Jane Anonymous by Laurie Faria Stolarz, 320 pages.
Wednesday Books (St. Martin’s Press), 2020. $18.
Language: R (26 swears, 4 “f”); Mature Content: PG13; Violence: PG13
BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL
AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE
When 17-year-old Jane is taken and held captive for months on end, she is changed beyond her -- and her loved ones’ -- understanding and can’t fit back into her old life. As Jane tells readers her story, flipping from “then” to “now” and back again, maybe she can start to hope for healing.
Jane’s story starts roughly as she breaks the fourth wall and then disorients the reader by flipping between time periods. I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to follow the sudden changes, so I was relieved when it turned out to simply be a slow learning curve. As Jane suffered mentally during and after her experience, I ached for her. This is not a feel-good book to laugh through; in fact, I would be hard-pressed to remember any comic relief. While the seriousness of the topic and overtone is constant, it was not a deterrent; I still wanted to read and know what happened. The mature content rating is for implied stalking and sexual harassment; the violence rating is for kidnapping, assault, and intentional and unintentional self-harm.
Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen

Jane Anonymous is a suspenseful novel that explores trauma. She is kidnapped by a customer of her workplace, and is in captivity for seven months. The novel explores both her ordeal and her life after being released. Jane struggles acclimating to her old life, where nobody understands her pain.
I found the novel compelling. Jane is sympathetic protagonist. Her love interest Jack is kind, though not well developed.
The side character are undeveloped, and mostly unsympathetic. The author may have intended for Jane’s parent to appear as “well intentioned, but misguided,” but they come off as not caring about Jane’s trauma. They focus on how hard it makes life for them. Shelby, Jane’s best friend, is similar. She gossips behind Jane’s back, but is Shelby is never called out for her callous remarks. These characters never apologize and aren’t portrayed as morally wrong.
Finally, I found the writing style bland. The prose is never interesting. However, the author is good at writing emotional moments.
In regards to pacing, I wish certain plot points were lingered on longer.
This review will be published on my blog on January 6th.

3.5 stars

Jane Anonymous is a compulsively readable YA psychological thriller about a 17-year-old girl who is trying to cope after escaping 7 months of captivity.

The narrative is told from Jane’s point of view, and shifts between “Now” and “Then.” In “Now” she writes about the aftermath of her kidnapping. While she has returned home, she is no longer the carefree girl who worried about trivial things. Everyone, from her mother to her friends, wants her to go back to being the Jane they loved. Jane struggles, as she doesn’t know who is anymore. She beings writing about what she experienced to help her heal and details her time being held by her kidnapper in “Then.”

From the very beginning, I couldn’t put this book down. It is very easy to read--I read it over the course of a day. I figured out early on who took Jane, but not the full why. This is more of a character study than a thriller. Some elements didn’t fully work for me, but I acknowledge that I am not the intended audience. At a certain point, the narrative loses tension and becomes a bit repetitive. While I didn’t love all parts, I found Jane’s voice captivating. I also appreciated the author’s message about trauma and healing.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Fairly fast paced YA novel that explores the PTSD involved after Jane is kidnapped and held for 7 months. The book starts after she escapes, so that’s not really any surprise. Jane has to learn how to re-enter her life and navigate through all the memories and feelings.

I thought this was really good!! I got into Jane Anonymous right away, I love that in my books. The writing style is engaging while super easy to follow. Since I don’t care about twists in my novels I didn’t mind that I figured it out early on, I still wanted to stay along for the ride.
Highly recommend for YA fans!

I was going into this expecting an interesting exploration of trauma and that was… not what I got. Clearly I’m in the minority, looking at the average GR rating, but I felt like this was a major disappointment. This follows Jane, a teenage girl using a pseudonym as she writes about her experiences as a captive but also as she tries to adjust to life back home. The story flips back and forth between past and present as Jane recollects what happened to her.

There were so many frustrating pieces of this that I felt went beyond my suspension of disbelief. Jane’s friends and family are honestly downright awful to her after she returns. I’m sure this is realistic to an extent, but what could have been an examination of how trauma impacts everyone differently just turned into her mom telling her she needs to get over it and be happy she’s home now. I just wasn’t able to believe that her parents, who also went through extreme trauma after their daughter was kidnapped, refused to have any sort of sympathy for her. One of her friends did do really well with understanding her trauma, but I wish that had been looked at on a deeper level. There were also some pretty nasty depictions of wounds and unwashed bodies that felt, frankly, rather unnecessary and more for shock value than anything else. Some of them, especially towards the end, actually had me rolling my eyes and wondering why this had to be so over-the-top.

There were other bits that had me wondering whether I was living in a separate reality, and that I hope were caught by an editor before the finished version. One was when Jane picks up a 25 lb object and remarks on how grateful she is for her strength training. Like, okay, don’t strain yourself. The second was when Jane noted that after maybe two months in captivity, her leg hairs were two inches long. I’m sure this is possible, but is it likely?? Probably not. (For comparison, I haven’t shaved my legs in 7 years and mine is around an inch long. An article I found in a five-second google search tells me hair grows an average of 1 cm every 28 days and body hair typically stops growing after 30-45 days.)

Anyway, the last two may have been nitpicky but they also pulled me out of the story and had me rolling my eyes and laughing -- something you don’t really want in a tense thriller. I think at least the twist would have been exciting had I not seen someone spoil it in a review that was not marked for spoilers, ugh. If the above aren’t things you think would bother you, I think this would be worth reading. I think it was the combination of unbelievable factors and the lack of more nuanced exploration of trauma that really made it not work for me.

I was fascinated with this story from the being. Like watching a Lifetime movie but better. I really cared about Jane and felt her pain and suffering. The suspense killed me. Her struggle to return to society was heartfelt and felt so real. I wanted to find her a support group stat Having tried therapy I understood what she was dealing with. An engaging story I highly recommend.

Six word summary: THEN: Girl abducted, NOW: Girl broken.

Loved: That this book really built. At the beginning you're just thrown in and you're not sure where you are and whats really happening, but by the end you know whats coming and you're still not ready for it!!

Recommend for: Anyone who loves dark and twisty YA.

Reminds me of: Stolen by Lucy Christopher

I immediately get sucked in to this intense, fast-paced psychological thriller. Jane Anonymous tells the story of her life before, during, and after she was accosted in broad daylight from a place that she felt secure. During the ordeal, we see what Jane has to go through to keep safe and afterwards, we see the impact Jane's ordeal has on her, her family, and her friends. Like me, you may figure out who the villain is early on in the story but that didn't take away from the book at all.

This is a well-written book with a story line that will keep you hooked from start to finish.

[Content warning: This book includes or mentions themes of physical and mental abuse, kidnapping and captivity, sexual assault, self-harm, and suicide.]

Jane Anonymous is unputdownable. That's pretty rare for me these days, as my time is so divided that I can hardly focus on reading for more than short twenty-minute bursts. So the fact that I read this book in 2 days, in less than 4 hours, says quite a lot.

For the first half of this book, I was completely immersed in the story, unable to stop reading. I was completely overwhelmed with curiosity and totally engaged with Jane's voice. I had to find out what happened. But I was still on the fence about whether or not I liked the story.

*Let me explain...*

There are points in the story that felt problematic. Or, almost like the gravity of Jane's situation is minimized for the sake of making the story more interesting or entertaining.

Yet despite those points, I feel like the book does touch on healing on your own terms and owning your own story and experiences in a way that could be accurate and relatable. I guess there is no easy or perfect way to write these stories that deal with such sensitive and difficult themes and topics, but overall, I think Jane Anonymous does a fairly decent job.

*The writing*

Anonymous Jane is written in the form of a diary that shifts back and forth between then and now. "Then" is before Jane goes missing and during the time she was held captive. "Now" focuses on her life after she escapes captivity. I found this format to be very successful and I felt connected to Jane's narrative throughout the entire book.

The writing is fast-paced and easy to follow, making this a very quick read. Jane's voice felt realistic, with just the right amount of sass and humor mixed in with the seriousness of her story. I also grew very attached to Jane and the other characters, despite many of the other characters having limited page-time.

*The story*

As the summary mentions, Jane is going about her ordinary life when she is suddenly kidnapped in broad daylight. Yes, this book will most likely make you more paranoid than you already are (if you're like me). The scariest part is that this happens to people, especially women, every day. I don't think Jane Anonymous attempts to make readers like you and me more paranoid, but I don't think it hurts to draw attention to the truth of these matters.

This book portrays the fact that these things happen, and sometimes they happen in seemingly safe situations you'd least expect. I think that is what captured my attention the most. The fact that the book doesn't dive much into the stereotypes of women being kidnapped in the dark, late at night in secluded streets or alleys.

I also liked the fact that we see not only Jane's struggle with recovery but her family and friends' struggles too. While clearly Jane is the most affected, it was interesting to see how those closest to her were affected as well. Especially how their attempts to be there for Jane and make things better either helped or made things worse.

Many times, it is clear that Jane's parents and best friend have no clue what Jane needs or how to resume their relationships with her, but seeing how they navigate that was extremely interesting to me.

*Overall?*

I sped through this book and really enjoyed reading it. I wanted to know Jane's story, and I enjoyed getting to know her, both before and after she went missing. All in all, Jane is a character worth getting to know and listening to. For those who like psychological thrillers and stories of recovery after trauma, I would recommend you pick this one up.

4⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I just couldn’t put this down! The way this is written makes you want to finish it it one sitting but I don’t have the luxury of doing that. So I couldn’t wait to read this ever chance I got.
It’s late and I finished it, finally. I really liked it and I thought the writing was very good.
My heart broke for Jane and I longed to see her heal from this terrible thing that happened. And how does someone trust again? No spoilers.
I definitely recommend this book.
I love a book that won’t let me put it down.

This was a NETGALLEY gift and all opinions are my own.

Jane’s story wavers between <i>THEN</i>, which is when she is kidnapped and held captive in a warehouse for 7 months and the <i>NOW</i>, her life post escape.

I wrote “wavers” in my description because sometimes there are parallels in Janes “then” and “now”, as she continues on in her present life, living like she did as a captive. She chooses to sleep in her confined closet, with a knife or rod from the toilet under her pillow for protection, and rather than call her best friend, she stockpiled her favorite snack, like she had been supplied with in the warehouse.

This story was intriguing, though the twist wasn’t unforeseen.

I've sat with this book for awhile now. This is a difficult review for me to write. Jane Anonymous is an unreliable and at times unlikable narrator. This has never bothered me before but there's something about the eponymous character that is almost worse...I found her boring. Perhaps the character was even more so because she didn't seem like any teens girls I know. Things she liked or were into just didn't ring true for me, but as I'm no longer a teenage girl and when I was I wasn't a student athlete it's wholly possible that this is a true reflection of some.

"Female of the Species", "Sadie", "The Child Finder", and "If You Find Me" are just a few examples of novels I've read dealing with similar themes that I've been able to appreciate much more. The thing I found most disappointing was the way that the predator was handled. There were only a few glimpses into who he was and all of them were more interesting to me than Jane's story because the writer didn't have him follow a predictable script. His psychology was interesting because it didn't seem to fit most of my understanding of sexual predators. The closest example I could think of was from an episode of Criminal Minds titled "Hope." I do appreciate though that this novel was an example of highlighting the survivor of this situation.

The writing kept me engaged throughout the story and I think this will be a good introduction to this kind of storytelling for the young adult audience. The self defense tips Jane often heard in her memory were good and I really enjoyed the portrayed female friendship. I think it might have worked better for me if there had been romantic interest between the two but that might have been a disservice to the other element the author ended up exploring more in the later part of the book.

There are scenes of abuse and acute psychological distress throughout.

Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for the opportunity to review this title!

"Healing starts the moment we feel heard."

Jane's journey and emotions were so raw. I have never experienced anything like her situation but I connected and sympathized with her character. I'm hoping after reading this I can be more aware of my initial reactions to others and can be more sympathetic even if I don't now what's going on.

Told in two timelines: THEN- events leading up to and during abduction and NOW- after being reunited with parents. BIWM Jane was a normal 17 year old who worked part time at a boutique. Jane's friend Shelley came home early and wanted to get together for her birthday. Jane ran to her work to grab Shelly's present before they opened. While at the store a good looking stranger kidnapped her and held her hostage in an abandoned warehouse for seven months.

Now Jane has to learn how to re-enter society but everything reminds her of before. Smells, sounds, meals, a white table. She is stuck in her head unable to communicate her trauma. Meanwhile her mother just wants to go back to normal and doesn't understand how long healing can take. Jane's one companion during her time kidnapped was another missing person: Mason. Mason is still not found, and Jane misses him.

Poor Jane thought about how she could escape if the opportunity presented itself. Even wrote letters to her capture trying to appeal to him. Not everyone knows what to do in situations like that. I loved the extra knowledge.

Requested to be part of the Fantastic Flying Book Club blog tour. I received a copy of this novel from the publisher via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

I would recommend Jane Anonymous for fans of Sadie by Courtney Summers. Both feature young people interacting with the dark world of kidnapping and murder while trying to come to grips with their experiences and emotions.

Jane Anonymous is told from the past and the present. Jane is three months free from her captivity and is trying to reintegrate herself in her former life. This is not without its challenges. These challenges are what makes the novel feel authentic. Jane faces slights and subtle insults as she tries to deal with the trauma she's suffered. Stolarz highlights the gap in mental health awareness and understanding perfectly.

Stolarz's writing is lyrical as she makes readers feel Jane's mental state from moment to moment. There are times when it feels as if the walls are closing in on the reader because Jane is panicking or reliving a particular stressful memory.

Just like the novel Sadie, Jane Anonymous is dark and twisted. By the end of the novel, my skin was crawling. So, if you're easily triggered I would skip Jane Anonymous entirely.

Overall, Jane Anonymous is one of those novels that proves YA has more to offer than fluff stories full of instalove and love triangles. It features trauma and healing in a realistic light and the challenges people face from the stigma attached to mental health.

This was...an interesting book. Jane is a girl kidnapped and held in a controlled space by a strange man, and develops Stockholm Syndrome. There was a lot of interesting insight and points about people who may be kidnapped or who have gone through a particular trauma, and it made me have a lot of empathy for the adjustments they had to make--things I often didn't think about. But something about the story was still not completely satisfying. It's not that I needed a happily ever after but perhaps more glimpses into her life beforehand, or afterward. Overall though, a really interesting book.

I'm of two minds on this book. On one hand, it was rather timely (lots of news about kidnapping in the last few years) and gripping but at the same time, it was almost too much. It seemed a little exploitative if that makes sense for a fiction book. I felt like the author wanted to go for shock value over any sort of nuance.

Jane Anonymous is NOT your usual run-of-the-mill kidnapped girl thriller.

Handled poorly, these novels objectify young women and use their suffering for reader titillation. In my mind, this kind of thriller is as unimaginative and manipulative as porn.

Yes, Jane Anonymous is a page-turner and yes it's a who-done-it, but the emphasis is on Jane's lingering trauma after her ordeal is "over" as far as everyone else is concerned. Her feelings of worthlessness, feeling that she had somehow failed or that she was responsible for what happened -- these all ring true for a person suffering from PTSD.

I appreciated the author's concentration on Jane in her journey to build back her emotional stamina. Jane is not portrayed as a victim, but more as an incredibly strong and brave and compassionate person who has survived a near-unbearable ordeal.

I love the nuanced characters -- her parents, her friends, even her abductor.

I love how the author intersperses Jane's journey of self-healing with the trauma itself, making for an intensely emotional read.

Must look for other books by this very talented author.

This is my first book by this author and I really enjoyed her style of writing. It flowed well and her development of the plot and characters kept my attention for the most part. I like that the author was able to keep the story of the kidnapping without adding unneeded details. The story bounces back and forth from time before/while Jane was held captive (then) to her attempts at getting back to a "normal" life after her escape (now). Jane tells her story through journal entries as a way for her to cope with her experience; and it is a raw and heartbreaking thing to read the thought process as she tries to make sense of her experience.

Jane Anonymous is a well-written and thrilling story about a girl who was abducted for seven months and her inability to just jump right back into her old life. Jane is severely altered from her captivity and none of her friends or family seem to grasp that. Jane tries piecing together what happened to her and how to move forward, while her captivity is put into question. There is an excellent twist and the character development is strong. Highly recommended to readers looking for a good YA thriller about abduction.