…brilliant…The wrong kind of ambiguity in a crime novel can be fatal. Abbott judges it impeccably here. The murder mystery component of the story has all the essential ingredients: clues, red herrings, twists and an answer, in the end, that leaves no room for doubt about who did what and why. It's only every other element that grows increasingly bewildering as the narrative progresses. There's a stroke of genius in this: The reader appreciates the satisfaction of the solution, which is simple, shocking and perfect. At the same time, the purpose of solving the mystery is, arguably, to undermine the idea that mysteries can ever be solved in a meaningful way. When the murder is committed…it appears to take place in a familiar landscape populated by people we know. We imagine we have our bearings, and then the murder knocks us off course. Then with each new fact that emerges, a piece of what we thought we knew is dislodged, leaving in its place a mystifying blank patch. By the end of the novel, everything apart from the events specifically surrounding the killing is an unanswerable question. All of this Abbott pulls off with breathtaking skill.
The New York Times Book Review - Sophie Hannah
What Megan Abbott knows, as so many maestros of the heebie-jeebies do, is that it's not strangers who are scary; it's the people you think you know and love…Abbott…is in top form in this novel. She resumes her customary role of black cat, opaque and unblinking, filling her readers with queasy suspicion at every turn…You Will Know Me revisits some of the author's favorite themescommunity hysteria, the chaos of adolescent sexualitybut with a slight twist. Usually, teen-girl misanthropy and anxiety figure prominently into Ms. Abbott's novels. Here, the author is far more interested in the way adults recapitulate teenage behaviors, fretting and sniping and stirring the pot.
The New York Times - Jennifer Senior
PRAISE FOR YOU WILL KNOW ME: "[Abbott] is in top form in this novel. She resumes her customary role of black cat, opaque and unblinking, filling her readers with queasy suspicion at every turn." —Jennifer Senior , New York Times "...brilliant...beneath the glittering carapace of Abbott's lush, skillful, subtle writing, it's impossible to know what we're supposed to think. One of the strengths of this novel is that it doesn't mind what we believe--it is cooly at peace with whatever our take on matters might be...we, as readers, are made entirely responsible for our own theories and conclusions. In that sense, this is an exceptionally plausible work of fiction...The wrong kind of ambiguity in a crime novel can be fatal. Abbott judges it impeccably here..all of this Abbott pulls off with groundbreaking skill...excellent." —Sophie Hannah , New York Times Book Review "Taut and raw, this is a mesmerizing story from a master of suspense."—Kim Hubbard , People "Compulsively creepy...a can't-put-it down novel that's a little bit Nancy Kerrigan vs. Tonya Harding, a little bit The Omen ."—Leigh Haber , Oprah.com "It's Abbott's psychological smarts that make You Will Know Me such a standout...Abbott steadily commands our attention with a suspense plot that unexpectedly somersaults and back flips whenever a landing seems in sight."—Maureen Corrigan , Washington Post "Megan Abbott has written a book with the taut and muscular ruthlessness of a gymnast, a book that disorients with eerie countermelodies...You Will Know Me takes swift, unsettling, apparently effortless flight."—Annalisa Quinn , NPR.org "Abbott's finest novel thus far, a dark inquest into the pressures to which American society subjects its girls."—Charles Finch , USA Today "Master of mystery Abbott...brings her noir sensibility to the world of elite teen gymnastics." —Entertainment Weekly "Mesmerizing and nerve-jangling...beautifully adept at capturing the intensity of feeling inherent in the flush of youth, the more-innocent aspects of growing up...But it's how she infuses the ordinary with distinct oddities that keeps this tale humming scarily along." —Daneet Steffans , The Boston Globe "Brilliant and disturbing."—Tom Nolan , Wall Street Journal "[A] sharply plotted novel."—Oline Cogdill , Associated Press "Abbott commands our attention with a plot that somersaults and back flips whenever a safe landing seems in sight. But what's even more ingenious is how artfully her novel draws us readers into that closed world of BelStars Gym...You Will Know Me is a terrific accompaniment to this summer's Olympic frenzy. It's an all-around winner." —Maureen Corrigan , NPR's Fresh Air "Almost unbearably tense, chilling and addictive, You Will Know Me deftly transports the reader to the hyper-competitive arena of gymnastics where the dreams and aspirations of not just families but entire communities rest on the slender shoulders of one teenage girl. Exceptional."—Paula Hawkins , author of The Girl on the Train "You Will Know Me hits that rarefied sweet spot between unnerving psychological suspense and a family drama with heart, inducing equal parts dread and unease, empathy and warmth. The pages couldn't turn fast enough...Luscious writing, a timely and unique premise, and an ending that will haunt you all summer long."—Jessica Knoll , New York Times bestselling author of Luckiest Girl Alive "Is there anything Megan Abbott can't do? We will have to wait for the answer to that question because You Will Know Me continues her formidable winning streak. This story of an ordinary family with an extraordinary child is gorgeously written, psychologically astute, a page-turner that forces you to slow down and savor every word. And yes--please forgive me--she totally sticks the landing."—Laura Lippman , New York Times bestselling author of Hush Hush "Megan Abbott's latest thriller plunges readers into the shockingly realistic life of young, female gymnasts whose severely regulated lives come with unthinkable consequences. Gritty, graphic, and yet beautiful and dreamlike in the way the story unfolds, You Will Know Me comes barreling at you with all the power and urgency of a high-speed train, as Abbott asserts herself as one of the greatest crime writers of our time."—Mary Kubica , New York Times bestselling author of The Good Girl "You Will Know Me takes you into the dark heart of family, a journey that feels more menacing with every page. Abbott cranks the tension up in this disturbing tale of exactly what we are prepared to do for our children--I was reading compulsively into the night. A beautifully written, gripping read that feels unshakably real."—Kate Hamer , The Girl in the Red Coat "Like stepping into a world with slightly too little oxygen. Dark and compelling, this is a 2 a.m. novel."—Lucie Whitehouse , author of Before We Met "You Will Know Me is powerful and unsettling, a portrait of a family where tenderness can mean pain as well as love. Megan Abbott is exceptionally good at teasing out telling moments to reveal deeply buried truths."—Jane Casey , author of The Missing "Chillingly believable, beautifully written...You Will Know Me is Megan Abbott's best novel to date. A triumph."—Paula Daly , author of The Mistake I Made "Megan Abbott writes like a dream and grips like a vice. Weeks later, I still can't stop thinking about You Will Know Me ."—Erin Kelly , author of The Poison Tree "The tension starts in the second paragraph of page one and insinuates itself brilliantly throughout, unsettling and wrong footing me. I read it, holding my breath like Devon before the big leap. Loved every minute."—Fiona Barton , author of The Widow "Look out for the gloriously talented Megan Abbott. She's ruthlessly acute, funny, heartbreaking, lyrical, brilliant...I've loved every one of her novels, but none as much as You Will Know Me . Three weeks after finishing it, I still pick it up again, to re-experience the delicious pleasure I felt, devouring it." —Joyce Maynard , New York Times bestselling author of Under the Influence "Thriller Award-winner Abbott (The Fever ) takes a piercing look at what one family will sacrifice in the name of making their daughter a champion...Abbott keenly examines the pressures put on girls' bodies and the fierce, often misguided love parents have for their children."—Publishers Weekly (Starred Review) "Abbott has a knack for dissecting the dark, beating heart of the most all-American activity. Her Dare Me (2012) brought a Fight Club intensity to cheerleading, and her she captures ripped palms and the muscle-bound physiques that attract the cruel taunts of classmates. But this equally dazzling tale is set not in the teens' world but rather in the adult boosters' strange tribe, exploring the agony and urgency of their desire, the unknowability of others, and the burden of expectations laid on the gymnasts. It's vivid, troubling, and powerful--and Abbott totally sticks the landing." —Booklist (Starred Review) "In true Abbott style, nothing is predictable here; the plot consistently confounds expectations with its clever twists and turns. Admirers of Patricia Highsmith, Laura Lippman, and Kimberly Pauley are in for a treat."—Library Journal (Starred Review) "[Abbott] returns to the subject she always captures so intensely: the private desires of teenage girls." —Entertainment Weekly
★ 05/01/2016 This latest novel from Abbott (after The Fever) centers on a young man's hit-and-run death shortly before a major gymnastics competition, ripping apart that sport's close-knit community. Immersed in her life as an Olympic hopeful, 15-year-old Devon Knox is in a tailspin. Her mother, Katie, goes into protective mode and attempts to salvage her family from ugly rumors involving her husband and questions about the boy's tragic end. Trying to keep her daughter's dream alive at any cost, Katie is as much a focus of this story as Devon. In true Abbott style, nothing is predictable here; the plot consistently confounds expectations with its clever twists and turns. VERDICT Admirers of Patricia Highsmith, Laura Lippman, and Kimberly Pauley (Ask Me) are in for a treat. New readers have a backlist to explore! [See Prepub Alert, 1/26/16; see also profile of Abbott, p. 65.—Ed.]—Frances Thorsen, Chronicles of Crime Bookshop, Victoria, BC
11/01/2016 Devon Knox, 15, is a brilliant gymnast and far more talented than the other girls training at BelStars gym. Her path to success could lead to the Olympics. Everyone knows it—all the other gymnasts, all the coaches, all the booster parents, and, most especially, Devon's parents. Her mother, Katie, dedicates her afternoons to sitting in the stands at BelStars, soaking up the envy of the other mothers as Devon flies over the vault. It's Katie who shows how secrets, betrayal, and murder can shatter the tight-knit group of girls and parents. At first, Katie seems like a well-balanced narrator, fair-minded in her attitude toward those with less amazing daughters, tenderly caring for Devon's little brother when he becomes ill. But readers notice that Katie seems to be missing some obvious signs of trouble. Katie discovers Devon, remote and self-contained by nature, in a cat fight with another girl in the locker room. Katie's husband, Eric, spends way too much time with Gwen, a wealthy booster mom. Even as the narrator increasingly suspects disturbing secrets, readers increasingly wonder how much to trust her. Abbott, who put a menacing spin on the world of cheerleading in Dare Me, amplifies the sense of danger implicit in high-stakes gymnastics, as well as the competition among the highly invested parents. Think Dance Moms, directed by Alfred Hitchcock. VERDICT Teens will get a hard-hitting look at competitive gymnastics, framed in a tale of gripping psychological suspense.—Diane Colson, Gainesville City College, FL
★ 2016-05-05 Abbott's latest thriller (The Fever, 2014, etc.) about everyday lives changed forever by an exceptional individual—in this case an Olympic gymnastics hopeful. "So many things you never think you'll do until you do them." This speaks volumes of truth for Devon Knox, who forces her body to pick fights with gravity for hours every day. To her mother, Katie, watching from the bleachers, it seems impossible that her daughter will land on her feet, until she does. Devon is extraordinary, and the normal-on-the-surface Knox family can't help but fly toward this one extra-bright light. Devon's dad, Eric, is obsessively devoted to the cause, fundraising constantly for gym BelStars and heading up the booster club. Gregarious Coach T. relies on his star gymnast to attract business; nothing is shinier than having an Olympic hopeful under his wing. But when tragedy strikes and Coach T.'s tumbling-coach niece, Hailey, learns her much-loved boyfriend, Ryan, is dead in a hit-and-run—only a couple of months before Elite Qualifiers—the gym begins to unravel. Devon, especially, can't afford any missteps. Her success relies on structure, and Eric promises he'll do anything to keep Devon on that golden track. When Hailey starts threatening Devon and the Knoxes' painfully sweet and observant son, Drew, starts talking about things he hears in the night, the whole gym family, Katie especially, begins to wonder just who might've had it in them to mow Ryan down. After all, you never know what you're capable of until you test your limits. With Elite Qualifiers looming, readers will begin to question what they think to be true right alongside the characters. Getting picky, readers will also catch on to one major plot element well before it's revealed, but Abbott makes the blindness of parents relatable; they come close to collapse on a regular basis from the pressures of their demanding schedules. Being a parent is hard. Being a parent to an anomaly is something else entirely. Abbott proves herself a master of fingernails-digging-into-your-palms suspense.
Lauren Fortgang gives this gripping audiobook a supple and quietly dazzling performance. Every character has a recognizable and appropriate voice. When a 16-year-old appears in a flashback, you recognize her voice, but it’s younger. (Wow.) Fortgang shifts fluidly from female to male, old to young in this high-stakes family drama set in the world of competitive gymnastics. Abbott delivers an education about “amateur” sports in America and the hidden costs of ambition. It’s the backdrop for a deeply involving plot in which a violent death shatters a community. Her characters are vivid, human, and real, and with perfect control, Abbott drops small jagged fragments of the picture into place as in a kaleidoscope until you see, finally and devastatingly, what really happened. B.G. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2016, Portland, Maine