Helpful Score: 4
This is a most unusual book, but I found myself reading it constantly, as I was so engrossed in the story. It's a very cerebral tale with extremely deep insight into a life that has come apart at the seams due to a spouse becoming a complete stranger after 18 years of marriage. The protagonist wife is in deep denial about her husband's lies and terrible secrets, but eventually she gets through it and moves herself and her 12 year old son to another state. This is definitely one of the best books I've ever read. If you're looking for a crime novel, this isn't it. This is a deeply psychological and emotional story of a woman's transition through extreme horror and emerging on the other side changed and improved.
Helpful Score: 3
I could not put this book down - I was so caught up in the story and the unraveling of the secret life of the husband and the wife's slow realization that she had no idea who she was married to. Honestly, I didn't really like the main character until the end; I found her to be smug and very full of herself, and wanted to shake her half the time. I also wouldn't want to live in the world of upper class New York City - what a terribly snobbish world. This novel was very wordy, but the story was excellent.
Helpful Score: 1
YOU SHOULD HAVE KNOWN was the November 2014 pick in my neighborhood book club.
If you enjoy rambling, skimmable narratives where the author dumps pages and PAGES of irrelevant backstory and musings in-between lines of dialoguethen this is the book for you. Nothingand I mean nothinghappens until about 150 pages of mindless New York City private school nonsense and Birkin bag shallowness.
Nothing. Happens.
Then we finally get to the point. Kind of.
A murder occurs. And Grace Sachs, a shrink who's married to a pediatric oncologist for 20 years, is shocked to find out she never knew her hubby at allit's really a wonder they even lived under the same roof for all she knew about him! It was pretty ridiculous, but this is clearly the reference of the book's title.
The pacing of this novel was slower than a snail. Seriously. But somewhere underneath the tedious, meandering narrative lay the potential for a pretty riveting psychological thriller. The author should've just hired a ghostwriter.
YOU SHOULD HAVE KNOW had an excellent premise but a dreadfully poor execution...unless you're a reader who enjoys books most other readers find boring. I give it a C-. I can't recommend it.
★
(¯`·.·´¯) (¯`·.·´¯)
`·.¸(¯`·.·´¯)¸ .·
×°× ` ·.¸.·´ ×°×
If you enjoy rambling, skimmable narratives where the author dumps pages and PAGES of irrelevant backstory and musings in-between lines of dialoguethen this is the book for you. Nothingand I mean nothinghappens until about 150 pages of mindless New York City private school nonsense and Birkin bag shallowness.
Nothing. Happens.
Then we finally get to the point. Kind of.
A murder occurs. And Grace Sachs, a shrink who's married to a pediatric oncologist for 20 years, is shocked to find out she never knew her hubby at allit's really a wonder they even lived under the same roof for all she knew about him! It was pretty ridiculous, but this is clearly the reference of the book's title.
The pacing of this novel was slower than a snail. Seriously. But somewhere underneath the tedious, meandering narrative lay the potential for a pretty riveting psychological thriller. The author should've just hired a ghostwriter.
YOU SHOULD HAVE KNOW had an excellent premise but a dreadfully poor execution...unless you're a reader who enjoys books most other readers find boring. I give it a C-. I can't recommend it.
★
(¯`·.·´¯) (¯`·.·´¯)
`·.¸(¯`·.·´¯)¸ .·
×°× ` ·.¸.·´ ×°×
Helpful Score: 1
While I enjoyed the book, I was itching to know more about the husband's story. You learn parts of it through Grace's investigations, but I finished the book wanting to know more.
A great novel for those interested in counseling, therapy, etc. Terrific story line. This was a page turner for me.
