The Reading Chemist

Blog Tour & Review: I Know You by Erik Therme (eARC) @ErikTherme ‏ @bookouture #IKnowYou #bookouture #blogtour

Hey bookworms! Today is my stop on the blog tour for I Know You by Erik Therme, which is hosted by the lovely people at Bookouture. Make sure to also check out this amazing team of bloggers!

I Know You

Author: Erik Therme

Publication Date: 12 April 2019

Genre: Adult – Thriller

Pages: 221

Publisher: Bookouture

‘I can help you save your sister. But I need something from you …’

Sisters Bree and Alissa Walker share a special bond. Neglected by their parents, they have always looked out for one another. But one day, sixteen-year-old Alissa goes missing. When Bree discovers her green backpack with all her belongings, abandoned on the steps of their run-down trailer, she knows that something bad has happened …

Then she receives a chilling text message. Someone has Alissa. But Bree will have to give up something very precious in exchange.

Desperate to save Alissa, Bree looks at everyone close to their family. She’s sure that Alissa’s best friend is keeping something back about her little sister and a boy at school, and why has their estranged uncle, who they’ve not seen in years, been hanging around again?

It soon becomes clear that the person behind the message knows a lot about the dark truths within the Walker family and will go to any lengths to get revenge. And as the search for Alissa continues, Bree discovers something about her brother Tyler that she wishes she hadn’t, a dangerous secret, which is also the key to bringing her little sister back home … 

A gripping and addictive thriller about family secrets and lies and the lengths people will go to protect them. Perfect for fans of Teresa Driscoll and Louise Jensen. 

At only 221 pages, I tore through I Know You in one sitting. This story was an absolute page turner filled with twists and turns along the way. I was hooked from the prologue (which takes place eight years prior to the story) where we are introduced to Jack Walker (a drunk and abusive father), an absent mother who works two jobs just so the family can survive (and also puts up with Jack’s incessant drinking and abuse), and three siblings: Bree (oldest), Tyler, and Alissa, who are essentially raising themselves. Bree will do anything for Alissa, who is ten years her junior, and to make matters worse, Alissa constantly reminds Bree that she wishes that Bree was her mom and not the one that she has.

Fast forward eight years…Bree is utterly exhausted from the physical demands of working 50+ hours per week on her feet just to ensure that her family survives. Rather than leaving to pursue her own interests, she sacrifices everything for the sake of Alissa’s well-being. Unfortunately, Bree and Alissa’s relationship has become a bit terse during Alissa’s teenage years, but this I wasn’t surprised by this since Alissa views Bree from a maternal standpoint (I rebelled like hell against my mother as a teenager, so I get it lol). However, teenager rebellion is the least of Bree’s problems when she gets anonymous texts that Alissa has been abducted. And the worst part? Bree has to enlist the help of her unreliable family members if she’s going to get Alissa back alive.

I loved Bree’s character because she’s been through some sh*t. She’s so stubborn and independent but no matter what, at the end of the day she will do ANYTHING for her loved ones. My heart definitely ripped for her because she had such a hard life due to circumstances that were always outside of her control. A lot of her situation reminded me of my own growing up.

The pace of this book was spot on. Bree has to interact with some pretty interesting people (at the expense of her own safety) in order to not only find Alissa but understand how Tyler fits into the equation as well. As Bree gets closer to learning the truth, the secrets and betrayal become even more sinister. From start to finish, the suspense kept me on the edge of my seat, and the author delivers a plot twist that left me speechless.

Thank you Bookouture and NetGalley for an eARC of this book. This did not influence my review. All opinions are my own.

Erik Therme has thrashed in garage bands, inadvertently harbored runaways, and met Darth Vader. When he’s not at his computer, he can be found cheering for his youngest daughter’s volleyball team, or watching horror movies with his seventeen-year-old. He currently resides in Iowa City, Iowa—one of only twenty places in the world UNESCO has certified as a City of Literature.

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