... riveting ... Narrated by Malin, whose intelligence and cunning drive the story, Tell Me Everything is an edgy exploration of loyalty and human desire. Readers in search of a true page-turner will savor this electrifying novel.
Tension builds in a narrative that switches back and forth between Senior Day and freshman year, punctuated by flashbacks to events in Malin’s childhood, and the tension is amplified by the focus on an insular group in an isolated setting. Though there are few surprises left at the end, Brockman’s first novel will appeal to readers looking for another Gone Girl.
Brockman effectively illustrates those heady, nerve-wracking first days of collegiate freedom ... might be a darker, more sinister version of college than most of us (hopefully) experienced. Nevertheless, Brockman uses her suspenseful novel to shed light on the insularity of the college experience, especially at a small, rural school like Hawthorne. She also vividly illustrates the lengths to which many (if not all) college students go in order to reinvent themselves as they make a fresh start in a new environment.
By telling parts of the story out of sequence, Brockman successfully builds each character in fragments, preventing us from seeing the full context until close to the end. The college-centered plot is reminiscent of many novels that have come before about quirky kids forming a family of sorts only to destroy each other, but the development of Malin as a narrator is truly inspired. While French and Tartt use the outsider-as-narrator to further emphasize the group's isolation and the narrator's failure to find true acceptance, Brockman's Malin draws riveting attention to humankind's vulnerability to evil. She is a shadowy figure; an unreliable narrator we get to know through subtle hints and slanted comments in addition to flashbacks ... A truly chilling thriller with a twist so quiet, you never hear it coming.
Brockman perfectly captures the insecurities that plague young adults, as well as the intense relationships that form in the crucible that is college. Deliberate pacing complements the sinuous structure, with anxiety and dread mounting as the story lines coalesce. Not every reveal feels earned, but the shocking central twist and devastating conclusion amply compensate. Fans of Patricia Highsmith and Donna Tartt should take notice.
