You Won’t Know I’m Gone by Kristen Orlando - OPTIONAL

You Won’t Know I’m Gone by Kristen Orlando, 308 pages. Swoon Reads Book (Macmillan), 2018. $16.99 

Language: R (157 swears, 3 “f”); Mature Content: PG13; Violence: PG13

BUYING ADVISORY: HS – OPTIONAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

After her mother’s murder, Reagan only has one goal: kill the man who took her mother from her. And she’s willing to lie, disobey, and put herself at risk in order to accomplish that goal. But what if Reagan isn’t the only one to face the consequences of her actions?

This book is darker than the prequel, mostly because Reagan herself has changed to revolve around the darkness of revenge. Reagan’s newly chosen path causes her, and the readers, to contemplate: what defines who I am and who I want to be, what does it mean to be weak or strong, and what happens when we ignore the consequences? These questions have to be confronted as Reagan changes and learns that our choices determine what kind of person we become.

Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen