Narrated by: Emily BauerE-Audio, 08:11:10Release Date: January 7, 2020Published by: MacMillan Audio
Read from: February 10-12, 2020Stand-aloneSource: LibraryTW: Teen Abduction, Abuse, Stockholm Syndrome, PTSD, Panic Attacks, Trauma, Guilt, and maybe more. (Read with Caution)For fans of: Contemporary, Realistic Fiction, Psycological Thrillers, Suspense, Tear-Jerkers, YA
Bestselling author Laurie Faria Stolarz returns with Jane Anonymous, a gripping tale of a seventeen-year-old girl’s kidnapping and her struggle to fit back into her life after she escapes.
Then, “Jane” was just your typical 17-year-old in a typical New England suburb getting ready to start her senior year. She had a part-time job she enjoyed, an awesome best friend, overbearing but loving parents, and a crush on a boy who was taking her to see her favorite band. She never would’ve imagined that in her town where nothing ever happens, a series of small coincidences would lead to a devastating turn of events that would forever change her life.
Now, it’s been three months since “Jane” escaped captivity and returned home. Three months of being that girl who was kidnapped, the girl who was held by a “monster.” Three months of writing down everything she remembered from those seven months locked up in that stark white room. But, what if everything you thought you knew―everything you thought you experienced―turned out to be a lie?
*MY THOUGHTS*
I waited to read this because reading the synopsis I KNEW it was going to be intense, but it was moreso than even I suspected. Like it moved me to tears, and that's not something that normally happens when I'm reading a thriller.
Jane Anonymous was kidnapped, but she was able to escape. Now she's struggling with trying to fit into her old life from "before." Before she was just an average teen girl with normal teen ideals. Now, 3 months after she's escaped, she can't forget what it was like to be trapped by someone she didn't know with nothing but lies.
I'm just going to go ahead and say it, this book stressed me out. I thought I was ready for it, but I really wasn't. So, if you have a trigger from any of the CWs, be careful when you're reading this. This book is really gripping and intense, but its also really well written. I will say I thought some of the things in it were written for shock value and I found that hard to be ok with because this is a situation that might really happen to someone. After trying (and failing) with what I wanted to say, I saw that there was a BookTuber who got it more right than I could in her review.
As for the audio, I really liked it. There was no full cast, and there was nothing extra special about it, but the reader sounded scared, upset, etc. at the appropriate times in the book and it was an enjoyable listening experience. Not my favorite, but the narrator was good and easy to understand, even when I had the speed up to 2x's the normal speed. Definitely a format to consider if you're thinking of going this route.
As for the writing style, it was a bit predictable, but I didn't mind because of how mindblown I already was with the story. I felt like I was listening to it on 2x's the normal time and I still couldn't listen fast enough, so guessing the plot twists early on didn't really bother me. I was way more into the story itself and wanting to know what happened.
As a thriller, this novel was gripping and the main character was unreliable. It was such a sad situation that brought forth a really intriguing story. If this is the type of story for you, give it a try, but be careful.
As for the audio, I really liked it. There was no full cast, and there was nothing extra special about it, but the reader sounded scared, upset, etc. at the appropriate times in the book and it was an enjoyable listening experience. Not my favorite, but the narrator was good and easy to understand, even when I had the speed up to 2x's the normal speed. Definitely a format to consider if you're thinking of going this route.
As for the writing style, it was a bit predictable, but I didn't mind because of how mindblown I already was with the story. I felt like I was listening to it on 2x's the normal time and I still couldn't listen fast enough, so guessing the plot twists early on didn't really bother me. I was way more into the story itself and wanting to know what happened.
As a thriller, this novel was gripping and the main character was unreliable. It was such a sad situation that brought forth a really intriguing story. If this is the type of story for you, give it a try, but be careful.
Overall, I give this
