You Did Nothing Wrong: A Novel

This one hurt — and that’s the point I guess. You Did Nothing Wrong is a really hard read, both emotionally and mentally. There were moments where I genuinely wasn’t sure if I could continue, not because it isn’t well written, but because it digs deep into some very uncomfortable places. The themes of pregnancy and motherhood are especially brutal here. Nothing is softened or romanticized, and at times it was honestly hard to stomach. This book demands that you sit with fear, doubt, and isolation — and it does not let you look away. What kept me turning the pages was the unreliable narrator. I loved never knowing what to trust, constantly questioning whether what I was reading was real. That slow, creeping sense of uncertainty is where this story truly shines. I was always waiting for the moment where the truth would finally unravel. I loved the audiobook for this. It made everything even more intense with no way to escape. This is not an easy read, nor is it meant to be. But it is gripping, unsettling, and deeply effective in what it sets out to do. 4/5 stars Thank you @netgalley and @Macmillan.Audio for the eARC! #YouDidNothingWrong #Netgalley #Bookstagram

I won an eARC through a giveaway by the author. The eARC was kindly provided via NetGalley. In this story, C. G. Drews writes another autistic character, this time even more “visible” than in Hazelthorn. Autistic representation is much needed, but the execution here is not for the faint of heart. This book made me feel uncomfortable on so many levels. I am not a mother and never plan to be, so the story of Elodie and her autistic son Jude was a horror story in itself for me, but that is because of my personal fears. This one hit close to home, I guess. C. G. Drews did an excellent job capturing the utterly devastating exhaustion Elodie experiences while trying to raise her son, meet his needs, and manage his many autistic meltdowns and tantrums. Just reading it was so… tiring. I also think it is supposed to feel uncomfortable, because nothing about this world or society is comfortable for neurodivergent people. That said, the story dragged at times, and the plot felt stretched out like gum, which made it hard to get through the book. Especially from around 50% to 70%, I felt like the focus on the horror plot got lost. There was a lot of just… childcare? Domestic life? I am also not very familiar with the horror genre yet, this being only the third or fourth horror book I have ever read, and sadly I did not feel very scared. Uncomfortable, yes. Very uncomfortable. And, like Elodie, caged. This also did not quite read like a “true” adult novel to me, with both adult characters being only 22 and 23 years old. New Adult, maybe? That said, it is far more gory than any of Drews’s YA novels, so there is that. The writing itself is, once again, devastatingly beautiful. C. G. Drews paints mental pictures using rotting metaphors like no other. Even the very first line of the book is just so… beautiful and devastating. “It’s in the dark that she loves him the most.” Drews also writes protagonists and antagonists that are difficult to tell apart. At some point, I always found myself feeling more for the apparent antagonist. Elodie made me feel things. She is certainly not a character to like, but again, this seems to be the point. Overall, the story is tragic and hit a little too close to home for me personally. I can’t pinpoint exactly what was missing for this to earn a higher rating. But maybe it’s me after all? P.S.: Also that one sentence in the acknowledgements broke me. “If you were once the autistic child, you did nothing wrong.” 3.25/5 ⭐