Thank you @netgalley for the Advanced Reader Copy of The Strange Case of Jane O by Karen Thompson Walker. It's the story of a woman who is experiencing some strange symptoms such as hallucinations and amnesia. It is told from the point of view of her psychiatrist, and the woman herself. I tried reading this and just could not connect, so am not going to finish it, at least right now. May come back and try it later.

Couldn’t put this book down! It was not at all what I was expecting and was pleasantly surprised with the sci-fi aspect of the story. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC

THE STRANGE CASE OF JANE O. by Karen Thompson Walker is a psychological/science fiction/paranonal novel that I felt the reader has to be in the right mindset to wrap their mind around.

Psychiatrist Henry Byrd had an appointment with Jane, but she doesn’t stay long before she leaves. And then she goes missing and is discovered a day later in a park, having gone into a disassociative fugue state.

I did like the first person perspective from Henry, but the reader finds out he has his own demons. I started doubting his narration at points, which held me back from being fully invested. He becomes obsessed with Jane O. to a degree that seemed much more than a psychiatrist should be.

Jane’s perspective is from letters to her son as she is trying to piece together what’s happening to her.

I think I expected to be more of a straight thriller than this was. It does start off that way, and then the other elements threw me more than I expected. I did end up thinking about them quite a bit, much like a movie that has sci fi elements that I try to overlay my primitive logic on to make sense of in my own brain.

This novel was unique, and I do give it props for that, but I’m not sure I was the best audience for it. I think Blake Crouch fans who also like more mainstream thrillers might be the sweet spot reader for this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for an Advance Reader Copy in exchange for an unbiased review.

3.5 stars
It publishes February 25, 2025.


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This was a totally fascinating read for me, I’ve always been drawn to things dealing with psychology and Jane’s case was super interesting. The format really worked for me, there are sections from Dr. Byrd so you feel like you’re reading his file and case notes on Jane and I’m nosy so that appeals to me. With her case being a true medical mystery I wasn’t sure what would happen and it lent to a quiet and steady style of suspense that got under my skin. The character development was outstanding and I really cared for Jane and her son as well as the doctor. Jane was so complex and endlessly fascinating for me and the ending was satisfying and made me think. Such a unique read!

What if there were people in the world who were able to live various timelines. To those around them these people would look insane. This is such a unique story, and I love that it is told from two different perspectives. The world building and interactions leave you wanting more. This is a unique book and such a fun read. I think that it will engage and enchant readers.
Thank you to Random House Publishing Group and Netgalley for allowing me to read an advance copy of this title.

I fell in love with Karen Thompson Walker thanks to The Age of Miracles and am so glad she has a new one out! This one inspired by the nonfiction case histories of Oliver Sacks (says the author). Here we have another speculative novel, this time a mystery about motherhood, love, memory, and identity. Fascinating (and a fast read!) with a perfect ending.

Thank you for allowing me to read this book early in return for an honest review!

I went into this which huge hopes, as the summary sounded very promising. It was slow, not gripping me until about 45%, but after that I was sold. It wasn't until the end that I felt it eventually lost the plot. I ended up being more distracted with jargon than the story itself. I was really liking the direction of mystery it first started to present with the Nico sub-plot, but I feel like that whole part of the boom could disappear and it wouldn't add much to the story.

Overall it was beautifully worded, but seemed too professional to end in such a supernatural theoretical way.

4-4.5 stars
A psychological mystery (I wouldn't really call it a thriller) about a young woman who begins experiencing episodes of amnesia and a pervasive sense of dread. The book is told through letters she writes to her infant son, for him to read in the future, and through the case notes of the psychiatrist she starts seeing. I found this book to be quite interesting and I really liked the way the author developed the story. Intriguing and mind-bending!

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for a free e-ARC of this book.

I was drawn to this story because memory related stories always fascinate me, and the reviews mentioned how it was an amazing psychological sci-fi thriller. There were plenty of passages that intrigued me, but the plotting fell flat for me. I wouldn't call this sci-fi, and it's not a thriller either. My attention was exceptionally piqued by the reference that police had to get involved, which added suspense and tension, but this wasn't actuaklly an integral part of the story. The end fell really flat for me. I think if you like slower character studies that meander through psychology, you'll enjoy this one.

I did not expect for this book to leave such an impression on me, but I've continued thinking about this story days after finishing. The basis of the story is a woman begins experiencing hallucinations and subsequently starts black out, leaving her with no memory of what occurred. The story is told from the point of view of her therapist and also through letters from the woman to her son. The main point of view, from her therapist, was written in a way one would expect of clinical notes: detached and emotionless. It definitely made it hard to connect with Jane's story, but the mystery of Jane would make anyone curious to keep going. Beautifully written. This is another solid read from Karen Thompson Walker.

This was not the sci-fi I was expecting..

It was very slow paced for such a short book and until 90% of the way in, it was just mystery without any sci-fi elements.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the Advance Readers Copy.

Karen Thompson Walker’s The Strange Case of Jane O is a mesmerizing exploration of memory, identity, and the mysterious dimensions of the human mind. At first, I thought this might be my least favorite of her novels, but it quickly became a story I absolutely loved. The concept of parallel universes and the idea of our psyche existing in two places at once, though fictional, felt hauntingly real and thought-provoking. Walker’s signature writing style shines, blending beautiful prose with an intricate, speculative mystery that kept me captivated. Jane’s strange affliction and her psychiatrist’s quest to uncover its roots create a narrative that is as poignant as it is puzzling. The novel delves into themes of love, loss, and the bonds that transcend time, making it both deeply human and eerily otherworldly. Walker has once again delivered a story that lingers in the mind long after the final page.

Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for an advance readers copy of this book..

Therapy as Mystery

This gripping novel is a fascinating, fictional account of a single women dealing with psychiatric symptoms while raising a very young son. Attempting to help her is a widowed psychiatrist with his own issues, and a pre-school daughter. Alternating in first person narratives, there is suspense as well as mystery as they explore her experiences and his efforts to understand and help her.

Jane O. is a 38-year-old New York City librarian who begins to have hallucinations and blackouts. Dr. Henry Byrd is a 40-ish, traditional psychiatrist, whose unauthorized experiments into paranormal occurrences led to losing his job at a distinguished institution and tarnishing his reputation. This only emerges as his personal notes track Jane’s symptoms and his efforts to understand them. In fact, much of the story unfolds after seemingly side comments open questions about what is happening.

Jane has a prodigious memory – once she sees something, she can forever recall it. But this is a weakness, as well as a strength, as it becomes clear that she has distinct, detailed memories of events and objects she has never encountered. These are recorded in the letters she writes to her one-year-old son, Caleb, as a journal of the confusing, often frightening experiences she is having.

Jane knows more, especially about Henry’s life, than she could through “normal” perception. Their relationship becomes a part of the story, and its ambiguous but moving end.

The writing is thoughtful as well as subtle, making this book and its characters very believable, although Jane’s perceptions are not explainable by any reality we share. The novel also raises a larger question for me: What would make it possible for an intelligent, loving, but socially isolated single parent, with a complicated grasp of reality, to be responsible for a very young child? Clearly, that is beyond the scope of this book, but not of the imagination.

Definitely strange and yet familiar, which is why I think this bizzare book will do well. Walker just seeks to look at things differently than others who might have talked about this patient.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

In THE STRANGE CASE OF JANE O, written by Karen Thompson Walker, Jane O visits a psychiatrist, Dr. Henry Byrd, but leaves his office before explaining the reason for her visit. A few days later, Jane is seen by Dr. Byrd in the hospital because she is experiencing an episode of amnesia. What is the cause of Jane’s amnesia. I read on to find out.

I am hooked from the first scene in Dr. Byrd’s office. The fact that Jane is found unconscious in the park intensifies my desire to find out more about her. I think Jane’s epistolary-styled journal entries are an interesting way to propel the story forward. The development of the plot keeps me riveted to the narrative, and the dialogue is realistic. I am glad to read THE STRANGE CASE OF JANE O, and leave the book thinking the human brain is an incredible organ. Thank you, Random House Publishing Group – Random House and NetGalley for the advance reader copy.

With two unreliable narrators, I found myself constantly questioning what was real and what was imagined. I found Dr. Byrd’s frequent changes in diagnoses for Jane’s psychosis to be frustrating. Finally, the “attraction” between the main characters that’s mentioned was not particularly believable. While I really enjoyed this author’s first novel, The Age of Miracles, I did not find this novel particularly engaging, especially when I got to the unusual ending.

Unsettling, compelling, unique and clever---Walker intertwines psychology with mysticism, so that the reader isn't quite sure what is real (and do we ever know?) This would be an excellent book club choice; so much to discuss about what we don't understand and what we are willing to believe. Highly recommend.

This story delves way into the human mind with respect to illusions, hallucinations, clairvoyance and a possible phenomenon called, Dissociative Fugue. The research done for this book appears to be extensive and very interesting. The characters are well built and relatable.

🧠Jane and her small son live alone. She is being seen by a psychiatrist that she believes can help her. However, something strange happens. She told him she has seen him before, as a patient, but he has no recollection or notes of the event. She then begins to experience an episode in which she wakes up in a park without her son, and her psychiatrist is called to task by the police. Can he help with her neurological condition? Does any of it make sense at all? The police are even baffled.

🧠I love the study of the human mind. It is still something that scientists haven’t truly been able to understand in its entirety. I was glued to this book as it was constantly weaving in and out of peculiar experiences between Karen and her psychiatrist. There is no doubt that a movie or limited series may be in store for this one. I sure hope so, anyway.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the ARC of this book.

A speculative mystery about Jane, a new mother, who experiences strange psychological and physical episodes and ties to make sense of them by reaching out to a psychiatrist from his past. Set in New York, this story about relationships, motherhood, trauma, memory, and existential questions elicited feelings of confusion, dizziness, foreboding, suspense and awe, which is classic Karen Thompson Walker, I think. A strange but psychologically immersive read! Readalike: Our Missing Hearts by Celeste Ng.

I loved Karen Thompson Walker's first two novel, so I was excited to pick up this one, and it didn't disappoint. The Strange Case of Jane O is a story about a single new mother who finds herself loosing time, where she blacks out and regains herself hours or days later. However, during this blackout time she is observed walking through her life, but she has no memory of it. This novel is told from the perspective of her psychiatrists and alternatively from Jane's journal. This novel is the sci-fi light that I love from Karen Thompson Walker.