So did anyone know...

[Hannah]

Spoilers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That Theon was Reek? Why I the only one who had no idea and was totally shocked?

[Matthew]

He was the new Reek, yes. The old Reek was Ramsay's companion before he was killed in ACOK by Ser Rodrick's men. They were trying to avenge the crimes he had committed to Lady Donella - you know, how he locked her in a tower and starved her until she ate her own fingers? Yuck! Anyhoo, after he captured Theon at Winterfell, he turned him into the new Reek. But none of this was revealed until book V so you weren't in the dark or anything.

[Laura]

What surprised me was to find out that Reek was Ramsay! That first Theon chapter as Reek was shocking to me because I had been wishing for Theon to get some punishment for what he had done, then when I read what had happened to him I was like "oh, no no no I didn't mean like that!"

[Matthew]

I know, right? It would be one thing for Robb to stick him on the chopping block. But all that flaying, torture, trickery and (allegedly) castration... holy crap! Way to make us feel sorry for the bad guy, Martin.