| Title | : | Everyone Who Can Forgive Me Is Dead |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 1250890845 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9781250890849 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Hardcover |
| Number of Pages | : | 292 |
| Publication | : | First published February 6, 2024 |
Nine years ago, with the world's eyes on her, Charlie Colbert fled. The press and the police called Charlie a "witness" to the nightmarish events at her elite graduate school on Christmas Eve—events known to the public as "Scarlet Christmas"—though Charlie knows she was much more than that.
Now, Charlie has meticulously rebuilt her life: She's the editor-in-chief of a major magazine, engaged to the golden child of the publishing industry, and hell-bent on never, ever letting her guard down again. But when a buzzy film made by one of Charlie's former classmates threatens to shatter everything she's worked for, Charlie realizes how much she's changed in nine years. Now, she's not going to let anything—not even the people she once loved most—get in her way.
Everyone Who Can Forgive Me Is Dead Reviews
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How do I put this? Let me paint a word picture:
You know when you have a perfectly good simple recipe? Let's pretend it’s a loaf of homemade bread. Just plain ol’ dependable white bread. It’s predictable, safe comfort food, and you know exactly what you’re getting because you’ve tasted it so many times before. With me so far?
OK. Now you have company coming over and you REALLY want to impress them with your baking skills, so you decide to zazz up that simple recipe by adding a little more salt for flavor … then some spices … then … well, let’s just keep adding more spices … and what the heck … maybe throw in a smidge of extra baking powder to get that bread nice and fluffy! If a little bit is good, then surely adding more is better, right?
When the loaf comes out it looks amazing on the outside and it smells so good, but when you bite into it, it just tastes … off.
That’s my experience with this book, in a nutshell. It had all the ingredients to make a solid story, but the flavor got muddled by either too many or just the wrong ingredients for me. Read others’ reviews if you’d like a plot rundown. This time I’m only offering my final general impression.
Let me start with what worked. The prose is good, the plot has been done many times in one form or another but was solid, and the whodunnit stayed within the scope of believability, which was nice.
So where did this one miss for me? The pace was a little slow, you don’t get details about the actual mystery until about a quarter of the way through, I didn’t like any of the characters apart from two who showed up at the END of the book and were barely in it - one of which was a DOG, and the twists fell flat. In trying to fool the reader with the lost memories trope, the ending got muddled in misdirection, making me feel more confused than surprised, and, unfortunately, this was a rare time when the audio made my experience worse. The narrator's character accents sounded like caricatures.
Is it a bad book? Not at all. It just wasn’t to my particular taste. Others have enjoyed it much more, so please read some of those reviews before you decide. My guess is that Jenny Hollander will have some great stories to savor in the future!
★★ ½
Thanks to Minotaur Books, NetGalley and author Jenny Hollander for this digital ARC and Macmillan Audio for the ALC to honestly review. It’s due to be published on February 6, 2024. -
OUTLIER OPINION !
Unfortunately, I didn’t find there to be anything “thrilling” about this debut “thriller” and it failed to capture or hold my interest…
Nine years ago, Charlie Colbert was the only “witness" to a tragedy at her elite graduate school of Journalism- an event dubbed by the Press as "Scarlet Christmas" since the deaths took place on Christmas Eve.
With the help of her therapist, Noor, Charlie has managed to move past that night, and is now the editor-in-chief of “C” -a major magazine, and she is engaged to be married to Tripp-a “well to do” heir of the publishing world.
But when one of Charlie's former classmates, Stephanie Anderson announces that for the Ten Year Anniversary of Scarlet Christmas, she will be producing a film based on The NY Times best-seller, “The Fall”, Aaron Katz’s account of the night, written after interviewing hundreds of sources-Charlie becomes increasingly DESPERATE to stop the movie.
The story unfolds through chapters from THEN (very YA) and NOW, with snippets from therapy sessions and Press announcements.
So in addition for it being a slog for me to get through, what else went wrong?
For starters, the characters were not well developed as the author seemed to differentiate one from the other by hair description and what part of the country their accent was from-and not much else. I found them hard to keep track of, since I really didn’t get to know anyone, and the descriptions of how their words were being pronounced was annoying.
The romance between Charlie and her fiancé Tripp wasn’t convincing, as they didn’t even know the most important things about eachothers pasts or what each envisioned for their future together. A big reveal finally happened at 50% but ultimately didn’t go anywhere.
I also wasn’t at all CONVINCED about Stephanie’s motive for releasing this film, especially after the truth of what really happened on Scarlet Christmas was revealed.
OR, why, she would lead Charlie to believe things about what the movie was actually going to depict when she knew what Charlie feared most.
It made no sense.
Still, so far, others have enjoyed this more, so if the premise interests you, be sure to check out additional reviews from other reviewers including DeAnn and Sheyla, who both buddy read this one with me, and may have felt differently! It didn’t work for me, but it might work for you!
AVAILABLE NOW
Thank You to Minotaur books for the gifted copy provided through NetGalley, in exchange for an HONEST review. -
Writing: solid | Plot: juicy but kinda lost me in the last quarter | Ending: a lil too perfectly wrapped up
SYNOPSIS
Charlotte Colbert reinvented herself after surviving a brutal slaying during grad school, but news of a movie championed by another survivor threatens to shatter her seemingly picture-perfect life.
MY OPINION
I'M SORRYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!! Until 60% this was giving me 4-star vibes, but then it kinda lost me along the way to the finale. However, this was a strong debut and I will definitely read whatever Jenny Hollander puts out next. She has tons of potential. I liked the wit woven throughout; the jokes about Americans between Gunnar and Charlie (Charlotte) were LOL. Made me think of my college days hanging out with the tennis team (we were all international students) and trying to understand why camo was considered fashionable.
That reveal at 50% ish had me SHOOK (gen z's, don't judge me for using this word!). I love a baby bombshell, especially when there were earlier clues that seemed so innocuous I didn't pick up on it whatsoever. Unfortunately, the info revealed wasn't really the game-changer I thought it would be in regards to the mystery. Maybe I was losing steam, but it felt like the last quarter was rushed. At this point, Charlie was going in circles and I was tired reading about her popping pills and skulling expensive wine. I did like the use of her therapy sessions to integrate the past timeline—but I can't comment on the legitimacy of those sessions. Real psychologists may have some opinions.
I don't want to get into spoilies but I didn't understand the baddie's motive behind the whole shebang. Seemed like a lil self-sabo and if they had just stfu, everything would've been fine. Also, if I died because someone's body fell on me I'd be PISSED!!!!!! And lastly... there was an event near the end that was brushed to the side like it was no big thang but in fact it was a very big thang, like a serious crime big thang. But it would've gotten in the way of the HEA I guess.
And speaking of HEA... if you've read my past reviews, you know I have personal beef with epilogues that read like you're catching up with a friend. I know some people like to know how all the characters' lives pan out, but truthfully I don't give two effs. Solve the mystery and call it a day. If you open a bakery that exclusively sells croissants in the shape of ding dongs, that's great, but I don't need to know about it. For clarity, this isn't what the FMC does but honestly, it would've been more exciting.
All in all, I think most people will enjoy this read and I definitely recommend reading other reviews. This book is NOT bad, not even close. I'm just a notoriously picky hoe and after such a strong start, my expectations were too high. But I definitely am looking forward to whatever she drops next.
PROS AND CONS
Pros: great wit, interesting story, past timeline was presented in a creative fashion, twist at 50% truly caught me unawares
Cons: didn't really buy into the motive, last 40% felt rushed, ending was too perfectly wrapped up for my preferences, too much drinking and pills (I know a lot of people are tired of this—luckily it wasn't used in an 'unreliable narrator' fashion but it was still a bit much). -
Wow! This breathtaking debut had me hooked with its intense psychological thriller and gripping mystery from the first page. The story revolves around Charlie Colbert, an unreliable heroine with a distorted memory, as she tries to piece together the memories of a tragic event that occurred 10 years ago, resulting in a bloody massacre with three deaths. This captivating storyline immediately drew me in, and I couldn't help but concoct my own theories about what happened on that ominous night.
Charlie, a survivor and the last girl standing from the incident known as the "Scarlet Christmas," has undergone significant mental and physical changes. She has reinvented herself as a powerful editor-in-chief of a major magazine and is engaged to Tripp, a wealthy individual in the publishing industry. However, she still sees her psychiatrist, Noor, as she continues to struggle to remember the events of that fateful night. Guilt consumes her because she passed out during the incident and lied during her testimony. Now, she must confront her blackout and uncover the truth of what truly happened that night, especially as Cate's twin sister Stephanie, one of the victims, plans to make a movie based on the real events. As new clues and discrepancies emerge in the case, Charlie's lies are on the verge of being exposed. She cannot let everything she has worked so hard for crumble. She must protect her life and her family, including her sister Felicity, who requires special care.
With time running out, Charlie pushes herself to the limit to remember the events before someone else takes action and puts her behind bars. Deep down, she fears that she may be involved in the killings and that she may be more dangerous than she ever imagined. Racing against the clock, she does everything in her power to halt the movie production while also attempting to recall the forgotten pieces of that tragic night and confront the ghosts from her past.
Throughout my reading, I couldn't help but think, "OMG, this is amazing! I'm so curious to see how the big mystery unfolds and how everything will conclude." The riveting pacing kept me engaged, and as the pressure mounted, it urged me to turn the pages a little faster. However, as I reached the last quarter of the book, the magic slowly began to fade. I started questioning if the author could tie everything together in an appropriate manner because several plot holes began to surface. I found myself going back to reread sections to ensure I understood the events correctly.
While the conclusion wasn't bad, it wasn't as earth-shattering as I had expected. It left me with lingering questions and a few unresolved plot holes. I had set my expectations quite high, which made it difficult for me to fully appreciate the answers provided, considering the investment I had made in this riveting journey.
I'm still rounding up my rating from 3.5 stars to 4 because it remained an intriguing page-turner. However, I do wish that the last quarter of the book had been written with greater clarity. There were moments when I lost myself in Charlie's foggy thoughts and dreamy state, causing me to reread certain pages to grasp the revelations.
Overall, this was a promising debut, and I am genuinely open to reading more works by this author in the near future.
Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with a digital review copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.
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**Many thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press-Minotaur, and Jenny Hollander for an ARC of this book! Now available as of 2.6!!**
You've heard of White Christmas...Green Christmas...but have you ever heard of SCARLET Christmas?
Charlie Colbert's here to tell you about it. Well...what she can REMEMBER about it, anyway. See, 9 years ago on Christmas Eve, Charlie was attending college at the prestigious Carroll school, surrounded by a group of friends that felt like family, until that one terrible night...where 3 of them died. Charlie fled the scene, making her an immediate suspect, but she somehow manages to escape the law and maintain her innocence, due in large part to a huge gap in her memory.
In our '9 years after the tragic event' present day, Charlie has managed to rebuild her life in a significant way: she's editor in chief at a well-respected magazine C, and she's engaged to Tripp, a handsome richie-rich boy who is set to help keep her safely ensconced in a comfortable life. When the sister of one of the victims of the murders reappears, however, and Charlie discovers she is setting out to make a MOVIE about that awful night...all of the fears and panic has about that night and the gaping holes in her memory come flooding back. Why CAN she only remember such tiny fragments about the timeline of that night? And why does she have a sinking suspicion that SHE might have had something to do with the bloodbath? An once this filmmaker begins digging around...will opening night mean a final curtain call on Charlie's shiny new life?
There's no way around it, so I'll just come out and say it: when by the end of a book, you discover the best thing about it was the TITLE? There's just no way to feel good about that. From the very beginning, it became evident that this was going to be a bit messy and elusive as a read...which in principle isn't a deal breaker for me, especially in a story like this one. The narrator has memory issues: of COURSE we as readers are going to be left in the dark, struggling to put pieces together, make educated guesses, fill in the blanks until we are let in on the secrets somewhere down the line, often AS the main character figures them out.
But there is a difference between purposefully messy and just simply incoherent...and this book too often fell FIRMLY in the second category.
First off, this story is full to bursting with unlikable, rambling characters. I had so much trouble caring about ANY of them, even our MC. They were all so bizarrely written, it felt like an adult trying to hang out with the Gen Z set and using slang words completely out of context...until all the kids stop what they're doing and stare blankly over at them until they shrink back into the corner. We were told over and over again how British Charlie was, although I'm not sure WHAT relevance that had to the plot to be such an important fixture of the story. Everyone constantly brought up everyone else's accents and affects as if none of these college kids had ever seen a person slightly different than themselves before...and it just made the whole thing feel OFF.
On top of this, Charlie's memories are tied to whatever she discovers with her therapist Nori, and when I say I feel sorry for Nori...it's not an understatement. The sessions were almost as painful as the plot in general and twice as pointless. I also couldn't understand how Charlie was able to simply gloss over this high-profile crime and tragedy and move effortlessly into a new life...it's mentioned that her new magazine KNOWS who she is...so as editor-in-chief of a well-known magazine, she was hoping to somehow hide in the background? It really didn't make any sort of sense. Charlie also thinks she has pull with Stephanie, the sister of one of the victims, who is at the helm of the film...and I have no idea why she would think this or why anyone believes her about ANYTHING, frankly.
Of course, once we get to our 'big reveals' at the end all is explained...but in a pseudo-heartwarming way, we are presented with a sort of saccharine ending where I think we are supposed to feel sorry for Charlie (?), followed by almost an ENTIRE chapter, for no reason whatsoever, about her new dog. I'll be honest, when I first started reading this particular chapter, it was a bit unclear it was even ABOUT a dog...I thought I somehow had missed Charlie having a CHILD. 🤦♀️ As grateful as I was for this not to be accurate, it still made me laugh...but at the end of this 'thriller,' I don't think I should have been laughing. We also find out it is Charlie's 35th BIRTHDAY which seems laughable to me...as a 36 year old reader, this character read a lot more like 15 than 35.
Sometimes the cover of a book can feel like a lot like a movie trailer, where sometimes all you get is a couple of quick pictures, a title, and a release date to whet your appetite. If all of the pretense is enough to draw you in, you might buy a ticket, grab your popcorn, and expect a certain level of entertainment to come your way for the next hour or two. But in the case of EWCFMID (yup, it's even long as an acronym!) an attention-grabbing title just couldn't make the steep price of admission worth it.
2.5 stars
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2.5⭐️
Editor-in-chief of a major magazine and engaged to a member of an affluent and influential family, Charlie Colbert has a seemingly perfect life. But when one of her former graduate school classmates decides to make a movie about the tragic events that transpired on Christmas Eve nine years ago – an event dubbed ”Scarlet Christmas “ by the Press - that resulted in the deaths of three of her classmates, leaving Charlie and other survivors traumatized, she is fearful that the movie, based on a book written about the tragedy, will upend the life she has so meticulously rebuilt. Charlie had distanced herself from her former friends after the tragedy but now not only will she have to reach out to them to prevent the movie from being made but also have to revisit her past to fill in the gaps in memories from that night.
To be honest, I liked the premise of Everyone Who Can Forgive Me Is Dead by Jenny Hollander more than the execution. Up until the halfway mark, I was enjoying the writing and found the plot intriguing. However, as the narrative progressed, the inconsistent pacing, repetitiveness and poor character development resulted in a less-than-satisfying reading experience. Despite this novel being less than three hundred pages long, it felt much longer, which is never a good thing. None of the characters were particularly interesting (Annoying and Shallow? Yes! Interesting? No). I did feel sorry for Charlie and her struggles, but that’s about it – I think I’m a bit tired of protagonists with foggy memories and dependence on alcohol. The therapy angle should have been better executed. The romantic relationship between Charlie and Tripp felt forced and superficial. Most of the twists felt contrived and I found certain revelations along the way too ridiculous to shock or even surprise me. I’m all for suspension of disbelief, but I found the resolution of the mystery behind “Scarlet Christmas” underwhelming, to say the least. I could go on about how this novel didn’t work for me, but I think I’ll stop here.
In short, I can’t say this was a thrilling read.
Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the digital review copy. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. This novel was published on February 06, 2024.
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When Charlotte ‘Charlie’ Colbert was a young, impressionable twenty-three year old just starting her graduate degree in journalism, her world was rocked off of its foundation. Supposedly just a mere witness, the life-altering events that took place on Christmas Eve at her crème de la crème university, have left Charlie scarred by the past. It took everything she had to get through the aftermath of what the country coined ‘Scarlet Christmas.’ Especially given that she knows she was so much more than just a spectator, which is a fact she’s worked hard to keep hidden.
Now nine years after that fateful, blood-soaked night, Charlie has worked her way up to editor-in-chief of a glamorous magazine and is engaged to the heir of a major publishing house. With a thicker skin and quite the reputation to protect, Charlie is adamant that no one will ever be able to get through her defenses again. Especially once she learns of a new movie set to be filmed. Based on the events of the worst night of her life, Charlie knows she can’t let it go ahead. She simply has too much to lose. No matter the cost, she will stop the film in its tracks—even if it means more blood must be spilled.
Everyone Who Can Forgive Me Is Dead was quite the slow burn psychological suspense novel. Not exactly a thriller, in my humble opinion, it was nevertheless a startling exposé on grief and trauma. Complete with several shocking twists and a top-notch unreliable narrator, this compelling debut from Jenny Hollander was a solid read for this mystery lover.
The strongest piece to this puzzle of a plot were certainly the dynamic characters—especially Charlie herself. Taut and beautifully written, her fragile state was perfectly crafted. From debilitating anxiety to life-altering dissociation, Charlie’s mental health drove the storyline for much of the book. Don’t get me wrong, there were plenty of well guarded secrets and underhanded motivations, but the characters were easily the star, as the rest of the cast were also simply sublime.
As for that plot, around halfway through I was utterly floored by what I thought would be a game-changing twist. Sadly, however, it didn’t quite lead anywhere in the end. Even the perfectly set up climax was somewhat of a let down when it too was less than I expected. Just the same, Charlie’s unraveling and the much hinted at mysterious history kept me gladly turning the pages until the final conclusion, which had me smiling with glee.
My biggest issue with the story, however, was the very format itself. Told via dual timelines of then and now with the focus primarily on the latter, I personally thought it could’ve been a much stronger novel if the emphasis had been on the former. With constantly building foreboding and mania for days, I would have much preferred to see the events taking place live, so to speak, instead of them coming across as rather flat, all said and done.
Still, it was quite the gripping novel. Starting with a bang with an attention-grabbing prologue that promised one heck of a plot, the poignant exploration of trauma was a serious hole in one. On top of that, the tension I could feel seemed to raise the stakes as the plot continued to unfold, making me race through the pages to learn the truth of what happened that fateful night. In the end, while it wasn’t necessarily perfect, I enjoyed this book wholeheartedly and look forward to seeing what Hollander writes in the future. Rating of 3.5 stars.
Thank you to Jenny Hollander and Minotaur Books for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.
PUB DATE: February 6, 2024
Trigger warning: mental health issues including anxiety attacks and disassociation, fatal stabbing, mention of: death from a fall, stalking -
The premise of 'Everyone Who Can Forgive Me is Dead' is good. And if you've never read another novel about school vi0lence, you'll probably enjoy this reveal!
What I didn't enjoy is that this really feels like Luckiest Girl Alive.. in a different font. Right down to the rich boyfriend/fiance who doesn't really get her, her somewhat high-powered magazine job and desire to escape her financially unstable past... and last but not least, her unwillingness to talk about what really happened that night.
The reveals are different... but overall, I just felt like this has been done before. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
**Thank you to Minotaur Books & NetGalley for the advanced reader copy. I received this book for free, but all thoughts are my own. – SLR 🖤
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With the incredibly engaging book name, I was excited to read this novel. Yet, I can't say that I loved it.
Charlie Colbert is the current editor-in-chief of a prestigious magazine called C. She is engaged to be married to Tripp who is a rich heir in the publishing world. Charlie reinvented herself after a horrible tragedy that occurred nine years earlier.
During her time as a student at Carroll, three people died in what is known as the Scarlett Christmas. A book has been published about the events of that night and now a movie is in the works. Charlie is not able to handle it. She needs to stop the movie from coming out. She is not sure what happened because at some point she passed out. She does worry if she hurt someone that night.
With the help of her therapist, Charlie will try to piece together what happened that horrible day before the movie is out.
I liked the first half of the book. I was interested in learning what really happened that night and who were the people who died. Unfortunately, the last part of the novel didn't work for me. It felt rushed and sloppy. Also, the romance between Tripp and Charlie felt lacking. Why were they even together?
This was a buddy read with Jayme and DeAnn. Check out their reviews.
Cliffhanger: No
3/5 Fangs
A complimentary copy was provided by Minotaur Books via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
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Everyone Who Can Forgive Me Is Dead by Jenny Hollander is a debut psychological suspense novel. The story in Everyone Who Can Forgive Me Is Dead is one that is told in a dual timeline style switching between the past and present with more emphasis on the present timeline.
Nine years ago headlines everywhere lit up with the story of a mass murder on a school campus which reporters and police dubbed it the “Scarlet Christmas”. Charlie Colbert was there as events took place and became the witness everyone wanted to hear from, the problem, Charlie doesn’t actually remember what happened.
Now, after years of therapy and being out of the spotlight Charlie has made a life for herself putting that long ago event out of her mind, or at least to the back of it. Charlie is now the editor of a major magazine and engaged to be married so the last thing Charlie needs is the past brought back to the surface so when she gets word of a possible movie being made Charlie’s goal is to do whatever it takes to stop it.
Everyone Who Can Forgive Me Is Dead is one of those books that I think I may be an outlier on with it just not quite working well for me. Everything about this one should have been something I loved but I ended it at two and a half stars with a bit of disappointment. For me this one was incredibly slow which often makes it harder to stay engaged but with that said I wondered if the author had focused more in the past and built the event up better if it would have made the pacing pick up too. Whatever the case I would probably give this author another shot if she wrote another thriller though.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
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I would classify this as YA. It’s not bad but it reminds me and reads more of a YA book even though it’s not categorized as one. The way the story unfolds is slightly predictable with not much suspense. I enjoyed it and had great writing but personally didn’t love it. 2.75
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3.5 stars
Everyone Who Can Forgive Me is Dead is a slow burn psychological thriller. It has a good premise as some big, bad, terrible thing happened years ago and now the main character is hoping therapy will help her recover repressed memories of that horrific night. I can't say I loved the book but it was a decent read.
Nine years ago on Christmas Eve, paramedics arrived at a gruesome scene at Carroll University. It was given the name, "Scarlett Christmas", by the media. Charlotte Colbert was a witness and now one of her former classmates is making a film about the tragedy and boldly proclaiming it will contain the truth about what really happened that night. Charlotte is worried new attention to the case will totally upend everything in her life.
Charlotte works pretty well as an unreliable narrator as you get the sense she knows more than she lets on but yet she is seeking answers as well. It's worth mentioning I just could not get into a good reading groove with this book. It was more of a pick it up for 10 minutes, set it down, check my phone for a bit, and repeat. It's weird because it's not like I was completely disinterested in the story, more I just couldn't focus for a long stretch, or at least not until the last 100 pages or so. Maybe that's more of an issue with me rather than the actual writing. Who knows?
The final chapters manage to be slightly surprising and yet lackluster at the same time. When you have a slow moving plot in the thriller genre, you really got to nail that ending, and this one fell a little short. Not horrible but a tad disappointing.
I won an advance copy of this book in a Goodreads giveaway. All thoughts expressed are my honest opinion. -
My rating: 5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ this was great, fun, I could not put it down!!!
Charlotte Colbert witnessed the horrific event that the tabloids called Scarlet Christmas. It was the event that changed her life. It has defined her life, and she has spent her whole life trying to avoid the black holes that the trauma has left…
Until now… 9 years later, the event she can never bring herself to think about is going to be turned into a feature film and Charlotte is terrified that the events of that night are going to get out, the ones that she didn’t tell anyone, the ones that no one knows about (or do they)… not even Charlotte herself…
She will be fighting against the clock to remember the events of that Christmas Eve before someone else can tell the story first, how hard and how far will she go to keep this secret?
First of all let me say, congratulations to the author was an amazing debut book. I am not going to lie (why would I), I requested this, it sounded juicy AF, but I wasn’t holding out much hope… its always a bit hit and miss on NG. BUT HOT DAMN this sucked me in… and held my attention into the wee hours of the morning…. That is what I want…
So no spoilers because I am gonna recommend the crap out of this one… go read it… But I will tell you what I liked.
I loved the story style, its all told from Charlotte’s (Charlie’s) POV, there are Then and Now sections and we know that I am a sucker for a now and then or a multi timeline POV so I was there for that… I love the confusion as well.. so perhaps I should say this… do not expect this story to immediately make sense. You are building up to the reveal.. you know something has happened but you aren’t going to know the full story until the story is done… thats why you read it all right?
But if you are one of those people who get lost easy in multi-timelines, and you hate feeling a little bit lost… you may not like this… I personally think this is an art. Where the author can bring you along for a full blown ride… you get in and the doors lock and you turn around in the opposite direction and are like WTF is happening… and then bit by bit, km by km (or mile by mile) you get to your destination… and then you are WOW THAT WAS SO WORTH IT…
This is like that… I felt lost in some points… I like that though I like to feel like I want to keep reading cause I HAVE to know what is happening… and I loved the dry wit and humour throughout this. Charlie’s inner monologue is not a whiny little bitch…she’s a bit of a badass but shes also sassy AF. She means business and shes gonna get her way… but she has a softness to her… you just gotta wait a minute for that.
Her gal pal Cate is a trip… shes outrageous and everything that Charlie isn’t and you love her and you hate her… but well… thats all on Cate.
There are a lot of other characters for you to meet and they all tell a piece of the puzzle and this is a puzzle… you wont have the final piece until the very end…
It wasn’t without its little things… its not perfect but I am not even going to bother mentioning the little things that blipped… it was great. I loved it and I recommended it and I would do it again…
Overall, YESSSSS read this… if you can handle all the things I said above… it’s great fun, its suspenseful and its tense… I was on edge!!! I loved the confusion and the unfolding of the mystery… I wanted Charlie to win… I wanted her to get through it… I could feel the pain and anguish in her panic attacks… I was there with her… I could feel her exhaustion… that is everything I want in a story… Thank you to Jenny Hollander I can’t wait for your next book already… I am here for it!!! Goodreads besties… go get this on NetGalley… (unless you don’t like the things I mentioned above then perhaps get Room for Rent, that one might be more suited - no shade only recs)!!! Happy Reading!!!
Huge thank you to Jenny Hollander (FANTASTIC debut), Minotaur Books and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review!!! -
Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.
Expected publication date: Feb. 6, 2024
Nine years ago, the events that took place on Christmas Eve at an elite journalism school had everyone talking. But only Charlie and her friends knew the truth and they all had their own reasons for keeping certain events a secret, Charlie more than most. Now, Charlie is engaged to the heir of a business fortune and the editor-in-chief of a major magazine, trying to put the past behind her and live the life of her dreams. But, as these things do, her past comes back to her when a former classmate plans to turn the events of “Scarlet Christmas” into a movie. Charlie knows that she must do whatever she can to keep the truth from coming out, even if she takes her entire life down in the process.
Jenny Hollander’s debut novel, “
Everyone Who Can Forgive Me Is Dead”, is both gripping and entertaining. Told through Charlie’s eyes, as she experiences the whole gamut of PTSD, survivor’s guilt and debilitating loss, all while trying to plan a wedding and keep the job she loves, I was instantly pulled in.
The story is told in the present day, although we do get snippets of past events through Charlie’s recently-recalled memories. The reader experiences glimpses of the events and is forced to make assumptions, as Charlie does, until the truth is revealed. The details of what really happened remain a mystery until the final pages and the tension slowly builds until Charlie remembers what took place and, finally, the reader is caught up as well.
The ending was slightly unrealistic and a bit unbelievable, but it was a satisfying conclusion, with all the expected resolutions. Overall, I found Hollander’s debut to be a page-turner, full of appropriately intriguing twists and turns. This is my preferred genre and I’m always happy to welcome a new author into the fold. As Hollander’s writing experience grows, I can see her easily rising to the top. -
What a TREAT. In this psychological thriller, we uncover the real story behind a 9 year old crime with our main character Charlie (Charlotte), who may have more involvement in the Scarlet Christmas tragedy than what public record believes.
So many things are uncovered throughout the plot that you DONT WANT TO PUT THIS DOWN and you NEVER are really sure what happened 9 years ago until the author wants you to know. The pacing was gripping, the story was so interesting, I was invested in the characters, I had so much fun reading this mystery. I personally love when books go back and forth between two timelines: Everyone Who Can Forgive Me is Dead builds the pressure and stakes of the plot by quickly flipping between them as more truth is unveiled to the reader and easily makes this an addicting page turner.
I really liked how it all played out - you feel emotionally comfortable with how the characters ends up - which isn’t always the case for mysteries and may not be what all readers want. I can see how some people might call the ending too convenient, BUT I enjoyed it.
I also want to mention that Charlie is dealing with a lot of mental health issues and trauma related to what happened 9 years ago. Her experience with dissociation is at the forefront of the narrative and really drives how the story is told, so keep that in mind as a reader!
Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review! -
Everyone Who Can Forgive Me Is Dead is the first novel by British editor and author, Jenny Hollander. Thirty-two-year-old London -born Charlotte Colbert loves living in New York City, loves her job as editor-in-chief of the Chronicle’s Sunday supplement, C, and is engaged, soon-to-be-married, to publishing heir, William Goodman West III, aka Tripp. She has good staff, and regular contact with her family and her best friend in England.
She also has regular sessions with her therapist, Dr Noor Nazari because, nine years earlier, as a student at the feted School of Journalism at Carroll University, she survived what the media soon dubbed Scarlet Christmas. Three students died, others were injured, and Charlie has only an incomplete memory of what happened. And as long as certain triggering topics are avoided, Charlie stays on an even keel.
But then KBC anchor, Stephanie Anderson reveals plans to make a movie about the ordeal her twin sister Cate faced during Scarlet Christmas, and Charlie fears that the lies she told about what happened will be exposed. Maybe she needs to remember what really happened?
As the story progresses, it becomes apparent that Charlie isn’t the only one who lied, that she is an unreliable narrator, and that the author is withholding significant facts to keep the reader guessing. This does cause the story to drag a little as intrigue morphs into frustration. It is cleverly plotted, there are several twists, some more predictable than others and, for a journalism student/editor, the protagonist (or is it the author?) does have a disappointing deficit in the command of personal pronouns. Nonetheless, an impressive debut.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK. -
Nine years ago, Charlie was a part of what the news dubbed “Scarlet Christmas” and has been doing her best ever since to forget. But with the ten year anniversary coming up and a movie deal in the works, she’s forced to try to recall and reconcile her traumatic past. Being in Charlie’s mind means we also don’t know what the reality about that night is and her mind protects herself as she becomes more untethered in an attempt to relive it and finally remember the truth.
You can feel Charlie spiral as she works toward trying to keep the public from finding out everything about that night while also trying to finally remember herself. This book relies heavily on an unreliable narrator and mental health issues and so while Charlie’s deteriorating mental health state propels the story, I hesitate to applaud it for making me not know what was happening. Charlie’s therapy was used as a ploy to get the past told instead of to show how it can help and the ending is wrapped up in a bow; I wish it would have spent more time addressing the real implications of mental health- both with what happened the night of “Scarlet Christmas” and the truth of how it affected Charlie.
However, that aside, the suspense of the unknown did make you turn the pages in hopes of finding the truth.
I received an advanced copy through Netgalley in return for an honest review. -
One of my fave story styles - past and present timelines + past and present mysterious. A death in the past. Someone intent on finding the truth in the present.
UPDATED WITH MY REVIEW:
Let’s talk about a book that is so square in my sweet spot— dual timelines, a campus setting, NYC, someone hell-bent on finding the truth and someone else who will stop at nothing to keep it hidden.
Nine years ago a tragedy dubbed “Scarlet Christmas” left six graduate students at NYC’s Carroll University either in surgery or in the morgue.
But Charlie Colbert somehow escaped the night totally unscathed. The press called her a victim. They called her a survivor. She’s quick to tell us everyone got it wrong.
As the ten-year anniversary creeps closer, Charlie learns that one of her former classmates is going to make a movie about that night — a movie that will finally set the record straight.
Charlie has spent years rebuilding her life by leaving the dark night, and everyone she knew, behind. She’s now the editor-in-chief of a major magazine in New York City. She’s engaged to the heir to one of the biggest publishing companies. She’s worked so hard to forget the past and so hard to protect the truth of what really happened.
With dual timelines, some mixed media and lots of dark secrets this book kept me guessing. I am always up for books where the past comes back to haunt the characters and so interested to see what’s lurking in the dark.
Huge thanks to @minotaur_books for the eARC and to @macmillan.audio for the Audio ARC. I loved being able to switch between the two and to stay deep within the story at all times. I really enjoyed this debut! -
Nine years ago, Charlotte (Charlie) moved from London to New York to attend journalism school. She moved into the dorms, made some friends, including her BFFs, Cate and Gunner. She also met a cute southern boy named Jordan, and eventually, they are dating. Everything is going well…until it isn’t.
Sounds like a typical college story, right? It is, until the night of “Scarlet Christmas”. A few students had to stay on campus until Christmas Eve, so there was a party involving champagne and handcuffs. The party, oddly enough, isn’t where a gruesome crime happened…it’s what happens later that shatters the lives of so many. Charlie was one of the few survivors (of an incident you will wait most of the book to find out about), and she’s worked hard to leave that life behind. She’s now the head of a fashion magazine, she dyed her hair and got a nose job, and she’s slated to soon be Charlotte Goodman West. Her engagement to a man named Tripp is about to lead her into a very wealthy family with a lot of connections. Soon, these connections are needed..
Stephanie, Cate’s sister, is making a movie about the night for 10-year anniversary “memorial”. Charlie has a multitude of reasons why she doesn’t want this to happen, but Stephanie is not backing down. The upcoming anniversary of the bloody night, combined with slight amnesia about the incident, has her baring her soul to a therapist who pushes her to remember what she’s chosen to block out.
It takes a lot to make a past/present crime story cohesive, and unfortunately this one was scattered - the story in past and present, with newspaper articles and various media interspersed - made for a slightly confusing read. (Also, what therapist hypnotizes a patient that is driving?!) As I mentioned, you don’t get the story about The Night until the end, and even then, it was still a bit convoluted. I don’t think I cared for the ending, because it didn’t make much sense.
Overall, this was engaging enough to read in a sitting, but for me, it was too complex when it didn’t need to be. There were a few unanswered questions, and there was a weird vibe to the whole story. I’m giving this an average 2.5 stars, rounded up.
(Thank you to Minotaur Books, Jenny Hollander and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my review. This book is slated to be released on February 6, 2024.) -
For many of us, the premise of "crime survivor with memory problems who now has the perfect job and fiance (both of these will be gone by the end) has to have a reckoning with the past" is getting pretty cliche, but still a tantalizing enough premise to pull us in anyway.
For once, I think I would have preferred more cliches than whatever the heck this sloppy mess this.
For one thing, that title is so misleading. No one who is dead needs to give Charlotte forgiveness for anything. Hell, no one alive seems to need to do so either. It becomes even more baffling when this line is dropped
However, the title is not the biggest issue. The biggest issue is is that the official version of the Scarlet Christmas event does not come until the eleventh hour AND shortly before the real version of the event is also revealed. So there is no time to think over the mystery and have little twists over time while the reader tries to parse together what might actually have happened. You know, a huge part of what makes mysteries and thrillers fun?
Everything before that is just meandering around with Steph wanting to make a movie about it (her motives on this are NEVER clear, especially when it turns out . It also meanders around with Charlotte and her completely spineless (??) therapist as Charlotte worries she is not remembering all her actions the night of the killings. This is another case where we get the official story and the real version so close together so there is no real tension mystery to puzzle out. She
There's also a threat of an upcoming expose throughout the story to try to keep the reader invested, which ends up involving someone not at all involved with the story and tries to do some very clunky commentary on gun control and opposition to it. Which might have worked if we had some actual build up and discussion before the reveal?!? And why is there an entire chapter devoted to Charlotte adopting a dog and maybe getting back together with her fuckboy college boyfriend?
Nothing about this worked. Nothing. -
Charlotte “Charlie” Colbert was a witness to “Scarlet Christmas”, a horrific tragedy that found some of her fellow graduate students dead. That night and her lack of memory of it as well as her lie to the police have always haunted her as she rebuilt her life, rising in the world of journalism to editor-in-chief of an important magazine and engaged to the scion of a wealthy family. Now, as the decennial of that event approaches, another woman who was also present that night wants to make a film about it and “tell what really happened”. Charlie’s life spirals out of control as she desperately tries to recall the events of that night while also attempting everything possible to prevent the film being made.
This book had ups and downs for me. I really liked the first quarter introducing the main character and the plot; I couldn’t wait to get into the story. But then it devolved a bit for me as Charlie frantically tried to control the situation. I felt it was a bit all over the place and some important characters not particularly well developed
While there was a mystery at the heart of this book, it also was a study of PTSD and how guilt can weigh one down. The story is told in two timelines, then and now. There are some twists the reader might not see coming and may or may not like. Despite my reservations about the story, this is a sold debut and I look forward to reading other works by this author.
Thanks to #netgalley @stmartinspress #minotaurbooks for the ARC. -
The title of this book was enough to have me intrigued. How could you not want to read this.it was a very bingeable debut novel, and I thought that the narrator, Marisa Calin, did a fantastic job with it.
I listened to this book in 2 sittings. The story is told through the eyes of Charlie, a British student who travels to New York to study. She finds herself caught up in the events of “Scarlet Christmas’ when a number of students died. Only Charlie can’t remember what happened that night nine years ago. All she can remember is lying to the police. She is trying to retrieve the memories with the help of a counsellor, but it might be too late. A movie is coming out that threatens to tell the truth of that night.
I really enjoyed how the author gave us little bits of Charlie’s past as the story was going. We don’t know quite what happened either until close to the end. It was frustrating but worked well in this story. There are some very unlikeable characters and some that I did like. I am still not sure which category Charlie fits into yet.
Thanks to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the advanced audio copy of this book. Released on 6th February -
I truly struggled getting into this book. I just could not focus. I felt it jumped all over the place. It just didn’t grasp my attention like I would of liked.
Charlie works well as a very unreliable MFC I will say that. I didn’t dislike her, but she got on my nerves a lot. Her friends were no cup of tea and I didn’t care for them.
I will say I felt the writing to be good, but I didn’t personally didn’t feel this was much of a thriller.
This was just an okay read. Not bad, but didn’t wow me either.
Thank you Netgalley, St. Martin Press, and Minotaur Books for the e arc. -
Received via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
This book centers around a night where a group of college kids get together on Christmas Eve, and some end up dying. The day is deemed "Scarlet Christmas" due to the bloody nature of the event.
Years later, main Character Charlotte is a successful businesswoman in the magazine world and about to marry a rich man from an influential family. However, she gets wind that someone she knew from college is going to be make a movie for the tenth anniversary of the Scarlet Christmas and promises to reveal "what really happened" and claims the investigation years ago was bungled.
This sends Charlotte down a paranoid psychological spiral, because she is afraid of what might be revealed. The character has missing holes in her memory that slowly come back to her. However, there is also a lot that the main character knows that is not revealed to the reader.
The issue I have with this book is that even 75% into the book, it's never explained what happened on Scarlet Christmas. All we know is some people died, but we aren't told exactly who died, or how. It's largely implied that there was foul play, but no one ever had been a suspect, gotten arrested, or was in the news as a person of interest.
Information about Scarlet Christmas and the main character's role in that night, along with the events of that night, are deliberately withheld from the reader. I think this is a cheap tactic because without this, there is no story, or mystery.
The writing style in this book was good, but the writing devices used and the execution were tacky, in my opinion. That being said, the ending twist did surprise me, as what I thought happened was not what actually happened. -
Charlotte Colbert (“Charlie”) is a British expat and a successful magazine editor. But she might be best known for having survived a deadly incident at her Manhattan grad school nine years ago, where three students died in what’s been called “Scarlet Christmas.” One of her classmates, now a well-known TV journalist, plans to make a film based on the incident to, in her words, “set the record straight.” Charlie had already experienced terrible anxiety and depression based on her part in the tragedy, but this sends her into a tailspin, one which threatens her career and her engagement to a wealthy heir to a publishing fortune.
It's another psychological thriller, a very gradual unveiling of events and feelings from that horrifying evening. Charlie’s psyche has blocked off the memories, so she undergoes an intense method of remembrance with her therapist, which I thought was a creative way of uncovering clues about the murders. It’s hard to say, through these sessions, what’s real and what’s imagined, making Charlie seem unstable and unreliable, adding to the tension. The midrange (25-75%) has the best action: schemes, secrets, desperate attempts to fix what’s about to happen or rearrange the past.
Hollander employs the setting with expertise, but of course, that might just be because it’s my home city. But there are plenty of references to NYC as a crazy, frustrating, complex, but ultimately fulfilling place. Charlie’s unease at the pace of life, but embracing of New York’s vibrant culture, pervades the novel. There’s a clear look at the publishing and journalism industries, complete with its rivalries and slights.
The mystery of what happened that night is exciting and scary, but I thought the slow obfuscation of facts made it hard to follow. There were a few switchbacks that threw me off too far. Although the timelines are spelled out (chapters are labeled “Then” and “Now”), keeping dates and people straight was difficult. Also, the set-up and resolution were, for my liking, much too long. A quick wrap-up of the mystery would have been great. Hollander does a great job creating psychological intrigue, so why not play to that strength? That said, even though I thought it could’ve been summarized faster, readers always want to know how things panned out for the protagonists.
In sum, this cleverly named novel is a good entry into the psychological thriller genre with an interesting female protagonist. Hollander’s got smash hit potential with her wit, dialogue, and prose.
Thank you to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for an advance review copy in exchange for an honest review.
Everyone Who Can Forgive Me Is Dead gets published February 6, 2024.
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Charlotte ‘Charlie’ was a survivor of Scarlet Christmas, a mass campus murder that left several of her fellow grad students dead including her best friend, Cate. She had blacked out much of what had happened but had lied to the police about this at the time and had kept this a secret ever since, fearing what her role might have been in the killings.
Now it’s almost a decade later and Charlie is in therapy, still trying to move past it while refusing to try to dredge up those hidden memories. But when she learns Stephanie, Cate’s sister and a fellow classmate at the time, says she is making a documentary about the event because she is determined to put the real story out there, Charlie is determined to stop her.
For the most part, I enjoyed Everyone Who Can Forgive Me is Dead by Jenny Hollander. It’s a well-written slow burn thriller with plenty of red herrings and twists and turns and Charlie’s memory loss makes her an interesting unreliable narrator. However, as other reviewers have pointed out, so much of this tale and the ensuing events depended on cryptic statements by the characters and could have been resolved if someone had just asked the characters what they meant. And, well, I’m still not sure how I feel about the ending.
Still, the novel is very entertaining and kept me reading despite my criticisms. The story is told in the first person by Charlie and I followed along with the ebook while listening to the audiobook narrated by Marisa Calin who does a great job of projecting Charlie’s memory loss and fear of what might be discovered should the memories ever return. I’d like to thank Netgalley and both St Martin’s Press and Macmillan Audio for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
3.5 -
A real lesson in how to go wrong in the current twisty thriller subgenre. The first half is often rather silly but it's propulsive, at least. Silly is not really that bad, it is actually pretty common and there's a kind of hyperreality that you tend to find in these thrillers that makes them more fun. Hollander does it well.
The second half is exactly what it should not be, with explanations and twists that are not satisfying or interesting. When you spend all this time on buildup if the actual story itself is, well, not even all that interesting, if the thing your character is very scared of is not actually scary and would not even reflect badly on them, then your reader wonders why are we here? Hollander withholds information very well (too well, I'd say) but if you are going to withhold then you have to make the reveal enjoyable. The reveals here are just boring. I was mad at this book for getting me interested in the first place.
Also sorry but -
This was a very quick and easy read. While it is a quick one, I wouldn't classify this as a thriller. It felt more like a high school drama with cat fights and scenes of hissing and raised hunches. While not a bad read, it wasn't great either.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to read this one. All opinions are my own. -
This was an okay book. I felt it really dragged in the middle. I did like the main character, Charlie, but I thought it took to long to find out what really happened the night of Scarlet Christmas.
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Thank you to the author Jenny Hollander, publishers Minotaur Books, and NetGalley for an advance digital copy of EVERYONE WHO CAN FORGIVE ME IS DEAD. All views are mine.
Three (or more) things I loved:
1. This first person narrator is a delight to read! The voice is authentic, surprising, so real and funny. But there is also something dire and scary about her. I'm not often into the character driven novel, but that is what this is, and it's done well!
2. Charlie's character is an accurate depiction of PTSD; I appreciate also that the text works hard to avoid stigmatizing the character's behaviors.
3. Hollander has perfect timing. She places the events at all the right places to make a tense story that moves along nicely.
4. I find this book to be an excellent and extremely satisfying example of true crime fiction, in part because of the few twinkles in which this story winks at that entire genre. Mashed up with dark academia made for a tasty treat!
Three (or less) things I didn't love:
This section isn't only for criticisms. It's merely for items that I felt something for other than "love" or some interpretation thereof.
1. This book, it turns out, is trying to do two separate really big narrative jobs. The first is "to uncover the forgotten crime of that Ling ago night," a classic thriller arc that delivers reliably. And second, the story of "a woman's slow descent," a classic horror arc that is again a dependable favorite. The problem is, I don't think there are enough story resources to keep them both going with appropriate intensity.
2. The form of this book is sometimes hard to take. The dual-plot means two climaxes. Two climaxes means two denouements, which basically a double long, extra boring denouement.
Rating: 🔥🔥🔥.5 / 5 very slow burns
Recommend? Yeah, I liked it
Finished: Sep 27 23
Format: Digital arc, Kindle
Read this book if you like:
🔪 murder mysteries
🎞 the film MOMENTO
🏫 dark academia
🚔 true crime
😖 ptsd
