I adored this book! Block is one of my favorite authors and this one has become my favorite. It's such a timely book as well as it deals with a long-ago gang rape at a party that surfaces in the present as a video, both humiliating Dahlia and spurring her on to revenge for this vile crime. Dealing with other pertinent issues such as Aspergers, gender identity, bullying, cyberstalking, and suicide, none of it feels forced or sappy. I literally had to stop "adulting" for the day so I could read it in one sitting. This one will stay with me a long time after I've read other novels. Highly recommended!

I've been a fan of Block since I first read the Zoe Goldman series and this standalone did not disappoint. I loved the character of James and the flaws each character possessed that showed how human they were. Great psychological suspense!

Dahlia had her whole life ahead of her. Top grade student she was well on her way to her law degree until that night, at that party, five years ago, something horrible happened to her. She knows she was assaulted but her memory is gone. Fast forward to the present day and we reconnect with her as she is now, still suffering badly from that night, and with her education cut short after what happened, she is now working as a paralegal. One day, a video appears on the web which she sees colleagues watching. She has a look and recognises herself. It's a video of her attack, Not only that, it identifies her attackers. She now has the evidence of what happened to her. But, with her memory of the way the Police handled her after she initially reported the attack, how they treated her, how they blamed her, she isn't about to take it to them to investigate. No way. With her hackles up and her rage unleashed, she remembers the old adage; revenge is a dish best served cold.
Its hard to say that I enjoyed this book due to the nature of what happened to Dahlia. Indeed, it was at times a hard book to read. But the author does a great job of giving enough to set the scene but not too much that it is overpowering. It was harrowing and horrible, especially when we "met" the guys involved in the events that took place and the way they "talked" about them. But this was offset very well by the friendship that blossomed between Dahlia and James, a colleague who offers to help her with some of the investigative side of things. James's own story in itself adds to the colour of the whole book. It's hard to say much more about the specifics about what happens in the book without giving anything away but suffice to say that the main theme running through the narrative was about a young woman taking back her life. Whether she achieves this and whether it helps her, well, you'll just have to read it for yourself.
Not having gone through anything nearly like what happened to Dahlia, it was hard for me to really connect with her apart from obviously feeling deeply for what she went through. I couldn't quite connect with her fully and thought that some of the things she did were a little bit off. But then, not having walked in her shoes, who am I to judge. I just can't help thinking that maybe there was a different way to go. That speaks more about me than the author but I have to be honest in my review. I actually better connected to James and what he was going through. And I really did feel for him, maybe more than Dahlia.
All in all, a tough but on the whole satisfying read which I definitely think could be a great book club read as it definitely made me think and question my morals and ethics.
My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

Thanks to Netgalley for the advanced copy...

I enjoyed the good book and it was good.

Poor Woman, she got some sort of seziure but life threatening at risk...so glad that she don't have to go through again in her pasts.

Dahlia, both in ‘real time’ and going back five years, and James tell this story with some intermittent conversation in the Hawks Club Chat Room. It is clear, easy to follow and well written.

The story is harrowing, it is after all about the brutal assault on Dahlia, but it is also about people who feel different but find each other and that gives a heartwarming sense to it. Dahlia, with the help of her friends especially Eli, has made small steps to rebuilding her life after that night and all that followed but she still feels vulnerable, she is not who she was. Dahlia met Eli in recovery after attempting suicide they have been close ever since. James has Aspergers people treat him as though he isn’t ‘normal’, it’s not fair and, whilst he understands, he doesn’t like it. They work for the same firm but they become friends after an SOS (Survivors of Suicide) meeting, they click. James’ sister was beaten, badly, he wanted revenge but she committed suicide and it was too late.

Then the video of that night surfaces and Dahlia wants revenge and James wants to help. What happens then may be illegal, you may disagree on some level, there may have been other ways of dealing with the situation but, even if Eli does, Dahlia doesn’t think so, doesn’t want to and James well he understands the desire for revenge.

This book is gripping, sensitively, some of the content may not be easy to read, and well written with wonderful characters. It will draw you in, you will want to know what happens to Dahlia, to James, to Eli, to everyone – you will want to know how this ends.

Note: This book raises questions which would really be interesting for book clubs to consider. This is a book which tells a story but opens up a number of lines for thought and discussion.

With my thanks to Source Landmark via NetGalley for an eARC to read in return for an honest opinion.

Rating: 4.5* Recommended

Dahlia went through something so awful and horrible that it would ruin anyone's life. She picks the pieces back up and tries to live her life. When she finds out who was responsible for her attack she wants revenge and honestly who wouldn't? I read this book in a day as I couldn't put it down. I felt for Dahlia and my heart went out for her. This was a fast paced book that deals with awful subjects. I received an advanced readers copy from NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark. All opinions are my own.

I absolutely loved this book that follows the story of Dahlia who was the victim of a brutal gang-rape 5 as a Harvard law student 5 years ago. Dahlia is left understandably traumatised by the attack although she can remember no real or clear details about it. She subsequently drops out of Harvard and 5 years later is working as a paralegal when one day in the office she comes across some colleagues watching footage of a girl being brutally assaulted and, to her horror, recognises the girl as herself!
With her colleague and friend James (a real sweetheart of a character) supporting her Dahlia embarks on a plan of revenge against those that destroyed her life as she knew it.
The chapters are short and punchy and told from the viewpoint of both Dalia and James which I enjoyed.
I can only say again what a thoroughly brilliant book this is - emotional, gripping and heartbreaking at times with a twist that I didn't see coming.
This was my first read by this author but will certainly not be my last! 5 stars and huge thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC.

This is the story of a girl who went to a party and woke up the victim of a brutal attack. She tries to make a life for herself among the nightmares and PTSD , until a video of that night surfaces and Dahlia knows who to make pay for her past ! This book is my first by this author and definitely not my last !

The story of Dahlia, how she handles her traumatizing experience and seeks revenge on 4 fraternity boys. Great read. Loved this writer.
Thank you netgalley, the publisher and Sandra Block

I simply loved this book. The characters are well-drawn and believable and the storyline is compelling.
What I especially liked was the author steering away from well-worn stereotypes. For example, one of the main characters has Aspergers; the author looked at how he interprets the world in a way that was considered and respectful instead of turning him into some kind of automaton.
Parts of the story, relating to the rape, are disturbing and upsetting but it’s never gratuitous and our focus remains firmly of the victim.
The author was walking a tightrope with this novel and she managed it with skill and grace.

What Happened That Night by Sandra Block is a quick, fast, and entertaining character driven novel.

5 years ago Dahlia was on her way to becoming a successful lawyer at Harvard University. One night Dahlia decides to attend a party with her friend and is brutally raped. Dahlia wakes up the next day and has no memory of the horrible assault.

Years later, Dahlia is currently working as a paralegal and is suffering from PTSD from that horrible night. One day, Dahlia walks into her office and sees some of her male coworkers watching a video of a girl being brutally assaulted. Although, it's not just some girl... it's Dahlia herself on this video. All the horrible flashbacks and memories begin to surface for Dahlia.

I feel like some of the scenes involving the brutal assault were hard to picture and hear about in the novel. But, the author was good about not going into too much detail involving the rape history.

Dahlia meets James one of her coworkers along the way. He seems to be struggling with some issues of his own. James and Dahlia form a friendship and he tries to help Dahlia seek revenge on her attackers. I really liked James' character! He is such a sweetie :).

The short chapters had me flying through this novel! I loved multiple POV and short chapters :).

I felt like some of the parts were a little predictable which caused my rating to be a little lower. Additionally, I felt like it was missing something. I can't quite put my finger on it. Overall, it was an entertaining read :).

3.75 stars

Thank you to Netgalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the arc!
Published to GR: 5/9/18
Publication date: 6/5/18

A fantastic read. Especially how it handles the emotions of someone who has been through a traumatizing experience. Dahlia is a likable, quirky character and although this is considered a thriller, I would also say it is a character-driven novel. Highly recommend.

Great concept. The story was interesting. I really liked Dahlia a lot. The ending was a little cliche, but all in all a pretty good book.

I received a free e-book of What Happened That Night by Sandra Block from NetGalley for my honest review.

Absolutely astonishing, gut wrenching, yet amazing. I was absolutely blown away by this book. I have never read anything by Sandra Block before but I will be reading some of her other books after reading this one. This is such a powerful book and written with so much thought and depth. A young, pretty, smart and happy girl goes to a party one evening and after that night, everything changes. She can't remember the details of the night but she know what happened. Through it all she fights to take back her life from those who stole it from her. Such a strong, emotional story of something that has happened to real women.

A difficult subject matter which what expertly handled by one of my favorite authors. Well-crafted characters I fell in love with immediately. Well-designed plot. Excellent writing. I loved everything about this novel.

I received a free copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I really want to give this book 5 stars, but I would not recommend it to the faint of heart--it is definitely not for everyone. What Happened That Night was a very traumatic book for me. It kept me on my toes. Living every moment with the main character, my heart raced and pounded for the duration. In vividly written style, this novel allowed Dahlia's stress to pump vicariously through MY veins. Because of the very dark nature of the content, it feels wrong to say that I loved this book. Even so, I DID love it. It had the most important qualities a great book needs: extremely well developed characters and a plausible storyline with generally realistic situations (which evoke very real emotions in the reader), and also thought provoking language which is smooth enough to add--rather than detract--from the first two traits. Overall, this was a very quick read--hard to put down! I definitely want to read more from this Sandra Block.

Very fast paced thriller that will definitely keep your interested until the end. I think I could have read this in a couple of hours if I didn’t have to adult and sleep.

This my first Net Galley book in a few years and I am so glad that I was given the chance to read it. I already had myself on my library wait list for this title. First off...this book is VERY VERY triggering for assault, suicide, depression and rape. That being said, I thought this book was fantastic. I read it very quickly having trouble reading it at times but also having trouble putting it down. It's a very sad and realistic (for the most part) story. The characters are raw and damaged, each for different reasons but that's part of what made it so realistic. I would have a few small changes but it's hard to put into written words exactly what those would be. I would definitely recommend this book and wish the author much success with the release.

Good story about a girl coming to terms and getting revenge on a fraternity who had gangraped her

I loved this book! I think the author did amazing on writing a thriller that had you on the edge of your seat. I know some may struggle, due to content, but I think this is also why the author is so good, because you definitely felt what was happening. I look forward to more by this author and hope she continues in suspense!