What You Made Me Do: A Novel

Anneliese is looking for her birth mother. In the process, she meets Willem, and they start a whirlwind romance that culminates in a pregnancy and a hasty engagement. Anneliese moves into Willem’s family home along with Willem’s father and stepmother. There, she finds an interesting family dynamic that has never really been the same since the death of Willem’s mother, Louisa, some twenty years before. Things begin to come to a head as feelings are brought to the surface after so many years, and secrets start to come to light. In the end, all anyone can say is, “Look at What You Made Me Do.”

This is a surprisingly dark and twisted story I did not expect from the Netherlands. For some reason, I always thought they were kind and happy people, but I guess everyone has their demons. There are zero lovable characters in this story, and depending on your point of view, there are no happy endings either. If you enjoy horrible family dynamics and seeing how secrets tear families apart, this story is for you.