Book Review: I Know What I Saw

I Know What I Saw by K.T. Carlisle
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

An excellent teaser blurb and author K.T. Carlisle’s engaging personality on social media gave me a couple of good reasons to push aside my scaredy-cat nature and pick up a copy of her YA thriller, I Know What I Saw. Besides, how could I resist the lure of a Sasquatch?

It’s been a minute since I was in high school. But as it turns out, some things never change. Clique mentality, cruelty, lunchroom table status, finding a bestie to cling to, being late to class, weird teachers… And to this mix the author adds dealing with death on a couple of levels. Eliza struggles with the recent loss of her mother, and along with the entire school is reeling from strange and horrible student murders.

The cast of characters is large, diverse and interesting. Every one of them has a well-developed character and a good reason to be included in the story. There’s no “filler” characters – each plays their part in propelling the story forward. Speaking of the story, I don’t like to give away details about plots in my reviews; having a story unfold as you read a book is one of the greatest joys in life.

The setting of a small town steeped in Sasquatch lore reminded me a lot of small towns I spent time in when I was living in the Pacific Northwest, though this story takes place on the east coast.

All these elements are strung together on a tightly written plotline that gleefully flings red herrings around while also giving us the clues we need to solve the mystery of the murders… if we can! I found the story highly engrossing. The author did not shy away from making the horrors really horrific, which should please thriller fans. My conclusion? Very goosebump-raising, very satisfying.