This was a good solid mystery novel. I enjoyed the deception and the different characters at the school and at Luna’s home. It was easy and quick to read too.

I kind of felt like I wanted her to have an ally at the school though. I kept expecting someone to realise she wasn’t Solina and to team up with her to help solve the mystery (and maybe betray her because it was them all along!). But that didn’t happen and I felt it a little lacking because so much of it was all in her head and she had no one to talk to.

I liked the dynamic of the characters in Luna and Solina’s family. How she had a parental figure in Tiffany even if she wasn’t her real parent. I wish we could have seen more of Solina and Luna together, but it wasn’t that sort of book. I did feel like we didn’t know Solina enough from Luna’s perspective.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book.

I first became intrigued by this at YALC where I picked up a sampler, and I just had to pick it up once I saw it on Netgalley

This had my full attention from page 1.
It's such a gripping and fast paced thriller, however isn't too scary, since it's YA. It's perfect.
I don't know how I feel about a girl losing her twin and then pretending to be said dead twin and essentially taking over her life in hopes of searching for answers.
The characters are so well written, and had such uniqueness to them.

Definitely recommend to anyone who enjoyed AGGGTM

This book is a dark mystery that delves into the impact of sudden, unexplained deaths. Luna isn't able to grieve for her sister because she is sure that her death was not an accident and that there is something going on at the private school Solina was attending.
This book contains references to physical and sexual abuse along with drug and alcohol use. As a result, I definitely would not recommend to primary school age children. However, I really enjoyed the book. I was invested in the story line. I like the fact that Luna wasn't depicted as the perfect sister, but as a character with flaws. Luna and Solina are twins but it's clear that Luna feels less self-worth when she compares herself to her sister. She has made a lot of sacrifices to support Solina and while she puts Solina on a pedal stall, she also resents to sacrifices she's made.
At the private school, Luna realises that Solina has been dating the richest and most popular boy at the school. She had been sucked into their "friendship" group but the group are more like frenemies and all the relationships are very toxic. Some students are using study drugs to try to keep their grades up, whereas others are just using party drugs. This book would definitely provide opportunities for discussion but would definitely need to be for much older children based on the content and I would 100% recommend reading it before thinking about adding it to a secondary school library.

The Girl You Know was a fascinating YA Dark Academia mystery with an effective use of atmosphere, great twists and an explosive conclusion.

This book is all about grief and revenge. It is losing yourself in pursuit of the truth, no matter the cost. There is a kernel of darkness there that is expanded upon as Luna becomes more and more entangled in this web. From the off, she is living a lie as she assumes Solina’s identity. I really enjoy books that sit in a morally gray space and allow their protagonists to make difficult decisions, with consequences coming for their actions. Here, that idea of consequences is paramount, as they are doled out unfairly depending on your background. A little balancing of the scales may be merited.

Luna is a deeply hurt protagonist, struggling with her grief and being a fish-out-of-water in this place of extreme wealth and status. Blackwood is not somewhere someone like her would ever fit in, but somehow Solina managed it. The mystery itself is well-constructed, with great pacing and exciting twists and turns. Without giving anything away, I particularly enjoyed the final third of the book as it builds towards a spectacular conclusion.

I love a good Dark Academia tale and this makes the most of the genre, with a focus on privilege and what extent people would go to to maintain the status quo and preserve their power. It explores themes of classism, sexual assault and death, so do check content warnings before reading. I thought these themes were handled with sensitivity and nuance, rather than cheap plot twists. It is ultimately all about the abuse of power. The monstrosity on display is so impactfully human that it makes your stomach lurch.

The Girl You Know builds on a fantastic premise to deliver a superb slice of YA Dark Academia.

The Girl You Know tells an all too familiar story, but the approach is anything but common.
Our main character, Luna, is deeply upset by the unexpected death of her sister, Solina. She is convinced someone in Solina’s life knew more than they’d told anyone, and determines to take her sister’s place at the exclusive Kingswood Academy that her sister was so keen to leave.
Upon arrival Luna finds herself caught up in the pretence that she is her sister. She quickly realises that her sister was keeping a lot from her, and that someone in her circle may have been instrumental in her death.
Like Ace of Spades we see a system geared to letting those already benefitting from many social advantages continue to thrive. We see just how far those who want to succeed are prepared to go in order to guarantee success. A rather depressing read in many ways, but definitely a story worth reading.
Thanks to NetGalley for giving me the chance to read and review this prior to publication.

This was a brilliant dark academic mystery. It kept me guessing throughout. I love how realistic Lunas feelings toward her sister felt to me. The climax was very dramatic. The epilogue bittersweet.

Would recommend for fans of Ace of Spades or A Good Girls Guide to Murder.

I've read a handful of books with twins taking over the other's identity, and this one was a good take on the topic. It's always important for said twin taking over to figure out what happened to their twin and get revenge on their behalf. I did enjoy this book up until the reveal. It wasn't terrible, but I feel like this one could have gone so many different ways than the way it did. The outcome fell a bit short and dissatisfying for me, but the lead up and everything else; I liked.

3.5

Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC of The Girl you Know!

This is a fast-paced thriller with a heroine who is battling her grief of losing her sister to an institution from which she is so far removed. This story will pull at your heart strings and get you riled up as you watch Luna face up against the injustice which took her sister away. Luna can at times be unlikable but that is definitely how we are meant to view her so do not let this put you off.

While the plot twist and the setup were slightly predictable, this was still an incredible read and is suitable for readers who enjoy thrillers with commentary about feminism and grief.