This was a read that started quite slowly and I wasn’t at all sure that I was going to enjoy it but how wrong I was!
The story is a hard read as it does deal with some strong issues but Emily Koch deals with these in a very sensitive way.
It’s the summer of 1995 and it’s a hot one and July Hoopers is 10 today and wants to know more about her mother who died in a car car crash when she was small but it seems nobody is prepared to talk about her especially her father who deals with any questions in a particularly aggressive way. When she finds an anonymous note in her school bag this makes July all the more determined to find out the truth and just what happened to her mother and so the story begins!
The book was as I said at times a very upsetting one but it also was very uplifting and I found myself completely engrossed in the world of July Hooper, a wonderfully written story and a great read.
My thanks to NetGalley and Random House UK, Harvill Secker for giving me the opportunity to read the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

A heartwarming and heartbreaking family drama full of mystery. A few surprising twists as July navigates her way to find out the truth about her mum.
Highly recommended

A slow burn mystery where 10year old July tries to find out more about what happened to her mother.
It's the summer of 1995, the stifling heat emanates from the page and July is tasked with a school project to find out more about a relative, she wants to choose her mum, but this will cause issues with her dad.
Told in almost diary entries and letters. The story ,which is a tough one, unfolds throughout the summer.
I enjoyed the nostalgic feel of this one. I was the same age as July in 1995 and reading about pogs, flumps etc put a smile on my face. Unfortunately, this was balanced out by the storyline of domestic abuse and the two separate parts played havoc with my mind.
The author does well in their drip feeding reveals and it was enough for me to come up with my own theories to what happened. Pat on the back to me for being partly correct!
At times I felt that July presented as older than her 10years, but I liked spending time with her, I just wanted it to go a little faster in places.

I requested this title because I saw it recommended by someone, but I guess I didn't realise that it would be yet another book this year dealing with themes of parental abuse.

It took a while to get going and I found the beginning to be quite jarring, I guess I'm not really used to having a child main character in a book for grownups. I think it's a very hard point of view to do, and it was harder in the beginning when it wasn't quite clear where the story was going to go.

My interest was finally spiked around the 25%-30% mark but I feel like this should happen sooner, some people may give up before they get a quarter/third of the way in, to be honest. Once a specific basic fact was established (I won't say what because of spoilers) the narrative then became really engaging and the author definitely put a decent amount of red herrings in there, and kept us guessing. The notes that were interspersed between the chapters also take on a different meaning once you get to the epilogue. It will make you want to go back and re-read them knowing what you know now.

Thank you to Random House UK and NetGalley for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Telling a convincing story through the eyes and voice of a young child is a difficult novelistic challenge but it is one Emily Koch manages with aplomb in ‘What July Knew’. The child in question is July Hooper, who turns ten in the hot summer of 1995. Although she lives with her father, stepmother and stepsister Stacey, July is bitterly lonely. She suffers from flashbacks to what she thinks is her very early childhood. It is a childhood that included her mother who purportedly died when July was only two. But is this assumption correct? When July receives an anonymous note telling her that her mother did not die in a car accident at all, this sets in motion a chain of events, all instigated by the formidable little girl who wants to find out the truth. Despite the many serious topics this novel hints at and that include cruelty, assault and murder, the young narrator’s narratorial voice and her uplifting believe in the good in mankind make this a very rewarding read. I would like to thank NetGalley and the publishers for the free ARC that allowed me to read this unusual, engaging book, and to produce this honest and unbiased review.

Thanks for the opportunity to read and review. Gripping. Heartbreaking. Addictive.
I work with young people and this raised so many safeguarding issues. A thought provoking read

From The Cover📖

Summer, 1995.

July Hooper knows eighteen things about her mother.

Like number thirteen: she loved dancing on the kitchen table. And number eight: she was covered in freckles.

And then there's number two: she died after being hit by a car when July was small.

She keeps this list hidden in a drawer away from her father. Because they're not allowed to talk about her mother. Ever.

But an anonymous note slipped into July's bag on her tenth birthday is about to change everything she thinks she knows about her mum.

Determined to discover what really happened to her, July begins to investigate, cycling around the neighbourhood where her family used to live. There she meets someone who might finally have the answers.

July wants her family to stop lying to her, but will the truth be harder to face?



Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

First off thank you to the publishers, author and netgalley for giving me the chance to read this outstanding book before publication in exchange for a fair, unbiased and honest review…

This book was not what I was expecting at all…

I thought it was going be a very uplifting book with a touch of sadness among the sweetness of it all. A classic coming of age story.

I was wrong this book is so much more.

Told mainly though the eyes of July we learn that not all is what it seems,
tenderly told and beautifully written we hear July’s story to find out who her mother is, what happened to her mother, why is her dad the way he is and what does the truth mean?

It looks at heart of family life with its complexity and sometimes unsettling dark side. This book contains very graphic scenes of domestic abuse but it is needed to really explore the life of July and her character. It highlights the heartbreaking feelings victims go though and at times is hard to read and heartbreaking but the writer has woven this into the story in such a way that it’s needed and really gives the story edge.

This is a utterly compelling mystery it is as full of twists and surprises as it is of heart and wonderful (90’s nostalgia( I was the same age as July in 95 brought back some great memories). It was mystery that really kept me guessing right till the end. I loved the letters that were scattered though the main chapters they really added depth , really provided a twist and tied up any loose threads perfectly.

The characters in the book are varied bunch that are ever changing throughout I found myself changing my opinion of them as I read and they developed . The author masterfully adds nuance to each character making them seem real and true. I loved the relationship between July and her stepsister Sylvia it beautifully captured the love heart feeling all sisters have growing up. Furthermore the relationship between July and Shell really moved me it sound the strange balance of feelings one can have within a blended family not just one with a dark side full of secrets.


A gloriously nostalgic and affecting
Heart-wrenching, deeply moving and compelling novel I urge anyone to read. While there is trigging content the story will stay with you for a long time but in the best possible way. Made my top 20 books of the year list easy. People will be talking about this book come publishing date and rightly so this is book that deserves to discussed and pondered over. Would make the perfect book club reading choice.

Highly highly recommended

Thank you for allowing me to review this book. This story is so well written with compassion and love, balanced against a very difficult family life. July is 10 years old and is keen to learn more about her mother who she believes was killed in a car accident when she was 2 years old. When set a school project to learn more about 1 family member, she hopes this is to be her chance. Her father Mick is not willing to share more about his first wife and her step mother Shelly is unable to tell her more. Mick also discourages contact with her natural grandparents. Secretly, July sets out to fi d out more, encouraged by comments from her step sister that her mother is still alive..
The story is an emotional read and at times hard to believe that the truth was so well hidden for 10 tears.
Definitely a book that should be read by all. I love the way Emily Koch tied up the ending by sharing letters written to the next generation. All the characters are sensitively portrayed.

It took me a little while to get into this story but when I did, I needed to keep reading. July is a bright, inquisitive ten year old who has an abusive father, a step mother and sister and nobody ever talks to her about her birth mother. As July starts to piece things together she uncovers truths that shock and change things forever. Interesting, unexpected, a good read.

I don’t quite know where to stand with this story. Sure this is a very emotive novel about child abuse, but I had trouble reconciling the voice of July, the protagonist, with that of a ten-year-old girl. To me, it was too YA-style writing for such a serious subject. Maybe just not the right book for me at this moment…

A strong, and sometimes disturbing, book which I was thoroughly engrossed in, reading it in a day. A well written mystery which stealthily develops with plenty of twists and turns. At the same time as being heartwarming there are some shocking moments involving domestic abuse and the convoluted relationships within families. I totally empathised with July, and behind her and rooting for her throughout. A beautifully written emotional rollercoaster.

Written from the perspective of 10 year old July, through the long hot summer of 1995, this is a sensitively written novel that touches on some tough subjects. It is part mystery and part ‘coming of age’ story, filled with emotion.
The voice of a July is powerful and believable from a child development perspective. Her story is touching, heartbreaking and really well written with the right balance of humour, childish naivety and sadness. Her yearning for her Mother, who died when July was very young, runs through the book There are some excellent supporting characters, from the adults keeping secrets to her feisty step-sister:
I definitely recommend this book, It is not always an easy read, but it is worthwhile and July will touch your heart and stay with you. I will certainly be looking out for other novels by Emily Koch.

Thank you to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

July is the main character in this book. Her mum was killed after being hit by a car when July was very young. And, as a family, they don’t talk about July’s mum. July has written down all the things she knows about her mum. Her teacher has asked the class to write about a family member that they know very little about. And things get more mysterious when July receives a note stating that her mum did not die in a car accident. July sets off on a quest to find the truth about her mum, and uncovers secrets from more than one person.

This was a really well written and emotional story. The author touches on subjects that people will resonate with, such as blended families and how tough they can be, and domestic violence is also touched on. I found the characters were compelling and helped the story build in intensity. I enjoyed the story and following July come to answers to her many questions. This story couldn’t have been easy to write but was done so with care and compassion from the author.

This book takes the reader on an emotional roller coaster and was difficult to read at times. Told from the point of view of the ten year old July it is at times quite harrowing and often heartbreaking, but the themes of domestic abuse and family secrets are cleverly and sensitively handled. July’s voice is powerful and underlines her inner resilience and determination to find the truth of her mother’s death. And despite the difficult themes, July’s intelligence, courage and humour powerfully shine through.

July has just had her tenth birthday. She is desperate for information about her mother who died when July was two years old but her father and the rest of the family won’t give her any information except that her mother was knocked down and killed by a car.
July decides to do her own investigation into the death of her mum knowing that this will cause her father to become extremely angry at her.
This was a very sad story and difficult to read in parts.
Thank you to Random House UK, Vintage and NetGalley for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

July Hooper’s school project for over the summer holidays is find out as much as she can about a member of her family. She wants to find out more about her mother. July only knows eighteen things about her mother and number two on the list is that she died when July was very young. But July doesn’t dare ask her dad about her mum because it makes him angry which forces him to “teach her a lesson.” The lessons always involve his fists. July is desperate for her dad to love her and tries her hardest not to make him hit her.
However, after finding an anonymous note in her bag saying that her mother didn’t die on her second birthday in a car accident as she has been told, July is determined to find out the truth. Undeterred by the constant threat of another “lesson” July revisits her childhood home, the place where she was born. Mr Salter, the man next door, was there the day that July was born and he can tell her things about her mum, things that the rest of the family keep quiet about.
He tells July that her mum did not die in an accident on her second birthday. If that’s the truth, when did she die and how? It is July’s mission to find out.
This book deals with child abuse so isn’t always an easy read, in fact, all of the way through there is a tense feeling of what will July’s dad do to her next. That said, I was completely enthralled by this book and was rooting for July from beginning to end.
Many thanks to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I am not sure how I ended up requesting a review copy of this book – I think perhaps the cover drew my attention. I can say that I am glad I did and a big thank you to Random House UK and NetGalley for this brilliant review copy. This was a fantastic read. A heart-warming story about family secrets and growing up that will keep you up at night.
This was my first time reading Emily Koch and this book has turned me into an instant fan. Her other books have been added to my wish list (I hope I am in time for Christmas) The author manages to place the reader into the head of a ten-year-old girl – sharing all her emotions. I fell in love with this little girl and my heart broke a little further with every turn of the page.
July Hooper knows eighteen things about her mother. The family does not talk about Maggie Hooper, even July’s grandparents do not say very much about her mother. All July wants is to learn more about her mother, no matter what she needs to do. Despite upsetting her father, July breaks all the rules as she searches for answers. While the adults in July’s life never expected this young girl would be able to undercover the truth they have been keeping from her.
I was heartbroken by the number of people who turned a blind eye to what was happening in this house. The author shows how easily domestic violence goes unnoticed. I was totally engrossed in this book and found that I could not turn the pages fast enough. This story was beautifully told and full of surprises along the way that keeps you guessing all the way.
July Hooper is a character that will crawl into your heart and stay there. The author did a marvellous job sharing this girl’s emotions and showing how discovering the truth made her mature. I cannot remember ever reading a book told from a child’s perspective that kept me this captivated.
I was not impressed with Yaya – July’s grandmother. While I understand that she was mourning the loss of her daughter, it has been ten years and she really should have made more of an effort to help July learn more about her mother. She knew who Mick was yet she left July with him and turned a blind eye – I found myself infuriated by her.
This book has sailed into my top ten for 2022 – I loved it! This book is a fantastic read, I cannot wait to have someone to discuss this one with. I will have to get Alicia a copy and convince her to read it as well.
If you enjoy a heart-warming story about family and growing up, with mystery and a fabulous twist thrown in – then this is the book for you. I loved this book and I cannot recommend this one highly enough. This is a book you must add to your TBR – you do not want to miss this one.

July’s mum died when she was just a baby and she knows very few things about her - when she’s set a school project to research a family member she chooses her mum in the hope she’ll finally find out what really happened to her.

I thought this was going to be a standard mystery but it’s a lot more multi faceted than that. This is very sad book in parts, a story of grief and domestic abuse through the eyes of a child is never going to be an easy read but I am glad I read it.

July has no memories of her mother who died and is trying to find out anything she can about her and how she died, despite her father not wanting to talk about it.
The author caught her feelings really well and I found the characters interesting.

Wow! I absolutely loved this book. I couldn’t put it down.
July receives a note saying her mother Maggie didn’t die in a car crash. This sets July on a journey to find out the truth and she learns that people are hiding a multitude of secrets.
This is a gripping, compelling novel from the beginning to the end. It’s an emotional family mystery with brilliant characters that pull at your heart strings.
Beautifully written with great developed characters and a well crafted storyline.
Definitely recommend.
Thanks to #NetGallery #RandomHouseUK #VintageBooks for an arc of #WhatJulyKnew in exchange for an honest review.