“I Was Anastsia” was a thought provoking novel. I knew a bit about the story of the Russian imperial family prior to this book. I am sure I saw the movie from 1956 when I was much younger. The story has always fascinated and saddened me.
This book was well written although not in my favorite style. I honestly do not like non-linear plots, but in this case, I have to agree that the nonlinear plot brought much more suspense, leaving me guessing what was true and not true, making me strive for the rest of the story.
Toward the middle of the book, I was so frustrated by the ending of one time line and jumping to another. It made me tense, just when I thought I would find out an answer, the answer was lost once again. It was a bit like what the characters were going through.
Even with my frustration, I enjoyed this book so much! I was so invested in the story. So many emotions were felt during the reading of this novel; sadness, joy, jealousy, pity, anger, and more anger, and much more anger. It left me drained on more than one occasion.
When I read a book, I want to be immersed in the story and feel everything the author put out there for the reader. I can say this was an excellent book in that regard, and I recommend it highly.
I want to thank NetGalley for giving me an advanced Reader’s Copy for an honest review. I post my reviews on Goodreads.com, Amazon.com and BookBub.com.

While reading, I was thinking "One more Anastasia book". I have read quite a few over the years and it felt I was just reading one more. I thought the ending was unique and saved the book from being just one of many Anastasia books.

I was Anastasia by Ariel Lawhorn is a must-read. The style of writing is witty and captivating. From the first few pages I was completely hooked. I loved the historical aspects. Then the mystery aspect with Anastasia and the dueling timelines was perfectly executed. I would definitely recommend this book, even to people who are not typically interested in history or historical fiction.

As a lover of Anastasia since I was a little girl, I knew I had to read this book. I have been obsessed with the Romanov family ever since I first saw the animated tale of Anastasia. I would research about their lives and families on our old family computer until my mom had to call me away because she was afraid staring at the computer screen for so long would hurt my eyes.
As soon as I was accepted to read it, I dove into the pages (or technically, electronic pages) with a voracity that I hadn't seen in awhile. This book was phenomenal. I did not want to put it down because of how much I was enjoying it. It transported me to Anastasia's time and the dangers that the Romanov family was in. Everything came to life in Lawhon's writing and it was so easily to believe everything that she was saying. I loved the skips in time, allowing me to see various stages of life that the protagonist had to go through.
The ending had confused me until the Author's note at the end, which is what cinched everything together for me. Ariel Lawhon is absolutely BRILLIANT! I am now putting her on a list of authors that I need to read more often because if all her writing is like this, I definitely found a new favorite author.

I love anything about the Romanovs, so I enjoyed this book. I knew the Anna Anderson story, and this, although fiction, kind of filled in what I didn't know. Never would have suspected the twist at the end!

Oh my gosh, Ariel Lawhon just keeps getting better and better! I enjoyed her first two novels, especially FLIGHT OF DREAMS, and I was eagerly awaiting this one as soon as I first heard about it. I WAS ANASTASIA does not disappoint. The story grabbed me from page one and did not let go. The narrative structure is inventive but never off-putting. Even though I sometimes find backwards narratives gimmicky, here it's handled really effectively. The mystery aspect -- who is Anna really? -- kept me guessing and I was definitely invested in the story despite having no real previous theories about the Romanovs or what really happened to Anastasia. The novel's pace moves along nicely too - never a dull moment. The historical details and descriptions of the settings impressed me - never over-done, just enough to ground the reader in the scene. Nice use of tension as well. Now when is Lawhon's next book coming out? I can't wait!

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Review SPOILER ALERT: It's almost impossible to review this book without spoilers. Takeaway for those who don't want it spoiled - historical novel that sacrifices depth and character development for a gimmicky structure. DISCLAIMER: I received an advance copy of this book from Edelweiss in return for an honest review.

Ok, if you want to know more, scroll down




This is my first experience reading Ariel Lawhon and I'm deeply disappointed. I've been reading historical fiction for over twenty years and have been fascinated by the Romanovs almost as long. Lawhon has made some odd choices that box her into a corner with this book - the gimmicky "Memento" structure is set up so that you don't know Anna Anderson's true identity until the last pages of the book. Frankly, I don't understand why this increases the suspense. The reader knows the real Anastasia didn't escape and various clues are scattered throughout the book give away that Anna Anderson is not Anastasia.

Instead, the backwards-running structure prevents any kind of in-depth character development or insight into Anna Anderson. She's a gold mine for a writer in terms of psychological exploration but Lawhon can't do that but because she has to keep the "secret" going.

The forwards-running Anastasia timeline is decent although none of the Romanov family acts according to the time period or their documented personalities.

I'm actually offended that the marketing copy claims Lawhon is the first author "with the guts" to take on this story. Ariana Franklin crafted a compelling, atmospheric mystery taking this story on in "City of Shadows" and Mary Morrissey wrote a haunting look at the reasons a woman takes on another identity in "The Pretender." Try harder everyone - this is why I keep getting burned out on reading historical fiction (less)

I GIVE THIS BOOK, A GLOWING FIVE OUT OF FIVE STARS!

First and foremost, Thank you Double Day Books for sending me an ARC of this book, in exchange of this honest review. 

I was a huge Anastasia nerd in high-school, I was fascinated by the whole history of events. I had always held up hope that Anastasia was alive, and that she had escaped that horrid night. So when I was pursuing Netgalley one night, and I saw this book pop up, I had to have it! I emailed Double Day, and requested the ARC on Netgalley, and Lucky for me, I was approved for both. 

This is a HUGE statement I am about to unload on all of you, this is the best book I have ever read. It is utterly remarkable. It was so well written, well paced, and loaded with so much factual information, while not coming across as stuffy and boring. (If you read the authors note, you will see she embellished very little of the true story) this book was breathtaking, and I mean that quite literally, there are moments in this book that took my breath away, I felt like I couldn't breathe until I finished this book, especially during the last 20% of it. 

This book was written in two view points, from Anastasia Romanov, and from "Anna Anderson" and it may sound confusing, but Anna Anderson's story is told backwards. While Anastasia's part is told up until that fateful day in July 1918. It's one of the most unusual writing styles I have come across. I will admit, at first I was confused, because it does jump around a lot, but in the end it really enhanced my reading experience. Also when you do read this book guys, reading the "Authors Note" is a must, but wait until you have finished the book first, or you will catch some spoilers. 

I also learned a lot from this book, somethings I never had heard of previously. So of course I did research and wanted to see if it was an actual event, and yes, it was. Every character that is in this book is an actual person, and had history with the Romanov's and Anna Anderson. This is a book that is going to stick with me forever, and one that I can hope to convince my kids to read. 

I feel like I should warn you guys though, this is not a happy, feel good, warm your heart book. Actually it's going to break your heart. There is some pretty intense stuff that happens within the pages, so reader be warned.

Everything flung out of the window…

I could write in rambling flowery prose why I picked this book up and why the real life story of the mysteries of the Romanovs and Anna Anderson are so fascinating to me but frankly after finishing this novel the other morning I couldn’t stop shaking my head and saying “just wow” and decided right then to forego the dramatics and go straight to the truth. Yes I Was Anastasia is readable, transporting and at times entertaining (it has such a fabulous premise that history practically writes for itself and to be honest I enjoyed more of Anna’s chapters rather than Anastasia’s) but in this case I think it simmers down for me looking at this book more as it falling directly into that disappointing scurrilous mire of modern expectations: overtaking a storyline (forcing an awkward cliché romance element that just goes off in the pages with no other mention), interchangeable characters, emotional setups for later chapters, the dialogue (I couldn’t help but cringe when I saw the word “cute” sprinkled throughout) and then sadly the collected and any remaining known history and morality are flung out of the window for the sake to “keep up” with the present in your face tactics. No doubt others will seek out I Was Anastasia just for the shock and ugly disgusting rumors reimagined in detailed passages but I think it would be cruel not to warn readers who may be sensitive to scenes of unexpected rape and animal abuse. True many may argue this book could have went in much worse detail but I’m sorry it went far enough for me and this wasn’t the novel I was hoping to find (that respectfully balanced imagination with history to tell a believable story or didn’t have a hundred open ended questions from several plot holes left) and it reminded me too much of other titles (The Unseeing, The Midnight Watch, City of Shadows etc) I have been highly anticipating that quickly went into the frustrating muck of modern ideas of what entertainment should be or what sells.

With thanks to NetGalley and Doubleday Books who kindly sent me an Advanced Reader Copy.

Wow. I literally just finished reading this book... and, well, wow.

There are so many emotions that play through your mind as you read through this book. For a lot of the book I thought that I knew what was going to happen--we were given the choice at the beginning of the book to choose to believe that Anna was the real Anastasia or to not believe it. While reading through I felt like we were being led by the "facts" to believe a certain way. I never could have imagined that by the end of the book you would know the truth.

Let me say that again, by the end of the book you know the truth.

Wow. Maybe that really is all that I have to say.

I appreciate how the memories are all lived through the frame of reference of Anastasia while the future, or current, time is all viewed from above. We get to see Anna and her interactions while we live through all of Anastasia's.
I am really impressed with this book in a way that I wasn't expecting.

I Was Anastasia marks my first experience with author Ariel Lawhon. I discovered the novel while compiling The Morally Questionable Green Hat and made note of it as the premise reminded me Anastasia: The Mystery of Anna (1986). I was familiar with the history behind the novel, but I didn’t have any real expectations when I picked it up and was more than a little surprised when the book proved almost impossible to put aside.

Lawhon’s style and tone captured my attention from the first line and refused to release its hold till the very end of the narrative. I hate to gush, but Lawhon’s ability to convey genuine tension is nothing short of brilliant. I knew where this story was going, but I still felt real fear and desperation in the musings and movements of both her leads and loved how their emotions emanated so distinctly from the page.

The drama of the story is enhanced by Lawhon's brazenly ambitious structuring of the narrative. Anastasia’s chapters progress chronologically, but Anna’s are inversed. The end result leaves the reader questioning if the two voices run parallel to one another or if they are in fact two parts of a singular whole. The finale itself is wonderful, but it should be understood that Lawhon was not writing about the answer so much as the question. The ambiguity of Anna’s origin and inability to definitely identify her during her lifetime immortalized Anastasia and I adore how Lawhon’s narrative plays on that reality.

The novel incorporates great historic details, but I will admit to struggling with a handful of scenes. As much as I loved the story, I was keenly aware that certain moments were based more on rumor rather than verifiable fact and while I appreciate what those passages brought in terms of storytelling, the history buff in me couldn’t help wrinkling her nose. Lawhon’s characterization of Anastasia was also more mature and worldly than I envision her, but at the end of the day my only real comment on Lawhon’s interpretation is that it’s clear she favored Anna. I can’t presume to know why, but reading between the lines, the author seemed to have more fun with Anna’s chapters than she did Anastasia’s.

Imaginatively tenacious and creatively composed, I Was Anastasia brings life to a mystery that captivated the world for much of the twentieth century. Highly recommended. An absolute must read.

Reviewed for Netgalley and free of Spoilers

I Was Anastasia is a thoroughly researched novel that explores the story of Anna Anderson, better known as the woman who staunchly claimed to be Anastasia, the only surviving daughter of Czar Nicholas of Russia, who, along with his wife and children, were murdered by the Bolsheviks on July 17, 1918.

Author Ariel Lawhon weaves fact, fiction, and fancy into this tragic story of a family destroyed by revolution and a woman desperately trying to establish her identity.

Lawhon employs a technique of shifting points of view. Anastasia’s chapters are in first person and are personable, honest, and engaging. Anna’s chapters are in third person, making her seem isolated and distant from the reader. Is this the author’s way of showing how much the terrible events of July 1918 changed Anastasia forever? Or is this Lawhon’s way of showing us that Anna is not who she claims to be? I am not going to tell you and neither is Lawhon…not until the very end, that is.

Despite its length, the story moves quickly and is quite the page turner. If I had one major grievance with it, it was the constant shifts in time. I grew extremely tired of the jumping around timeline-wise. While I can understand moving from the 1960s to 1917 or 1918, taking us back in time and then jumping back six months, then a month, then a week, then a day became frustrating and annoying to the point that I wanted to put the story down every time I swiped left and saw “one week earlier” or “seven months earlier.” If this was an attempt to heighten the suspense, it failed. Instead, I found myself trying to remember where in the sequence of events this was occurring. At times, it seemed as though I was trying to piece the story together myself. In her afterword, Lawhon admits that she enjoys “nonlinear timelines,” but after reading I Was Anastasia, I can honestly say I do not.

For those who know the history of the Romanovs, including the discoveries in 2007 and 2009, and who may hesitate to read the book because of that knowledge, I would say read it anyway. I was up to date on my Czar Nicholas history, and I still found I Was Anastasia to be an engaging and interesting spin on a well-known tale.

I was excited to read about Anna Anderson because I’ve read novels/ watched films about Romanovs before and this piece of Russian history has always caught my interest. Ariel Lawhon’s take on Anna Anderson was written beautifully, and I say that because I was immediately absorbed. The story of the Romanov family is tragic, and you can feel it (in my case I felt it in words all over again). Lawhon paints a cohesive picture that also separates two sides of the story without bringing confusion to the reader. We dive deep into the tragic reality faced by the Romanovs to the plight of Anna Anderson, a woman who brought renowned media attention, a woman many wished to believe was the ‘light at the end of the tunnel' for a tragedy, a woman who was called the world’s biggest con-artist, liar and everything in between, a woman who believed she was the Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna of Russia. Lawhon opened the story to the readers, I really liked that because she want's us to go through the book and come to our understanding or a new point of view. Overall this was a great book, I would recommend Historical lovers to read it.

I don't even know where to start with this book. It is seriously a work of art. I have never read anything by this author but after reading this book, I will look up more of her work. She managed to write in second person and first person in such a fluent way.

This is the story of Anna Anderson, who claimed to be the long lost Russian Grand Duchess Anastasia. I will be honest and say that I have not heard of Anna Anderson or her story. But I completely bought it. I bought this entire story and I'm so damn mad at myself. That, right there, is a sign of a gifted story teller.

The book itself stars in the present and works backwards with parts of Anastasia's life mixed in. It was incredibly easy to follow along and I wasn't confused at all. I read this book in a night because it was so easy to read and I was so hooked. I had to know more about what was going on and what was going to happen next.

Overall, this was a great book! I think it is going to get a lot of positive reviews. You don't have to know about the Romanovs. The Anastasia parts will explain the family and everything that surrounds them, like the Bolshevik revolt and their house arrest. I highly recommend this book to everyone and I will be sure to get myself a physical copy when it comes out.

What an absolutely riveting novel!! This book has it all- historical fiction, suspense, women's fiction and even a touch of romance!!

In 1918 the Russian Tsar Nicholas II was overpowered and kidnapped along with his entire family. Tsar Nicholas II, his wife, 4 daughters and one son were ultimately all killed in a mass murder. But what if one of them miraculously survived?!?? Could anyone made it out alive?!?? In I am Anastasia we follow Anna Anderson's journey as she tries to claim that she is indeed Anastasia Romanov, the youngest daughter of Tsar Nicholas II...and the sole heir to the entire Romanov fortune!!

First off, I have to say that prior to reading I am Anastasia, I had no idea about what happened to the Russian Imperial family in 1918! I was immediately captivated by the entire concept of Anna Anderson, that while I was reading this novel, I was also online researching the Romanov's and between the two I learned so much! Ariel Lawhon does a fantastic job of with giving us her spin on the Anastasia Romanov saga with history and mystery all wrapped in a brilliantly crafted storyline. I highly recommend this 5 star novel!!! A must read!!!

Brava, Ariel Lawhon, you have created a truly remarkable book--both in theme and in structure and, without revealing too much, in the amazing ending. Who wouldn't be interested in Anastasia, the youngest daughter of the last Tsar and Tsarina of Russia? She's still an enigma and a mystery and the idea that she may have survived the massacre of the entire Romanov family is such a romantic notion.
My mother-in-law was acquainted with Anna Anderson toward the end of her life when she was living in Charlottesville, Virginia. She was convinced that Anna was indeed Anastasia. When I asked her why--she replied that Anna was so sad, so royal and that it was obvious that she'd seen any tragedies in her life. I think that my practical, no-nonsense mother-in-law, too, wanted to believe in Anastasia.
The first-person narrative Ariel Lawhon has woven so well will thrill most of your readers (and anger others) but it is so well done.

Lawhon brings one of the most enduring mysteries of the twentieth century to life in this story of Anna Anderson, the woman who claimed to be the ill fated Anastasia Romanov, who supposedly died, along with her family at the hands of revolutionaries. Told from Anastasia’s point of view shortly before her family’s murder and Anna Anderson’s from 1920 to the 1970’s, this is the story that haunted people the world over. Was it possible that Anastasia had survived? It would be a miracle, but people clamored for that miracle. Lawhon examines the legend, the myth and the reality that fascinated people the world over