The setting:

Jane O, a librarian at the NYPL, is a young, single mother [with a one-year old son, Caleb] who has bouts of amnesia/blackouts, premonitions, hallucinations, and dread, as well as visions of a male friend from her past--who died 20 years before, but now warns her of a disaster ahead. She goes to a psychiatrist who she first visited more than 20 years ago and things get somewhat complicated. She disappears and has no memory of her times gone missing, Does she suffer from disassociative fuge? Or, is it something else? And, Jane apparently [?] has a perfect photographic memory--what objects were there/placed, etc. in various rooms.

I can't put my finger on it, but I was captivated by this book which alternates between the voices of Jane [in letters to her son] and Dr, Byrd's notes.

Complaint: I had no sense of the physicality of either Jane or Dr. Byrd. Maybe I wasn't supposed to know what they looked ike?

The Nipah virus--never heard of it but with distinct parallels to COVID-19 and the timeframe,

I enjoyed this book from the start--not so much the ending but don't know what I would have done.

A quick, entertaining read.

The absolute most Karen Walker Thompson book ever. I mean that in the best way. She drags you through the intricate maze of her book and has you questioning everything. Jane was such a complex and haunting character. Well done!

3.5 stars

Jane O.'s case *is* a strange one, as promised, and while there are elements of it that are also quite fascinating, overall, I hoped for the case to be a bit more intriguing.

After her son is born, Jane experiences what some assume to be a kind of fugue state. She's having trouble connecting to shared reality, but this is made more confounding than usual because she also has a perfect memory. There are many fascinating instances of this throughout the novel (meeting another young child after a period of not seeing each other and remembering the child vividly only to have the other party have no recollection of her at all, knowing specific details about what happened to her and in the world at large on specific and otherwise not noteworthy dates, etc.). Readers definitely get twisted up into trying to understand what is happening to Jane, but for a novel that is relatively economical in duration, it felt longer than it should have.

While I enjoyed the journey and especially the ending overall, readers should come into this one with at least a willingness to engage with some elements of life and the universe that go beyond uncertain and into the potentially unknown. For me, this was an interesting but not gripping read.

This was a very interesting and absorbing novel from Karen Thompson Walker. Jane is a very mysterious character - you never know if you can believe her, much like her psychiatrist. This is a well written and surprising mystery that will leave you thinking. Thanks to NetGalley for the digital ARC.

From the publisher: In this spellbinding and provocative novel from author of The Age of Miracles, a young mother is struck by sudden and puzzling psychological symptoms that illuminate the mysterious dimensions of the human mind—and of love.

First off, are you definitely planning to read The Strange Case of Jane O.? Then stop reading right now. This is one of those books it is best to read nothing about – not even the publisher’s description. Just about anything about the book is potentially a spoiler.

This is a psychological thriller by definition, but it is not a “thriller.” It is not action packed. It is a character study, or rather two. We read letters written by Jane O. for her baby son to read when he grows up and case notes from her psychiatrist. I found their voices distinct and riveting. I felt I was reading secrets in their hidden diaries. I kept guessing what was going on, and while I came close I did not figure things out.

Jane experiences dissociative fugue. She wakes up in strange places with no idea how she got there. Hours, days, even weeks have passed. Then she starts reporting on things that never happened. Not lying, exactly, because she believes the things happened, but they didn’t. The psychiatrist can’t help himself – he is intrigued by what Jane is going through. But he also knows they are crossing some kind of patient-doctor boundary.

There are scenes where Jane thinks she sees and talks to an acquaintance who committed suicide when they were 17. These passages are some of the most moving in the book, as we contemplate how the smallest actions can change a person’s life.

I read and was impressed with The Age of Miracles when it came out but was unsatisfied by the ending. The Strange Case of Jane O. really demonstrates how the author has matured as a writer. I read an advance reader copy of The Strange Case of Jane O. from Netgalley. It is scheduled to come out on February 25, and the Galesburg Public Library will own it in multiple formats.

Come February, Karen Thompson Walker, bestselling author of “The Age of Miracles,” is back with “The Strange Case of Jane O.” (Feb. 25, Random House, $28), a fascinating psychological mystery that delves into the intricacies of memory, identity and perception. When psychiatrist Dr. Henry Byrd encounters Jane O., a single mother with hyperthymesia and unexplained blackouts, he is captivated by her vivid hallucinations and gaps in memory. Told through Byrd’s clinical notes and Jane’s heartfelt letters to her son, the narrative blurs the line between science and the mystical, weaving a haunting narrative about identity and time. A master of building tension, Walker has written a thought-provoking novel that lingers long after the final page.

Jane is a young single mother of a toddler living in NYC. She works at the library and leads a rather unassuming life. One day while getting off the F train she see's someone on the sidewalk. Someone that she knew 20 years earlier. Someone who should not be on the street because that someone had died. What's odder is they even have a conversation. A conversation in which he warns her of trouble to come. Once they depart ways she's left shaken. When she arrives at work she googles his name only to be met with his obituary. Has she hallucinated this entire experience?

This bring her to the door of psychiatrist, Dr. Byrd. The more he hears Jane's story and the troubling incidents that inflict her the more fascinated he becomes.

And I assure that YOU as a reader will be equally fascinated.

This is a marvel of a novel. Most definitely one of my favorite books I've read this year. A dazzling look into the inner workings of the mind of a young woman who experiences things that baffle nurses, doctors, psychiatrists, and detectives. It's a book that will make you think. I grew so fond of Jane and Dr. Byrd. Both characters were perfectly drawn making it impossible to put this down. It's a book that when, god forbid real life intrudes, that you think about and can't wait to get back to. I enjoyed Walker's last book, The Dreamers, but this is in a class all it's own. Absolutely enthralling and damn near perfect in every way. Highest recommendation. ALL THE STARS!!!!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for my complimentary copy.

The Strange Case of Jane O. by Karen Thompson Walker is an intriguing story, told from the point of view of Jane's psychiatrist and through diary entries Jane periodically keeps. I felt like there were a lot of loose ends at the end of this story (maybe that was the point?), and that led to a dissatisfaction with this title. For fan of Thompson Walker, this will be a must-read, but it doesn't quite reach the heights The Age of Miracles achieved. (It is on par with The Dreamers.)

Thanks to Netgalley! This novel follows Jane, a new mother who struggles with worrying memory blackouts and hallucinations. She is treated by psychiatrist Dr. Henry Byrd, who in turn experiences possible patches in his own memory. A captivating pitch to be sure, but I unfortunately found it to be a bit of a slow slog. Still, recommended for those who don't mind a slower pace!

What a fabulous read!! If you like twisty books that make you think and explore/question possibilities, this book is for you.

The story is written in two POVs: that of Jane O., a 38-year-old new mother with mental health issues via letters she writes to her son for his future understanding, and that of her psychiatrist, Dr. Byrd, through his case file notes. Given the mediums used by the narrators, the writing is to the point. While you might think this would make the book a rather dry read, this is not the case at all. Both narrators are unreliable for various reasons, which leaves it to the reader to figure out which of them is closer to the truth of what's really going on.

The author presents an unusual plot line and develops it brilliantly. This read hooked me quickly and kept me fascinated beyond the last page. I hesitate to say too much because this is a read where the less you know going into it, the more you'll enjoy it. I highly recommend it!

My thanks to Random House for allowing me to access a DRC of this book via NetGalley. Publication is 2/25/25. All thoughts and opinions given in this review are my own and are freely given.

It’s hard to classify this book. It’s not really a thriller as some mention but more of a psychological mystery/investigation. It moved a bit slowly for me but I was curious about the outcome so I kept reading. There are several psychiatric disorders and theories discussed, which I found interesting. The ending was very intriguing and left much to consider and ponder. I wish they had brought this up in the book a bit sooner to make it more thought provoking. Great pick for a book club discussion!

Karen Thompson Walker's books are always a satisfying experience. You know you are going to get something a little weird, but grounded in a plausible reality that keeps you asking, "But what if?" The Strange Case of Jane O. delivers on its speculative premise, and I quickly flew through the pages over the course of a weekend. Readers should be aware that this isn't a traditional mystery, and it leans HEAVY into spec fic (as is common with KTW).

Karen Thompson Walker's books always go to the very top of my TBR pile. I love the way she writes, how she blends sci-fi elements into her fiction, and how she hooks me from page one. I couldn't put down THE STRANGE CASE OF JANE O. It's an intriguing character study, a puzzle, a warning. A must-read.

“The Strange Case of Jane O” is a captivating psychological thriller told from the viewpoint of Jane O’s psychiatrist in the form of case notes and from Jane, told in the form of letters to her 13-monthold son who she envisions reading them if she’s not around when he’s older. Jane, who has always had an extraordinary photographic type memory is suffering from blackout periods where she goes missing and can’t remember anything that takes places during these lapses. The reader, along with her psychologist and the police, struggle to discover if Jane is suffering from a dissociative fugue or faking it as many parts of her story do not add up. I was completely absorbed in the story throughout the book but I was completely unprepared for the ending which I won’t disclose.

I hadn’t realized that Karen Thompson Walker’s books often challenge reality with a magical realism or a science fiction twist. In this book, the reader is asked to consider a paranormal reason for Jane’s mysterious problem and it wasn’t something I was able to embrace. For this reason, I was surprised and disappointed with the ending.
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Thank you to NetGalley and Random House and NetGalley for an ARC of this novel for review.

"The Strange Case of Jane O." is a novel of psychology and psychiatry, embued with elements of mystery and even a hint of supernatural. It centers around a psychiatrist and his mysterious patient Jane. The story begins with Jane reaching out to Dr. Byrd after a puzzling incident: she woke up in Central Park having completely lost her memory of the past few days. Dr. Byrd begins to suspect she is suffering from an extremely rare condition called dissociative fugue. As the memory loss incidents begin to accelerate and intensify, Dr. Byrd becomes eager to pinpoint her diagnosis.

Readers of Karen Thompson Walker will know exactly what to expect: a puzzling mystery, a sense of eeriness, a slow pace towards answers, and ultimately an open-ended finale. The latter will be difficult for some: this is not a Sherlock Holmes story with a tidy bow at the end. The clarity regarding Jane's condition is not the point, moreso her complicated relationship with her psychiatrist and the sense of hopelessness one feels when misunderstood. Even though I didn't get the exact ending I was hoping for, "Jane O." is a haunting novel with a strangeness I couldn't help but want to linger on.

I really enjoyed this super propulsive, unique novel! Its premise was unlike anything I read before, and although I can see the ultimate resolution being divisive among some readers, I really appreciated the author’s originality in giving an ending that is satisfying in its completeness yet leaves you with lingering thoughts about the mysteries of the human mind.

The story follows Jane, a young single mother who makes the headlines when she goes missing for a full day, leaving her son behind at daycare, and has no memories of those hours she spent lost once she returns. This event leads Jane to connect with psychiatrist Dr. Byrd, and together they do their best to solve the mysteries of why she went missing in the first place, what happened during her time away, and why it happened to her. The narrative unfolds in alternating voices/perspectives. Dr. Byrd tells his side of the story in a first person perspective, talking directly to the reader. Very early in Jane and Dr. Byrd’s relationship, he recommends that she keep a journal - instead, she keeps a journal of sorts in the form of writing letters to her toddler son, which is the second perspective that we get.

I thoroughly enjoyed the reading experience and found that the pages more or less turned themselves from start to finish. Both Jane and Dr. Byrd are unreliable in their own ways, and although I never knew who to trust and when, I constantly found myself wanting more from both so that I could figure out exactly what was going on with Jane. It was twisty and propulsive, but not in the same way that you’d get in a typical popcorn thriller. Instead, it is a deep character study of both Jane and Dr. Byrd on the backdrop of a very intelligently written plot that is ever-so-slightly mind-bendy, yet all executed perfectly in a way that’s easy to understand.

I do feel compelled to mention that there are some pandemic themes featured in the second half. Admittedly I was initially rolling my eyes a bit at what at first seemed like a random inclusion of unnecessary pandemic anxiety, but I later understood its purpose and that it actually fit the story really well. It does play a prominent role in the story for a brief period of time, so reader know thyself in whether this is something that would be too difficult to read. While the ending itself worked for this reader who enjoys a little psychology mixed with sci-fi, I can also see it being divisive. The majority of loose ends were all tied up very well in the end and I definitely wouldn’t consider it to end on a cliffhanger, but I was also still left with lingering questions and would’ve loved an epilogue to round it all out. Or perhaps the rest of Jane’s story deserves another book??

All in all, this one is a great choice for a palate cleanser with substance that makes you think and makes you feel, and would be perfect as a vacation read that keeps you glued to the pages but also promotes reflection and discussion on an intricately composed story. Thank you so much to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I found this book fascinating and read it in one sitting, basically. I LOVE an unreliable narrator, and I found myself wondering what was real/what was parallel/what was fiction by the end--similar to the way the movie Inception leaves you curious if they actually left the dream.

I think I would have found the story more compelling if the narrator had been a woman (especially when diving into themes of madness, psychiatry, and women--but maybe that was the point? The power/dynamic between psychiatrist and patient...it made sense, in some ways, for the psychiatrist to be a man. But I would be curious about a parallel universe (ha) where the psychiatrist was a woman too, and how that would have impacted things.

I will also be posting a review on Tiktok eventually, probably as a part of a series of books in 2025 to look forward to. I would definitely recommend this one!

The Strange Case of Jane O., by Karen Thomson Walker, was such an intriguing book. I was left guessing the entire time, but not in a way that left me feeling frustrated or annoyed. I just felt curious and really interested to see how it would all play out.

Believable? I don't know.. Maybe? Who's to say, really? We only know what we know, and there is infinitely more out there than what my mind can grasp, I'm sure.

I enjoyed reading The Strange Case of Jane O!

Four stars, maybe 4.5.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of the book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Dr. Henry Byrd, a psychiatrist with a troubled past, gets a new patient, Jane O. She stays about 14 minutes of her hour, and won't tell him why she is there. A few weeks later, he is requested to see her at the psychiatric wing of Bellevue, as she has put him in as her contact. She has lost track of three days in her life and ended up in a park in Brooklyn. She finally tells him why she originally consulted him-she has seen her high school friend Nico, but grown-up and wearing scrubs, as she walks to her librarian job at New York Public. But that can't be-Nico committed suicide years ago in college...obviously a hallucination. But why did she see him and carry on a conversation, and why did she abandon her baby for three days and disappear? It is especially puzzling since Jane O has the most rare memory, hyperthymesia, which allows her to remember nearly every event in her life with perfect precision. Unfortunately, she has also caught the attention of a police detective who wants Dr. Byrd to reveal Jane O's confidential information-did she experience a dissociative fugue or did she fake it to cover up a crime?
This is a very surprising and unique novel that explores the idea of alternate and parallel realities, but not in a science fiction way. Getting her inspiration from the writings of Oliver Sacks, Walker spins a tale of things that can't be true, but are anyway in this patient's world. Grief, friendship, and tentative trust are also themes in the novel, which is beautifully written and logical in its own universe. Anyone who is interested in the workings of the mind will relish this book and root for the doctor and his patient to find her truth.

"All the days of my past feel as close at hand as this morning, all still swirling in my head at equal volume. The more days I live, the louder it gets in here. It's hard to concentrate through all that noise."

Jane, a woman with an eidetic memory, makes an intake appointment to see psychologist Dr. Henry Byrd. Unlike most therapy sessions, this first one lasts only 14 minutes. Jane states something strange happened to her, but prior to going into any details she decides she's not ready to talk about it and flees Byrd's office. He doesn't think he'll ever see her again, so he's surprised when he gets a phone call a few days later from a hospital. Jane was found unconscious in Brooklyn's Prospect Park with no recollection of where she'd been the previous 25 hours, and she listed Byrd as her physician. Jane continues to see Byrd, and the more he learns about her the more fascinated he becomes with her case. Is she making this whole thing up? Have there been other historical cases similar to Jane's that can shed light on what's happening to her? Is this some new bizarre psychological ailment that's plaguing her? Or is it something else entirely?

I've read The Age of Miracles and The Dreamers by Karen Thompson Walker and while I did enjoy them, there's a big BUT to my enjoyment. Walker comes up with these fascinating premises for her books and she's able to write beautifully. But. Both of her other books that I read had the same flaws: no character development, minimal plot, and a lackluster and unsatisfying ending. While the intriguing premise and pretty language are still present in The Strange Case of Jane O., Walker fixed the lack of plot and ho-hum ending issues with this novel.

While character development was non-existent in Jane O., I'd argue that it really wasn't necessary for this book. Instead of being a murder mystery, Jane O. was a medical mystery where both Jane and Byrd were trying to figure out what was going on with her. I mean, it's not like there was character development in Agatha Christie's Poirot either, you know? The reader gets snippets of new information as the book progresses from either Jane's journal entries or Byrd's medical write-ups. I felt the insights were dolled out at just the right intervals to keep me engaged and constantly wanting to find out what would be revealed next.

I have to admit that I was enjoying the book so much at about the 3/4 mark that I was terrified that the book would just fizzle out and leave me disappointed like her other novels did. But wow, I had no reason to worry! The ending on this one knocked it out of the park.