"You Know Her" by Meagan Jennett weaves a delicious mystery with thought-provoking prose. The choice to write Sophie in first-person gives us insight into our murder's mind and the explanation behind her actions. On the other hand, we have don't experience Nora's POV in first-person. I think the choice to differentiate the two was spectacular. We want to see the inside of the murder's mind first hand, something we don't often get to see in mysteries and thriller.

The dichotomy between their POVs gives us two insights on how women perceive men and are perceived by men. Both have similar experiences and feelings about their respective treatment. We get to see the difference between experiences left unchecked and those that are checked and swallowed down for the 'greater good.'

Both points of view give us valuable insight into the thoughts, fears, and anguish of many-if not all-women. Although the novel does lean intensely into man-hate, I think that is the point. We get to watch as Sophie unravels from calm, cool, collected to unhinged with some of her murders. We get to see Nora being haunted by ghosts different from Sophie's. I think leaving that portion open-ended could lead to a possible novella or novel down the road to seal those lingering questions.

I must say, the ending of the book was not what I expected. I would love to see something in the future that tells us what happened after this event.

All in all, this book was fantastic to read. I never put it down without thinking about how much I wanted to pick it back up as soon as I could. I think for a debut novel, Jennett might have outdone herself. I can't wait to see what she comes out with in the future.

I’m probably going to struggle with this review, much like I did for most of this story. The book summary is pretty vague and just basically introduces the MC’s and the primary storyline: investigating a bunch of murders in a small, rural VA town. From the get-go we know the murderer is a local bartender named Sophie.

Another major reveal very early in the story is that both Sophie and Nora, a local detective, are both straight up cray cray. It comes as no surprise (at least to me) that they are drawn to each other. Sophie is a homicidal, man-hating, psychotic, maniac who it appears was abused by @SS#*!% men all her life and now lives to end them. Nora, who constantly sees dead people, is a biracial woman who grew up around racist relatives and now, as a cop, is viewed as a diversity hire by her racist and misogynistic coworkers. Yep, she sees dead people, all over the place, especially her home. Yep, straight-up wackos the pair of them are.

The author spends waaayyy too much time in their heads. So much so, that the dialog these MC’s have with themselves (or in their heads) was ridiculous and got really annoying and boring really quick. I also didn’t enjoy the authors writing style either, the way that she constantly used analogies and metaphors to describe feelings, emotions, memories, and scenes while telling the story. Good grief!!! Not everything needs to be explained or compared and intelligent readers don’t need a parable for a character’s every thought or behavior. The authors writing style actually dragged out the story longer than it ever had to be.

I suppose some readers like that kind of writing and storytelling, and I imagine some writers are more interested in writing some kind of literary masterpiece than just writing a great story. It was around the 20% mark that I got sooo tired of this story and wanted to DNF the book. However, I was well into the second half before closing the book and setting it aside and started reading another book. I needed a break from this story if I was ever going to finish it. After picking the book back up, a few days later, the end came pretty quickly (thank goodness!!!). Based on a twist late in the story, the horrible ending wasn’t a surprise.

I don’t like giving bad reviews. Seriously, I don’t!!! I would rather just DNF a book and keep my opinions to myself than give a 1star rating. Just because I don’t like something doesn’t mean that others won’t enjoy it. I’m pretty particular about what I like and don’t like about a story and its characters. However, since this was a free eARC, I felt compelled to honor my commitment to finish the book and provide an honest review. So, here we are, with my crappy review of a book I did not enjoy and wanted to DNF.

I want to thank NetGalley and Farrar, Straus and Giroux, MCD for sending me this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

@NetGalley @ Farrar, Straus and Giroux, MCD @YouKnowHer

An intense game of cat-and-mouse with a few twists and turns I wasn’t expecting. With thought provoking themes and inclusions of mythic parallels, this made for an interesting read. I do wish we’d received a little more closure upon finishing, but I also understand why the author chose to wrap things up the way that she did. I’ve heard that the audiobook is incredible, and based on the narrators listed, I’m inclined to agree. If you’re looking for a slow burning suspense novel with a fantastic southern gothic setting, give this one a try!

2.5 ⭐️‘S
Not being a fan of Jennett’s writing style, this book was a difficult read for me. Too wordy at times and at others not wordy enough, made the book seem unbalanced. It had a great premise, but just did not work for me. Thank you to MCD and NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

The synopsis reads Killing Evev meets Sharp Objects, but I disagree. This is NOt a copy cat book. The characters are originals, they feel like you might even know them.......spooky thought, right? You definitely recognize some of the thoughts and conversations that take place. Meagan Jennett has taken the collective experiences of a group of women and condensed them into Sophie and Nora. The real question that everyone is asking themselves is.....are you Sophie or are you Nora?
When a serial killer comes to town, the popular opinion/ profile describes the killer as male. No way it could be a female committing these murders and leaving so few clues behind. But a female detective, feeling frustrated in her surrounding predominately male work place, slowly begins to see the connection between killer and victims. Jennett may be describing a mystery/ thriller fantasy but it's built around some very current headlines and newscasts!

Thank you to the author, Farrar, Straus and Giroux and NetGalley, for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This debut novel combines a police procedural with a Southern gothic horror description of a sociopath. The language is very descriptive, even flowery, and at the same time conveys the languid atmosphere of hot weather in the southern states of the US. Told in alternating POVs between a young female police officer and the young female sociopath, it's clear that both have their struggles with rage at the lot life has dealt them. The reader knows from the beginning what is going on, the fascination lies in seeing the puzzle pieces come together. The pacing at times is very slow, and the descriptive style is not a genre I necessarily enjoy reading - but the underlying themes of this book resonated again and again with me.

You Know Her by Meagan Jennett is a highly recommended Southern Gothic investigative thriller.

After a long New Year's Eve night at Blue Bell Bar in Bellair, Virginia, bartender Sophie Braam is trying to close up and go home when Mark Dixon demands to be let back in to use the bathroom and asks for a ride home. An ongoing thorn in her side, Dixon is a friend of the owner and often demands free drinks. This night he stole a glass of wine from a bottle that Sophie had been saving for herself, but she finally had enough when he tried to force himself on her while she was driving him home. Sophie killed him.

When his body is found a few days later, Officer Nora Martin, who is new to the force, is part of the team looking for the killer. During the investigation, Sophie and Nora become friends, bonding over their shared frustrations at the treatment they have both endured from men even while the body count rises.

Sophie is a fully realized character who is a sociopath heading down the road to insanity, which is clear during her murderous rampages. She shares her first-person thoughts in chapters which alternate with chapters from Nora's point-of-view. Nora is also a well developed character who has her own struggles with being a woman with the police department, but she is an intelligent, sane woman dealing with these issues.

You Know Her is an excellent well-written debut novel that merges an investigative procedural with a disturbing, vengeful Southern Gothic thriller. Anyone who has ever worked with the public will sympathize with Sophie when she is rightfully ranting about the comments male customers make or the jabs Nora is putting up with. Most people tolerate it, as Nora does, but will relate on some level to Sophie's rage. The murderous actions are over the top at times, which some readers might find too disturbing.
Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of MCD via NetGalley.
The review will be published on Barnes & Noble, Google Books, BookBrowse, Edelweiss, and Amazon.

This was a DNF for me. The prose was very flowery and descriptive, and I found it hard to connect to the writing, as this isn’t a style I enjoy. I think this book may be for others, but the writing style didn’t work for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

You know her is a well written yet uncomfortable thriller following a budding serial killer and a cop. This was visceral in its prose and unputdownable with its tension.

Sophie was a fascinating character to follow and I really enjoyed following point of view. Nora's point of view, while still interesting, didn't quite live up to hers. She had a few plot elements that I wished had been explored more, that were included for intriguing but could have been utilized better.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc.

You DO know her! She is me, she is you, she is every woman who has suffered harassment, disrespect or much worse at the hands and mouths of men with no manners or self control. In Jennett’s stunning debut novel, she delivers a powerful message that most, if not all, women can relate. Sophie Braam is a bartender at the Blue Bell restaurant in small town Bellair, Virginia and suffers indignities from male patrons on the nightly. Officer Nora Martin, new in town and struggling to prove herself in the local police department, is haunted by the ghosts of dead women. These two women will cross paths, curious, leary, and suspicious of each other. But they may have more in common than they think….they’re just on opposites sides of the law. This story is gritty, clever and original, a unique take on the female serial killer trope. And it is very descriptively and lyrically written demanding to be absorbed, not read quickly. Thank you Netgalley, Farrah, Straus and Giroux, as well as the author for this eARC in exchange for my honest review. This book will be release on April 4, 2023

You Know Her is the story of Sophia, who is a bartender who for the most part has a very negative opinions about the obnoxious customers she serves.

Normally I enjoy books that have a more descriptive style as opposed to mostly conversations. It just did not hold my interest and I didn't care about the characters. This book was not my cup of tea.

4.5 stars for Meagan Jennett's debut novel!

Sophie, a bartender who is sick of putting up with harassment from men, kills Mark Dixon, a regular at the bar who wouldn’t take no for an answer. She becomes a serial killer who only kills men—keeping a trophy from each kill. Nora, a new officer in town, is sick of men who look at her as a diversity hire and put her down because she’s not part of the boys’ club. She’s convinced there’s a serial killer plaguing their town. However, unbeknownst to her, the person she’s looking for is the bartender she befriended. Will she realize it’s her friend?

This is Meagan Jennett’s debut novel. The POV is first person for Sophie and third person for Nora. I loved Jennett’s writing style, which contained a lot of literary devices with vivid descriptions. Some of the killings were described in such gruesome detail that it was honestly quite graphic—much more graphic and disturbing than I typically read, but I enjoyed it. It was very fast paced. The ending left me wanting more and I wish it continued.

Sophie and Nora have different reactions to the saying “boys will be boys.” Nora bottles up her frustrations while Sophie snaps and kills men out of rage for being mistreated and having to watch other women be mistreated. I love the title, You Know Her, because you do. As a woman, you know her because she is you. She’s every woman who has dealt with the patriarchy and men who think they can do whatever they want and get away with it. You can empathize with both of these women because you’ve had to bottle up your frustrations, and maybe at some point you’ve snapped (although probably not to the point of murder).

Meagan Jennett is definitely an author to watch! This book releases on April 4 so add it to your TBR or pre-order now!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was such a great read-slow burn, southern Gothic, freaky all in one. We follow two women, Sophie, a bartender who hates men, and finds a way to get back at them, and Nora, a young cop, who is new to town, and staying to solve the mystery of a number of men missing or killed. Sophie and Nora become friends...will Nora realize who her new friend is? I could not put this down! What a debut! The writing is descriptive and poetic, without being too overly descriptive. I felt like I was there in the small Virginia town.

This one was ok but the prose didn’t work for me. I just wanted something faster paced. There were some times I thought it had opportunity to pick up but the prose really bogged down the story

Exquisitely written unique take on female serial killers. I loved the cat and mouse atmosphere. I recommend going in blind and just enjoy the ride. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for a chance to read this fun ARC

Thrilling, fast-paced, and oh so timely. A recommended first purchase for collections where thrillers are popular.

I would like to thank netgalley and Farrar, Straus and Giroux, MCD for the ARC Of You Know Her by
Meagan Jennett in exchange for an honest review
This just wasn't my style, of writing but others might enjoy it. It has very descriptive prose and descriptive internal dialogue. More literary than I like and I was distracted .by the titles on the chapters.I found the plot lines we’re not tied up. It was my first novel I read from Meagan Jennett

A grisly Southern Gothic tale that flips the script on gender violence and serial killer stereotypes.

Oh, you know her, would you look at that hair
Yeah, you know her, check out those shoes
She looks like she stepped out of the middle of somebody's blues
"Rip Her to Shreds" by Blondie

In Bellair, VA, Sophie is a bartender at the Blue Bell. She suffers, day after day, from sexual harassment from the staff, from customers, from man, after man, after man. Then.....New Year's Eve....after a stolen glass of wine, Sophie has enough of one particular man and lets loose.

Nora is new in the area and working her way into a detective position. Past cases haunt her. She meets Sophie and finds a kindred spirit in her, even if there is something a bit...off about her.

This book is full of disturbing imagery, bugs, and deteriorating bodies. Ultimately though, this book is about female rage. Rage against violence towards and against women. Rage about systems against women. Rage at the way that women are treated in any industry. It's an extreme way of looking at the world and what can happen when things are taken too far, but it's honestly not unrealistic when things have gotten to the point where we are currently in our society.

This book is a sharp commentary on the world. It's deeper than just a thriller/cat-and-mouse book. Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.

When I get super excited, I sing . Not well, but I sing . The best part ? It’s random and I make up my own words . These are my sudden bursts of self proclaimed creative talent .

Well, I’m singing .

I like big books and I can not lie
You other sisters can’t deny
When a book is before me with a big ole spine
I get sprung …

See? Zero talent . I’ll stick to my day job .

Anyway , I’m singing bc I just finished another incredible book, my instajail sentence is over and well it’s Friday? I love Fridays just not as much as I love mashed potatoes.

Ok, the book
Drumroll please …….

You Know Her by Meagan Jennett .

Oh, you haven’t heard of her yet ? Well now you have and I promise you, you are going to want to get to know her because this book is destined for success .

These characters come alive and jump right off the page . You feel as though you are watching this story take place right before your eyes . There is no shortage of twists and turns ! This book is oozing with suspense

Do you know the feeling when you hold your breath and your chest gets tighter and tighter ? That is the best way to describe how I felt while reading You Know Her.

If you want to know what I’m talking about I strongly suggest you pre-order yourself a copy . In the meantime, here is a teaser :

Two hours before he vanished, Mark Dixon stole a glass of wine. That's what bartender Sophie Braam told the cops when they questioned her about the customer whose mutilated body was just found. What she didn’t tell them is that she’s the one who killed him.


Officer Nora Martin is new to the Bellair Police Department and trying very hard to learn the ropes from Detective Murphy while ignoring all the men in the department snapping about a diversity hire. When she meets Sophie, they build an uneasy camaraderie over shared frustrations.

As winter slides into spring and bodies start piling up, Nora begins to suspect that something’s not quite right with the unnerving, enigmatic bartender. But will she be able to convince Murph, or will he keep laughing off the idea that the serial killer haunting their little town is a woman?