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Tell Me Everything
A murder at an elite New England college tears apart a group of friends - and one of them is playing a dangerous game - in this electrifying debut in the tradition of In a Dark, Dark Wood and The Couple Next Door.
In her first weeks at Hawthorne College, Malin is swept up into a tight-knit circle that will stick together through all four years. There's Gemma, an insecure theater major from London; John, a tall, handsome, and wealthy New Englander; Max, John's cousin and a shy pre-med major; Khaled, a wise-cracking prince from Abu Dhabi; and Ruby, a beautiful art history major. But Malin isn't quite like the rest of her friends. She's an expert at hiding her troubling past. She acts as if she is concerned with the preoccupations of those around her - boys, partying - all while using her extraordinary insight to detect their deepest vulnerabilities and weaknesses.
By Senior Day, on the cusp of graduation, Malin's secrets - and those of her friends - are revealed. While she scrambles to maintain her artfully curated image, her missteps set in motion a devastating chain of events that ends in a murder. And as their fragile relationships hang in the balance and close alliances start shifting, Malin will test the limits of what she's capable of to stop the truth from coming out.
In a mesmerising novel that peels back the innumerable layers of a seductive protagonist, debut author Cambria Brockman brings to life an entrancing setting through a story of friendship, heartbreak, and betrayal.
In her first weeks at Hawthorne College, Malin is swept up into a tight-knit circle that will stick together through all four years. There's Gemma, an insecure theater major from London; John, a tall, handsome, and wealthy New Englander; Max, John's cousin and a shy pre-med major; Khaled, a wise-cracking prince from Abu Dhabi; and Ruby, a beautiful art history major. But Malin isn't quite like the rest of her friends. She's an expert at hiding her troubling past. She acts as if she is concerned with the preoccupations of those around her - boys, partying - all while using her extraordinary insight to detect their deepest vulnerabilities and weaknesses.
By Senior Day, on the cusp of graduation, Malin's secrets - and those of her friends - are revealed. While she scrambles to maintain her artfully curated image, her missteps set in motion a devastating chain of events that ends in a murder. And as their fragile relationships hang in the balance and close alliances start shifting, Malin will test the limits of what she's capable of to stop the truth from coming out.
In a mesmerising novel that peels back the innumerable layers of a seductive protagonist, debut author Cambria Brockman brings to life an entrancing setting through a story of friendship, heartbreak, and betrayal.
368 pages, ebook
First published June 16, 2019
About the author
Cambria Brockman
3 books199 followersCambria Brockman grew up in Houston, London, and Scotland, and attended Holderness School in New Hampshire. She graduated from Bates College in Lewiston, Maine, with a degree in English literature. She owns an award-winning wedding and portrait photography company, Cambria Grace, along with its popular Instagram account. Brockman lives in Boston with her husband, son, and dog. Tell Me Everything is her first novel.
Instagram: www.instagram.com/cambria_grace
Instagram: www.instagram.com/cambria_grace
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 633 reviews
October 14, 2022
"There is something imminent surrounding us, and we have no idea it's there. Tomorrow morning, we will sit down for breakfast at the dining hall, as we always do, and realize one of us is gone."
What a pleasant surprise! I had almost given up on suspenseful debuts, but this one felt worthy of my time. Tell Me Everything doesn't masquerade as the next {insert popular psych thriller}, but instead simply presents itself as an engrossing character study following six friends at university together. Sure, there is a vein of suspense that grows as the novel progresses, and there were a couple of twists at the end that got me (YASSS), but the true shining moments of this story are the atmospheric details and the captivating interactions between these young adults. Also, may I add that these novels, the ones that do not advertise a massive twist you won't see coming, tend to be the ones that are able to sneak a few smaller twists past me, which is SO much more enjoyable than the large, predictable flops. Sips tea.
Let's start with the setting. Guys, I am a sucker for any novel set at university, especially if there are secrets, and drama, and murrrderrrrs. Muahahaha! The New England college town we are dropped into felt just as much a character in this book as the people we follow for four years, and the ever-changing weather and local culture really turned the story into a cinematic event in my brain. The author clearly is knowledgable of the area, and she took what she knew and turned it into a fictional experience, on that began warm and inviting, but quickly turned unnerving and dangerous.
Our story is told from one POV, but the book jumps around between Freshman Year, Senior Year, and Texas 1997. Even though this is a character driven novel, feeling literary at times, the pace was fairly quick with many stories being told at once. In the present, we are learning the backstory of how our cast of characters became friends at the beginning of their college experience, while also learning their personal history, although there is a greater buildup to our narrator, Malin's past. This was a delightful and fun way to tell the story, as it has a classic feel but always seems to work.
The ending, for me, was very satisfactory. I cannot go into great detail, but Brockman chooses to leave us with a few future details involving Malin and her gang, while also dropping a bomb that leaves us to wonder what and how those future things happen. While a few of the twists are fairly predictable, I don't think those are the ones meant to shock or surprise us; in fact, I believe those twists are the ones the reader is supposed to assume, and as we grow closer to the revelation, we feel the growing dread, quite like a train approaching at a dangerous speed with no way of stopping. Highly recommended for those looking to find suspenseful literary fiction with unlikable (but compulsively readable) characters and a light mystery.
*Review copy furnished via the publisher.
What a pleasant surprise! I had almost given up on suspenseful debuts, but this one felt worthy of my time. Tell Me Everything doesn't masquerade as the next {insert popular psych thriller}, but instead simply presents itself as an engrossing character study following six friends at university together. Sure, there is a vein of suspense that grows as the novel progresses, and there were a couple of twists at the end that got me (YASSS), but the true shining moments of this story are the atmospheric details and the captivating interactions between these young adults. Also, may I add that these novels, the ones that do not advertise a massive twist you won't see coming, tend to be the ones that are able to sneak a few smaller twists past me, which is SO much more enjoyable than the large, predictable flops. Sips tea.
Let's start with the setting. Guys, I am a sucker for any novel set at university, especially if there are secrets, and drama, and murrrderrrrs. Muahahaha! The New England college town we are dropped into felt just as much a character in this book as the people we follow for four years, and the ever-changing weather and local culture really turned the story into a cinematic event in my brain. The author clearly is knowledgable of the area, and she took what she knew and turned it into a fictional experience, on that began warm and inviting, but quickly turned unnerving and dangerous.
Our story is told from one POV, but the book jumps around between Freshman Year, Senior Year, and Texas 1997. Even though this is a character driven novel, feeling literary at times, the pace was fairly quick with many stories being told at once. In the present, we are learning the backstory of how our cast of characters became friends at the beginning of their college experience, while also learning their personal history, although there is a greater buildup to our narrator, Malin's past. This was a delightful and fun way to tell the story, as it has a classic feel but always seems to work.
The ending, for me, was very satisfactory. I cannot go into great detail, but Brockman chooses to leave us with a few future details involving Malin and her gang, while also dropping a bomb that leaves us to wonder what and how those future things happen. While a few of the twists are fairly predictable, I don't think those are the ones meant to shock or surprise us; in fact, I believe those twists are the ones the reader is supposed to assume, and as we grow closer to the revelation, we feel the growing dread, quite like a train approaching at a dangerous speed with no way of stopping. Highly recommended for those looking to find suspenseful literary fiction with unlikable (but compulsively readable) characters and a light mystery.
*Review copy furnished via the publisher.
July 4, 2019
I won this in a giveaway!
I have so many thoughts....
I liked this book. The writing is good, the plot moves fast, and the characters are interesting.
My problem with this book is that the book has nothing to do with the synopsis.
The blurb on the back of the book says Tell Me Everything is in the tradition of In A Dark Dark, Wood and The Couple Next Door. The synopsis says a murder at an elite New England college tears apart a group of friends. One of them will test the limits of what she's capable of to stop the truth from coming out.
If I had read that book I would have given it 5 stars.
What I read was a book about a creepy girl named Malin who in the first week of college becomes friends with five people and we follow them in their 1st and last years in college. Malin reads her best friend's diary and silently hates her best friend's boyfriend. We get flashbacks to her childhood and the very obvious tragic event that changed her life.
Oh and what about that "murder" that's so important to the story?
That takes place in the last 15 pages and has no affect on the greater plot.
I'm being super nice by giving this book 3 stars. Because I could've given it 1 star but I'm choosing to not rate this based off of the lying synopsis but based off of the actual story I read.
Tell Me Everything is great character study. I liked watching the slow unraveling of this tight-knit group of friends as they prepared to leave college and go out into the real world.
What Tell Me Everything isn't is a suspense thriller. If the back of the book hadn't mentioned a death then I wouldn't have been expecting one and it would have been a great little twist. Instead I expected a "murder" and what I got was a let down.
No rec.
I have so many thoughts....
I liked this book. The writing is good, the plot moves fast, and the characters are interesting.
My problem with this book is that the book has nothing to do with the synopsis.
The blurb on the back of the book says Tell Me Everything is in the tradition of In A Dark Dark, Wood and The Couple Next Door. The synopsis says a murder at an elite New England college tears apart a group of friends. One of them will test the limits of what she's capable of to stop the truth from coming out.
If I had read that book I would have given it 5 stars.
What I read was a book about a creepy girl named Malin who in the first week of college becomes friends with five people and we follow them in their 1st and last years in college. Malin reads her best friend's diary and silently hates her best friend's boyfriend. We get flashbacks to her childhood and the very obvious tragic event that changed her life.
Oh and what about that "murder" that's so important to the story?
That takes place in the last 15 pages and has no affect on the greater plot.
I'm being super nice by giving this book 3 stars. Because I could've given it 1 star but I'm choosing to not rate this based off of the lying synopsis but based off of the actual story I read.
Tell Me Everything is great character study. I liked watching the slow unraveling of this tight-knit group of friends as they prepared to leave college and go out into the real world.
What Tell Me Everything isn't is a suspense thriller. If the back of the book hadn't mentioned a death then I wouldn't have been expecting one and it would have been a great little twist. Instead I expected a "murder" and what I got was a let down.
No rec.
September 23, 2019
An elite New England college, a group of friends that formed fast and close, a shocking murder that tears them apart….
I knew going in that Tell Me Everything was my kind of book. I love books that take place on college campuses. They are little microcosm of society—everything always seemed heightened because it is more contained. This was no exception!
When Malin begins school at an elite New England college, she's determined to try and make friends. She quickly finds herself in a close group of six who remain friends throughout school. But Malin has to work harder at maintaining friendships than the others. And Malin has secrets. By Senior Day four years later, one of them will be dead... Told through the eyes of the introverted, quiet, and fascinating Malin, this is a novel of suspense you won't want to miss.
What a book!
The story is told in alternating timelines between freshman year as Malin forms friendships with the group of six, Senior Day where the twisted path these friendships have taken unfold through quick stories leading up to the murder, and stories from Malin’s past that cover secrets she has worked to keep hidden.
This narrative structure was perfectly executed, as the bits of stories we learned about each character slowly became connected, leading to a shocking ending that truly took me by surprise. Sometimes telling a story out of sequence can be jarring, but that didn’t happen here. Instead, the characters became more rounded as the book progressed.
Malin is an interesting and unique narrator. Her beauty is in stark contrast to who she is—someone who is more comfortable in the shadows letting others shine. When Malin starts college, she pushes herself to try to make friends. In the past, she has always preferred being alone, a fact that made her parents worry about her. With a fresh start, Malin is determined to be normal and have people to rely on.
And despite Malin’s reserved nature and distance from others, she does develop friendships. Seeing the characters through Malin’s eyes was interesting, because Malin is a person who reads others and tries to understand what they want, what they are hiding, and why they are doing things. But Malin herself never seems fully reliable. Through her monologue, we come to understand that Malin has some secrets in her past that she hopes the others won’t learn. Malin doesn’t even share them with us right away.
And the ending! I have to be careful here because I don’t want to give any hints. I saw another reviewer describe the ending as “a twist so quiet you never saw it coming” and I think that is the perfect way to describe it. A brilliant debut novel! I will be looking for whatever Cambria Brockman does next!
I knew going in that Tell Me Everything was my kind of book. I love books that take place on college campuses. They are little microcosm of society—everything always seemed heightened because it is more contained. This was no exception!
When Malin begins school at an elite New England college, she's determined to try and make friends. She quickly finds herself in a close group of six who remain friends throughout school. But Malin has to work harder at maintaining friendships than the others. And Malin has secrets. By Senior Day four years later, one of them will be dead... Told through the eyes of the introverted, quiet, and fascinating Malin, this is a novel of suspense you won't want to miss.
What a book!
The story is told in alternating timelines between freshman year as Malin forms friendships with the group of six, Senior Day where the twisted path these friendships have taken unfold through quick stories leading up to the murder, and stories from Malin’s past that cover secrets she has worked to keep hidden.
This narrative structure was perfectly executed, as the bits of stories we learned about each character slowly became connected, leading to a shocking ending that truly took me by surprise. Sometimes telling a story out of sequence can be jarring, but that didn’t happen here. Instead, the characters became more rounded as the book progressed.
Malin is an interesting and unique narrator. Her beauty is in stark contrast to who she is—someone who is more comfortable in the shadows letting others shine. When Malin starts college, she pushes herself to try to make friends. In the past, she has always preferred being alone, a fact that made her parents worry about her. With a fresh start, Malin is determined to be normal and have people to rely on.
And despite Malin’s reserved nature and distance from others, she does develop friendships. Seeing the characters through Malin’s eyes was interesting, because Malin is a person who reads others and tries to understand what they want, what they are hiding, and why they are doing things. But Malin herself never seems fully reliable. Through her monologue, we come to understand that Malin has some secrets in her past that she hopes the others won’t learn. Malin doesn’t even share them with us right away.
And the ending! I have to be careful here because I don’t want to give any hints. I saw another reviewer describe the ending as “a twist so quiet you never saw it coming” and I think that is the perfect way to describe it. A brilliant debut novel! I will be looking for whatever Cambria Brockman does next!
July 5, 2019
Enjoyed this college mystery. Not too twisty but was still a fun read.
July 11, 2019
Nobody knows who I am, except me.
What a pleasant surprise this book was...a surprise I truly wasn't expecting. These days, any time I finish reading a psychological drama, and feel it was a refreshing change from the over-saturated norm, I call that a win.
A highly atmospheric story, set in a blustery New England town, Tell Me Everything gives us a glimpse into the lives of six "mini-Ivy League" students. Told strictly from Malin's point of view, the timeline bounces from her 1997 Texas childhood, to her freshman year at Hawthorne College, and finally, to the tragic events which occurred her senior year. This is a slow-burning, character driven novel, but the interactions between this group of people is effortlessly gripping. The tension builds after every flip of a page, eventually coming to a surprising, and satisfying, conclusion. Having said that, please don't misunderstand what I mean by "surprising." This isn't a twisty novel. It wasn't sold that way in the synopsis, and it doesn't read that way. I believe we were meant to intuit most of what happens...and I did. Regardless, thanks to some pretty stellar writing from Cambria Brockman, I still found my jaw dropping near the end.
Frankly, this could have potentially been a 5 star read for me, had it not been for one of my least favorite triggers...animal abuse. Animal torture or death never fails to dampen my enthusiasm. I understand why the author did what she did...in this case, it worked, and was probably even necessary to further the story line...but yuck. It makes me feel sick and I never enjoy reading or thinking about the suffering deaths of innocent animals.
My favorite thing about the book? Malin. There was nothing archetypal about her character. She was described as blonde and pretty...but shadowed by her friends' beauty; shy, quiet, and highly intelligent...I loved the way her mind worked.
Pretend.
Side note: I do find myself wondering what in the world the book cover has to do with the actual story.
**Thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the complimentary copy, in exchange for reviewing purposes.
Publication date: July 16, 2019
Goodreads review posted: July 11, 2019
What a pleasant surprise this book was...a surprise I truly wasn't expecting. These days, any time I finish reading a psychological drama, and feel it was a refreshing change from the over-saturated norm, I call that a win.
A highly atmospheric story, set in a blustery New England town, Tell Me Everything gives us a glimpse into the lives of six "mini-Ivy League" students. Told strictly from Malin's point of view, the timeline bounces from her 1997 Texas childhood, to her freshman year at Hawthorne College, and finally, to the tragic events which occurred her senior year. This is a slow-burning, character driven novel, but the interactions between this group of people is effortlessly gripping. The tension builds after every flip of a page, eventually coming to a surprising, and satisfying, conclusion. Having said that, please don't misunderstand what I mean by "surprising." This isn't a twisty novel. It wasn't sold that way in the synopsis, and it doesn't read that way. I believe we were meant to intuit most of what happens...and I did. Regardless, thanks to some pretty stellar writing from Cambria Brockman, I still found my jaw dropping near the end.
Frankly, this could have potentially been a 5 star read for me, had it not been for one of my least favorite triggers...animal abuse. Animal torture or death never fails to dampen my enthusiasm. I understand why the author did what she did...in this case, it worked, and was probably even necessary to further the story line...but yuck. It makes me feel sick and I never enjoy reading or thinking about the suffering deaths of innocent animals.
My favorite thing about the book? Malin. There was nothing archetypal about her character. She was described as blonde and pretty...but shadowed by her friends' beauty; shy, quiet, and highly intelligent...I loved the way her mind worked.
Pretend.
Side note: I do find myself wondering what in the world the book cover has to do with the actual story.
**Thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the complimentary copy, in exchange for reviewing purposes.
Publication date: July 16, 2019
Goodreads review posted: July 11, 2019
November 20, 2019
** Mini Review **
A slow burn character study with a splash of suspense. Told entirely from the perspective of Malin. In multiple time periods, freshman year, senior day, and A brief look into her childhood. This really was a story about friendship and connections. Malin is an introvert, her freshman year in college she’s determined to make friends and is happy to find herself part of a group of six who remain tight throughout college. The group moves in together after freshman year. They are as close as people can be. BUT Malin is keeping secrets. It is now senior year and the friendship is starting to unravel leading to a tragic event on senior day.
This wasn’t as much a thriller as I was anticipating, but I really enjoyed it. I loved getting to know all of these characters and watch them navigate their relationships. I enjoy books about friendships and the college years, so this was right in my wheelhouse. Recommend anyone who enjoys a well told story with some elements of suspense. Looking forward to what’s next from this author.
This book in emojis 🍃 🏫 📓 🗓
*** thanks to Random House for my copy of this book ***
A slow burn character study with a splash of suspense. Told entirely from the perspective of Malin. In multiple time periods, freshman year, senior day, and A brief look into her childhood. This really was a story about friendship and connections. Malin is an introvert, her freshman year in college she’s determined to make friends and is happy to find herself part of a group of six who remain tight throughout college. The group moves in together after freshman year. They are as close as people can be. BUT Malin is keeping secrets. It is now senior year and the friendship is starting to unravel leading to a tragic event on senior day.
This wasn’t as much a thriller as I was anticipating, but I really enjoyed it. I loved getting to know all of these characters and watch them navigate their relationships. I enjoy books about friendships and the college years, so this was right in my wheelhouse. Recommend anyone who enjoys a well told story with some elements of suspense. Looking forward to what’s next from this author.
This book in emojis 🍃 🏫 📓 🗓
*** thanks to Random House for my copy of this book ***
May 27, 2019
A group of friends from college living together - each has their own agenda - whether it be dreams of wealth and grandeur, love (from someone else’s partner) or just covering what they can’t have - what could possibly go wrong?
Tell Me Everything opens with Senior Day, where we learn nothing will ever be the same, but then we flash back to Freshman year to learn what and why everything changes. Told in alternating timelines, with additional flashbacks to our narrator Malin’s childhood, we begin to learn more about each of the friends.
The writing style kept me engaged from start to finish and I flew through this interesting ride - at times more of a character study, but the mystery is still at the root of the novel. I heard this one has been picked up to become a series at Netflix so I’ll expect to hear tons of buzz once it’s released - and rightfully so!
Thank you to Random House for an advanced copy. All opinions are my own.
Tell Me Everything opens with Senior Day, where we learn nothing will ever be the same, but then we flash back to Freshman year to learn what and why everything changes. Told in alternating timelines, with additional flashbacks to our narrator Malin’s childhood, we begin to learn more about each of the friends.
The writing style kept me engaged from start to finish and I flew through this interesting ride - at times more of a character study, but the mystery is still at the root of the novel. I heard this one has been picked up to become a series at Netflix so I’ll expect to hear tons of buzz once it’s released - and rightfully so!
Thank you to Random House for an advanced copy. All opinions are my own.
Shelved as 'dnf'
December 19, 2019A college in New England + a group of friends + murder = me hoping that this is the next The Secret History
DNF 20%
Can you hear that sound?
...it's the sound of my expectations going down the drain.
This novel is yet another attempt to join the edgy-narrator bandwagon.
The blurb will lead you to believe that this novel is similar to The Secret History and If We Were Villains...when in truth this is little more than a laughable story about a protagonist with a 'dark past' (something which is getting old fast...can we have main characters who do not have a 'big secret' related to their past ? Is that too original ? ) who becomes fake-friends with a group of stock characters (there is the beautiful one, the rich one, the charming one...). By senior year they all live in the same house (as they do in The Secret History, If We Were Villains, The Likeness, The Lessons, the list goes on), tensions grow, they all bitch about one another, there is some angst and plenty of over the top drama...
The murder is but a small aspect of this story. There is 0 mystery or suspense.
The "seductive protagonist" is anything but. She tries hard to be a mixture between Tom Ripley and Amy Dunne but in actuality she seems straight out of a teenage show like Riverdale:
Is that the best way of presenting our narrator?
Her 'calculative mind' and 'manipulations' were as laughable as her inner monologue.
I do hope that this trend for MCs with psychopathic traits dies soon...
The writing itself tries too hard to come across as 'glossy' and 'snappy': "freckles scattered like confetti across Ruby's nose and cheeks".
Reading the first 20% of this novel gave me headache...so I'm doing myself a favour and calling it quits.
DNF 20%
Can you hear that sound?
...it's the sound of my expectations going down the drain.
This novel is yet another attempt to join the edgy-narrator bandwagon.
The blurb will lead you to believe that this novel is similar to The Secret History and If We Were Villains...when in truth this is little more than a laughable story about a protagonist with a 'dark past' (something which is getting old fast...can we have main characters who do not have a 'big secret' related to their past ? Is that too original ? ) who becomes fake-friends with a group of stock characters (there is the beautiful one, the rich one, the charming one...). By senior year they all live in the same house (as they do in The Secret History, If We Were Villains, The Likeness, The Lessons, the list goes on), tensions grow, they all bitch about one another, there is some angst and plenty of over the top drama...
The murder is but a small aspect of this story. There is 0 mystery or suspense.
The "seductive protagonist" is anything but. She tries hard to be a mixture between Tom Ripley and Amy Dunne but in actuality she seems straight out of a teenage show like Riverdale:
"I preferred to go unnoticed, but I had inherited my mother's porcelain fair skin and green eyes. My facial features were symmetrical and soft, and no matter how much I ate, my body remained thin. The Texan sun spun my hair gold, despite my urge to be plain and anonymous."
Is that the best way of presenting our narrator?
Her 'calculative mind' and 'manipulations' were as laughable as her inner monologue.
I do hope that this trend for MCs with psychopathic traits dies soon...
The writing itself tries too hard to come across as 'glossy' and 'snappy': "freckles scattered like confetti across Ruby's nose and cheeks".
Reading the first 20% of this novel gave me headache...so I'm doing myself a favour and calling it quits.
July 16, 2019
3.5/5
I love a mysterious book that follows a group of tight knit friends, and for bonus points this was set in a New England college town, which is always a plus for me! While I did think this would be a bit more thrillerish than it was I was still really into the mystery at play here and overall enjoyed this one.
This is told solely from Malin’s viewpoint but it does have a few timelines. First is during her and her friends senior year, next is their freshman year when they all meet and lastly is in the late nineties when she was a child. This wasn’t a page turner in the typical way as it was a character driven story with no big shocks, however it was still pretty dang engrossing even without a bunch of crazy twists and turns and I liked that it didn’t rely only on shock value to keep me engaged.
The best way I can describe this one without ruining anything is to say that it’s a slow and deliberate unraveling of a group of very close friends that is very well written and surprisingly pacey for such a slow burn. Definitely recommended by me if you like a sophisticated feeling mystery!
I love a mysterious book that follows a group of tight knit friends, and for bonus points this was set in a New England college town, which is always a plus for me! While I did think this would be a bit more thrillerish than it was I was still really into the mystery at play here and overall enjoyed this one.
This is told solely from Malin’s viewpoint but it does have a few timelines. First is during her and her friends senior year, next is their freshman year when they all meet and lastly is in the late nineties when she was a child. This wasn’t a page turner in the typical way as it was a character driven story with no big shocks, however it was still pretty dang engrossing even without a bunch of crazy twists and turns and I liked that it didn’t rely only on shock value to keep me engaged.
The best way I can describe this one without ruining anything is to say that it’s a slow and deliberate unraveling of a group of very close friends that is very well written and surprisingly pacey for such a slow burn. Definitely recommended by me if you like a sophisticated feeling mystery!
August 4, 2019
Oh what a lot of words to say what was said. It's not BAD writing, but extreme overkill to the characters. Most every aspect of every individual from the group association that cores this story has 5 or 6 times the redundant stereotype "qualities" within intense description, over and over again. And the further into the book the more the "eyes" and values rose up on the pretentious scale. To the point where I felt like that old California girl saying "gag me with a spoon!"
When I was at page 71 I thought I would get back to it after starting another. But seeing all the thick tomes I had in the TBR pile- I changed my mind and plugged on because it was now or never. Too troublesome to jump back into this redundancy pile twice.
At least 200 pages in the middle I sped read. And then read slowly and actually reread some portions from about page 320 onward. UGH! Nothing happens but groans and complaints (not even a crime) at this college until the last 80 pages. Pacing of the book is "off" entirely- just for this point of focus alone. Too late for most readers to care?
All of these "secrets" and Malin's secret too. Nope. They didn't seem secrets to me but almost obvious. Especially since her father whispered to her the one word dictate to her as he left on her first day of college. The entire was almost obvious if it had not been so contrived and convoluted by the switching technique, done rather poorly. Poorly because nothing about Levi or her own (Malin's) family was ever a surprise to me.
This is pure YA modern "thriller". Not erudite thriller or savvy plot. Not at all. The trailer itself is widely off, IMHO. It's about a college "group" which "sticks together" for 4 years. And none of them have moral values, structure of belief "rules" or knowledge of human either. None of those enough to fill a thimble.
What made it 2 star even and not 2.5 stars was the "we think" assumptions embedded within the entire book. Let's "hate the rich" and also identity politics "relate" and judge "all together now" raised its head on more than several occasions. UGH! At the beginning I had an inkling the characters would become depth revealed. But that did not happen. That beginning 80 pages was absolutely the best part of the book.
It could have been told better, with MUCH more tension and interest in 1/2 this word count. Very juvenile characters. 19 to 22 year-old humans going on 13.
When I was at page 71 I thought I would get back to it after starting another. But seeing all the thick tomes I had in the TBR pile- I changed my mind and plugged on because it was now or never. Too troublesome to jump back into this redundancy pile twice.
At least 200 pages in the middle I sped read. And then read slowly and actually reread some portions from about page 320 onward. UGH! Nothing happens but groans and complaints (not even a crime) at this college until the last 80 pages. Pacing of the book is "off" entirely- just for this point of focus alone. Too late for most readers to care?
All of these "secrets" and Malin's secret too. Nope. They didn't seem secrets to me but almost obvious. Especially since her father whispered to her the one word dictate to her as he left on her first day of college. The entire was almost obvious if it had not been so contrived and convoluted by the switching technique, done rather poorly. Poorly because nothing about Levi or her own (Malin's) family was ever a surprise to me.
This is pure YA modern "thriller". Not erudite thriller or savvy plot. Not at all. The trailer itself is widely off, IMHO. It's about a college "group" which "sticks together" for 4 years. And none of them have moral values, structure of belief "rules" or knowledge of human either. None of those enough to fill a thimble.
What made it 2 star even and not 2.5 stars was the "we think" assumptions embedded within the entire book. Let's "hate the rich" and also identity politics "relate" and judge "all together now" raised its head on more than several occasions. UGH! At the beginning I had an inkling the characters would become depth revealed. But that did not happen. That beginning 80 pages was absolutely the best part of the book.
It could have been told better, with MUCH more tension and interest in 1/2 this word count. Very juvenile characters. 19 to 22 year-old humans going on 13.
April 9, 2019
Tell Me Everything left me feeling extremely cheated. This book is advertised as some kind of mystery thriller that involves a murder, but it makes it sound like the murder is going to be early on and the story will revolve around it. Instead, this is a book about Malin and her group of friends as they bounce through college, and all the dark secrets Malin claims she knows about everyone. Spoiler: there are hardly any real secrets to be divulged throughout. So mostly, this is a book about a group of friends in college and all the drama they harbor. There is a murder in this book, but it happens way too late in the story and offers almost no resolution for any of the characters. It seems completely out of left field because it is. The author uses the cheap tactic of creating a twist that isn't practical or logical whatsoever, but it makes the character edgy and dark, and apparently we're supposed to root for that.
And then there's Malin. I knew I wasn't going to like her after the first 30 pages when I was hit with this lovely little snippet:
Of course you didn't, Malin. Being mainstream and popular didn't pique your interest because you were too busy being dark and mysterious. Instead, she comes off as incredibly vapid: she offers nothing to any of the people in her life because she never opens up, and other than being the narrator, for most of the book, she could have been missing and not even the reader would have remembered her. This character trope has been done to death already, and it really offered nothing new or unique. What I'm saying is this story has been done before, and it's been done better.
HEAVY SPOILERS:
I will say the flashbacks into Malin's life when she was younger were well done and intriguing, and they were the one part of the story I really wanted more of. They finally tied some of the rest of the book together toward the end, which I appreciated.
And then there's Malin. I knew I wasn't going to like her after the first 30 pages when I was hit with this lovely little snippet:
In high school, I got away with being a loner. I knew I was pretty enough, definitely smarter than everyone else, and even though the boys gave up trying to date me in the middle of sophomore year, I could have been in the popular crowd. But I didn't want to try.
Of course you didn't, Malin. Being mainstream and popular didn't pique your interest because you were too busy being dark and mysterious. Instead, she comes off as incredibly vapid: she offers nothing to any of the people in her life because she never opens up, and other than being the narrator, for most of the book, she could have been missing and not even the reader would have remembered her. This character trope has been done to death already, and it really offered nothing new or unique. What I'm saying is this story has been done before, and it's been done better.
HEAVY SPOILERS:
I will say the flashbacks into Malin's life when she was younger were well done and intriguing, and they were the one part of the story I really wanted more of. They finally tied some of the rest of the book together toward the end, which I appreciated.
July 22, 2019
Meh. Not for me. No suspense at all. Fell very flat. Audible narrator was blech.
April 22, 2021
this is why i don't read books about straight people
July 19, 2019
2.5 stars
Kept me interested throughout to find out exactly what the "big secret" was...and when I found out I was underwhelmed. I had pretty much figured it all out anyway, and I felt like the author spent way too long getting to the point.
The jumpy timeline worked sometimes, and other times it just served to muddle the story. I thought a few less jumps and less foreshadowing, and more revelation would have helped the pace move more quickly.
Also, this is an anal quibble, but no one has ever accused me of letting things go...
Very little of the "college experience" was accurately described. It felt almost like a boarding school story than real people working towards their degrees (not diplomas as stated in the book). Colleges don't have valedictorians, you can't compare different types of degrees in that way. Malin is going to law school? And Harvard at that? Did she even take the LSAT? Wasn't even mentioned at all. Malin and Max went to class, but rarely did anyone else seem to go to classes. Every wrong detail pulled me out of the story.
Overall, this is a fair story, decently written, but too laggy and not fast paced enough. If you're in the mood for more of a character-driven tale rather than a plot-driven one, this one might appeal.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions are my own.
Kept me interested throughout to find out exactly what the "big secret" was...and when I found out I was underwhelmed. I had pretty much figured it all out anyway, and I felt like the author spent way too long getting to the point.
The jumpy timeline worked sometimes, and other times it just served to muddle the story. I thought a few less jumps and less foreshadowing, and more revelation would have helped the pace move more quickly.
Also, this is an anal quibble, but no one has ever accused me of letting things go...
Very little of the "college experience" was accurately described. It felt almost like a boarding school story than real people working towards their degrees (not diplomas as stated in the book). Colleges don't have valedictorians, you can't compare different types of degrees in that way. Malin is going to law school? And Harvard at that? Did she even take the LSAT? Wasn't even mentioned at all. Malin and Max went to class, but rarely did anyone else seem to go to classes. Every wrong detail pulled me out of the story.
Overall, this is a fair story, decently written, but too laggy and not fast paced enough. If you're in the mood for more of a character-driven tale rather than a plot-driven one, this one might appeal.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions are my own.
April 29, 2020
En realidad un 3,5
RESEÑA COMPLETA: http://letraslibrosymas.blogspot.com/...
Aunque se trata de un thriller juvenil lento tiene algo que engancha al lector casi desde el principio. La trama está muy bien hilada, dejando pequeños detalles a lo largo de las páginas que culminan en un desenlace espectacular donde todo cobra sentido. Y que esté contada en varios tiempos es un añadido que le da más fuerza a la historia, pues vamos conociendo el pasado de Malin y para así saber porque es como es, también se cuenta el primer año de universidad donde todo va forjándose y el último año (día del graduado) que es justo cuando ocurre esa muerte misteriosa, dejando que el lector vaya atando cabos sobre qué ha pasado en ese tiempo, que ocultan el grupo de amigos y quien es el fallecido.
Pero como os decía tiene un ritmo lento, la autora se toma su tiempo para ponerte en situación y contarte la vida y el día a día de cada uno de los amigos, porque es una historia de suspense bastante turbia, con su buen salseo, drama, secretos y amoríos.
RESEÑA COMPLETA: http://letraslibrosymas.blogspot.com/...
Aunque se trata de un thriller juvenil lento tiene algo que engancha al lector casi desde el principio. La trama está muy bien hilada, dejando pequeños detalles a lo largo de las páginas que culminan en un desenlace espectacular donde todo cobra sentido. Y que esté contada en varios tiempos es un añadido que le da más fuerza a la historia, pues vamos conociendo el pasado de Malin y para así saber porque es como es, también se cuenta el primer año de universidad donde todo va forjándose y el último año (día del graduado) que es justo cuando ocurre esa muerte misteriosa, dejando que el lector vaya atando cabos sobre qué ha pasado en ese tiempo, que ocultan el grupo de amigos y quien es el fallecido.
Pero como os decía tiene un ritmo lento, la autora se toma su tiempo para ponerte en situación y contarte la vida y el día a día de cada uno de los amigos, porque es una historia de suspense bastante turbia, con su buen salseo, drama, secretos y amoríos.
March 21, 2019
“Tell Me Everything”
Written by Cambria Brockman
Review written by Diana Iozzia / Bookworm Banter
“Tell Me Everything” was not the book that I expected it to be, which was disappointing. Now, according to the description, we have the main character, Malin, who quickly becomes a part of a strange friend group at a prestigious. Also, we read in the events and secrets that occur in this story will build up to a murder. Then, Malin will fight for the truth to stay hidden. So, I was wrong thinking this book to be a part of the “dark academia” genre, similar to “The Secret History”, “If We Were Villains”, “Black Chalk”, and more. Unfortunately, the entire book is all about the trials and lies each character in the friend group goes through, until the murder occurs at a point that I felt to be too late in the book. The resolution fell very flat for me.
So, after realizing about halfway through that I completely misread the story, I was determined to still enjoy the book. I think I did for the most part, but this book completely let down any expectation I had. For deep details of various college parties, awkward and sinister sexual encounters, and friendship betrayal, look no further.
The novel is told in three parts: as Malin is a child, suffering through the abuse and violence of her older brother Levi, the freshmen year of college, and the last year of college. We see how Malin’s horrific childhood allows her to develop into a secretive and vengeful character. The juxtaposition between the two different years of college also shows hints of positive and negative character development through for each character. However, I think having points of time in each year would have broadened the scope and provided a much richer and suspenseful story.
One of my main problems with the story is the branding and expectations. When we are told in the book’s description that the events build to a murder, readers either hope for a slow burn or a quick murder and deceitful coverup. Hoping this book was similar to other stories, I expected the murder to occur quickly with a suspenseful chain of events. Unfortunately, the chain of events occurred slowly and painstakingly. To be honest, none of the actions occurring in this story justified the murder. When I read a book for a suspenseful, chilling murder, I want it to be justified. I want to be satisfied that the character received its just desserts. I believe this book broke every expectation, as if it was a parody or satire of books like it. Sadly, this disappointed me, rather than excitingly surprising me. Also, the description describes Malin as a seductive protagonist. I’d describe her as a needy antagonist. She is only out for her own good. She self-describes herself as selfish. I often enjoy an unlikeable main character. One of those characters in which we love to hate them. Nope, I flat out just hated her. I did not really enjoy any of these characters in any circumstance.
To continue, I think the archetypal “tight-knit circle” of friends was not fleshed out enough. I think the exciting aspect of creating a seductive, secretive circle is ambitious, but not many of the characters felt like real people. When I read, I hope that the characters feel real. We bond with them or relate to them. Even if we do not like them, we understand their motives and morals. They feel all too stereotypical, but in the sense that there is no substance behind most of the characters.
Malin, Ruby, and John are the most fleshed out characters. Ruby is the most likeable out of the group, but she is still ridiculously unrealistic. Her diary entries describe every secret she is hiding, which surely would have been well-hidden if she was meaning to hide the secrets. John is the bullying, cheating boyfriend. We have Max, who is the pining, aloof, shy guy, who is a perfectly nice character, but we know nothing about the poor guy. I would have loved to have him be more of a focus. Gemma is the ‘slutty’ character, who had not a single, original thought. So many characters who fall into her archetype are written in much more depth by other authors. Last but not least, Khaled is hardly in the story at all. He’s a prince. He does drugs. That’s it. He flirts with every character.
Now, let’s move on to the things I do like about this story.
I will say that I like that Malin breaks the mold of her character’s archetype. She is described as the shy, less attractive friend who stays in the shadows of the more glamorous friends. She obsesses over the other characters in the group. She ‘doesn’t belong’. However, Malin stands out and becomes her own foil. I like that.
Also, I love the setting. I love the way the buildings, the landscape, the soccer stadium, the dining halls, and more are described. There is a very realistic way that the author describes this college. It brought me back to the semester I spent at an in-person college, where I lived in a dorm. It also brought me back to the horrors of college and some of the reasons I left and continued my degree online. Cambria Brockman described the lovely, rose-tinted view of a prestigious New England university, but she also examined the dark, evil sides of young adults away for the first time. I haven’t felt so uncomfortable reading about college for a long time. Additionally, I also felt that her characters were very realistic in their dialogue and actions. Although I did not feel each character was developed enough, the descriptions of them felt plausible.
I also really liked that Brockman included a power balance dynamic. Malin and her professor’s TA engage in an illicit relationship. I felt this was portrayed very well and responsibly. The negatives were examined as well as the positives were. I do not always feel that way about these dynamics.
An aspect of the book that I feel a bit mixed about is the red herring style. On a case by case basis, I enjoy red herrings. If they’re done in a certain way. However, I think they should be minimal at best. This book breaks many molds, as I’ve mentioned before. There are constant red herrings, leading us to believe one thing will occur, but the book subverts our assumptions at every turn.
If you enjoy slow burn suspense novels, I’m sure you’d love this. I believe that most of my disappointment of this book was just misplaced expectations and a poor book description. I would really like to read more by this author. I still do recommend this book, but I think I would recommend going into it without any presumptions. I think this was a very ambitious book for a debut author, and I cannot wait to see where she goes from here.
I received a complimentary reader’s edition from the publisher in exchange for reading and reviewing purposes. Thank you to Ballentine Books at Random House.
Written by Cambria Brockman
Review written by Diana Iozzia / Bookworm Banter
“Tell Me Everything” was not the book that I expected it to be, which was disappointing. Now, according to the description, we have the main character, Malin, who quickly becomes a part of a strange friend group at a prestigious. Also, we read in the events and secrets that occur in this story will build up to a murder. Then, Malin will fight for the truth to stay hidden. So, I was wrong thinking this book to be a part of the “dark academia” genre, similar to “The Secret History”, “If We Were Villains”, “Black Chalk”, and more. Unfortunately, the entire book is all about the trials and lies each character in the friend group goes through, until the murder occurs at a point that I felt to be too late in the book. The resolution fell very flat for me.
So, after realizing about halfway through that I completely misread the story, I was determined to still enjoy the book. I think I did for the most part, but this book completely let down any expectation I had. For deep details of various college parties, awkward and sinister sexual encounters, and friendship betrayal, look no further.
The novel is told in three parts: as Malin is a child, suffering through the abuse and violence of her older brother Levi, the freshmen year of college, and the last year of college. We see how Malin’s horrific childhood allows her to develop into a secretive and vengeful character. The juxtaposition between the two different years of college also shows hints of positive and negative character development through for each character. However, I think having points of time in each year would have broadened the scope and provided a much richer and suspenseful story.
One of my main problems with the story is the branding and expectations. When we are told in the book’s description that the events build to a murder, readers either hope for a slow burn or a quick murder and deceitful coverup. Hoping this book was similar to other stories, I expected the murder to occur quickly with a suspenseful chain of events. Unfortunately, the chain of events occurred slowly and painstakingly. To be honest, none of the actions occurring in this story justified the murder. When I read a book for a suspenseful, chilling murder, I want it to be justified. I want to be satisfied that the character received its just desserts. I believe this book broke every expectation, as if it was a parody or satire of books like it. Sadly, this disappointed me, rather than excitingly surprising me. Also, the description describes Malin as a seductive protagonist. I’d describe her as a needy antagonist. She is only out for her own good. She self-describes herself as selfish. I often enjoy an unlikeable main character. One of those characters in which we love to hate them. Nope, I flat out just hated her. I did not really enjoy any of these characters in any circumstance.
To continue, I think the archetypal “tight-knit circle” of friends was not fleshed out enough. I think the exciting aspect of creating a seductive, secretive circle is ambitious, but not many of the characters felt like real people. When I read, I hope that the characters feel real. We bond with them or relate to them. Even if we do not like them, we understand their motives and morals. They feel all too stereotypical, but in the sense that there is no substance behind most of the characters.
Malin, Ruby, and John are the most fleshed out characters. Ruby is the most likeable out of the group, but she is still ridiculously unrealistic. Her diary entries describe every secret she is hiding, which surely would have been well-hidden if she was meaning to hide the secrets. John is the bullying, cheating boyfriend. We have Max, who is the pining, aloof, shy guy, who is a perfectly nice character, but we know nothing about the poor guy. I would have loved to have him be more of a focus. Gemma is the ‘slutty’ character, who had not a single, original thought. So many characters who fall into her archetype are written in much more depth by other authors. Last but not least, Khaled is hardly in the story at all. He’s a prince. He does drugs. That’s it. He flirts with every character.
Now, let’s move on to the things I do like about this story.
I will say that I like that Malin breaks the mold of her character’s archetype. She is described as the shy, less attractive friend who stays in the shadows of the more glamorous friends. She obsesses over the other characters in the group. She ‘doesn’t belong’. However, Malin stands out and becomes her own foil. I like that.
Also, I love the setting. I love the way the buildings, the landscape, the soccer stadium, the dining halls, and more are described. There is a very realistic way that the author describes this college. It brought me back to the semester I spent at an in-person college, where I lived in a dorm. It also brought me back to the horrors of college and some of the reasons I left and continued my degree online. Cambria Brockman described the lovely, rose-tinted view of a prestigious New England university, but she also examined the dark, evil sides of young adults away for the first time. I haven’t felt so uncomfortable reading about college for a long time. Additionally, I also felt that her characters were very realistic in their dialogue and actions. Although I did not feel each character was developed enough, the descriptions of them felt plausible.
I also really liked that Brockman included a power balance dynamic. Malin and her professor’s TA engage in an illicit relationship. I felt this was portrayed very well and responsibly. The negatives were examined as well as the positives were. I do not always feel that way about these dynamics.
An aspect of the book that I feel a bit mixed about is the red herring style. On a case by case basis, I enjoy red herrings. If they’re done in a certain way. However, I think they should be minimal at best. This book breaks many molds, as I’ve mentioned before. There are constant red herrings, leading us to believe one thing will occur, but the book subverts our assumptions at every turn.
If you enjoy slow burn suspense novels, I’m sure you’d love this. I believe that most of my disappointment of this book was just misplaced expectations and a poor book description. I would really like to read more by this author. I still do recommend this book, but I think I would recommend going into it without any presumptions. I think this was a very ambitious book for a debut author, and I cannot wait to see where she goes from here.
I received a complimentary reader’s edition from the publisher in exchange for reading and reviewing purposes. Thank you to Ballentine Books at Random House.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 12, 2019
La cosa es que yo decidía qué hacer con mi vida. Nadie había sido capaz de impedírmelo
No recuerdo la última vez que un libro me gustó tanto. Terminé de leerlo hace unas horas y sigo procesando todo. Me molesta mucho que hayan comparado este libro con Riverdale y Por trece razones; son diferentes de una forma asombrosa y lo agradezco.
Malin se ha convertido en una de mis protagonistas favoritas. Esa chica tiene todo y es tan especial y rara y... no puedo decir más, jaja. Pero en pocas palabras es asombrosa y tal vez no de la forma en la que todos piensan. Tiene una personalidad tan única y envolvente.
Me costó en un principio adentrarme a la historia. Creo que fue por la narración, no sé, pero me costó y seguí leyendo y mi mente se enamoró de la historia y de todos los personajes. Malin y sus amigos son increíbles y aterradores; algunos de ellos lo son, en realidad.
Bueno, la narración es un punto súper importante en la historia. Tenemos tres tiempos, por así decirlo. Malin nos narra su pasado al lado de su familia y hermano. Su presente, el día del baile de graduación y el comienzo de la universidad. Y es increíble cómo la autora logra juntar los tiempos y cada narración te engancha.
El final... me enojó mucho el final y casi lloro porque NO PUEDE SER POSIBLE. Pero fue único y quiero leer más de la autora porque este libro ya forma parte de mis favoritos. Un thriller juvenil diferente y único y que necesitan leer SÍ O SÍ, porque Netflix adquirió el año pasado los derechos para hacer una película (creo que funcionaría mejor como serie) y todos deberían conocer a Malin, Ruby, Gemma, Max, John y Khaled.
October 4, 2022
לסקירה מפורטת בעברית קישור לבלוג שלי -
https://sivi-the-avid-reader.com/ספרי...
https://sivi-the-avid-reader.com/ספרי...
July 5, 2019
Imagine if Amy Dunne from “Gone Girl” was narrating a vapid psychological thriller about her and her equally shallow friends from a wannabe Ivy League college. Now you have “Tell Me Everything.” I wanted to like this book (I got it from the publisher as part of a giveaway) and I was motivated to finish it, but I was just rolling my eyes by the end.
January 27, 2020
No sé muy bien qué esperada de esta historia, me la habían recomendado y había leído unos comentarios en instagram que decían "Tenemos que hablar de ese final" y yo estaba como: ¿QUÉ PASA AL FINAL? Y es que Cambria Brockman además de haber escrito este libro de casi 500 páginas haciendo que se te vayan como agua cuando lo inicias por lo fluido que es, no deja que te aburras en ningún momento.
La sociopatía es algo real y muchas veces no se detecta o, mejor dicho, no se da la suficiente difusión de sus posibles señales para detectarla, cosa que no es extraña porque en el mundo más de la mitad de la población actúa como si las enfermedades mentales no existieran o se solucionaran con un "todo es cuestión de echarle ganitas" que es la frase más ridícula que se puede utilizar.
Además de "el gen del asesino serial" también se habla de la ansiedad, los ataques de pánico que traen consigo y de la inhibición y la codependencia social y el alcoholismo. La verdad es que es una historia que me gustó, el manejo de todos los temas no es denso y es claro, sin temor a las personalidades sensibles y deja claro que lo que nos decimos para dormir mejor muchas veces es una mentira que no ayuda en nada.
Lo recomiendo mucho.
La sociopatía es algo real y muchas veces no se detecta o, mejor dicho, no se da la suficiente difusión de sus posibles señales para detectarla, cosa que no es extraña porque en el mundo más de la mitad de la población actúa como si las enfermedades mentales no existieran o se solucionaran con un "todo es cuestión de echarle ganitas" que es la frase más ridícula que se puede utilizar.
Además de "el gen del asesino serial" también se habla de la ansiedad, los ataques de pánico que traen consigo y de la inhibición y la codependencia social y el alcoholismo. La verdad es que es una historia que me gustó, el manejo de todos los temas no es denso y es claro, sin temor a las personalidades sensibles y deja claro que lo que nos decimos para dormir mejor muchas veces es una mentira que no ayuda en nada.
Lo recomiendo mucho.
February 19, 2020
"Tienes que hacer amigos. Es lo más importante. Nunca tendrás éxito sin ellos. Finge, Malin. Finge que eres normal. Una persona sin amigos es una persona sin poder. ¿Quieres tener éxito algún día? Rodéate de un ejército, se amada y respetada, y triunfarás".
Malin iniciará sus estudios universitarios con solo un plan en su mente. Es una persona ambiciosa y quiere llegar lejos por lo que sabe que deberá encontrar la forma de hacer amigos para que todos crean que es una persona normal.
Sorprendida por lo fácil que le está resultando hacer amigos, terminará viviendo en una casa junto con Gemma, Ruby, John, Max y Khaled, y aparentando una relación con ellos que pronto se verá no es lo que parece. Todos ellos tienen problemas secretos y todos quieren ocultarlos. ¿Hasta donde llegarán con tal que no se sepa la verdad?
Opinión personal:
Debo decir que este libro tiene un ritmo excelente. La forma de escritura es sencilla y el hilo de la historia es claro. A pesar que la historia va mezclando fragmentos de distintos tiempos, siempre se hace referencia a la ubicación temporal en que nos encontramos y hace que el lector no se pierda con estos cambios.
Los personajes están muy bien diferenciados, pero debo admitir que la mayoría no me sorprendieron. Cada uno tiene sus problemas particulares, pero se seguían leyendo como el cliché del adolescente con problemas de autoestima y familiares, que vive alcoholizado para poder "disfrutar" de la vida. Malin, la protagonista, sin duda es la más compleja y, aunque muchas de sus actitudes no se explican a medida que uno va leyendo, finalmente cobran sentido al llegar al final de la historia.
El problema que tuve al leer este libro es que no fue lo que esperaba al leer la sinopsis. Al comenzarlo creí que me encontraría con un thriller, donde habría una muerte y el libro trataría de descifrar al asesino y descubrir la verdad. En cambio, me encontré con una historia de universitarios tratando de ocultar cosas vergonzosas de sus vidas o sus familias, solo para mantener las apariencias frente a lo que simulan es un grupo de amigos.
Ya que estoy en este punto, quisiera hablar de las relaciones entre los personajes, ya que el libro me deja un mal sabor de boca con un mensaje confuso acerca de la amistad. Aquí parece que nadie puede generar lazos reales, sino que es una batalla constante para mantener las apariencias. Por eso destaqué la primer frase del libro, me parece que el hilo conductor de la historia es ese "consejo", la única forma de tener éxito es rodearse de gente que nunca sepa quien es uno en realidad, mentir para conseguir lo que uno quiere, y no formar ninguna relación real con nadie, a pesar de compartir 4 años de tu vida a diario con esas personas. Es claro que no todo el mundo puede llevarse bien y formar amistades con todos, pero no poder salvar ni una amistad real de este libro, me pareció un poco forzado para poder mover el plot de la historia.
Apreciaciones aparte, el final me ha parecido un poco predecible pero admito que eso debe ser culpa de la cantidad de programas que he visto de asesinos en serie y psicópatas y creo que podía encontrar cierta relación en varias actitudes, pero creo que para muchos puede ser una sorpresa si no están acostumbrados a este tipo de lectura.
A modo de resumen, creo que es un libro que se lee rápido, con una historia atrapante y bien descripta, que te mantiene enganchado con la trama esperando al momento que suceda el asesinato (el que si, finalmente sucede). No lo recomendaría para super fanáticos del thriller porque si es un poco predecible, pero si les gusta leer este género cada tanto, creo que es una historia que los puede enganchar.
Finalmente dejo una advertencia ya que el libro contiene maltrato animal, violencia física y drogas entre otros.
Malin iniciará sus estudios universitarios con solo un plan en su mente. Es una persona ambiciosa y quiere llegar lejos por lo que sabe que deberá encontrar la forma de hacer amigos para que todos crean que es una persona normal.
Sorprendida por lo fácil que le está resultando hacer amigos, terminará viviendo en una casa junto con Gemma, Ruby, John, Max y Khaled, y aparentando una relación con ellos que pronto se verá no es lo que parece. Todos ellos tienen problemas secretos y todos quieren ocultarlos. ¿Hasta donde llegarán con tal que no se sepa la verdad?
Opinión personal:
Debo decir que este libro tiene un ritmo excelente. La forma de escritura es sencilla y el hilo de la historia es claro. A pesar que la historia va mezclando fragmentos de distintos tiempos, siempre se hace referencia a la ubicación temporal en que nos encontramos y hace que el lector no se pierda con estos cambios.
Los personajes están muy bien diferenciados, pero debo admitir que la mayoría no me sorprendieron. Cada uno tiene sus problemas particulares, pero se seguían leyendo como el cliché del adolescente con problemas de autoestima y familiares, que vive alcoholizado para poder "disfrutar" de la vida. Malin, la protagonista, sin duda es la más compleja y, aunque muchas de sus actitudes no se explican a medida que uno va leyendo, finalmente cobran sentido al llegar al final de la historia.
El problema que tuve al leer este libro es que no fue lo que esperaba al leer la sinopsis. Al comenzarlo creí que me encontraría con un thriller, donde habría una muerte y el libro trataría de descifrar al asesino y descubrir la verdad. En cambio, me encontré con una historia de universitarios tratando de ocultar cosas vergonzosas de sus vidas o sus familias, solo para mantener las apariencias frente a lo que simulan es un grupo de amigos.
Ya que estoy en este punto, quisiera hablar de las relaciones entre los personajes, ya que el libro me deja un mal sabor de boca con un mensaje confuso acerca de la amistad. Aquí parece que nadie puede generar lazos reales, sino que es una batalla constante para mantener las apariencias. Por eso destaqué la primer frase del libro, me parece que el hilo conductor de la historia es ese "consejo", la única forma de tener éxito es rodearse de gente que nunca sepa quien es uno en realidad, mentir para conseguir lo que uno quiere, y no formar ninguna relación real con nadie, a pesar de compartir 4 años de tu vida a diario con esas personas. Es claro que no todo el mundo puede llevarse bien y formar amistades con todos, pero no poder salvar ni una amistad real de este libro, me pareció un poco forzado para poder mover el plot de la historia.
Apreciaciones aparte, el final me ha parecido un poco predecible pero admito que eso debe ser culpa de la cantidad de programas que he visto de asesinos en serie y psicópatas y creo que podía encontrar cierta relación en varias actitudes, pero creo que para muchos puede ser una sorpresa si no están acostumbrados a este tipo de lectura.
A modo de resumen, creo que es un libro que se lee rápido, con una historia atrapante y bien descripta, que te mantiene enganchado con la trama esperando al momento que suceda el asesinato (el que si, finalmente sucede). No lo recomendaría para super fanáticos del thriller porque si es un poco predecible, pero si les gusta leer este género cada tanto, creo que es una historia que los puede enganchar.
Finalmente dejo una advertencia ya que el libro contiene maltrato animal, violencia física y drogas entre otros.
July 31, 2019
What an amazing debut! It is hard to believe that this is Cambria Brockman’s first book. The many pluses of this psychological suspense are the winter Maine college setting, the flawless execution of well-rounded, believable characters and the unique plot line that constantly kept me surprised. This was one of those books that I could not put down and I enjoyed every minute of it. Suspense fans should put this at the top of their list!
Many thanks to Edelweiss, Ballantine Books and Cambria Brockman for providing a complimentary e-copy ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Many thanks to Edelweiss, Ballantine Books and Cambria Brockman for providing a complimentary e-copy ARC in exchange for an honest review.
July 19, 2019
Unfortunately this wasn’t the book for me. Nothing even really happens and I felt it was pretentious. The cover art & blurb are misleading as well. On to the next..
August 4, 2019
Max, John, Khaled, Ruby, Gemma y Malin son los mejores amigos. Viven juntos, son inseparables, se conocen perfectamente... ¿O quizá no?
La rutina de este grupito de universitarios se quiebra bruscamente el último año, en particular, cuando ocurre un acontecimiento que remece sus vidas.
Y aunque en general me gustan los misterios, la verdad es que esperaba algo más del estilo "alguien mató/lastimó a mi amigo, debo resolver quién fue porque los policías son incompetentes". Por lo demás, creo que este tuvo demasiadas escenas de relleno. A pesar de eso, debo confesar que me enganchó, al menos, hasta el final. Odié ese final.
La rutina de este grupito de universitarios se quiebra bruscamente el último año, en particular, cuando ocurre un acontecimiento que remece sus vidas.
Y aunque en general me gustan los misterios, la verdad es que esperaba algo más del estilo "alguien mató/lastimó a mi amigo, debo resolver quién fue porque los policías son incompetentes". Por lo demás, creo que este tuvo demasiadas escenas de relleno. A pesar de eso, debo confesar que me enganchó, al menos, hasta el final. Odié ese final.
August 5, 2019
I picked this book up because a blogger (lol) hyped it up and I'd read that Netflix bought the rights and is turning it into a movie. Lately I've tried to stay away from these twisty thrillery type books because almost all of them get compared to Gone Girl and almost none of them are ever worth it.
Anyway. Tell Me Everything is kind of confusing and misleading. The blurb mentions a murder (!) that tears apart (!!) a group of friends (!!!) in college (!!!!) but that doesn't really happen? The murder takes place in the last ~20 pages of the book and has absolutely no impact on the main plot, which follows Malin (the main character) and her group of friends during their freshman and senior years of college. Malin's damage is easy to guess but also not revealed until the last third-ish of the book, so ultimately pretty unsatisfying. The final chapter felt incredibly clunky and expository, like the author went, "oh shit, now I need to explain everything but I only have 7 pages left!" I'm rarely happy with the endings of books, but this one really left me confused.
ALL OF THAT SAID, I really enjoyed this book! I read it pretty quickly because I really loved the mood and the college memories it brought back for me.
Anyway. Tell Me Everything is kind of confusing and misleading. The blurb mentions a murder (!) that tears apart (!!) a group of friends (!!!) in college (!!!!) but that doesn't really happen? The murder takes place in the last ~20 pages of the book and has absolutely no impact on the main plot, which follows Malin (the main character) and her group of friends during their freshman and senior years of college. Malin's damage is easy to guess but also not revealed until the last third-ish of the book, so ultimately pretty unsatisfying. The final chapter felt incredibly clunky and expository, like the author went, "oh shit, now I need to explain everything but I only have 7 pages left!" I'm rarely happy with the endings of books, but this one really left me confused.
ALL OF THAT SAID, I really enjoyed this book! I read it pretty quickly because I really loved the mood and the college memories it brought back for me.
September 16, 2019
"Cuéntamelo todo" es una novela narrada durante un periodo universitario completo, aunque también hay algunas retrospecciones a la infancia de Malin, la protagonista y voz narradora de la historia. El ritmo es pausado y los capítulos largos, pero es inquietantemente adictiva, debido sobre todo al misterio que gira alrededor de la fría y extraña personalidad de Malin, y los secretos que se sugieren, sobre todo, al final de cada capítulo.
La historia se centra en la amistad inseparable entre un grupo de jóvenes (tres chicos y tres chicas) que esconden muchos secretos y sentimientos, y que desencadena en situaciones extremas y destructivas. Ambientada en una universidad de élite, describe a la perfección el glamur y la frivolidad de la vida estudiantil de los jóvenes de clase alta.
Diríamos que recuerda a la atmósfera misteriosa y las nocivas relaciones de amistad de Éramos mentirosos, Por trece razones y la serie Riverdale, pero con un mayor nivel literario. No es de extrañar que Netflix se haya hecho con los derechos de adaptación:http://deadline.com/2018/04/tell-me-e...
En definitiva, un thriller psicológico donde hay de todo (sobre todo un análisis psicológico brutal de los personajes), y del que nadie que empiece a leerlo, podrá despegarse de sus páginas. Avisados estáis.
La historia se centra en la amistad inseparable entre un grupo de jóvenes (tres chicos y tres chicas) que esconden muchos secretos y sentimientos, y que desencadena en situaciones extremas y destructivas. Ambientada en una universidad de élite, describe a la perfección el glamur y la frivolidad de la vida estudiantil de los jóvenes de clase alta.
Diríamos que recuerda a la atmósfera misteriosa y las nocivas relaciones de amistad de Éramos mentirosos, Por trece razones y la serie Riverdale, pero con un mayor nivel literario. No es de extrañar que Netflix se haya hecho con los derechos de adaptación:http://deadline.com/2018/04/tell-me-e...
En definitiva, un thriller psicológico donde hay de todo (sobre todo un análisis psicológico brutal de los personajes), y del que nadie que empiece a leerlo, podrá despegarse de sus páginas. Avisados estáis.
December 20, 2019
3.5 stars.
Atmospheric with a great sense of impending doom, this one was a real page turner, with a really interesting main character POV. I loved the non-linear timeline, and I’m always here for a story involving a group of close knit friends at an elite New England college. It’s no The Secret History, (but then what is?) but it’s a satisfying debut with twists and turns to keep you guessing.
However, I just don’t get this cover art choice! It doesn’t represent this book at all!
Atmospheric with a great sense of impending doom, this one was a real page turner, with a really interesting main character POV. I loved the non-linear timeline, and I’m always here for a story involving a group of close knit friends at an elite New England college. It’s no The Secret History, (but then what is?) but it’s a satisfying debut with twists and turns to keep you guessing.
However, I just don’t get this cover art choice! It doesn’t represent this book at all!
January 12, 2020
Full of casual racism, misogyny, fatphobia, ableism, acephobia... etc. (And if you don't care about that, the writing was also bad. Pacing and plotting off, very obvious "twists.")
January 21, 2020
3.0 STARS
PRETEND
Late January 2011, Senior Day at the tiny liberal arts college in the old mill town of Edleton, ME. The Jump, the cold, the adrenaline, the Ledges, the hook ups, the drinking, the watching, the waiting, the planning … but all Malin can think of is her father’s whispered word of advice fluttering around her head. PRETEND.
PATIENCE
Late September 2019, I finished reading Tell Me Everything. The first eight-five percent of this story is an extraordinarily slow, at times mind anesthetizing, table setting for the last fifty pages of revelations and twists. Do the slow reveals and eye opening twists adequately compensate for the 300 page slog? PATIENCE.
Malin Ahlberg was a loner from Texas, the lone surviving child of a modestly comfortable family from Houston. She can play nice and fit in, prefers obscurity but knows how to make things work in a group. She is quiet and reserved but she can see things. People confide in her, she’s trusted. She is self-serving, selfish. She can pretend! The infinitesimal scars on her palms are some of the very few markers of her closely held secrets. Well, unless one does a little digging. The Deerfield Hunter is a curious story, a chapter in the Ahlberg family history George Ahlberg first shared with his daughter when she was fifteen. A long line of family psychosis handed down from generation to generation to generation. His advice? Pretend!
Shortly after her arrive at Hawthorne College, the “mini ivy league” college where the real Ivy League rejects pursued their educations, Malin was surprised at how quickly she was able to assimilate into a close knit group of friends that remained together until the beginning of the end on that cold January night at The Jump. The group dynamics of the six college friends far too closely resembled the interactions within her family in Texas. John Wright was eerily similar to her brother Levi. Ruby reminded Malin of her mother. She could no longer stay distant and peripheral. She had to act and nip this thing in the bud.
After all, she was a protector, not a murderer!
Where were the editors on this one? So much potential, so much left underdeveloped and unexplored. The story could have been deeply dark and disturbing. Instead, I experienced disappointment. I was underwhelmed. The last 50 pages rescued this college adventure in the woods of Maine from the sleepiness of a medical coma unit. The first three hundred pages nearly lost me to the mindlessness of unbearable boredom. In my mind I kept shouting, “Get on with it!” The last fifty pages drew me in like the swirl of a whirlpool. Did the vortex of the whirlpool offset my time in the coma unit? I don’t think so.
Tell Me Everything was just OK for me but make no mistake about it, Cambria Brockman has tons of potential. I’ll keep an eye out for her sophomore effort!
PRETEND
Late January 2011, Senior Day at the tiny liberal arts college in the old mill town of Edleton, ME. The Jump, the cold, the adrenaline, the Ledges, the hook ups, the drinking, the watching, the waiting, the planning … but all Malin can think of is her father’s whispered word of advice fluttering around her head. PRETEND.
PATIENCE
Late September 2019, I finished reading Tell Me Everything. The first eight-five percent of this story is an extraordinarily slow, at times mind anesthetizing, table setting for the last fifty pages of revelations and twists. Do the slow reveals and eye opening twists adequately compensate for the 300 page slog? PATIENCE.
Malin Ahlberg was a loner from Texas, the lone surviving child of a modestly comfortable family from Houston. She can play nice and fit in, prefers obscurity but knows how to make things work in a group. She is quiet and reserved but she can see things. People confide in her, she’s trusted. She is self-serving, selfish. She can pretend! The infinitesimal scars on her palms are some of the very few markers of her closely held secrets. Well, unless one does a little digging. The Deerfield Hunter is a curious story, a chapter in the Ahlberg family history George Ahlberg first shared with his daughter when she was fifteen. A long line of family psychosis handed down from generation to generation to generation. His advice? Pretend!
Shortly after her arrive at Hawthorne College, the “mini ivy league” college where the real Ivy League rejects pursued their educations, Malin was surprised at how quickly she was able to assimilate into a close knit group of friends that remained together until the beginning of the end on that cold January night at The Jump. The group dynamics of the six college friends far too closely resembled the interactions within her family in Texas. John Wright was eerily similar to her brother Levi. Ruby reminded Malin of her mother. She could no longer stay distant and peripheral. She had to act and nip this thing in the bud.
After all, she was a protector, not a murderer!
Where were the editors on this one? So much potential, so much left underdeveloped and unexplored. The story could have been deeply dark and disturbing. Instead, I experienced disappointment. I was underwhelmed. The last 50 pages rescued this college adventure in the woods of Maine from the sleepiness of a medical coma unit. The first three hundred pages nearly lost me to the mindlessness of unbearable boredom. In my mind I kept shouting, “Get on with it!” The last fifty pages drew me in like the swirl of a whirlpool. Did the vortex of the whirlpool offset my time in the coma unit? I don’t think so.
Tell Me Everything was just OK for me but make no mistake about it, Cambria Brockman has tons of potential. I’ll keep an eye out for her sophomore effort!
April 27, 2021
First of all - trying to rewrite the plot of the Secret History with yourself recast as Richard Papen does not make you the next Donna Tartt, as so many reviews of this book imply. I don't even hate this book but once you've made that comparison it can only go downhill.
I have very mixed feelings about this book. The writing was fast and the foreshadowing brought enough suspense that I did find myself eager to keep reading and find everything out, but it's the kind of thing where when the "twist" comes, you're not remotely surprised and a little let down by the lack of juiciness.
The main character is pretty insufferable. You do eventually get a "reason" for that, but only after you've endured a lot of commentary on other people's weight, whining about how annoying even her nicest friends are, complaining that she is pretty and blond when she just wants to be plain, and an actual, verbatim, un-ironic "Im not like other girls". I won't say how her characters is explained, but I was thankful that she WAS given a reason for being so awful, especially because her biography is identical to the author's and it was feeling like self-fiction before.
The book will leave you with a lot of "WHYS". Why do these people live together when they don't even like each other? is an early one. At the end, what was the point of any of this?
I did read this as a book club book with my friends from college, and anyone who looks back on their college experience with any level of emotion can probably enjoy this. The author is pretty open about basing this book on her time at Bates College and it shows in a good way - it reminded me of my own experience. I would have liked the book a bit better if it had gone through all four years instead of just freshmen and senior, and developed a few characters more. The blurb of the book presents itself like the main six will be equally intriguing, but it becomes clear pretty quickly which ones are just filler. Some bigger secrets, and some red herrings from those characters, would've been nice.
I will give the book three stars because I definitely enjoyed it, and there were a few things that I was pleasantly surprised by (like the main character being intentionally Like That). However, I think it left a bit to be desired at the same time and could've used a little effort to make me really care about these characters.
I have very mixed feelings about this book. The writing was fast and the foreshadowing brought enough suspense that I did find myself eager to keep reading and find everything out, but it's the kind of thing where when the "twist" comes, you're not remotely surprised and a little let down by the lack of juiciness.
The main character is pretty insufferable. You do eventually get a "reason" for that, but only after you've endured a lot of commentary on other people's weight, whining about how annoying even her nicest friends are, complaining that she is pretty and blond when she just wants to be plain, and an actual, verbatim, un-ironic "Im not like other girls". I won't say how her characters is explained, but I was thankful that she WAS given a reason for being so awful, especially because her biography is identical to the author's and it was feeling like self-fiction before.
The book will leave you with a lot of "WHYS". Why do these people live together when they don't even like each other? is an early one. At the end, what was the point of any of this?
I did read this as a book club book with my friends from college, and anyone who looks back on their college experience with any level of emotion can probably enjoy this. The author is pretty open about basing this book on her time at Bates College and it shows in a good way - it reminded me of my own experience. I would have liked the book a bit better if it had gone through all four years instead of just freshmen and senior, and developed a few characters more. The blurb of the book presents itself like the main six will be equally intriguing, but it becomes clear pretty quickly which ones are just filler. Some bigger secrets, and some red herrings from those characters, would've been nice.
I will give the book three stars because I definitely enjoyed it, and there were a few things that I was pleasantly surprised by (like the main character being intentionally Like That). However, I think it left a bit to be desired at the same time and could've used a little effort to make me really care about these characters.
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