The Strange Case of Jane O. is a literary psychological thriller, that was a bit light on the thriller and mystery for me. The primary bulk of the book is told from the point of view of Jane O. psychiatrist, an unnamed narrator, in NYC in 2018 as he takes on Jane's case. Jane has a remarkable memory but has noticed she's missing time and recently had a realistic vision of a man she knows for a fact is dead. The chapters do alternate between a case log about Jane from the psychiatrist's point of view to letters Jane is writing to her 13-month-old son about her mental health struggles. The two point of views don't always line up, and how they diverge and what is going on with Jane's mind is the mystery at the center of this book.
The book itself is fairly short, and the writing was well done. I have previously enjoyed Karen Thompson Walker's books and was prepared for a semi unrealistic solution based on that previous experience. I will say the mystery was well plotted and not easily guessed, but the resolution just felt too neat, and also just a bit odd. For that reason, I've decided to round down from 3.5 stars to 3 stars.
Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for the electronic ARC of this novel for review.

I received this as an ARC from NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

The Strange Case of Jane O. by Karen Thompson Walker is a mix of literary fiction, psychological thriller, and sci-fi. It switches between Dr. Henry Byrd, a psychiatrist treating Jane O., and Jane’s letters to her son. Jane, a single mom and librarian, struggles with hallucinations and memory loss that make her question who she is. As her condition worsens, Dr. Byrd starts to question reality itself.

I’ll admit, this book got me hooked quickly even though it is a bit slow paced which occasionally hindered the momentum. While it is labeled sci-fi, I’d say it leans more psychological. The writing is often clinical at times since it is coming from a doctor’s view which I didn’t like. Overall the writing is good and gave the novel a dreamlike quality which like I said captivated me.

While the mystery surrounding Jane’s condition was captivating, I wish the book delved deeper into explaining what was truly happening with her, as some aspects felt unresolved. Additionally, the romance introduced toward the end felt unnecessary and somewhat forced.

The Strange Case of Jane O. is just fascinating. Admittedly it starts off very stilted and formal, because about half of the book is written as if it is notes from appointments between Dr. Byrd and his patient, Jane O. Dr. Byrd is recounting what Jane has told him and his observations, so it’s very dry, and seems very routine, albeit the fact that Byrd is a psychologist and Jane is seeing him to try and sort out why she is hallucinating and having dissociative episodes. The reader also sees how Jane is interpreting what she is experiencing in letters she is writing to the older version of her very young son. About halfway through the book really gets interesting when Jane and her son disappear for days and Jane, from her perspective, seems to very much be living in an alternate, parallel version of the universe that has unfolded differently than the one of the book. How Thompson Walker goes about exploring this possibility is absolutely fascinating and makes it seem plausible in reality, bending the interpretation of mental health and what people outside of “normal” are really experiencing. It is so hard to define the genre of this book, it could be mystery, science fiction, literary fiction. I didn’t really expect this to take the path it did when I started reading this, but it made the book so much more interesting and engaging because it did. A complimentary copy of this book was provided by the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Wow. I feel the start of a book hangover from this one. It’s definitely the type of book I will be thinking about days after finishing it.

I absolutely loved this story and couldn’t put it down. I enjoyed the alternating points of view between Jane and Dr. Byrd. It really helped bring the story together, though I can’t say it helped me figure out what was going on much! I was so intrigued by what was happening to Jane that I was determined to finish the book. I really liked both characters and appreciated their realness and imperfections. This book was just very engrossing and fun to read. I love a book that keeps me guessing.

Highly recommend this one! Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for allowing me to read and review this ARC.

A psychiatrist tries to understand what is happening to his patient, Jane. After having a child she suffers amnesia and hallucinations. Then she goes missing.

This books read like non fiction, and very interesting for anyone interested in psychology. It’s quite the mind puzzle trying to understand what is going on. I loved the ending how it makes the reader really think. It’s the type of book you’ll want to go in blind and likely reread once you know the end.

“In my experience, it is possible to help a patient by simply bearing witness - even if, as a doctor, one cannot explain what one is witness to.”

The Strange Case of Jane O comes out 2/25.

This book kept me engaged throughout the entire novel. It is just the right number of twists and is a combination of literary and science fiction. I could not put this down. This is my first five star in some time and I do not give out 5 stars loosely.
Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in return for an honest review. i can't wait to get my own copy. This is one not to miss.
5 star

In 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘊𝘢𝘴𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘑𝘢𝘯𝘦 𝘖., author Karen Thompson Walker tells an intriguing story that I would characterize as literary fiction with psychological thriller and sci-fi elements. The novel’s point of view shifts back and forth between two narrators: in the present, psychiatrist Dr. Henry Byrd recalls his treatment of a patient he refers to as Jane O.; in the past, Jane herself writes down daily events as letters to her son as part of a therapeutic exercise. At the time of their sessions, Jane is a woman in her late 30s, single mom to an infant, and city librarian who is suffering from hallucinations and bouts of what Dr. Byrd suspects is dissociative fugue—a kind of amnesia where one loses awareness of their identity and memories and feels the need to flee. As they work together, Jane’s episodes continue and her symptoms worsen, leading Dr. Byrd to question her sanity… and even the nature of reality.

𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘊𝘢𝘴𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘑𝘢𝘯𝘦 𝘖. has a captivating plot. I very much wanted to discover the root of Jane’s issues and what would happen to her and her young son. However, I found the narrative pace very slow and the personalities of the characters—despite their extraordinary circumstances—somewhat bland, so this ended up being a surprisingly sluggish read for me. But overall I did enjoy the book and recommend it to those with a propensity for literary fiction with a psychological bent. Thank you to Random House for an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

So glad I read this! I expect this one to really stick with me. Stylistically brilliant--not only are you figuring out the different layers of the mystery and the possible psychological diagnoses, but you are figuring out what you can and can't believe from two narrators. Of course a first-person narrator is inherently unreliable, but you also have the fact that each is presenting his/her views in written form, one more formal and polished but each with a clear sense of a possible audience. If you are intrigued by psychology, relationships, physics and the roots of the sensory experience, you will enjoy this. Also a great pick if you enjoy a surprising novel that defies traditional categorization. Highly recommend. Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for the ARC and the opportunity to share my review.

I read this over three days while walking on the treadmill—I must thank Karen Thompson Walker for accomplishing the impossible task of making me look forward to my daily exercise. (If only the book had been longer, so I could have enjoyed the treadmill for a few more days!)

This was a gripping, emotional novel. Not only was the plot perfectly paced, but the characters unraveled at just the right times to keep me completely hooked. It was relatable, it was completely unknown—it ticked all the boxes for me.

It was sad, yet hopeful. I really liked the concept and execution—this is a story that I’ll be thinking about for a long time to come.

Jane is having a difficult time - hallucinating dead friends, blacking out, and being wracked with anxiety. She visits the psychiatrist, Dr. Byrd, to help her explain these symptoms, but what begins as a simple diagnosis changes into something more than they both expected.

This book was the right mix of psychological thriller and supernatural suspense. I enjoyed the twists and turns and that this book constantly kept me on my toes. I finished it in one day…I “one more chapter”ed myself to death. The writing was engaging, intriguing, with a great story that kept me hooked. I definitely recommend this!

Thank you NetGalley & Random House for the opportunity to read and review this!

The Strange Case of Jane O is such an interesting concept and very well written. It is paced well and has plenty of intriguing situations involving Jane and her memory and mental health which keep the reader captivated.

What a fascinating mystery about a woman that experiences bouts of amnesia, premonitions, and hallucinations. Set in present day Brooklyn, Jane is a new mom and has episodes of disappearing without her son and has no memory of it. Told from her perspective and her psychiatrist's POV, this story was mesmerizing as you are swept away in Jane's world that seems real, but turns out they are all just in her head.
As a reader, you are challenged by what is real or not. Is Jane just dealing with being a new mom all alone in the big city? How did she remember this particular psychiatrist from many years ago to return to him for help? Why is her relationship with her parents fractured? Many other questions came to mind as I was reading. Some were answered by the end of the book, some were not.
I was fascinated by this mystery and all of the medical angles relating to Jane's memory. She is a complex character that makes you keep reading to find out what happens next with her and her son. I definitely recommend this book if you are looking for an engaging mystery that is a little different than the usual story.
#TheStrangeCaseofJaneO #NetGalley
Thank you Penguin Random House and Net Galley for a complimentary copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

The best book I have read in ages!! Riveting, smart, beautifully written, and literally perfect. If this book isn't "Silent Patient" huge (but a million times better), I will be genuinely shocked. As an author, I applaud Walker. As a bookseller, I am so excited to have the no-brainer hand-sell of 2025. I love a book that makes my job so easy. Thank you for the arc!

The Strange Case of Jane O is an excellent psychological suspense novel about a woman experiencing episodes of amnesia. This is a difficult book to review, because this book is best read with little advance information so the twists and turns can naturally unfold. This book kept my attention the entire time, and was a quick read. I enjoyed the dual perspectives of the therapist and Jane. In my opinion this really added to the suspense and layering of the story.

I recommend this book for readers who enjoy a thought provoking psychological suspense and a deep dive in to the human psyche.

I rate this book 5 stars.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author, Karen Thompson Walker, and Random House Publishing for allowing me to read an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Books about people who have gone missing tend to be similar. The Strange Case of Jane O., however, is unusual.

We alternate between a psychiatrist's notes and a journal of letters by Jane O. At times I wondered why a certain topic was discussed.

Highly recommend you go into this book without knowing more specifics. Let the details flow over you.

I needed a book to cure me of my book slump… and bam! Here it is!

A fabulous 5 star read - the twists and turns of Jane’s story had me thinking of all the different possibilities and angles the book could take.

I actually really loved that I didn’t know what to believe, who to trust or what the heck was going on because it was written in such a phenomenal, fun way.

An absolutely awesome story- worth the read and absolutely worth recommending to any readers who enjoy a good mystery or psychological thriller.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this excellent story in exchange for my honest review.

A year after her child’s birth, Jane begins experiencing amnesia, premonitions, and hallucinations. Three days after seeing a psychiatrist, she goes missing, only to be found unconscious in Brooklyn’s Prospect Park, with no memory of what happened. As Jane’s visions of a young man who died years ago warn her of a disaster, her psychiatrist questions both her reality and his own.

Karen Thompson Walker’s novel explores memory, identity, and the bonds of love in a haunting, speculative mystery.

Review:
An intriguing premise with deep emotional layers, but the story lacks direction and resolution. The mystery is compelling, but it leaves too many questions unanswered.

What a weird, delightful book. I couldn't put it down - the way that the 'mystery' at the heart of this book is unveiled was so well one and keeps you really intrigued. When I originally finished the book I was a bit underwhelmed, because I had been expecting a BIG twist, but the longer this sits with me, the more I think it deserves a 4.5 star instead of the 4 star I originally gave it. It's thought-provoking and truly inexplicable!

Jane begins to suffer episode of hallucination and amnesia. When she sees the ghost of a friend who appears
alive and well, she seeks the help of psychiatrist Dr. Henry Byrd. Jane, who has a photogenic memory, has
instances where her details of what happened do not match the actual facts. Jane's story is told through her
letters to her son Caleb and Dr. Byrd's notes. When Jane mysteriously disappears for a day, camera footage shows
her acting normal, no threat present. The same happens when she suddenly disappears with her son. Is what she
is going through real or a product of her mind?
#TheStrangeCaseofJaneO #RandomHouse #NetGalley

I enjoyed this novel. I didn’t know where it was going at first, but I kind of appreciated that. The FRINGE like take it took and discussions of the human mind were fascinating. The characters were well fleshed out. I liked the different storytelling techniques!