This book really keeps you guessing. Several times I was sure where this was going and I was often wrong. Love that. Wayland is a sympathetic character. He saw his father shoot himself. His mother had been practically absent ever since. She destroys or gives away everything that had anything to do with her husband. The reason was not what I was expecting. Small towns and their secrets, right?

Wayland was written in such a way that I could see many people in him. Some former students. My own brother as a teenager. A few cousins, even. You really want him to find the answers he is looking for. You really want him to find peace. The rest of the characters are almost unimportant. This is his story.

The pace is fast. You won't feel bogged down waiting for something to happen because something is always happening.

Thank you to all for allowing me to read this book.

Lies, deceit, and betrayal sum up this page-turner. A young man begins his journey in solving his father's mysterious death. Every time one question is answered, another one pops up. This book kept me guessing throughout the pages.

I liked the narrator and enjoyed the book, but it often dragged a little.

I realize this isn't horror, but I would recommend it to fans of Stephen King. It's got a lot of small town vibes, a ton of amateur sleuthing, weird and mostly dysfunctional family issues. It's a Stephen King fan's dream.

This was my first delve into the writing of Eric Rickstad, and I was absolutely blown away. Never could I have imagined the twisted, engrossing ending. Phenomenal! At eight years old, Wayland Maynard witnesses his father’s suicide. This event emotionally traumatizes Wayland beyond what anyone, even the reader, could imagine. By age 16, Wayland is certain that the suicide did not happen the way he reported it to the police. First, there’s a note he discovered on his father and secretly hid away, a note with the eight words “I am not who you think I am.” Second, he remembers the day his father accidentally sliced his ear when a very tall, intimidating man entered his dad’s barber shop after hours. In addition, Wayland is horrified that his mother got rid of every scrap of evidence that his father ever existed, all the way down to family photos. Wayland is coming undone and all the questions he directs towards his mother seem to cause her panic. With the help of a girl he has a crush on and a guy, who may or may not be his friend, he begins digging to discover who his father was and why nothing adds up. Wayland, however, is utterly unprepared for the ramifications of his obsessive search for the truth. Many thanks to Net Galley for providing me with an audio advanced reader copy. All of the opinions expressed here are my own.

Wayland was 8 years old when he saw his father commit suicide, now he is 16, and he keeps finding things that don't add up to what really happened to his father. He employs the help of 2 of his friends to help him figure out what the town will not say.
This dark thriller kept me interested from beginning to the end, with many twists and turns. Looking forward to reading more by Eric Rickstad.
Thanks Blackstone Publishing through NetGalley for this early opportunity (Publishing date October 5, 2021)

This was such an entertaining psychological thriller! It was dark, gritty, twisted and incredibly clever!

Full of suspense and an abundance of misdirection, this one had me on the edge of my seat from start to finish. I was fully engaged as I felt a part of Waylands intense investigation and relished in uncovering the many shocking revelations!

I really enjoyed Rickstad’s diabolical mind and his writing style so I’m excited to read more from him!

𝙾𝚗𝚎 𝚜𝚎𝚌𝚛𝚎𝚝.
𝙴𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝 𝚌𝚛𝚢𝚙𝚝𝚒𝚌 𝚠𝚘𝚛𝚍𝚜.
𝙻𝚒𝚏𝚎𝚝𝚒𝚖𝚎𝚜 𝚘𝚏 𝚛𝚞𝚒𝚗.

Thanks to the publisher for providing an eARC of I Am Not Who You Think I Am in exchange for an honest review.

I Am Not Who You Think I Am is pretty decent plotwise, I just really struggled with the narration which could have to do with the fact that I listened to it as an audiobook. While technically the book is told through the perspective of the character as an adult retelling the story of when he's a teenager, even his actions and the dialogue consistently made him feel like a middle aged man which was probably exasperated by what sounded like an older narrator. Him being a teen had little to no impact on the plot anyways so I don't get why this wasn't an adult character solving a mystery since that seems to be what the author is most comfortable writing.

I loved this book. Great story line great narrator. The story was not at all what I was expecting. The twist in there was great. Kept me trying to figure out everything before I finally found out everything.

Rating: 4.08
Enjoyment: 8/10


At the tender age of 8, Wayland sees his father commit suicide and finds the note he left "I am not who you think I am." He doesn't understand the message and struggles to imagine his father as anyone other than the loving man he knows. He keeps the note a secret on a whim.

When he is 16, Wayland makes another shocking discovery and suspects the note is the key to unravel the town's long-buried secret. With the help of two friends, Wyland will stop at nothing to find out the truth of what happened now and eight years ago. Each revelation brings him closer to the truth and the sad realization he can't trust anyone or anything.

I will start by saying that listening to I Am Not Who You Think I Am as an audiobook produced by Blackstone Publishing and Narrated by Steven Weber was the best way to read this book. I adore Weber's voice, and I can not fault his narration AT ALL – it not only brought the story to life with impeccable pacing and style. If I were rating the audio production on its own, this would be a 5-star read.

I Am Not Who You Think I Am is an enjoyable, fast-paced thriller. Unfortunately, for me, it missed the mark on two key points – Characters and Execution. As far as characters go, on their own, they were pretty well developed and unique; I could visualize their actions and identify each of their voices. However, as compelling of a character as Wyland is, neither he nor the other teenagers read their age. This was such a letdown, especially because their age didn't have any effect on the plot.

Had Wyland and his friends been young adults, the story would have had the same impact, and the way the characters were written would be more consistent with their age. Another way I felt the author's choice impacted my enjoyability was with the final twist. It so happened to be one of my least favourite plot devices, and I am still asking myself what the point was.

Let's talk about the positives – I really loved the idea of the book and felt that it delivered on the promise of a tense, unputdownable narrative. The paranoid atmosphere built around Wyland's sense of urgency and foreboding was superb. Despite my feelings about some of the author's choices, I still recommend this book to thriller fans and think the best way to experience it is as an audiobook. This is one of the few times in which I believe the narration improved on the story.

Narrator Steven Weber is EXCELLENT makes the audio version totally engaging.
Book Review:

This book had me SHOOK from the start, in the wildly unique way the story is introduced in the newspaper in a letter to the town. The prose is beautiful, gripping, and provocative. The plot is complex and full of surprises, keeping the reader engaged cover to cover. This novel has so many challenging moments that leave readers wrestling with the many moral dilemmas Wayland and others experience, forcing you to ask yourself, "what would I do?"
I thought this book is smart, compelling, and unique. Seeing and experiencing the events through the teenage perspective, while not reading like YA, makes I AM NOT WHO YOU THINK I AM stand out.
I'm looking forward to interviewing the author.

This was my very first ARC audiobook from @netgalley so I was VERY excited going into this, simply for that reason alone, but ultimately I was kind of let down. Mystery/Thriller is my favorite genre, so maybe it’s just I have some pretty high expectations, but this was just not very enjoyable for me.

The story was very slow and the whole premise was just really lacking. Wayland is a 16 year old boy and that really shows in his narration because it comes off very immature, even bratty at times. Additionally, his thinking is very all over the place at times, and that makes things confusing.

There are also so many things that don’t add up for me, one of the biggest things being that Wayland remembers all these details about the day his father killed himself 8 years ago yet can’t say for certain whether that man was actually his father or not? Like what? HOW?

I hate that I didn’t love this because I really wanted to.

When is was 8 Wayland witnessed his father kill himself and finds a note that leaves him very unsettled. At age 16 he can't shake the doubts that are plaguing his mind about what really happened that day. As he starts his own investigation he slowly loses pieces of himself as his paranoia of everyone he comes across consumes him.

I am Not Who You think I Am is a mystery suspense about a teenage boy who starts to suspect his father’s suicide nearly a decade earlier wasn’t exactly as he remembered it.

Wayland Maynard has lived with the memory of his father’s suicide for almost ten years. All he had to remember that day was a note that said “I am not who you think I am” and a few of his father’s library books. When he starts to unravel his memories, his father’s actual identity and his connection to the wealthy and powerful family in their town secrets more than 40 years in the making will be revealed.

Think of Wayland as a Nancy Drew type character if Nancy messed everything up and caused more people to die. He’s a truly frustrating main character that jumps to conclusions and makes completely irrational and dangerous decisions. Near the beginning of the novel there is a lot of disgusting detail about his dog being in heat (the description of the blood and mess are truly revolting) and it added nothing to the story and I could have done without it. It’s also a lot of running through the woods, spying on people and trips to government offices to search for documents. Wayland is a terrible friend and he’s always running away from conversations that could probably clear a lot of misunderstandings up and would have made the body count slightly lower.

I like a gritty and realistic mystery novel but this one was full of misery, misunderstandings and tragedy all around. It lacked any kind of humor or wit and the main character is a loose cannon.

3 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Wayland Maynard witnessed his father kill himself. Over the years he convinced himself that it wasn’t his father. This pursued Wayland to begin researching the note he left behind. With the help of his two closest friends Wayland investigates the death of his father. His inquiry procured danger to him and his friends. With each new revelation more questions came about thus propelling him further into danger. He discovered a deep dark secret from the past destroying everything he believed.
Wayland lives with his mother and sister. Although, his relationship with his mother is strained. His relationship with his sister isn’t any better considering she’s dating an older guy. The family he remembered is gone leaving a darkness within each one of them.
Wayland was a high school and by no means a detective, yet he investigated his fathers suicide like a junior amateur detective without the assistance of police. Even his mother didn’t offer any help.

Author - Eric Rickstad is an international bestselling author. His novels are heralded as intelligent and profound, dark, disturbing, and heartbreaking. In keeping with his preferred theme this one too was both graphic and violent. These actually were some of my favorite scenes. Not too many authors venture into the dark disturbing side of characters.

Narrator - Steven Weber is the solo performer of I Am Not Who You Think I Am. Steven is an American actor where he is best known for his narration of the audiobook version of Steven King’s novel It.
With Steven voicing Wayland’s character in my ears I was compelled to listen to his performance. Steven brought Wayland’s character to life. Some books are served better as an audiobook versus reading. This is one of those books that comes alive under the voice actor talents of Steven.
Steven represents the voice of sixteen year old Wayland with the ideal pitch and sound of a teenage boy on the cusps island manhood.
The story’s told in the third person perspective with Steven Weber once again switching from a sixteen year voice to that of an older man telling the story years later. This was my first audiobook experience by Steven Weber but not my last. I will keep note of his voice talent.

This was an Unabridged audiobook although I listened without the assistance of the ebook. I relied solely on the voice of Steven to bring the words of Eric to life.
I used the Netgalley app to listen to I Am Not Who You Think I Am. Netgalley is new to the audiobook world offering binge-worthy selections by award winning voice actors. It’s an exclusive way to listen to audiobooks. You can stream audiobooks within the app. However, the app must be downloaded to enjoy the audiobooks requested from Netgalley. I enjoyed listening to this audiobook at 2X the speed.

Rick held out until the end to shock his readers with the truth. This was a sad and gory story with scenes being graphic and violent. While I appreciated the closure and the answers the story itself was okay. I did enjoy listening to Steven’s performance without his voice I might not have enjoyed the same. This type of story is best experienced in audiobook format.

Thanks to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review.

3 stars

Wayland Maynard was eight when he witnesses his father's suicide. After eight years, Wayland starts searching for answers.

I didn't enjoy the book. The narrator did an excellent job.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing Audiobooks for gifting me both a digital and audiobook of this thriller by Eric Rickstad and wonderfully narrated by Steven Weber. 4.5 stars!

When he was only 8, Wayland saw his father die by suicide. He found the suicide note that read, I am not who you think I am, that he hid from his mother. Now 16, he has discovered a few things that are making him question exactly what he saw. With his two friends, he sets out to find records and uncover the truth. But he also finds he can't trust anyone.

I really enjoyed this book. The narrator did a great job of voicing Wayland as well as the other characters - he has a wonderful voice! Set in 1984, Wayland has to rely on actual records and legwork to find answers instead of typing his questions into a search engine. The mystery into his family's past will take him into places he never imagined. This is also a coming-of-age story within the mystery, as we see Wayland navigate his friendships and the opposite sex. The writing is wonderful - so descriptive - and kept me guessing until the surprising end. I especially loved the way the book opened, explaining that what was followed was a transcript of information received by the town. Brilliant!

A boy searches for the truth after he witnesses the horrific act of his father committing suicide. From then on, his life is consumed with trying to find answers, no matter the cost. My heart melted for the protagonist whose whole life was consumed by this terrible moment. I so badly wanted to enter the book and help him. The story was interesting and captivating and the ending surprising.

I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book so I could give an honest review. The opinions are entirely my own, and any quotes are taken from the ARC and may be different in the final published copy.

I Am Not Who You Think I Am are right simple words, but together they have a powerful meaning. In the audiobook I Am Not Who You Think I Am by Eric Rickstad, narrated by Steven Weber, Wayland Maynard is just eight years old when he sees his father kill himself. Wayland finds a note reading, "I am not who you think I am." He hides the note, not showing it to anyone until he begins to have flashbacks to that day that do not make sense. With the help of two friends, he searches to find meaning in the note and the events surrounding that day.

Eric Rickstad, known for his atmospheric settings and memorable, complex stories, did not disappoint. His writing captures your attention and makes it difficult to put down.

Steven Weber, an American actor, writer, and Political Science professor at the University of California, Berkeley, recently lent his voice to narrating audiobooks. His easy but bumbling, frantic manner was well-matched with Wayland. Some narrators portray the feeling they are simply reading the story. Weber makes it feel as if he is telling his own story.

This combination of writer and narrator makes for an enjoyable listen.

Lies and betrayal galore! I Am Not Who You Think I Am by Eric Rickstad has it by the bucketloads. The story starts off a little slowly, but don't give up! It's such a fun and well-thought-out suspense thriller that I bet you'll be glad you stayed. Steven Weber's narration adds to the story and helps bring the characters to life as well.

Wayland is eight years old when he watches his father die, only leaving a scrap of paper behind with the words "I am not who you think I am" on it. If that isn't enough to screw anyone up, eight years later when Wayland is 16, he starts to uncover the truth of what the note really means and discovers that there are others that would prefer that particular secret to stay buried. Well, being a 16-year-old boy, Wayland, of course, enlists the help of his friends to uncover the truth. What happens next will keep you guessing and riveted to this audiobook until you've listened to the last word. There's twists and turns galore and it was such a fun, well-developed story. I'll definitely be looking for more from this author in the future.

Thanks so much to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review. #iamnotwhoyouthinkiam #netgalley

Wow this was a crazy twisty ride! I listened to this in one day. The story start slow, I think to show the laconic slowness of childhood that is then violently interrupted by a gruesome tragedy.

In 1984 Wayland Maynard is an eight year old who sees his father kill himself. He recovers a note that says "I am not who you think I am." Wayland hides the note. When Wayland is 16 he begins to doubt what he saw. Armed with the note and the library microfiche he is lead down an increasingly darker and disastrous path of obsession, anxiety, and death.

Once Wayland starts his search for the truth the plot becomes propulsive and I couldn't stop listening. I didn't see any of the twists and turns coming.

One thing that kept my enjoyment at bay way that this story is happening to a child. I can revel in rich people drama or mysteries. But the thing this child goes through are really tragic. But I suppose that is the mark of a good author. Eric Rickstad made me really care for Wayland.

While Steven Weber did an OK job as a narrator, I thought he made Wayland Maynard seem too old. A reader with the ability to make his voice younger would have gone a long way towards making the story even more immersive. I had to keep reminding myself that the main character was a child.

Thank you NetGalley and Blackstone Audio for an advance copy of this book.