I Know Who You Are: A Novel

Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. I Know Who You Are is packed with twists, right up to the final pages. Which revelation surprised you the most? Did you find the ultimate resolution satisfying?

2. Alice Feeney is known for psychological thrillers with complex female protagonists. How does Aimee Sinclair’s story compare to characters in Feeney’s other novels, like Sometimes I Lie (2017), or to protagonists in other psychological thrillers you’ve read?

3. To what extent was Aimee an unreliable narrator? Did her diagnosed amnesia and memory gaps create a compelling mystery, or did you find it frustrating as a reader?

Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.

1. Aimee often finds it easier to perform a role than to be herself, a feeling tied to her acting career. Have you ever found comfort in playing a specific role, whether at work, with family, or in a social setting? What makes that kind of performance appealing?

2. The novel suggests that our earliest relationships can set a pattern for the future. In light of your experiences, was it believable that Aimee’s traumatic childhood with her captors, Maggie and John, shaped her adult relationship with the man she believed was Ben?

3. Maggie’s chilling advice to Aimee is that “acting will save you.” What skills or personal philosophies have you found essential for navigating challenging times in your own life?

4. Aimee finds a sense of escape and safety in bookstores, calling them “literary sanctuar[ies].” Where do you go, either physically or mentally, to find a sense of peace when the world feels chaotic?

5. The phrase “I know who you are” is used as a constant, intimate threat against Aimee. Can you think of a time when someone’s perception of you, whether accurate or not, felt particularly intense or limiting?

Examine the book’s relevance to societal issues, historical events, or cultural themes.

1. Through the characters of journalist Jennifer Jones and rival actress Alicia White, the narrative explores the intense pressure of media scrutiny. How does the novel critique the way that modern celebrity culture consumes the private lives of public figures, particularly women?

2. Eamonn successfully frames Aimee by faking a report of domestic abuse. What does the novel’s use of this plot point suggest about societal perceptions of intimate partner violence and the difficulty of identifying the true aggressor in a relationship?

3. The story is driven by the long-term consequences of family trauma. What does the destructive cycle between Aimee and Eamonn reveal about how unresolved childhood abuse can shape adult identity and relationships?

Dive into the book’s structure, characters, themes, and symbolism.

1. Feeney uses a dual timeline, alternating between Aimee’s disoriented present and Ciara’s traumatic past. How did this structure impact your understanding of Aimee’s psychological state and build suspense throughout the novel?

2. What is the significance of the red shoes as a recurring symbol? How does their meaning evolve from a representation of Ciara’s stolen innocence to a tool in Aimee’s adult life?

3. One of the novel’s biggest deceptions is the revelation that the chapters from “Maggie’s” perspective are actually Eamonn’s. Looking back, did you spot any clues that hinted at the true identity of this narrator? Elaborate.

4. Eamonn’s having plastic surgery to resemble Jack is an extreme act of deception. What does this physical transformation reveal about Eamonn’s character and his obsessive need to control Aimee’s reality?

5. Aimee ultimately kills Eamonn not with her gun but with the axe from their childhood. What is the symbolic importance of her using this specific weapon to finally break the cycle of their shared trauma?

6. The guide compares Aimee’s memory loss to the condition in the film Memento. How does Feeney’s use of transient global amnesia compare to other stories you’ve encountered that feature amnesia as a central plot device?

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

1. The novel’s ending leaves Alicia White’s disappearance unresolved, while Aimee is pregnant and seemingly in control. What do you think really happened to Alicia, and what kind of future do you imagine for Aimee and Jack?

2. A letter that Aimee wrote to her brother 20 years earlier becomes a pivotal clue. What might a letter from Eamonn to Aimee, written just before he began his elaborate deception, have said?

3. The title, I Know Who You Are, perfectly captures the novel’s central threat. What alternate title might you give the book that emphasizes another aspect or theme, such as the fragility of identity or the nature of memory?