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Something Only We Know
Sometimes a secret is too big too hide...
Jen is a trainee journalist working on Chester's local paper, dreaming of something bigger. Her sister, Helen, is beautiful but damaged, and hides a secret that has affected the whole family, one they cannot escape but one she is trying to move on from.
As Helen learns to become a whole person once again, her family struggles with the past, and how they will move forward together. And Jen realises that the one person she needs to help her through is the one person she cannot have - Helen's boyfriend, Ned…
Jen is a trainee journalist working on Chester's local paper, dreaming of something bigger. Her sister, Helen, is beautiful but damaged, and hides a secret that has affected the whole family, one they cannot escape but one she is trying to move on from.
As Helen learns to become a whole person once again, her family struggles with the past, and how they will move forward together. And Jen realises that the one person she needs to help her through is the one person she cannot have - Helen's boyfriend, Ned…
416 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 27, 2014
9 people are currently reading
175 people want to read
About the author
Kate Long
22 books80 followersHello! And welcome to my GoodReads author page.
New: Pinterest boards!
https://www.pinterest.com/volewriter/... - For my new novel, Something Only We Know
http://pinterest.com/volewriter/bank-... See where Charlotte, Karen and Nan actually live!
and my Bad Mothers Facebook page, with lots of background info on the characters and filming: http://www.facebook.com/BadMothersUnited
I write bittersweet novels about family drama and personal crises, especially stories involving the relationship between mothers and daughters.
I like my books to ask questions such as, What makes a parent good or bad? In what way does a family's history shape its present? How can we make the best of the hand which life has dealt us?
My characters tend to have 'ordinary' backgrounds - but actually I think no one is truly ordinary. We all have amazing tales to tell of risk and loss, survival and disaster and triumph, on whatever scale. The most intense dramas are often played out across a domestic stage, with unexpected discoveries and revelations, patterns repeated or shattered forever, bonds broken and new alliances formed.
I've found myself as a reader that meeting such issues in fiction can help me make sense of the real world around me.
Recurring themes in my books include adoption, pregnancy/fertility issues, mental health, sexuality, disability, infidelity and the breaking of family secrets. I also tend to set the action in a specific place around Lancashire, Cheshire or Shropshire.
New: Pinterest boards!
https://www.pinterest.com/volewriter/... - For my new novel, Something Only We Know
http://pinterest.com/volewriter/bank-... See where Charlotte, Karen and Nan actually live!
and my Bad Mothers Facebook page, with lots of background info on the characters and filming: http://www.facebook.com/BadMothersUnited
I write bittersweet novels about family drama and personal crises, especially stories involving the relationship between mothers and daughters.
I like my books to ask questions such as, What makes a parent good or bad? In what way does a family's history shape its present? How can we make the best of the hand which life has dealt us?
My characters tend to have 'ordinary' backgrounds - but actually I think no one is truly ordinary. We all have amazing tales to tell of risk and loss, survival and disaster and triumph, on whatever scale. The most intense dramas are often played out across a domestic stage, with unexpected discoveries and revelations, patterns repeated or shattered forever, bonds broken and new alliances formed.
I've found myself as a reader that meeting such issues in fiction can help me make sense of the real world around me.
Recurring themes in my books include adoption, pregnancy/fertility issues, mental health, sexuality, disability, infidelity and the breaking of family secrets. I also tend to set the action in a specific place around Lancashire, Cheshire or Shropshire.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
September 29, 2015
Something Only We Know by Kate Long was a somewhat unsettling read, raw with reality and thick with emotion. Bringing anorexia into focus and slicing open the dynamics of family and friendship, at times I found this novel hard to read, but at the same time, utterly compelling. The plot drew me in like bee to bud and I became absolutely swamped in the unravelling of this story...
Within Something Only We Know, Kate Long introduces readers to Jen and Helen, sisters who have lived side by side but both tripped down different paths of circumstance. Being a big family girl myself, the focus on sisters appealed to me because I'm always interested to see how different or alike sisters can be, how distant or close they can become. The author achieved such a brilliant contrast between Jen and Helen, and it was made immediately evident in the very first chapter of the novel, during Jen's birthday meal at the pub. As soon as I began reading, just from the tone of Jen's first person narrative, I was aware of an intruder of sorts, hiding in the shadows, watching the family's every move. Kate Long created such a tense and solid atmosphere to begin her novel with, and it truly set the tone for the remainder of the novel for me. It was interesting to see the way in which the beautiful Helen would commandeer any given situation, without even meaning to sometimes, and I found her character and personality so incredibly interesting to study as I read. It was almost as if people would tiptoe around Helen, but as her and Jen's past began to become clear, I was able to understand why.
Kate Long presented her characters to me beautifully. Helen and Jen were so different in so many ways which only added to this invisible forcefield that I felt Helen had structured around herself. There were moments of tenderness between the sisters that seemed to take Jen by surprise almost as much as they did me, but I adored these moments. At times, I could feel myself growing frustrated because, despite this novel being told with only Jen's narrative, Helen was a constant presence throughout. Her history, her personality, even her appearance seemed to stop time. I found Kate's descriptions to be overwhelming in a way, yet I can't deny she hit the nail on the head in terms of providing me an insight into the topics which arose. It felt dark at times, suffocating almost, yet I was itching to continue, to see where the author would lead me next.
Alongside the thread of Jen's progress in her career at Chester's local paper, issues with her partner Owen and surprising circumstances with follow, we're invited into the deepest depths of Jen and Helen's family, where more secrets are hidden. Kate Long took me on a very twisting, turning journey, full of bumps and dips in the road that I had no idea were coming. It was surprising, but in a very good way for a novel this full of grief and trepidation. Each character intrigued me and I found their different reactions towards Helen interesting, as those reactions told me more about them themselves than Helen and her past. Kate tackled these incredibly sensitive subjects with knowledge and care, raising awareness and at the same time, using Helen's characteristics to shine a spotlight on the other issues which cropped up within the plot. There was so much for me to sink my teeth into as a reader, so much to keep me turning those pages. Kate's dissection of Jen's family, as well as her relationship with Owen and Helen was fascinating to say the least and it provided me with an insane amount of food for thought once I'd finished.
Overall, Something Only We Know by Kate Long was a fantastically written novel, throwing up all sorts of questions and leaving me longing for the answers, which the author thankfully provided me with. I'd say it was a complete pleasure to read, but the topics addressed were nowhere near being of the light-hearted, cheery kind. It was a novel which had been worked at furiously, and that shone through in Kate Long's style and effortless flowing of pace. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel, a teaching within itself. This is receiving the highest rating from me, five out of five cupcakes no less.
Within Something Only We Know, Kate Long introduces readers to Jen and Helen, sisters who have lived side by side but both tripped down different paths of circumstance. Being a big family girl myself, the focus on sisters appealed to me because I'm always interested to see how different or alike sisters can be, how distant or close they can become. The author achieved such a brilliant contrast between Jen and Helen, and it was made immediately evident in the very first chapter of the novel, during Jen's birthday meal at the pub. As soon as I began reading, just from the tone of Jen's first person narrative, I was aware of an intruder of sorts, hiding in the shadows, watching the family's every move. Kate Long created such a tense and solid atmosphere to begin her novel with, and it truly set the tone for the remainder of the novel for me. It was interesting to see the way in which the beautiful Helen would commandeer any given situation, without even meaning to sometimes, and I found her character and personality so incredibly interesting to study as I read. It was almost as if people would tiptoe around Helen, but as her and Jen's past began to become clear, I was able to understand why.
Kate Long presented her characters to me beautifully. Helen and Jen were so different in so many ways which only added to this invisible forcefield that I felt Helen had structured around herself. There were moments of tenderness between the sisters that seemed to take Jen by surprise almost as much as they did me, but I adored these moments. At times, I could feel myself growing frustrated because, despite this novel being told with only Jen's narrative, Helen was a constant presence throughout. Her history, her personality, even her appearance seemed to stop time. I found Kate's descriptions to be overwhelming in a way, yet I can't deny she hit the nail on the head in terms of providing me an insight into the topics which arose. It felt dark at times, suffocating almost, yet I was itching to continue, to see where the author would lead me next.
Alongside the thread of Jen's progress in her career at Chester's local paper, issues with her partner Owen and surprising circumstances with follow, we're invited into the deepest depths of Jen and Helen's family, where more secrets are hidden. Kate Long took me on a very twisting, turning journey, full of bumps and dips in the road that I had no idea were coming. It was surprising, but in a very good way for a novel this full of grief and trepidation. Each character intrigued me and I found their different reactions towards Helen interesting, as those reactions told me more about them themselves than Helen and her past. Kate tackled these incredibly sensitive subjects with knowledge and care, raising awareness and at the same time, using Helen's characteristics to shine a spotlight on the other issues which cropped up within the plot. There was so much for me to sink my teeth into as a reader, so much to keep me turning those pages. Kate's dissection of Jen's family, as well as her relationship with Owen and Helen was fascinating to say the least and it provided me with an insane amount of food for thought once I'd finished.
Overall, Something Only We Know by Kate Long was a fantastically written novel, throwing up all sorts of questions and leaving me longing for the answers, which the author thankfully provided me with. I'd say it was a complete pleasure to read, but the topics addressed were nowhere near being of the light-hearted, cheery kind. It was a novel which had been worked at furiously, and that shone through in Kate Long's style and effortless flowing of pace. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel, a teaching within itself. This is receiving the highest rating from me, five out of five cupcakes no less.
November 6, 2015
Jen and her older sister Helen are both still living with their parents. Jen works for a local newspaper as a trainee and has a horrible boss. Her sister Helen is the beautiful one of the two who's always getting the attention. Helen isn't healthy and everyone is used to looking after her. She has a lot of secrets though and Jen wants to find out what they are, but being let into Helen's world also has a price...
Jen isn't lucky in love. She has a boyfriend who's in politics and he's always there for everyone. When he has a special guest Jen isn't happy with, it's putting a lot of pressure on their relationship. She wants what her sister has. Helen has Jen's dream boyfriend. Someone Jen can never have...
Something Only We Know is a beautiful story about two sisters who are very different from each other. They still live at home and their parents play an important role in their lives. Jen's mother constantly worries about Helen and that doesn't leave Helen much freedom. The family dynamics are making the story really interesting. I could immediately picture what it was like at their home and that made me want to keep reading. The story is interesting and moving. It enchanted me from the beginning, I couldn't stop reading.
Kate Long has written about Helen's illness in such a sensitive way. It makes the reader understand the situation very well. Reading this story was like looking into a house, being allowed to see what's happening behind a door that's normally closed. What I also enjoyed was reading about Jen's work. It was great to see what kind of articles she had to write and the way she writes them. There are so many aspects that are making this story very special, I can't praise this book enough. I liked it a lot and it's a novel I will definitely read again.
Jen isn't lucky in love. She has a boyfriend who's in politics and he's always there for everyone. When he has a special guest Jen isn't happy with, it's putting a lot of pressure on their relationship. She wants what her sister has. Helen has Jen's dream boyfriend. Someone Jen can never have...
Something Only We Know is a beautiful story about two sisters who are very different from each other. They still live at home and their parents play an important role in their lives. Jen's mother constantly worries about Helen and that doesn't leave Helen much freedom. The family dynamics are making the story really interesting. I could immediately picture what it was like at their home and that made me want to keep reading. The story is interesting and moving. It enchanted me from the beginning, I couldn't stop reading.
Kate Long has written about Helen's illness in such a sensitive way. It makes the reader understand the situation very well. Reading this story was like looking into a house, being allowed to see what's happening behind a door that's normally closed. What I also enjoyed was reading about Jen's work. It was great to see what kind of articles she had to write and the way she writes them. There are so many aspects that are making this story very special, I can't praise this book enough. I liked it a lot and it's a novel I will definitely read again.
August 31, 2015
I really enjoyed the in-depth view into anorexia. Although the storyline flows into the lives of the characters and melds flawlessly into the other sub-plots, there is still a level of understanding about this eating disorder, which is quite remarkable. The kind of depth you usually only get when you read a book written specifically about eating disorders.
Kate Long really does have Helen's character down to a tee. Anorexics are often described in a way that defines them as victims, as attention seeking individuals, who could stop being anorexic if they wanted to.
Those descriptions could not be more wrong. It is a mental illness, a feeding and eating disorder. Girls, boys, men or women, who suffer with it need professional medical and psychological help.
Getting back to the way Long has portrayed Helen. She has pinpointed the manipulative, cunning and deceptive nature of her personality. Anorexics learn to lie, deceive, cheat and manipulate their surroundings and the people around them.Feeding and Eating disorders are about control.
Controlling the one thing no one else can control for you or take away from you. The way you eat, how much you eat or if you eat at all. It takes an incredible amount of inner discipline to control your eating habits that way.
Helen describes the anorexia as an entity, a person, someone who lives within her and tells her how useless, fat and ugly she is. Alive to the point of having inner dialogues with her or it. Like an inner demon sitting on your shoulder.
Long also describes the way the anorexia can make and break a family. Everything revolves around the eating disorder, which means everyone suffers, not just the anorexic. In this story we follow the healthy sister Jen on her quest for love and her constant juggle of work-life balance. Even now her sister has recovered there is always this doubt about her honesty. Is she in distress, is she getting skinnier again or is she eating her food?
When Helen asks Jen to find one of the people partly responsible for the initial meltdown, she finds herself in the middle of a moral dilemma. Help her and perhaps watch Helen spiral into her anorexia again or trust that Helen will leave the past alone.
This isn't just a story about family dynamics when one of the family members suffers from an eating disorders, it is also a story about the relationship between two sisters and how romance can sneak up on you in the strangest situations.
I received a free copy of this book courtesy of the author,
Kate Long really does have Helen's character down to a tee. Anorexics are often described in a way that defines them as victims, as attention seeking individuals, who could stop being anorexic if they wanted to.
Those descriptions could not be more wrong. It is a mental illness, a feeding and eating disorder. Girls, boys, men or women, who suffer with it need professional medical and psychological help.
Getting back to the way Long has portrayed Helen. She has pinpointed the manipulative, cunning and deceptive nature of her personality. Anorexics learn to lie, deceive, cheat and manipulate their surroundings and the people around them.Feeding and Eating disorders are about control.
Controlling the one thing no one else can control for you or take away from you. The way you eat, how much you eat or if you eat at all. It takes an incredible amount of inner discipline to control your eating habits that way.
Helen describes the anorexia as an entity, a person, someone who lives within her and tells her how useless, fat and ugly she is. Alive to the point of having inner dialogues with her or it. Like an inner demon sitting on your shoulder.
Long also describes the way the anorexia can make and break a family. Everything revolves around the eating disorder, which means everyone suffers, not just the anorexic. In this story we follow the healthy sister Jen on her quest for love and her constant juggle of work-life balance. Even now her sister has recovered there is always this doubt about her honesty. Is she in distress, is she getting skinnier again or is she eating her food?
When Helen asks Jen to find one of the people partly responsible for the initial meltdown, she finds herself in the middle of a moral dilemma. Help her and perhaps watch Helen spiral into her anorexia again or trust that Helen will leave the past alone.
This isn't just a story about family dynamics when one of the family members suffers from an eating disorders, it is also a story about the relationship between two sisters and how romance can sneak up on you in the strangest situations.
I received a free copy of this book courtesy of the author,
November 26, 2015
I haven't read a Kate Long novel in ages and this reminded me how much I love her writing. A heartfelt examination of anorexia and its dreadful effects on both sufferer and family. Beautifully drawn here. Really rooting for Jen and Helen!
October 11, 2015
Another winner by Kate Long! Great characters, funny, surprising! Made me smile, even frown a few times but a heartwarming family story! And of course there's a hamster! Loved it!!
November 7, 2015
Loved this - humane and gripping. Really, with books like this, the term "chick lit" should be binned!
October 21, 2017
Not my favourite Kate Long book, but entertaining enough.
April 25, 2018
Just allright, nothing special. I've read better books by this author.
October 13, 2020
Some excellent character work, more about living with someone with anorexia than living with it.
December 1, 2023
Another easy to read novel from Kate Long
February 24, 2016
Kate Long reliably provides us with yet another gem of a book. The realistic characters settle in your mind and soul like old friends who you've not seen for years, each bringing layers of intrigue to the beautiful story.
Obviously well researched and beautifully portrayed, it covers issues which linger from childhood and play out their consequential concerns for all concerned.
A wonderful balance of perfection of personalities, settings and plot.
One of those joyous works which you will say to yourself 'just another few pages then I'll turn the light out' and find that an hour later you are no less sleepy and are more unable than ever to put the book down and go to sleep! Wonderful.
Obviously well researched and beautifully portrayed, it covers issues which linger from childhood and play out their consequential concerns for all concerned.
A wonderful balance of perfection of personalities, settings and plot.
One of those joyous works which you will say to yourself 'just another few pages then I'll turn the light out' and find that an hour later you are no less sleepy and are more unable than ever to put the book down and go to sleep! Wonderful.
March 23, 2016
It took a while for this book to draw me in. At the beginning Jen seemed quite irritating, hapless almost. It reminded me of the follow up to Me before You (After You). Mum and Dad are almost identical charactures to the parents in those book and the sibling dynamic starts off feeling very similar too. After a while though, there was a definite shift and by the end, I couldn't wait to find out what happened.
May 16, 2016
Characters felt a bit contrived and some lacked depth. The 'articles' at the start of the chapters started getting annoying. Ending was cliche- I can't seriously believe a sister would be happy to see her little sister grout with her long-term boyfriend!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 8, 2015
Usually love Kate Long but wasn't convinced by this. Anorexia plot line wasn't very convincing either.
December 14, 2015
Twee and predictable
Why such a happy ending? Silly plots and cathartic writing? Not my type of book, but I can see that some would find it easy,light reading.
Why such a happy ending? Silly plots and cathartic writing? Not my type of book, but I can see that some would find it easy,light reading.
September 14, 2017
A pleasant enough story - if a bit twee and uneventful. A very loose back story about anorexia but nothing of any significance. No real plot. These non event chapters that each lasted around two thousand years. Just "pleasant". Not my cup of tea.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews