I Know What You Did Last Summer

By: Lois Duncan

Narrated by: Dennis Holland

Length: 4 hrs and 52 mins

Publisher's summary

They didn't mean it. They didn't mean to hit the boy. There was a party, and it was an accident... that wasn't who they were. They were pre-law, a football player, bound for New York. No one could know, so Barry, Julie, Helen, and Ray swore one another to secrecy. But now, a year later, someone knows. Julie receives a haunting, anonymous threat: "I know what you did last summer." The dark lie is unearthed, and before the four friends know it, they need to outsmart a killer... or they will be the next to die.

©1973 Lois Duncan (P)2010 Hachette Audio

Excellent light suspense

Nice teen drama with some good twists and turns. The 90's "updates" are clunky--bring back the vintage version and you'll have a 4 star book.

Good Story

I didn’t know this was a book when I watched the movie and was interested in seeing how close the story would be. The movie is completely different!! Like completely different there are minor similarities between the book and the movie but the book is so much better to me than the movie which is usually the case. Definitely work a read/listen I listened to the entire thing in one sitting.

I loved this book

I loved this book I loved how there was so much detail from the narrator and how the voice changed.

Great Class Novel

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

The film didn't do this book justice. It (the book) is so much better. I have to remind my students that you can't start the book thinking about the movie, because it is so different. This gets the class engaged to what is in store.

Any additional comments?

This is a great book for struggling readers. It keeps them on the edge of their seats the entire time. My class has read it every year and even the ones who have to read it again are excited to find the clues they missed the first time.

Awesome Listen

If you could sum up I Know What You Did Last Summer in three words, what would they be?

Thrilling, Exciting, Enjoyable

Who was your favorite character and why?

I really liked Julie because she seemed like an honest good person that got mixed up in something terrible. She was strong and confident and deeply effected by the murder and you could always tell she wanted to do the right thing.

Have you listened to any of Dennis Holland’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

This is my first audio book and I followed along great with Dennis Holland and will be sure to find more of his readings.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

I know what you did last summer.

Any additional comments?

What is the book about?
Barry, Julie, Ray, and Helen are all driving around having fun as normal teenagers when the unthinkable happens to them. They make a pact to never tell anyone what they did and what they saw. A year has passed and now Julie is receiving odd messages. Messages that clearly shows someone knows their secret. The group of friends teams up to try and find out who knows what really happened.
What did I think of the book?
It's summer and I wanted to read a quick book that I had read before. Although the book isn't as thrilling and scary as I usually like my books to be it's a fun quick mystery that I've read over and over again just for fun. It's a classic in my bookshelf.

Not a slasher but good in its own right

Know that the film adaptation of this novel is very loosely based off the novel. There is no fisherman with a hook hand killing teens.
The novel is more grounded in reality and has more to do with grief and how an event from the characters' past has shaped their present day lives.
It is good, but if you are looking for a fun slasher, this book is not it.

Love!

I am a big fan of the movies and thought I should check out the book. It is very different from the movies but it’s refreshing to not read the same story. Very interesting! Well-written♥️

2010 Revisions

I wish this was the original 1973 version. The sentence structure and language is clearly 1970’s with phrases like “going steady.” The addition of words like “email, spam, and cell phone” are unnecessary and odd. Some of the updated phrasing is already out of date in 2024.

Super Short, but entertaining

Is there anything you would change about this book?

I would have made it longer, and a little more suspenseful.

Any additional comments?

It wasnt a bad listen at all. There just could have been a lot more to it. I think I expected something a little longer and suspenseful because of the movie. Still, as usual, the book was better.

Great suspense throughout

Loved it! Ms. Duncan is a master at weaving suspenseful tales. I really enjoyed both the story and the audio performance.