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Do You Remember? by Freida McFadden
A gripping domestic thriller novel by the bestselling author Freida McFadden.
Diego Dunne
December 12, 2024
Hey, it’s Diego.
I picked up Do You Remember? by Freida McFadden this week.
And it’s something I was not expecting.
Let me give you my spoiler-free unbiased review.
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Do You Remember? by Freida McFadden Review
Do You Remember? starts with a bang: every morning, Tess wakes up with no memory of the last seven years. She's living with a man who insists he’s her husband, but something about him and her surroundings feels off. Each day, Tess pieces together fragments of her life, only to wake up the next morning with a clean slate, locked in a house that feels more like a high-tech prison.
Trigger Warnings: psychological manipulation, themes of confinement and control, and references to accidents and injuries.
The book fits neatly into the domestic thriller genre with a heavy dose of domestic suspense.
Domestic thrillers: a subset of psychological thrillers that happen in a “domestic” location. This can be a family home or small town but can also be a hospital, prison, etc.
Okay, so the premise isn’t new. Memory loss is something we’ve all seen before. But the first-person perspective pulled me into Tess’s paranoia and confusion, making every page pique my interest as we pulled the plot threads.
Freida McFadden’s straightforward style makes this an easy read, perfect for devouring in one or two sittings. The repetitive nature of Tess’s daily memory resets gets a bit frustrating, but I’d say it works to build suspense as new details emerge. That said, the prose prioritizes momentum over depth, and while the plot is compelling, don’t expect rich character studies or vivid imagery.
As with any McFadden story, it’s a slow burn with tension building gradually through the repetitive days, leading to a major twist at the end.
Romance? Sort of. While Tess’s relationship with her supposed husband adds a layer of intrigue, it’s more about mistrust and manipulation than love. And if you’re wondering, there’s no spice here—no explicit scenes and clean language. Violence is minimal too, with no graphic depictions, making this accessible to a wide audience.
So, what about the ending? (No spoilers obviously)
I love my stories to wrap up nicely, with a neat little bow at the end. I like to read a cathartic scene where everything our characters have been through finally pays off physically and emotionally. Then a denouement in another chapter (or chapters) following the characters decompress where things are resolved and I’m left delighted at how well things played out at the end, every plot thread resolved.
As with other McFadden books, I think the ending just about lands, but wished the aftermath had been explored more thoroughly—it wraps up loose ends but lacks the necessary time with characters during the aftermath to feel complete.
While not perfect, Do You Remember? has an undeniable way of holding interest and enough suspense to keep you flipping pages. If you’re in the mood for a good popcorn thriller, this one will scratch your itch.
Similar Books to Do You Remember?
Before I Go to Sleep by S.J. Watson
That’s all for this week.
See you next time.
— Diego Dunne
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