She doesn’t remember that night. But she will never be the same.One moment, Dahlia is a successful Harvard student; the next, she wakes up from a party, the victim of a brutal assault. Her life veers into a tailspin, and what’s worse — her memory of the attack has been ripped away, leaving a cold rage in its wayke.Now, years later, Dahlia is a tattooed paralegal suffering from PTSD and still … suffering from PTSD and still haunted by that night. Until one day, a video surfaces online, and Dahlia sees her attack for the first time.
Now she knows what happened to her. And she knows who is to blame. Her rage is no longer cold, but burning, red hot.
And she is about to make everyone pay.
more
Wow! What Happened that Night by Sandra Block is one of those books your going to love or hate. I loved how Dahlia finally takes charge and gets some payback for what was done to her 5 years before. This story pulled at my heart in places and also made me mad at how rape victims sometimes get treated not just from the police but other people. If you want an interesting read, with some twists and turns and interesting characters this book may be what your looking for. Thank you Netgalley for allowing me to read this ARC book!
This is a very powerful book. It was written with much thought and care for victims of this nature. The characters are well thought out and seem to have a true sense of themselves, which makes it easy to become involved with them and the story. It is a gut wrenching story about a happy, young girl who goes to a party one night where everything changes. She doesn’t remember the details of what occurred that night, but she knows what happened. At first beaten down by the events, she fights to take back what was stolen from her that night – her dignity and her life.
This is a strong, emotional story, and unfortunately, for many women, a true story. It is a must read for every young woman out there. Excellent book!
Sandra Block’s WHAT HAPPENED THAT NIGHT is an unflinching exploration of the fine line between justice and revenge. Block expertly compels readers to examine a diverse number of issues through the the eyes of Dahlia and James who are bound together by personal tragedy and heartache. WHAT HAPPENED THAT NIGHT is a visceral thrill that will keep you reading late into the night. Perfect for book clubs.
As others have said, this is a book that will undoubtedly instill strong feelings. Personally, I liked Dahlia, the protagonist in the book, and her boyfriend, James. I cared about them. Yet I found some of the premise unbelievable. (I did think that there was ample evidence to believe that she would have at least tried to enlist the aid of police.) Despite that, I cared enough about the characters and the plot to keep reading.
Sandra Block wrote a book that grabbed me from the very first time I looked at the gorgeous cover and held me until I read the very last word. When I first saw the book I knew that this was a story that I had to read. I knew that the suspense would keep me on the edge of my seat, the characters would make me want to be part of their friend circle, and that there would be so many twists and turns that I wouldn’t know which way I should go next.
The storyline was not an easy one to read. There were subjects, especially the rapes, that had to be tough to write about but Sandra Block did an amazing job. She gave enough detail for the reader to have no doubt what was happening but not too much. I had no doubt how much pain and fear Dahlia felt while being raped and the intense feelings that she was trying to figure out how to deal with. I love that Dahlia was strong enough to continue her life, she fought to find a way out of the black hole, and she found a way to move on. I was concerned when Dahlia met James, was he leading her down the right path or would he hurt her more than she already was hurting. By the end of the story, I enjoyed seeing the friendship grow and loved that Dahlia had someone she could trust.
The setup of the book with short chapters and multiple points of views had me flying through the story. I was anxious and excited to get to the end to find out what happens. The ending… oh, the ending… PERFECT. I didn’t see it coming, I didn’t even dream it but it was amazing.
Sandra Block never disappoints! “What Happened That Night” has serious subject matter that Sandra handled beautifully.
Rape is a tough subject to write about, but it definitely needs to be; when it is penned by the right person! This is one of those books!
Dahlia is the survivor of a rape that she had forgotten for years, yet the trauma of it was still experienced within her body.
Sandra Block teaches us all a lesson about rape survival as we read a thriller that has us on the edge of our seats, as we scream for justice to be served!
From the very first page I was enthralled and engaged, so much so, I couldn’t put the book down. I read this is one sitting!
I am a huge fan!
4.5 Stars.
ok i havent read the book yet but every reveiw i have read said it was a good book but i think it will be a great book and i may be 12 but i love adult books and i love revenge books but i havent found one that was a good one but i read them to the last page but i never liked it. i love reading and i would take a book more than anything even roblox and outside which my family loves to do and this is the best time to read because we are under quarantine. but people make me want to read it so bad because i want to know what she did for revenge because i know the characters and what happened so i am ready to get this book and get it and finish the book because i love all books so much that i have 100 books and i hav read all them expect the new ones i just got and my wishlist on this book website is 1000 books and my mom is telling me i have to finish the books she brought and i told her it will be done before she knows it. pls follow me if u have any books u want me to read because i love all books expect historical fiction because it is too much for me right now but when i get older i will maybe get into it. but thank u for reading and thank u for recommending it. follow me and give me any books u think i will like and i am 12 rn and turning 13 in november to be specific november 28 but i was born 2007 so if u read it late u can do the math…
Sandra Block’s WHAT HAPPENED THAT NIGHT occupies the literary landscape between YA drama and psychological thriller. The result is an angst-filled, yet absorbing page turner that might have you skipping a few pages, too.
Dahlia is a 20-something paralegal in Boston who was the victim of a gang rape during her senior year at Harvard. Drunk and drugged during the event, she only recalls fragments of the traumatic night which led her to drop out of college, attempt suicide, and eventually achieve a precarious emotional balance with the help of her gay best friend, Eli.
When an amateur video of the rape surfaces, Dahlia decides to hunt down the four unidentified assailants and ruin their lives. Her wingman in this effort is her law firm’s IT expert, James, who has Asperger’s Syndrome. Together they’ll tackle Dahlia’s dangerous goal, even as it leads to the very place Dahlia’s mind won’t let her remember.
Block does a masterful job capturing the very different personalities of Dahlia and James through their alternating first person, present tense narrations. Dahlia is smart, sassy, broken, angry, and entirely relatable. James is rigid and socially awkward but evolving and imminently loveable. Pitch-perfect descriptions make every scene sing, from a Boston winter to the law office to Dahlia’s apartment. Her flashbacks–aftermath of the rape, attempted suicide, meeting Eli, and getting her paralegal job—weave throughout the story.
WHAT HAPPENED THAT NIGHT has a terrific premise with well-developed and embraceable characters, but also a surfeit of distracting subplots and lost opportunities to create additional layers of suspense. Notably, instead of being a clue-dropping device, the lengthy flashbacks merely retell events with a heavier dose of pathos. James uses his IT wizardry to carry out the revenge plan, but the story skimped on details, missing the chance to deepen the thriller elements.
At its core, WHAT HAPPENED THAT NIGHT is a tantalizing story about relationships; the kind that hurt and the kind that heal.
What Happened That Night by Sandra Block
Mixed feelings on this book…I can see it appealing to New Adult readers wanting a young woman who has been raped to achieve revenge against the group of men that attacked her BUT I am not sure how I feel about what she chose to do to the men to extract that revenge. The way Dahlia and James went about achieving her revenge seemed hard to believe and their relationship was difficult for me to understand. It was an unsettling book and I am still sitting on the fence as to how I feel about it right now.
Did I like it? Not sure
Was it well written? First person point of view of James and Dahlia with flashbacks – Style fine –
Was it believable? Not to me
Would I read another book by this author? Perhaps
Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the ARC – This is my honest review.
3-4 Stars
This book was great. It was gripping and emotional. It touched on so many realistic topics, that could happen to anyone!
I would recommend.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I could not put this book down until I had finished it. There were so many twists and turns, and haunting reminders of what she could not remember. I loved how her and James got together, how they worked together, and the code they put in place. I haven’t read a book like this in a long time, if ever. I enjoyed every twist, every turn, every character, and every page.
I couldn’t finish this book. It dwelled on a brutal rape to the point of obsession. It might have gotten better but I just couldn’t get thro it long enough to find out. I would not recommend this book nor will I read anymore from this author.
derivative with a sniff of victim blaming
I’m a fan of revenge stories.
Lots of twists and turns -enjoyed reading
Great read with lots of twists and turns.
The book held me interest all the way through to the imaginative ending. The characters were easy to relate to and the plot involved current social issues and intrigue.
I thought the book was thought provoking
This is a well written story of tragedy and recovery. I loved the two main characters, and they clearly loved each other. An unexpected and wonderful ending.
Not to my liking at all. The writer just goes on and on and on: blah, blah, blah. It took me forever to finish because I kept falling asleep. It could have been good with a better editor, but unfortunately, was not.