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When I was in school, it always seemed like the meanest girls were the ones who knew how to win over the teachers with their big, fake smiles and their insincere compliments. But in What I Know by author Miranda Smith, one teacher is able to see through the lies to fear the danger lurking in her classroom.
The story begins when a new girl arrives in Della’s classroom with just a few weeks left in the school year. Zoey is super smart and an instant track star, and the entire staff seems to think that she’s the ideal student. But Della senses something dark and threatening in Zoey—something that reminds her of her older brother, Brian. When one of the girls in her class is attacked, Della fears that Zoey is responsible. No one believes her suspicions, and they tell her to leave it alone. But she can’t help but think about what can happen when people like her brother are left unsupervised.
Zoey seems to be the perfect student. She becomes close friends with the right people. She impresses her teachers. And she manages to pull the track team out of a dismal losing streak. But Della sees through the facade. She hears the comments that Zoey makes under her breath, and she picks up the subtle hints and threats that might be something significant—or they might be nothing at all.
When Della expresses her concerns, everyone makes her feel like she’s just going crazy—that she’s imagining things that can’t possibly be true. And it’s all subtle enough that readers will question everything just as Della does. She doubts herself so much that she can’t even talk to her husband, Danny—the one person who knows about her family and their dark past.
The subtleties of the story make for a tense thriller. And as Della tries to find proof of Zoey’s sinister actions, the novel tells a parallel story of Della’s teen years—of her uneasy relationship with her too-perfect older brother and the terrible discovery of the things he was capable of. It’s horrifying and suspenseful, and though you may suspect that you know how it will all end, the author leaves enough in doubt that you’ll be eager to keep reading to figure out how the story will play out.
Eerie and gripping, What I Know is the kind of thriller that will keep you on your toes. It’s a haunting read that’s capable of giving you chills on a summer afternoon.
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