An Anonymous Girl
A Novel
by Greer Hendricks; Sarah Pekkanen
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Pub Date Jan 08 2019 | Archive Date Jan 08 2019
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Description
The instant #1 New York Times bestseller (January 2019) everyone is talking about!
People Magazine's Book of the Week • Bookish's "Must-Read Books of Winter" • PopSugar's "Best Books of Winter" • Cosmopolitan's "2019 Books to Bring to Your Book Club" • Bookbub's "Biggest Books of Winter" • Refinery 29's "Best Books of January 2019" • Crime Reads' "January's Best Psychological Thrillers" • InStyle's "7 Books That You Should Resolve to Read This January" • HelloGiggles' "The 50 Most Anticipated Books of 2019" • USA Today's "5 New Books Not to Miss" • Marie Claire's "The Best Women’s Fiction of 2019 (So Far)" • Hypable's "Winter Releases You Can’t Afford to Miss"
"Hendricks and Pekkanen are at the top of their game...You won't see the final twist coming." —People Magazine
“Beware strange psychologists…the authors know exactly how to play on their characters’ love of danger to bring them to the brink of disaster - and dare them to jump off.” —New York Times Book Review
"Slickly twisty [with] gasp-worthy final twists...major league suspense." —Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"For those who relished the creepy stalking in Hendricks and Pekkanen's The Wife Between Us, this unnerving tale will have them rethinking what secrets are safe to share and if moral and ethics really matter when protecting the ones you love." —Library Journal (starred review)
"Masterfully escalates the suspense." —Booklist (starred review)
Looking to earn some easy cash, Jessica Farris agrees to be a test subject in a psychological study about ethics and morality. But as the study moves from the exam room to the real world, the line between what is real and what is one of Dr. Shields’s experiments blurs.
Dr. Shields seems to know what Jess is thinking… and what she’s hiding.
Jessica’s behavior will not only be monitored, but manipulated.
Caught in a web of attraction, deceit and jealousy, Jess quickly learns that some obsessions can be deadly.
From the authors of the blockbuster bestseller The Wife Between Us, Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen, An Anonymous Girl will keep you riveted through the last shocking twist.
Available Editions
EDITION | Other Format |
ISBN | 9781250133731 |
PRICE | $27.99 (USD) |
PAGES | 384 |
Links
Featured Reviews
Oh boy, oh boy..... An Anonymous Girl is a collaboration between Hendricks and Pekkanen. Their other book The Wife Between Us, to me was one that could not be outdone by another book. Boy was I wrong. This story is about a young woman, Jess, who signs up to get paid to perform a study. Jess has no idea what is in store for her and she is becoming more and more paranoid by the therapist giving the study. I really under estimated this one. I felt that the writers did a wonderful job of emphasizing certain characters that enhance the story. The main protagonist is Very likeable. This story is gripping and has control of you the minute you start reading it. I wanted to get to the end so fast just to see what was going to happen. Not the jaw dropping ending that has appeared in their other collaborations but a very good twist none the less.
Thank you to netgalley as well as the author/publisher for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.
5+++ ⭐️ out of 5
This was by far one of the best books I've read in a long time! It sucks you in from page 1, where an established therapist is performing a study. It happens by fate that a girl in desperate need to make ends meet catches wind of said study and it slowly spirals downhill from there.
This is the 2nd book read by these authors and it is another one of those endings that will shock you! Very well written and fast paced.
Thank you to the publishers for letting me read this fabulous ARC in exchange for an honest review.
THANK YOU for this ARC!
After reading The Wife Between Us, my expectations for every Hendricks/Pekkanen book are sky high! An Anonymous Girl did not disappoint!
Hendricks and Pekkanen are quite possibly the queens of psychological thrillers. This is an edge of your seat, what will happen next, type of thriller. A novel written in the POV of a disturbed and obsessive "medical professional" and of a seemingly typical young woman with a secret and a few destructive behaviors, this book will hook you from the first page. You will not want to stop reading this book. I couldn't wait to see how the story unfolded but was sad to see it come to a close. Amazingly thought out characters with just enough unreliability to intrigue you.
I am ready for the next Hendricks/Pekkanen book!
Excellent story! This author is one to watch out for! Very fresh material and keeps you on the edge of your seat the entire time! Looking forward to reading more by this author!
Wow where to begin! I loved this book so much! I enjoyed the main character Jess and I struggled with every step she took like I was right next to her. This definitely was a psychological thriller! The story starts with jess a woman who is a struggling make up artist In New York. She decides to participate in computer questionnaire at a university for extra money. The questionnaire consists of personal questions. After she completes she’s contacted by dr Lydia who was in charge of the the assignment and Jess is told she was chosen out of every participant to continue and she will be paid. Once she gets to know dr Lydia and the assignments Jess starts to realize there may be more to dr Lydia than the perfect woman she portrays and she may be being used by her. The assignments dr Lydia puts Jess in are picking up a man at a bar and seeing if he calls her , calling random people from a phone log. Jess starts to worry maybe she shared to much of her life and secrets with dr Lydia and what is dr Lydia’s true motive. I loved how the story goes from Jess and dr Lydia’s point of view and this defiantly had me eagerly turning each page!! I want to thank the publisher for an advanced copy for my review!!!
This book hooked me in from the very beginning. I couldn't stop reading it. It was fast-paced and riveting. I can't believe that this is the first time that I am reading these great authors. This won't be the last for sure. I don't want to give anything away but be prepared that you will devour this book and not come up for air until you are done.
Thanks does not seem to be enough for this precious ARC from Netgalley & St. Martin's Press. I was honestly floored when my wish was granted and I received this well before publication. The Wife Between Us set the bar high - as soon as I found out about this sophomore thriller from Greer Hendricks & Sarah Pekkanen, I was perched impatiently on the edge of my seat. It had been years (Since Gone Girl) that I had to stop and put down a book and slow down to digest the mammoth of a plot twist that was The Wife Between Us. I remember thinking two things after I finished: It's going to be hard as hell to top this, and I can't wait for their next book. I don't remember it specifically, but my sister recited a quote to me a while ago, and it went something like, "You are a different person to everyone who meets you." It was profound and disconcerting, in a way. In this book, the therapist in this thriller describes how five seconds can change a life. My life is changed by quotes. Quotes that make me stop, contemplate, and reevaluate. The quote my sister told me was one of those moments. Every single person we meet has a different view of who WE are as a person, a friend, a colleague. This book didn't have a specific quote, but the descriptions from the therapist about little observations and tells that each individual has, has left me baffled. I wonder what it must be like to be so analytical, down to establishing small stepping stones to learn someone's habits, to be able to tell a story of their true thoughts and honest feelings by simply watching and cataloging their body language. It is incredibly impressive. I imagine this is how people in power think: seven steps ahead, anticipating the tells of their subjects. It is spooky. Add that ability with the sterility and talent for logical thinking and you have a true mastermind evil genius. There is something absolutely horrifying and unsettling about perfection, isn't there? So while there was no twist that made me drop my book and my jaw, the characters were enough to make you stop with chills. The characters and descriptions were Stephen King-like that way. Sometimes, in this day and age, we over look the truly simplistic sinister character in favor - for lack of a better word - of the all out crazed, sloppy maniacs. It doesn't have to be bloody, gory, topsy-turvey to be scary, to send a chill down your spine, to stand your hair on end. The scariest thing is someone knowing and anticipating our every move and using them against us for our own demise. What is more evil than that? Someone trustworthy betraying you with their calculations. Someone who is supposed to have your best interest at heart. It truly brings like to the selfish nature of humanity: it doesn't matter who is destroyed in our path as long as our questions are answered, as long as our own needs are met. An Anonymous Girl occupied my thoughts when I was not reading, captured me, pulled me in and took me on a subdued, thrilling journey. This was not comparable to The Wife Between Us - so if you are going into this like I initially did, look for something other than a twist. Look for how well crafted this is. How seamless the two writers come together. This was absolutely fantastic and I will forever be a loyal reader.
The give and take among the characters in this novel is just very realistic and gripping from nearly the first page. Most of the descriptions and situations are very realistic, and many of us can empathize from the major plot points. While some of the third-person descriptions is a bit forced, overall I really was taken with the story and couldn't put this book down. If you are looking for a somewhat different take on a psychological thriller, this should be the book you read next.
Given the massive hit that was the first novel these two co-authored, The Wife Between Us, there must have been so much pressure when penning their follow up. However, I am happy to report that The Anonymous Girl more than surpassed my expectations and totally blew me away. Another game of cat & mouse - but who is playing? What starts out as a study on morality and ethics quickly escalates - and will have the reader and the characters asking questions!
Don't miss this one in January - it's bound to be a huge hit!
Omg Wow. Thank you so much ST. Martin's Press and Netgalley for giving me the honor and opportunity of reading this ARC. I actually have not yet read The Wife Between Us, so I did not go into this with any expectations that were based on that book.
This story draws you in from page one and keeps you hooked until the very end. I loved the two main characters, Jessica and Dr. Shields. I loved the back and forth between their characters. I enjoyed the mild confusion I felt throughout the book, and the curiousity it gave me to keep going. I loved how this book was a thriller but did not rely on gore to shock the reader, therefore appeally to all ages and fans of suspense. This book is extremely well written, descriptive while not going overboard. Loved the setting of New York City during the holidays. There were so many things I loved about this book I'm sad it's over. Very original and refreshing. So many thrillers I feel like I'm reading the same thing, never once did I feel that way with this book.
Preorder this now, but warning do not start this unless you can keep reading, you will not want to put this down. It's so good, I read it was already sold and will be made into a series. Which I can't wait for.
This was an amazing physiological thriller, and I can not wait to check out The Wife Between Us.
Thank you to Net Galley and St. Martin's Press for an e-ARC of this title in exchange for my honest review. I was thrilled to receive this book, because I love Sarah Pekkanen's books, and I loved her previous book with Greer Hendricks, The Wife Between Us. I was drawn in immediately to the storyline: You're not making what you need, and you have an opportunity to participate in a psychological study. Who wouldn't? But as the questions get more direct, and Jessica becomes more and more entwined in the psychologist's world, things start spiraling. Who can she trust? This is a wild ride that is so well crafted. I could easily keep up with the characters. I hated some, and liked some. This, though, is the mark of a job well done. This book had to be a trial to write...it's full of twists and turns. I loved it...and I'm paying for that today, having been up until 2a reading it. A must read.
Jess agrees to take part in a psychological study dealing with ethics and morality purely for the money she will earn. But these tests go beyond simple questions as the strange and increasingly sinister Dr. Shields begins to manipulate Jess’s every thought. Super creepy and intense
An Anonymous Girl is a story that leaves the reader guessing until the last chapter. There were so many twists and turns that this book took that the reader cannot put it down because they have to know what is going on. Who are the players in the game, what is the game and who is really going to win if there can be a winner at all? Toxic relationships are such a central figure of this story and is written to perfection. Now one of my favorite suspense writers and will be picking up more books by Greer Hendricks and I am sure I will love them as much as I did An Anonymous Girl. I am so grateful to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the chance to read the ARC of this book because I am know a huge fan.
I received an advanced copy of this book through Netgalley. This book had me from the very beginning. I love that it kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time. I would highly recommend this book to my fellow readers. Thank you for the chance to review this book!!!!
This book - wow. Twisted in so many ways and I loved it!!! “Wait...she did what?” “He did that?!” I could not put this book down. So very well written. I am so thankful I was chosen for an arc. I can’t stop thinking about it!!! May need to read it again, it was that good!!
Let me start off by saying that my expectations for this book were incredibly high based on it’s description and it’s authors, which was probably setting it up for failure. However, I was pleasantly surprised to have my expectations exceeded. Jess is a makeup artist who is struggling financially who ends up participating in a psychological experiment about ethics and morality at a local university that promises a well-paid compensation. I don’t want to give anything away and repeat the synopsis already provided about the book. Suffice it to say that An Anonymous Girl is everything a psychological thriller should be, and leaves you hooked up until the very last page. I could not put this book down once I started reading.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book courtesy of NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
As with their first book, the characters are all well developed, believable and engaging. There are a lot of twists and turns in this creative and unique story.
I highly recommend this psychological thriller. I predict this book to be a big hit you won't want to miss reading. If you liked Gone Girl, Lies She Told or the Other Girl, you will enjoy this book. It has a fun "boil the rabbit" feel to it you won't want to miss. I will eagerly await the next book written by this dynamic duo, Greer Hendricks, Sarah Pekkanen.
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An Anonymous Girl is like a psychological thriller on steroids. I loved it. The hook is a unique – a woman with secrets in her past sneaks into a psychological study on ethics and morality. If you are craving a twisty psychological thriller, this is the book to read to get your fix. Multiple points of view? Check. Unreliable narrator? Check. Twists and turns? Check. Unputdownable? Check? Obsessive domestic relationships? Check. It even has an actual psychologist. This book does not even come out until January 2019 but I expect that it will be the talk of the town. I would like to thank NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and authors Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen for the early sneak peek of an electronic advanced review copy. Pre-order now because you will not want to miss this.
WOW! Just when I thought 'The Wife Between Us' was going to be hard to top, 'An Anonymous Girl' ends up being even better! It's best to go in blind so I am not going to mention any of the plot. There are a ton of thriller books that are 'over-hyped' but this one will deserve ALL the hype I know it is going to get. Greer Hendricks and Sarak Pekkanen are a writing duo forced to be reckoned with. The writing is flawless and I ended up reading this until 3:00am because I had to know how it was going to end! Everyone is going to ask, if there is that one major twist like there was in The Wife Between Us. There isn't just one major twist. There are several twists that will give you whiplash and you will be thinking 'what just happened!' There were many moments when I thought I knew where the story was going, but I ended up being wrong! Pre-order this bad boy and know you are in for a real treat!
One of my favorites!
Thank you to St. Martin's Press for sending me an early reader's copy in exchange for an honest review!
“An Anonymous Girl” by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen
“If you were a therapist, would changing the course of someone’s life, even subtly, be appropriate if she felt it was for a good reason?”
Writing psychological thrillers are clearly the genre both of these authors have been destined to write. “An Anonymous Girl” is just as enthralling and twisted, yet so realistic, the reader just keeps reading. Just as one thinks they figure out the next move of the characters they are thrown for a loop.
Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen have a true gift. They pull you in, get you so engaged, trying to figure out where they are leading you and Bam!! they have you all twisted around again. Dr Lydia Shields knows how to get what she wants: to control others. People are unaware she is preying on them and changing their life choices and behaviors because of her. And she is sly enough she will make changes in your life you never saw coming. The only question is, who will win? One person already lost her life...how many more will it take until she gets what she truly wants and needs??
Rating: 4.8
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
** I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this novel. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Could you tell a lie without feeling guilt?
I actually squealed out loud when I received an advanced copy of this book. For real, I squealed. I loved The Wife Between Us, so I couldn’t wait to crack this one open. It quickly jumped up my TBR shelf to the number one position.. But then I got nervous. What if it isn’t as good as The Wife Between Us? What if I have it so hyped up to live up to that?
I’ll be honest, I went into An Anonymous Girl not even knowing what it was about. It wasn’t until I had read the first 10% of the book that I went and read the blurb on Goodreads.
Seeking women ages 18–32 to participate in a study on ethics and morality. Generous compensation. Anonymity guaranteed.
I’ll say it: This book is very different from The Wife Between Us, if you’re coming into the book expecting those big twists, you might be disappointed. An Anonymous Girl was just a mindbender from the beginning. I constantly questioned everyone’s motives. I was suspicious of everyone and everything. I never knew what was really going on. The second I thought I had it figured out I was proved wrong.
I haven’t read a book that had me this engrossed in a very long time, I was up all night “just one more chapter, just one more!” Seriously, it’s that good. Everyone should have this book on their radar, pre-order, mark the release date in your calendar, whatever you need to do, it is that good!
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Books for providing me this book in exchange for an honest review.
I was a huge fan of “The Wife Between Us”, so when I heard about this book, I had to read it! I devoured it in two days, and it would have been less if I didn’t have to take care of kids and go to work! This is a carefully thought out psychological suspense novel that will keep you guessing until the end. The premise hooked me from the beginning—a young woman with secrets from her own past participates in an anonymous study on ethics and morality, with the promise of generous compensation—yet she sneaks her way into the study, which immediately makes one question her morality. Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen are an amazing writing team, and they’ve certainly knocked it out of the park once again!
Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for an early digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I have never had a favorite book because I tend to go from book to book and often forget the plots of the books I read - even if I found them to be amazing! I will never forget An Anonymous Girl. I will recommend this to everybody. I love psychology and I throgougly enjoyed the psychology references made by Dr. Sheilds and Jess. My mind was blown more times than I could count. I am so bummed to be done with this books. I could see this becoming a huge film if the authors allowed it. A girl can dream, right?
This book is about Jessica, a gal who is willing to participate in a study for some extra money to assist her family. This book is about family members that hold a lot of guilt, while unaware that each other feels the same. This book is about a couple who have lied to each other, one out of love and the other out of fear and self preservation. This book is about a young woman who had a strong level of love and trust. This book will rock your whole world.
I apologize to my boyfriend because I was so distracted while reading this book.
I was extremely lucky to receive a free copy of An Anonymous Girl from NetGalley. My opinions are honest and true.
Awesome psychological suspense! Very well written character study. What starts as a study on morality quickly goes off the rails for a young woman who entered the study in an immoral way. Fast paced, addictive read, impossible to put down. Fans of The Wife Between Us will love this book. Be warned don’t start this book late at night because you will lose sleep.
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After having loved The Wife Between Us, I was delighted to get a copy of this novel and it lived up to the hype! I'm a sucker for psychological thrillers, flawed characters, unreliable narrators, and breath-taking twists; this book has it all! When Jessica enrolls in an ethics study, she is hoping to make some extra money but she has no idea that the psychologist behind the study has a personal agenda that will rock her world and those of the people to whom she is closest. I kept thinking to myself, "Well, I didn't see THAT coming!" You may think you know what's going on but you probably don't. This book speaks to many themes: morality, retribution, infidelity, guilt, betrayal, secrets, and lies. Really had my head spinning! This is one you do not want to miss!
This was one of the best books I have read in a very long time. The book took several unexpected turns and never made me lose interest. I don't want to give too much away, but I felt the ending had a sort of poetic justice, and seemed fitting to the rest of the story. This is going to be a very easy book to recommend, as it will appeal to a wide audience. Can't recommend this one enough!
I loved The Wife Between Us from these 2 authors and I expected a good read with An Anonymous Girl. I wasn't disappointed! What a great read!
Thanks for this ARC.
Jess, is a make up artist who is barely making ends meet.
She overhears a client’s conversation one evening about a morality and ethics study being conducted by Dr. Shields the following morning, which will pay $500. She doubts that Taylor, the college student talking about the study, will be up early enough to attend, after her evening out, so she shows up in her place, and is allowed to participate.
She becomes Subject 52.
She begins to answer a series of questions and despite the fact that she was not supposed to be a part of the study, she is just the kind of participant that Dr. Shields has been looking for.
Dr Shields asks her if she would consider expanding her role in the study, for significantly higher compensation...
Of course, Jess says YES...
But will it be worth it? Is what the DR asking of subject 52 ethical and moral?
The chapters alternate...Jess and then Dr. Shields; with the Dr’s chapters sounding to me like what a psychiatrist would record about a patient on tape, though the Dr was actually taking meticulous notes on a yellow legal pad.
Completely different from “The Wife Between Us” this story is less about shocking twists, and more about the build up of tension as you discover WHY the Dr is conducting the study and the lengths the Dr will go to “in the name of research”. (Don’t worry! There are still plenty of surprises!)
I was riveted! No sophomore slump for the collaboration from these two talented ladies!
I would like to thank Netgalley, St. Martin’s Press, and the authors Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen for allowing me to read this arc in exchange for a candid review! This book will be available Jan 8, 2019!
Pre-order now!!
Wow! I read this book in 2 days! It kept me on the edge of my seat and I never knew what was coming next! Thanks for writing an awesome book!
An Anonymous Girl by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen, Wow! I wasn't sure if I was going to like this book but OMG, I read it in 1 day! I did not want to stop for anything other than going to the bathroom and then only before it was to late. This story grabbed me and dragged me through to the end! I liked the way it was written and the way the characters are fleshed out and their stories are told, very interesting and intriguing. I will be looking forward to more from these writers!! Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for allowing me to read this ARC book and give my own personal opinion.
Thanks to Netgalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I read The Wife Between Us by these authors and I loved it so I was really excited to get approved for this ARC. I think this one may actually be better than the previous book. I agree with other reviewers that the synopsis should be limited to just the fact that a girl works her way into a psychological study. Nothing else should be given away because I had NO idea where this was going for quite awhile but I was very intrigued. Then once I did know where it was going, I was not disappointed. I didn't know who I could trust and I really loved the way the chapters from the doctor's perspective were written. This one had many twists and turns at the end. I couldn't put it down and look forward to the next one from these authors.
I just finished a really good book that kept me reading late into the night, big surprise! An Anonymous Girl by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen is a great suspense novel. I loved it from page one and was totally hooked. I like how the style is different and the plot is one I never saw before. The book switches from the main character Jess to the psychiatrist, Dr. Sheilds. I was kind of on edge as I read, on edge in the best way!
Here’s what you need to know about this fabulous book, due out in 2019:
Seeking women ages 18–32 to participate in a study on ethics and morality. Generous compensation. Anonymity guaranteed.
When Jessica Farris signs up for a psychology study conducted by the mysterious Dr. Shields, she thinks all she’ll have to do is answer a few questions, collect her money, and leave. But as the questions grow more and more intense and invasive and the sessions become outings where Jess is told what to wear and how to act, she begins to feel as though Dr. Shields may know what she’s thinking…and what she’s hiding. As Jess’s paranoia grows, it becomes clear that she can no longer trust what in her life is real, and what is one of Dr. Shields’ manipulative experiments. Caught in a web of deceit and jealousy, Jess quickly learns that some obsessions can be deadly.
I got a sneak peek so I can tell you how good it is and how you will want to read this as soon as it’s out next January!
Intriguing and shocking at the same time! How far would you go for love? Never have I read a story where I felt hatred as well as empathy for a character before. Dr. Shields was indeed lost in her own world and sense of entitlement. However, Dr. Shields did diagnosed Jessica correctly in the end. I did not see that one coming. No matter how Jessica justified herself for doing what she did. It was a great read. Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen never disappoint with one of their books.
An absolutely incredible book. Very mysterious and intriguing and pulls you in so it’s impossible to put down. #greerhendricks #ananonymousgirl
Thank you Net galley for the absolute pleasure of reading this book in advance. I requested this book., Because I enjoyed The Wife Between us by these authors. Well I have to say this book was even better than that one. The characters were intriguing to say the least. The story line was absolutely fantastic, so different than the usual physiological thillers we read. This book will definitely be a best seller and I will recommend it to all my friends and fellow reader.
Sit down, buckle up, and hang on, because this one is an “E-ticket” ride all the way! (And yes, that’s a decades-old reference, for those of you old enough to remember!) It’s very difficult to review a psychological thriller without giving anything away, because there are so many little things that can make or break a thrilling story; but I’m going to give it a go here. I had not read any previous works by these authors so I was completely new to their style. I loved how the story was told from different points of view, but not in the usual “alternating chapters” style. The plot was excellent and fully realized; everything happened for a reason and there were no perfunctory or throw away events or characters. Most of all, though (and this is what really sets this book apart) is that the authors had me questioning everything I was reading from start to finish…and I mean literally until the last word. Any assumptions or guesses I made were inevitably wrong, or at the very least only remotely accurate. I read this book in two sittings, including well into the wee hours of the morning, because it was just moving so fast I couldn’t put it down. And when I got to the end? I wanted to start it all over again with the knowledge of the resolution, just so I could see if there were any clues that might have been dropped along the way. An excellent book, and I can’t recommend it highly enough. An extra big thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Jessica works as a make-up artist for the company BeautyBuzz. At a client's home, she overhears a girl talking about a $500 survey. The girl says she is going to "blow it off". Well, Jess would like to take her place. She manages to get in and finds out that the survey consists of her being alone with a computer. A voice guides Jess through a Morality Survey which Jess did not have time to complete. Still at her parent's home in Pennsylvania for Thanksgiving, Jess is called to complete the survey. She needs to be back in New York by Saturday. So she leaves her parents and attends the survey once again. The moderator, Dr. Lydia Shields, asks to see Jess in person. Jess does this and finds out that the survey has been suspended. However, Subject 52 (Jess) has become the sole focus. Since Jess' dad had been laid off, her family sure could use the money for payments and for her sister's care.
Dr. Shields is extremely generous with checks for Jess' visits and "performances ($600-$1000). She also gives her gifts, as well. Things get weird when Jess is told by Lydia (Dr. Shields) what to wear and what make-up to use as she is sent to a hotel bar, alone....
Lydia tells Jess (remotely) which men to try to pick up and (since none of them are Lydia's cheating husband) Lydia is bored and pays Jess $75. They both leave. Next, Jess is to give two women free make-up sessions (to see how well they tip on a freebie - sure!) and Jess wonders about her contract with BeautyBuzz - the non-disclosure clause. Then Jess meets Lydia's husband, Thomas, and they both realize that they had a one night stand, together, only two days ago. (Although Lydia is unaware of it....well, yet...)
The saga continues; Dr. Shields and Lydia become "friends" and Lydia is making good money. However, behind the scenes, Lydia has a hidden agenda that includes her husband and a former (dead) survey participant Subject #5. Lydia plays games with both Jess and Thomas. She is unaware that her husband and Jess may be on to her schemes. She loves Thomas but he has wanted to love her - she needs a psychologist, herself...
The last straw is when Lydia works behind Jess' back to have her fired, ruin a budding romance with Ben but yet still is able to convince Jess about anything that is to Lydia's advantage. Truth be damned!
Checkmate occurs when Thomas and Jess are at his office and he truthfully fills her in on all of Lydia's schemes and methods of control. Jess confronts Lydia at her townhouse. Weak and tired, Jess breaks down and goes along with whatever Lydia tells her to do. Jess vaguely remembers Subject #5 explaining (in her file) exactly what is happening to Jess now! As Lydia is cleaning up... "all traces of you were gone... as if you'd never been here at all... as if you no longer exist..) What will happen, thinks Jess, when Lydia finds out that she continually lied to her and slept with her husband. What will she do to me???
Entanglements are stretched to the maximum; deceit, lies and more are ahead. What will happen to Jess AND her family? What about Thomas, Lydia's husband ? And, even more so... what will happen to Lydia?
This is the second book I have read by this author - both books were entertaining and never a dull moment !I highly recommend this as a MUST READ for all!
Many thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for a truly enjoyable read
Once again Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen did not disappoint!!! I could not put this book down! Best book I have read all year!
Without giving it all away...this book is written from alternating perspectives of good/evil, sane/insane and moral/immoral. Delving into the questions of morality and relationships while keeping the plot riveting is what makes this book captivating! Definitely will recommend to all! As a fan of The Good Widow as well, I can not wait for the next book from Hendricks and Pekkanen!
Absolutely amazing! Could not put this down, had me hooked from the beginning and genuinely scared and creeped out at the end with a twist I didn't see coming, LOVED this!
The morally intriguing story of An Anonymous Girl by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen was extremely hard for me to put down.
This is the story of a makeup artist taking part in a survey for a therapist and becomes complex and terrifying with how quickly another person can gain control of your life by your answers.
Five horrifying stars!!
Original post: I want this more than the Kardashian's want a higher character count on Twitter!
In this case study I would like to give you three scenarios. Within your answers you may find yourself being able to dive deeper into your psyche more than ever.
Scenario 1:
Imagine you are back in high school and you have just sat down with your number 2 pencils ready to take a test. Your palms are sweaty and your heart is palpitating to the beat of the seconds on the clock. Would you consider cheating to make sure your future doesn't falter? After all, you think you are about to take the most important test of your life.
You thought wrong.
Scenario 2:
Now imagine you are strapped for cash, are trying to be a better person after some heartbreaking events, and are faced with an opportunity that could solve all your problems. However, there is a catch.
You belong to the study now.
Would you join at the risk of becoming part of a psychological experiment mastered by an evil genius?
Scenario 3:
Finally imagine you are a reader that has been dying to read a certain book. Especially after loving their first novel The Wife Between Us. You enter every giveaway, you mentally want to punch those who got an arc way before you, and you check daily to see if it's offered to review yet.
Would you scream in excitement and be so nervous that reading this book will make everything else in life fall to the wayside?
Go into this blind because if you don't you won't feel the insane amount of tension I felt. All I can say is that I secretly love evil geniuses. I especially love when said evil geniuses are so psycho they would be dream clients for those in their profession......
Ever since reading The Wife Between Us, authors Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen have been on my reading list. There is something very powerful in their writing leaving you thinking long after reading their book.
In An Anonymous Girl, we are immediately taken into the situation of the main character, Jessica as she struggles with money issues and getting a decent career. We know there is some deep secret that she doesn't want to reveal yet and things start getting interesting when she takes the place of another girl in a research study.
An Anonymous Girl is written in several POVs which was a bit confusing in the beginning but then you get the idea after reading further into the story. There's the POV from Jessica, the protagonist, where she details all the events that occur to her, all her speculations, suspicions, and compassion. Then we see Lydia, the professor in the research study who we think she's a decent person, but the truth slowly unwraps itself in Lydia's own actions and rationalizations. She's calculating and even more suspicious and so fun to read throughout this story. There's also another perspective which seems almost like a third person or even that the voice of a computer or data analysis - well, at least that's how it's perceived to me.
I have to say that An Anonymous Girl is a true mystery. While there are several twists and turns in the story, the ending is almost predictable in a way that makes me think the authors are doing that deliberately. Perhaps they want the readers to guess the ending on their own. Whatever conjecture you come up with on your own, the ending was satisfactory if not a bit sad.
What I liked about An Anonymous Girl are the characters and the way the authors described them. Jessica is intelligent, intuitive, and yet quite vulnerable. She says she doesn't trust easily and yet she wants to trust people if only to feel just a bit more normal and to not have to carry this heavy burden of a secret in her heart.
Lydia, is beautiful and brilliant, a psychiatrist, who under the guise of doing research on morality and human ethics, decides to take things much deeper into her research. We are led to believe that she really is trying to research the topic for the book she is writing but as other factors and people show up in the story, we see that she is desperate to solve a piece of the puzzle that has troubled her from the beginning.
The writing of An Anonymous Girl is genius and fascinating. I don't want to give away any spoilers, but know that it's hard to put this book down until you have to read to the very end! The authors made me root for Jessica and hopes she can get out of the precarious predicament she is in. With Lydia, I had liked her at first, but then slowly as her actions reveal her calculations and manipulations, she was just any other suspicious wife if not a bit more psychotic. And perhaps that is what makes Lydia so different from other avenging wives. She is a psychology major and a famous professor and psychiatrist so she uses all of her wits and training to find out the truth. But that is also what makes her so dangerous.
Wow! Best mystery I’ve read in a long time. Gripping from start to finish. I’m a big fan of psychological thrillers and this one does not disappoint!
This book is an absolutely absorbing read that examines the underbelly of humanity. The characters are well written and the plot moves along at an exciting pace. I was wary of this one as I had read an advance copy of Hendricks/Pekkanen's first collaboration, The Wife Between us, and was not particularly impressed. However, they have more than redeemed themselves with this one. If you are a fan of psychological thrillers this one is not to be missed. Also.. no trigger warnings whatsoever. Yes, standard elements are here (including adultery, suicide and TONS of questionable behavior on both sides). But the more "delicate" elements are handled well. Kudos to this writing duo! I hope that this book blows their last one out of the water because this book is excellent.
Review: AN ANONYMOUS GIRL by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen. Sometimes a therapist who coaxes out all of your secrets is holding the biggest one in the room. Excellent book,keeps you nervous and on the edge. Psychotic witch alert! Five stars!
Another amazing book from Hendricks and Pekkanen. If you liked The Wife Between Us, you'll love An Anonymous Girl. I wanted a few more twists, but this still had you wondering who was lying and who was being honest. I also thought the ending, or the last move on Jessica's part was absolutely amazing. Will be reviewing, recommending, and using in challenges in Chapter Chatter Pub. Also, if the authors would like to do a live chat in the group, after the book is released, I would be happy to have them'
My review of An Anonymous Girl by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen.
This book turns from something that's too good to be true to an obsession. In this book we meet Jessica who wants to make some cash she desperately needs. The questions she signs up for on a personality study get more and more intense and personal. Soon Dr Shields only focuses on Jessica. Jessica starts doing things she wouldn't normally do in her life. Jessica starts looking for a way out, but is there one or is she way over her head?
I loved the writing and the tension is definitely there and this story touches all the bases with surprises all over. Just when you think she has dealt with the whole scheme of things she has another obstacle. It's hard to figure out who is the shady character, they are all either good or bad.I can see the Authors leaning over their keyboards smiles on their faces as they know they are throwing us another bone, another twist with curves and u-turns. All characters tie in to make this suspenseful. Be careful who you share your secrets with because it can be a whole new ball game. This is a page turner that will have you calling into work.
Thank you Net Gallery and St. Martins Press for this advanced copy to be released January 8th 2019.
Cherie'
I review on Good Reads, Amazon, and Book Bub.
I received an advance readers copy in exchange for an honest review.
This book is too twisted for color TV and I love it. Everything about this book was completely over-the-top and unnecessary but it worked. If you like really fucked-up lady-thrillers you'll love this.
Omg. This book is amazing. Had me guessing till the very end. The writing is wonderful. These girls know how to get your attention and keep it. Jess was a wonderful character and Dr. Shields makes you love and hate her.
“Everyone has secrets. I wonder if they’ll reveal theirs.”
What secrets would you reveal if you were to remain anonymous and being handsomely paid for your honesty? Would you, my friend, dig down into the very inner most depths of your soul, into your own innermost being, and vomit all your dirty deeds? And at what price? An Anonymous Girl, centers around that question. What would you divulge, what would you do for money - lastly what is your price?
An Anonymous Girl is a bent, infectious, sordid tale brought to us by the talented duo who gifted us The Wife Between Us. It is a read that grabs you by your throat as you beg and gasp for air hoping for it to let go!
I give An Anonymous Girl 5+ stars! What can I say other than I read what I love! Yet another favorite added to my list!❤️❤️
Jessica Farris is struggling to make her rent as a makeup artist in New York. When she overhears one of her clients talking about a psychology study that pays $500, she manipulates her way into the experiment. The study is based on ethics and morality and is run by a mysterious psychology professor Dr. Shields. When Jess decides to open up about her deepest secrets, she finds herself getting invited back for a continuation study, one that's eluded to be more personal. Jess, needing the money, agrees but suddenly finds that she is questioning everyone and everything as Dr. Shields continually places her in precarious situations. Jess begins to question whether these exercises are actually part of the study or if she has become a pawn in a deadly game of deceit. Telling someone your darkest secrets can be dangerous especially when they have secrets of their own...
An Anonymous Girl is an exciting new psychological thriller by author Greer Hendricks. Along the lines of The Wife Between Us, the characters are not always who they appear to be. What begins as a simple morality questionnaire turns into a deadly game of cat and mouse were the characters all have something to hide. I absolutely loved this novel and devoured it in an afternoon. I love that the author writes the characters in such a way that it has you questioning who's more dangerous. This novel had me on the edge of my seat as the plot twist continued to unfold and the true nature of the characters were revealed. This is definitely a must read for 2018.
I received a copy of AN ANONYMOUS GIRL on Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the publisher and authors.
Can I give this book 20 stars? Seriously. Five is simply not enough.
I couldn’t put this story down. Riveting. Total book hangover. A psychological thriller that tops all others.
I started reading AN ANONYMOUS GIRL in the afternoon and completely ignored my responsibilities until I finished it. And, if that doesn’t stay enough about what a page-turner this book is, let me tell you that it’s been several days and I’m STILL thinking about AN ANONYMOUS GIRL.
I love the premise. Told in dual POV, this book is about a young woman, battling her own secrets, who is desperate for money and participates in a typical academic psychological study conducted by a medical professional on campus, who is not only disturbed but also obsessive. What happens next takes you on a twisted plot ride. I laughed. I cried. I wanted to wring a few characters’ necks.
THE WIFE BETWEEN US was amazeballs and yet, authors Hendricks and Pekkanen managed to exceed my expectations with AN ANONYMOUS GIRL. Can't wait to see what they write next!
If you love exceptional writing, plot twists that’ll make your head spin, and a book thrill ride of a lifetime, then AN ANONYMOUS GIRL is for you. Highly recommend.
Since I adored the WIFE BETWEEN US I requested AN ANONYMOUS GIRL the moment it became available and OMG I am sososos glad I did. This book is even better than WBU and that's saying something. Written in revolivng first person between the two leads, this book is written so brilliantly, woven so astutely, and filled with so many red herrings ( which I love!) that I can truly say for the first time in a very long time I couldn't predict the ending. I read the entire book in one setting because it was unputdownable.
Twenty-something Jessica Farris finds out a psychological study and worms her way into it under false pretenses because the money is too good to be true. And as most things that are, what appears to be an innocent study on morality turns out to be something entirely different from the questions asked to the mysterious Dr. Sheilds who is conducting the study.
I hate spoilers so I won't go any further than that, except to say this book has some of the best misrepresentation dialogue I have ever read.
5 stars from me andI wish I could give it more! A must read for sure. Thanks to netgalley for an arc of the work for an honest opinion.
What a roller coaster ride! Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for granting access to the ARC in return for an honest review of An Anonymous Girl by Hendricks and Pekkanen.
Jess is a girl trying to make a quick buck to help her family by sneaking into a scientific study on ethics and morality, but her seemingly benign actions place her in a difficult situation between Dr. Shields and
Dr. Cooper. She is tested in a variety of scenarios before she figures out one of the “good” doctors has unethical motives of their own, but which one should be feared?
This story captured my attention from the very first page! By describing details of observations and connecting these these details throughout the story, the authors had me constantly second guessing my assumptions about each of the characters. The storyline was unique and captivating. While you would hope clinicians would be ethical and professional, this story could happen making it all the more creepy! I loved the main character, Jess, she was flawed and vulnerable, but strong in the end. The authors did a great job of developing the chapters and efficiently using each character to draw you into the story. I would definitely recommend this book to fans of suspense, mysteries, thrillers, and women’s fiction.
#NetGalley #AnAnonymousGirl
This book grabs you from the opening line and makes it impossible to put down! If you loved her first book, then it's a no-brainer to add this to your must-read list!
Thrilling and provocative. I had to keep turning the pages. The writing of Hendricks/Pekkanen does not disappoint! I highly recommend this book.
This book follows the life of makeup artist Jessica Farris. She travels to the homes of her clients, to do their makeup, whether it be for a night out to a club, for a wedding, for a photo shoot, etc. She loves what she does and enjoys her job.
One evening when she is at the house of her last client for the day, she overhears a voicemail left on her clients phone regarding an upcoming appointment this weekend, stating the time and location of the meeting. Intrigued, Jessica learns that her client has decided not to show up to this appointment, and decides to secretly go in her place.
Dr. Shield's, a Psychology Professor, is doing a study on morality and ethics, and has several questions for the subjects in her study. Dr. Shield's pays her subjects for their time and their honest answers, and all questions for the study are delivered in a private room via a computer. All Jessica has to do is type in her answer to each question, and answer as honestly and in dept as she can.
Before she knows it, Jessica is in way over her head with the study. The typed answers on the computer soon turn to real life situations, where Dr. Shield's wants Jessica to follow through with certain tasks and challenges in society, and Jessica has to pass certain "tests". Jessica begins to wonder just what this study is about, and why Dr. Shield's has her doing such tasks.
3 words to describe this book: obsessive, gripping, and riveting!! Wow! What a book!
This book certainly lived up to all of the hype I have been reading about when reading other bloggers and reviewers talk about this book. I loved the writing of this novel, and Hendricks and Pekkanen did not disappoint! Even though this book is not released until January 2019, I had to read this book as soon as I got it.
I was hooked from the very first page. Hendricks and Pekkanen have a style of writing and a way with words that captivate their audience and sucks the reader in. The pages literally turn themselves. I read this book in one sitting, it was that riveting. You will find yourself immersed in this book right through to the shocking end! You will be sitting on the edge of your seat the entire way through this book, and before you know it you will be at the end.
If you haven't had your eyes on this book yet be sure to be on the lookout for it and add it to your to be read list. You too will love it!
All of the stars for this fantastic book!
I like thrillers of all types. Just put someone in a dangerous situation and I am all in trying to find out how they will extricate themselves. This story is told by two people, the prey and the predator. Our anonymous girl inserts herself into a game thought up a woman who thinks of herself as rational and focus, even virtuous. There is a husband who has come to realize his wife is not the woman he thought she was. He wants out, even going so far as to have a short affair with another woman. His wife won't let go.
How does this make the life of the girl strange, difficult and even dangerous? The wife is running a study into morality or so she claims. Her view on the subject is very narrow and highly egotistical. She is also trying to prove her husband's infidelity was solely the result of the other woman and he really truly loves only her. The girl, who shares some of the physical attributes of the other woman, is manipulated into testing the husband. Only she met him before the wife expected her to and that causes complications.
How is the girl to save her life? What will become of the husband? Answers you will only find by reading the book.
I liked this book much better that the previous book by these authors. In that one, voices you thought were two different people proved to be the same person at different points in her life, rendering all assumptions and conclusions there void. This story has two voices that are different people facing the same events, actions and reactions, making the threat much more intriguing. I liked this book very much.
I read this book both on Netgalley and in print form from a copy I got from the publisher.
Jess is the Anonymous Girl. She is a make up artist barely eking out a living in Manhattan. While doing makeup for two young women she learns one had signed up for a questionnaire session the following morning that would pay $500 and that she intended to miss the session. Jess decides to go in her place. This decision is the start of the novel. Jess is the protagonist and a pair of therapists, she’s a Psychiatrist and he’s a Psychologist, are the antagonists. Jess becomes involved with the Psychiatrist because of the questionnaire and her husband, the Psychologist because of his wife. It is a complicated and twisted tale of deceit and manipulation masterfully written by the two authors (one writes Jess’ chapters and the other the Psychiatrist’s). Both do an excellent job of enticing the reader and keeping them involved. This may be even more gripping than their previous novel. Thanks to Net Galley and St. Martin’s Press for an ARC for an honest review.
Review by 2shay..........
Good story! That’s the single most important thing I can say. Obsession is the second most important. Riveting is a close third.
I liked Jess. She has a lot of family issues to deal with, and a lot of guilt. She probably should be seeing a psychologist, but Dr. Shields is not the right one for her. Or...maybe Jess is the wrong anonymous girl? I thought from the beginning that Dr. Shields might have bitten off more than she could chew with Jess. After all, Jessica got into the study by sneaking a look at a client’s phone. Yeah. Sneaky. Jess is broke. She spends a lot of her money helping her sister...anonymously. Consequently, she can barely pay the rent on her studio apartment. She’s a makeup artist trying to break into theater work, but for now she meets clients at their homes to make them look pretty for big events.
As much as I liked Jess, I wondered why she stayed after the first couple of meetings with Dr. Shields. The money keeps coming in larger sums, and Jess is nearly desperate financially. I understood that, but really? I was so taken by the tasks that Dr. Shields was setting, that I really didn’t care why.
I don’t want to give away spoilers, but the looks into the obsession that Dr. Shields has with her husband eventually tells it all. Those insights are really good, and led this reader to conclusions that were...wrong! It’s that kind of story.
I have no idea how two people can work together to create a novel, but I’m glad they have found a partnership that works. I haven’t read The Wife Between Us, but have friends who loved it and have put it on my to-be-read list. If that previous book was a blockbuster, I expect this one will be too. If you’re a fan of psychological suspense, pre-order now and...
Enjoy! ARC graciously provided by St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for an honest and voluntary review.
I feel like this book was very well "high praised" already because of their previous novel "The Wife Between Us". Honestly, I feel like this book lived up to the hype and the details and characters in the storyline were well thought out and believable. No one wants to read a book that they do not think could actually happen in real life. These two ladies really know how to make a story come alive and for the suspense to build at just the right times. Definitely one of my favorite reads this year, and I can not wait for the authors to conspire together once again on their next novel!
When Jessica, a makeup artist, has a chance to make $500.00, she agrees to a psychological study done by Dr. Shields. Little does she know there is much more to Dr. Shields' study that she is unaware of. Dr. Shields is manipulative and frightening as she follows her real agenda.
This story will draw readers in under its spell quickly as the characters come together, and as Jessica is drawn under the spell of Dr. Shields. Well written with many twists and turns, it is beautifully written and frightening in its intensity. It is a difficult book to put down - it is so enticing that readers will want to know how this thrilling dark tale will end. Another winner for these talented authors.
Thanks to Goodreads for this incredible book!
This was a fascinating story. Out of desperation, Jess decides to enter into a study without really understanding the true stakes. What starts out as just a regular question and answer style questionnaire ends up becoming so much more. How far is too far? What is right and what is wrong? Can you justify actions done against those that have wronged you? The relationship between Jess and the doctor was really engrossing.
I did not want to put this book down. I really hope these authors keep churning them out! So many twists and turns and nail-biting moments.
I devoured this book....loooved it. Great game of cat and mouse that kept me lured! One of the best psych thrillers I have ever read....beginning to end!
Summary
Jessica is a young makeup artist trying to find her footing in New York City. Struggling to make ends meet and help her family out back home, she joins a study on morality and ethics to earn some extra money. After the session, she leaves feeling a bit exposed and vulnerable. When the professor of the study—Dr. Shields—contacts her for further participation, and thus money, Jessica accepts. After all, everything is confidential. But as the requirements for the study grow stranger and more demanding, Jessica starts to wonder what type of study she got herself into. Is she being paranoid or being manipulated?
This was a fantastic book! The whole premise was intriguing to me since it is rather unique and original. I love when a book can keep me on my toes and guessing throughout, and this book did exactly that! Any time I thought I knew what was going on, I started to question myself. The plot twists were so fascinating and unexpected, and there were many times I could not put this book down because I was dying to know what was going to happen next. I felt like I was trying to put a puzzle together and would not be content until all the pieces fit. I found this to have a good amount of suspense without being overly disturbing or gruesome. Overall, I appreciated the original and enticing writing, and I would highly recommend this book to fans of suspense!
Thank you Netgalley and St Martins for this ARC. WOW! Where do I begin with this one? This book far surpassed my expectations after reading and loving The Wife Between Us. Enter Jessica, the subject who sneaks herself into a study on morality conducted by Dr Sheild, a psychiatrist. Told in dual POV’s, from Jessica's and Dr Sheild's stand points, we are slowly spiraled into their twisted worlds. Both women are broken in their own way and each one uses the other. What will it take to make one break their moral compass? This is the question hanging in the balance. Soon we will find out.How long before this unethical study bleed into dangerous territory or has it already gone there before? I could not stop reading An Anonymous girl. Every moment I was away from this book,I was thinking about it. Well executed like a chess play between grand masters, but in the end there can only be one winner left standing, and she will have to lose to get there.
Book Review: An Anonymous Girl by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen
Back in January I read The Wife Between Us by this author duo and loved it. It was one of my favorite books this Winter. I was very excited to read An Anonymous Girl and I have to say this book did not disappoint. It was actually one of my favorite book I read this summer (http://whattoreadnextblog.com/2018/09/11/52-top-5-summer-book-picks/) .
An Anonymous Girl is about a psychological experiment gone wrong. I went into this book blind and it was perfect.
This story is about an affair, marriage and the role of manipulation as one participant goes through an experiment. There are plot twists and turns. The whole story keeps you guessing.
My feels: This book is best to go blind. It will surprise you and it will keep you guessing how it will all get resolved.
I give this book 5 stars
I will publish this review on What to Read Next Blog in January closer to publication date.
The psychological thriller genre can become a bit repetitive. The praise received for these stories commonly compares the biggest or best rated stories to the fresh release that falls flat. You hear all the crazy hype and pick up the thriller and find yourself less than thrilled. This happens pretty frequently, especially for those who consider themselves avid readers of this genre. Welp, that is exactly how I felt about The Wife Between Us. There was a decent twist, but I didn’t quite understand the intense praise. I thought it was decent, but found it lacked something. Maybe it was me, maybe it was the story, who the hell knows? I’m tickled pink to report that An Anonymous Girl was the thrill ride I was hoping for with The Wife Between Us. There is no doubt in my mind that this story deserves the praise and rave reviews it has been receiving. If you haven’t put in a request, do it now. Do not wait, do not pass go, do not collect $200, especially do not wait until release. Read this story right now!
If the synopsis doesn’t have your interest peeked, you have no soul. No really, if that didn’t spark something inside you, reach out to your GP and ensure you are human. Because that is one hell of a synopsis. Followed by one hell of a story. Like I am literally having a hard time conveying into words the immensity of this amazingness. And I don't fan girl over many "thrillers".
An Anonymous Girl is a story that I won’t go too deep into details. Why ruin something so damn good? I will tell you these two authors made sure that I had no clue who to trust. There were specific scenes and happenings that had me question the reality of the situation. Is Jessica nuts? Is this study nucking futs? What the frankenfarts is going on in this story?!?! While those are a lot of question and explanation marks, I assure you not knowing what the heck is happening makes it that much more enjoyable and addicting. It was truly a story where I didn’t know if I could trust any single character. The unreliable narrator and supporting characters really send home the psychological thrill in this story.
Hendricks and Pekkanen are pretty much the perfect team if they continue producing home runs like An Anonymous girl. Together these two will Batman and Robin the fuck out of this genre.
NetGalley, I can’t believe I just learned about you around a year ago. How I ever survived before is unclear. I will keep sending those requests if you keep offering titles like An Anonymous Girl before pub date. Thank you, thank you, thank you! Now go to NetGalley and request this story. So you can return and send me a ton of thank yous!
It took me a few chapters to get in to this book but once I did it never slowed down. Just when I thought I'd figured out what was going to happen a new twist changed everything. Jessie lies her way in to a survey for compensation and finds herself getting drawn deeper and deeper as the questions get harder and more personal. As more is required for her for more compensation she finds herself in quite the predicament. She needs the money but at what cost? When the study becomes more real life experiments she starts to question the validity of the study and what's being asked of her. Is the infamous Dr. Shields after more than basic information on morality?
An Anonymous Girl is an engrossing story about obsession and power. Those who have power are often cunning and manipulate others who are seen as a means to an end. When money and love are added to the equation the results are devastating.
Jess is a hard working freelance makeup artist. She sees a way to get ahead of her living paycheck to paycheck. It seemed like a simple solution but in life things are not always what they appear to be.
The characters are so well written it is easy to see them as real. The plot is carefully crafted to slowly reveal clues about what is really happening beneath the obvious. This is psychological suspense at its best.
Thank you St Martin's Press for supplying this Advanced Reader's Copy for review. The opinions expressed are completely my own.
#AnAnonymousGirl #NetGalley
With a fresh premise, complex characters, and more twists and turns than the road to Hana, this is an extremely satisfying suspense novel!
I loved The Wife Between Us. I loved it's twists and the way it played out. And yet, I love this one even more. The wicked way these two women's minds work is such great fun. I don't know how two people can write on the same wavelength but they do it perfectly.
Jess is s struggling makeup artist who takes the place of a client in a study that will pay much needed money. The study is about morality, so we think, and really, it is in many ways. When Jess realizes the lengths that the doctor will go to set her plan in motion, she needs to be even quicker in her thinking.
I loved how each part dealt us into a deeper struggle and deeper craziness. The characters are all very well fleshed out and you will definitely want to see how it all plays out.
Another wonderful gift from Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen. Until the next time, I salute you.
Thanks to St. Martin's Press for an advance copy of this wonderful book.
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Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this book.
A book I couldn’t put down and highly recommend. A suspenseful thriller.
Jessica enters a study for money. How hard is it to answer questions and get paid to do it? Things are twisted and deep. Secrets are revealed and secrets are kept. This was a great read!
Until the very last page, I never saw the twists coming. I lost a night of sleep because I didn't want to put this book down. Every chapter, ever scene, ever twist - I thought I knew what was going to happen, but I was wrong every single time.
From the pacing to the tension to the suspense, these two amazing authors nailed it!
Thank you NetGalley, Greer Hendricks & Sarah Pekkanen and Katie from St. Martin’s Press for the free e-book in exchange for an honest review!
Jessica Farris signs up for a study and goes in assuming that she’ll just have to answer some questions and collect her money, but the sessions keep getting more intense and invasive. Soon she meets the famous Dr. Shields and has to take part in outings where she is told what to wear and how to act. Jess begins to feel like Dr. Shields is running her life and knows what she is thinking. Jess starts to get paranoid and is unsure whom to trust and whether what happens to her is real or part of the experiment. Jess quickly learns that some obsessions can turn deadly.
I really enjoyed the way this novel started out learning about Jess and her life and how she is struggling to pay the bills and help her family take care of her sister with her brain injury. I love the chapters going back and forth between Jess and Dr. Shields and what they were both thinking and how different each one of them viewed what was happening. It’s amazing how people come to trust and rely on people who are in this sort of position. I loved that you have no idea what is going on first and who you can trust. With each page, this book becomes darker and scarier for our main character!
Two different people are trying to use Jess for their own means, but she has no idea which one she can trust, and I enjoyed reading her escapades in trying to figure it out! I really enjoyed Jess and could really relate to her and how she just wants someone to understand what she has gone through in her life. I loved both the ending and the last few chapters before hand, they were full of suspense and you couldn’t even guess what was going to happen next! This novel was very gripping and a page-turner! I was riveted right from the first chapter on and didn’t want to put it down until I knew what was going on!
Pick it up on January 8th and cancel all your plans!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
After reading this writing teams previous novel "The Wife Between Us" I was very excited to read this new book. I was not disappointed. It's a very nicely paced thriller, with some twists and turns. You can guess as to what will happen but you won't actually have the resolution until the very end of the book.
The book is told from the point of view of the two main characters. First: Jessica Farris is a make-up artist in NYC. She hears about an ethics and morality study being done at the university and since she is always stressing about money - paying her rent, helping her family - she thinks this is the answer to all her problems. Second: Dr. Shields, a professor who is doing the ethics and morality study or is she?
Jess sneaks into the study and becomes Subject 52. She starts to think that something is not quite right with the study when Dr Shields offers her lots of money for private therapy sessions. Once in the study she finds herself in way over her head, in something that might have nothing to do with a study on ethics and morality. While the book is not a major thriller there are hints of betrayal, obsessive behaviour, deception, jealousy and manipulation of events.
It's a quiet book that leaves you thinking about it after you have finished it and put it down.
I did not want to put this book down! What a ride I went on with this book!!! Jessica sneaks into a psychological study in order to earn extra money to supplement her income as a make-up artist. Things get really weird with a lot of strange things subsequently taking place. This is the second book that I have read by these two authors and I can't for their next book. I highly recommend this fantastic book.
Thank you very much St. Martin’s Press and Net Galley for the early release of An Anonymous Girl. AMAZING, I DID NOT WANT THIS BOOK TO END!!! I I was looking so forward to reading this book after reading The Wife Between Us, the authors did not Disappoint. What a dynamic team. Please publish another book ASAP.
Having missed the boat on The Wife Between Us (I still haven’t read it), I immediately jumped at the opportunity to read and review An Anonymous Girl. One, I have adored Pekkanen’s writing since day one and two, it sounded like an awesome concept. It doesn’t pub until January 2019, but I couldn’t wait to read it so….
I was not disappointed to say the least. This duo is an amazing writing team. Hendricks and Pekkanen created a psychological thriller like none I’ve read thus far. Every page brought new intrigue, making it impossible to put down. I read it in a day because nothing else existed once I started reading.
Jess is a makeup artist with a bit of a secret past; Dr. Shields is noted professor and psychiatrist running a study on morality. As the two come together things get dark, twisted, and obsessive right to the end!
I highly recommend this one - look for it in January!
WOW!! This was a fabulous page turner that grabs you and won't let go. A must read for thriller lovers.
Thank you Netgalley for the ARC.
AN ANONYMOUS GIRL is the next novel of psychological suspense and obsession from the authors of the blockbuster bestseller The Wife Between Us by Greer Hendricks in collaboration with Sarah Pekkanen, with an expected publication date of January 8th 2019 by St. Martin's Press.
As I really enjoyed their previous novel, The Wife Between Us, I was overjoyed when I received a digital copy of their new novel, An Anonymous Girl through NetGalley. I couldn’t wait to read it, as I was so impressed with their debut. I read this book twice because there was so much to absorb and think about. I can honestly say, this is one of the best books I have read in 2018!
The story is told in the first person from two different perspectives.
The story unfolds with twenty-eight-year-old makeup artist; Jessica Farris living in New York, who after travelling to her client’s destination, hears about a chance for females to participate in an ethics and morality study, questionnaire, in exchange for a $500- dollar payment. So, when Jessica hears that her client won’t be attending, she decides to go in her place, as she could really use the money.
Seeking women ages 18–32 to participate in a study on ethics and morality. Generous compensation. Anonymity guaranteed.
When Jessica Farris signs up for a psychology study conducted by the mysterious Dr. Shields, she thinks all she’ll have to do is answer a few questions, collect her money, and leave. But as the questions grow more and more intense and invasive, things are not what they seem.
“Could you tell a lie without feeling guilt?”
“Describe a time in your life when you cheated?”
“Would you cancel plans with a friend for a better offer?”
“Would you ever deeply hurt someone you care about?”
These questions blew me away…I had to stop and think about them. The questions blew my mind.
Jessica begins to feel as though Dr. Shields may know what she’s thinking…and what she’s hiding.
It soon becomes apparent that Jess can no longer trust anyone.
"A secret is only a secret if one person holds it."
This is a riveting story about doubt, passion and trust and one that will keep you guessing right to the end! It is one book that I can read and read again! It deserves more than 5 stars!
I would like to thank St. Martin's Press via NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy.
Wow! I read an ARC of their first book "The Wife Between Us" and I didn't think anything can come close to that book; boy was I wrong.
Jessica Farris, a makeup artist, who travels around the city of N.Y. spending most of her days in strangers homes making other people look pretty. One Friday night, she's working on two NYU college students and she overheard a voicemail conversation reminding both girls about the time and that they were getting paid $500 for participating in a study for their Psych professor. The student, Taylor, doesn't want to wake up that early on a Saturday morning, so she decides not to go. When Taylor walks out of the room, Jess grabs her phone to copy down the info so she can go. She needs the money. Her younger sister, Becky, suffered an accident when she was 7 years old and as a result sees has traumatic brain injury that left Becky having to relearn everything again. Her parents don't know it, but Jess helps with her medical bills.
After telling the research assistant that Taylor gave Jess her seat, she's admitted in. She has to answer questions on ethics and morals, but when they get very personal, she starts freaking out. She doesn't realize that the doctor is on the other side watching her through the camera on the computer. Jess gives her some false answers at first, but the Doctor wants her to dig deeper. When she finally opens up she feels drained.
Meanwhile, Dr. Shields is planning to use Jess for her own selfish reasons, but you don't know what yet. So she takes the semester off so she can concentrate on her time with Jess and she is paying her $300 an hour when they talk; and up towards $750 when she has to go out and do things that turn out to be uncomfortable for her.
Jess has told the Dr. her deepest, darkest secrets. Things she hasn't even told her parents. Not realizing that her secrets will be used against her later on. When Jess finally figures out what's going on, she wants no part of it. She asks Dr. Shields why she is using her like that. The Dr just keeps up her mind games, but Jess is done. She should have known that she wouldn't have been able to walk away so easily. Dr. Shields calls her job and gets her fired, so now she HAS to stay and work for her.
At this point, Jess lost her boyfriend because Dr. Shields told him she's mentally insane. The Dr sent her family to Florida, making sure that Jess couldn't go home for the holidays; So she would be alone.
But Jess gets smart and starts thinking like the Dr. does. Jess found Dr. Shields ' husband by accident, Thomas, they are separated. The doctor lied about him being busy all of the time. And Thomas warns Jess about Lydia (Dr. Shields) telling her that she preys on young students. They start working together to try to get Jess out of the Dr.'s clutches.
On Christmas eve, Dr. Shields plans a dinner for 3 not telling Jess or Thomas that either one is coming. Thinking she has them just where she wants them, until Jess spills the truth. Telling the Dr. that she knows what really happened to her old research student. When Thomas hears Jess' story, he stops believing Lydia, because he knew all along something wasn't right.
This book is a definite must read!!
Another great book from Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen! This story line kept you wondering and on the end of your seat the whole book. It was a great and easy read!
Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen have again written a “glued to your Kindle” thriller with so unique characters filled with twists & turns. Thank you so much to the NetGalley and the publisher.
Just loved this book Couldn"t wait til i could read it. Fantastic plot great characters and perfect ending. Keep em coming.
Very interesting premise for this story, I was sure I knew what would happen next , but the twists kept on coming
I absolutely love these authors work. I knew after reading "The Wife Between Us" that this book is a must read. It absolutely did not disappoint. It was very suspenseful and kept you guessing. I cannot wait to read more from these two! 5 stars!
Such an interesting thriller! I started this one on a whim to have a thriller to read at night and I Loved it! This story goes back and forth from the view point of Jessica, a character who get volunteered in a morality and ethics study and Dr. Shields, the therapist conducting the study. As the reader,you get into both characters mindsets, thoughts,dark personal stories and twisted pasts. Once I started this book I instantly became hooked and there are quite a few twists and turns that I did not expect, which is hard to find in books these days. If you are looking for a well thought out twisted thriller, grab this one right away!
<i>Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC!</i>
Okay, y'all - if you liked Hendricks and Pekkanen's other book, The Wife Between Us, or any of the other wife-slightly-crazy twisty thrillers (Gone Girl, The Last Mrs. Parrish to name a couple), pick this up ASAP.
Jess, a typical twenty-something signs up to be a subject in a study in exchange for cash. The way this novel is written makes it clear immediately that there's more to be learned on both sides - about Jess, who seems typical, but has secrets, and about the doctor, who's clearly out for more than just research. The POV of the doctor is slightly creepy, in such a way that you're immediately on edge. Then with Jess, I felt like she was a real person. One second, she's sure about something and a couple pages (or one conversation) later, it all changes. Rest assured, this isn't a story where you'll figure out all the twists.
5/5, loved in, canceled other plans to continue reading.
Thank You @netgalley for the advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Jessica starts out as just another girl trying to get by in New York City and has found a way to earn a little extra money to help her Mom and Dad and little sister out. Sure answering a few questions "anonymously" on a computer seems like a great idea, but that's where and how it All begins to turn sideways!!!! This book will suck you in, so enjoy it! I look forward to reading a lot more by Greer Hendricks!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of An Anonymous Girl (from NetGalley). All thoughts and opinions are my own.
PHENOMENAL!!! One of my favorites by far! After a chapter or two, I had a hunch that I knew where this morality study was heading... I was not always right, but I was hooked to the point that I wanted to keep reading until I finished it. Reading this novel became an interactive experience for me. I found myself actually TALKING OUT LOUD--trying to give advice to Jess! This was an intellectual drama of the best kind, and I think it could easily translate into a very successful motion picture. (One that would grab the attention of everyone--not just lovers of reading. Please give that some thought!)
A BIG thank you to NetGalley and Greer Hendricks an Sarah Pekkanen for the ARC!
Chilling! Makes me watch my back. You just never know! Was surprised by twists and turns. Their second novel didn't disappoint!!
Suspenseful, captivating, impossible to put down. I loved this book. The characters stayed with me long after I turned the last page. Totally a book I can see myself reading for a second time!
After reading THE WIFE BETWEEN US, I knew I had to read this book and asap. If you haven't read either book, put them on your list.
Jessica Farris, a makeup artist, is just about making ends meet financially. While at a client's home, she overhears her say that she has an appointment the following day for a survey being conducted by a psychiatrist at NYU, which is paying $500, but the client states she is not showing up. Jessica, in an impulse decision, checks the client's phone for the information to take her place. But what ends up being a generic survey turns into so much.
Jessica ends up being Subject 52 but soon learns that she is the sole focus that the psychiatrist wants for her Morality and Ethics study. What ensues is more than Jess has bargained for. Did she just sell her life and soul for financial gain?
An intricate, complex and profound psychological thriller that will leave you breathless. A chilling white-knuckle read!
Highly recommend!
Get ready for an experience like no other. You will feel like you are Jess the character in this story that comes to life. From the start it is a page turner that sucks you in and will keep you reading late into the night. There are many twists and an ending you don't expect. I based my review on the ARC I received.
I was very excited to get my hands on the advanced copy of the new book from the authors of "The Wife Between Us". It was twisted and gripping - I didn't want to put it down! A very unique plot regarding a psychiatrist's research study and her main subject, Jess. A page turner for sure.
Thanks to St Martin's Press and Netgalley for this ARC!
Another psychological thriller, but this one kept me hooked! Thanks to Netgalley and ARCs, I've read countless thrillers one after the other, but this one stands out from the rest.
Jessica Farris signs up for a psychology study on ethics and morality conducted by a mysterious Dr. Shields. Desperate for money to pay the bills, she thinks all she’ll have to do is answer a few questions, collect her money, and leave. She was never the intended participant for the study but Jessica proved herself an interesting subject and Dr. Shields' interest in her grew. As the questions grew more intense and personal, Jessica realizes Dr. Shields knew all her darkest secrets and she is trapped in her game of manipulation. What is the study really about and can she break free from Dr. Shields' hold on her?
The story is told in two point-of-views: Jessica in first person and Dr. Shields in second person. The book's description caught my attention initially; I thought the plot is very original and the way it's written added to the story. In the beginning when Jessica participates in the study and answers the questions, we really get into who she is and what kind of character she is. The alternate perspective from Dr. Shields was a chilling addition and held my attention. It made me wonder, who is this Dr. Shields and what is Jessica getting herself in? The whole book was a thrilling ride and I loved it!
I'm anticipating more great books from this author in the near future. I will definitely recommend this book! Thank you to Netgalley, St. Martin's Press, and authors Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.
I was approved by Netgalley and the publisher to read this book, thank you!!
Expected publication is January 8, 2019 - don't miss this one!
It doesn't get more psychological than a smart psychologist conducting a morality study. What if the psychologist was married to another psychologist?
Jessica Farris is a make-up artist in NYC trying to make ends meet while also helping her parents with some of their bills. When Jess hears about a morality study she's stressing about money, like she always does, so she takes matters into her own hands to become part of this study for the extra cash. She's required to go to a classroom and answer some questions, honestly. That's it. Until she's invited to go further in the study and hey, the compensation is great but... just know that all that glitters is not gold.
"When money and morality intersect, the results can illuminate intriguing truths about human character."
It will leave you guessing. Dr. Shields is good.
This book reminded me so much of the movie "Gone Girl". It is very riveting. It's a mystery that creates a space where you can definitely relate to all of the characters. The suspense takes you over and you never want to put the book down. There are twists and turns that I never saw coming and make the book worth every minute it took to read. Excellent!
An Anonymous Girl follows main character Jessica as her life descends into chaos. It starts out innocent enough, when she overhears one of her clients talking about a paid study that she doesn't plan to attend. Since Jessica could use every dollar she can get, she decides to attend that study herself. What she didn't know was that Dr. Shields would take such an overwhelming interest in her.
I really did enjoy this book, and although it had plenty of plot twists, I didn't feel like any of them were surprising at all. That being said, it is a great read and one I am sure will stay on my mind for awhile.
This book is a thriller and hooked me right from the beginning. Jessica Farris is a makeup artist who needs money, so she decides to sign up for a psychology study with Dr. Shields. She thinks it will be a quick survey, she can collect her money and be on her way, but things get personal quickly, and she is left feeling very uncomfortable. This psychological thriller won't disappoint!
I was thrilled to receive this advanced copy from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. I was even more thrilled as I read the first page...
“Its easy to judge other people’s choices. The mother with a grocery cart full of Froot Loops and Double Stuf Oreos who yells at her child. The driver of an expensive convertible who cuts off a slower vehicle. The woman in the quiet coffee shop who yaks on her cell phone. The husband who cheats on his wife.
But what if you knew the mother had lost her job that day?
What if the driver had promised his son he’d make it to his school play, but his boss insisted he attend a last-minute meeting?
What if the woman in the coffee shop had just received a phone call from the love of her life, a man who’d broken her heart?
And what if the cheater’s wife habitually turned her back on his touch?
Perhaps you would also make a snap judgement about a woman who decides to reveal her innermost secrets to a stranger for money. But suspend your assumptions, at least for now...”
I was hooked from that first page, and the pages literally flew by as I absolutely loved this book!💗As if a psychological thriller isn’t creepy enough, what if the obsessive character in the story happens to be a psychologist and a well-known professor? What if they can read all your thoughts and can tell when your lying? 😳How do you get one step ahead of someone who’s thought of everything and knows everything about you?
YES!!😍 This book was so fun to read!
I loved this book so much I am definitely reading The Wife Between Us soon! Have you read this or The Wife Between Us? Do you love thrillers too? I’d love to hear your thoughts!
Thank you so much NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and the authors, Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen for this advanced copy!
An Anonymous Girl really took my by surprise. I went into the book thinking I liked The Wife Between Us, so I will probably like this one as well. But, I loved An Anonymous Girl. There were many times while reading that I thought I had it all figured it out, but I never once was right. The twists and turns in this book will keep you reading until the very end!
Jessica is a makeup artist, who could use some extra money. So when she over hears one of her clients talking about a $500 dollar psychology study that she decides not to participate in, Jessica can't help but show up to hopefully take her place. Jessica answers a few question on Ethics and Morality and is now wrapped up in the web of Doctor Shields. Who can she trust and how far is she willing to go to protect herself and her family?
Jess is self-employed and has begun to amass a rather large clientele for her services as a make-up artist. Although she's doing okay financially, when a young woman client ignores a text offering a significant compensation for completing a psychological study at the local university, she can't resist following it up herself. The questions grow ever more personal ("Could you lie without feeling guilt?"), and when she finally gets to meet the elusive Dr. Shields, Jess begins to wonder exactly what is going on. Dr. Laura Shields is lovely, competent and poised and though she envies her at first, Jess soon learns that something is not quite right.
Intensely satisfying thrill ride!! Highly recommended!!
They've done it again!! The duo behind the sleeper hit of 2018, The Wife Between Us, is back with another dark and intense psychological thriller, An Anonymous Girl (and like its predecessor the emphasis is definitely on "psycho"). But while The Wife Between Us had one shattering "earthquake" type twist, An Anonymous Girl has a series of smaller, but increasingly powerful, "seismic" events. With writing so sharp it could cut glass, and characters that are the poster children for the motto "physician, heal thyself," An Anonymous Girl is a masterful exploration of the power of money, the bonds of matrimony (as in bound so tight you confess to a nonexistent affair in the hope your spouse will divorce you over it), and the delicate balance between knowing what is right and doing what is wrong. As a struggling 20-something make up artist living in New York City, money is tight for Jessica. Desperate for more of it, Jessica stumbles upon what seems like an easy way to make some cash by lying her way into a study on, ironically, ethics and morality. Given a series of "what would you do?" assignments, Jessica struggles with her first task (flirting with a stranger in a bar) despite her "single girl in the city" swagger. But the woman running the study, Dr. Lydia Shields, tells Jessica she's the perfect "subject" for her hypothesis, then puts Jessica into increasingly seductive situations that border on prostitution. Beautiful and brilliant, Dr. Shields is evasive about what personality traits she is trying uncover through these bizarre experiments, but soon Jessica suspects they are connected to Lydia's husband, Dr. Thomas Cooper, also a psychologist. Hiding behind a smile tighter than a violin string, Lydia exudes an aura of cool confidence but actually suffers from deep insecurities mostly related to her husband's devotion. When Thomas learns Jessica is working with Lydia he tries to get her to leave the study by telling Jessica about his wife's obsession with girls who look like one he (might have) slept with-and Jessica is the spitting image. What follows is a tug of war between Thomas and Lydia, each trying to convince Jessica the other is dangerous and unhinged. For Most of An Anonymous Girl, it's hard to tell the predator from the prey. Both spouses are in dire need of their own therapy, and Jessica is so mesmerized by Lydia she fails to see what the good doctor is really trying to accomplish with her study. An Anonymous Girl is a slick and satisfying cat and mouse game, but the players are so unbalanced none of them deserve the cheese.
Thank you NetGalley and St. Martins Press for this ARC!
This book blew me away it was so good. I had high expectations since I loved The Wife Between Us and was so excited when I heard about An Anonymous Girl. It did not disappoint one bit!
The story grabbed you from the very beginning. This Captivating Thriller will keep you on the edge of your seat. Jessica is a makeup artist who sneaks into a study on morality and ethics that is being conducted by Dr. Shield’s a Psychology Professor. Jessica thinks all she has to do is answer a few questions and she can collect the money that Dr. Shield’s is giving to participants of the study. But Dr. Shield’s takes to her and continues to contact her for further participation and money Jessica accepts and becomes subject 52. It isn’t until she is put threw a variety of questions and scenarios that she feels that maybe Dr. Shield’s has ulterior motives. Told from both Jessica’s and Dr. Shield’s POV the narration is fantastic. This is definitely a must read if you love a good Thriller,
An Anonymous Girl caused me to skip out early of at least two social events.
This book is well written, progresses nicely, and wraps up at the end very satisfactorily. I could not wait to get back to my book each day. In fact, I pulled my kindle out at my office more than once to get just a couple of chapters read.
The premise of this book, the morality survey, was very interesting to me. I would've loved that story alone. But when we learn more about Jess, Dr. Shields... etc., it was a page turner for me. I had a little trouble keeping up with who was speaking at the beginning of each chapter but I think that just caused me to have to pay more attention and not scan as I do so often when reading. I definitely recommend this thriller.
Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen really know how to weave a story to keep you reading from the edge of your seat! Just when you think you have it figured out and it’s about to end, you realize you’re only halfway and know nothing of what’s going on.
I love stories that have the ability to take what I think I know and completely twist it out of my grasp.
A tale of love and deceit, truth and lies. Things are not always what they seem.
$500 for an anonymous psychological questionnaire, why not? Answer a few questions and be done. Right?
Get this book and let this story grab you. Can you figure it out?
The twists in this book were SO creatively thought out. Easy to read and un-put-downable for sure. The main character, Jess, was easy to connect to. A great read!!
Wow! Loved it! Got sucked in on the first chapter. Original story unlike anything I've read before and I read a lot. The psychological study is run by a really manipulative woman,,,the authors did a great job of getting across just how evil she was. Loved the ending.
Well, that was fun! What a twisty, dark, satisfying read. The beginning of the novel makes you ask yourself, what would you do for money? How desperate would you need to be to continue doing what makes you uncomfortable for the chance at more money? Jess needs the extra income, and after all, what harm could come of it? It's an experiment, anonymous, no one will ever know.
The deeper Jess gets, the harder it is to get away. I loved the philosophical questions, the depths people will go to and how they justify what they do. This book will suck you in and make you stay up way too late reading. Trust me, I know! A definite must read, and I am desperately sad that I finished it so quickly. Now it's time to re-read, so I can catch all the hints and clues that I missed the first time around!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, for this free eARC, in exchange for my honest review.
After hearing that this book was coming out, I was so excited. I loved their previous book, The Wife Between Us. At first, this book went really slow for me. But once I got halfway through it, I could not put it down! There were so many things I did not see coming, and it kept you guessing until the very end. I stayed up way too late to finish this book, but it was well worth it!
This is the second book I have read by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen. The books was extremely fast paced and engaging. I could not put this one down. It was a roller coaster of deception but who was deceiving who and at what point. What happens when you get too deep in with your therapist or is she even really your therapist or is this part of the experiment? Are you letting your guard down too easily to earn money? What extremes will you go to in order to have an income. What are the limits ethically and morally? These are all the questions Jess has to face once she is accepted into Lydia Sheilds research group.
I loved this book. It's fresh and different, totally captivating. The main character finds herself entering a psychology study to make some quick money (something a lot of us can relate to, especially as a student!). The study gets more and more intense over time, and she finds herself getting more and more drawn in... While I don't know if I would classify this as completely "believeable," I do feel that it was entertaining and different, and well-written. I definitely couldn't tell that there were two authors, it seemed seamless. Overall, a great, quick read! Can't wait for the next one.
This was a decent thriller. A young woman gets more than she bargained for when she participates in a research project about morality. I really enjoyed the shifts in POV between Jessica and the psychiatrist.
This book will hook you from the beginning, then take you on many twists and turns. I love when two authors can write one story with so many layers. Thanks to Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen for accomplishing this. I now have to go read their first endeavor “The Wife Between Us”.
This story is told in two voices. Jess, the struggling make-up artist who finds about a study on morality, which pays well. But, she gets so much more than she bargained for! Dr. Shields, the cold woman heading up the phychology study. This is a book that will have your heart racing and fill you with uneasiness. Characters are complex, with their secrets shaping who they are. The ending will be satisfying, maybe shocking to some.
Thanks to St Martins Press and Net Galley for the ARC, also Goodreads for the physical copy, of this book. Opinion is mine alone!
An Anonymous Girl by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen was a psychological thriller that put me on the edge of my seat many times. I had read The Wife Between Us and didn't think that these authors could top that book but boy was I wrong. An Anonymous Girl had me holding my breath without even realizing it and every time I thought I had it all figured out another twist was inserted. I was so excited to read it and was not at all disappointed.
As the book began, Jessica or Jess as she liked to be called, one of the main characters in the book, was introduced. She was a woman in her early twenties who worked as a freelance make-up artist. While applying make-up for two college age young women at their apartment she overheard their discussion about a psychiatrist's study about morals and ethics one of the girls had signed up to participate in that was going to pay her $500. Jess was so tempted with the money that she sneaks to view the information about the study on one of the girl's cell phone. She showed up for the study the next morning claiming to be replacing the other girl who couldn't make it. After her personal information was checked, Jess was allowed to partake in the study. The study was being conducted by Dr. Shields, a professor at N.Y.U. and prominent psychologist. Participating in this study was going to change Jess's life more than she ever could have imagined.
Every time I thought I had figured out was going to happen In An Anonymous Girl I was often wrong. The story was told alternatively by Jess and Dr. Shields. It was hard for me to put it down because I wanted to know what was going happen next. The ending left me in a good place. I liked how Jess's character evolved, got stronger and wiser as the story unfolded. In the beginning she was so trusting, needy and dependent It made me question how much of a person's private thoughts and secrets should be revealed even when honesty, trust and best interests are promised? In the end, I believed that Jess regretted sharing some of these very private confessions with Dr. Shields. How could Jess have ever guessed what a vindictive, self-serving woman Dr. Shields would end up being?
Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen for the advanced reader's copy of An Anonymous Girl in exchange for my honest review. I highly recommend this book.
I loved The Wife Between Us but enjoyed this one even more. The twists and turns. The perfect pacing. The believability of the characters. Six stars!
good read. easy. fun kept me interested the entire book. will recommend to friends. thoroughly enjoyed.
CAUTION: THIS REVIEW CONTAINS CURSING.
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Okay. This book was a mindfuck. Plain and simple, it was a delicious, well-written, tautly paced mindfuck. And it got 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 from me.
I'm not going to summarize the book much; there are plenty of reviews that will, and will give you parts of the book word for word. Suffice it to say that our main character, Jess, is kinda slutty, broke, and worried about her family (with good reason). She slides into someone else's spot in a questionnaire looking for women aged 18-32. Subject: morality. Obviously our main character's is suspect, since she showed up after hearing that the girl who originally registered wasn't going to. And of course, out of everyone who shows up, she's the only enteree selected for a more in-depth dive into her brain - because what kind of book would it be if she wasn't? And eventually a cat and mouse game develops.
I really liked this book. I am all about a good mindfuck, as long as it happens to people in my books and not in my real life. I was blown away by how well-developed the characters were, how sneaky some of them were, and how much I liked the writing. And that ending?! JFC I DID NOT SEE THAT COMING. I can't believe I haven't read everything that they've written (to be fair, as far as I know Greer has only co-written two titles with Pekkanen; Pekkanen has several books written on her own, only some of which I've read). I am definitely moving Pekkanen's solo work higher up my TBR list. Congrats to Pekkanen and Greer on another amazing book. Brava!
Release date: 1/9/19
I knew after I read The Wife Between Us that I HAD to read An Anonymous Girl. Jess is a girl trying to make ends meet when she hears about a study at the local university. All she has to do is answer the questions honestly, what could be so hard about that? This was a fantastic book that drew me in from the very beginning.
This is a phenomenally twisted psychological thriller that will keep readers on the edge of their seat from beginning to end.
Wow. Dr. Shields wasn’t crazy, but she was extremely dangerous. Up until this book, I never really stopped to think how much power a psychiatrist can execercise over someone, and without the person realizing it.
The twists and turns in this book kept me glued to the page. I couldn’t wait to see how Jessica would get out of the situation she got herself into, and how Thomas would help her.
Jessica learned a lot from Dr. Shields. The end shows just how much she did.
I enjoyed this book more than I thought I would and I think fans of this author will absolutely enjoy it too.
I picked up this novel because I enjoyed the authors' previous book THE WIFE BETWEEN US. I became interested in reading AN ANONYMOUS GIRL as soon as I learned about it.
What if you sign up to be part of a psychological study and you end up entangled in a lot more than you asked for? This is the premise of the book and let me tell you it does not disappoint.
“One of them is lying. But who?”
That is the question you'll be asking yourself again and again as you read it. This is an addictive and suspenseful novel, the plot kept me turning the pages wanting to know more. The authors did a great job at building and maintaining intrigue throughout the novel, at every chapter you will be wondering which character should you trust and believe.
Overall, I enjoyed it and recommend it to readers of psychological thrillers, mysteries and contemporary fiction,.
Received ARC from the publisher via Netgalley
I’ve read a few so called psychological thrillers lately and have been sadly disappointed- they have been neither psychological nor thrilling. An Anonymous Girl, however, fits the bill for me. Jessica, a 28 year old make-up artist has signed up to participate in a study on morals and ethics with the well known NY psychiatrist Dr. Shields. She is motivated by the $500 she can make over the course of the weekend. She is asked to answer some very difficult and personal questions and is mentally and physically exhausted at the conclusion of the weekend. After the study she is asked if she would like to continue the research work with Dr. Shields outside the classroom - with compensation of course. This is where the story gets really interesting and seriously warped. Dr. Shields seems to be playing a dangerous game not only with Jessica but also with her friends and family. And the tension builds. And I couldn’t put the book down - honestly I had to keep flipping those pages to find out what happened. Kudos to the authors for a well written suspense novel. . Would definitely recommend.
Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
A solid 4.5 stars for An Anonymous Girl by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen. The story begins with Jessica, a makeup artist struggling financially, trying to help her family, and holding onto a lot of secrets. When a psychological study on morality and ethics sort of falls in her lap, promising to pay very well...she jumps at the chance. It seems like harmless questions from renowned Dr Shields, but when the questions become more personal, and the opportunity arises for even more money but not without consequences, Jessica finds herself becoming too trusting of good 'ol Dr Shields. She soon realizes she is nothing more than a paid pawn in Dr. Shield's psychological game, but it is becoming dangerous for everyone involved.
I really enjoyed this book. It is told between Jessica and Dr Shield's, which is so interesting to read between the lines of both lying manipulative minds. Just when you think you have it figured out, consequences become disasterous and you realize you really don't know anyone at all.
If you enjoyed The Wife Between Us by Hendricks and Pekkanen, this book is a definite must read! Psychological, pick your brain, dysfunctional creepiness you won't want to put down.
I would like to thank St Martin's Press and Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.
This was a fantastic read! It was unique and a well crafted story. I was hooked from beginning to end. It was incredibly intriguing and I could not put it down. The character development, especially with Dr. Shields and Jess was fantastic and kept me interested in seeing what would happen next.
The twists were unexpected and overall made it a great thriller.
Good thriller. For the audience who loves Gone Girl. A young woman who was taken advantage of gets revenge.
This is the second book I have read by the duo of Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen. An Anonymous Girl was written so well, I enjoyed it! They hooked me from the very beginning and kept me on the hook until the very end! I had a hard time putting my kindle down and devoured this book in two days! I also love love love when I get shocked at the end and let me tell you Greer and Sarah SHOCKED ME!!!!
I look forward to reading more from this fabulous duo!
These authors have done it again. Another fantastic psychological suspense that kept me turning pages wondering whose ethics and morals were really at play here. Fans of The Wife Between Us will be ecstatic with this new thriller.
A mostly well plotted psychological thriller about a manipulative psychologist and a struggling make-up artist who gets drawn into her web. A tad slow paced at times, I still couldn’t wait to see what happened next, and find out why she was doing the things she did, and how the protagonist would escaped the plot against her – or if she could escape. This is a quick, entertaining read, but not quite as surprising as it could be. Many thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the e-arc. 3.75 stars.
Although a bit wordy at times, the author creates good connection between her reader and her characters so that they can feel the emotions and struggle with throughout the book. I recommend this book.
This book was great! From beginning to end I was completely sucked into this thriller. I loved how the author sort of developed this love-hate relationship with the characters. This was a very engrossing read for me!
This novel will pull you in and hold you hostage until the final page is read! The characters have more vibrant personalities than some living humans. The journey begins with a young girl who needs to find a way to make more money then turns into a tale of psychological horror. The authors know how to immerse the reader in the story until said reader cries "uncle". A magnificent novel!
Jess, being strapped for cash, signs up for a psychological study with Dr. Shields, unaware of how invasive, personal and controlling it will become. It causes her to become more and more paranoid and has her questioning what is real and what is imagined!
This was a fantastic book! it pulled me in from the beginning and kept me guessing throughout, which in turn kept me reading without many breaks for much else! I loved The Wife Between Us by the two authors and this novel also did not disappoint!
Thank you to Greer Hendricks, Sarah Pekkanen, St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the ARC of this outstanding book!
his book was the most incredible book I think I have ever read, in the sense regarding it was so unique and different. I read their first book, The Wife Between Us by the same authors which was fantastic also but this book is so different. I read a lot of psychological thrillers but this book truly raises the bar. If I could, I would give it more than 5 stars just for it’s total fascinating uniqueness, If you read the blurb it really doesn’t really tell you how deep and controlling and ill the doctor who is conducting the psychological studies which Jessica signs up for because she will be paid to be in this study group. Eventually we find out the doctor’s motive and Jessica is fighting for her life. I do not want to go any further with my review because I do not want to give away any spoilers. I received this book from netgalley.com as an ARC for a honest review. This is also well written and if you like this genre of books which truly is so different you must read this book, Also, BRAVO to the authors for this book. Again, these authors have really raised the bar in this unique novel full of suspense, twist and turns and what an ending!!!
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his book was the most incredible book I think I have ever read, in the sense regarding it was so unique and different. I read their first book, The Wife Between Us by the same authors which was fantastic also but this book is so different. I read a lot of psychological thrillers but this book truly raises the bar. If I could, I would give it more than 5 stars just for it’s total fascinating uniqueness, If you read the blurb it really doesn’t really tell you how deep and controlling and ill the doctor who is conducting the psychological studies which Jessica signs up for because she will be paid to be in this study group. Eventually we find out the doctor’s motive and Jessica is fighting for her life. I do not want to go any further with my review because I do not want to give away any spoilers. I received this book from netgalley.com as an ARC for a honest review. This is also well written and if you like this genre of books which truly is so different you must read this book, Also, BRAVO to the authors for this book. Again, these authors have really raised the bar in this unique novel full of suspense, twist and turns and what an ending!!!
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This was a great story, very believable. The events were paced well, and the characters well developed! It was a great read. Thanks to the authors and publishers for making it available!
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for gifting me with an ARC of An Anonymous Girl. In exchange I offer my unbiased review.
Having read and loved The Wife Between Us, I was super excited to read the newest offering from the dynamic writing team of Hendricks & Pekkanen. These ladies know how to craft a twisty thriller with humor and believability. Jess a twenty-something Philly native ( Go, Eagles) is a struggling makeup artist now living in NYC. With limited funds and fewer job opportunities she sneaks her way into a highly paid “morality” study ( do you see the irony, already???) to earn some extra cash. The study soon consumes Jess’s life as she reveals more & more about herself.
There were some really interesting plot twists early on which kept me glued to the pages. This was a solid thriller with strong writing, fascinating characters, and a gripping storyline.
This was a very intriguing book. I’ve never read anything like it before. Deception, betrayal and lies is what this book is about. Everyone tells them. Most are little but it’s the big betrayals and lies that can harm many. I received an advance review copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
An Anonymous Girl
by Greer Hendricks & Sarah Pekkanen
due January 2019
St. Martins Press
Grabs you by surprise, this twister of a psychological thriller does not let you go. It will bind your mind and start a spiral inside that will never stop turning.
Jessica is a 20-something freelance make-up artist, trying to make ends meet. She overhears one of her clients tell a friend that she is going to blow off a survey she was going to do for $500. She's just too busy. Jessica decides to show up for the study...its difficult to walk away from an easy 500 bucks. How hard could it be?
The oddly mysterious Dr. Shields assures her of complete anonymity and a generous compensation for answering a few questions for a psychological study on ethics and morality. It is just a quick few questions....a 500 dollar check..... and it's over....sounds simple....right?
Maybe...
Is truth just another question of your own morality? Or are our morals our truths?....
Maybe not....but maybe
Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen create a circumstance and characters that consistently make you feel their motivations and lives..their emotions. You find yourself lost in the twists and turns of their psyche.
I was lost in this wonderful novel. Its mesmerizing and so so good.
Pre-order it now. Thanks me later.
And while there check out her other two novels.
Thank you to the authors, St. Martins and #netgalley for the opportunity to read this pre-release novel.
#AnAnonymousGirl #netgalley
I think this is going to be a series....but not sure....keep an eye out!
UHM... WOW.
I haven't read the other book by these authors, but now I'm feeling pretty enticed to go check it out. These two authors have some kind of magic in their brains and fingertips to come up with and produce a story like this.
This is the kind of book you devour quickly because you just have to know what's coming next. The characters in this (Jess, Lydia, and Thomas) are all so well built and intertwined that it's pretty damn hard to guess ahead correctly (which is something I usually pride myself in being able to do). It's near impossible to really predict anything happening here, and the authors are always a few steps ahead of you (much like Lydia is with Jess and Thomas) to always keep you just enough in the dark. The relationship between Lydia and Jess is alluring immediately and makes the first part of the book feel like it will all go down a completely different path ([ I was getting total Chloe vibes, a movie with Amanda Seyfriend that you should check out after reading this book because you'll completely understand what I mean, I promise (hide spoiler)]).
But of course the authors flip the script on you in some really suspenseful ways which I am not going to spoil because this book still doesn't come out for another 2-3 months (I'm not doing the math but if you really want to, then be my guest) and some readers have got quite the wait for it. BUT ITS SO WORTH IT. You will eat this book up so fast that you will be sad that it's over and you'll look back and marvel at how these two magical authors really set you up from the first sentence and yet you loved every minute of it.
These are the kind of suspenseful stories that I love. 6/5 if it was possible.
I dont even know how to write a review for this book because I am STILL THINKING ABOUT a few days later! I have always been a huge fan of Sarah Pekkanen, so I decided to request this on a whim. I chose not to read any previous reviews or even the inside of the book cover, because I wanted to go in blindly. And boy, am I glad that I did!
This story is so uniquely-unique. The way the characters developed and the innate desire to keep reading just so you could learn more is a quality that every book should possess. I loved how the chapters jumped between characters so you could see immediately how the situation affected both parties. I truly felt anxiety reading through some of the sections because I wanted to offer advice and suggestions to both of the female narrators.
I absolutely loved this story...and I really didnt want it to end. BRAVO!
Jessica, a struggling make up artist in New York City gets more than she bargained for when she maneuvers her way into a psychology study run by Dr. Lydia Shields. Jess is desperate for the extra money to help her family out. It was amazing what she would do for the money.
The book is told in opposite POV’s from Jess and Dr. Shields. There are plenty of twists and turns to keep you guessing.
I absolutely loved the main character and the lengths she went to in order to help her family out. Interestingly enough, I enjoyed the lengths Dr. Shields went to as well to learn certain truths.
I have always loved the books by Sarah Pekannen.
An Anonymous Girl, follow up novel to The Wife Between Us, also written with Greer Hendricks was just amazing and was as well written as their prior novel. I only wish I could give it more than 5 stars.
Thank you St. Martins Press and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Better than The Wife Between Us, thanks to a much tamer and less obnoxious blurb that doesn't oversell the plot or characters, but has some pacing and length issues. It also felt like quite a few of the psychologist's chapters were inserted simply so every other alternated, even when it didn't add anything to the momentum or plot. But engrossing, overall, and original.
Jessica Farris, a makeup artist in New York City, sees a chance to make some additional money by joining a research study on morality. Since Jessica helps with her disabled sister Becky’s expenses, she lies to the research assistant to get in, figuring this will be an easy $500. The questions are more intrusive than expected, but Jessica – AKA Subject 52 - is determined, and so she continues even after the survey grows personal and she meets with Dr. Shields. The things Jessica is asked to do are strange, but after Jessica’s father loses his job she feels even more pressure to help with Becky’s needs.
It’s really scary how quickly the study goes from the remote to the personal, and how easily Jessica was roped in to follow Dr. Shields’ instructions. Was it just the money, or was it that she told her deepest secrets to the doctor? This was a fascinating read, with a storyline both captivating and intriguing.
I LOVED this book! It took me some time to finish it, but only because life got in the way. I never would have seen the ending coming. It was kind of hard to follow since each chapter went back and forth, but the plot was great! Highly recommend!
This was an amazing thriller with just enough twists and turns. This is the book that you will keep reading long after you need to be doing something else. I legit could not put this down!! Although I adored these authors first book so I’m not entirely surprised. The unreliable narrator is my personal favorite type of thriller and this book does it perfect!!! I would highly recommend this book to my fellow book lovers.
I had read The Wife Between Us and really dug it, so when I saw An Anonymous Girl I definitely wanted to read it. As written in the blurb, we meet Jessica, a makeup artist, who takes care of her family which is hard to do without extra income. So when an opportunity arises, she sneaks herself into a study to earn some extra income. Thus starts the relationship between Jessica and Dr. Shields.
Dr. Lydia Shields is purposely vague and aloof, almost to the point of being cold. She knows how exactly to read people so that she can best help them, after all, that's what therapists are trained to do. However, after Jessica gets through the first stage of the study that Dr. Shields has layed out, they are onto a new phase, one in which involves Jessica meeting the good doctor face to face.
As the requests from Lydia become more bizarre, Jessica is starting to wonder where exactly the doctor is going with this study. Surely the things she's being asked to do can't relate to the questions she was asked at the beginning of the study. Doubt is starting to creep in, on both sides. Is Jessica telling the truth, as required in the study? Is the doctor playing a dangerous game with Jessica's life?
This was such a fun read. I liked how the authors told the story in alternating points of view so we could get the full picture. I liked how you weren't exactly sure what was going on while being fed just enough information to keep you tearing through the pages to find out what was going to happen. An Anonymous Girl is an excellent read and I thoroughly enjoy these two authors coming together.
An Anonymous Girl is a psychological thriller that has more twists that a roller coaster. This book will keep you guessing till the end of the book. The characters are enthralling and the plot is great.
Intriguing, gripping, suspenseful, nail-biting with twist after blissful twist. The main characters are flawed and utterly human. I am new to this genre and am now a convert! Extremely well written. A bit confusing in the beginning as the deliverer of the monologue changes from chapter to chapter, but once you figure out the format, all is good. Will definitely go and read The Wife Between Us as soon as possible.
An Anonymous Girl was written by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen who together also wrote The Wife Between Us. I read The Wife Between Us and gave it 5 stars, I only wish I could give An Anonymous Girl more than five! The story immediately draws the reader in and doesn't let go. I found myself thinking about it even when not reading it. This story keeps the reader guessing and turning pages. I was given an early copy to review.
I was granted access by netgalley.com to an ARC in exchange for an honest review. This book was hooked my in the first few pages, and I had a tough time putting it down! Intriguing and suspenseful, I'll recommend to all lovers of psychological thrillers!
An Anonymous Girl kept me guessing right until the very end. Every time I thought I had everything figured out, I second guessed myself!
Jessica Farris signs up for a psychology study and thinks it is the easiest money she has made. She assumed she will answer a few questions, collect her money, and leave. But as the questions become more personal and intense, and the tasks become very odd, Jessica wonders if the money is worth it.
She finds herself stuck in a web of lies, infidelity, and.... murder?
*I received an advanced readers copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion
This was a great psychological thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat. The characters in this book were intriguing and the authors keep you guessing about which ones are truly evil.
Jessica is a 28 year old makeup artist who is struggling to keep her apartment and also help her family with medical bills. She is intrigued when she has an opportunity to participate in a ethics and morality study to make some extra money. This study becomes a very dangerous game and reveals many secrets and lies to all involved. A great page turner! Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Wow! I could not put this book down! Characters were well developed & engaging, I really could not have predicted how the story would end. Waiting for a third book by Greer Hendricks & Sarah Pekkanen!
What would you do if you needed money to help your family. Would you lie? Cheat? Steal? Manipulate a situation for your own benefit, but trapping someone else and possibly causing a disasterous outcome? Do you always tell the whole truth, and nothing but? Sometimes the lines we dare to cross are not those created by ourselves. Would you do the right thing in the end? This psychological thriller will have you questioning right from horribly wrong.
I read the 'Wife Between Us' a few months ago and was hooked. The authors have a way of creating characters that pull you in and leave you guessing until the end. 'An Anonymous Girl' is a great read. These are definitely authors that I will be talking about. I look forward to reading more from them in the future.
I loved this book!
This book sucks you in right from the opening pages.
At first we believe that the survey, although a little odd, is innocent. A professor questioning students about circumstances and what their reaction would be. I could believe an ethics professor might want to see what the modern day, liberal minded, college age female might do in any given situation.
I could even envision a book or at the very least a published paper on the results of the survey..
Never in my wildest imaginings did I force how this would play out.
It was a thrilling read, and I know how cliche it sounds, but I could not put this book down.
The characters are crafted very well. The plot is perfect, each twist is perfectly timed for maximum effect.
If you enjoy a good thriller, you will love this book.
When we first meet Jessica, she's a struggling make-up artist living in New York City, struggling to build her career while fighting guilt about the family she has left behind. She had some good gigs in the theater world, but that fell apart. And now she's just scraping by living in a tiny apartment.
So when she gets a chance to be a subject in a very well-paying study through the University some of her clients attend, she jumps at the opportunity, even if she has to fudge things a bit to get there. What she doesn't realize is that sometimes, these opportunities pay well because they really aren't worth it. But she's so desperate she jumps head in.
When we meet the professor running the survey, Dr. Shields, things still seem a little too good to be true. And they are. But it takes Jessica a while to figure that out and then it might just be too late.
The story flips back and forth between Jessica and Dr. Shield's perspective and the reader is able to slowly piece together what is actually going on. I found Jessica to be highly relatable, Dr. Shields, less so. But when you have lots of money and security, it's easy to be as crazy as you want to be.
I really couldn't put this one down. But even as I was maniacally flipping pages, I wanted to savor it more. That's the best kind of book in my opinion. You can't wait to read more, but you're sad when it's over.
This one is out January 9, 2019 and you have to pick up a copy. It's that good!
Special thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for an advanced e-galley of the book in exchange for my honest review. This review will be published on my blog, womenintroublebookblog.com on December 10, 2018.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book.
I'll say right off the bat I almost quit reading after the first several pages because I was too creeped out and nervous!
I put the book aside for a day or two and kept thinking about it and gave it another chance. I'm glad I did. The book is full of clever twists and an even more clever doctor - psychologist Dr. Shields creeped me out in the beginning but as the book went on all I could think of was how the authors had to really think ahead on all the plot twists so that Dr. Shields could stay several steps ahead of Jessica (Dr. Shields' "student".)
I won't go over the plot since you can read the synopsis for that, I will just say as the story went on I found it hard to put the book down at all.
About the only thing I didn't like was the last handful of pages felt a little rushed to tie things up. And, I'd have liked Jessica to have a little happier ending, but it was at least a hopeful ending.
If you like suspense books, this book has plenty of it!
I wasn't a fan of The Wife Between Us, but love Sarah Pekkanen's writing so when I had a chance to read An Anonymous Girl....I went for it....and would rate a solid 4 stars.
Jessica is a struggling make up artist trying to make a life for herself in NYC. She overhears a client talking about an opportunity to earn $500 and gets further details by snooping on the client's phone With this step, she goes down a rabbit hole of intrigue that includes infidelity, promiscuity, money, and a wicked scheming mind. Early in this book is one of my favorite lines: Guilt is always the heaviest thing I carry."
The characters and initial story were interesting and drew me in right away. While the ending wasn't the strongest, it wasn't totally what I expected.
It's a book about secrets (and some are more deadly than others), guilt, trust, etc. and had me thinking long after I read the book about some of these themes!
Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read An Anonymous Girl in exchange for an honest review.
“You’re invited: Seeking women aged 18 to 32 to participate in a study on ethics and morality conducted by a preeminent NYC psychiatrist. Generous compensation. Anonymity guaranteed. Call for more details.”
An Anonymous Girl has some good twists! I don’t want to give too much away so I’ll leave it at that, but it was hard to put down! It hits shelves on January 8th, 2019. I’d give this book a 4/5.
Thank you to @netgalley for the advanced copy in exchange for a review. #netgalley #currentlyreading #ananonymousgirl
A creepy psychological story..
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The theme of this book made me wary from the beginning. I would never be one to participate in something like this. The whole premise kind of creeps me out.
The further we get into the story slowly, very slowly the manipulation begins. First, I started thinking that this chick is crazy to continue, yet she is sucked in in more ways than one. But who really is the unstable one in the story? I certainly was questioning it myself a time or two.
The authors have created a story that is full of intensity, twisted manipulation, and psychological tests to your innate beliefs. An Anonymous Girl is a blend of creepy stalker, psychological twists, and understanding your own strengths.
Great read!
What a great read! A page-turner that kept me flying through it in a matter of hours. Full of twists and surprises, I loved this book even more than Hendricks' and Pekkanen's previous book, THE WIFE BETWEEN US. Wonderfully complex characters who were sometimes hard to like, yet also great to root for.
Having read other works by these authors, I was eager to read their latest. The suspense gripped me from the very beginning! Just when I thought I had it figured out, another twist happened and threw me all off! I lost sleep because I could not go to sleep until I finished it. Definitely one I will recommend to friends, especially those who love wrestling with moral dilemmas.
This one deserves all the stars and more!! Another brilliant.mind-blowing read by Hendricks and Pekkanen! This duo is absolutely phenomenal and what they write is just golden! I thought The Wife Between Us couldn't be topped, but I was wrong. An Anonymous Girl is one of the best, if not the best, psychological suspense books that I've read in 2018! You really need to read this book! I'm telling everyone I know to read this one and it will be at the top of my list as best books of the year!
Full review to come closer to publication date!
Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an ARC to read in exchange for my fair and honest review.
My oh my what a wonderful thriller! This novel had me hooked from the get-go! This story will make you think twice before signing up for a research study!
An Anonymous Girl is a wild ride and you better hold on to your seat! The characters were very well developed and Jessica's character, though naive, was somewhat relate-able. I could feel her desperation, confusion, and fear.
There were many twist and turns and I felt the novel kept me engaged and excited to read the next chapter consistency throughout. It never seemed too slow or too fast with the pacing. I thoroughly enjoyed the entire read.
I was very surprised that a duo of authors created a story that flowed so seamlessly. Hendricks and Pekkanen are not authors I have read before, but I loved how their writings meshed so well. I have already added some of their other books to my list of books to read ASAP! It was a 5 star read for me!
An Anonymous Girl is available now for preorder and is due to be released January 8, 2019 here in the U.S. I can guarantee this will be a book everyone is talking about! Preorder and add it to your TBR list now!
Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for allowing me an eARC to read and give my honest review.
Happy Reading!
Ask expected this book was outstanding! I couldn’t put it down from the minute I started reading it. I highly recommend that you read the 2nd book from these very talented authors. I’m already looking forward to book #3!
I was provided a pre-release copy of this book, and absolutely could not put it down! The clever way the author dropped clues along the way while keeping the suspense ratcheted WAY up was refreshing and kept me guessing to the very end. Writing alternating between the subject and her pursuer was so subtle and well-done that I never had any trouble knowing which 'voice' was speaking. Highly recommend this unique thriller.
What a great read! I was super excited to see these 2 authors team up again after the mindblowing book The Wife Between Us. They definitely produced another amazing book that I will be recommending everyone to pick up as soon as it comes out. I love the back and forth chapters from the points of view of Dr. Shields and Jess. It kept me guessing until the last twist! Thank you so much Net Galley for allowing me to read this!
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
What a trippy book. So clever and a page turner to the very end. I enjoyed this book from start to finish. Jess, the main character, is a make-up artist who could use some extra money. She sneaks her way in to take a study on morality and ethics after overhearing it from a client. She thinks it will be an easy way to make some money, but it soon turns into more than that.
Im not sure any book will be able to top this one! Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen alone are good. Together they are a complete powerhouse. I need a Q&A with these phenomenal authors to find out who writes what, whose idea this book was, how did it come together.... I need to know everything.
The best part about this book is how it sucks you in. I knew from page one it would be a page turner. The way the chapters alternated between both subject and psychologist was a good move. It kept me engrossed in this book and deepened the mystery.
Jessica or "Jess" is so many of us. I related to her, I found her sympathetic and I was constantly saying in my head "watch out!" Because you could always feel the onslaught of Dr. Shields.
Dr. Shields.... I don't want to say anything other than it all comes down to intent.
Everyone add this to your list. You won't regret it!
Thank you St. Martins Press and netgalley for this ARC. I feel so honored to have been given the opportunity to read this book and I can't wait for the next one.
I have been looking for a book that kept me intrigued and drove me to read, this is that book. The characters are kept to a few so you can really know them. The descriptions of people,places and things draw a picture in your mind. Don't assume what will happen in the end, pleasantly not what I expected.
I was really looking forward to this book because the description sounded amazing and because I LOVED the first book by this set of authors. The idea of morality and human nature is a good one. The story was told in alternating POVs which is also a plus for me. One character was a therapist conducting a morality study and one being a participant. The book held my attention the whole way through, but it was not suspenseful or thrilling to me. It was more like a gradual building of tension. The story was twisty, turny and I wasn't sure about anybody's motivations, but then it also seemed like each chapter had one character outsmarting the previous one. Though I didn't guess the details, the ending to me was predictable. I would definitely recommend it to anyone who likes character based suspense or enjoyed the authors' first book. Thank you to NetGalley for providing this book in exchange for an honest review.
5* Obsessive Stars
I was very excited and eager to once again be able to read a psychological thriller written by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen. Together as a team they take you on a wild crazy complex journey.
The creepy journey of Jess begins when she signs up to be part of a psychology study on morality and ethics to earn some extra cash to help her family, which is struggling due to her father loosing his job and Jess having a special needs sister. What should be just one or two sessions of filling out a questionnaire becomes a twisted, obsessive and dangerous game of truth and consequences.
This was a definite page-turner and the characters were very engaging and realistic. I highly recommend this thrilling fast paced read of cat and mouse.
Many thanks to St Martin’s Press and NetGalley for my copy to read and review.
You will gobble this book up in one sitting! You are introduced to Jess, a make up artist, who could really use some extra money. She decides to crash a psychology study when she overhears a client talking about it. She arrives not knowing what to expect. And either does the reader! As we are drawn in, it becomes all is not what is seems.
Told from the perspective of Jess, as well as the mysterious Dr. Lydia shields, we are drawn into a world of intrigue, questions on morality, and fidelity.
Jess is a very likeable character. Her dog Leo was an interesting addition. I always wondered if he was getting enough walks.
This book was very enjoyable and twists and turns to its final very satisfactory conclusion. It was surprising in some parts, but didn’t push any boundaries and did not include any explicit sex or violence.
This was a bloody clever and engaging story! You often are found asking yourself how you would react to certain scenarios, and really what is with all those deep questions? The pacing of the book was well matched with the story and fell quite nicely. There were so many twists and turns that i one clicked read this book! This book got under my skin and I absolutely loved it!
I was so excited to receive an ARC of An Anonymous Girl by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen. Jessica Farris signs up to be part of a study about morality and ethics for women ages 18-32 by a psychologist named Dr. Shields. Jessica believes it will be simple, excellent compensation for answering a few questions…and Jessica could really use the money. Almost immediately she is drawn into the study and asked to participate on a deeper level for greater monetary compensation. As Jessica continues, the questions become more personal and then the questions become assignments/outings. Jessica starts to become paranoid as she believes that Dr. Shields knows more about her than she should. Her paranoia grows as time passes and her relationship with Dr. Shields deepens. What is this study really about? Is it developed to make Jessica crazy? Does Dr. Shields have a personal mission? These are just some of the questions that kept me on the edge of my seat while I read this book. I became worried for Jessica pretty early on and intrigued by Dr. Shields’ motivation. The supporting characters were interesting and added to the storyline- especially with regard to the morality and ethics piece of the story. I loved this book and would recommend to anyone who likes edge of your seat suspense!! Looking forward to their next book!
Subject 52, “Could you tell a lie without feeling guilt?”
An Anonymous Girl is a story that slowly lures you in a deep into a labyrinth of half-truths. Jessica is a struggling make up artist that inserts her way into a psychological research study on Morality. After all, the session will pay $500 dollars. Working at Beauty Buzz does not always pay the rent.
“Dig deeper.”
But Dr. Shield’s study takes on a new life with an even more handsome reward. Dr. Lydia Shields reals Jessica’s in with lavish gift she could never afford. She is tasked with small missions to engage or rather to entice the opposite sex to elicit behavioral responses. The checks are given and the payout is needed. But suddenly she begins to realize that this study is turning out to be an unorthodox game.
“Moral questions lurk everywhere.”
Who is this man with the Sandy hair? The man named Thomas. And what is Dr. Shield’s trying to unravel in her research. It is Jessica who starts to ask questions about Dr. Shield’s study. And the more she asks, the theories are unveiled. And the twisted intentions of Mrs. Lydia Shields.
“You may have given up your dreams of theater, Jessica but you have earned a starring role in the next act of this unfolding drama”.
This complex tale is told in alternating perspective seamlessly in Jessica’s and Dr. Shield’s voice. As we start to learn more about the fracture in Dr. Shield’s marriage, we see a professional woman becoming unhinged. Dr. Shield’s uses Jessica in a pawn to test the ice her marriage. And of Jessica’s moral character. And it’s failure may come with a punishment she never saw coming. But number 5 did.
"Oh Jessica, You have made a grave mistake. Do victims have the right to take retribution into their own hands?"
Greer Hendricks and Sara Pekkanen are masterful storytellers weaving details of a complicated plot neatly while developing two juxtaposed characters. Jessica is young, working a dead-end job but carries a guilt, a secret she has kept from her family. She also has a habit of avoiding relationships that last more than a few hours. Dr. Shield’s is a sophisticated psychiatrist that carries her grief with subliminal rage. As Jessica is tested in Dr. Shields reality experiment, we see these characters morph into cat and mouse. Although Dr. Shields is the cat praying on an “injured mouse” the mouse may be one step ahead.
“It’s like she is writing my script, and I’m just reciting the words now.”
The sign of a great book is the inability to put it down. The compulsion to see what is coming next. This is that tale. I look forward to the next read by the collaborative duo of Hendricks and Pekkanen.
Thank you, NetGalley, the authors, and St. Martin’s press for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Loved it! Devoured it!
Devious to the max!
I devoured this book in two days and didn't want to put it down! A riveting story of psychological suspense. I was quickly questioning every move every character made. From beginning to end, I was all in! Yes!
With a promise of anonymity and a fat paycheck, Jessica weasels her way into a study on morality and ethics. She was assigned the name of Subject 52 and presented with numerous questions. I could feel her tension growing as the questions progressed into the realm of what would you do? I quickly got the feeling that this test was quite a mind game!
Dr. Shields may go done as one of the most perplexing doctor characters I've encountered. What was her motivation for recruiting these women? Jessica wonders how the doctor seems to know her thoughts.
I had some adrenaline surging moments as the tension amped-up and the plot unfolded. Everyone seems to have something to hide. The ending was just so perfect!
Highly recommend this suspense filled mind game that pushes all the boundaries.
Thanks to SMP for my Arc. Review will post to my blog on 1/08/18
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC that I could not put down! I finished this book in less than a day! The webs woven throughout this book will pull you in until the very last page! The author did an incredible job of keeping you guessing, uncovering small pieces of information and making you want more! There were times I hated Dr. Shields and times I wasn’t sure if I should feel sorry for her - it was a fast-paced suspenseful story that really made you feel like you were part of it along with the characters!
I gave this book a 5 out of 5 star review. It was an enjoyable thriller and I would recommend. to others. Generously provided to me through NetGalley
Cheers to another successful collaboration of Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanan! Five stars for AN ANONYMOUS GIRl!
Protagonist Jess, is a young woman, trying to make it on her own in NYC, as a makeup artist. In fact, not only is she barely scraping by, she's also helping her parents (a great subplot behind that). She suddenly has the opportunity to make some extra money; an easy peasy interview... Not so fast, the simple interview is the beginning of a twisty dance of psychological obsession and suspense.
AN ANONYMOUS GIRL, which is beautifully written as a dual narrative, Jess and her psychiatrist, is immediately consuming and hard to put down, It's a page turner, to be sure. I absolutely loved this book, and will definitely read their other collaborative efforts!
Thank you very much to NetGalley and St. Martin's press for the ARC, in exchange for my honest review,
This is the second book I’ve read by these 2 authors and I really enjoyed both of them!
I somewhat figured out early on what was going on in this book, but that did not take away anything from it. I was still on the edge of my seat wondering what craziness Dr. Shields was going to create next. And poor Jess, I felt sorry for her throughout the entire book. But was happily surprised at the way she grew as an individual, as her story progressed.
If you like psychological thrillers, hen I would definitely recommend An Anonymous Girl. Not only is the writing fabulous, the story was great as well. I will be adding these authors to my automatic buy list when they release a new book!!
An Anonymous Girl had me hooked from the very beginning. I found myself constantly asking, "what is happening right now?" Unlike the Wife Between Us, there are no huge twists but instead, they just keep hitting you with small ones throughout the book. What makes this book so eerie is how realistic it seems. It all starts at a simple study for the psychology department with a seemingly upstanding professor, but it quickly goes dark. You get so deep inside of the heads of the characters but it is still impossible to know if what they are saying is the truth. With strong themes of truth and morality, you really get to thinking. What would I do in this situation? How important is money when it comes to testing your morals?
Thanks so much, Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for an advanced copy of this book! I'll be thinking about this one for a while.
The authors of The Wife Between Us are back with another collaboration, and it's every bit as good as the first. In An Anonymous Girl, Hendricks and Pekkanen tell us the tale of Jessica Farris, a struggling New York makeup artist who signs up for a psychological study as a means to earn some quick cash. Doctor Shields' study on ethics and morality turns out to be far more involved than the question-and-answer sessions Jessica expected them to be, and it isn't long before she begins to question whether events in her life or real, or just another manipulation of the enigmatic Doctor Shields.
Like many readers of their previous book, I had high expectations for engrossing read that would keep me on the edge of my seat. The talented duo definitely delivered on both counts, keeping me on my toes with surprising twists that had me frantically rereading previous portions of the book in a bid to see if I'd missed any hints that the story was headed in that direction.
I'm not going to discuss specifics of the story in this review, because knowing anything more than what it given in the blurb would ruin all the fun of reading this twisty novel for those who are interested in it. What I will say is that I found the premise of a morality study to be unique and more than a little fascinating. The questions Jessica had to answer in the initial stages of the study often made me pause to consider what my own answer would be, if I were in her place, and the personal introspection sparked by events in the story made the novel even more enjoyable for me. There's nothing I love more than a book that makes you think!
This book firmly places Hendricks and Pekkanen on my must-read list. They excel at creating captivating stories that blow me away with incredibly tense situations and shocking reveals that are completely unpredictable, and I can't WAIT to read their next book!
I received an advance reading copy of this book courtesy of St. Martin's Press via Netgalley.
An Anonymous Girl by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen is an absolute five star, must-read. These two should ALWAYS write together, because the results are golden! I was absolutely captivated from the very first sentence and devoured this book within 24 hours. It might give me pause about ever filling out surveys or being involved in marketing research again, but I’m okay with that, because it was that good.
The characters were so thorough and well thought-out, down to the minor characters. Jessica Farris is all of us. She is hard working, wants to do right, and loves her family. She is approached with an opportunity that is literally too good to be true, but once she is involved, there is no turning back. She gets involved in a web of deceit (from multiple people) and is left with an internal moral struggle and finds herself in need of saving. She’s the only one who can save herself from the lies that surround her.
Lies. Doubt. Secrets. Scandal.
This was definitely a PSYCHOLOGICAL thriller. This is easily one of my favorite thrillers ever and I am so honored to have had the chance to read an ARC. Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press. I will look forward to seeing this one at bookstores in January. It needs to be on my shelf!
Would you participate in a study on ethics and morality...maybe not after reading this...
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~BOOK BLURB~
An Anonymous Girl
Greer Hendricks & Sarah Pekkanen
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Seeking women ages 18–32 to participate in a study on ethics and morality. Generous compensation. Anonymity guaranteed.
When Jessica Farris signs up for a psychology study conducted by the mysterious Dr. Shields, she thinks all she’ll have to do is answer a few questions, collect her money, and leave. But as the questions grow more and more intense and invasive and the sessions become outings where Jess is told what to wear and how to act, she begins to feel as though Dr. Shields may know what she’s thinking…and what she’s hiding. As Jess’s paranoia grows, it becomes clear that she can no longer trust what in her life is real, and what is one of Dr. Shields’ manipulative experiments. Caught in a web of deceit and jealousy, Jess quickly learns that some obsessions can be deadly.
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~MY QUICKIE REVIEW~
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This was slow-building psychological suspense…that didn't have me hooked until the last 1/3 of the book. At that point, everything starting clicking together and then...the sh*t hit-the-fan. I have to say…I thought this was going to disappoint me just like The Wife Between Us did, but by the end, I was pleasantly surprised.
An Anonymous Girl is a smartly written and cleverly plotted novel. With decidedly flawed characters and an interesting storyline. I recommend to anyone who likes a slow build-up to an intense ending. Sadly though, you may have to wait until it comes out in January 2019.
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~MY RATING~
☆4.5☆STARS - GRADE=A-
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~BREAKDOWN OF RATINGS~
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Plot~ 4.5/5
Main Characters~ 4.5/5
Secondary Characters~ 4/5
The Feels~ 4.3/5
Pacing~ 4.3/5
Addictiveness~ 4/5
Theme or Tone~ 5/5
Flow (Writing Style)~ 4.2/5
Backdrop (World Building)~ 4/5
Originality~ 5/5
Ending~ 4.7/5
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Book Cover~ It's nothing special…
Setting~ New York City
Source~ I received an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
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Very well-done psychological thriller, with lots of surprising twists.
The narrative of the book shifts back and forth between being told from Jessica's and Dr. Shields's points of view. Every other chapter, we get the story from the opposite character's perspective. The theme of anonymity is woven into the story as well in a few subtle and also obvious ways. For me, the pace of the story starts out very slow as we are introduced to the characters and how Jessica becomes involved in the university study conducted by Dr. Shields and how the study progresses. Slowly, more characters are introduced into the story, as well as events from Jessica's past that become relevant to the current story, as well as the pieces of Dr. Shields's life, past and present, and how those relate to the interactions with Jessica. There is plenty of action once the book really gets going. It didn't really drag for me leading up to most of the action. It was just a slower pace as we delve into Jessica's world and experiences.
Jessica is not entirely likable at first, and I wondered what drove her to make some of her choices (which is slowly answered throughout the book). Once the twists started coming, they continued throughout the book, all the way to the very last page.
I was surprised by the lack of foul language throughout this book. The genre is a psychological thriller, but there is no (or very, very little) strong language throughout (surprising for me as so many mainstream books seem to be full of it).
This was a very intriguing book, and I definitely look forward to reading more from this writing duo!
The perfect combination of an easy, enjoyable read and a book that makes you think, keeping you in suspense and anxiously turning the pages until the end. I thought this duo's previous book, The Wife Between Us, was great, and this one lives up to that standard.
When Jessica Farris signs up for a research study, using a bit of deception to get in the door, she has no way of knowing how it will all spiral out of control. She is a likable character and the reasons for her doing everything she does are quite understandable so it's easy to care about what happens to her. The writing is superb and I enjoyed how the book more or less switched between the narration of the two main characters, each with a distinctive voice. I thought the fact that Dr. Shields largely used a passive voice in her sections was an interesting element and contributed to the creepiness. Even the most minor secondary characters are well developed and interesting in their own rights.
All in all, a very successful book which I would highly recommend! Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an e-ARC of this book.
Wow! This book blew me away! An Annonymous Girl is a well crafted thriller filled with twists and turns! Jessica signs on as Sunject 52 in a study on morality and gets drawn into the tangled web of a marriage gone wrong. Is it a question of morality if you’re lying to save some else? Will the truth set you free?
Once again the talented writing duo of Greer Hendricks
& Sarah Pekkanen deliver a satisfying thriller. Enigmatic and compelling, An Anonymous Girl weaves a taut story of betrayal and suspense, as delicate and ready to shatter as a wineglass poised on the edge of a table. Told in dual narratives AAG takes you gently by the hand and leads you exactly where it wants to go, right up to its final conclusion. Go ahead. Surrender to it.
What would you do if you became involved in something you thought was harmless, but the further you got you realized you couldn’t get out? That’s where Jessica finds herself after becoming a part of an anonymous study on morality issues.
This book kept me interested from the beginning until the end. I don’t always have a lot of time to read, but this book made me want to find time so that I could see what happens! Read this book, it is so good!
I received an ARC in exchange for my honest review. Thanks to Netgalley.com and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read and review.
Hendricks and Pekkanen have, for all intents and purposes, perfected the two person narrative. The tension is palpable. The suspense is unnerving. The twist will knock you sideways. A stunning story with morality and ethics, or lack thereof, at it's center. Nothing is what it seems on the surface.
You'll think twice about joining any sort of research study after this book.
4 Stars.
Completely Intriguing and Totally Unexpected!
Jessica is a makeup artist in New York City. After hearing about a paid ethics and morality case study, Jessica jumps at the chance to participate even going so far as to take a spot from a client of hers, who canceled last minute. Is it a choice Jessica will live to regret?
Jessica is Subject 52. As a part of the study, questions are posed at a computer terminal: “Could you tell a lie without feeling guilt?”; “Describe a time in your life when you cheated?” Her answer are such that little does she know, at the end of the two sessions, she is the only subject left. Her answers are intriguing and unsettling. Dr. Shields, who is in charge of the study sees something in Jessica and hopes that she will not fail in her role... her doing so would be less than ideal. For both of them.
“An Anonymous Girl” is book that took me by complete surprise - the premise was a breath of fresh air - it was unexpected and honestly it made me feel, well, dirty, slimey and scared, if I’m telling you the whole truth and nothing but the truth (ha ha, get it, I mean this book is about morality and ethics, right?!). It gets under your skin and makes you wonder how you would answer the questions posed and makes you fearful, terrified even, when you realize what Dr. Shields has in mind for Subject 52 (and no, I’m not going there, in case you were hoping I’d give you a clue!). This is a fast-paced crazy novel whose twists and turns made for a heart stopping novel. I highly recommend it for mystery / suspense lovers. It’ll keep you on your toes for sure.
This was another fabulous buddy read with Kaceey!
Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
Published on NetGalley, Goodreads and Twitter.
*Will be published on Amazon upon release.
This was a full 5 star rating for me! I loved this book!
First off I would like to start by thanking Netgalley and the publisher St. Martin's Press for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
28 year old Jessica Farris is a makeup artist struggling to make ends meet in New York City when she overhears one of her clients talking to a friend about blowing off a study seeking women aged 18-32 for a study in morality. Seeing as how her very wealthy client seems to have no real interest in going Jess decides to go in her place. She could really use the five hundred dollars and what harm could it cause? Little does Jess know just how much her life will change by doing this one, little thing. Jessica is thrilled when she is not only accepted into the study but has intrigued the psych professor Dr. Shields so much the doctor wants to continue the study with her and not only that, she wants to pay her much, much more. Sure, some of the assignments seem a bit strange but Jess begins to feel such a strong connection to Dr. Shields she seems so kind and understanding., so willing to listen to all of Jessica's secrets, In fact it is required. Jessica also finds herself very intrigued by the stylish, cool Doctor.
What Jessica doesn't know is that Dr.Shields psych psych professor is very intrigued by her. Lydia Shields has her own agenda and she most certainly does not have Jess' best interest at heart. This captivating physiological thriller is told from the point of view of both Jess and Dr. Shields as their twisted relationship grows and more secrets are revealed about both women we find ourselves falling deeper and deeper on each woman's spell.
I love a good thriller and I have read a lot of fantastic ones this year but I would put this right up there with my favorite thriller of the year thus far "The Woman in the WIndow by AJ Finn. If you read and liked that then you will love this! I will be recommending this book to everyone of my thriller/mystery loving friends!
Because I loved the first book by this writing duo, when I saw they had another book coming, I had to have it. Thank you for the digital ARC for a honest review. The cover of the book is very attractive and would definitely draw my attention when I walked in the book store. Fair warning: this is one you won’t want to put down until you’ve finished every delicious morsel! So many twists & turns that you almost need to backtrack to be sure you just read the words right! ! I This was a true surprise, with the twists and turns!!
This was the second book I read by the Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen. These two do not disappoint!! I loved their first book, The Wife Between Us and An Anonymous Girl is following closely behind. This story is well written and suspenseful from the first page to the last. You will find yourself saying, "one more page, one more page". You will keep wandering exactly where Greer and Pekkanen are taking you and what will turn up next. As the book begins, you meet Jessica and you feel for her immediately. I found myself thinking this girl could be me. As the tail unfolds and begins to build you can identify with Jessica. I found myself wanting to help her as I read on. I highly recommend this book and the Wife Between Us for any one who likes suspenseful reads. Special Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review. #AnAnonymousGirl #NetGalley
I was super excited to read this book because I enjoyed The Wife Between Us so much and this one definitely did not disappoint. Holy twists and turns in this psychological thriller.
This book is about Jessica Farris who while on the job as a makeup artist stumbles across an ad seeking women ages 18-32 to participate in a study. Jessica signs up thinking she'll answer a couple of questions and get paid the easiest money ever. But as the questions grow more and more intense, Jessica thinks the person behind the study knows more about her than she thought. As her paranoia grows, Jessica starts to realize there's more behind this study than she could ever imagine.
I honestly really liked this book and I liked how each chapter jumped from Jessica to Dr. Shields, the person running the study. I was not expecting a couple of things that happened in the book and I loved the suspense of it all.
Thank you so much to St. Martins Press for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read The Anonymous Girl. I thought it was a good book, although a bit predictable. I felt connected to the characters and thought that they were very well developed. I enjoyed How every chapter was written from the perspective of either Jessica or Dr Shields, and how it went from one to the other. Sometimes that can be a bit confusing. I didn’t find that to be the case with this book. I enjoyed how it ended and felt that it was a satisfying conclusion to the story. I look forward to more books by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen.
I am between 4 and 4.5 stars on this one.
Thank you to St. Martin's Press for a free copy of this book!
Jessica has slipped herself into a research project that she actually is not apart of. From there, she is thrust into the life of Dr. Shields and her husband. Who can Jessica trust?
Like their previous novel, A Wife Between Us, Pekkenan and Hendricks play mind games with their characters and readers. As Jessica is drawn more into her downward spiral, we are left to wonder who is actually playing the mind games? Dr. Shields? Her husband? Jessica herself? I could not push my kindle screen fast enough to turn the pages because I honestly did not know what was going to come about!
I found this book enjoyable and will be recommending this when it physically comes out! Pekkenan and Hendricks are definitely an auto buy forever!
This seemed fairly similar to other books I have read in the genre. However it was still compelling and better articulated than other stories.
Seeking women ages 18–32 to participate in a study on ethics and morality. Generous compensation. Anonymity guaranteed.
When Jessica Farris signs up for a psychology study conducted by the mysterious Dr. Shields, she thinks all she’ll have to do is answer a few questions, collect her money, and leave.
Question #1: Could you tell a lie without feeling guilt?
But as the questions grow more and more intense and invasive and the sessions become outings where Jess is told what to wear and how to act, she begins to feel as though Dr. Shields may know what she’s thinking…and what she’s hiding.
Question #2: Have you ever deeply hurt someone you care about?
As Jess’s paranoia grows, it becomes clear that she can no longer trust what in her life is real, and what is one of Dr. Shields’ manipulative experiments. Caught in a web of deceit and jealousy, Jess quickly learns that some obsessions can be deadly.
Question #3: Should a punishment always fit the crime?
From the authors of the blockbuster bestseller The Wife Between Us comes an electrifying new novel about doubt, passion, and just how much you can trust someone.
I like thriller books and was excited about the concept of this with a psychological study being conducted and manipulating individuals. The author was just as unreliable as the narrator.
I haven’t read the other book by this author, but I am intrigued by the concept of this author and would like to see what else she offers.
The pacing really was off. The book didn’t pick up until about 55-60% of the way through. That’s a while for a reader to be waiting to see what will happen or stay invested. There needed to have been a bit more action earlier on to create the better burn a thriller typically has.
It’s a fresh concept with a psychological study being added to the mix. I think this book will do well in sales, but will it become the next major movie thriller like Gone Girl? Probably not. Worth a read if you like this genre.
This book was a trip - a women decides to make some extra money and ends up a pawn in a therapists evil scheme to mess with her husband. This thriller will have you up all night!
A complex thriller the likes of which I have never come across. So many twists and turns that I never guessed the ending. This book was graciously provided in exchange for an honest review.
5 magical stars! This is the type of book that drew me to thrillers. Full of twist and turns, but noting too outrageous. It never had the feeling of being rushed and never drug on. This was a page turner that had me flying through the pages trying to figure out who to trust and where the story was going to go. This book comes out in January and definitely a great way to start the new year!
When makeup artist Jess, strapped for cash, pretends she's one of her clients and participates in a research project probing ethical dilemmas, she thought she had serendipitously found a great way to earn some good money. But she soon learns she is a pawn in a very serious game, and has put herself and her career in deep jeopardy. A tense psychological thriller with vividly drawn characters and plot surprises to the very end, An Anonymous Girl is a compelling read.
Hendricks and Pekkanen wrote a fabulous book in The Wife Between us. I was wondering if this book would be as amazing and I can say that it truly is! This story hooked me from the beginning and kept me on the edge of my seat turning the paged anxiously waiting to see what was coming next. The story is written from two different perspectives, the protagonist and antagist. Very exciting and the storyline is so very unique. Yes it's about infidelity but more involved than that . Very complicated and creative. Highly recommended! Go pre order it now.
I want to thank Netgalley and Martin Press for the opportunity to give an honest review for an advanced copy.
I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This is one creepy psychological thriller. I loved it. It kept me on th edge of my seat. Dr. Shields scared me! She is crazy. The best part is you keep second guessing who to believe. Love books like this.
This is a must read. Creepy. Paranoid. Suspenseful. You name it, this had it. Can;t wait to see what others they come up with if they are all like this!
I was so excited when I was granted this book through NetGalley! I had read their previous collaboration, The Wife Between Us, and loved it. So, to say I was thrilled to read this book is an understatement.
From the first to the last page I was drawn into the story. Truth be told, when I was 90% of the way through this book I took a day break from it because for one, I wanted to reflect and see if I could figure out the ending (which I couldn't ), and two, I just didn't want it to end.
I LOVED IT!
There are so many twists and turns in An Anonymous Girl, that it is the perfect read for anyone that loves mysteries and thrillers. Pre-Order it now. You will not be disappointed!
ANOTHER GREAT BOOK BY SARAH PEKKANEN AND GREER HENDRICKS!
I received a free ARC of An Anonymous Girl by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen from NetGalley. This thriller novel had already been on my TBR list as I read the authors' first novel The Wife Between Us.
If you enjoyed Caroline Kepnes' You, you will undoubtedly enjoy this book as alternating chapters are written in second person. This writing device allows a separation between the character and the reader in a really unique way. The character of Dr Lydia Shields has a lot of control issues. It was exciting to have a female character who was written in 2nd person for a change.
An Anonymous Girl starts out at the gates very early as alternating between Jessica and Dr Shields. The morality tests used as the study by the professor are tests we must often ask ourselves. Jessica had no idea what she was getting into when she got herself into the study by deceptive means. Of course money is a huge motivator for most people who aren't born rich. As I got about a quarter into the novel, the pace really picked up. That's why I consider this book a quick read because all I wanted to do was find out what happened next. The characters were written as 3 dimensional and the plot was different than most of the thrillers and suspense novels I've read lately. This book sets itself out as one of a kind, unique and original stories. Even though I received a free copy, I would certainly buy a copy and reccomend this book to anyone who enjoys thrillers and suspense books.
Receiving this ARC for free did not alter my opinion in any way.
This is the most twisted book of decet and manipulation that I have ever read! It was absolutely spell-binding and awesome! The reader is captured from the very beginning in the story of Jessica who needs money and Dr. Lydia Shields who will do anything to manipulate young females into her deadly spider web of lies and deceit. The other characters are important but none is more important at than Dr. Shields and the authors do an outstanding job of revealing her motivations little by little. The way her mind words is fascinating and very scary since she uses her brilliance to get Jessica into an impossible trap. What I really wanted to know was if Jessica would be smart enough to extricate herself or would die trying, so I was caught in the web too and just couldn’t stop reading. This is a wild ride that will lead you in one direction only to move off into a totally different direction. Fans of psychological thrillers will not be able to put this book down and even when you finish it, you will be questioning, “What just happened?” And then you will want to read it again, searching for al the clues you missed the first time.
This is my first book by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen and I just couldn't put it down.
Jessica a makeup artist in New York, has found a way to make a little extra money to help her family with medical bills. She finds a way by sneaking into a morality and ethics study, but when she answers the questions is she getting into more then she bargained for?
This book is filled with tension and suspenseful burn. It makes you think about your own morality. What wouldn't you do for a big check? This is a great thriller kept me guessing the whole time!
Thank you to St. Martins press and net galley for my copy in exchange for an honest review.
Hendricks and Pekkanen write amazing characters but better twisty plots. They are the new queens of psychological suspense!
Being a huge fan of The Wife Between Us, I had high hopes for An Anonymous Girl, and it did not disappoint. The book is told through alternating perspectives (Jessica, a young makeup artist struggling to support herself and help her struggling family) and Dr. Shields, a local professor conducting a study. The two women reveal hidden secrets about their lives and make you question who can be trusted---who is truly ethical. I found myself sympathetic to both characters at times, and I really could not put the book down. Overall, a fast, fun read. I look forward to more works by Hendricks and Pekkanen!
This was such a gripping and compulsively readable story! It offered a really interesting and unusual take on the typical suspense/thriller genre by adding an intellectual and thought-provoking component in the form of a New York based psychiatric morality study as the crux of the plot. The characters were astute and clever, and decidedly not your typical short-sighted, poor-decision-making types whom you frustratingly find all too often in this genre. Other characters were clearly flawed and scarred from life, and yet deep down sought to be ethical and do the right thing. These characters felt like real people; imperfect, but good-hearted, survivors with a modicum of intelligence and grit and it made them relatable.
The authors were genius at building the tension and ratcheting up the anticipation and stress while still keeping it believable. It was well-plotted, well-crafted and highly entertaining!
Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC.
All I can say is WOW! I haven't read a book this captivating in a while. I was sucked in from the first page and ended up finishing it in less than a day! The parts of both Jessica and Dr. Shields were beautifully written and flowed flawlessly together. I literally couldn't put this one down. The sinister aspects of the book were subtle but enough to send icy chills up my spine. There was a sense of doom that started when Jessica entered the study. Although the twist wasn't huge and is known early on, the horror of what a person can do and the lengths they'll go more than made up for it! An Anonymous Girl has a way of sticking with you even after you are done reading. This highlighted the dark part of the human psyche so well, I was left breathless. This was one of the best psychological thrillers I have ever read.
Jessica is a make-up artist in New York and ends up coming across a psychological study through one of her clients. The money is good and it seems easy enough to do. She lies her way into the study and is brought into an ordinary, empty classroom with a laptop open and waiting. She begins the study and as the questions get deeper, she starts unlocking parts of herself that she's kept away for a long time. She doesn't know she's being watched this entire time, studied, every aspect of her being scrutinized. Jessica is surprised when she is requested for a more in-depth version of the study. The money will be much better, she is promised, but a lot more will be asked of her. It doesn't take her long to think it over and Jessica immediately signs up for it. She starts by entering into therapy sessions with very intense questions. The sessions then escalate into her going on little outings, being told what to wear and how to act. The situations she is thrown into start feeling wrong. Jessica soon feels like she needs to get out of this study. Little does she know just how much her life is going to change.
I highly recommend reading this book! You will not be sorry!
The laptop is opened, a website pulled up. Filled with literary cover images and reviews, you scroll lazily through them all. Until you find the one.
Shall we begin?
It's been awhile since I've picked up a suspenseful thriller where I had to set aside my Kindle for a moment and text my bookish friend "I'm getting spooked and I'm only halfway through!" We meet a regular young woman (Jessica) who learns of a financial opportunity that seems easy enough - answer a few ethical and morality questions for a Psych professor and be done. However, she becomes entangled in the psychiatrist's own world and motives. With it's two writing styles written from both the psychiatrist's and Jessica's point of view, I was on the edge of my seat for most of the book.
Thank you so much to St. Martin's Press for this ARC in exchange for a very honest review.
WOW - this book caught me right away. What a psychological thriller this book is. It kept me guessing throughout the book. Jessie is barely hanging on financially. She abandoned her dream of becoming a makeup artist for the Theatre. She had to be able to survive in New York. She began working for a makeup company called BeautyBuzz, as a makeup artist. The job entailed her spending her days going from home to home or apartment and applying makeup to individuals who wanted this service for special events. Sometimes she would get a tip and other times nothing, only a “thank you.” During one of her appointments, two college girls started talking about an appointment to do a survey at the university (NYU). It paid $500. Of course the girls, both said it was too early in the morning for them, they would be partying until early morning hours. Jessie was so curious, that while the girls were checking out their new makeup in the bathroom, she took the contact info off of Taylor’s phone. The next morning, she decided to check it out. What could it hurt, right? She told the Administrator, that Taylor couldn’t make the appointment, and that she would take the survey for her. The Administrator left for a moment to see if this was possible. He returned and said that she could take the survey. They proceeded down the hall to Room 214. The survey was to be taken on a laptop, in a room where she was by herself. It was timed. The questions were on morality and ethics and were very detailed. After she finished, she was required to come back for the second day. She completed the second day, and was asked to visit Dr. Shields at her office. These meetings became regular meetings, where Jessica shared very intimate details regarding her life and her family. After each meeting, Dr. Shields would hand her a check for her time. The money would definitely help pay for the sessions to help her disabled and challenged younger sister. Then Dr. Shields informed her that she be required to do things for her, and she would be paid more money. Some of the events that she would be required to do, would be to travel to a museum and look for a specific individual. However, an accident in front of the museum, prevented her from finding this person. Another event she was required to go to was to flirt with a man in a bar. Jessica couldn’t understand what these events had to do with the study Dr. Shields was working on. Why would Jessica be encouraged to look for this specific person? What did this person have to do with Dr. Shields? Did Dr. Shields have something to do with another woman’s death, who was also involved in her study? How was Jessica chosen to work on this study? If you like intrigue and a great psychological thriller, that keeps you guessing until the every end, this book is definitely one to read. I thoroughly enjoyed the constant evolving plot, along with the character development in this book. I am looking forward to the next book!!
Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen’s newest novel is every bit as good as their first. I can’t wait to see what they come up with next!
Since this psychological thriller has immensely satisfying twists and turns and several of those moments where I felt like whispering to one of the characters, “Be careful!”, I wouldn’t dream of giving away any of the plot. You simply have to live this one yourself. The characters are well-developed with interesting nuances that are slowly revealed as the book moves along. I love having my thoughts twisted this way and that.
The other really great thing about this book is that the authors wrote this without swear words, proving once again that f bombs and other curse words aren’t needed to write a best seller.
I highly recommend this book.
5 TWISTED STARS! Wow! Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen did it again. They busted out another successful psychological thriller and shocked the socks off of me. I didn’t think it was possible, but I think I may have enjoyed An Anonymous Girl even more than The Wife Between Us! This one kept me up late a few nights, frantically turning the pages. The twists, turns and overall craziness in this novel are endless and well crafted. I can’t wait to see what this dynamic duo has in store for us next. This novel will be released on January 8th, 2019. Prepare to be thrilled and a little addicted. BIG thanks to St. Martins Press for sending me an advance readers’ edition of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen are officially the dynamic duo of psychological thrillers!
Hendricks and Pekkanen’s latest book, An Anonymous Girl is UNPUTDOWNABLE! I mean WOW! What a well-developed plot! An Anonymous Girl is a fast-paced psychological thriller that is well-written, boasts fully developed characters, as well as a well-developed, fantastically, frightening plot! Jessica Farris signs up for a psychological study on ethics and morality where jealousy, obsession, and manipulation (oh, and a lot of crazy) is ever-present.
You won’t be able to sleep thinking about this book because: 1). it’s that good and you won’t be able to think of anything but this book; and 2). because it’s so wonderfully, wicked you’ll be dying to see what happens next. I loved this book so much that not only did I read my advanced review copy via kindle, but I also purchased it through my Book of the Month Club because I just need to own it in hardback. Also, since Julia Whelan and Barrie Kreinik will narrate the audiobook, I’m looking forward to hearing the audiobook version in January of 2019. I have it on pre-order through Audible. Yup, it’s that good!
I received a review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley for my honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Synopsis from the Publisher/NetGalley.com
Seeking women ages 18–32 to participate in a study on ethics and morality. Generous compensation. Anonymity guaranteed.
When Jessica Farris signs up for a psychology study conducted by the mysterious Dr. Shields, she thinks all she’ll have to do is answer a few questions, collect her money, and leave.
Question #1: Could you tell a lie without feeling guilt?
But as the questions grow more and more intense and invasive and the sessions become outings where Jess is told what to wear and how to act, she begins to feel as though Dr. Shields may know what she’s thinking…and what she’s hiding.
Question #2: Have you ever deeply hurt someone you care about?
As Jess’s paranoia grows, it becomes clear that she can no longer trust what in her life is real, and what is one of Dr. Shields’ manipulative experiments. Caught in a web of deceit and jealousy, Jess quickly learns that some obsessions can be deadly.
Question #3: Should a punishment always fit the crime?
From the authors of the blockbuster bestseller The Wife Between Us comes an electrifying new novel about doubt, passion, and just how much you can trust someone.
This was a wild ride indeed! You never can really tell who is telling the truth and it gets so twisty and delicious. I highly recommend this one. It was hard to put down!
When you say you want to read a great psychological thriller....pick up this book! From the beginning, the reader gets invested in the character Jess, who is struggling to make ends meet and takes the place of another woman in an anonymous clinical survey conducted by psychologist Dr. Lydia Shields. She needs the money...what can it hurt? But soon Jess is sucked in to the world of belief that she is answering moral/ethical questions anonymously....and the questions and her answers become more and more personal. As Dr. Shield pulls her deeper and deeper into her twisted game, Jess begins to question what is happening, but does she trust the answers she is getting....and who is she supposed to believe? This book also keeps the reader questioning....what is the real story here? The storyline twists and turns and keeps the reader guessing where and when will it end....and how? Thanks to St. Martin’s press, authors and publisher for an ARC of this book in return for an honest review, which this is. #AnAnonymousGirl
This was quick-paced and intricately plotted with lots and lots of surprises. Just when I thought one thing was happening, something entirely different occurred. And the mental insight of these characters was absolutely mind blowing. I enjoyed the authors’ first book, the Wife Between Us, but this was even better in my opinion. I highly recommend this for any fan of psychological thrillers. A real gem!
Many thanks to Netgalley, St. Martin’s Press, Greer Hendricks and Sara Pekkanen for my complimentary e-copy ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Head games! This is a psychological thriller filled with manipulation. I chose to read this because I had read The Wife Betweend Us by the same authors. Both are really good. Jessica is a character everyone can relate to: young, short of money, lacking confidence in herself. Dr. Shields is an expert manipulator who has Jessica looking up to her and trying to please. Things start getting very strange when Dr. Shields makes Jessica an offer to be a special subject of her morality study.
I raced through this book wanting to find out what was really going on. It kept my attention even though some of the manipulation was a little extreme and unbelievable. Everyone in the book has something to hide and these secrets are exposed gradually as the story unfolds. The moral and ethical issues will really make you think.
Thanks to the authors and St. Martin's Press through Netgalley for an advance copy
This is my first book by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen...and I absolutely loved it. There are so many books that are described as page-turners, but I just never feel that way about them. However, in this case, I agree. Not only is this book a page-turner, but it was so consistent and enjoyable from beginning to end.
The story is about Jessica Farris, a 28 year old young make-up artist who overhears a client talking about a psychology study that will pay a lot for participation. She lies to get into the study and then gets caught up in a lot more than she'd expected. The study is focused on considering morality and Jess is asked a variety of questions, and offers up some of her darkest secrets. Next, Jess is invited to participate in a real-life version of the study. Initially, she is excited by this research participation, due to the money on offer and because she falls under the spell of the research psychologist. However, over time, she begins to worry: did she make a mistake by trusting this psychologist with her deepest and darkest secrets?
The book alternates between her perspective and that of the psychologist who is conducting the study. As a psychology professor, I especially appreciated the references to different psychological findings that were brought up at various points throughout the book.
Thanks to NetGalley, the authors, and St. Martin's Press for an opportunity to read an advance copy in exchange for a review.
And this author duo has done it again!! I could not put this book down. The suspense in the story kept me hooked.
Thank you NetGalley, authors and publisher for providing a free copy of this book.
Seeking women ages 18–32 to participate in a study on ethics and morality. Generous compensation. Anonymity guaranteed.
RECOMMEND! RECOMMEND! RECOMMEND!! I LOVED this book. I stayed up until 2am just to finish it!!
A few months ago I read The Wife Between Us - while I did enjoy it a lot, I found the main twist pretty predictable - this book kept me guessing and thinking throughout the book.
I really enjoyed the morality questions, they got me thinking about how I would react to these situations/questions - it was definitely engaging to put myself in Lydia, Thomas, and Jessica's shoes on what I would do.
Spoiler
The only part I really didn't like was the end with the $ between Thomas and Jess - he really was trying to help her and to have her extort him I didn't really think that was in Jess' character - other than that I LOVED every bit of it!
Answer some questions anonymously for $500? Who would say no? How difficult could the questions be?
Jessica finds out just how difficult the questions are once the survey gets started. The anonymous interaction by Dr. Shields while answering the questions at the beginning is unsettling to say the least, but Jessica needs the money so she continues.
When Jessica is asked to meet Dr. Shields in person, she thinks this will be much better than replying on a computer. I wouldn't have continued, but everyone has reasons why they would or why they wouldn't continue.
At their first in-person session, Dr. Shields tells her that the research has been cancelled and that Jessica is her sole focus. Should Jessica worry about this?
Maybe Dr. Shields can help Jessica with a secret she has been keeping her entire life or perhaps she can't help her and her secret will get out?
The more Jessica thinks about this arrangement with Dr. Shields, the more frightened and paranoid she becomes that she really doesn't know what she has gotten herself into and what Dr. Shields really has in mind.
We find out about Jessica as well as Dr. Shields in alternating chapters. Both seem like troubled people, but Dr. Shields seems to have the upper hand with her devious, obsessive plans of using Jessica to help solve her problem or at least find an answer.
AN ANONYMOUS GIRL had me tense as I was reading and worrying what was going on. Jessica's worry seemed to consume her all day and even at night.
I didn't like Dr. Shields the minute I met her and disliked her even more as time went on. She actually was quite frightening, evil, cunning, manipulative, and needed some therapy herself.
If you want to hate a character, Dr. Shields is the person you are looking for.
AN ANONYMOUS GIRL definitely will keep your interest up as well as your blood pressure.
If you enjoy a book that you won't be able to put down just because what's happening is unbelievable, then THE ANONYMOUS GIRL is that book.
And...if I must compare the books by these authors, AN ANONYMOUS GIRL was much better for me than THE WIFE BETWEEN US. 5/5
This book was given to me by the publisher in both print and via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Overall, I enjoyed the book. I felt it dragged on a bit in the middle but the ending was well worth the wait!
Not as twisty as The Wife Between Us, but truly enjoyable to read. Well written. Four stars - I’d definitely recommend.
It sounds like an easy way to make some much-needed money to make-up artist Jessica Farris. Just answer a few questions for Dr. Shields’ psychology study, what could be difficult about that? But some of the questions are tough to answer and cause Jessica quite a bit of discomfort. But she tries to be honest and do what she’s being paid for. Then she meets Dr. Shields and is asked to expand her participation in the study and quite a bit more would be asked of her. The excellent pay pulls Jessica in further and further until she doesn’t know who to trust or just what to think about Dr. Shields’ strange study. What will Dr. Shields do with the information she’s gathering and why does she need it in the first place?
I was immediately pulled into this book and was completely intrigued. I couldn’t read fast enough wondering just what was going on and what this study was all about. I have to admit that when I found out the “why”, I was a bit disappointed. But I was hooked by that point and had to know more. This is a book that has a surprise around each bend in the road. Like Jessica, you won’t know who can be trusted or what’s next in store for this very likeable character. Try not to read too many reviews about this one because you want to go in blind and not know too much. Let these excellent authors tell the story the way only they can. An addictive read about obsession, betrayal and morality.
Recommended.
How much do you know about the people you give your information away to? When you log into Facebook, you're giving who knows who access to your name, your likes and dislikes, your friends, your family, your photos. But what if you could be anonymous- just a number amidst a group of other numbers? Jess, sliding into a vacant spot in a psychological study, thinks some of the questions she's being asked are a little TOO personal- but she's just a number, so what's the harm in answering honestly? She's being paid, after all, and she needs the money. But the questions keep coming, and they become less theoretical. How far is Jess willing to go for a paycheck?
Hendricks and Pekkanen's follow-up to 2018's The Wife Between Us is another suspenseful trip through the minds of multiple narrators. You're never quite sure who is telling the truth, or if it's only the truth as they see it. The ending is definitely different from the usual psychological thriller, and not necessarily one even an avid reader of the genre would foresee. An Anonymous Girl is definitely worth picking up, reading... and then reflecting on how much you share.
If you ask me if this was better than The Wife Between Us... YES it was! This duo came out pretty strong once again with this twisty psychological thriller. I loved that it kept me guessing and changing my mind of what happened pretty much the whole time! What will you do for money? Money to support your family. The story is told from the point of view of Jessica aka subject 52 and Dr. Shields (blessed her heart). Jessica will learn the hard way that not everyone is what they seems to be. If you liked The wife between us you sure don’t want to miss this one!
Whoop!They did it again!!! Even better than the first book this writing dual wrote together!
An intense twisty story that will make your head spin and your heart race! A book that made me check behind me just in case somebody creepy was watching! An absolute must read my psychological thriller loving friends, the hype is real!
Jess is a struggling makeup artist trying to find her way in NYC... in need of money she fakes her way into a psychological research project... The research soon begins to spin out of control, leaving Jess bewildered and concerned... soon lines become blurred and research becomes reality.... A naïve girl, a creepy doctor, and a question of ethics... how much money would it take for you to compromise your morality? And how vulnerable does that make you?
Jess was such a sympathetic character, I really adored her, and oh how I felt for her! She really wanted to help her family out and I think that might have blinded her to some huge red flags when it came to good old Dr. Shields... dr. Shields, yikes! SO creepy! I don’t even want to use a pronoun, because I think it is best to go into this book not even knowing if the doctor is a he or a she.... just know they are one manipulative disturbed SOB! There were so many times during this book I was on pins and needle’s, just waiting to see what the doctor would do next!
This book was an intense ride until the very last word! A different and unique approach to the psychological thriller a twist to the twist! Absolutely recommend, this is one of the best!
*** A big thanks to St. Martin’s Press for my copy of this book ***
I really liked The Wife Between Us by this author duo so was both looking forward to their next endeavor as well as being a little nervous that it would not be as good as their first. I was captured almost from the beginning, reading nearly half of it in an afternoon. It is a much different story than The Wife Between Us but for those of you who have read their first book and remember the major surprise twist halfway through it, An Anonymous Girl will not disappoint you. It is structured differently in that it has multiple twists and you will want to keep reading to find out what is going to happen next.
Jessica Farris is a young woman working as a makeup artist in New York City. She struggles to make ends meet and help her parents financially with the care of her special needs younger sister, Becky. In an effort to earn extra money, Jess signs up to participate in a research study about morality and ethics. As subject 52, the story of her involvement with Dr. Shields, the researcher, serves as the plot for this thriller. To tell much more about the plot would be a disservice to those who might want to read this. It is much better to go into this story as blind as possible. Just know you will enjoy it from beginning all the way to the end.
Thank you to the authors, St Martin’s Press and to NetGalley for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this novel.
Anonymous Girl was absolutely FANTASTIC! I really loved Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen’s first novel The Wife Between us, it was creative, twisty, and shocking so when I found out they were teaming up to write a second novel I knew I had to get my hands on it. This dynamic duo did NOT disappoint on their second book, Anonymous Girl...it was even better than their first, I didn’t think it was possible. They really outdid themselves, it was exceptional.
Big BIG thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for giving me the opportunity to read this phenomenal book in exchange for my honest review.
I will post my review on Amazon and Barnes and Nobel on the day of release.
WOW!!!!!! Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen have another best seller hit on their hands!!!!! I was intrigued from the first page but halfway through the "action" slowed down a little for me. Then on the next chapter picked right back up. Jessica Farris is a make up artist who on a job makes a decision to participate in a psychiatrist study in place of one of her clients. By doing this she meets mysterious Dr. Shields. After 2 or 3 sessions of answering questions on a survey Dr. Shields wants to up the study to more physical session and that is where it goes downhill for Jessica. Starting with thinking she is doing a morality study a psychiatrist to what turns into a deadly attempt to save her life. Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the chance to read this riveting page turning thriller for my honest review
A very taunt suspense that has me on edge waiting for the snap! This story does not disappoint and so clever with the mind game and a thrill to try to pull the puzzle pieces together!
This book was so good! It kept me guessing at every twist and turn. It was so creepy I loved it! Very well written and highly recommend!
Wow. This book did not disappoint! I absolutely loved The Wife Between Us, so I was very excited to read another by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen. The beginning of this book had me hooked and I could not wait to see where it went. Jess is a relatable character who is just trying to get by in New York. She learns of a study that pays and manages to join it in an unconventional way. When she meets the "man behind the curtain" things take an interesting turn. That is the point where I did not see the rest of the story coming. I felt that there were subtle twists that really didn't seem like much until it was seen from another perspective and that enhanced the book for me. It almost had a Girl on the Train vibe, in the sense that the character thinks they know something important and the events that follow, but this story is so much better. I really loved everything about it!
The premise of An Anonymous Girl is interesting in itself - a girl, needing money, volunteers for one of those surveys/experiments that are constantly offered on college campuses. This one is on morality. As she answers the questions, she finds herself thinking about morality as well. However, also while she's answering the questions, the professor in charge of the survey is assessing her.
The two form a one-sided partnership which lends itself to a page-turning book that you can't put down. The motives of each character are believable, and each twist is perfectly timed. I like books that have smaller twists throughout, little nuggets of information dropped throughout until it all comes together at the end, and this fits that bill. The suspense level was high and this book was excellent.
I have read Hendricks and Pekkanen’s first book, The Wife Between Us. Overall, I enjoyed the story and the suspense that they were able to create. However, there were moments that seemed repetitive and wordy which distracted me from the suspense. So, I was hesitant when I picked up their second novel, An Anonymous Girl.
The book introduces a make-up artist named Jessica Farris. While at an appointment she overhears a conversation about a research study that pays well just for answering a few questions. Sounds simple, right? She needs the money to help her mom, dad, and disabled sister. When she attends the study, not all is what it seems. The study wants to know her deepest, darkest secrets. The head of the study, Dr. Shields seems to take more of an interest in Jessica and hires her to complete more within the research project. However, something is off. Jessica feels manipulated and soon realizes how much danger she is in…
Due to the full schedule around the holidays, it took me a few days to complete this book. However, if I would have had the time, I would have finished this book in one sitting! Hendricks and Pekkanen nailed this story. My reservations before reading this book have vanished. The writing is flawless and engaging. I hated that I had to close the book and made excuses to sit and read longer. BUT THE CHARACTERS!! Wow, they created some immensely flawed and complicated characters. I found myself wanting to know more about them. I never knew who was telling the truth. This book kept me guessing until the final page. I have discovered that their first book is being made into a movie. Also, this book is already being made into a television series and it hasn’t even released yet! So pre-order this book. You will not regret it! I rate this book 5 out of 5 stars!
Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read this book!
Jessica Farris signs up for a study in ethics and morality. She goes into the study not knowing what to expect. Dr Shields is a proffesor at a local college and a psychiatrist. What she thinks is going to be an easy way to make money turns into something more sinister. Dr Shields tells her how to act and dress, she can't put her finger on it but something about the study is off. This was an awesome book. I am not sure if I would ever participate in a study after reading this book.
An Anonymous Girl was an excellent suspenseful novel! I enjoyed the true feeling of suspense throughout the story. Jessica gets herself into an anonymous study on ethics and morality. What starts out as a simple study with questions on a computer in a room evolves into a much more involved situation that Jessica finds herself in the middle of. The plot is perfectly crafted with every detail adding to the ongoing suspense and mystery. The story is full of secrets, lies, and jealousy. As the story goes on, the characters all are presented with their own deep secrets and parts to the story. Who is telling the truth? Who can be trusted? I could feel the tension building as Jessica gets deeper and deeper into a dangerous situation. I could imagine so many different things happening next!
Okay. Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen are officially auto-buy authors for me. I loved The Wife Between Us, and I think I loved An Anonymous Girl even more.
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I think you should go in pretty blind, but know that the main character, Jess, sneaks into a study on ethics and morality and everything changes from there. So. Very. Good. I highly recommend you pick this one up if you haven’t already.
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Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for an egalley in exchange of an honest review. All opinions are my own.
"A final question: If you truly love someone, would you sacrifice your life for theirs?"
Holy shit on a cracker was that good. I'm sure how, or if I should even try to describe how great I found this book.
Twist and turns abound when Jessica Farris sneaks into a study about morality and ethics her life is turned upside down. Even though it's told in alternating POV's you still never fully grasp what goes on in Dr. Shields mind, you feel as lost and disoriented but yet like the subjects in her study absolutely trusting in her. And nothing truly starts to fall into until the end.
Wow, oh wow, oh WOW!!! Let me go on record now as saying this book could and should be one of the best-sellers of 2019. What's more, it would make a terrific movie! Greer Hendricks masterfully spins a tale that pulls the reader deeper and deeper into the lives of the main characters until they find themselves on the edge of their seat. Oh, the mind games this book plays with the reader!!
Jessica Farris is a 28-year-old make-up artist, struggling to get by. When she overhears a client telling a friend that she signed up to be part of a paid two session study on morality and ethics at the local university but plans to ditch the session because she'd rather sleep in than answer a questionnaire, Jessica decides to show up at the appointed time and place herself. She really needs the money! Jessica explains to the study assistant that her friend cannot attend, but that she would like to take her place. After the assistant talks with Dr. Shields, the professor leading the study, and ascertains that Jessica meets the criteria for participants, Jessica is accepted into the study. From that point on, she is Subject 52.
Placed alone in a room with only a computer, the session begins. Participants know that the questions will be extremely personal and are urged to be honest in their responses. Answers participants give to the questions may impact the next questions asked. Jessica soon realizes that someone is responding to her answers in real time and finds herself more and more intrigued, sometimes altering her answers attempting to please the unseen questioner. Somehow, the questioner knows when she is being less than truthful and again urges honesty for the sake of the study. Jessica finds herself complying. When session one ends, Jessica finds herself looking forward to the next day’s session. She also finds that the study is making her more aware of her ethics and morals, in some cases, altering her natural response as a result.
Dr. Shields is the unseen questioner, interacting with each participant one on one. The professor has a personal rather than professional agenda for performing the study. Finding Jessica’s responses very compelling, she soon becomes the professor’s sole focus. Jessica is offered more money if she will meet with the professor and participate in future unnamed interactions.
The story is advanced in the first-person voices of Jessica and Dr. Shields in alternating chapters. Watching the spider weave the web that draws the fly in is very compelling. When the fly realizes she’s in a web, and in danger, the manipulations on both parts ramps up. I cannot say much more without spoiling this exceptional read.
I rarely give a 5 star rating, but this book deserves it!
Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for allowing me to read an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Having read and loved “Wife Between Us,” I couldn’t wait for the next book by Hendricks and Pekkanen. My expectations were very high. This new book did not disappoint! These authors are brilliant writers of mystery/psychological thrillers. Their books grab you from page one and never let go! I don’t want to give any spoilers away, so just clear your schedule, grab this book, and get ready for a ride! I can’t wait for this book to be published, so I can recommend it to all my friends and family members. Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for the opportunity to read an ARC of this incredible novel!
An ambitious, but broke, young makeup artist named Jess sneaks into a blind study on ethics an morality. After a few sessions, the professor conducting the study asks Jess to take the study into the real world - and things start to get WEIRD.
I thought this book was compulsively readable. It was intense, twisty, and kept me wondering until the very end. My only complaint was that that intensity I felt throughout the book didn't continue through to the ending. That fell a tiny bit flat to me. Not bad, just not absolutely mind blowing. Overall, a very great thriller. I'd really love to read Greer and Sarah's other book.
A great book that kept me hooked until the very end. Recommended for lovers of psychological thrillers.
Thank you to St Martin's Press and NetGalley for giving me this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.
This was an amazing, fast paced book. What a thrill ride, from the same authors of The Wife Between Us. Another bestseller for sure. This one did not disappoint, you will not be disappointed if you read this one. I will always read anything by these authors.
An Anonymous Girl is the second psychological thriller that Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen have paired up to write and boy, oh boy, do these two make quite the team. After reading The Wife Between Us last year I knew I had to have a copy of An Anonymous Girl and thankfully it did not disappoint in the least.
Jessica Farris had always wanted to work in theater as a make up artist but instead finds herself traveling around the city making up bored housewives before their big nights out to pay the bills. When one of her house calls ends up being two college girls getting ready for a night at a club Jess overhears a phone call about a survey. Knowing she could really use he cash Jess decides to take the place of the student.
Arriving at the designated location Jess only needs a couple of little white lies to work her way into the study but as she sits down at her computer it’s almost as if the mysterious Dr. Shields can see right through the computer screen. Before Jess knows it she is done with the online survey and Dr. Shields is offering her more money to help with further testing.
For anyone having read the first book these two authors co-wrote you probably remember the shocking twists the most, well don’t worry you haven’t seen the last of those from them just yet. An Anonymous Girl seemed to be very similar in format to The Wife Between Us in the fact that after each section I would be left thinking what the…?? So yes, it’s another book that just makes me want to scream “They all did it!!!” since you never know who to trust. Definitely recommend checking this one out and if you haven’t done so yet go back and grab their first too.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
Guys, get ready to see this one everywhere next year. An Anonymous Girl is the latest by power writing duo Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkenan and it's a wild ride.
Jessica Farris is a young makeup artist who is trying to make it on her own in NYC. She lies her way into being a part of a research study... On morality of all things. The mysterious Dr. Shields sees something in Jess, and she's invited to take the study to the next level. She's pushing her personal boundaries but getting paid handsomely for it, and almost believes that it's all worth it.
This book had me spooked. It took off right from the beginning. The pacing was really good and parts genuinely surprised me. There were only a few characters and it was fun to see them intersect. I'm not a psychologist but I know a lot about it, so admittedly I had a hard time going with the flow on certain parts. Things get complicated pretty quickly and Jess finds herself backed into a corner- I was literally reading this at a bar, so invested in the ending as I was.
All in all, I did like their previous book, The Wife Between Us, better, but I still think this is a compelling follow up. I have a feeling this ending is love it or hate it (I didn't love it, for spoilery reasons I don't want to articulate here!) Still, add this to your 2019 reading list and tell me where you fall. 3.75/5 ⭐️