be aware that I will delete any offensive comments.

P.S.: Don't panic if your comment doesn't show up right away. I have to approve each one before it posts to prevent spam. It's annoying, but it works!

Blog Widget by LinkWithin


Reading

<i>Reading</i>
Murder is Bad Manners by Robin Stevens

Listening

<i>Listening</i>
The Boy Who Cried Bear by Kelley Armstrong



Followin' with Bloglovin'

Follow

Followin' with Feedly

follow us in feedly



Grab my Button!


Blog Design by:


Blog Archive