A thriller/suspense novel in the popular style of Gone Girl, this book contains many twists and turns and will be a hot item for library collections with a strong demand for this genre.

Intense, cruel, gut-wrenching. That's how I would describe The Girl Before. In other words, I loved it. In a strange and twisted way. Just like everything is in this novel. It starts with an absurd concept, and you think, it can't get any worse but it does. Oh dear, it does. It crawls under your skin, shakes your bones, makes you sick in the night. It's messed up. In an eerie and beautiful way. Moreover, The Girl Before raises many controversial questions of the 21st century. This novel challenges you in every possible way.

First, it makes you write the list of all of your essential possessions. Emphasis on essential. So, cross out that eyeliner and fuzzy slippers. Then, it makes you live in the house where 95% of people before haven't even lasted longer than a couple weeks. The house is indeed an architectural masterpiece created with a purpose of changing the resident. It's so sterile, you feel like a blank canvas - ready for a new start. And the house will either force you to start over or force you out. One Folgate Street's goal is to make your physical and emotional well-being better. That is the first question The Girl Before brings you to, shall architects create "buildings with a sense of purpose?"

Second, it makes you a subject to a house. One Folgate Street is an amazing creation. I was absolutely fascinated by a house that monitors health and well-being of the tenant. The house is equipped with all sorts of sensors, therefore creating the most pleasant environment. The lights, the temperature, the water, the AC, the appliances - the house adjusts everything up to tenant's physical and emotional parameters. It's insane. It's beautiful. It's genius. It's future. That brings you to the second question, would collection of physical and emotional parameters with the goal of general improvement cause the conflict between privacy and technology?

Third, it makes you reconsider your social choices. Because, honestly, what is going on in The Girl Before is equally messed up to Gone Girl. I am not exaggerating. It's like ice-cold water in the face, a wake-up call, a horrible realization, a gun to the head. Who do you trust? Who do you lie to? Who lies to you? All and no one. Everyone is this book is goddamn insane but so bloody real. Personalities are amplified, yes, but, honey, they are real. And they make you wonder, to what extent actions can be justified by love?

I read The Girl Before on my trip to New Orleans at night. This made the reading experience even creepier. I was not able to close my eyes until the next day, and this heavy feeling was gnawing upon me the entire day. I finished the novel over three weeks ago but I still can't stop thinking about it and the residents of One Folgate Street. I feel haunted. I feel heartbroken.

One Folgate Place is an architectural masterpiece: a minimalist design of pale stone, plate glass, and soaring ceilings. But there are rules. Emma and Jane are drawn to the house after both suffering personal tragedies. However neither woman is quite prepared for the changes their lives take after moving in. This book racing along quickly as the layers of the women's lives are peeled by to reveal the truths underneath. A great psychological suspenseful tale that will keep you up till the wee hours of the morning.

Please make a list of every possession you consider essential to your life.

The Girl Before is told from two different perspectives; Then: Emma and Now: Jane. Emma has just experienced a traumatic break in at her flat and is looking for a new place to live, but can’t seem to find something that is both affordable and feels safe to her. Until she looks at One Folate Street. The house is a minimalist design made of pale stone, high ceilings, plate glass and a very open floor plan and is considered to be an architectural masterpiece.But the enigmatic architect who designed the house has over 200 rules for living there, including no books, no photos, no clutter, no throw pillows or other personal effects as the house is meant to transform it’s occupant. Jane has just suffered a personal tragedy and is looking for a fresh start, which she believes she has found at One Folate Street. The space seems to bring her a sense of calm that she hasn’t felt in a while and she also feels drawn to the architect who created it. Shortly after moving in, Jane learns about the death of the home’s previous tenant; a woman who has a similar appearance to her. As Jane begins to investigate what happened, she has to untangle the truth from all the lies. She unknowingly begins to the follow the same patterns, make the same choices and cross paths with the same people and also begins to experience the same terror, as the girl before.

I received an ARC of The Girl Before about 3 months ago and I so wish I had read it sooner because I absolutely loved it. It was not at all what I expected it to be. The story, as mentioned above, is told from two perspectives; Then: Emma and Now:Jane. So the perspectives switch every other chapter but it was very easy to follow alone. Also, in between most chapters is a question from the application package when the girls applied to One Folate Street and from the follow up surveys the girls filled out while living there. I also thought that was a nice touch and some of the questions did make me stop and think for a moment. I don’t want to give too much of the plot away but I do want to mention a few things. I really liked the author’s writing style and I felt that even though we split time between Emma and Jane, we got to know their characters pretty well. The architect, Edward, is also a very interesting character. This was one of those books that I could not stop reading because every time I thought I had the plot twists figured out, it would go in a different direction. I read almost the whole book in one day. It really captivated my attention. I can honestly say most of the plot twists I didn’t figure out until they happened and the author did a really good job with that. And the ending was also pretty good, not as dramatic as I had expected it to be, but unexpected. There is some sex in this book, which I like to mention when it’s a book that I normally wouldn’t expect to contain detailed sexual encounters. The scenes are all well done and it is nothing over the top. Overall, I really enjoyed this book and I recommend it to anyone who enjoys psychological thrillers.

Thank you to the publisher for sending me an advanced reading copy of this book.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book started out really interesting, but about a 1/3 of the way in started reminding me of Fifty Shades of Grey - which I regrettably read a while ago. Certainly the writing itself was much better than Fifty shades....it was more the controlling male that I didn't enjoy at all. But fortunately the mystery part of the story was engrossing, as was the use of the house as part of the story. The characters were well developed, although I thought that Simon ultimately needed more fleshing out. I liked the back-and-forth between the two time periods.

I did have problems with the way a particular syndrome is dealt with at the end, although I know many people feel the way it was described. And while the end was surprising, I'm not actually sure I really like the way it went. <spoiler> I think the more predictable ending, with Edward the bad guy, might have been more satisfying despite its predictability. Either that or there should have been a bit more background on Simon than there was, to make it seem more realistic. </spoiler>

It was definitely a quick read, and wanting to find out what really happened kept me reading. I understand this has already been optioned by Ron Howard to become a movie. The pacing and unusual setting of the house should make for an interesting movie and I'm sure will be enjoyed by many.

A solid 3.75. If you're looking for thrillers this is a good one. Whenever you can't figure out which characters are actually sane and which are actually disturbed, it's going to turn into a book that you can't put down. This fits that description exactly. I also didn't mind that I tried to guess what was going to happen and I just couldn't. I couldn't guess correctly and I couldn't even nail down where I thought it was going to go.

Book Review: The Girl Before by J.P. Delaney
Publisher: Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine

Two different women, years apart, agree to the insane rules imposed by the architect to rent a home. The rules list is 200 items long and include “no leaving clothing on the floor” and “no books allowed”. Those two alone would have disqualified me because my life is all about the clutter and the books. These women are apparently ok with or plan to tolerate the rules.

The house is a character all its own. Gleaming and perfect and plain white walls, the place sounded a bit like an insane asylum. The house is equipped with the newest in technology as it adjusts the lights, temperature, etc. based upon your mood or actions. It seemed rather creepy to me.

The story is told from the alternating points of view of Emma, the first tenant, and Jane, the current tenant. Normally I cannot stand this way of telling a story but I stuck it out. The one real thing that annoyed me about this is that the “Emma” chapters held zero quotation marks. This made it a wee bit difficult in differentiating between dialogue and thoughts.

Emma moves into the home with her boyfriend Simon after their apartment is burglarized. The security system on the home sways her decision. She craves a safe sanctuary and the privacy the home affords. Jane is looking for a quiet place to start over after the stillbirth of her daughter. She’s looking for someplace to think and rebuild. They believe the house is perfect for their needs.

You soon learn about Emma’s breakup with Simon and her falling into a relationship with the mysterious owner of the house, Edward. Let me tell you that if he were a real person I would avoid him at all costs. He’s a creepy perfectionist with a dead wife. Jane all into a relationship as well and soon becomes obsessed with him, his dead wife, and the death of Emma. Oh, did I forget to mention she died in the home that Jane now lives in?

The Girl Before is a quick and intriguing read. I’m pleased that the author led me down the path thinking I could predict what was going on and then fooled me completely. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a mystery with a thrill and a creepy house thrown in.

I read that this book is going to be coming out as a movie directed by Ron Howard. I’m eager to see how it shapes up compared to the book.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review.

You can find this review and more at: http://shiningstarreviews.blogspot.com/

I am in the minority with my feelings about The Girl Before--this book has received excellent reviews, but it just didn’t work for me.

The premise is intriguing: What if you had the opportunity to live in the perfect house designed by a famous architect for a low price? The only catch is that the house will record data, and track your every move. Also, the lease will have over 200 clauses, including such things as not leaving anything on the floor and no books allowed! There will be the occasional quiz, and if you don’t comply or do well, appliances will stop working. Some would run for the hills, but to others, it sounds like a dream come true! The perfect house will help people reach levels of perfection they never thought they could achieve. This is the house located on One Folgate Street.

The Girl Before tells the stories of Emma and Jane, two occupants who lived in One Folgate.. Emma died under mysterious circumstances while living in One Folgate Street, and Jane is the current occupant. Both women look alike, and both were involved with Edward Monkton, the architect and mastermind behind One Folgate Street--both also happen to bear an eerie resemblance to Edward’s deceased wife. Jane begins to investigate Emma’s death, and by doing so, puts herself in danger.

While the premise was interesting, it felt like the author was trying to cram pieces into a puzzle that didn’t fit. As a result, everything unraveled and it all became a little ridiculous. The Girl Before was just not my cup of tea.

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

This was a highly entertaining and engrossing book that I found quite difficult to put down and days later I'm still thinking about it. I was fascinated by Emma and Jane's stories and the parallels that occurred in their very tragic lives. They were interesting characters and I wanted to know them and what brought them to the house. The house was a character all by itself and it was a pleasure delving into its mysteries. And then the house's creator, well he was worth the read alone.

This was a great mystery, a great psychological thriller and I enjoyed every moment in its pages. I highly recommend it to anyone who loves to live life on the edge of their seat while they're reading a book.

I found this book a quick read. It is a stimulating and interesting psychological thriller until nearing the end. Then I just wanted to get it over with.

Captivating. Frightening. I could not put this book down!
This story kept me guessing from the first page to the last. Just when I thought I had it figured out, the author made me think again.
I very much enjoyed The Girl Before and will definitely read more by this author!

A house with rules? Super creepy Psych thriller, I really enjoyed this one. I loved the alternating point of views of the "then and now", and I'll definitely be recommending it to friends. Cant wait to see this as a movie!
Thank you NetGalley!

This is a great book and I really enjoyed it.

*Warning: Possible spoilers ahead*





The book follows the narratives of two women that have lived in the same minimalist house. It is clear that this story is one that will quickly become a narrative that people will want to read and talk about obsessively.

The characters were nuanced and important and each time that Edward approached one of the women (in the past and in the present), I found myself gasping for air a little bit. I wanted to know why Edward would do the things that he had done and why he was the way that he was.

But, in the end, it turned out that the women needed to be looked at more closely. I mean this book was clearly all about the women - and really, all about Jane.

At one point I found myself saying, "I don't know which characters to love and which characters to hate!" And, even at the end, I still feel the same way. And, really, that is the sign of a good character - the conflict to decide whether you like them or not because that is how we feel about most people in real life as well.

Overall, a really wonderful read in this latest genre to really explode (the psychological thriller/who killed her/why didn't I think of that). I was not smart enough to figure out the twists (I always get too wrapped up to figure them out), but I am sure there will be people that can figure it out without a problem.

4.5/5 stars for this one!

SUMMARY
Two women, three years apart, both traumatized by recent events in their lives, need to make a new start and find a new place to live. Then they are told about an architecturally unique house that's available for just the right person. The catch is they have to be approved by the architect and they have to agree to a list of over 200 restrictive covenants.

Both women believe this house and all of its rules are just what is needed in their torn lives. Emma covets the the safety of the house after her previous flat was burglarized. She sees the rules as a way to totally change her life, a way to become a new person. Jane also seeks a new start after the loss of a baby. After Jane moves in she learns about the unresolved death of a previous tenant. She wants to know what happened. She has to know. Her investigation leads her down a dangerous path where the lies and the truth are tangled.


REVIEW
THE GIRL BEFORE is two stories masterfully wound together like a rope. The story of then and now. Two women, strikingly similar in appearance, both in need a new start, and both fall for the demanding architect. Their stories are full of twists and turns.

Pleasantly surprising, the unique house at One Folgate Street is the perfect setting for THE GIRL BEFORE. Everything, from the pale stone walls, to the cream sofa, to the towels, and wine glasses, are of the finest quality And the house, although austere, has such advanced technical innovations, it just might be the most perfect living environment. Who wouldn't want a house that knows everything we like and even strives to makes us a better person?

THE GIRL BEFORE expertly intertwines the stories of Emma and Jane. And this was the perfect way to tell this particular story. JP Delaney's writing is clear and bright. It's a challenging and enjoyable psychological thriller that kept me turning the pages late into the night.

Thanks to Random House, Ballantine Books and Netgalley for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was one very strange book. It's about a house and two women who lived there. At first, I thought the women were living there at the same time but in a different dimension. It is that strange. But then I realized that they were living there a year apart. Emma lived there first and then Jane. The house is all stone. The walls, the floor, the stairs, everything. You can only bring in certain things. The furniture, dishes, cookware, and most of the household goods are already there. You just bring in your personal items much like a hotel. There are pictures in the book to let you get a sense of what the house looks like. It's not for everyone.

It's fully automated and it keeps track of your body to let you know what vitamins your needing, whether the air needs to be turned up or down. The shower is controlled for you. The gas stove is controlled for you. It's all done for you.

All designed by this man named Edward something. What happens to these women after they move in to this house is definitely worth reading. And both of their lives change drastically. I've heard it's being made into a movie. It will definitely be a thriller I can't wait to see as this was a book I could not put down.

Definitely an entertaining, thrilling and mesmerizing read.

Huge thanks to Ballantine Books for approving my request and to Net Galley for providing me with a free e-galley in exchange for an honest review.

Competition to live as a minimalist, albeit with rules and provisions this reader could not live up to. Two girls, young women really, striving to appease a control freak. In the background a deceitful and revenge seeking ex-lover. All the characters are fascinating, each in their own way. Each is seeking their own satisfaction, playing the game of life, and each struggling with issues both personal and public. That their paths cross is necessary to make the story flow and intensify the plot. The author accomplishes this with a double time pace. All the elements required for a great read, deceit, love, lack of love, betrayal, crime, law enforcement and morals tossed into a trash can. All the while the seemingly brilliant manipulator appears to have been manipulated. Maybe.

Please make a list of every possession you consider essential to your life.

The request seems odd, even intrusive—and for the two women who answer, the consequences are devastating.

Emma
Reeling from a traumatic break-in, Emma wants a new place to live. But none of the apartments she sees are affordable or feel safe. Until One Folgate Street. The house is an architectural masterpiece: a minimalist design of pale stone, plate glass, and soaring ceilings. But there are rules. The enigmatic architect who designed the house retains full control: no books, no throw pillows, no photos or clutter or personal effects of any kind. The space is intended to transform its occupant—and it does.

Jane
After a personal tragedy, Jane needs a fresh start. When she finds One Folgate Street she is instantly drawn to the space—and to its aloof but seductive creator. Moving in, Jane soon learns about the untimely death of the home’s previous tenant, a woman similar to Jane in age and appearance. As Jane tries to untangle truth from lies, she unwittingly follows the same patterns, makes the same choices, crosses paths with the same people, and experiences the same terror, as the girl before.

I was initially drawn to this book by the promise of a psychological thriller about two women who find the same house in the wake of their own tragic life events with terrible consequences. Unfortunately, I did not feel that the book lived up to the hype that the summary promised. It was very difficult to be drawn into the book and even more difficult to connect with the characters. You could skim entire chapters without missing any necessary detail or storyline of the book. The ending didn’t shock me or provide any emotional reaction like most psychological thrillers do, and honestly I never really feared for the women featured in the book. All in all, I’d suggest skipping this one if you’re looking for a true thrill.

*Disclaimer* I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

All together I would say a 3.5 star book that to me read as more of a 4.

A psychological thriller about women with the word girl in the title, CRAZY, yet somehow I was still intrigued.

My first advice is for any publisher to halt all press that relates, any book at this point, to Gone Girl. Your book is not Gone Girl, it will not be Gone Girl, and you will let people down that you wouldn't otherwise.

With that being said, I think this book was way more well done than I expected. I really enjoyed the dual narrative which I normally am not a massive fan of. You do sometimes have repeats of the story but the different perspectives are both interesting enough that it didn't bother me.

Emma.....I was not a fan, and I think a lot of people will agree. However, I do think there a large camp of people who can relate to her. I try to not let that bother me in a story, unfortunately in this case it just really did.

Overall it wasn't perfect, but I think people in general will really love this story.

Two women, living in the same house at different times. Both of whom need something in their life, need it desperately. This is a state of the art modern home, the picture of simplicity and perfection. With just a little something....off.

This book is exactly what the summary promises: a complete and utter mind fuck.

It took everything in my being not to skip to the end of this damn book. The chapters bounce back and forth between Emma, "The Girl Before", and Jane, The Girl Now. There's a certain symmetry to their stories, despite the fact that they couldn't be more different.

The house sounds incredible, by the way. If it weren't for the intense creep factor, I would be very tempted to live in a house like this. What possessions do you value most in your life? I value everything, throwing away almost nothing. Could I live like this? What do I need in my life, what could happen to make this prospect so appealing?

You get completely wrapped up in the story of these women's lives. And by the time you get to the end, everything you thought you knew is thrown out the window.

On top of all of this, you have Edward Monkford. Stoic, OCD, entirely creepy. Not even remotely charismatic, which is why I find it unrealistic that these women would be enticed into a relationship with him. I think this is the author projecting here.

There are a few problematic factors to this book, all of which make me cast a side eye at the author, whose previous works I don't recognize, but who clearly has had a decent career in his own right. I'm not sure what's up with writing behind a pseudonym, and I'm not interested in criticizing this decision. Just noting it.

Despite the problematic portions, this really is an absolute page turner. Even if you flip to the end, you won't entirely get the full picture.

With that being said, Don't flip to the end. Seriously. The anticipation pays off, just go with it.

Emma Matthews has been through a traumatic experience. She has been burglarized and attacked in the safety of her own home. She doesn't feel safe there anymore so she and her boyfriend, Simon, are on a seemingly endless hunt for a new, safer, place. They come a cross One Folgate Street where the application process is grueling but the home is an architectural and technological masterpiece. Rarely does anyone get accepted and even more rarely do those accepted actually stay.

Jane Cavendish has been through a traumatic experience. She has just lost her baby at birth and she is looking for a new start. She comes across a place called One Folgate Street and decides that it is the only place that she could consider home. The architect, Edward Monkford, has outlandish demands for the tenants of his home and his obsession with minimalism and perfection are difficult to accommodate. However, he thinks Jane is the perfect match for the home. After she is accepted, that is when things become very strange and she sets out to find the truth. Is the truth better off hidden?

This book was hard to put down! The chapters were short with the narration switching from Emma to Jane and from the past to present, respectively. This book kept me guessing throughout the book and until the last few chapters, it is very hard to figure out the actual identity of the villain. It is not a flat plotline, rather, there are so many twists and turns that it is almost dizzying. Lastly, this book covers many topics but they blend together so well that it did not seem overwhelming to read.

I highly recommend this book for anyone who enjoys plot twists. I also recommend this book for any reader who enjoys sifting through red herrings.

However, I do not think this book would be for any reader that is offended by violence, foul language, sexually suggestive scenarios, stillbirth, mild drug use, stalking, rape, burglary, infidelity, murder, and conversations about abortion.