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You'll Thank Me for This
A pulse-pounding psychological thriller based on the popular Dutch tradition of blindfolding and dropping teens and pre-teens in the middle of a forest — and what happens when it goes horribly wrong.
Twelve-year old Karin is blindfolded and dropped into the Hoge Veluwe National Forest with three other children. With nothing but a few basic supplies and emergency food, the children are tasked with working together to navigate one of the Netherlands' most beautiful and wild locations and return to where their families are anxiously waiting.
Karin quickly finds herself at odds with two of the older teens, and suddenly looks up to see that the other children have vanished. As Karin struggles against the elements to find her way back, she soon realizes that something far more sinister lurks in the woods.
Grace, Karin’s mother and an American married to a Dutch husband, has been nervous about this practice from the start. At first she tells herself the space is good for her daughter, but as the hours begin to tick by and the children fail to arrive at their designated campsite, she becomes certain something has gone horribly wrong.
As Karin fights for survival, and Grace hastens to find her daughter, the night culminates in the reveal of a deadly secret—and a shocking confrontation—that will push each of them to her edge.
Twelve-year old Karin is blindfolded and dropped into the Hoge Veluwe National Forest with three other children. With nothing but a few basic supplies and emergency food, the children are tasked with working together to navigate one of the Netherlands' most beautiful and wild locations and return to where their families are anxiously waiting.
Karin quickly finds herself at odds with two of the older teens, and suddenly looks up to see that the other children have vanished. As Karin struggles against the elements to find her way back, she soon realizes that something far more sinister lurks in the woods.
Grace, Karin’s mother and an American married to a Dutch husband, has been nervous about this practice from the start. At first she tells herself the space is good for her daughter, but as the hours begin to tick by and the children fail to arrive at their designated campsite, she becomes certain something has gone horribly wrong.
As Karin fights for survival, and Grace hastens to find her daughter, the night culminates in the reveal of a deadly secret—and a shocking confrontation—that will push each of them to her edge.
256 pages, Hardcover
First published March 23, 2021
24 people are currently reading
3653 people want to read
About the author
Nina Siegal
9 books68 followersNina Siegal has been a regular freelance contributor for The New York Times since 2012. Based in Amsterdam, she covers museums, exhibitions, art restoration and attribution issues, art world discoveries and legal cases, profiles of conductors, filmmakers, dancers and other cultural figures, and culture in a socio-political context. An occasional general-news reporter, she has also written about migration issues, emerging political parties and legal cases in the Netherlands.
Siegal began reporting for The Times in 1997 as a stringer for the San Francisco bureau, and worked for The Times' "The City" section in New York from 1998 to 2000, covering Harlem and The Bronx. After that, she spent four years as the cultural news and art market reporter for Bloomberg News in New York.
Siegal was born in New York City, graduated with a BA in English Literature from Cornell University and received her MFA in Fiction from the Iowa Writers' Workshop. In addition to The Times, her freelance writing has appeared in dozens of newspapers and magazines, including the Wall Street Journal, W. Magazine, Art in America, 1stDibs.com, ArtNews, Sotheby's Magazine, The Progressive, and the Holland Herald. She was the launching editor of Time Out Amsterdam, managing editor of Flow Magazine International, and a founding creative editor of See All This, a Dutch art magazine.
Nina has written two novels: The Anatomy Lesson (Nan A. Talese/Knopf Doubleday, 2014) and A Little Trouble with the Facts (HarperCollins, 2008). For her fiction, she has received numerous grants and fellowships, including a Fulbright Fellowship in Creative Writing, two MacDowell Colony fellowships, and the post-graduate Jack Leggett Fellowship from Iowa. Her first novel was top finalist for the James Jones First Novel Fellowship.
Siegal began reporting for The Times in 1997 as a stringer for the San Francisco bureau, and worked for The Times' "The City" section in New York from 1998 to 2000, covering Harlem and The Bronx. After that, she spent four years as the cultural news and art market reporter for Bloomberg News in New York.
Siegal was born in New York City, graduated with a BA in English Literature from Cornell University and received her MFA in Fiction from the Iowa Writers' Workshop. In addition to The Times, her freelance writing has appeared in dozens of newspapers and magazines, including the Wall Street Journal, W. Magazine, Art in America, 1stDibs.com, ArtNews, Sotheby's Magazine, The Progressive, and the Holland Herald. She was the launching editor of Time Out Amsterdam, managing editor of Flow Magazine International, and a founding creative editor of See All This, a Dutch art magazine.
Nina has written two novels: The Anatomy Lesson (Nan A. Talese/Knopf Doubleday, 2014) and A Little Trouble with the Facts (HarperCollins, 2008). For her fiction, she has received numerous grants and fellowships, including a Fulbright Fellowship in Creative Writing, two MacDowell Colony fellowships, and the post-graduate Jack Leggett Fellowship from Iowa. Her first novel was top finalist for the James Jones First Novel Fellowship.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 129 reviews
April 17, 2022
Despite the subject matter - abduction and physical abuse - the tone of this novel came across as middle schoolish. This was not my cup of tea and I found myself skimming a fair amount of this one.
May 9, 2021
The best thing about this book was the cover. Though the premise sounded intriguing, the writing was very simple, making this read like a upper elementary or middle grade book, complete with named chapters and open-ended questions. The chapters from the perspective of the 12 year old were, like, peppered with the word like, which while realistic, was annoying to read. There were many truly odd sentences, such as:
We need to find my jacket-it has the photographs in them.
Grace began to sweat inside her clothes.
Then (a) hand landed on the back of her shoulder and got hold of the neckline of her jacket and pulled it hard.
Then they just stood around, waiting for a while at the clearing in the woods, awkwardly, not saying much, for the second car to arrive.
I'm sorry. What? I found the writing distracting. There were also too many elements to this relatively short story , some of which were not fully explained. I do think this would appeal to young readers, but unfortunately, it didn't work at all for me. 1 star
We need to find my jacket-it has the photographs in them.
Grace began to sweat inside her clothes.
Then (a) hand landed on the back of her shoulder and got hold of the neckline of her jacket and pulled it hard.
Then they just stood around, waiting for a while at the clearing in the woods, awkwardly, not saying much, for the second car to arrive.
I'm sorry. What? I found the writing distracting. There were also too many elements to this relatively short story , some of which were not fully explained. I do think this would appeal to young readers, but unfortunately, it didn't work at all for me. 1 star
October 31, 2021
An adrenaline rush of a novel, I tore through YOU’LL THANK ME FOR THIS by Nina Siegal in one nail-biting sitting. Based on the Dutch coming of age tradition of “dropping” preteens into the wilderness, smart, gutsy, twelve-year-old Karin steps into the forest armed with only a compass and her wits to face a night of unknown dangers and unfathomable evil. When Karin and the other children fail to arrive at base camp, Karin’s increasingly anxious mother, Grace, decides she has to take matters in to her own hands and makes a discovery that shakes her to the core. Gripping and fast-paced, YOU’ll THANK ME FOR THIS is a debut not to be missed.
October 27, 2020
Any story set in the Netherlands is an automatic read for me, so when I heard Nina Siegal’s You’ll Thank Me for This was based on the Dutch tradition of dropping kids in the forest to find their own way home—yes, it’s real, and yes, it still happens—I pushed it to the tippy top of my pile. What begins with every parent’s worst nightmare quickly evolves into a twisty, stay-up-too-late stunner, a tense and atmospheric tale that will make you take another look at the people you think you know.
April 26, 2021
QUICK TAKE: is YOU'LL THANK ME a perfect book...no. But it is a solid, fast-paced thriller about a girl on an overnight camping trip who gets lost in the woods and must survive all sorts of dark and scary things (wolves, government conspiracies, meth heads, 7th grade a-holes). I liked the alternating POV between the girl's story as she tries to escape the woods, and the story of her mother as she slowly pieces together a bigger mystery while trying to track down her missing kid. Ultimately, I thought the book was missing some of the emotion (and let's be real, who is just dropping their 12-year-olds off blindfolded in what is for sure the SCARIEST f*cking woods of all time)?? Solid thriller if you're looking to burn through something on your #tbr quickly.
March 2, 2021
The premise of this book is based on the real-life tradition of "dropping" where the Dutch apparently abandon teens in the woods and leave them to find their own way to a campsite.
That sounded interesting, so I requested it.
However, this book was not 'pulse pounding' and just felt unrealistic to me. (Aka a twelve year old scaring off a pack of wolves) the dropping part felt realistic, but everything else left me rolling my eyes. If I was a younger reader (like preteen to teen) i would probably be impressed and have enjoyed this story, but it's marketed to adults and reads more like juvenile/YA.
The political twist was confusing as well, didn't feel necessary or fully fleshed and plotted out.🤷🏻♀️
2.5 stars
That sounded interesting, so I requested it.
However, this book was not 'pulse pounding' and just felt unrealistic to me. (Aka a twelve year old scaring off a pack of wolves) the dropping part felt realistic, but everything else left me rolling my eyes. If I was a younger reader (like preteen to teen) i would probably be impressed and have enjoyed this story, but it's marketed to adults and reads more like juvenile/YA.
The political twist was confusing as well, didn't feel necessary or fully fleshed and plotted out.🤷🏻♀️
2.5 stars
May 30, 2021
The premise for this sounded really interesting, so much so that I pushed this one to the top of my list. Unfortunately it didn’t really work for me. I read half of this physically and listened to the other half. Didn’t really much care for either.
The beginning was really slow—so slow that I almost DNFed it and now I kind of wish I had. I also didn’t like the dual POVs and would have just preferred one over another—preferably Karin’s.
This book was also marketed toward adults but felt more like a middle grade/YA. I would have been fine if it had specified what audience this was for, as expecting an adult thriller and reading something that doesn’t feel adult threw me off.
I thought the story itself was fine and there were some tense moments but the twist was boring to me. None of the characters really grew on me and I would have liked to see more of Grace’s relationship with Karin before the dropping. I also had to keep reminding myself that Karin was twelve because she didn’t really feel that age to me.
It was cool to see a thriller set in a country other than America or England and I liked the forest setting. I also thought some of the more tense scenes were well done, but struggled with the lack of tenseness in other parts. There’s also some scenes, such as that with the strange people, that is never really explained that bothers me.
Overall a promising idea but just wasn’t well executed for me.
The beginning was really slow—so slow that I almost DNFed it and now I kind of wish I had. I also didn’t like the dual POVs and would have just preferred one over another—preferably Karin’s.
This book was also marketed toward adults but felt more like a middle grade/YA. I would have been fine if it had specified what audience this was for, as expecting an adult thriller and reading something that doesn’t feel adult threw me off.
I thought the story itself was fine and there were some tense moments but the twist was boring to me. None of the characters really grew on me and I would have liked to see more of Grace’s relationship with Karin before the dropping. I also had to keep reminding myself that Karin was twelve because she didn’t really feel that age to me.
It was cool to see a thriller set in a country other than America or England and I liked the forest setting. I also thought some of the more tense scenes were well done, but struggled with the lack of tenseness in other parts. There’s also some scenes, such as that with the strange people, that is never really explained that bothers me.
Overall a promising idea but just wasn’t well executed for me.
March 20, 2021
CW: Abuse of parental power, domestic abuse, drug use
Loved the premise of the book!!
I would’ve liked a little more kids and a little more time having them go missing and drop off like flies, that’s not really how this storyline went but I would’ve loved it like that!!!
It was a very easy & fun read and a good one for maybe your 15 year old? I think it’s age appropriate for that although I don’t know you can decide 😂
I liked the random like foreign spy element to this otherwise cute little juvenile story. This book was such a nice break while I’m not feeling well and felt like watching a movie which I enjoyed. The story was quite the stretch and what was actually going on was totally not what I was expecting from this YA book but overall I really enjoyed the book it was tons of fun and exactly the nice break I was looking for!
Loved the premise of the book!!
I would’ve liked a little more kids and a little more time having them go missing and drop off like flies, that’s not really how this storyline went but I would’ve loved it like that!!!
It was a very easy & fun read and a good one for maybe your 15 year old? I think it’s age appropriate for that although I don’t know you can decide 😂
I liked the random like foreign spy element to this otherwise cute little juvenile story. This book was such a nice break while I’m not feeling well and felt like watching a movie which I enjoyed. The story was quite the stretch and what was actually going on was totally not what I was expecting from this YA book but overall I really enjoyed the book it was tons of fun and exactly the nice break I was looking for!
March 23, 2021
There is a Dutch scouting tradition known as a “dropping”, in which groups of children, generally pre-teenagers, are deposited in a forest and expected to find their way back to base. It is meant to be challenging, and they often stagger in at 2 or 3 in the morning.
In some variations of the challenge, loosely based on military exercises, adults trail the teams of children, but refuse to guide them, although they may leave cryptic notes as clues. To make it more difficult, adult organizers may even blindfold the children on their way to the dropping, or drive in loop-de-loops to scramble their sense of direction.
This is the story of 12-year-old Karin, blindfolded and dropped into a national forest with three other children. With nothing but a few basic supplies and emergency food, the children are tasked with working together to navigate one of the Netherlands' most beautiful and wild locations and return to where their families are anxiously waiting.
This is the story of what can go horribly wrong during one of these excursions.
The story is well written with outstanding characters. Twist and turns abound in the swirling mist of mystery involving deadly secrets, lies, cover-ups. Riveting from start to finish with an unexpected conclusion.
Many thanks to the author / Mulholland Books / Netgalley for the digital copy of this crime fiction. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
In some variations of the challenge, loosely based on military exercises, adults trail the teams of children, but refuse to guide them, although they may leave cryptic notes as clues. To make it more difficult, adult organizers may even blindfold the children on their way to the dropping, or drive in loop-de-loops to scramble their sense of direction.
This is the story of 12-year-old Karin, blindfolded and dropped into a national forest with three other children. With nothing but a few basic supplies and emergency food, the children are tasked with working together to navigate one of the Netherlands' most beautiful and wild locations and return to where their families are anxiously waiting.
This is the story of what can go horribly wrong during one of these excursions.
The story is well written with outstanding characters. Twist and turns abound in the swirling mist of mystery involving deadly secrets, lies, cover-ups. Riveting from start to finish with an unexpected conclusion.
Many thanks to the author / Mulholland Books / Netgalley for the digital copy of this crime fiction. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
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May 10, 2021Thank you Netgalley and Mullholland Books for the free e-ARC in exchange for my honest review!
Sadly, this book wasn't for me. The Dutch tradition of dropping kids in a forest and having them find their way back sounds SO interesting and I wish this was executed in a way I liked!
The book is marketed as general fiction for adults, but the writing style is pretty juvenile and this book feels more geared toward 11-13 year olds. Personally, I don't think anyone older than that would enjoy this. I don't think it worked well for this book to be written in the POV of a 12-year-old. It could've been about a group of 15 or 16 year olds and been much more interesting!
Sadly, this book wasn't for me. The Dutch tradition of dropping kids in a forest and having them find their way back sounds SO interesting and I wish this was executed in a way I liked!
The book is marketed as general fiction for adults, but the writing style is pretty juvenile and this book feels more geared toward 11-13 year olds. Personally, I don't think anyone older than that would enjoy this. I don't think it worked well for this book to be written in the POV of a 12-year-old. It could've been about a group of 15 or 16 year olds and been much more interesting!
October 5, 2024
Book: You’ll Thank Me For This
Author: Nina Siegal
Rating: 3 Out of 5 Stars
This was another quick read. It was an okay book. I didn’t love it, but I didn’t hate it. This will just go down as one of those books that is just okay. It’s not great, but it’s not bad.
In this one, we follow Karin, who is on her dropping. A dropping is a Dutch tradition involving preteens in the middle of the Dutch forest and letting them find their way to their campsite. It’s supposed to allow them to transition into adulthood. It’s safe as adults are around them, but not helping them. It’s supposed to be fun too. Only this time, it is not. Things start to go wrong right away. Karin’s mother, Grace has been against this right away but agrees to it. Right from the start, she starts to worry. Yet, she believes that this could be a good thing for her daughter. Hours go by and the children have yet to arrive at the campsite. She starts to panic and does some digging. The more she digs, the more she realizes that someone close to her is not what they seem.
The setup for this one is what made me want to read it. This is a book that I picked up by chance. I had never heard of it, but it sounded interesting. Mother-daughter books are some of my favourite ones to read. I love getting to look into those relationships. This one is no different. Both Karin and Grace have lost someone. Karin lost her father and Grace lost her husband. It was unexpected. He was a photojournalist and ended up being killed in one of his jobs. The two of them end up having to piece up the pieces. Grace ends up remarrying, but this is not a happy marriage. That much is clear early on in the book. There is abuse, secrets, and lies. There also seems to be no getting out of it. It rocks this duo. Yet, both still hold onto the hope that things will get better. Also, Grace seems to be in denial about what is happening.
While the book does tackle some serious things, the writing makes this feel more like a middle-grade than an adult title. The content is very much adult, but the writing makes it feel like it was written for a much younger audience. The writing also makes the stakes not come across as high or as intense. It just kind of happens. I would have loved to have seen a bit more of this punch and impact that I was looking for. I would have liked to have seen things a bit more fleshed out. There were also some awkward sentences and it felt like some things were overwritten and overexplained. Then, some parts needed more.
Things also felt underdeveloped. This book has a lot going on in it, but it needed more to drive that point home. We have abuse, the dropping, loss, rebuilding, and secrets. There is more than that. It felt like for the length of the book there was just too much. As a result, it made everything feel rushed. The ending comes too quickly. The final ten or so pages have so much packed into them that it makes it difficult to walk away from the ending feeling like everything was over. It felt like the ending was just slapped on there for the sake of having one. It was not developed nor was it well done. We needed more. Maybe now that I think about it was more of a pacing issue than anything. It was just jarring.
Overall, I did not hate this book, but I did not love it.
Author: Nina Siegal
Rating: 3 Out of 5 Stars
This was another quick read. It was an okay book. I didn’t love it, but I didn’t hate it. This will just go down as one of those books that is just okay. It’s not great, but it’s not bad.
In this one, we follow Karin, who is on her dropping. A dropping is a Dutch tradition involving preteens in the middle of the Dutch forest and letting them find their way to their campsite. It’s supposed to allow them to transition into adulthood. It’s safe as adults are around them, but not helping them. It’s supposed to be fun too. Only this time, it is not. Things start to go wrong right away. Karin’s mother, Grace has been against this right away but agrees to it. Right from the start, she starts to worry. Yet, she believes that this could be a good thing for her daughter. Hours go by and the children have yet to arrive at the campsite. She starts to panic and does some digging. The more she digs, the more she realizes that someone close to her is not what they seem.
The setup for this one is what made me want to read it. This is a book that I picked up by chance. I had never heard of it, but it sounded interesting. Mother-daughter books are some of my favourite ones to read. I love getting to look into those relationships. This one is no different. Both Karin and Grace have lost someone. Karin lost her father and Grace lost her husband. It was unexpected. He was a photojournalist and ended up being killed in one of his jobs. The two of them end up having to piece up the pieces. Grace ends up remarrying, but this is not a happy marriage. That much is clear early on in the book. There is abuse, secrets, and lies. There also seems to be no getting out of it. It rocks this duo. Yet, both still hold onto the hope that things will get better. Also, Grace seems to be in denial about what is happening.
While the book does tackle some serious things, the writing makes this feel more like a middle-grade than an adult title. The content is very much adult, but the writing makes it feel like it was written for a much younger audience. The writing also makes the stakes not come across as high or as intense. It just kind of happens. I would have loved to have seen a bit more of this punch and impact that I was looking for. I would have liked to have seen things a bit more fleshed out. There were also some awkward sentences and it felt like some things were overwritten and overexplained. Then, some parts needed more.
Things also felt underdeveloped. This book has a lot going on in it, but it needed more to drive that point home. We have abuse, the dropping, loss, rebuilding, and secrets. There is more than that. It felt like for the length of the book there was just too much. As a result, it made everything feel rushed. The ending comes too quickly. The final ten or so pages have so much packed into them that it makes it difficult to walk away from the ending feeling like everything was over. It felt like the ending was just slapped on there for the sake of having one. It was not developed nor was it well done. We needed more. Maybe now that I think about it was more of a pacing issue than anything. It was just jarring.
Overall, I did not hate this book, but I did not love it.
March 6, 2024
This was quite the exciting story! It seems awhile since I read a thriller like this and it definitely had lots of the features that I happen to enjoy in these types of stories, including a good chunk of it out in the wilderness (in this case it is a huge national park out in the Netherlands)...
So the main characters in here are 12 year old Karen, her mother Grace (who is an American) and her step-father Martijn. But things are not going very well for the family at home. And so Karen wanted to get away from the stress (and fighting) so she decided to do this "dropping" that is apparently a common practice in the Netherlands. Kids are brought to a national park with a scout group and they are left somewhere. And they are supposed to find their way to camp. But things go wrong for Karen and she truly gets lost...
And her mother makes some very disturbing discoveries too that has her very worried about her new husband. It seems that Martijn is not what he says??
So I read this one super fast! Basically I read the whole book in just a few hours. This is definitely the most exciting one I read since "Arkstorm" when it comes to thrillers. There is lots of suspense, action and there is some decent mystery in here too. I had figured out pretty quickly that Martijn was up to something but unsure what or why...
And Karen. Wow. What a good head on her shoulders! I am really impressed with her, especially when you look at her age.
But this definitely was a fun fast read.
So the main characters in here are 12 year old Karen, her mother Grace (who is an American) and her step-father Martijn. But things are not going very well for the family at home. And so Karen wanted to get away from the stress (and fighting) so she decided to do this "dropping" that is apparently a common practice in the Netherlands. Kids are brought to a national park with a scout group and they are left somewhere. And they are supposed to find their way to camp. But things go wrong for Karen and she truly gets lost...
And her mother makes some very disturbing discoveries too that has her very worried about her new husband. It seems that Martijn is not what he says??
So I read this one super fast! Basically I read the whole book in just a few hours. This is definitely the most exciting one I read since "Arkstorm" when it comes to thrillers. There is lots of suspense, action and there is some decent mystery in here too. I had figured out pretty quickly that Martijn was up to something but unsure what or why...
And Karen. Wow. What a good head on her shoulders! I am really impressed with her, especially when you look at her age.
But this definitely was a fun fast read.
April 11, 2021
I love a simple and straightforward story and this is one…..
Set in the Netherlands, 12-year-old Karin is participating in “dropping” which is the Dutch tradition of putting young teens out and requiring them to work together to find their way back to camp. It is a scouting tradition there that seems to have some merit in making kids grow up. This dropping surely was one that empowered the teens!
It wasn’t the most twisty plot or a psychological thriller but it was quick and really good. I know that some readers will want more.. but sometimes a nice simple read that is fast-paced, super interesting, and provides a glimpse into another world…. I thought the setting was super interesting… and the viewpoint of the 12-year-old was dead on… As an adult reading it.. it was sometimes simple, but refreshing to remember that this may be how the adult world is viewed by kids. So Kudos there!
I liked the international thing… The mom being an American living abroad… and the mix with nature appreciation… Sort of a 3 base hit for me!
4 stars
Happy Reading!
Set in the Netherlands, 12-year-old Karin is participating in “dropping” which is the Dutch tradition of putting young teens out and requiring them to work together to find their way back to camp. It is a scouting tradition there that seems to have some merit in making kids grow up. This dropping surely was one that empowered the teens!
It wasn’t the most twisty plot or a psychological thriller but it was quick and really good. I know that some readers will want more.. but sometimes a nice simple read that is fast-paced, super interesting, and provides a glimpse into another world…. I thought the setting was super interesting… and the viewpoint of the 12-year-old was dead on… As an adult reading it.. it was sometimes simple, but refreshing to remember that this may be how the adult world is viewed by kids. So Kudos there!
I liked the international thing… The mom being an American living abroad… and the mix with nature appreciation… Sort of a 3 base hit for me!
4 stars
Happy Reading!
March 31, 2021
I enjoyed this domestic thriller that uses the real-life Dutch tradition of “Dropping”, in which preteens are dropped off in a forest and must use their own problem-solving skills to find their way back to the base camp without using any technology as its premise. But even though this novel has a nice amount of intrigue, action and suspense, I will admit it never quite had that little bit of extra tension I would have liked to keep me on the edge of my seat throughout.
May 28, 2025
it was interesting but unfortunately for me, predictable
April 17, 2021
Loved the concept and this tradition being used as a plot for this thriller, but I did not jive with the writing at all. It's a short book under 250 pages and it does have a survival element to it which I enjoyed. It's also dual POV from a mother and 12 y/o daughter perspective which confused me as to who the target audience for this book would be. I don't think 12 y/o's would enjoy this book.
Anyways the main parts that bothered me about it was the beginning was quite slow and that's odd for a short book. I like to be hooked from the beginning and that just wasn't the case here. I also prefer whodunit's more than whydunit's. Lastly, the why was out of left field for both the characters in the book and as the reader. So that part was pretty lame. And of course there were several quite unbelievable parts involving Karin (the 12 year old) who actually never felt 12 in the first place.
Anyways the main parts that bothered me about it was the beginning was quite slow and that's odd for a short book. I like to be hooked from the beginning and that just wasn't the case here. I also prefer whodunit's more than whydunit's. Lastly, the why was out of left field for both the characters in the book and as the reader. So that part was pretty lame. And of course there were several quite unbelievable parts involving Karin (the 12 year old) who actually never felt 12 in the first place.
dnf
March 3, 2021thanks for an arc. but, i mean this book had so much potential, but it wasn’t good. like there was just so much talk about everything and i just found it to be super boring. dnf @ 10%
May 3, 2021
This sounded like it was going to be really interesting because it was about the Dutch tradition of dropping your preteen or teen kid in the woods and they have to make their way back to camp on their own, but it feel a bit flat.
Grace is an American who is married to a Dutchman and she is not real sure about letting her kid get dropped off in the middle of the woods. Karin's real dad has past away maybe a year ago or so and she is trying to settle in with the new stepdad but she hears things, and how they don't seem to get on. She wants to do the dropping so she convinces her mom to let her do it.
Karin asked to be dropped in a specific park because it was one that her and her dad use to go to fairly often and she thinks it will be good for her and make her feel close to her dad. She is dropped off with three other kids and once they are sent off on their own with no adults that is where things start to go downhill. First, off the one older boy and girl seem to like each other and don't want the twelve year old's with them so they soon split. Karin is then left with one other girl but it didn't take long before she was gone too and Karin has no idea what happened to her but now she is all alone.
There is also the POV of the mother and that is when it gets real confusing because I had no clue what any of what she was discovering had to do with dropping her kid off in the woods. I mean I had my suspicions but still it was rather confusing. It seems that Karin and her husband have been having some good fights and he has a place where she is not allowed so she goes snooping and finds pictures of her and her first husband that this guy shouldn't have and it just gets stranger from there and she gets worried about what it is her husband is into and the fact that Karin is off in the woods.
Karin was a pretty resourceful character for a twelve year old. Her father taught her very good at about how to be out in the woods and she could remember markers and things that kind of helped her along the way since they had used that park before. Even when things got scary she kept a level head and used her brain which not all kids her age would do.
Lets just say that it isn't as big of a pulse-pounding thriller as the blurb wants you to think and even if I didn't realize what was going on with the husband at first it was pretty easy to guess what was going to happen in the woods. I think this had a good premise but was just not executed very good. Parts of it was interesting while other parts were kind of boring and confusing.
I think the Dutch tradition is pretty crazy but I guess it's a good learning experience so that was kind of interesting to learn about. The adults are never very far away but even then it goes to show you that things can still go wrong. I wouldn't say don't read it but I can't recommend but I do know we all have different taste, so you might like it.
Grace is an American who is married to a Dutchman and she is not real sure about letting her kid get dropped off in the middle of the woods. Karin's real dad has past away maybe a year ago or so and she is trying to settle in with the new stepdad but she hears things, and how they don't seem to get on. She wants to do the dropping so she convinces her mom to let her do it.
Karin asked to be dropped in a specific park because it was one that her and her dad use to go to fairly often and she thinks it will be good for her and make her feel close to her dad. She is dropped off with three other kids and once they are sent off on their own with no adults that is where things start to go downhill. First, off the one older boy and girl seem to like each other and don't want the twelve year old's with them so they soon split. Karin is then left with one other girl but it didn't take long before she was gone too and Karin has no idea what happened to her but now she is all alone.
There is also the POV of the mother and that is when it gets real confusing because I had no clue what any of what she was discovering had to do with dropping her kid off in the woods. I mean I had my suspicions but still it was rather confusing. It seems that Karin and her husband have been having some good fights and he has a place where she is not allowed so she goes snooping and finds pictures of her and her first husband that this guy shouldn't have and it just gets stranger from there and she gets worried about what it is her husband is into and the fact that Karin is off in the woods.
Karin was a pretty resourceful character for a twelve year old. Her father taught her very good at about how to be out in the woods and she could remember markers and things that kind of helped her along the way since they had used that park before. Even when things got scary she kept a level head and used her brain which not all kids her age would do.
Lets just say that it isn't as big of a pulse-pounding thriller as the blurb wants you to think and even if I didn't realize what was going on with the husband at first it was pretty easy to guess what was going to happen in the woods. I think this had a good premise but was just not executed very good. Parts of it was interesting while other parts were kind of boring and confusing.
I think the Dutch tradition is pretty crazy but I guess it's a good learning experience so that was kind of interesting to learn about. The adults are never very far away but even then it goes to show you that things can still go wrong. I wouldn't say don't read it but I can't recommend but I do know we all have different taste, so you might like it.
March 28, 2021
More like 3.75. Set in a Netherlands national park, this thriller takes place on the weekend 12-year-old Karin participates in her first "dropping." This is a tradition in which a small group of teens or preteens are blindfolded and then dropped off in the woods with a map. The exercise is meant to teach them team work, while they find their way to a base camp, a few miles away. The children are watched from a distance by adult guardians, who ensure their safety.
Karin and her fellow scouts are dropped in a park that Karin knows well. She and her late father, a photojournalist, used to camp there often so he could take wildlife photos. Unfortunately, she is paired with three other kids who aren't interested in playing by the rules. To top that off, her creepy stepfather, Martijn, is one of the chaperones.
As night falls, Karin realizes she has been separated from her classmates. Despite her knowledge of the woods, she becomes lost and knows she's in trouble. Nothing is going right. Pulling on all her inner reserves she attempts to save herself, despite her growing suspicion that the dangers of the forest are the least of her problems.
The general plot was predictable, though there are a few surprises. The characters didn't always act in believable ways, but the suspense and creep factors were well done. I really liked Karin's ability to draw on her knowledge and experience, even when really scared. Maybe not the best thriller you've ever read, but still worth your while.
The unabridged audiobook was read by Tavia Gilbert, who did an excellent job with the characterizations, pronunciations, emotions, and tension.
Karin and her fellow scouts are dropped in a park that Karin knows well. She and her late father, a photojournalist, used to camp there often so he could take wildlife photos. Unfortunately, she is paired with three other kids who aren't interested in playing by the rules. To top that off, her creepy stepfather, Martijn, is one of the chaperones.
As night falls, Karin realizes she has been separated from her classmates. Despite her knowledge of the woods, she becomes lost and knows she's in trouble. Nothing is going right. Pulling on all her inner reserves she attempts to save herself, despite her growing suspicion that the dangers of the forest are the least of her problems.
The general plot was predictable, though there are a few surprises. The characters didn't always act in believable ways, but the suspense and creep factors were well done. I really liked Karin's ability to draw on her knowledge and experience, even when really scared. Maybe not the best thriller you've ever read, but still worth your while.
The unabridged audiobook was read by Tavia Gilbert, who did an excellent job with the characterizations, pronunciations, emotions, and tension.
March 28, 2021
Twelve-year-old Karin is a member of her local Scout troop and has signed up to be part of their annual “dropping” event, a rite of passage for many Dutch children. She and three other kids are blindfolded and dropped off at a location unknown to them inside the Hoge Veluwe National Forest. All they have are a map of the forest, a compass and basic survival tools. They are to work together to find their way to the base camp, where they will be reunited with their troop leaders and other scouts who have completed this challenging and daring activity.
Unfortunately, things do not go according to plan. Karin’s stepfather, Martijn, is one of the adults who is supposed to supervise the children to make sure that no one gets lost or hurt. However, when a series of unexpected events occur, Karin is left alone and must navigate her way through the forest by herself.
The narrative then shifts to Karin’s mother, Grace, an American citizen who is living in the Netherlands with her Dutch husband. She is not comfortable with this ritual but goes along with it because Karin is determined to participate. But when she learns that one of Karin’s shirts has been found in the forest, she panics and heads out to look for her daughter, terrified of what she might find.
Although aimed primarily at adults, Nina Siegal’s YOU’LL THANK ME FOR THIS is a wonderful crossover novel for teens. The chapters alternate between the points of view of Karin and Grace; this constantly shifting storyline, in addition to the fast-paced writing and numerous plot twists and turns, will keep readers engaged and on the edge of their seats as they find out what will happen next.
Reviewed by Christine M. Irvin
Unfortunately, things do not go according to plan. Karin’s stepfather, Martijn, is one of the adults who is supposed to supervise the children to make sure that no one gets lost or hurt. However, when a series of unexpected events occur, Karin is left alone and must navigate her way through the forest by herself.
The narrative then shifts to Karin’s mother, Grace, an American citizen who is living in the Netherlands with her Dutch husband. She is not comfortable with this ritual but goes along with it because Karin is determined to participate. But when she learns that one of Karin’s shirts has been found in the forest, she panics and heads out to look for her daughter, terrified of what she might find.
Although aimed primarily at adults, Nina Siegal’s YOU’LL THANK ME FOR THIS is a wonderful crossover novel for teens. The chapters alternate between the points of view of Karin and Grace; this constantly shifting storyline, in addition to the fast-paced writing and numerous plot twists and turns, will keep readers engaged and on the edge of their seats as they find out what will happen next.
Reviewed by Christine M. Irvin
September 12, 2021
The Dutch have a right of passage ritual for when children turn 12 years old. They take them, blindfolded, in a car, and drop them in the woods. The kids have to find their way out or to a campsite set up for them with only a compass and a flashlight to guide them. This book takes the ritual through a series of terrifying fictional what if’s. Karin, the main character, sets out as one of four preteens on her “dropping.”
First, two of the kids veer off on their own path so they can do romantic things in the woods. Somehow Karin then loses the other girl.
Darkness is falling, Karin is scared and then she hears strange noises in the trees.
Siegal does terrifying really well. I had to turn on more lights while I was reading this. Karin spirals in and out of danger. To shed even more mystery on the story, her mother finds stunning evidence at home that her husband is not as he seems.
One of the best thrillers I’ve read this year. I highly recommend it to everyone.
First, two of the kids veer off on their own path so they can do romantic things in the woods. Somehow Karin then loses the other girl.
Darkness is falling, Karin is scared and then she hears strange noises in the trees.
Siegal does terrifying really well. I had to turn on more lights while I was reading this. Karin spirals in and out of danger. To shed even more mystery on the story, her mother finds stunning evidence at home that her husband is not as he seems.
One of the best thrillers I’ve read this year. I highly recommend it to everyone.
August 4, 2021
Pretty decent read. I enjoyed learning about the Dutch tradition of dropping.. kinda crazy if you ask me, but cultural differences i guess. Leaving your teen in the forest to find their way to a campsite is the perfect backdrop for something sinister happening and that exactly what happened in this book.
The main character was a 12 y.o and that made some elements feel juvenile and at the same time the book incorporated some serious topics like government conspiracies and abuse that just didnt mesh with the overall feel of the book. All in all it was an OK read and i was curious enough to get to the bottom of the mystery.
The main character was a 12 y.o and that made some elements feel juvenile and at the same time the book incorporated some serious topics like government conspiracies and abuse that just didnt mesh with the overall feel of the book. All in all it was an OK read and i was curious enough to get to the bottom of the mystery.
April 13, 2021
This book scared me to death! Karin is 12 years old and she is blindfolded and dropped into the forest with other children. The children need to work together to get out of the forest and get back to their waiting families. Of course the children do not get along and things start going wrong from the start. I don't want to ruin anything so read this book for yourself! I received an advanced readers copy and all opinions are my own!
January 24, 2022
This book was...fine...
The chapters alternate between Karin and her mother, Grace. Karin's chapters felt very YA (especially through the first half or so) and I found myself skimming through most of those. Grace's chapters included much more mystery and were more my speed. I did guess the "bad guy" pretty early on, but the "why" was a surprising twist.
I did read it in a day, so there's that. It was a good, quick read!
The chapters alternate between Karin and her mother, Grace. Karin's chapters felt very YA (especially through the first half or so) and I found myself skimming through most of those. Grace's chapters included much more mystery and were more my speed. I did guess the "bad guy" pretty early on, but the "why" was a surprising twist.
I did read it in a day, so there's that. It was a good, quick read!
April 25, 2021
I would prefer to give this one 3.5 stars but decided to round off to 4. The beginning was slow although, as the book progressed, a tension began to build to an interesting finale. The story centers around the Dutch tradition of dropping kids into a forest requiring them to use their scouting skills to find their camp. I was surprised to learn that it is still practiced in The Netherlands.
May 3, 2021
Obviously in the minority here-didn't think the book was that good. Actually got bored with the story in the middle part.
May 31, 2021
In general, I liked it. The mystery element was ok but weak. It seemed to be all over the place with some of it just not connecting enough. At times, it didn't make much sense.
May 6, 2021
⭐️⭐️ You'll Thank Me for This - Nina Siegal
Thank you @hbgcanada & @netgalley for the gifted copy in exchange of an honest review.
The premise of this book is SO interesting, and had so much promise! Dropping off her young daughter in the woods to "survive" and find her way on her own to scout camp (other campers doing the same thing of course!) Um what? Yes please! Bring on the spooky woods thriller!
Sadly, I was quickly disappointed. Right from the start this book is extremely predictable, leaving very little suspense and a lot to be desired. Overall, it just wasn't for me, however I think a lot of people are going to enjoy this one!
Thank you @hbgcanada & @netgalley for the gifted copy in exchange of an honest review.
The premise of this book is SO interesting, and had so much promise! Dropping off her young daughter in the woods to "survive" and find her way on her own to scout camp (other campers doing the same thing of course!) Um what? Yes please! Bring on the spooky woods thriller!
Sadly, I was quickly disappointed. Right from the start this book is extremely predictable, leaving very little suspense and a lot to be desired. Overall, it just wasn't for me, however I think a lot of people are going to enjoy this one!
June 7, 2025
My husband and I read it together and we both really enjoyed it. Plenty of suspense and action to keep us wanting to read. I even teared up a little toward the end.
February 6, 2022
I received this book as a gift from a coworker and after reading the blurb on the books jacket, I was super excited to start it. The description made it seem like this book checked all of my boxes; unique setting, creepy ambiance, suspense and mystery. It even had the added bonus of being a relatively short book, aiding me in getting closer to my goal of reading 50 books this year.
Written in 3rd person, this story was presented by way of switching between the perspectives of the main character Karin and her mother, Grace. Normally, this would not bother me, but this switch occurs at every chapter. It’s the back and forth between Karin, who is in the woods participating in this drop, and Grace who is supposed to be having a leisurely day at home that was not enjoyable because I felt the switch occurred too quickly. The chapters are short so once you get to a point where you are with one character during a chapter and the events start getting interesting, you are immediately met with a cliffhanger and switched to the other. I found myself trying to rush through chapters to get back to the character I was with to find out what was going to happen next. I felt that took away from the overall experience of the book and that could have been fixed if the chapters were more grouped together by perspective and did not alternate as quickly.
This book did have a very unique setting that is based on a popular Dutch tradition of dropping children in the middle of a forest. I was intrigued by this because I had never heard of it and it seemed to be a completely terrifying thing to experience. However, because the story is set during this event and it turns out to be a group activity that is supervised by a recreational club similar to the American Boy/Girl Scouts, for me, it did take a little away from the overall mood. I feel that if Karin and the other children had been older, around 15-17 rather than 12-13, and not supervised, it could have been a much creepier story. However, that is not the case, as the plot heavily relies on the fact that it is a supervised drop.
As for the suspense and mystery boxes on my list, this book did fall short for me. Though the reader does not know exactly how the events are going to play out throughout the book, it becomes blatantly obvious as to who will be responsible for the events to come before the chapters even reach double digits, hardly halfway through the book. I will give the book this, these suspicions are not really confirmed until about 75% of the way through, so it does leave a little bit of mystery for the majority of the book. For me though, it was a dead giveaway and it came far too early in the book, long before Karin experiences any real danger during the drop. Once that mystery was taken away, for me, the suspense was gone too. I felt little fear, if any, for Karin simply because the book was not written in a way that made me fear for her. Sure, she was in a scary situation in the middle of a creepy forest in the nighttime, but the culprit was someone she knew. And though he was in a state of desperation, he was not written to be a truly threatening character. All of this could just be because I’ve had a lot of experience with these types of books and I’m used to intensity and twists throughout so I’d say take this bit with a grain of salt.
I could say so much more about this book, but I’ll leave it with this. Overall, I would say this was a quick, light read that I feel had the potential of being a really terrifying and suspenseful book if only the author had expanded on the content and made a few changes. I’d say this book falls for me around 3.5 stars but since Goodreads doesn’t let me do that, I decided to err on the side of positivity and give it 4 stars because despite everything, it was still an enjoyable read with a setting that was unlike anything I’ve ever read before. I would say this would be a good book for someone who hasn’t had a lot of experience with the thriller genre and is looking to just dip their toes in because it’s an easy one to dive into and doesn’t have any lulls throughout.
Written in 3rd person, this story was presented by way of switching between the perspectives of the main character Karin and her mother, Grace. Normally, this would not bother me, but this switch occurs at every chapter. It’s the back and forth between Karin, who is in the woods participating in this drop, and Grace who is supposed to be having a leisurely day at home that was not enjoyable because I felt the switch occurred too quickly. The chapters are short so once you get to a point where you are with one character during a chapter and the events start getting interesting, you are immediately met with a cliffhanger and switched to the other. I found myself trying to rush through chapters to get back to the character I was with to find out what was going to happen next. I felt that took away from the overall experience of the book and that could have been fixed if the chapters were more grouped together by perspective and did not alternate as quickly.
This book did have a very unique setting that is based on a popular Dutch tradition of dropping children in the middle of a forest. I was intrigued by this because I had never heard of it and it seemed to be a completely terrifying thing to experience. However, because the story is set during this event and it turns out to be a group activity that is supervised by a recreational club similar to the American Boy/Girl Scouts, for me, it did take a little away from the overall mood. I feel that if Karin and the other children had been older, around 15-17 rather than 12-13, and not supervised, it could have been a much creepier story. However, that is not the case, as the plot heavily relies on the fact that it is a supervised drop.
As for the suspense and mystery boxes on my list, this book did fall short for me. Though the reader does not know exactly how the events are going to play out throughout the book, it becomes blatantly obvious as to who will be responsible for the events to come before the chapters even reach double digits, hardly halfway through the book. I will give the book this, these suspicions are not really confirmed until about 75% of the way through, so it does leave a little bit of mystery for the majority of the book. For me though, it was a dead giveaway and it came far too early in the book, long before Karin experiences any real danger during the drop. Once that mystery was taken away, for me, the suspense was gone too. I felt little fear, if any, for Karin simply because the book was not written in a way that made me fear for her. Sure, she was in a scary situation in the middle of a creepy forest in the nighttime, but the culprit was someone she knew. And though he was in a state of desperation, he was not written to be a truly threatening character. All of this could just be because I’ve had a lot of experience with these types of books and I’m used to intensity and twists throughout so I’d say take this bit with a grain of salt.
I could say so much more about this book, but I’ll leave it with this. Overall, I would say this was a quick, light read that I feel had the potential of being a really terrifying and suspenseful book if only the author had expanded on the content and made a few changes. I’d say this book falls for me around 3.5 stars but since Goodreads doesn’t let me do that, I decided to err on the side of positivity and give it 4 stars because despite everything, it was still an enjoyable read with a setting that was unlike anything I’ve ever read before. I would say this would be a good book for someone who hasn’t had a lot of experience with the thriller genre and is looking to just dip their toes in because it’s an easy one to dive into and doesn’t have any lulls throughout.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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