I am so happy to be today’s host in What Alice Knew Blog Tour.
I really enjoyed reading this book and I am excited to share my review.
I’d like to thank Rebecca Hunter from Penguin Random House UK, for giving me this opportunity.
About the book:
Alice has a perfect life – a great job, happy kids, a wonderful husband. Until he goes missing one night; she receives a suspicious phone call; things don’t quite add up.
Alice needs to know what’s going on. But when she uncovers the truth she faces a brutal choice. And how can she be sure it is the truth?
Sometimes it’s better not to know.
My Review:
Right after finishing the last sentence of What Alice Knew, I knew reviewing this engaging debut won’t be an easy task to do.
This psychlogical thriller is full of discussion worthy situations.
There’s so many things that happened and I am not sure where’s the thin line that separates what can be mentioned in review, and what is considered as spoiler.
The story follows Alice, an artist married to Ed, who is an Obstetrician. Alice’s life was perfect until one night when her husband didn’t come home on time.
What happened that one night turns their both lives complitely around and Alice has to make a decision whether she’ll stay behind her husband and pretend everything is fine, or if she’ll tell the true and endanger lives of their children, torn her family apart.
What Alice Knew is a psychological thriller by all means, but it is also very different from every other pshyhological thriller I have read before.
It makes the reader question character’s actions and intentions, as well as it makes him requestion the same with every new chapter, but what makes this novel special is how it blurs the difference between what is moral and what is right.
Cotterell approached impressively to every situation that happened in this story, making the reader see it from different perspectives, going into depth when it comes to what kind of consequence one way of behaving would have over the other.
At the same time, the story follows only one perspective: Alice’s, who’s thoughts we can observe from first person POV.
The writing style is admirable. From the very first chapter, it pulls the reader in and does not let go.
Although this is almost 400 pages long novel, it reads really fast.
It probably can not be read in one sitting (unless you’re a really, REALLY fast reader), but I truly believe it can be read faster then other books with similar page count.
Filled with tension, What Alice Knew is the story that talks about one’s inner strugle in making the right choice and trying to find peace when living with decission that was made.
It perfectly portraits how true can hurt and how lies can burn, and how in difficult situations there are no obvious right and wrong ways. Sometimes, in life, all the roads we can take are gray, and it is on us to decide what shade of gray we can bare.
The end of this intense read is complete, but it is open to interpretation. One reader can see it in a totally different way then the other.
Because What Alice Knew examines situations and decisions from many different angles, it is a perfect book to be read in a book club or as a buddy read.
I believe people who read it together will have so many interesting topics to discuss.
Publisher made sure to provide some Reading Group Questions in a book proof copy I got, and I really hope those will be printed in finished book as well.
What Alice Knew comes out on December 1st (2016) in ebook format, and on April 20th (2017) in paperback.
About T.A. Cotterell:
T.A. Cotterell read History of Art at Cambridge University. He worked in the City before resigning to become a freelance writer. He is now a writer and editor at the research house Redburn. He is married with three children and lives in Bristol.
Follow the tour:
Book Dust Magic 
Great review! I’m writing mine up in the next few days and like you, am wondering how hard it is going to be to keep it spoiler free because of the twists in this book! Loved reading your thoughts!
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Thanks Lindsey! I’ll keep an eye on your blog then. Wouldn’t want to miss a chance to read your review! 😉
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What a brilliant review! As a lover of psychological thrillers, I cannot possibly miss this one. You recognize a great book by the difficulty you have to review it 🙂 But you did great! I love the blur between moral and right. It sounds so intriguing!
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Thanks Donna! 😀
I actually am very curious what you’d think about it, since you’re an avid reader of this genre and probably have higher standards then me.
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I’ll make sure to let you know! 🙂
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I love the cover and this sounds perfect for me. My mom would also like this book. I’m adding this to my TBR. 🙂
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Ohh, I hope you’ll like it then. And your mom too! 😉
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Thank you! 🙂
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Intriguing review. This is the book that was on twitter with ‘bloggers edition’ on it wasn’t it. It sounds really good, and you did a good job of reviewing without any spoilers. Although I’m curious to know more.
Amanda.
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Thanks Amanda! Yes, it is that book, you’re right! 🙂
I hope you’ll have a chance to read it bc I have a feeling you would like it.
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Sounds so thrilling! Gosh, I love reading these kind of stories.
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It was. I hope you’ll have a chance to read it too. 🙂
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Glad you enjoyed it! It sounds quite interesting. I must add it to my TBR.
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Thanks! I hope you’ll like it too. 🙂
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I really like your layout for this blog tour post! I have never done a blog tour. I have been asked but since I haven’t done one, I avoided it. But, recently, I did signed up for two next year. I will follow your layout for that post haha.. It’s good to be a part of the book promotion 🙂
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Feel free to follow it. Blog tours are fun, but can also be stressful. At least in my case they were, but not this one. But you know, when I didn’t like the book, it was a bit weird…
I don’t participate in many tours anymore, but I do like to participate in blog tours organized by publishers. They really make an effort to promote your blog and blog post, you don’t feel like you’re there just to fill the place.
Some blog tour companies don’t even tweet about your post, and some don’t even visit your blog on your day post. I don’t participate in their tours anymore.
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The ones that participate to promoting your blog are companies like penguin? That’s the one that invited me to join next year. Is it more work to do a blog tour compare to the normal book reviews?
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Yes, Penguin really do promote your blog post on twitter. At least Penguin UK.
It’s not more work, but I had stuatuions when I agreed to do review and then didn’t like the book so I had to mail the organisator and asked for some other content, and one time I was told not to post anything on that day (I posted my review after the tour was finished).
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Oh! Is there a recommended stars to post the review? 3 and up?
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Yes, 3 stars or more, if you plan to give less stars, then you ask for another content and post your review once the tour is over.
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Thanks for the info! 🙂
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Ooh 4 1/2 hearts! So glad you enjoyed it!
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Yes it was a good read, but I get why someone would find it boring or, like I’ve seen in my friend’s review, main characters annoying.
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