Book Review of You Will Know Me by Megan Abbott

I put You Will Know Me by Megan Abbott on hold at the library after learning about it via Shelf Awareness. What I read about it in that newsletter made me wonder if it would turn out to be like Make It Or Break It-goes-to-the-dark-side. It was, and I was far from disappointed. The cover, however, is a different story. Also, the title left much to be desired, in my opinion. After truly enjoying the book, I'm baffled at the cover art and title choice, as they feel completely unrelated to the story.

You Will Know Me gives readers a look into a strange world, the secret machinations of which they'd never otherwise be privy to, and that world is US Elite Women's Gymnastics. That title may be a bit deceptive, because, by  the title of "women," you might think they're adults. Nope. The gymnast in question in this story is Olympic hopeful Devon and, though there are some plot inconsistencies regarding her age, she is purported to be 15. She spends at least 30 hours in the gym per week, and her parents have a second mortgage on their house just to fund her Olympic dreams. She does not go on dates, indulge in sleepovers, chill, hang out, have an after school job, or a hobby, or do anything else that most teenagers do. Devon lives her life in pursuit of one goal, and everything she does (and her family does, by extension), is in service of it.

Unlike many families wherein such single-mindedness on the verge of seeming insanity is at play, it is Devon--not her parents--who has chosen this life for herself, and whose drive pushes them all forward. From the other girls at the gym to her coach, from her parents to her little brother, to the other gym parents, everyone in Devon's orbit operates to serve the goal of Devon competing in the Olympics. That, in and of itself, is both awe and horror-inducing... but then, when Abbott forces readers to confront the question of what those within Devon's insular world would do to protect and ensure that Olympic dream, a whole other level of horror sets in.

Abbott has selected Devon's mother, Katie, as the protagonist of the story. After finishing the book, I'm not so sure this was the best choice. I would've much preferred to hear the story unfold as from Devon's younger brother Drew's perspective. I think that would have both underscored the level of terror and also balanced the question of reality vs. hallucination/fantasy/nightmare nicely, as adults frequently disbelieve Drew throughout the story about things he has observed.

Devon's foot was disfigured in a truly disturbing accident involving a lawnmower when she was just a toddler. Not only does this give the otherwise impervious Devon a compelling weakness (both physically and emotionally), but it also adds an interesting twist to the story that a gymnast competing at the highest level doesn't look completely like the airbrushed/flawless young women we're used to seeing on the vault and beam. Also, her foot is an interesting litmus test for readers as to the true personalities of some of the other characters: seeing how certain people react to her foot's altered appearance all these years after it has healed shows us more about the character doing the reacting than it does about Devon, herself. And its inclusion in a story about a girl who seems superhuman is interesting, too, as most people would think of such a disfigurement as a disability.

Sadly, I was able to predict the real outcome of the main plot from not far at all into the book. I really wish Abbott had added more plot twists so that I would've at least had to work for it a bit. But, that predictability didn't stop me from paging forward with a horror-filled expression on my face as I watched events unfold just as I had feared. Even knowing what was going to happen didn't make Devon's world any less strange or interesting. If an overly predictable version of Make It Or Break It gone suspense thriller is your jam, I recommend You Will Know Me by Megan Abbott.