K. T. Nguyen‘s debut thriller You Know What You Did has drawn comparisons to Lisa Jewell and Celeste Ng. The book follows Annie “Anh Le” Shaw, whose life begins to spiral out of control after her mother dies unexpectedly one night. As she loses control, a person goes missing, and she wakes up naked in a bath tub. Nguyen’s taut thriller takes off from there and never looks back.
We caught up with the author to ask our recurring “A Life of Books” questionnaire so readers can get to know her better and get some book recommendations along the way.
Is there a book or series that, when you think back, helped define your childhood?
One of my favorite series as a child was All-of-a-Kind Family by Sydney Taylor. These books tell the story of a Jewish immigrant family who settle in Manhattan’s Lower East Side. The series follows the five daughters as they come of age and learn about their new country while celebrating and preserving their Jewish traditions. Growing up in small town Ohio, my own refugee family (I was also one of five kids!) was fairly isolated. Taylor’s books depicted a sense of ethnic connection and community that I longed for in my own life.
Would you want any children in your life (yours or relatives’) to read those too? Or, what’s your philosophy on what children read?
Yes, we read All-of-a-Kind Family with my daughter along with favorites like Owls in the Family, Bridge to Terabithia, The Westing Game and all of Beverly Cleary’s books. We also gave her the freedom to select her own e-books once she was able to read on her own. My approach is to expose the child to a wide range of literature so they can develop their own tastes.
I discovered some of my favorite writers in high school. What writers did you discover then? Either ones that were assigned for class or ones you found on your own.
One of the most memorable books I read in high school was I Never Promised You a Rose Garden by Joanne Greenberg. This semi-autobiographical novel is a gut-wrenching depiction of a young woman’s mental health struggles. I thought of it often when writing the vivid portrayal of obsessive compulsive disorder in You Know What You Did. As a teenager, I also couldn’t get enough of Phyllis A. Whitney and Mary Higgins Clark.
Are there any books that you read while writing your debut that helped shape the direction you took your own book?
In a typical week, I will read one to three psychological thrillers or domestic suspense. I gobble them up. I’m sure all of these influenced the shape of my debut. Some of my favorite thriller authors include Lisa Jewell, Andrea Mara, S.A. Cosby, Heather Chavez, and Yasmin Angoe.
What is a book you’ve read that you thought, Damn, I wish that was mine?
I’ve only recently started reading Karin Slaughter. The characters in The Good Daughter jumped off the page and have a permanent spot in my brain. Like S.A. Cosby’s work, Slaughter’s books leave me feeling like I’ve watched a movie. The Marsh King’s Daughter by Karen Dionne is beautifully written as well—the depictions of childhood and nature deeply resonated with me.
What have you been reading lately that you can recommend to Debutiful readers?
Soo many juicy thrillers just out or coming out soon! A Friend in the Dark by Samantha M. Bailey, The Switch by Lily Samson, Missing White Woman by Kellye Garrett, Society of Lies by Lauren Ling Brown, The Haters by Robyn Harding, and The Hitchcock Hotel by Stephanie Wrobel.
And, finally, I have to ask… I’m sorry. What’s next? But wait! Only use three words.
Sexy. Multicultural. Suspense.
debutiful 