What Happened That Night surprised me with its emotional pull. The characters - particularly Dahlia and James - were well-formed, believable, likeable, had me cringing over what they planned and rooting for a just, safe outcome. A page-turner all the way, I finished this read with a lump in my throat and muttering 'good book' to myself.

A timely and relevant psychological thriller/character drama centred around two very different and quirky characters, one of whom is recovering from a suicide attempt following trauma and one who has suffered a horrible loss.

It is gripping and cleverly written, I love how the main protagonists worked out their issues, not following any one path but rather working through things as they went. The author manages to portray the realities of justice and the many layers of recovery really well and it was a bit of a page turner.

One of the huge strengths of this was the growing relationship between Dahlia and James, I loved them both in different ways and What Happened That Night doesn't follow a usual path, it has a resoundingly satisfactory ending and whilst if I had one bug bear it was that a certain twist was very obvious early on and not really required to my mind, overall this is a book that I will happily recommend.

I'll be reviewing it on Liz Loves Books nearer the time of publication.

This book was utter nonesense and juevenile for such a serious topic of gang rape/rape on college campus. 1 in 5 women will experience this at their school. And along comes this author who makes the serious subject matter a joke. Getting revenge on her accusers because law enforcement doesn’t take these allegations seriously? I hope this does not set back future victims, as there will unfortunately victims. The best advice is to work with the police. Immature and bad advice. Also, the writing, was mediocre at best. If you’re going to tackle a serious subject fiction or not, be responsible.

What happened that night is a well written mystery. I loved the plot and the well developed characters. This author was new to me and I enjoyed her writing. I recommend to fans of a good whodunnit.

I absolutely loved this book! It’s refreshing to read something so different - such unusual characters. I loved reading further in to relationships between Dahlia & others as the ‘project’ unfolded.
There are very harrowing parts to this book, but well handled by the author - enough was said to understand the horrifying nature of what had happened to poor Dahlia, without reading pages of awful details like with some other authors.
I thought the twist at the end was brilliant, and to end with James’ poem was perfect!

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read What Happened That Night by Sandra Block. This is a tough story or any story dealing with physical abuse or rape. A young woman is assaulted one night and it is a tramatic event that leaves her devistated. Years later, she discovers a video of her assault and it brings back all her bad memories, fears, and sadness. She will fight back - and someone will pay.
This is a sad book, at least it was for me. Difficult to read, but will get you thinking.

Thank you to Netgalley for a preview read from this extraordinary author. Insanely good. Sweet. Intense. Relatable. Just a few of the emotions I felt reading What Happened That Night, the latest thriller from Sandra Block. And she’s definitely hit it out of the park this time.

Dahlia, a paralegal now, suffered a gang rape while at Harvard. Of course, that night continues to haunt her, but she can’t remember most of it because she’d been drinking and the boys also drugged her. Her memories of that awful time start to return when she finds her co-workers in the breakroom watching a video that was taken of it. Then she starts to piece together who her assailants were. She strikes out with a revenge plan, aided by one of her co-workers who is tech savvy times three.

I will stop there. Just know Block has become a force to be reckoned with. I’ve read all her books and the writing just gets better and better. I truly believe she’s taking the domestic thriller genre by storm. I would recommend this novel to anyone. It will be available on June 5, 2018.

Dahlia is a survivor - a rape survivor, a suicide survivor - a young woman much stronger than she knows. When tape of her rape surfaces on the internet, she is finally able to discover who the perpetrators were - and she decides to make them pay. Proving that revenge is a dish best served cold, she methodically tracks them down to make them pay. But the beauty of WHAT HAPPENED THAT NIGHT is that this isn't some slick, hard-ass protagonist, but a well-drawn, deeply broken person, just wanting to make herself whole. Dahlia is helped in her efforts by James, an IT tech with Asperger's and some ghosts of his own. While some of the plot points are farfetched and the final reveal completely unnecessary, Block had me hooked from the beginning and more than willing to go along for the ride. Her strength is in her characters, the plot was just more of a device to allow you to get to know them better. I think Block could easily move away from suspense to literary fiction by focusing on her characters. In the meantime, I'll continue to enjoy her quick but juicy reads.

---- Possible spoilers! ----

This is a pretty good thriller.

You have two unconventional main characters and I really liked them. It was nice not reading about conventionally handsome man and ordinary Mary Jane Investigates! Instead, we have two people who don’t conform to social norms and who have each experienced true tragedy in their lives.

Unfortunately, I figured out the main secret of the book at about 30%. Regardless, I still enjoyed the read.

Readers should be aware that there are rather graphic descriptions of sexual assault. Some of this definitely isn’t the easiest thing to read, but the author handles it well. It never felt gratuitous. It did feel sickening, but that was the point.

I admit that I thought things would spiral out of control for our main character a bit quicker and a bit more intensely. However, the tension and suspense were still there.

A good, fast read!

When Dalhia is brutally drugged and rape , it takes a lot to help her get over it. Years later when a video of the rape appears on the internet she vows revenge.
The beginning of the book grips you and you prepare for a roller coaster ride but you'll be disappointed. The story takes an unbelievable turn and makes all the hard work of the beginning seem pointless. She turns into a nut job instead. If you like your books believable this isn't for you but if you don't mind taking a big leap into fantasy, you'll like it. I don't want to say I hated it but it did start with promise.

WHAT HAPPENED THAT NIGHT is a suspenseful, sad, romantic and sometimes violent thriller. I really loved the character of Dahlia. Once she decides to get revenge on the people who brutally attacked her years earlier, the book really kicks into gear! I also loved her growing friendship/relationship with James, and how he supports her. Author Sandra Block does an excellent job building the tension and also making us truly care about the characters. There were some nice twists and turns that I didn't see coming. I am eagerly anticipating reading more from Sandra Block, and this book is highly recommended!

Thanks to author Sandra Block, publisher Sourcebooks Landmark and NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

First, I want to thank Sandra Block, Sourcebooks Landmark and NetGalley for providing me with this book.

What Happened That Night by Sandra Block was a book that brought out a lot of emotions out in me due to the subject material at hand. This book has subject matter that could be a trigger for anyone that has been in a date rape or gang rape situation. That being said this book may not be for everyone. Read at your own risk.

My heart ached for Dahlia for 5 years ago she was drugged and gang raped by 5 boys. She went from being a pretty girl that night to a changed girl that night. She had no clue who did this to her. She got seizures, tried to kill herself, turned to alcohol. All because of what these sick monsters did to her. Fast forward to present day when she is working and sees the video of her being raped!! Yes, there was a video that she never knew about! Now Dalia wanted to find out exactly who these men were and wanted revenge.

James was one of the characters I liked the most in the book. He was in the IT department and had Asperger’s. He and Dahlia hit it off right away.

This is the first book I've read by this author. I can't say that I loved it - I can't pinpoint exactly what I didn't like. I just know that it wasn't one of the best novels I've read recently.

A really good read and brings up points for discusion in a reading club or in a class about rape and the effects for lond afterwards,and the various clubs on campus that look for kicks at the expense of others.I like the way the book leaves the reader to make his or her decision about the outcome between the two people.A great book for discusion.

As a fan of Sandra Block's, I was excited about reading her latest. I was not prepared, however, to read it in one sitting - but that's exactly what happened. This is a multi-layered book with one seriously kick-ass protagonist. One of the best books I've read this year

This book was great. It was gripping and emotional. It touched on so many realistic topics, that could happen to anyone!
I would recommend.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

What Happened That Night – Sandra Block

Five years ago, Dahlia was an up and coming law student studying at Harvard, when one night changed her life forever. Invited to a frat party after a night of celebrating and drinking with her friend Daisy, Dahlia wakes up the next morning, in a strange room, a multitude of aches, pains and bruises, and with no recollection of what happened or how she got there. When she again regains consciousness, she is in her dorm room, and gradually comes to the realization that she was drugged and raped.

Flash forward five years, Dahlia is a paralegal, living in Boston with her close friend Eli nearby, whom she met in counseling after a suicide attempt. She has also become friends with James, an ‘IT’ tech at the law office, who has ghosts of his own, and still struggling to come to terms with ‘that night’ and the rape she cannot recall. But that all changes when a video of the rape itself surfaces, Dahlia recognizes a face, realizes there were more, and then vows to find and gain revenge on those who hurt her. But as Dahlia and James begin with their vengeance, the Hawk Club retaliates, and both Eli & James attempt to hide secrets of their own…

This story is told in snippets of past and present, and from the perspectives of Dahlia herself, James, and through chat room conversations with a group that calls themselves the ‘Hawk Club’. As the storyline progresses more is revealed about each character, their pasts and how each impact the present.

I have not read anything from this author before, but I thoroughly enjoyed this book and will seek out more writings from Sandra Block!

This book was trying to hit all the notes to be a topical book, dealing with sexual assault, self-harm, suicide, LGBTQ identity and autism but it ended up being messy and offensive and pretty poorly written.

Wow! What Happened that Night by Sandra Block is one of those books your going to love or hate. I loved how Dahlia finally takes charge and gets some payback for what was done to her 5 years before. This story pulled at my heart in places and also made me mad at how rape victims sometimes get treated not just from the police but other people. If you want an interesting read, with some twists and turns and interesting characters this book may be what your looking for. Thank you Netgalley for allowing me to read this ARC book!

Really tough subject matter handled really well. Callous cruelty derails a promising future; the aftereffects of the rape affects every part of her life. The horrified reactions of others isolates her even more, resulting in self destructive behavior. From this moment things start to improve slowly.
The opportunity to exact revenge on those who hurt her proves irresistible. The bad guys fight back, and of course play dirty.
There are a couple of real twists both good and bad.
The authenticity and compassion of the author shines throughout the book. The story well written from various points of view.
There are parts that are very hard to read, and I would love it some of those sections were required reading for some people. But it is an important message and more need to know it
The ending is as satisfying as it could be.