Book Review: You Did Nothing Wrong by C.G. Drews

“When a monster sees something else monstruous, he only thinks it pretty.”

C.G. Drews, You Did Nothing Wrong

Review:

After the death of her parents, Elodie moves country with her young son, Jude, to live with her new husband, Bren. Renovating his family home is Bren’s passion project, wanting to make the perfect life for his pregnant wife and his stepson. But when Jude starts claiming that the renovations are hurting the house and the voices in the walls, Elodie becomes increasingly concerned. Bren is concerned, too, but for different reasons.

This was one of those books that had me completely losing track of time. It was so twisted and eerie that I just had to know how everything was going to play out. That said, I did have higher hopes for the ending. Given the genre, I suppose I was too optimistic, but it was still disappointing (and frustrating) just how much Elodie failed to grow as a character.

Atmospherically, this book excels. C.G. Drews strikes a perfect balance between horror and gothic elements, intertwined with a psychologically thrilling plot. Despite not loving the ending, I had so much fun reading this book.

Likes & Dislikes:

What I liked:

• Wildly twisted. My jaw was dropped almost the entire time, but I was super engaged.
• A true psychological thriller. It messed with my head all while making sense.

What I didn’t like:

• If not for the ending, this would have been a solid five-star. I understand why the ending is the way it is, but it still didn’t sit well. I read this with a book club and most of us (if not all of us) agreed on this point.

Afterthoughts:

I almost didn’t pick this up because Don’t Let The Forest In was just an all right read for me. I’m sure the fact that You Did Nothing Wrong is geared toward an adult audience is what made the difference. I hope C.G. Drews writes more books like this one!

Where to buy the book: