Tell Me Everything

April 29, 2019
Malin Ahlberg, the control-obsessed protagonist of Brockman’s disquieting debut, is a senior at Hawthorne College in Edelton, Maine. Though her troubled upbringing left her a loner, Malin arrives on campus determined to reinvent herself, befriending Ruby, Max, John, Gemma, and Khaled on day one. The six become inseparable, but now, just months before graduation, their bond is starting to fray. Malin launches a desperate bid to fix things, but as the book’s prologue foreshadows, a suspicious death will tear them apart. Malin’s narration is studded with flashbacks to both freshman year and her childhood in Texas, tracing the origins of the group’s implosion and her own manipulative compulsions. Brockman perfectly captures the insecurities that plague young adults, as well as the intense relationships that form in the crucible that is college. Deliberate pacing complements the sinuous structure, with anxiety and dread mounting as the story lines coalesce. Not every reveal feels earned, but the shocking central twist and devastating conclusion amply compensate. Fans of Patricia Highsmith and Donna Tartt should take notice. Agent: Lori Galvin, Aevitas.