User Reviews
Rating: really liked it
2.5 Stars
I am not exactly sure what happened here but I had a really hard time following this one and connecting with any of the characters to fully enjoy this story. It's a slow burn and in all fairness to the author it's a pacing that I usually really struggle with to stay fully engaged in.
Even though I didn't fully enjoy this one as much as I did Sarah Simpson's previous book I am still extremely thankful that I had the opportunity to read I KNOW YOU'RE THERE.
This was a Traveling Sisters Read that I read along with Brenda, Kim and Lindsay. We all had differing feelings towards this one and I am so glad that it was an enjoyable one for some of us.
Thank you so much to NetGalley, Aria and Sarah Simpson for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book.
Brenda & Lindsay's reviews can be found on our Two Sisters Lost in a Coulee Reading book blog:
https://twosisterslostinacoulee.com/
Rating: really liked it
4 stars! This story had me on edge from start to finish!
Natalie lives in an apartment in a house shared with three others. She has good relationships with the other tenants, considering a couple of them close friends. Having escaped a violent and abusive childhood, Natalie has always lived in fear of facing her past. She can’t seem to shake the feeling of being watched and having her past catch up with her. Mysterious notes begin to appear causing everyone to question how well they really know one another.
I applaud the author, Sarah Simpson, for creating such an intense feeling of tension throughout this entire novel. I truly felt Natalie’s fear and anxiety, feeling as though I was worried about what I would find out on the next page. This chilling sense of dread built a very strong and palpable atmosphere.
The characters were intriguing, each carrying a sense of secrecy that had my suspicions jumping all over the place. The novel changes perspectives between the house tenants, each chapter ending with a small cliffhanger which left me eager to read further. The pace did waver slightly as there were times I felt the plot dragged a bit, however, my curiosity and interest was piqued throughout.
This was a Traveling Sister read with Brenda and Norma. To find this review, please visit our blog at:
https://twosisterslostinacoulee.com/2...
Thank you to Aria for providing me with an ARC to read and review!
Rating: really liked it
I Know You’re There starts off slow as we get to know our main characters who live in different flats in the same building. It seems like a good set up her for Natalie and she thinks she has found her people here however not everything is as it appears with her new friends. Each character has their own personal conflicts and secrets and they are slowly revealed as we get to know the characters.
I know You’re There delves into the mental health of the characters and a few conditions are explored here with our characters. Sarah Simpson does a great job here delving into each character and their personalities as we learn each of the characters' conflicts and secrets from their past and how that has affected their dynamics here in the story. The characters and dynamics are complexed and at times I did become a bit confused with the dynamics.
The pace picks up around the middle of the story and the tension rises as the mystery starts to unfold right to that very satisfying ending that wrapped up so well.
Thank you so much to Victoria Joss at Aria and Sarah Simpson for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book.
Rating: really liked it
2.5 StarsThe walls can always crumble; the doors can be unlocked but none of it really matters when you deem what lies inside.Natalie and worrying have become friends, worrying keeps her safe. When she’s worrying, she will not be caught off guard. It’s her comfort blanket. She had always been teetering on the edge and recently she feels someone following her, her things are moved, she’s receiving strange notes… She has neighbors
(Mo the mother figure, Daniel the puppy dog and Nigel the upright solicitor) who each have their own secrets like Natalie…
This was my first read by this author and unfortunately, it wasn’t as good as I thought. It was very slow paced, I didn’t like the writing, it was so predictable and I could guess the twist so early on the story. Told in multiple POV, both in 1st and 3rd person, it’s a standalone novel. The only thing I liked was the short chapters but still it didn’t lessen the struggle! All in all, it wasn't what I expected and hope you enjoy it more than me!
Rating: really liked it
Natalie has a devastating past that she has tried to leave buried deep, except it is always there playing on her thoughts. She has done her best to walk away from those that have hurt her. Except every day she is worried that she come face to face with those she fears the most. Is her past about to reemerge and haunt her?
This book was a slow build in tension throughout the entire book. As myself and Natalie tried to figure out what the hell was going on in her life. I truly had no idea what was reality and what may have been Natalie's state of mind. I don't think Natalie knew either! It was so craftily written that I was forced to guess the entire book.
As Natalie is truly rebuilding a life for herself, I thought it was fantastic that she found a pseudo family in her neighbors. They seemed to be a supportive tight knit group even if they were a bit dysfunctional. Slowly though I began to question each of their motives. They seemed supportive and yet they all had secrets...so many secrets...
Then things start getting creepy...things start disappearing from Natalie's flat, strange smells lingering in her home, things are rearranged- or are they? I found myself wondering if Natalie had gotten herself into such a frenzy that this was pure paranoia as she admits to such. Or has someone in fact been in her home? Is someone following her every move?
Wow! Sarah Simpson managed to keep me guessing all the way until the end. I truly was not able to determine what was in fact reality or just our characters secrets, lies and paranoia. A major twist at the end left me shocked as everything fell into place.
Rating: really liked it
Love the title of the book, it makes you want to know more and I have enjoyed the authors previous work so we were off to a good start...
This novel novel ( 😃 ) is set in a beautifully described Cornwall and follows the lives of 4 neighbours who live in a 4 flat house, plus the landlord and one of the residents ‘minder/carers, it was billed by the main character Natalie as ‘almost family like’ with shared suppers, popping in and out of each others flats and the area being so safe they leave the communal front door ooen for the postman to pop in daily, all so genial and comforting, I quite fancied us moving there....
But of course, every single one of them has a secret, in fact some more than one and they want those secrets to remain as such.....but someone knows all about them ( surprise!! ) and via notes in their post pigeon holes gives warnings and coded messages to them all...the book then guides you through as Natalie tries to work it all out and with Mo ( my fav charcater ) as her sidekick they start to discover the truth....on top of this Natalie has to contend with her Dad being released from jail and stalking her, she has a lot to contend with, in the fact they all do and the book does become very ‘busy’ with all the goings on.....I loved it and found it all interesting as more and more became clear about each resident
There is a bit of repetition but in a story like this I found that helpful and not an annoyance
I enjoyed ( not loved ) all the characters and found the writing easy, reader friendly and welcoming
I did guess the culprit and why they were doing what they were doing at about 75% through but that was fine
A very good read that kept me reader alert all the way through
9/10 5 Stars
Rating: really liked it
This is the story of neighbours who all live in the same apartment building and their relationships with each other. Natalie who has recently moved in has made friends with some of them but are they trustworthy?
There are a lot of characters in this book and the author dedicates alternative chapters to each one so that we get to know them. This make the story slow and some off the characters stories didn't engage me at all.
Thank you to NetGalley and Aria for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.
Rating: really liked it
Paranoid,anxious Natalie,motherly Mowenna,serious,reliable Nigel and sweet,anxious Daniel. Four individuals who have flats in a large house in St Ives and who over time have become like a little family. Each one has their own personal issues,each has hidden secrets but is one of them not who they appear to be?
When the friends start receiving postcards from someone who seems to know a lot of personal information about them,mistrust,paranoia and suspension starts to spread throughout the house.
The tension builds,culminating in a deadly confrontation and one of the most shocking,mind blowing,unexpected twists that I have read in a very long time.
The chapters alternated between Natalie,Moweena and Daniel,three believable,complex characters who had very realistic issues. Sarah Simpson's descriptions of the daily struggles faced by people who live with mental issues were spot on. I know because I personally live with anxiety and paranoia and know how tough it is to get through the days when the anxious part of your brain is attempting to convince you that things are not as they appear to be or someone is lying to you and you are wrong to trust them. All four of the main characters had flaws but also had redeemable qualities. They were all likeable but I also had my doubts about each one of them as the twists and turns of the story unfolded. Apart from.the housemates,there was also three other characters who could have been the sender of the cards. There was Natalie's ex convict father and her seemingly,controlling boyfriend Mark who was also hiding a secret. There was also.my least favourite character,nasty,twisted,sinister Jacob. But who was sending the cards and why?
I Know You're There is a enthralling,character driven thriller with a very ingenious title and tag line and a story that keeps the reader guessing until towards the end of the book. Sarah Simpson lives in beautiful Cornwall which is where she also sets her stories. You can tell from her breath taking descriptions of the gorgeous scenery and settings that feature in her well written,complex,unpredictable thrillers that she really loves where she lives. I love Sarah Simpson's books and would happily recommend them.to anyone who.enjoys reading seriously,gripping psychological thrillers.
Many thanks to Aria Fiction and Sarah Simpson for a arc of this book via Netgalley in exchange for a honest review
Rating: really liked it
I have read and enjoyed previous books by Sarah Simpson so I was looking forward to reading her new one I Know You Are There. Unfortunately for me it did not live up to my expectations or the earlier books. I found this one to be painfully slow with annoying characters. I see that there are mixed reviews for this book and can understand why. It is a good story but it takes such a long time to get going that I struggled to stay invested in it.
Natalie had an abusive childhood and now struggles to make friends and trust others. She seems to have found people that she feels comfortable with when she moves into her flat in her fellow block members, Mo, Nigel and Daniel. But all is not as it seems. Then she discovers that her fathe has been released form prison and strange things start to happen around her. Who can she trust?
Thanks to Aria and NetGalley for my advanced copy of this book to read. All opinions are my own and are in no way biased
Rating: really liked it
A slow burn mystery, the book spent the first half in laying down the foundations of the characters and their interpersonal dynamics. Natalie lived with a mother figure Mo, lawyer Nigel, and friend Daniel in different floors of the building, where Mark was their landlord, work-boss, and her boyfriend. Everyone seemed to have a sweet deal happening, but not all were innocent here. Each one of them was hiding a secret from their past.
My second book by Sarah Simpson, though I didn't connect with the main character Natalie, I could understand her situation, where she was coming from. She had found her new family with these characters when her past was filled with abuse by the father who tried to kill her twice.
The story changed its pitch midway when notes and postcards started appearing in mail. Sarah's writing caused the apprehension to build up, the confusion amongst the characters was great to read. Their secrets held the key to dealing with their past. But their safety was in knowing who was the snake of Eden.
The niggles stared earlier on with slow pace and paucity of emotions, along with definite lack of suspenseful atmosphere, but the final explosive end made up for it to a large extent. A fun, fast read.
Rating: really liked it
2.5 stars
I Know You’re There by Sarah Simpson is a psychological thriller.
First, let me thank NetGalley, the both publishers Aria and Simon & Schuster, and of course the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.My Synopsis: (No major reveals, but if concerned, skip to My Opinions)The four residents of a house are receiving rather vague and suspicious notes left in their mailboxes. The notes could be construed as nothing, except the more they thought about the contents, the more the residents realized they could be seen as threats, and that someone is definitely aware of their individual pasts. Mark is the landlord of the building, but lives elsewhere. He is Natalie’s rather possessive boyfriend, but neither has trusted the other with their secrets.
The residents include:
Natalie, 30, had a horrendous childhood, making her suspicious of most men. Her father ended up in prison, but now he is out, and wants to resume his relationship with his daughter. He is sending her letters, but is he also responsible for the notes?
Morwenna, 54, lost her husband in a car accident when he was only 38, and has a son who she seldom sees now that he is married. She tries to be a good friend to Natalie, but she has her own secrets.
Nigel, 40-ish, is rather reclusive. He keeps to himself, and tries to stay away from the others. His secrets are buried deep.
Daniel, 28, is a rather naïve and gullible young man who seems to be afraid of his own shadow. The loss of his sister when he was 10 has continued to haunt him. He has a “caretaker”, Tommy, who was hired by his father to look in on him from time to time. He has secrets too.
They have become somewhat of a family, but none of them share what matters most.
My Opinions: A story of secrets, of lies, of fears. A story of neighbours, none of which are what they seem. The premise of this book was really interesting. Unfortunately, it fell flat for me. It took much too long to get to anything exciting. I admit to putting it down a number of times and struggling to pick it back up.
Told mostly in the voices of Natalie and Morwenna, with occasional chapters from the others, the story unfolds slowly….very slowly. I didn’t particularly like any of the characters. Natalie, our heroine, just came across as a whiny woman who drank too much.
I may be in the minority on this one, but I just didn’t enjoy it.
For a more complete review of this book and others, please visit my blog: http://katlovesbooksblog.wordpress.com/
Rating: really liked it
I Know You're There by Sarah Simpson is a dark look at what has commonly become known as the urban family. When circumstances take us away from our blood relationships, our network of friends become a family of our own choosing. Such is the case for Natalie, a young woman who is living in St.Ives and sharing a house with Morwenna (Mo), Daniel and Nigel. Having emerged from an abusive childhood, Natalie takes comfort in sharing a roof with these three individuals who provide a sense of familial closeness that she has not previously known. But everyone has secrets, and the residents of the house are no exception.
After a series of notes are delivered and a rash of unusual events take place, Natalie is convinced that her abusive father is trying to make contact. But why are these mysterious events coinciding with the suspicious behaviours of her housemates, and why is she finding it so difficult to know whom she can trust? Someone is playing games. Someone is not what they seem.
This is a dark and creepy tale that will keep you guessing, and will provide goosebumps aplenty.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Aria for this ARC.
Rating: really liked it
I Know You're There is a thoroughly gripping psychological thriller which revolves around secrets, deceit, duplicity, manipulation, control and obsession and it very quickly becomes terrifying. Natalie, Daniel and Mo are neighbours who each have skeletons in their closet, and when each of them begins to receive threatening messages they all believe their past is coming back to haunt them. The notes are creepy and oddly cryptic, and someone is certainly loving the suffering they are causing. As the characters begin to lose their grip on reality can they manage to find the culprit and a solution? Exactly who is sending the messages and what do they want?
This is quite a departure from her previous novels; it burns a lot slower and steadier and is an emotional read where you truly feel for the characters and their situations. There are twists and turns throughout, most of which I didn't see coming, and the humongous twist at the end was gobsmacking. The way Simpson dedicates the first part of the story to building her characters means you become invested in them and can very much relate to them. There is a dark, ominous atmosphere which is added to by the paranoia and insecurity of Natalie; it's chilling in places. I particularly loved that each chapter has something exciting happening and as they each end on a cliffhanger you end up wanting to read on and on. Many thanks to Aria for an ARC.
Rating: really liked it
“Is your house as safe as you think?”
What a great start for a blurb.
When Natalie moved into an apartment in a house shared with three other people she was happy to have a safe home, lovely neighbours too.
Each of the characters was hiding their own secrets.
When weird things start happening can they trust one another?
I thought this was a great read and I’m looking forward to reading more from this author in the future.
Rating: really liked it
I hate giving 1 and 2-star reviews, but I really struggled with this one. The pace of this book was so slow, I was distracted so many times and almost gave up reading. It took ages and pages for the story to captivate me and I found myself starting to take interest about 80% into the book. Where's the fun in that...
Natalie spent most of her childhood feeling afraid. So when she moved into her cozy little flat in St Ives and met her three friendly neighbors, she knew at once it was somewhere she'd feel safe. Before long, Natalie's neighbors have become the family she never had. Kind, motherly Morwenna, serious, reliable Nigel, and sweet, anxious Daniel. They collect each other's mail, water each other's plants, and share each other's lives. But as Natalie knows all too well, the people who are closest to you can also be the most dangerous. And this house is not as safe as she thinks...
The story is told in alternating POV's - Natalie, her neighbors- Morwenna and Daniel. Somehow, Nigel, the last neighbor got left out. Why? I'll never know! Among all, I found Daniel's POV to the most repetitive - it was almost as if I were reading the same chapter over and over again - it just got frustrating at the end. The "Natalie" and "Morwenna" chapters were mildly interesting, but it was a slow slow slow book( and in a get-to-the-point-already sort of way). I've read books on the "issue" that's troubling the 4 people, (which is sadly revealed only at the end) and hence I feel that this book had so much more potential. Sadly, I could not wait to just get this book over with.
Thank you NetGalley, Aria and Sarah Simpson for an arc!
