Shepard’s purpose in writing her book, Don’t I know you?, is to make the reader to really pay close attention to details especially at the end of the book. Don’t I know you? Is a piece where mystery is the main theme. This book is an example of overcoming a problem from someone who lost his family. It’s really inspirational for young people. It makes the reader to reread the book because there are many facts that are not clear at all. It’s a book for fans of mystery and ambiguous books. Don’t I know you? is really well written. However is hard to understand because the reader has to pay attention to details or reread the chapter in order to comprehend. The author also gives specific details to the reader. For example when the main character sees that some guys are killing her mom, he describes the environment as "Outside, it was getting darker. Inside too. He was crying"(Shepard). This means that the night was coming and he was shock at the same time. This example is just one of many where the author describes everything that is going on with the character and the environment. This book in some way was really captivating. The mystery in this book is unlike any other mystery told in other mystery books. The reader would be confused while reading that book. This is book makes many people to have the necessity to read it two times to understand it. This book is a good example of inspiration because this kid saw her mom being killed and he tried to overcome the problem. This book is really dramatic and ambiguous. The greatest strength of the book is that the author gives the most insignificant detail. “She was on her side. Her bottom leg was straight. Her top one was bent. One arm was stretched above her”(Shepard 3). In this quote she try to give specific detail about the characters. The greatest weakness of the book is that sometimes it’s not clear at all what the character are doing or what their emotions are. For example after her mother was killed he was talking with the detective where the narrator says that “Steven insides felt like he had a fever, but when he touched his cheek, his skin was cool. It was like he was touching someone else’s head”(Shepard 15). I would recommend this book to people who really pay close attention to details and really understand mystery. I would also recommend the book to people who like mystery. To understand the book the reader need to be careful with every single detail. This book is a really good mystery. It really helped me to understand that the most insignificant detail can make the difference.
In 1976, Gina Engel is killed in her apartment. Her young son Steven wonders if he knows the killer. Lily Chin is about to marry her dream man until a strange woman appears. Does her fiance have something to do with Gina? Louise Carpanetti, reaching her elder years, thinks back to Gina's murder - and the phone call Gina made in her final minutes. Is it possible that Louise's son killed Gina?This was sort of a quiet creepy book. It's pretty unsettling in that it makes you feel like you can never really know a person. I liked that Shepard switched narratives just as each was heating up and coming to a resolution. I really liked the ending - I didn't see it coming. I'm not really sure how other reviewers think there wasn't a resolution - it's pretty clear in that final chapter what conclusions one is supposed to draw. Interesting and quick read.
I really went back and forth over what to rate this book. The first half is so well written, and the last quarter. The language and imagery are wonderful. So...why one star? Well, because it's just patched together. The whole thing deals with the murder, but you're left not knowing who did it, why Nikolai went and stole her diary, why the police charged the ex-husband (and if he was convicted or not)....etc., etc., etc. Perhaps you're meant to just read it and enjoy the skill that is apparent in
—Dystopian
This novel is a fine hybrid of mystery and literary character-driven fiction. Three distinct narratives that connect through the neighborhood and through a handful of eccentric characters. Karen Shepard has a lovely crisp voice with great clarity - we see and feel what is happening - and she ties the story line together neatly, although without contrivance. Somewhere or someone tipped me off to the book, which was published in 2006, and I recommend highly for anyone who prefers a more subtle history with great character development.
—Randy
Written in three parts with a brief epilogue that goes BACK in time, this book presents a murder and asks if we ever really know people. I felt for each main character - the bereaved child, the young preschool teacher wracked with doubt and insecurity, and the dedicated elderly mother torn between love and responsibility. The characters seemed very real and complicated, with endearing qualities as well as repugnant ones. While not a normal murder mystery, it's a glimpse into intertwined lives and how we make choices and do the best we can in life but can't always prevent pain or make everything work out. (Note: unlike some of the other books I review, this is a secular, adult novel and so will contain objectionable material.)
—Lisa Rathbun
