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No One You Know: A Novel
For fans of Alison Espach and Claire Lombardo, a poignant and thought-provoking debut novel about the fraught bond between mothers and teen daughters, the ripple effects of a tragic event in a small town, and the search for meaning after loss.
What if the only way forward is to let go of everything you know?
Kate’s life in the Hudson Valley seems a thriving career as a realtor-slash-momfluencer, a devoted husband, and a strong bond with her brilliant teenage daughter, Indie. But when Indie’s best friend dies suddenly, their idyllic small-town haven begins to crumble. Kate and Ethan lose their footing, and Indie, alone in her grief, falls down an internet rabbit hole of nihilism and existential despair.
As Indie searches for meaning in a world that feels random and cruel, Kate struggles to reconcile her carefully curated online persona with the raw, unyielding grief tearing her family apart. When long-buried family secrets rise to the surface, she is forced to confront unsettling truths that challenge everything she thought she knew—about marriage, motherhood, and the stories we tell ourselves to survive.
Told in the dual voices of a mother and daughter grappling with loss, this novel is filled with poignant observations on parenthood, best friendship, class and political divides, infidelity in a small town—and the bitter truth that death can touch everything we love.
What if the only way forward is to let go of everything you know?
Kate’s life in the Hudson Valley seems a thriving career as a realtor-slash-momfluencer, a devoted husband, and a strong bond with her brilliant teenage daughter, Indie. But when Indie’s best friend dies suddenly, their idyllic small-town haven begins to crumble. Kate and Ethan lose their footing, and Indie, alone in her grief, falls down an internet rabbit hole of nihilism and existential despair.
As Indie searches for meaning in a world that feels random and cruel, Kate struggles to reconcile her carefully curated online persona with the raw, unyielding grief tearing her family apart. When long-buried family secrets rise to the surface, she is forced to confront unsettling truths that challenge everything she thought she knew—about marriage, motherhood, and the stories we tell ourselves to survive.
Told in the dual voices of a mother and daughter grappling with loss, this novel is filled with poignant observations on parenthood, best friendship, class and political divides, infidelity in a small town—and the bitter truth that death can touch everything we love.
- GenresFictionAdult Fiction
408 pages, Paperback
Published January 20, 2026
23 people are currently reading
4078 people want to read
About the author
Emma Tourtelot
1 book19 followersEmma Tourtelot is the author of the forthcoming novel "No One You Know" (She Writes Press, January 2026).
After being a sex advice writer for almost two decades (as one half of the celebrated advice duo Em & Lo), Emma is now a middle school librarian in the Hudson Valley, which turns out to be a lot more controversial than her first career.
After being a sex advice writer for almost two decades (as one half of the celebrated advice duo Em & Lo), Emma is now a middle school librarian in the Hudson Valley, which turns out to be a lot more controversial than her first career.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews
December 24, 2025
When Emma Tourtelot, author of NO ONE YOU KNOW reached out to tell me about her forthcoming debut novel and offered to send me an advance copy, I immediately agreed. She had me at “mother-daughter story.” You all know that I’m a total sucker for anything to do with motherhood.
I must say that Tourtelot certainly excels at character development. The narrative flip-flops between mother and daughter, and I was instantly invested in each of their storylines. The pace was on the slower side—which I love—yet steady and eventful. There’s plenty of little twists, turns, and surprises that showcase how tragedy and grief can quickly rip a family apart, fray a solid marriage, and sever a mother-daughter bond.
READ THIS IF YOU ENJOY:
- Family drama and dynamics
- Motherhood and marriage
- Mother-daughter relationships
- Reflections on loss and grief
- Insight on teenage behavior
- Female friendship
- Small town vibes
- Influencer lifestyle
- Dual POVs
- Emotional reads
- Character-driven novels
- Neighborhood drama
This debut truly spoke to my motherly soul. My daughter is just a few months away from turning fifteen, and is truly in the thick of it. The moodiness, angst, eye rolls, and dirty looks are plentiful, yet so are the quick hugs, small smiles, late-night talks, and chatty Starbucks runs. I feel like this will be my most difficult stage of parenting, and it’s been a rollercoaster navigating it. So I really appreciate stories like these that I can easily relate to.
Tourtelot’s debut is beautifully written, thought-provoking, heartfelt, and timely. I really cannot recommend it enough—especially if you have a teenage daughter! I cannot wait to read more from the author. 4/5 stars for NO ONE YOU KNOW! It releases on January 20th. Highly recommend!
I must say that Tourtelot certainly excels at character development. The narrative flip-flops between mother and daughter, and I was instantly invested in each of their storylines. The pace was on the slower side—which I love—yet steady and eventful. There’s plenty of little twists, turns, and surprises that showcase how tragedy and grief can quickly rip a family apart, fray a solid marriage, and sever a mother-daughter bond.
READ THIS IF YOU ENJOY:
- Family drama and dynamics
- Motherhood and marriage
- Mother-daughter relationships
- Reflections on loss and grief
- Insight on teenage behavior
- Female friendship
- Small town vibes
- Influencer lifestyle
- Dual POVs
- Emotional reads
- Character-driven novels
- Neighborhood drama
This debut truly spoke to my motherly soul. My daughter is just a few months away from turning fifteen, and is truly in the thick of it. The moodiness, angst, eye rolls, and dirty looks are plentiful, yet so are the quick hugs, small smiles, late-night talks, and chatty Starbucks runs. I feel like this will be my most difficult stage of parenting, and it’s been a rollercoaster navigating it. So I really appreciate stories like these that I can easily relate to.
Tourtelot’s debut is beautifully written, thought-provoking, heartfelt, and timely. I really cannot recommend it enough—especially if you have a teenage daughter! I cannot wait to read more from the author. 4/5 stars for NO ONE YOU KNOW! It releases on January 20th. Highly recommend!
November 23, 2025
Thank you to NetGalley and She Writes Press for an advanced reader copy. All opinions are my own.
No One You Know is a story told from a mother/daughter duo POV. Indie, the teenage protagonist, suffers the loss of her best friend and copes with the death by embracing nihilism. Her mother, Kate, progressive realtor by day and momfluencer by night and, struggling with her own grief of losing her mother, tries her best to bring Indie back to reality without much help from her husband.
We witness Indie's slow descent into apathetic thought and behavior while she and her father treat Kate like their own metaphorical punching bag. But you can't fault Indie for this, or at least I couldn't. What angsty, bratty teenage girl didn't go through their own nihilistic-I-have-everything-figured-out-phase at 14 years old? Kate is the true definition of loving your child unconditionally because despite the hurt and pain she endures at the mouths of her daughter and husband, she doesn't ever give up on Indie, not once.
In the beginning, I couldn't stand Kate and even agreed with the things Indie and her husband were saying/thinking about her, but then the more I saw her through the eyes of her daughter, my heart ached for her. These characters are flawed and sometimes unlikable which made them feel so real. At points in this book I wished I had someone to talk to about the story.
My main issue with the story was how the pacing was all over the place for me. In the middle it became repetitive and exhausting to be in the head of Indie. I also had a problem with the ending. While I didn't think it necessarily ended too cleanly, I did think the resolution was done too quickly. For the amount of months we spend watching Indie fall victim to an online cult, the switch that flipped for Indie to "snap out of it" was too unbelievable for me. Also, the philosophical mumbo jumbo was too pretentious for my taste.
This is a story about grief, how we cope, and how it can tear apart a family. I'll be keeping my eye out for more from Emma Tourtelot.
No One You Know is a story told from a mother/daughter duo POV. Indie, the teenage protagonist, suffers the loss of her best friend and copes with the death by embracing nihilism. Her mother, Kate, progressive realtor by day and momfluencer by night and, struggling with her own grief of losing her mother, tries her best to bring Indie back to reality without much help from her husband.
We witness Indie's slow descent into apathetic thought and behavior while she and her father treat Kate like their own metaphorical punching bag. But you can't fault Indie for this, or at least I couldn't. What angsty, bratty teenage girl didn't go through their own nihilistic-I-have-everything-figured-out-phase at 14 years old? Kate is the true definition of loving your child unconditionally because despite the hurt and pain she endures at the mouths of her daughter and husband, she doesn't ever give up on Indie, not once.
In the beginning, I couldn't stand Kate and even agreed with the things Indie and her husband were saying/thinking about her, but then the more I saw her through the eyes of her daughter, my heart ached for her. These characters are flawed and sometimes unlikable which made them feel so real. At points in this book I wished I had someone to talk to about the story.
My main issue with the story was how the pacing was all over the place for me. In the middle it became repetitive and exhausting to be in the head of Indie. I also had a problem with the ending. While I didn't think it necessarily ended too cleanly, I did think the resolution was done too quickly. For the amount of months we spend watching Indie fall victim to an online cult, the switch that flipped for Indie to "snap out of it" was too unbelievable for me. Also, the philosophical mumbo jumbo was too pretentious for my taste.
This is a story about grief, how we cope, and how it can tear apart a family. I'll be keeping my eye out for more from Emma Tourtelot.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Propulsive from page one as we're pulling on to the Taconic State Parkway and hearing our narrator Kate talk about speeding and death, and we find out that her daughter Indie is missing. Then we hear from another narrator, Indie herself, six months prior. Soon, we learn Indie's best friend Maddy died... and we don't quite know what happened. Two unknowns to unravel, two points of view to jump back and forth, and Emma Tourtelot still managed not to rely on cliffhanging chapter ends to get the reader powering through. It was hard to put this one down! Kate, Indie, and the husband/father Ethan move like pinballs in each other's lives, coexisting, occasionally colliding, no one really understanding the other. As we roll back towards the narrative present in the prologue, Tourtelot explores mother-daughter relationships, friendship, grief, identity, and the role technology plays in the way we see ourselves and relate to others--all of these so beautifully rendered, even subtle.
Thanks to the publisher She Writes Press and NetGalley for my ARC.
Thanks to the publisher She Writes Press and NetGalley for my ARC.
December 4, 2025
Thank you NetGalley for providing me this amazing, heartbreaking story about grief.
No One You Know is a richly emotional novel about grief, motherhood, and the fragile bonds between family members when a tragedy touches everything you love. Tourtelot’s skill lies in capturing the internal lives of her characters: a mother and daughter grappling with loss from different angles.
The dual-narrative structure lends the story depth and nuance. Through their voices, Tourtelot portrays raw vulnerability: the daughter’s despair, disillusionment, existential angst, and the mother’s struggle to reconcile her public-facing “momfluencer” identity with the private pain of a collapsing family.
What I found most powerful is how the novel resists tidy resolutions. By the end, characters may not be “fixed,” but they are more human. There’s no glossing over of pain or sorrow; instead, the story honors grief’s messy reality while offering empathy, insight, and hope.
This is the kind of book that lingers: it doesn’t only tell a story, it invites reflection on loss, identity, and what it means to rebuild when the ground beneath you disappears.
If you like novels that are emotionally honest, character-driven, and unafraid of human imperfection then No One You Know is absolutely worth your time.
No One You Know is a richly emotional novel about grief, motherhood, and the fragile bonds between family members when a tragedy touches everything you love. Tourtelot’s skill lies in capturing the internal lives of her characters: a mother and daughter grappling with loss from different angles.
The dual-narrative structure lends the story depth and nuance. Through their voices, Tourtelot portrays raw vulnerability: the daughter’s despair, disillusionment, existential angst, and the mother’s struggle to reconcile her public-facing “momfluencer” identity with the private pain of a collapsing family.
What I found most powerful is how the novel resists tidy resolutions. By the end, characters may not be “fixed,” but they are more human. There’s no glossing over of pain or sorrow; instead, the story honors grief’s messy reality while offering empathy, insight, and hope.
This is the kind of book that lingers: it doesn’t only tell a story, it invites reflection on loss, identity, and what it means to rebuild when the ground beneath you disappears.
If you like novels that are emotionally honest, character-driven, and unafraid of human imperfection then No One You Know is absolutely worth your time.
January 23, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley for the Arc! Although the middle of the book lulled for me, I was glad I followed through to finish the book! Reading the inner monologues of both Kate and Indie gives a realistic representation of grief and family relationships. This is such a tragic topic but I did love how Kate and Indie find their way back together.
3.5 stars rounded up!
3.5 stars rounded up!
January 23, 2026
A moving story about the members of a family trying to come together after a horrific tragedy. Each character is so complex, but they are screaming for someone to notice them and their pain.
Follow Kate, Indie and Ethan as they try to figure out how to move forward under the weight of grief.
A very moving story that will stay with you and make you think about your place in the world, and in your family.
I received a copy for free, and am leaving this review voluntarily.
Follow Kate, Indie and Ethan as they try to figure out how to move forward under the weight of grief.
A very moving story that will stay with you and make you think about your place in the world, and in your family.
I received a copy for free, and am leaving this review voluntarily.
December 20, 2025
4.5 . Man this has got to be the most tragic, heartbreaking book ever. It’s about a 14-year old girl who loses her best friend in an accident and the ways she and her family grieve this loss. The chapters alternate between mother and daughter and it also explores mother/daughter relationships, especially in the teen years; how marriages weather (or don’t) trauma; consciousness and how we make sense of the world. So good, loved it.
October 21, 2025
This was such a fantastic read about the complexities of life, family, love, loss, identity, and so much more. My emotions were all over the place and I felt frustrated, proud, and disappointed at the 3 main characters at different times. There is so much to relate to in this book and it’s full of very relevant themes going on in our world right now. The character development was fantastic and there were some action and thrills towards the end. This book is truly unforgettable. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
November 28, 2025
No One You Know: A Novel by Emma Tourtelot
Published by She Writes Press — thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for my gifted ARC. All opinions are mine, except the ones Indie whispered into my soul through the pages.
Emma Tourtelot’s No One You Know cracked open my ribcage, snuck into the creaky corners of motherhood, teenage grief, and performative small-town living, and somehow made the whole mess feel—dare I say—beautifully bearable. This debut is intimate, brutal, poetic, and yes, occasionally funny in the way that only the truth can be when it’s been steeped in just the right amount of regret and good coffee. It’s about what happens when the picture-perfect life (read: filtered within an inch of its life) shatters, and everyone’s left stepping barefoot through the shards, pretending they’re fine.
The story unfolds through dual perspectives: Kate, a midlife momfluencer and real estate queen of the Hudson Valley, who is honestly trying her best, and her daughter Indie, a 15-year-old dealing with the sudden death of her best friend by spiraling into grief-fueled internet philosophy, nihilism, and existential dread. So basically, she’s a teenager in 2025. Indie is heartbreakingly real—equal parts maddening and magnetic—and if you’ve ever tried to love a teen through a storm, you’ll recognize that dance of distance and desperation.
Kate, meanwhile, is losing control of everything: her daughter, her marriage, her brand. Watching her fumble between performative calm and actual collapse felt almost invasive—like opening someone else’s Notes app and finding a grocery list mixed with a midlife crisis. And it’s all so sharp. Every line is laced with tension, every interaction feels like it could tip either toward healing or full-scale emotional arson.
Let me just say: No One You Know gets it. It gets the ache of parenting in the digital age, the dissonance between what we share online and what we live offline. It understands how grief doesn’t just show up at your doorstep; it moves in, eats your snacks, and starts rearranging your sense of reality. The novel asks big questions—what does it mean to protect your kid when the threats are philosophical and digital and internal? What happens when your curated life becomes irrelevant to the actual human standing in front of you, breaking?
There’s a quiet brilliance in how Tourtelot handles small-town dynamics, too. The Hudson Valley isn’t just a setting—it’s a Greek chorus in yoga pants and hand-thrown pottery. Tourtelot nails the vibe of a town that looks like it belongs in a glossy weekend getaway spread but simmers with secrets, class divides, and judgment passed as politeness. Everyone knows everyone’s business, especially when they don’t want to.
The writing? Chef’s kiss with a side of emotional damage. The prose flows with poetic precision, but it never feels precious. It’s raw where it needs to be, lyrical when you least expect it, and laugh-out-loud dry in just the right places. One line in particular knocked the wind out of me:
“Forget prayer,” she said. “Here’s your higher power: Hang out on Google long enough and the internet will give you what you need.”
If that doesn’t perfectly capture Gen Z spirituality, I don’t know what does.
But this isn’t just a grief book. It’s a how-do-we-live-now book. It’s about what it means to parent when the world is falling apart, how we reach for control when the algorithm is winning, and how the stories we tell—online, in marriage, in family—either save us or destroy us.
Indie’s grief spiral is one of the most honest portrayals of adolescent loss I’ve ever read. She doesn’t just cry and scream and then go back to school after a week of Sad Girl Walks. She questions everything. She goes deep. Meditation, nihilist philosophy, weird message boards—it’s all there. And through her, we get to witness that terrifying, gorgeous process of becoming a person again after your world breaks.
Kate’s journey is quieter but equally haunting. Watching her come to terms with the damage beneath her life’s glossy surface—both the damage she caused and the damage she inherited—felt like peeling back wallpaper to find black mold. Necessary. Uncomfortable. Weirdly satisfying.
By the end, the characters aren’t “healed” in any fake Hallmark way, but they are changed. Tired, wiser, messier—but still standing. That’s what made this book such a gut-punch in the best way. It didn’t try to fix everything. It just told the truth.
If your book club is into easy answers and tidy endings, maybe skip this one. But if you’re ready to get messy, to sit in discomfort, to feel the full weight of what it means to love your people through their darkest days—then No One You Know needs to be in your hands yesterday.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ — A debut with the emotional IQ of a therapist and the narrative instincts of a seasoned novelist.
#NoOneYouKnow #EmmaTourtelot #LiteraryFiction2026 #BookClubMustRead #MomfluencerMeltdown #GriefInFiction #HudsonValleyDrama #TeenageGrief #NetGalleyARC #FamilyDrama #BooksThatHitHard #SheWritesPress #FictionThatFeelsReal #DebutNovelToWatch #BookstagramRecs #BooksForMomsAndTeens #ModernMotherhoodFiction #IndieAndKateForever #InternetVsReality #SocialMediaFacade #BooksWithHeartAndTeeth
Published by She Writes Press — thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for my gifted ARC. All opinions are mine, except the ones Indie whispered into my soul through the pages.
Emma Tourtelot’s No One You Know cracked open my ribcage, snuck into the creaky corners of motherhood, teenage grief, and performative small-town living, and somehow made the whole mess feel—dare I say—beautifully bearable. This debut is intimate, brutal, poetic, and yes, occasionally funny in the way that only the truth can be when it’s been steeped in just the right amount of regret and good coffee. It’s about what happens when the picture-perfect life (read: filtered within an inch of its life) shatters, and everyone’s left stepping barefoot through the shards, pretending they’re fine.
The story unfolds through dual perspectives: Kate, a midlife momfluencer and real estate queen of the Hudson Valley, who is honestly trying her best, and her daughter Indie, a 15-year-old dealing with the sudden death of her best friend by spiraling into grief-fueled internet philosophy, nihilism, and existential dread. So basically, she’s a teenager in 2025. Indie is heartbreakingly real—equal parts maddening and magnetic—and if you’ve ever tried to love a teen through a storm, you’ll recognize that dance of distance and desperation.
Kate, meanwhile, is losing control of everything: her daughter, her marriage, her brand. Watching her fumble between performative calm and actual collapse felt almost invasive—like opening someone else’s Notes app and finding a grocery list mixed with a midlife crisis. And it’s all so sharp. Every line is laced with tension, every interaction feels like it could tip either toward healing or full-scale emotional arson.
Let me just say: No One You Know gets it. It gets the ache of parenting in the digital age, the dissonance between what we share online and what we live offline. It understands how grief doesn’t just show up at your doorstep; it moves in, eats your snacks, and starts rearranging your sense of reality. The novel asks big questions—what does it mean to protect your kid when the threats are philosophical and digital and internal? What happens when your curated life becomes irrelevant to the actual human standing in front of you, breaking?
There’s a quiet brilliance in how Tourtelot handles small-town dynamics, too. The Hudson Valley isn’t just a setting—it’s a Greek chorus in yoga pants and hand-thrown pottery. Tourtelot nails the vibe of a town that looks like it belongs in a glossy weekend getaway spread but simmers with secrets, class divides, and judgment passed as politeness. Everyone knows everyone’s business, especially when they don’t want to.
The writing? Chef’s kiss with a side of emotional damage. The prose flows with poetic precision, but it never feels precious. It’s raw where it needs to be, lyrical when you least expect it, and laugh-out-loud dry in just the right places. One line in particular knocked the wind out of me:
“Forget prayer,” she said. “Here’s your higher power: Hang out on Google long enough and the internet will give you what you need.”
If that doesn’t perfectly capture Gen Z spirituality, I don’t know what does.
But this isn’t just a grief book. It’s a how-do-we-live-now book. It’s about what it means to parent when the world is falling apart, how we reach for control when the algorithm is winning, and how the stories we tell—online, in marriage, in family—either save us or destroy us.
Indie’s grief spiral is one of the most honest portrayals of adolescent loss I’ve ever read. She doesn’t just cry and scream and then go back to school after a week of Sad Girl Walks. She questions everything. She goes deep. Meditation, nihilist philosophy, weird message boards—it’s all there. And through her, we get to witness that terrifying, gorgeous process of becoming a person again after your world breaks.
Kate’s journey is quieter but equally haunting. Watching her come to terms with the damage beneath her life’s glossy surface—both the damage she caused and the damage she inherited—felt like peeling back wallpaper to find black mold. Necessary. Uncomfortable. Weirdly satisfying.
By the end, the characters aren’t “healed” in any fake Hallmark way, but they are changed. Tired, wiser, messier—but still standing. That’s what made this book such a gut-punch in the best way. It didn’t try to fix everything. It just told the truth.
If your book club is into easy answers and tidy endings, maybe skip this one. But if you’re ready to get messy, to sit in discomfort, to feel the full weight of what it means to love your people through their darkest days—then No One You Know needs to be in your hands yesterday.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ — A debut with the emotional IQ of a therapist and the narrative instincts of a seasoned novelist.
#NoOneYouKnow #EmmaTourtelot #LiteraryFiction2026 #BookClubMustRead #MomfluencerMeltdown #GriefInFiction #HudsonValleyDrama #TeenageGrief #NetGalleyARC #FamilyDrama #BooksThatHitHard #SheWritesPress #FictionThatFeelsReal #DebutNovelToWatch #BookstagramRecs #BooksForMomsAndTeens #ModernMotherhoodFiction #IndieAndKateForever #InternetVsReality #SocialMediaFacade #BooksWithHeartAndTeeth
January 20, 2026
4.75 / 5 stars - Thank you NetGallery for the arc!
"We can't stop being human. We just have to be better humans."
The story unfolds when Maddy, Indie's best friend, passes away, and both Indie and Kate (her mother) navigate this new life filled with loss and hardships.
Kate is a "mom-influencer" and realtor who narrates her daily happenings (and house-sale musings) on her blog, and in a way, romanticizes her quite miserable life. Indie is her daughter who is figuring out how to deal with all this loss, and how much she doesn't understand her parents. We get a glimpse of both of their perspectives throughout this book, which truly strengthens the storytelling here. I don't often get to read books where I enjoy both perspectives.
Something I love about the narration style here is how immersive the storytelling is. While (at times), either Kate or Indie are describing rather mundane things, you can feel the frustration and anger they feel.
Even if a character's actions feels frustrating to you, you can't help but sympathize with them - and I think that's the mark of a great storyteller. Did Kate have her fair share of mistakes? Yes, but I really felt for her and her sadness towards her husband that even when she made rather grievous mistakes, I wanted the best for her. Even when she fails to understand her daughter.
The same goes for Indie, too.
The part that stuck with me is how Indie described her pain - no, her loss - of Maddy. How it's like losing half of her memories, half of herself - and she wants to remove the existence of not just Maddy, but herself too. Throughout the novel, she attempts to connect with her parents on this significant loss but is severely misunderstood. How she feels like a spector watching her body perform. How she has lost herself. How she doesn't feel like she actually exists. It is frustrating to witness her spiral and in turn, her parents placing bandaids on a massive chasm in her heart.
In the same breath, Indie doesn't understand her mother, Kate. How the grief of the loss of her own mother has changed everything in her own life. Her husband pushes it aside and doesn't care, whereas Indie doesn't comprehend the magnitude of her grandma's actions. It is clear the family was in trouble, long before Maddy was gone. It's just that her passing made all the holes in their relationship obvious to us, the reader. Her parents - specifically her father - raised her to be this way: to be cold, unforgiving, and realistic. Cue the surprise when Indie handles her grief in a similar multitude.
I adore the way the story ends. It feels uncomfortable, yet peaceful, and simply not quite done. I like how the author semi-resolves the issues between Kate, her husband, and Indie. And more importantly, the understanding between Kate and Indie. It is very special indeed.
All in all - what a beautiful story! I am afraid if I continue to write, I won't stop writing about this book. I'll leave you with one quote to take away: "We can't stop being human. We just have to be better humans."
"We can't stop being human. We just have to be better humans."
The story unfolds when Maddy, Indie's best friend, passes away, and both Indie and Kate (her mother) navigate this new life filled with loss and hardships.
Kate is a "mom-influencer" and realtor who narrates her daily happenings (and house-sale musings) on her blog, and in a way, romanticizes her quite miserable life. Indie is her daughter who is figuring out how to deal with all this loss, and how much she doesn't understand her parents. We get a glimpse of both of their perspectives throughout this book, which truly strengthens the storytelling here. I don't often get to read books where I enjoy both perspectives.
Something I love about the narration style here is how immersive the storytelling is. While (at times), either Kate or Indie are describing rather mundane things, you can feel the frustration and anger they feel.
Even if a character's actions feels frustrating to you, you can't help but sympathize with them - and I think that's the mark of a great storyteller. Did Kate have her fair share of mistakes? Yes, but I really felt for her and her sadness towards her husband that even when she made rather grievous mistakes, I wanted the best for her. Even when she fails to understand her daughter.
The same goes for Indie, too.
The part that stuck with me is how Indie described her pain - no, her loss - of Maddy. How it's like losing half of her memories, half of herself - and she wants to remove the existence of not just Maddy, but herself too. Throughout the novel, she attempts to connect with her parents on this significant loss but is severely misunderstood. How she feels like a spector watching her body perform. How she has lost herself. How she doesn't feel like she actually exists. It is frustrating to witness her spiral and in turn, her parents placing bandaids on a massive chasm in her heart.
In the same breath, Indie doesn't understand her mother, Kate. How the grief of the loss of her own mother has changed everything in her own life. Her husband pushes it aside and doesn't care, whereas Indie doesn't comprehend the magnitude of her grandma's actions. It is clear the family was in trouble, long before Maddy was gone. It's just that her passing made all the holes in their relationship obvious to us, the reader. Her parents - specifically her father - raised her to be this way: to be cold, unforgiving, and realistic. Cue the surprise when Indie handles her grief in a similar multitude.
I adore the way the story ends. It feels uncomfortable, yet peaceful, and simply not quite done. I like how the author semi-resolves the issues between Kate, her husband, and Indie. And more importantly, the understanding between Kate and Indie. It is very special indeed.
All in all - what a beautiful story! I am afraid if I continue to write, I won't stop writing about this book. I'll leave you with one quote to take away: "We can't stop being human. We just have to be better humans."
January 8, 2026
I couldn’t put down ”No One You Know“ by Emma Tourtelot — once I got into it, it consumed my attention for three straight days (and that’s with a full-time job on the side). This debut is a deeply human, emotionally wrenching story about grief, identity, and the messy ways people try — and fail — to navigate loss. 
The novel is told through the dual perspectives of Indie, a sharp but grieving teen, and her mom Kate, a realtor-slash-“momfluencer” whose life seemed (this word is doing heavy lifting here) picture-perfect until tragedy tore it apart. When Indie’s best friend dies suddenly, she spirals into existential despair and dangerous online rabbit holes, while Kate struggles to reconcile her curated online persona with the raw, unfiltered pain fracturing her family. 
What makes this book so compelling is how differently Indie and Kate process grief — neither approach is “right,” and neither feels complete without the other. Their emotional disconnect, and the ways they accidentally hurt each other, grounded the narrative in real human complexity. Their inner lives are so well rendered that it genuinely felt like I was inside two real people’s thoughts, feeling their confusion, fear, and longing. 
Tourtelot writes grief with nuance and honesty — it’s heartbreaking without ever feeling exploitative, and it never simplifies pain into tidy lessons. The dual voice structure, combined with facets of modern life like online personas and small-town pressures, gives the story depth and resonance. 
This is a wonderfully human exploration of grief in its different forms — how it divides, how it binds, and how it leaves us questioning not just what we lost, but what we thought we knew about love and ourselves. 
5/5 stars — a powerful, intimate, and unforgettable debut, I’m looking out for more by Emma Tourtelot!
The novel is told through the dual perspectives of Indie, a sharp but grieving teen, and her mom Kate, a realtor-slash-“momfluencer” whose life seemed (this word is doing heavy lifting here) picture-perfect until tragedy tore it apart. When Indie’s best friend dies suddenly, she spirals into existential despair and dangerous online rabbit holes, while Kate struggles to reconcile her curated online persona with the raw, unfiltered pain fracturing her family. 
What makes this book so compelling is how differently Indie and Kate process grief — neither approach is “right,” and neither feels complete without the other. Their emotional disconnect, and the ways they accidentally hurt each other, grounded the narrative in real human complexity. Their inner lives are so well rendered that it genuinely felt like I was inside two real people’s thoughts, feeling their confusion, fear, and longing. 
Tourtelot writes grief with nuance and honesty — it’s heartbreaking without ever feeling exploitative, and it never simplifies pain into tidy lessons. The dual voice structure, combined with facets of modern life like online personas and small-town pressures, gives the story depth and resonance. 
This is a wonderfully human exploration of grief in its different forms — how it divides, how it binds, and how it leaves us questioning not just what we lost, but what we thought we knew about love and ourselves. 
5/5 stars — a powerful, intimate, and unforgettable debut, I’m looking out for more by Emma Tourtelot!
January 22, 2026
I AM READY TO BE HURT AGAIN!!!
- Me, to basically every book I’ve read in 2026
Ohhh boy do I love a debut, and oh boy do I LOVE an emotionally gripping masterpiece. This one was almost sneakily gripping - what starts as a simple, unassuming story becomes one that you look back on and go LOOK AT WHAT WE JUST WENT THROUGH TOGETHER!!
No One You Know is the story of a family (parents Ethan and Kate and their daughter Indie) in varying moments of grief after loss - Ethan, who still grapples with the death of his brother; Kate, whose mom died a year ago; and 14-year-old Indie, who recently witnessed the death of her best friend).
But it doesn’t come out and yell at you, “THIS IS A STORY ABOUT GRIEF!!” It instead takes us on a quiet journey with the characters (mother and daughter at the center, Ethan often a more annoying yet shockingly realistic side character) as they go through their days, typically side-by-side and (unfortunately) not quite together.
We get to the end and realize that in addition to grief we’ve examined mother-daughter relationships, marriage, parenthood, technology, generational divides, belief, community, consciousness...AND ALL IN JUST BARELY 400 PAGES?!
Just wow, honestly. I really loved this. The characters were so real and realistic and I was rooting for all of them. I found that the story picked up a LOT in the back half and it became a book I couldn’t put down. Swipe to see some of the quotes that resonated with me, then go get yourself a copy because this one is out now! Thank you to NetGalley and She Writes Press for the eARC in exchange for my honest review!
- Me, to basically every book I’ve read in 2026
Ohhh boy do I love a debut, and oh boy do I LOVE an emotionally gripping masterpiece. This one was almost sneakily gripping - what starts as a simple, unassuming story becomes one that you look back on and go LOOK AT WHAT WE JUST WENT THROUGH TOGETHER!!
No One You Know is the story of a family (parents Ethan and Kate and their daughter Indie) in varying moments of grief after loss - Ethan, who still grapples with the death of his brother; Kate, whose mom died a year ago; and 14-year-old Indie, who recently witnessed the death of her best friend).
But it doesn’t come out and yell at you, “THIS IS A STORY ABOUT GRIEF!!” It instead takes us on a quiet journey with the characters (mother and daughter at the center, Ethan often a more annoying yet shockingly realistic side character) as they go through their days, typically side-by-side and (unfortunately) not quite together.
We get to the end and realize that in addition to grief we’ve examined mother-daughter relationships, marriage, parenthood, technology, generational divides, belief, community, consciousness...AND ALL IN JUST BARELY 400 PAGES?!
Just wow, honestly. I really loved this. The characters were so real and realistic and I was rooting for all of them. I found that the story picked up a LOT in the back half and it became a book I couldn’t put down. Swipe to see some of the quotes that resonated with me, then go get yourself a copy because this one is out now! Thank you to NetGalley and She Writes Press for the eARC in exchange for my honest review!
January 4, 2026
Thanks so much to the author and publisher for providing me with a gifted ARC!
This novel explores a complicated, often strained relationship between a mother and her teenage daughter, set against the quiet backdrop of a small town. Kate, a realtor and social media influencer, is struggling to connect with her daughter Indie, who is drowning in survivor’s guilt and an existential crisis following the tragic death of her best friend. At its core, this is a story about grief—how it isolates, reshapes relationships, and lingers in ways that are both loud and painfully quiet.
One of the aspects I appreciated most was the book’s commentary on how superficial the world has become, particularly within the darker corners of social media. The contrast between Kate’s carefully curated online presence and the very real pain unfolding within her home was compelling, and the novel doesn’t shy away from bold religious discussions that add another layer to the story’s emotional weight. For a debut, it’s undeniably ambitious, tackling heavy themes with clear intention.
That said, I didn’t fully connect with the characters. My frustration with both Kate and Indie occasionally pulled me out of the story, making it harder to stay emotionally invested. The pacing also felt quite slow, which didn’t align with my current reading mood. While the slow burn allows for deep introspection, it ultimately became a bit of an obstacle for me as a reader.
Overall, this book had thoughtful ideas and meaningful themes, even if it didn’t fully land for me at times. I can easily see how many readers will connect deeply with this intimate portrayal of grief and the complex bond between a mother and daughter.
This novel explores a complicated, often strained relationship between a mother and her teenage daughter, set against the quiet backdrop of a small town. Kate, a realtor and social media influencer, is struggling to connect with her daughter Indie, who is drowning in survivor’s guilt and an existential crisis following the tragic death of her best friend. At its core, this is a story about grief—how it isolates, reshapes relationships, and lingers in ways that are both loud and painfully quiet.
One of the aspects I appreciated most was the book’s commentary on how superficial the world has become, particularly within the darker corners of social media. The contrast between Kate’s carefully curated online presence and the very real pain unfolding within her home was compelling, and the novel doesn’t shy away from bold religious discussions that add another layer to the story’s emotional weight. For a debut, it’s undeniably ambitious, tackling heavy themes with clear intention.
That said, I didn’t fully connect with the characters. My frustration with both Kate and Indie occasionally pulled me out of the story, making it harder to stay emotionally invested. The pacing also felt quite slow, which didn’t align with my current reading mood. While the slow burn allows for deep introspection, it ultimately became a bit of an obstacle for me as a reader.
Overall, this book had thoughtful ideas and meaningful themes, even if it didn’t fully land for me at times. I can easily see how many readers will connect deeply with this intimate portrayal of grief and the complex bond between a mother and daughter.
January 25, 2026
3.5 stars
✨This was such an emotionally driven novel. At the heart of the story is a main character who lost her best friend at a young age. Having experienced that loss myself, the grief portrayed here was raw, honest, and deeply familiar. I felt every word.
✨The book explores grief through a mother and daughter navigating the same loss from different perspectives. I appreciated the way the author traced the daughter’s unraveling and the mother’s crumbling public image and marriage while resisting tidy resolutions. Allowing grief to remain unresolved felt deeply human.
✨If I’m giving any constructive criticism, I will say that the pacing felt slow at times, and I do feel that the book would have benefited from being a bit shorter, but I still very much enjoyed it.
✨This book is getting fabulous reviews, and I think readers who enjoy character-driven literary fiction will enjoy it.
🌿Read if you like:
✨Mother-daughter points of view
✨Family dynamics
✨Marriage narratives
✨Exploration of loss and grief
✨Small town drama
✨Cult storylines
✨Influencer lifestyle
My thanks to the author for the opportunity to read and review this book.
✨This was such an emotionally driven novel. At the heart of the story is a main character who lost her best friend at a young age. Having experienced that loss myself, the grief portrayed here was raw, honest, and deeply familiar. I felt every word.
✨The book explores grief through a mother and daughter navigating the same loss from different perspectives. I appreciated the way the author traced the daughter’s unraveling and the mother’s crumbling public image and marriage while resisting tidy resolutions. Allowing grief to remain unresolved felt deeply human.
✨If I’m giving any constructive criticism, I will say that the pacing felt slow at times, and I do feel that the book would have benefited from being a bit shorter, but I still very much enjoyed it.
✨This book is getting fabulous reviews, and I think readers who enjoy character-driven literary fiction will enjoy it.
🌿Read if you like:
✨Mother-daughter points of view
✨Family dynamics
✨Marriage narratives
✨Exploration of loss and grief
✨Small town drama
✨Cult storylines
✨Influencer lifestyle
My thanks to the author for the opportunity to read and review this book.
November 22, 2025
“No One You Know” is a thoughtful and deeply affecting exploration of grief and the many forms it takes. Emma Tourtelot portrays the emotional complexities of loss with clarity and sensitivity, offering a narrative that feels both relevant and profoundly human. In a world where grief is often carried quietly, this novel gives voice to the unspoken weight many experience.
Indie’s story is especially impactful. The portrayal of a parent’s helplessness in the face of their child’s pain is rendered with honesty and restraint, making the emotional landscape all the more powerful. Tourtelot allows these moments to unfold with raw authenticity, capturing how differently individuals cope while still influencing and being influenced by those around them.
The characters are well-drawn, compelling, and thoughtfully developed, each contributing meaningfully to the novel’s emotional depth. Their arcs are woven together with intention, creating a story that resonates long after the final page.
Overall, this is a remarkable and resonant read.
⭐ 4 stars.
Thank you to the author and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this advance copy. All thoughts and opinions expressed here are my own.
Indie’s story is especially impactful. The portrayal of a parent’s helplessness in the face of their child’s pain is rendered with honesty and restraint, making the emotional landscape all the more powerful. Tourtelot allows these moments to unfold with raw authenticity, capturing how differently individuals cope while still influencing and being influenced by those around them.
The characters are well-drawn, compelling, and thoughtfully developed, each contributing meaningfully to the novel’s emotional depth. Their arcs are woven together with intention, creating a story that resonates long after the final page.
Overall, this is a remarkable and resonant read.
⭐ 4 stars.
Thank you to the author and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this advance copy. All thoughts and opinions expressed here are my own.
November 16, 2025
This story is about Indie & her mum Kate, and how their relationship changes after Indie loses her best friend.
The book does an exceptional job of capturing how the first few weeks/months of grief impact you & those around you, and how differently everyone experiences & copes with grief.
As a reader who also lost a friend at a young age, the way in which the author, Emma Tourtelot, depicts Indies immense sense of loss was striking. A situation which leaves parents thinking how can they fix this, and the very human feeling of being helpless at a time like this.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thank you to NetGalley, Simon&Schuster & Emma Tourtelot for allowing me to read this.
The book does an exceptional job of capturing how the first few weeks/months of grief impact you & those around you, and how differently everyone experiences & copes with grief.
As a reader who also lost a friend at a young age, the way in which the author, Emma Tourtelot, depicts Indies immense sense of loss was striking. A situation which leaves parents thinking how can they fix this, and the very human feeling of being helpless at a time like this.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thank you to NetGalley, Simon&Schuster & Emma Tourtelot for allowing me to read this.
December 23, 2025
"A life can be split in two, but that doesn’t mean it’s broken— only that there is a first half and a second half; what comes first, and what comes after."
There are plenty of mother–daughter novels in contemporary literature, and often they feel like they’re doing too much. Tourtelot, however, portrays a mundanely raw relationship through back-to-back chapters from mother and daughter as they grapple with trauma. What struck me most was how recognisably contemporary it felt — as though it were written from the lived experience of a mother raising a teenage girl now.
The novel weaves in thoughtful philosophical reflections on leaving the self behind, as well as on the vulnerability of young people being pulled into cult-like spaces. It’s sophisticated without tipping into the unrealistic. From the mother’s perspective, her blog, ostensibly about her real estate job, reads like a snark page, sharply capturing the toxicity of online culture and the unsettling influence of influencer mums.
But overall, it’s a heart-tugging novel that shows how grief manifests differently across a family, in the mother, the father, and the daughter, each carrying loss in entirely different ways.
Thanks to Emma for sending me an arc of her debut novel <3
There are plenty of mother–daughter novels in contemporary literature, and often they feel like they’re doing too much. Tourtelot, however, portrays a mundanely raw relationship through back-to-back chapters from mother and daughter as they grapple with trauma. What struck me most was how recognisably contemporary it felt — as though it were written from the lived experience of a mother raising a teenage girl now.
The novel weaves in thoughtful philosophical reflections on leaving the self behind, as well as on the vulnerability of young people being pulled into cult-like spaces. It’s sophisticated without tipping into the unrealistic. From the mother’s perspective, her blog, ostensibly about her real estate job, reads like a snark page, sharply capturing the toxicity of online culture and the unsettling influence of influencer mums.
But overall, it’s a heart-tugging novel that shows how grief manifests differently across a family, in the mother, the father, and the daughter, each carrying loss in entirely different ways.
Thanks to Emma for sending me an arc of her debut novel <3
November 22, 2025
I enjoyed this family drama about grief and how we all cope differently with loss. The prologue does a great job of pulling in the reader, creating suspense about what is to come. The novel seemed like a slow burn for perhaps a touch too long, but once the drama surrounding Kate’s part of the story began, it was gangbusters till the end. I also enjoyed Kate’s and Indie’s alternating POVs, both of which had strong voices.
Comparisons to Espach and Lombardo by the publisher are valid. Espach’s Notes on Your Sudden Disappearance came to mind while reading this novel.
Thanks to NetGalley and She Writes Press for allowing me to read an ARC of this title.
Comparisons to Espach and Lombardo by the publisher are valid. Espach’s Notes on Your Sudden Disappearance came to mind while reading this novel.
Thanks to NetGalley and She Writes Press for allowing me to read an ARC of this title.
November 12, 2025
*I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I enjoyed the plot and the complex parent/child relationship. However, this felt like two different stories. The first half centers on going (or not going) to church, the family’s status in town, and being a “citidiot” - someone who moves to a small town but takes their big-city-life habits with them. The second half zooms in on the three main characters and their personal lives. I suppose this is reflective of the plot because they are isolated at this point, but the full change in setting and interactions felt disconnected. One character’s choice influences this turn, too, but it never felt resolved. While reading, I wished for a narrator from Maddy’s family to give a full perspective, or possibly Maddy’s POV from the afterlife as the events unfold.
I was not prepared for the full dive into online cults, but I liked how it was an interest Indie had with Maddy, so it was more believable that this space is somewhere she would find comfort. It was such a large part of the book, I feel it should’ve been referenced in the synopsis. These people also listen to podcasts a lot.
Here’s my take on Ethan, the father and husband: He is a woke hipster history teacher stereotype, and neither of his family members feels loved by him. He is too closed off to deal with feelings and then just runs away instead of talking about his own.
All the characters acknowledge Kate is a real estate agent, but she never works, even though the book spans months of the characters’ lives. I couldn’t tell if her blog was really listing the homes, or if they were just part of her clever titles.
The copy of the story I read was a “document”, not a complete ebook. I’m not sure if this is why the formatting was off, but when it came to Kate’s posts, there was no indication where the blog posts ended and where the prose began. A font change, white space, anything would have helped because both the blog posts and books included stream of consciousness. Kate has a community of followers she interacts with, despite stating how lonely and friendless she is all the time, and I have a suspicion that one specific poster is actually her daughter posting her real feelings.
About 30% of the way through the book, I thought I figured out the significance of the cover, but found a new meaning for the image by the end of the story. I like it when there are layers of meaning to an aspect of the book! Overall, the characters and their turmoil were engaging. It was compelling to read about inward grief and how helpless you feel when you can’t help your own child.
I enjoyed the plot and the complex parent/child relationship. However, this felt like two different stories. The first half centers on going (or not going) to church, the family’s status in town, and being a “citidiot” - someone who moves to a small town but takes their big-city-life habits with them. The second half zooms in on the three main characters and their personal lives. I suppose this is reflective of the plot because they are isolated at this point, but the full change in setting and interactions felt disconnected. One character’s choice influences this turn, too, but it never felt resolved. While reading, I wished for a narrator from Maddy’s family to give a full perspective, or possibly Maddy’s POV from the afterlife as the events unfold.
I was not prepared for the full dive into online cults, but I liked how it was an interest Indie had with Maddy, so it was more believable that this space is somewhere she would find comfort. It was such a large part of the book, I feel it should’ve been referenced in the synopsis. These people also listen to podcasts a lot.
Here’s my take on Ethan, the father and husband: He is a woke hipster history teacher stereotype, and neither of his family members feels loved by him. He is too closed off to deal with feelings and then just runs away instead of talking about his own.
All the characters acknowledge Kate is a real estate agent, but she never works, even though the book spans months of the characters’ lives. I couldn’t tell if her blog was really listing the homes, or if they were just part of her clever titles.
The copy of the story I read was a “document”, not a complete ebook. I’m not sure if this is why the formatting was off, but when it came to Kate’s posts, there was no indication where the blog posts ended and where the prose began. A font change, white space, anything would have helped because both the blog posts and books included stream of consciousness. Kate has a community of followers she interacts with, despite stating how lonely and friendless she is all the time, and I have a suspicion that one specific poster is actually her daughter posting her real feelings.
About 30% of the way through the book, I thought I figured out the significance of the cover, but found a new meaning for the image by the end of the story. I like it when there are layers of meaning to an aspect of the book! Overall, the characters and their turmoil were engaging. It was compelling to read about inward grief and how helpless you feel when you can’t help your own child.
February 17, 2026
This novel explores grief through the perspective of a young girl who loses her best friend. While the portrayal of loss and adolescence felt raw and realistic, several side plots and repetitive marital conflicts distracted from the main theme and made the story feel longer than necessary.
It took me a considerable amount of time to finish this book. It felt like it was much longer than it was. I liked the idea of the story a lot; I had never read a story about grief from the perspective of a young girl who loses her best friend.
The daughter, Indie, was the most compelling character. I can’t even imagine what someone who has lost their friend is going through, but the book gave a very realistic depiction of a young girl growing up and questioning everything she knows. It was very relatable in the sense that I could remember thinking I had everything figured out and that adults were just sheep who could never understand me. I feel like even if you haven't had your world shattered by a tragic event, everyone goes through a phase of becoming obsessed with someone on the internet and thinking that you found the ultimate truth.
My qualm is that I feel like big parts of the story were almost completely forgotten about. Let’s start with Kate’s blog. Kate works as a real estate agent, and she talks about her everyday thoughts through descriptions of the houses that are on the market. I thought this was quite an interesting way of building the character outside the main story. For half of the book, the blog was a big part of the narrative, but then, in a fit of panic, she deletes it and never mentions it again. I thought this was strange. I understand her decision not to write it anymore, but to pretend like it never existed, and that it wasn't important, was off-putting. It conveyed that she is a character who believes the past doesn’t define her at all and that you can just run away from problems. Quite similarly, "the kiss" that happens very soon into the story, and is a catalyst for some plot points, doesn't really mean much. Everything that happens because of it would happen either way.
Another thing I am bothered by is Kate’s marriage. From the start, it is said that Kate and her husband don’t understand each other anymore. A big turning point in their marriage was the death of Kate’s mother. Everything that follows is because of a lack of communication. It felt a bit like the last third of a romance novel, when there is an inevitable miscommunication trope. Constantly reading the same argument and hearing about the same problems in a book is very annoying. The relationship was stagnating for most of the story, and because of these constant fights, neither Kate nor her husband was concentrated on how to help their daughter. It turned into a “who is the better parent” contest, which I felt was very childish.
The main theme of the book is dealing with grief, but the side plots and arguments took away from that theme. Like I said, I do think the story could have been shorter if some of those petty arguments were left out, but it was raw and lifelike, which I think was the main goal.
It took me a considerable amount of time to finish this book. It felt like it was much longer than it was. I liked the idea of the story a lot; I had never read a story about grief from the perspective of a young girl who loses her best friend.
The daughter, Indie, was the most compelling character. I can’t even imagine what someone who has lost their friend is going through, but the book gave a very realistic depiction of a young girl growing up and questioning everything she knows. It was very relatable in the sense that I could remember thinking I had everything figured out and that adults were just sheep who could never understand me. I feel like even if you haven't had your world shattered by a tragic event, everyone goes through a phase of becoming obsessed with someone on the internet and thinking that you found the ultimate truth.
My qualm is that I feel like big parts of the story were almost completely forgotten about. Let’s start with Kate’s blog. Kate works as a real estate agent, and she talks about her everyday thoughts through descriptions of the houses that are on the market. I thought this was quite an interesting way of building the character outside the main story. For half of the book, the blog was a big part of the narrative, but then, in a fit of panic, she deletes it and never mentions it again. I thought this was strange. I understand her decision not to write it anymore, but to pretend like it never existed, and that it wasn't important, was off-putting. It conveyed that she is a character who believes the past doesn’t define her at all and that you can just run away from problems. Quite similarly, "the kiss" that happens very soon into the story, and is a catalyst for some plot points, doesn't really mean much. Everything that happens because of it would happen either way.
Another thing I am bothered by is Kate’s marriage. From the start, it is said that Kate and her husband don’t understand each other anymore. A big turning point in their marriage was the death of Kate’s mother. Everything that follows is because of a lack of communication. It felt a bit like the last third of a romance novel, when there is an inevitable miscommunication trope. Constantly reading the same argument and hearing about the same problems in a book is very annoying. The relationship was stagnating for most of the story, and because of these constant fights, neither Kate nor her husband was concentrated on how to help their daughter. It turned into a “who is the better parent” contest, which I felt was very childish.
The main theme of the book is dealing with grief, but the side plots and arguments took away from that theme. Like I said, I do think the story could have been shorter if some of those petty arguments were left out, but it was raw and lifelike, which I think was the main goal.
February 4, 2026
Thanks to NetGalley and She Writes Press for the arc!
It took me a minute to get into this book, but I'm glad I stuck with it. What a rewarding read---tender, precarious, and punchy.
When Kate's daughter, Indie, loses her best friend in a terrible accident, things fall apart. Told in a dual perspective, readers get a one-two punch as they hear the situation from Kate and Indie's points of view, which underscores how riddled with miscommunication and misunderstanding their relationship is, as well as how much they still need each other. It's a delicate discourse on the fractured nature of mother-daughter relationships, especially as children become teenagers. Though my children are not yet teens (and they're boys, sooo....), I related to this as a former teen dealing with my mother. I kept wishing that Indie would tell her mom she needed a hug, because that's what I would've done in her shoes.
But that's part of what makes this book impactful: the characters---all of them---are believably flawed in their own tragic ways. Tourtelot spins their humanity beautifully, weaving their issues together like a puzzle that could very easily be solved, but for the people trying to put the pieces in the right places. It always blows me away when art (in this case, literature) imitates life, and this is no exception. The characters breathe on the page, and I just wanted to take each of them by the shoulders at one point or another and shake them.
I particularly enjoyed the way Tourtelot presents Indie's character. The angst of being fourteen is so spot-on. I also particularly enjoyed/was chastened by Kate's reflections on distractions in motherhood. We spend our precious time with our children distracted, always thinking we have more time. It's something I'm consciously aware of as a mother, but I still find the battle hard to win. It was a poetic reminder that we all face the same issue, that parenting is tough, but we must still try to do better.
Now, for the things I didn't love: I found Indie's attempts to paint the world around her as "not real" very repetitive. Although I understand the purpose of those passages, and her descent into madness (for lack of a better term) is very well done, I still found it hard to get through those parts of the book. Kate's husband, Ethan, and his total apathy toward their marriage made me angry and want better for Kate. Her daughter and husband repeatedly team up against her, and her reactions were hard to read. But again, this is a double-edged sword, because the situation lays bare each character's flaws openly, honestly, and poignantly.
There were some formatting things with this arc that made it harder to read (and probably the reason why I didn't get into this as quickly as I could've), but I'm not going to quibble about that. Overall, an excellent read!
It took me a minute to get into this book, but I'm glad I stuck with it. What a rewarding read---tender, precarious, and punchy.
When Kate's daughter, Indie, loses her best friend in a terrible accident, things fall apart. Told in a dual perspective, readers get a one-two punch as they hear the situation from Kate and Indie's points of view, which underscores how riddled with miscommunication and misunderstanding their relationship is, as well as how much they still need each other. It's a delicate discourse on the fractured nature of mother-daughter relationships, especially as children become teenagers. Though my children are not yet teens (and they're boys, sooo....), I related to this as a former teen dealing with my mother. I kept wishing that Indie would tell her mom she needed a hug, because that's what I would've done in her shoes.
But that's part of what makes this book impactful: the characters---all of them---are believably flawed in their own tragic ways. Tourtelot spins their humanity beautifully, weaving their issues together like a puzzle that could very easily be solved, but for the people trying to put the pieces in the right places. It always blows me away when art (in this case, literature) imitates life, and this is no exception. The characters breathe on the page, and I just wanted to take each of them by the shoulders at one point or another and shake them.
I particularly enjoyed the way Tourtelot presents Indie's character. The angst of being fourteen is so spot-on. I also particularly enjoyed/was chastened by Kate's reflections on distractions in motherhood. We spend our precious time with our children distracted, always thinking we have more time. It's something I'm consciously aware of as a mother, but I still find the battle hard to win. It was a poetic reminder that we all face the same issue, that parenting is tough, but we must still try to do better.
Now, for the things I didn't love: I found Indie's attempts to paint the world around her as "not real" very repetitive. Although I understand the purpose of those passages, and her descent into madness (for lack of a better term) is very well done, I still found it hard to get through those parts of the book. Kate's husband, Ethan, and his total apathy toward their marriage made me angry and want better for Kate. Her daughter and husband repeatedly team up against her, and her reactions were hard to read. But again, this is a double-edged sword, because the situation lays bare each character's flaws openly, honestly, and poignantly.
There were some formatting things with this arc that made it harder to read (and probably the reason why I didn't get into this as quickly as I could've), but I'm not going to quibble about that. Overall, an excellent read!
January 24, 2026
Thank you, BookSirens and Emma Tourtelot for the Advanced Reader Copy in exchange for an honest review.
Not Tourtelot's first book, but her first novel and it pulled me in quickly. With dual narration between a mother and daughter, I was immediately reminded of Jodi Picoult. Picoult, and now Tourtelot, both tell opposing sides of the same story, both with a relatively slow moving plot because of the frequent use of analogies, figurative language and using memory vignettes to color in the characters. They differ in that most Picoult novels handle a controversial issue and often it ends with a court case. The issues in Tourtelot's book are not very controversial - in fact, the issues are like the tales as old as time - teenage angst, the difficulties of parenting a troubled teen, marital difficulties the sometimes claustrophobic drama of living in a small town.
And it was just plain sad.
At 14 years of age, Indie's very best and only friend is killed on a walk home. It affects her in profound and disturbing ways with her parents unable to get through to her. Indie has a relatively good relationship with her dad - the fun parent - but a very strained relationship with her mother, Kate. Kate is a real estate agent and though she is glad they moved from the big city to have their family in a small town, she has not really been taken in by the town to the same extend as her husband. This story explores different kinds of grief from all three family members who have lost someone very close to them. The unravelling of a marriage is hard to read and it only serves to make supporting Indie more difficult.
My thoughts on the book changed as the book progressed. Phase 1 - oh wow, this is so different and for a first novel, this author is really talented. In the first third of the book I highlighted so many sections that I loved. Great analogies, insights that hit home for me and overall a real page turner. Phase II - I am getting really sad. This book is soooooo depressing! A little levity somewhere would really help. I started to doubt we would ever see a positive ending. Phase III - after what I consider the climax, things improved but almost in an unrealistic way. Things were just too perfect which made it hard to believe.
I would read Tourtelot again as I think she is a talented writer. I will want to check the subject first, to make sure it didn't sound like so much of a downer. To be fair, I was also listening to another book that was equally sad so maybe if I balanced this one with something light, it wouldn't feel so suffocating.
Not Tourtelot's first book, but her first novel and it pulled me in quickly. With dual narration between a mother and daughter, I was immediately reminded of Jodi Picoult. Picoult, and now Tourtelot, both tell opposing sides of the same story, both with a relatively slow moving plot because of the frequent use of analogies, figurative language and using memory vignettes to color in the characters. They differ in that most Picoult novels handle a controversial issue and often it ends with a court case. The issues in Tourtelot's book are not very controversial - in fact, the issues are like the tales as old as time - teenage angst, the difficulties of parenting a troubled teen, marital difficulties the sometimes claustrophobic drama of living in a small town.
And it was just plain sad.
At 14 years of age, Indie's very best and only friend is killed on a walk home. It affects her in profound and disturbing ways with her parents unable to get through to her. Indie has a relatively good relationship with her dad - the fun parent - but a very strained relationship with her mother, Kate. Kate is a real estate agent and though she is glad they moved from the big city to have their family in a small town, she has not really been taken in by the town to the same extend as her husband. This story explores different kinds of grief from all three family members who have lost someone very close to them. The unravelling of a marriage is hard to read and it only serves to make supporting Indie more difficult.
My thoughts on the book changed as the book progressed. Phase 1 - oh wow, this is so different and for a first novel, this author is really talented. In the first third of the book I highlighted so many sections that I loved. Great analogies, insights that hit home for me and overall a real page turner. Phase II - I am getting really sad. This book is soooooo depressing! A little levity somewhere would really help. I started to doubt we would ever see a positive ending. Phase III - after what I consider the climax, things improved but almost in an unrealistic way. Things were just too perfect which made it hard to believe.
I would read Tourtelot again as I think she is a talented writer. I will want to check the subject first, to make sure it didn't sound like so much of a downer. To be fair, I was also listening to another book that was equally sad so maybe if I balanced this one with something light, it wouldn't feel so suffocating.
January 6, 2026
𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗦
The appearance that Kate works hard to maintain - perfect mom, internet influencer, loving husband, a woman with a fulfilling real estate career in the gorgeous Hudson Valley? It’s starting to crumble.
Kate’s teenage daughter, Indie, is struggling with the recent death of her best friend, Maddy.
And this is how the foundation gives way.
As Indie retreats into herself, the hurt to much to face - in a dreamworld of distance and desperation - she falls down an internet rabbit hole where the meaning of life, her existence, is nothing, Kate’s whole world collapses as she loses control of her own narrative.
In the end, Kate can no longer trust what she believed about any of the things she deemed solid and important.
What is marriage, motherhood, grief when you are suddenly alone in a world that has been carefully curated by an online presence that is shattered on the floor?
𝗙𝗘𝗘𝗟𝗜𝗡𝗚𝗦
Woah.
This was incredibly painful and poignant, many of the things Tourtelot touches on hitting far too close to home. The emotions are brutal and intimate and cracked me right open.
The exploration, told in dual POV, alternating chapters between Kate and Indie, is so incredibly authentic that several times I found tears on my cheeks without realizing I was crying.
The emotion is raw, like poking your tongue against a loose tooth, never knowing when it will give but always checking to be sure it is still there.
There’s no easy ending here, just hard fought battles that leave people bruised but still standing.
𝗩𝗜𝗕𝗘 𝗖𝗛𝗘𝗖𝗞
Were you once a fourteen year old girl? Have you tried to parent a fourteen year old girl? Yeah, you know what I mean.
Also very much in the vein of Claire Lombardo.
𝗥𝗘𝗖𝗢𝗠𝗠𝗘𝗡𝗗
A fantastic debut not to be missed.
𝗧𝗛𝗔𝗡𝗞𝗦
@emmatourtelot DMed to ask if I’d be interested in reading it, and when I saw a blurb from Jenny Offill, I didn’t hesitate. This one is out 1/20/26.
The appearance that Kate works hard to maintain - perfect mom, internet influencer, loving husband, a woman with a fulfilling real estate career in the gorgeous Hudson Valley? It’s starting to crumble.
Kate’s teenage daughter, Indie, is struggling with the recent death of her best friend, Maddy.
And this is how the foundation gives way.
As Indie retreats into herself, the hurt to much to face - in a dreamworld of distance and desperation - she falls down an internet rabbit hole where the meaning of life, her existence, is nothing, Kate’s whole world collapses as she loses control of her own narrative.
In the end, Kate can no longer trust what she believed about any of the things she deemed solid and important.
What is marriage, motherhood, grief when you are suddenly alone in a world that has been carefully curated by an online presence that is shattered on the floor?
𝗙𝗘𝗘𝗟𝗜𝗡𝗚𝗦
Woah.
This was incredibly painful and poignant, many of the things Tourtelot touches on hitting far too close to home. The emotions are brutal and intimate and cracked me right open.
The exploration, told in dual POV, alternating chapters between Kate and Indie, is so incredibly authentic that several times I found tears on my cheeks without realizing I was crying.
The emotion is raw, like poking your tongue against a loose tooth, never knowing when it will give but always checking to be sure it is still there.
There’s no easy ending here, just hard fought battles that leave people bruised but still standing.
𝗩𝗜𝗕𝗘 𝗖𝗛𝗘𝗖𝗞
Were you once a fourteen year old girl? Have you tried to parent a fourteen year old girl? Yeah, you know what I mean.
Also very much in the vein of Claire Lombardo.
𝗥𝗘𝗖𝗢𝗠𝗠𝗘𝗡𝗗
A fantastic debut not to be missed.
𝗧𝗛𝗔𝗡𝗞𝗦
@emmatourtelot DMed to ask if I’d be interested in reading it, and when I saw a blurb from Jenny Offill, I didn’t hesitate. This one is out 1/20/26.
January 18, 2026
The two stages of life that challenged me the most are easily being a teenager and mothering a teenager. Both are filled with uncertainty, doubt, second guessing, and a feeling of isolation. Toss grief into the mix and the struggles are magnified. Emma Tourtelot certainly hit a vein with her portrayal of the mother-daughter relationship in NO ONE YOU KNOW.
This poignant novel centers around 14-year-old Indie in the aftermath of the tragic death of her best friend. Indie and Maddy were two halves of a whole and Indie is ill equipped to deal with such profound loss. Her parents are like many parents–trying their best, but clueless. It doesn’t help that both Ethan and Kate have unresolved grief issues of their own. As Indie retreats further into herself, it spotlights the fissures in their marriage.
There’s a frenzied feeling of helplessness that permeates this book. Kate is desperate to connect with her daughter. Indie is desperate to find meaning in life. Both are failing miserably. The emotions are real and raw.
Tourtelot’s writing is sharp, cutting straight to the bone. Her observations are perceptive and on point. I sympathized with Kate’s desire to “get it right” when dealing with Indie, while at the same time growing frustrated with her failure to press the issue when she clearly recognized Indie was in crisis. And therein lies the conundrum of motherhood: when to hold tight and when to let go. Ethan gets less of a pass from me because he was not only not helpful, but actually widened the gulf between mother and daughter.
I read this book more slowly than most because the conflict and choices demanded (and deserved) reflection. Being able to process my thoughts with a friend while reading only heightened an already outstanding reading experience. I’m glad she invited me to read along with her.
Thank you to NetGalley and She Writes Press for the advance copy. All opinions are my own.
This poignant novel centers around 14-year-old Indie in the aftermath of the tragic death of her best friend. Indie and Maddy were two halves of a whole and Indie is ill equipped to deal with such profound loss. Her parents are like many parents–trying their best, but clueless. It doesn’t help that both Ethan and Kate have unresolved grief issues of their own. As Indie retreats further into herself, it spotlights the fissures in their marriage.
There’s a frenzied feeling of helplessness that permeates this book. Kate is desperate to connect with her daughter. Indie is desperate to find meaning in life. Both are failing miserably. The emotions are real and raw.
Tourtelot’s writing is sharp, cutting straight to the bone. Her observations are perceptive and on point. I sympathized with Kate’s desire to “get it right” when dealing with Indie, while at the same time growing frustrated with her failure to press the issue when she clearly recognized Indie was in crisis. And therein lies the conundrum of motherhood: when to hold tight and when to let go. Ethan gets less of a pass from me because he was not only not helpful, but actually widened the gulf between mother and daughter.
I read this book more slowly than most because the conflict and choices demanded (and deserved) reflection. Being able to process my thoughts with a friend while reading only heightened an already outstanding reading experience. I’m glad she invited me to read along with her.
Thank you to NetGalley and She Writes Press for the advance copy. All opinions are my own.
January 20, 2026
Building, building, building. So much building--almost too much at first. Yet by the end, the slow construction became part of what made this story work.
Around 25% of the way through, I was planning on saying that the build up was too slow, that it was hard to lock in for long, that I was often intrigued in theory, yet bored in practice.
And I won't lie-- that is the truth. But I wanted to finish this so I read on. And once I got to about 60% of the way through, I began to say yes-- to the character development; to each slowly building chapter; to finishing this book.
Not because I needed another notch on my reading-challenge belt, but because I wanted to. The intensity was gradually increasing, and it began to feel worth it, even through the mundane moments.
Yet at times, I wanted to turn away from this family and what they were going through. It felt like I was right in the middle of it all, and I felt often, that if I was Kate, I would've given up. Even though I am a mom and I know giving up isn't an option. But just like Kate, I continue on this journey to see where she will land.
By the end of the novel, I couldn't deny the suspense that the author did a wonderful job of creating. The climax felt slightly underwhelming, but in retrospect, I’m not sure a more dramatic resolution would have fit this story. In that sense, the ending worked, even if it didn’t wow me.
After finishing this story, I felt genuinely happy for Kate-- that she kept going, trusted herself, and arrived at a future that felt cautiously hopeful rather than neatly tied up.
Around 25% of the way through, I was planning on saying that the build up was too slow, that it was hard to lock in for long, that I was often intrigued in theory, yet bored in practice.
And I won't lie-- that is the truth. But I wanted to finish this so I read on. And once I got to about 60% of the way through, I began to say yes-- to the character development; to each slowly building chapter; to finishing this book.
Not because I needed another notch on my reading-challenge belt, but because I wanted to. The intensity was gradually increasing, and it began to feel worth it, even through the mundane moments.
Yet at times, I wanted to turn away from this family and what they were going through. It felt like I was right in the middle of it all, and I felt often, that if I was Kate, I would've given up. Even though I am a mom and I know giving up isn't an option. But just like Kate, I continue on this journey to see where she will land.
By the end of the novel, I couldn't deny the suspense that the author did a wonderful job of creating. The climax felt slightly underwhelming, but in retrospect, I’m not sure a more dramatic resolution would have fit this story. In that sense, the ending worked, even if it didn’t wow me.
After finishing this story, I felt genuinely happy for Kate-- that she kept going, trusted herself, and arrived at a future that felt cautiously hopeful rather than neatly tied up.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
No One You Know is a haunting exploration of identity, memory, and the fragile threads that connect us to others. The novel unfolds with quiet intensity, drawing readers into a world where secrets and silences shape lives as much as spoken truths. Tourtelot’s prose is lyrical yet precise, creating an atmosphere that feels both intimate and unsettling.
The strength of the book lies in its nuanced character development. Each figure is layered with contradictions, making them deeply human and relatable. Themes of trust, loss, and the search for belonging resonate throughout, inviting readers to question how well we truly know those closest to us—and ourselves.
While the pacing is deliberate, it serves the story’s introspective nature. Tourtelot avoids melodrama, opting instead for emotional authenticity. The result is a narrative that lingers long after the final page, challenging readers to reflect on the complexities of connection and isolation.
No One You Know is a compelling, thought-provoking read for anyone who appreciates literary fiction that balances psychological depth with elegant storytelling.
The strength of the book lies in its nuanced character development. Each figure is layered with contradictions, making them deeply human and relatable. Themes of trust, loss, and the search for belonging resonate throughout, inviting readers to question how well we truly know those closest to us—and ourselves.
While the pacing is deliberate, it serves the story’s introspective nature. Tourtelot avoids melodrama, opting instead for emotional authenticity. The result is a narrative that lingers long after the final page, challenging readers to reflect on the complexities of connection and isolation.
No One You Know is a compelling, thought-provoking read for anyone who appreciates literary fiction that balances psychological depth with elegant storytelling.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
3 stars to this family centred novel in which 14 year old Indie grieves the loss of her best friend Maddy..
Mum Kate is a 'cidiot' who has moved from NYC to the Hudson Valley, working as a real estate agent and running a successful blog. Her husband is disdainful, and her teenage daughter is falling apart, Kate and Indie struggle to relate as Indie falls deeper into an online cult and Kate makes a mistake that might just cost her both her marriage and her relationship with her daughter.
I liked this book but it did not need to be almost 400 pages - for me a lot of the initial half dragged. I would've liked to get to know Indie and Maddy a bit more deeply, so that Maddy's death would be more impactful. I also struggled to like Kate and her blog, so at time my sympathy towards her was lacking.
I'm also not entirely convinced on the cult that Indie joins - I think more could have been done to develop this and make it more appealing to a 14 year old.
Overall this book was an interesting look into small town life, and portrayed a complex family dynamic well. However, it did not need 400 pages to do so.
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!
Mum Kate is a 'cidiot' who has moved from NYC to the Hudson Valley, working as a real estate agent and running a successful blog. Her husband is disdainful, and her teenage daughter is falling apart, Kate and Indie struggle to relate as Indie falls deeper into an online cult and Kate makes a mistake that might just cost her both her marriage and her relationship with her daughter.
I liked this book but it did not need to be almost 400 pages - for me a lot of the initial half dragged. I would've liked to get to know Indie and Maddy a bit more deeply, so that Maddy's death would be more impactful. I also struggled to like Kate and her blog, so at time my sympathy towards her was lacking.
I'm also not entirely convinced on the cult that Indie joins - I think more could have been done to develop this and make it more appealing to a 14 year old.
Overall this book was an interesting look into small town life, and portrayed a complex family dynamic well. However, it did not need 400 pages to do so.
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!
January 26, 2026
𝓝𝓸 𝓞𝓷𝓮 𝓨𝓸𝓾 𝓚𝓷𝓸𝔀 explores the family dynamics of a mother, father, and a teenage daughter in a small town, after the daughter's best friend dies. The story dives deep into grief.
Told in dual POV between Kate, the mother, and India, the 13 year old daughter, it explores the way they are each dealing with the tragedy. There's a lot in there about the role of social media and outside influences, as well as marriage, pain, religion, small town gossip, etc.
I struggled to really connect with the characters, although significantly enjoyed the second half of the book more than the first. India's existential musings were really painful to read page after page. Although I get that they are central to the narrative, I think they could have been edited down quite a bit and still covered the same ground.
Overall, this book had thoughtful ideas and meaningful themes, even if it didn’t fully land for me at times. I suspect that this will land with each reader differently depending on their mood and their recent experiences with grief.
Thanks so much to NetGalley for access to this eARC.
Told in dual POV between Kate, the mother, and India, the 13 year old daughter, it explores the way they are each dealing with the tragedy. There's a lot in there about the role of social media and outside influences, as well as marriage, pain, religion, small town gossip, etc.
I struggled to really connect with the characters, although significantly enjoyed the second half of the book more than the first. India's existential musings were really painful to read page after page. Although I get that they are central to the narrative, I think they could have been edited down quite a bit and still covered the same ground.
Overall, this book had thoughtful ideas and meaningful themes, even if it didn’t fully land for me at times. I suspect that this will land with each reader differently depending on their mood and their recent experiences with grief.
Thanks so much to NetGalley for access to this eARC.
February 8, 2026
4.5 stars ✨ Such a raw, authentic, and heartbreaking look at grief, motherhood, and marriage. For a minute at the beginning I thought it was going to take kind of a lighthearted spin, I quickly realized I was wrong. By the end I had tears in my eyes and was so emotional at the ride I’d been on with this grief stricken family.
“The ordinariness is the reward you earned when you chose each other: When you chose a lifetime of being rooted in place by habit and time, by the imprint each of your bodies made on your side of the mattress. Tell me there’s not something beautiful in that.”
I marked many quotes in this book! Despite not being able to relate personally to many of the bigger events and themes of the book, so much of the book and the emotion. Felt immensely personal to me. I can’t really explain it. The struggles of parenting a teenager through something hard especially rang true to me. The love, and this the worry, of motherhood… and the ways that love and worry can be misinterpreted… 🥺
Such a good book, definitely recommend. Honestly, I might need to bump it up to 5 stars. I’ll reevaluate a little later and see how much this story stays with me.
“The ordinariness is the reward you earned when you chose each other: When you chose a lifetime of being rooted in place by habit and time, by the imprint each of your bodies made on your side of the mattress. Tell me there’s not something beautiful in that.”
I marked many quotes in this book! Despite not being able to relate personally to many of the bigger events and themes of the book, so much of the book and the emotion. Felt immensely personal to me. I can’t really explain it. The struggles of parenting a teenager through something hard especially rang true to me. The love, and this the worry, of motherhood… and the ways that love and worry can be misinterpreted… 🥺
Such a good book, definitely recommend. Honestly, I might need to bump it up to 5 stars. I’ll reevaluate a little later and see how much this story stays with me.
Review of advance copy received from Author
this book did that thing where nothing happens and somehow everything hurts.
no one you know looks quiet, but it’s doing a lot under the surface. it follows a mother and a daughter moving around the same loss from opposite directions, both trying very hard to be fine, functional, composed. neither succeeds.
the dual POV is where this really shines. kate is all control and curation, managing grief the way you manage a life. indie is spiralling, googling, asking questions that don’t have answers. the distance between them isn’t dramatic, it’s just real, and that’s what makes it unsettling.
this isn’t a plot-driven novel. it’s observant, restrained, and emotionally precise. a book about performance, motherhood, adulthood, being okay, and the uncomfortable truth that grief doesn’t care how well you’re doing any of that.
quietly devastating.
this book minds its business. unfortunately, it knows yours.
thank you to the author and publisher for the ARC.
no one you know looks quiet, but it’s doing a lot under the surface. it follows a mother and a daughter moving around the same loss from opposite directions, both trying very hard to be fine, functional, composed. neither succeeds.
the dual POV is where this really shines. kate is all control and curation, managing grief the way you manage a life. indie is spiralling, googling, asking questions that don’t have answers. the distance between them isn’t dramatic, it’s just real, and that’s what makes it unsettling.
this isn’t a plot-driven novel. it’s observant, restrained, and emotionally precise. a book about performance, motherhood, adulthood, being okay, and the uncomfortable truth that grief doesn’t care how well you’re doing any of that.
quietly devastating.
this book minds its business. unfortunately, it knows yours.
thank you to the author and publisher for the ARC.
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