This I Know

by Holly Ryan

Few things I knew.I knew the sound of my mother's voice when I woke.I knew the painful look in her eyes that meant something terrible must have happened to me. And eventually, I knew where I was.But I never knew the identity of the strange, handsome boy who sat at my bedside when he thought no one was watching.Warning: Contains mature language and themes. Reader discretion is advised.

Genres: Abuse

416 pages, Paperback

Published October 21, 2016

About the author

Holly Ryan is a writer of steamy love stories. Specializing in contemporary romance with a dark twist, she attended Western Illinois University and graduated from Chicago’s Roosevelt University with a degree in Psychology.

Reviews

[Kari · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had the pleasure of reading a pre-release copy of the book and it is fantastic. Holly is a wonderful writer, and I was often caught off-guard by different plot twists and the paths that the story took. I loved the characters, who were so brilliantly written that they were real to me and I got emotionally invested in what was going on. I would get indignant and pissed off when they did, and during times of struggle would feel their heartbreak. I know my description of it sounds cheesy but any emotionally invested reader knows where I am coming from.

Being someone in my mid to late 20s, it is rare for books to take me back to the times of my own teenage years, but this one did it. how rare it is for me to remember the "does he like me" flutters in my stomach that was so raw as a teen, or remember the pain of choices and rejections and how visceral they can be at that age. It was just like a nerve ending was exposed and reflected every aspect of the characters. It was really phenomenal to be able to experience that again through this novel.

[C. Gold · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is not a typical teen romance story at all. It reads more like literary fiction in that the entire part 1 of the book is about the heroine and her struggle to recover after a terrible attack. And the hero has to deal with his father who did what he did. She doesn't meet the hero until after part 2 begins. And while the teens are the protagonists and have some awkward and heart fluttery moments like typical teens, they are more mature than normal, probably because of the bad things both experienced. It felt more adult than YA.

This was beautifully written, though it had some extra or missing words sprinkled throughout. Despite that, the writing kept me engaged from the Look Inside and never let go. So if you like what you preview, the rest of the book stays consistent with that.

I was disappointed with the ending though. There was no wrap up of the criminals in the story, we are left to assume they will be brought to justice. Also, I think the story would have been stronger without the twist at the end to 'make it all right'. That seemed cheap after already dealing with the complex issues. I'm still giving the book five stars because I felt it was very strong despite the few weaknesses.