You Did Nothing Wrong: A Novel

I love me a haunted house. You Did Nothing Wrong features a crumbling Victorian with bad vibes in the walls. I gave this horror story my full attention because I also live in an old Victorian home. Nothing humbles you faster than reading about a creepy house while your own 130-year-old floorboards start making noises. Elodie thinks she has finally found her fresh start. She leaves Australia with her autistic son, Jude, to move in with the love of her life, Bren. Bren is a devoted American man who brings Elodie and Jude to his family’s decaying Victorian home in Virginia. Elodie is excited for her new marriage, a baby on the way, and a house that feels like the beginning of a better life. Then Jude starts hearing voices in the walls that share that the renovations are angering the house. Elodie is forced to question whether something supernatural is happening or whether her child is unraveling. Drews knows how to make a house feel alive, sick, and watchful. The scenes with Jude and the walls were unsettling. I loved the constant question of whether the danger was coming from the house, the family, or Elodie’s own mind. The middle dragged for me once the story shifted into Elodie and Bren’s relationship history. Their love story was sweet, but I kept wondering what it had to do with the possessed house and Jude’s worsening mental health. I wanted more focus on the horror elements and less time away from the part of the book that had me side-eyeing every wall in my own home. The final act was wild. The reveals got darker, stranger, and much more disturbing than I expected. I loved the shock factor, but I finished the book feeling confused about what the ending wanted me to believe. Was the haunting real? Was Elodie’s mind breaking? Was Jude being misunderstood? I wish the ending had given me a firmer landing after dragging me through all those walls. You Did Nothing Wrong is creepy, domestic, and uncomfortable. It works best as a psychological horror story about motherhood, control, and the terror of not being believed. Pick this up if you like haunted houses, unreliable narration, and messy family secrets.

Not going to lie, I had to put this book down multiple times because of how real the emotions and descriptions were. Elodie’s story is addictive, you empathize with her right at the beginning. Cheering her on, but also on edge because obviously this isn't going to be a nice happy family book. As the story unravels, it's hard to decide if the house is haunted, or if Elodie is mentally unstable. I'll be honest, I rooted for the house being haunted. So many of the twists caught me completely off guard, and the ending is perfection. While I still have questions, I think it's just my lack of want for 'you just know what happen' type endings. lol But who knows, could this be a duology? Could we meet up with Elodie 5 years later? Elodie's parents, and flash back scenes def. hit a cord with my emotions. Mix that with Jude's mannerisms and behavior. These characters are so real. You know them, they're your neighbor. I just can't get over how well done the autistic representation is done. How well the 'favorite child' representation is done. The 'too much' in the eldest daughter, ugh. It's overall just so well written. You'll enjoy this book, if you love thrillers that fill you with twists, houses with more to be discovered, and deep characters. Thank you to Net Galley for a copy of this read!

I was given both an ebook ARC and an audiobook ALC by the publisher and NetGalley, and I’m so grateful for the opportunity to experience this story in both formats. You Did Nothing Wrong is another incredible book from C. G. Drews. Their writing style is so immersive and descriptive that even the darkest moments feel strangely beautiful. I found myself wanting to highlight quote after quote because the prose is just that memorable. This story is full of tension, paranoia, and creeping unease. Elodie’s perspective on motherhood felt incredibly honest and raw, and her relationship with Bren kept me questioning what was really going on. It was difficult to know who to trust, and that uncertainty builds throughout the entire book. The story starts a bit slowly, giving readers time to emotionally connect with Elodie and Jude, but once the tension really begins to build, it becomes impossible to put down. By the end, the atmosphere is thick with suspense. Like many of Drews’ books, this one left me sitting quietly afterward just thinking about everything I had read. It’s a dark and haunting psychological horror with a touch of the paranormal, and it’s a story I won’t forget anytime soon. I also really enjoyed the audiobook narration, which captured the emotion and intensity of the story beautifully.