This book was hard for me to put down, but I don't necessarily feel like it was in a good way. While the story is intriguing, I had major issues with this one: namely the fact that I felt trauma and mental illness were exploited in order to craft a compelling piece of fiction that was really just decent and predictable at best.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me an advance copy in exchange for this review.

4.5stars
This was not an easy book to read by any means but it’s a fantastic one. It took me some time to gather my thoughts because of the topics this book handles.

The thing is, I really enjoyed this book and it hits hard and it’s as realistic as it could ever be. But I wanted it to dwell even more on the trauma and mental health aspects, and less in the mystery part as I solved it right at the beginning and believe many of you might too… That was my only negative-ish point.

So, let’s get to what I loved about it. This is Jane’s story. Everything in her life seemed to be going great until she was kidnapped and held captive for 7 months. This book tells her story like a diary, retelling all that passed from the beginning when she was taken until now, 3 months after she returned home. It jumps from past to present (which isn’t one of my favorite things but it worked perfectly here) and holds your attention from the very beginning in a way that’s impossible to put it down no matter what.

It was really hard to see Jane dealing with everything while she was captive, and it was hard seeing her cope after the nightmare ended… It’s like a new one started, where one would think everything would be better. I can’t even imagine being in Jane’s situation but her feelings, the panic, the withdrawal, are afterwards present after many other abusive situations, so it really hits hard.

Jane is a very relatable character because she was just a normal 17 yo girl when everything went wrong. And seeing her broken like that… It was so impactful! Jane’s emotional, heart-wrenching, terrifying survival journey was remarkably told. I could feel Jane’s feelings, fears and questions so well. I literally loved the writing and how on edge it put me.

I was especially taken aback by how well put together was her slow recovery. It felt so real and hard to read! It made me cry and many moments were just… Like I said, this book was incredibly and realistically written and I would recommend reading it with caution. It’s unlike anything I’ve read and I couldn’t recommend it enough.

I was sceptical when I picked up this book to read because of how traumatic the theme of the entire novel is. I am glad I didn't let it deter me because what I found was a pretty scary story but also healing.

The story is being told to us by the victim, who has decided to remain anonymous, she narrates in a now and then method, with now focusing on after she escaped and her readjustment to the real world and then the moment leading to her abduction and her time in captivity.

We know right at the go that Jane is no longer in captivity and she is sharing her story with us because she is ready to let the world know what happened to her on her own terms.

The writing style holds you captivated from the second you start reading, wanting to know about the person who abducted Jane and the why she was taken because that's where the mystery lies.

Jane's story highly touches on mental illness, stockholm syndrome, panic attacks & pain, what I loved was how her relationships was shown, with her parents, with the animals, her friends etc.


It wasn't an easy read because the topic of focus is one that rips my heart to shreds, but at the end of the day, its story at least gives us peace of mind, seeing as this usually isn't the case in real-life stories of abduction.

I was given this copy to read by the wonderful people at Wednesday Books, and I believe others would enjoy this book regardless if they read YA or not.

I don’t know why I have been continually drawn to heavy reads that I usually stray away from. If you are looking for an enjoyable read, this one is not it. Bordering on uncomfortable, Jane Anonymous is not a read that is written for someone’s enjoyment. But, this book is one that can make a person see things from a different perspective.

Jane Anonymous talks about kidnapping, with the hope of understanding what a person goes through in these disappointing circumstances. Some parts of this read can be too graphic, but some were glazed over so things will not be too much.

Told in alternating settings of “Then” and “Now”, be ready for a rollercoaster of feelings that can be too much if you are a little weak on the emotion front, like me.

If you are looking to feel intense emotions, you are in for a treat. This book is a terrifying tale of survival, with slivers of hope in spite of all the darkness.

This story was suspenseful and creepy!

The narrative alternated between “then,” when Jane was kidnapped and “now,” 10 months after she was kidnapped. Even though we know that she gets out, because she tells part of the story from her present perspective, it was still suspenseful. There were a lot of missing pieces that were revealed slowly throughout the book to keep up the mystery.

I figured out the mystery behind what was happening in the “warehouse” where Jane was being kept pretty quickly. It was creepy the way that she became brainwashed in a short amount of time. She took on a lot of behaviors that she learned while in captivity.

Even though the story was slowly revealed, I still had a lot of questions at the end. There were a couple of mysteries that weren’t fully solved, but perhaps that just reflects the reality of a situation like that.

I really enjoyed this suspenseful book!

Thank you Wednesday Books for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. Thank you NetGalley.

There's no denying Laurie Faria Stolarz's talent. She writes with such passion.
Jane Anonymous is about a 17 year old's fight to escape her kidnapper. This book is RAW and emotional and sooo powerful.
Jane is only one of the teens being held captive. She grows a bond with another teen Mason, and they create a pact to escape together.
Jane's life after escape isn't easy. Her parents expect everything to go bck to normal, but for Jane they can't. She asks about Mason and the other kids, but never gets an answer. There's no way she imagined them right?!

Read this book. It will change you.

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy. This did not affect my rating.
*3/5*

Jane was taken. She was gone for 7 months. She was kept in a room with only the necessities. We see Jane from before she was taken, to being taken, her captivity, her escape, and the aftermath. The story bounced back and forth in the timelines which worked really well. Jane chooses to write about her experience as her form of therapy which was an interesting way to go.

Jane Anonymous is a very compulsively readable book. I wanted to know what was going to happen next, both in the past and the present. The author does a great job of hooking you in. My issue, and it is my issue – not the books – is that I am not the books target audience. And having read my fair share of psychological thrillers, I called the twist.

I don’t know how to describe how I felt about Jane’s mom, friend, classmates… they all really bugged me throughout the entire book. I didn’t feel they were as compassionate as they could have been/should have been about her needing time and space to heal. To feel like herself and to be free again.

I love the authors message about healing from trauma.

I will be checking out more of this author’s future books.

Thank you to Wednesday Books and Netgalley for the free review copy!

JANEY ANONYMOUS by Laurie Faria Stolarz gripped me from start to finish. I had never read a young adult book that focuses on such dark themes (TW for abduction, captivity, and emotional abuse), and while this book is definitely not for everyone, personally I enjoyed it...for the most part. 

I think the book's unique perspective combined with its dark theme makes for a really interesting coming-of-age story, and one that lends itself to more of a psychological thriller than anything else. But while the writing is both compulsive and addicting, I personally felt a bit uncomfortable with the relationship that Jane ultimately develops with her captor. While I'm no expert, I think this book likely exhibits a case of Stockholm syndrome, and perhaps even romanticizes it to a certain extent. Abduction and emotional abuse are sensitive topics (especially when marketed towards a teen audience), and I sometimes felt like the seriousness of these subjects were overshadowed by a desire to make the plot more "entertaining." Nonetheless, I think what makes psychological thrillers so interesting is that they deal with inherently problematic and controversial topics, which is definitely a discussion that JANE ANONYMOUS clearly nails. While this book wasn't perfect, I'd be very curious to read what Stolarz writes next.  

This review will be posted to my main platform (http://instagram.com/inquisitivebookworm) by 1/31/20.

I was intrigued when I read the blurb for Jane Anonymous. I have read plenty of books about kidnapping and the effects on the victims, so I thought I was ready for the book. Well, I was wrong. Jane Anonymous was one of the rawest, more emotional books that I have read to date.

The plotlines for Jane Anonymous are split into two sections. There is “Then” and “Now.” The pacing for each plotline is fast and well written. There is no lag, which was great and complimented the fast pace of the plotline. There were also no dropped characters.

I wanted to reach through my Kindle, grab Jane, and hug her. The author did a fantastic job of showing the difference in her. She was an outgoing girl with a fantastic view of life before her kidnapping. After her abduction, though, she was the opposite. The author didn’t make her magically healed and had her forget what happened to her. Instead, she had Jane struggle with being home. She also showed how Jane was affected by PTSD and anxiety. Again, there were tears on my end.

The “Then” part of the storyline was amazingly written. I liked reading how Jane kept her sanity during her captivity. The author did a fantastic job of showing how Jane was broken down by her kidnapper and then built back up. It was a perfect example of Stockholm Syndrome. But, my favorite part of this book was when she escaped. It was amazing!!

The “Now” part of the storyline broke my heart. Jane was so broken. She tries to recreate her room from when she was kidnapped. Jane kept to the award system that her kidnapper used. She refused to talk to someone because of how they treated her. She had to deal with people alternately praising her and talking about her behind her back. But, there was a light at the end of the tunnel.

The end of Jane Anonymous was terrific. I can’t get into it, but I was a blubbery, sobbing mess. It made me have hope for her too. I am for sure going to be looking out for more books by this author!!

Jane Anonymous is writing the story of her abduction. It’s her attempt to find a way to deal with her trauma. She doesn’t like the therapists that her family has taken her to and she hopes her documenting of the story will act as a coping mechanism now that she is home and free of her captor.

She writes of her kidnapping and imprisonment in the basement of a building; held by a young man who leaves her food and personal items – if she follows his instructions. As she looks back at her terrifying experience, her fear and uncertainty is palpable. But even more problematic is her re-entry to what used to be her old life. It was ten months of captivity but it might have been ten years for the lasting scars on her psyche. Jane cannot get back her sense of personal safety. She might sleep in her closet, she might sit under a table hugging the leg, she might not be able to see her old friends or consider doing things that were once routine. It’s this sense of violation that permeates the book. Jane wonders if she can ever truly return to the world she was stolen from.

Stolarz brings Jane’s desperation and anguish to the page in a moving way. The character is damaged and may never find the peace of mind that she once had. Her sense of herself has been dramatically altered and it is her internal struggle that will keep readers riveted. She is changed and cannot find her way back to who she was or even to a new Jane who can cope in a world that seems so different than it was 10 months earlier.

As Jane's story unfolds, there are numerous questions about the abduction and since readers only hear about what Jane saw, they are left to fill in the blanks as to the mysterious nature of just what happened to her. This adds an “edge of your seat” quality to the book that keeps us in suspense. Stolarz has hit the mark with her sensitive portrayal of a damaged girl struggling to find her way. The depiction of Jane’s turmoil is stunning and this will be a book that teens will clamor for.

Creating an “anonymous” character to tell the first person story of a 17-year-old girl’s kidnapping and seven month captivity is an excellent want to tell how a girl struggles to recover her life before capture. She struggles when she is returned to her home. She still feels a connection with her kidnapper who has told her a story she believes. Coming to terms with her fame and learning to relate to her old life is seemingly impossible, until she starts helping at an animal shelter again and she meets a very wise counselor there.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC of Jane Anonymous by Laurie Faria Stolarz.

To protect her identity "Jane Anonymous" switches from "then" and "now" telling the story of her horrifying abduction, and the unlikely romance she experienced while in captivity.

I can't give a bunch of info about the book to keep from spoiling, but I very much enjoyed it. It was fast paced and captivating. The characters and situations were complicated and layered. It makes me wonder if something like this has happened in the past, with these similar details.

Iv'e always been a fan of Laurie Faria Stolarz and this book is a keeper. Other writers have attempted this same plot line, but she does it best. The fact that the book is written in the first person draws the reader in to Jane's story as she tries to adapt to life after being rescued from a kidnapping. Wonderful read!

Well...damn.

Laurie Faria Stolarz was an author I remember reading YEARS ago, back when I was in high school and I loved her writing so much. To this day, I still think fondly of her "Touch" series and what it meant to be back then. So when I saw that she had a new book coming out I just knew I had to read it. And wow, she reminded me why I loved her books so much.

In some ways, I knew was able to guess what happened to Jane but in other ways, I was left completely shocked and now my brain just feels heavy and empty. This book really makes you think. It makes you feel. I flew through this and I loved that the chapters was so short because it made me want to keep reading even though I typically don't like books with "past" and "present" type structure. But it obviously makes sense here to do so and while I had a preference in chapters, I still enjoyed this thoroughly.

I definitely recommend this book to anyone who likes thriller/mystery type novels but also for anyone who is captivated by abduction stories and wonders about why these things happen to people and how it effects their life. I'm so glad this author is back and I can't wait to read whatever she publishes next!

I love the writing style, I love how we truly doesn't know what happened at the start, like we're piecing the memories together with the main character. It made me feel connected to Jane. While reading, though, I have this feeling that Jane's not really a reliable narrator. I feel like there's something missing and I wasn't wrong. From the synopsis, I kind of guess what the twist (if it's a twist) is going to be but it still wished that what I was thinking was right and I feel for Jane. She's such a tough cookie, this character. Everything that she went through (before) and what she was going through (after) was so horrifying and devastating. I just... I wish what happened to this book won't happen to anyone (but I know for a fact that this happens which makes it a lot sadder).

I like the characters, especially Jane's parents, bless those characters. You could gather that they really love Jane (see the sixth quote below), they just doesn't know how to handle her after what happened to her. I also appreciate Jane's friends. I especially love the addition of Jack - the one character that kind of know what Jane is experiencing.

Overall, I really liked this poignant book. The plot was extremely interesting. This is not only a journey of survival but also of healing.

I wouldn't classify this as a classic thriller. It's definitely more of a character study. I found that it dragged at times, but I really kept pushing through it because I found Jane's voice so utterly captivating.

And it had a great message about trauma and how you can heal from it.

Jane was your typical seventeen-year-old girl then. Now she stockpiles gallons of water and boxes of Coco Loco brownies in her room. Then she was meeting her friend for breakfast. Now she sleeps in her closet. Then she was supposed to meet the boy she liked at a concert that night. Now can’t tell what was real and what was a lie.

I had no idea when I read the description, that this book was going to be this good. I like how the author doesn’t leave you guessing as to what happened but instead has the chapters go back and forth between ‘then’ and ‘now’. The author also provides a brilliant prologue stating how real this book is.

Kidnapping is no joke and it happens all the time. As sad as that is, we have to be aware of our surroundings at all times. Jane was taken because she made one little mistake. A mistake that got her kidnapped for seven months. A mistake that will take years to heal from.

I gave this book five stars because the suspense in this story had me turning the pages nonstop. I wanted to know what happened to Jane and how it affected her, and if she would ever be able to live a normal life again.

While it’s scary to think of someone being kidnapped, especially yourself or someone you love, this book kind stands a literary warning to be cautious. I highly recommend reading this book.

Thank you, NetGalley and Wednesday Books for this ARC in return for an honest review.

I feel like this one doesn't tread any new ground. It's all expected, largely because Jane's perception of the place she's being held is so unbelievable. A warehouse of kids held captive for no apparent reason, rewarded for eating their food and taking a shower, doesn't make sense. The "surprise reveals" are far more sensible and were exactly what I predicted. The whole thing felt a bit exploitative, focused more on shocking us than in truly presenting a compelling, complex story.

Jane Anonymous is the story of a teen girl, held captive by a man for seven months. Told in alternating timelines from then (in captivity) to now (free), this is the story of Jane, what she went through, and the struggle to return to her life post-captivity.

<b>Positives:</b>

1. This book was intensely readable. It was engaging and made you want to keep reading. There is a bit of a mystery element in this book, basically answering the question "Why Jane?" I think having this question makes the book seem to fly by, and really drives the novel.

2. Jane herself is a sympathetic main character who is easily understandable, even as she goes through struggles that many of us cannot relate to. She's a poet, a reader, and a good friend, which I think many readers will relate to.

<b>Negatives:</b> (Note, these are just the things that I didn't particularly like, but you may feel differently.)

1. The way other characters reacted to Jane was incredibly frustrating. All of them seemed to expect her to just bounce back and treated her with no grace or gentleness. There was no understanding, especially on the part of the mom, the officers, her best friend. Some characters were sympathetic and understanding, but most were treating her like she was dumb or like she hadn't gone through something incredibly traumatic! And that really rubbed me the wrong way.

2. The writing. For me, there were a lot of annoying elements of the writing that were really annoying. The way the author would
Break.
Up.
Sentences.
For.
No.
Reason.
I get she was trying to emphasize the point but it got really repetitive and I felt most of the sentences she used this on did not need to be emphasized like this.

3. This is not really a negative but the ending does not wrap up all the questions, which may be a negative for some people. Just know that the ending is a little open when going in.

Overall, I enjoyed this novel and I recommend it for those looking for a fun, fast read, especially if you're interested in the darker side of humanity.

I never read a book from Laurie Faria Stolarz, it was a complete discover and I really liked it.
The narrative is told from Jane point of view between now and then. It is painful to read the struggle in her, she can't be the same girl anymore. And her relatives won't to see that truth.
I just feel at some point a little lack of speed and the narration lose tension. But this doesn't change the fact that I really like to follow the thought of Jane.
With thanks to St Martin's Press and Netgally for this reading.