This book was such an incredible but heartbreaking read. Before picking up this book I would say to check the trigger warnings in this book. This book does mention domestic violence many times, so take caution when reading.

This plot was so gripping and the ending was shocking but very satisfying for the main character. It shows the strength of a young girl while going through some horrendous living conditions. I was hooked from the first page and I was eager to find out more about July and her mother.

July, the main character, was subjected to some very traumatic events by someone she loves but she still manages to be determined to discover the truth about her mother. She was such a strong character for a young girl. I can tell her age when she starts imagine different scenarios about her mum, although some are believable. Some of the other characters like July’s stepmum and stepsister showed how people can be oblivious to what is happening in front of them. I felt like this plot was very realistic based on the horror stories I have heard about domestic abuse cases.

This book was definitely thought provoking and made me think about all of those people that are stuck in similar situations. As I mentioned before this was such a heartbreaking read, I think this is due to how much the author made the reader feel like July was a real person. I could feel all the emotions through the pages. I can only imagine how much strength and effort it took to write a book like this. I highly recommend this book, but please check the trigger warnings.

Gorgeous characters and a wonderful plot. There was nothing more that I could have asked for from this book. Thank NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of the book.

A story involving domestic abuse but told in such a sensitive moving manner. Well worth a read.
Many thanks to Netgalley for allowing me an advanced reader copy

July lost her mother when she was young, so she did not really remember her. She asked a lot of questions and wrote a list of the things she found out. An anonymous note, when she is ten, questions everything she thought she knew. She is determined to find out the truth. Some difficult topics are covered in this book and the author has voiced July beautifully. A moving read.

This is a beautiful and moving novel about a ten year old girl trying to find out what exactly happened to her mother. July has a difficult home life with an abusive father and a step-mother and -sister who are a times kind and at other times not. One day she finds a note that leads her to believe her mother didn't die when and how she believed so she is on a quest to uncover the truth. I had no idea what the truth was going to be so I was along with July and fully invested in her finding out but also wanting to protect her because I had a horrible feeling she was going to be even more hurt along the way. This book is so heartbreaking but also has hope, and July is one of those incredible and memorable characters that steal a piece of your heart. I keep thinking of her and wondering how she's doing now. I highly recommend this one - I already want to read it again!

We meet 10 year old July who is determined to find out more about the mother she doesn’t remember who died when she was young.

What July knew is a heart wrenching story that deals with some tough issues and the surprises, love and adversity she faces along the way.

It’s sad but hopeful and July is a wonderfully unique character. I thoroughly enjoyed reading her story!

I loved this emotional book. It was brilliantly written and captured my heart. It’s a book that will stay with me for a very long time. I had tears quite a lot whilst reading this and usually I’m no one to get emotional reading a book. Highly recommend. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

A very clever and unique book! I love the different perspectives and the mix of a child’s narrative voice alongside those of adults, and the letters from a future time period add a really intriguing dimension.

The narrative style ensures that the theme of domestic violence is depicted sensitively. Using the viewpoint of a child makes the domestic violence all the more impactful.

A really impressive book.

This is a book I truly wish I could read for the first time all over again. I’m in complete awe and fangirl mode at how utterly fantastic this book is.

This book is a crime book where the protagonist is a child.

I'm not always keen on books with the main character as a child however this was really enjoyable.

July is 10 and doesn't know much about her mom as she died when July was young.

This book is not an easy read and tackles some difficult subjects but was an enjoyable read

What July Knew by Emily Koch was a great quick read, perfect for a holiday read however, can be an uncomfortable read in places and you may need tissues, but, I didn't give up! this has become one of my favourite books so far this year,

I highly recommend this book I loved it.

Big Thank you to NetGalley, Random House UK, Vintage, and the author Emily Koch for the opportunity to read and review this brilliant book.

A captivating read, What July Knew is thought provoking and emotional.
Narrated by 10 year old July and set in the 1990's this is brilliantly written by Koch and despite the difficult subject matter in parts I was hooked throughout the story.
The subject of domestic violence is dealt with sensitively and carefully by Koch and really highlights the issue.
July is a fabulous protagonist and she really pulls on the heart strings.
With plenty of twists that unfold during the storyline that threw me each time this is a book that will grab your attention and a main character in July that you won't forget.

I read this book in one sitting. I just couldn’t put it down, I couldn’t wait to see how it ended. My heart broke for July. This book deals with domestic abuse and does it beautifully. It’s not patronising or cliched. I’d recommend this book to anyone

Thank you for NetGalley for providing me with this book for review. An extremely powerful story, some very difficult subjects dealt with in a thoughtfull and engaging manner.

I get the hype. Its quite a special story. A sad, desperate tale told through the pure, innocent, positive eyes of 10 year old July. July is smart, determined and feisty, despite all odds, and god knows her life has not been simple.

July is desperate to learn more about her mother who died when she was young. But no one will tell her anything about her. Not her father nor her stepmother nor her grandmother nor her teachers, even her priest. She is given a school project to learn more about a family member that died. It feels like the perfect opportunity to get the answers that craves. But at what cost. And what secrets will unfold.

The story explores themes of friendship, abuse, trauma, resilience and above all hope. July herself is a wonderful character. Through her thoughts and actions, we really get to know this spunky little redhead. While she is quirky, genuine, charming, some of the other characters are more flawed making the story even more believable. There are some heavy themes, but all are handled with great subtlety. This story has left its mark.

Ten year old July doesn't know much about her mum Maggie as she died when she was small. Her dad Mick doesn't like to talk about her mum, so she only knows a few precious facts about her from relatives, which she writes in code in her diary, so she doesn't upset him.

When her teacher sets the class a project to research a relative that they don't know much about, she suggests that July writes about her mother. Worried that she will upset her father asking questions  about Maggie July resists. However, when she finds a secret note in her bag, suggesting that her mum didn't die in a carcrash as she believed, July realises she needs to know more about her Mum's story. She knows she can't talk to her Dad  as he gets angry when she asks about her Mum, so July goes on a mission to find out more. Starting at Almond Street and the house where she lived as a toddler...

Beautifully written, this book covers some sensitive issues including grief and domestic abuse. It has lots of hidden twists and turns and keeps you guessing until the end.

In places this book felt deeply uncomfortable and challenging and I found it hard to read. I appreciate that I am in the minority with this one but it is probably more to do with my state of mind than the book itself. I will definitely give it another chance at a later date.
Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for the ARC

July Hooper knows 18 things about her mother. These are kept on a secret list she keeps hidden, because her mum died when she was young, and her Dad doesn’t like to talk about her.
On Julys 10th birthday an anonymous note is slipped through her door and changes everything.
July is determined to find out the truth. Will she like the answers she finds?

I found this a compelling book to read. I really like July. She has had a difficult childhood and wants to know more about her mother and what she was really like.
I liked the way the characters developed and as I got to know more about them my opinion kept on changing and it got me thinking.
It was a hard hitting emotional read.
This was my 1st book from this author and I am keen to learn more about her and read more from her,

Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this title

Content warnings: death of a parent, domestic violence, child abuse

Thank you to NetGalley UK and the publisher for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for a review.

I’m not sure how best to capture what I thought about this book, mostly because I thought it was so brilliant.
The authors writing style is so engaging, I was really hooked in right from the beginning. The imagery scattered throughout was fantastic - the way July describes the slivers of information people tell them about her mother as scarps of fabrics, ribbons buttons, was a favourite of mine in particular.
This was a sad, thrilling, mysterious book. July is a 10 year old girl who just wants to know about her mother, surrounded by adults who will tell her nothing. I got so invested in unravelling the mystery - readers were given just slimmest bits of information, sometimes as July learned them, sometimes from an alternative perspective - the views of the people peripheral to July’s story was another aspect I hugely enjoyed. So many times I thought we were getting to the truth just to be given another tiny hint or flash forward that totally changed everything!
I loved the letters scattered through the story. To begin with, we’re led to believe that they’re from July’s father Mick and her mother Maggie. I suspected early that the prison letters couldn’t be from Mick as it was so different from the nasty character in the 1995 timeline. I didn’t suspect the Mum letters weren’t from Maggie until much later on, then believing they would be from a future July but I was pleasantly surprised to discover it was Sylvie.
I loved the development of July and Sylvie’s relationship. They’re nasty to each other - what siblings aren’t? But at critical times, Sylvie shows her truer character, the one where she fiercely loves July and wants to protect her. I was pleased by the end of the story, where we get a glimpse into a future where their relationship is so strong.

tldr; this is an emotional, but fantastically written mystery about a ten year old girl desperate to understand where she comes from. 5⭐️

July Hooper knows very few things about her mother who died when she was young. When a school project leads her on a mission to find out more, her entire life is changed as she discovers more about her mother, her father and herself.
What July Knew was so good. It was very hard to put down. July was such an interesting and tragic character and I just rooted for her the whole time. She was so well thought out that there were times I’d forget she was just a character in a book. The author did an incredible job with the setting also. Being set in the 1990’s brought me back to my own childhood, with some stark differences, but the references were so spot on. As difficult as the book was to read at times, it was such a well executed plot and just so easy to read. I would definitely recommend this book!