Disclaimer: I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to Fantastic Flying Book Club, Netgalley, and Wednesday Books for this free copy. All quotes in this review are taken from the Advanced Reader Copy and may change in final publication.

Oh my gosh guys. I’m not even joking about how hard this was for me to read especially in the beginning. This book alternates between the past and the present, and the past starts on the day that Jane Anonymous gets kidnapped. I couldn’t even imagine being in her situation, and especially watching a bunch of shows like Criminal Minds and all that where the episode could deal with a child being kidnapped, and then the gang has to find them before that person ends up dying. Stuff like that is so stressful to watch honestly, like I don’t know how we can continue to watch them and can be desensitized by that kind of violence.

So I’d please, please, please be careful about this one if this is something that you could be triggered by, because while some the shows and movies that we watch could be told from the rescuer’s point of view (like a detective or something like that, you know?) this is told from Jane’s point of view, and she’s dealing with the past and the present. From the moment she woke up that morning and didn’t think that anything was really going to be different.

The only thing different about that morning – before everything I mean – was that her best friend Shelley ended up coming home early from camp, and she wanted to have breakfast with Jane because she missed her so much. And of course, Jane kept procrastinating bringing the gift home from her work, so when she goes to get it… low and behold there’s a stranger that somehow convinces her to open the store for him so he could “get his girlfriend a present for their anniversary.”


Sometimes you can’t trust people and what their true intentions will be, despite wanting to believe the best in everyone. Or at least believing that there is some good in the world, worth fighting for. In Jane’s case, that didn’t happen, and that one mistake could have cost her so much more than seven months of her life. And books like this really end up breaking my heart, and I get really intrigued by how authors can get into the minds of someone like this. I don’t think I could do it, and I don’t know if I would even want to.

This is my second Stolarz book, and her reputation of writing books that can make me feel strange has continued. Strange isn’t always a bad thing, and it’s not in this case. In this case, I’m just hurt for Jane, and the aftermath of everything that she had to endure. And who is the real monster in this novel? Is it who we think it is? Or someone else?

You’ll have to see, because with Stolarz, I don’t feel like it’s always as it seems.

4.5 stars.
This book was really intense.  I could barely put it down.  We got what happened through Jane's eyes, but in flashbacks mixed with "Now" entries into her diary or journal that she felt would help her with the therapy everyone said she needed.  I wondered if she had a bit of Stockholm Syndrome, if that was what the story was going to be about.  But instead it seems that she falls in love or finds a connection with a fellow prisoner named Mason.  Honestly, I had a feeling about the whole situation from really early on, and my hunch was correct.  However the way the story went kept me guessing and thinking I must be wrong.  Seeing how it all went for Jane after she got home and how hard it was just to even get back to normal in any little way was very interesting.  How her friends and those around her dealt with it was also intriguing and made me wonder how it would be in real life.  I did get that she had trouble working with different psychologists and therapists, until she finally found one that she was able to connect with.  I know that for my own depression and anxiety I didn't click with the first person I was sent to, so I think it is a very important bit for people to realize that getting help isn't as simple as just talking to any person.

I only docked a half a star because some things were left unexplained or unanswered for me that I wanted to know.  But it makes me feel like one of the people that Jane hated talking to if I ask those questions.

Rating 4.5/5

This was kind of a strange book to start off my reading year, not that I knew that when I picked it up, but honestly I don’t think I’ve felt this emotionally invested in a book in a while. The kind of invested where I felt every little thing that happened and it really started to affect my mood because there were a lot of heartbreaking moments in this book and gave me a severe book hangover for days after reading.

The pace of the book is brilliant, I managed to finish it within a day because I was so gripped I didn’t want to put it down. It’s told in two sections, then and now, and is at the same time exploring what happened to Jane in her captivity and how she is dealing with the aftermath of that captivity. I was pleasantly surprised at how it felt like a thriller book even though for me the draw of the story was really in Jane’s character progression and how she had to reacclimatise to day to day life.

I do still feel like there could have been more depth or focus given to Jane’s relationships in the now section, unusually I found myself less interested in the who and the why of her abduction so would have maybe preferred more of the balance shifted toward her trying to reconnect with friends but despite that, I still feel that this book is a must-read.

I feel like there is so much more that I want to say but this is the kind of book that I can’t describe accurately without spoiling that obsessive must read more feeling that I feel like most people will get with this book. What I will say is that it is well written, engaging and will definitely put you through the emotional wringer, this is an author that I would easily read again.

JANE ANONYMOUS by Laurie Faria Stolarz was heart-breaking, gut-wrenching, and visceral. I felt this book to my bones. I ached for Jane, wanted to fight and scream for her with every word of this beautiful, awful story. Stolarz created a haunting experience that will sit with me for long after reaching THE END. Jane's journey and character were strong, fierce, likable, delicate, and real. 

Content warnings for: kidnapping, violence, gaslighting, manipulation, touching without consent, sickness and probably more

What a suspenseful ride! This was a lot stronger than I anticipated as I had very low expectations for a YA novel. I'm not a YA hater, but it tends to be very hit or miss. The character and plot development were very strong here. Emotions were tugged left and right.

I know that my reviews today are beginning to be repetitive, but I literally couldn't put this one down.

Laurie Faria Stolarz's Jane is a memorable protagonist as she recounts the seven months she was held captive and the aftermath in which she tries to rebuild her life by writing her story. The chapters alternate between "THEN" and "NOW" and highlight Jane's struggle to accept the traumatic event that she survived.


I have no idea why I like "kidnapping" stories so much, but something about Jane kept me from looking away. All I know is that I cannot stop thinking about this book.


Thanks to Beatrice Jason of St. Martin's Press who invited me to check out an egalley of this upcoming title on Netgalley.

Goodreads review published 07/01/20
Publication Date 07/01/20

This book was so terrifying and so intriguing at the same time! It was gripping, inspiring, and un-put-down-able!

Great work continuing in the bildungsroman tradition of YA of those finding their voice. Looking forward to seeing what Laurie Faria Stolarz does next!

A fictional story about a girl writing her abduction story, the horrors she faced, and the trauma she must now live with upon her return to life post-abduction. 

Such a fast-paced read that jumps back and forth between then, pre-abduction/abduction, and now, post-abduction. I found my own anxiety building at times when the abduction and confinement is taking place, which is a testament to the writing of this novel. This could easily trigger someone that has PTSD from abduction or confined spaces, so beware of that before going into this.

Wow. Keep the Kleenex near by because you will certainly need them for the emotional and heart wrenching read. Your heart will break for Jane I know mine did. Pick up this amazing gem of a book. It deserves a spot on your keeper shelf. Happy reading!

what a whirlwind!! Jane Anonymous is a very difficult book to review because of its subject matter, but I’ll be the first one to say that its morbid nature makes it one hell of a compulsively readable book. it’s entertaining and addictive and dark and I found myself coming back to it the more time I spent away from it—I couldn’t stop thinking about it. 

I guessed the plot twist early on, though. and I felt like, other than Jane, every character in the book was so beyond one dimensional and underdeveloped that I couldn’t really and fully immerse myself in the story because the characters just kept pushing me right back out. I also understand the need for “Jane” to change the names of people and places in her story and I understand why the author chose to do so, but “No Name High School”, “Suburban Town”, make it so difficult to read the book without feeling like you’re excluded from the events. it’s like you’re never really going to completely know the truth because you will ALWAYS be missing important details. at best, it felt like being shut out from the story. at worst, it felt like reading an early draft of the book where the author isn’t sure yet what names they’ll choose for certain characters and locations. 

still, Jane Anonymous is a compelling and unique read that you’ll probably devour in a single sitting because of its entertaining and gripping storytelling style. also a very interesting take on character psychology, which I really liked!! thanks again to St. Martin’s Press and Wednesday Books for providing a free copy of Jane Anonymous!!

WOW! If ever there was a book that should be summed up by that one word it is Jane Anonymous. From the first word of the prologue to the last letter in the book, I was fully engrossed and utterly captivated. Not once did I look up, stop for a break; I’m not sure I even breathed until I finished. It.Is.That.Good. Need more? Fine.

The prologue is an open to letter to us, the readers, from “Jane” who has just returned from being held captive for seven months by a monster. Jane was taken one early morning by a man who vaguely looked familiar, put into a room and given a scoresheet from which she would be rewarded for simple things like eating, bathing, putting her trash out the pet door. That sounds far more simple than it was for the prisoner Jane who rebelled against her captivity by not eating, not bathing, not cleaning. But she is not alone. There is someone else on the other side of the wall. Someone who shares her darkness, her fears, someone she comes to love. But what if that someone goes away…. what if he isn’t real or worse.

Jane’s story is written in a then/now perspective as though Jane is writing her story for you as part of her therapy. We are able to read first hand her innermost thoughts, fears, hopes and crushing anxiety as she navigates back through the world of the free and living. This is a heart-pounding, gut-wrenching tale that dives into our deepest emotions and will leave you breathlessly ragged when you have finished but it so worth it! Yes, this book is written for young adults but don’t let that fool you. It is, by far, one of the best books I have read in a very long time. Just as SE Hinton wrote for this age group in the 70s with words that resonated across the age spectrum, Jane Anonymous will translate well for readers of all ages.

I got an ARC of this book.

I read this mostly at 2 or 3 am for reasons unrelated to the book. I was already hyped up on emotions and lack of sleep. So I think that most of my excitement over this book was really the reading circumstances. I am not a fan of thrillers and there was enough of a thriller element that I was bored. 

So the main thing that was interesting was that Stolarz jumped between the past and the present. This was handled really well. I normally don't like this at all. I have read so many authors that just couldn't pull it off. So many stories that felt forced. So many. So finally seeing it done well was great. I am impressed with Stolarz and the story that was crafted, is just wasn't quite enough for me. 

My main issue with the book is that nothing went far enough. There wasn't quite enough danger. There wasn't quite enough response. There wasn't quite enough of a twist. The whole book felt sedated. I felt removed from the whole thing. There were some amazing plot points and the way that Jane dealt with the trauma was fascinating. It was something I really enjoyed, but I just needed more. I can understand the desire to shut down after trauma, I have a similar response. I get it, but it doesn't make an exciting story. 

It felt like there were plot holes. They were obvious plot holes. Things that were painfully obvious plot holes. These were explained for the most part, but reading them I was amazed that they were there. How did they make sense? How did they build a good story? The book read much younger than I was expecting it to, because of these plot holes. I understand that Jane was stressed and thinking while stressed is difficult. She was gone for seven months and didn't think "huh, it is really weird that the screams sound the same every day" or "why doesn't the guy who captured me ever come into my room?". It is pretty standard for some interaction between capture and captive in these situations. Everything was just so tame. 


If there was just a bit more to this book, I think I could have loved it. I loved how Jane hoarded water and cupcakes. I loved how she felt more secure in small spaces, despite the normal reaction to be hating small spaces. I loved that she had a complex reaction to trauma. I just didn't like how much it felt like this book was just skimming the surface of what it could have been. 

I want to read my by Stolarz. I can see talent. I can see myself loving her books. I can see myself being a big fan. I just need her to go a step or two further in her ideas and I will be hooked.

I thought this author did such a great job with this story. It was engrossing and so compelling. Jane is an ordinary seventeen year old girl whose life is irrevocably changed when she is drugged and stuffed in the trunk of a car and then held captive for seven months. The book goes between the present and the past to describe Jane's time in captivity. The present with Jane's PTSD was so emotional. I thought the author did a great job at showing her emotions and her sense of loss and her confusion over the fact that she would never be the same. Even her family was written very well. Her mom's subtle signs of grief and her hope that Jane would return to who she was before were done very well also. This was a great read with very compelling characters.

Jane Anonymous is your run of the mill, 17-year old girl, living in a suburban town, New England state.

That is until she gets abducted while out running an early morning errand. She remains in captivity for 7-months. Locked in a room. Alone.

This is her story, following 'then' and 'now' timelines until 'then' and 'now' merge. The narrative itself is more 'stream of consciousness' then I tend to enjoy but I'll tell you what, in this case, it didn't bother me at all.

I actually feel that it was a really smart choice by the author, as it made the conveyance of this wild tale seem more real. Like a friend was recounting a horrific thing that had happened to them.

When I say 'horrific thing', I mean it. This book is not for the sensitive. The violence perpetrated against Jane, being stripped of her freedom and her sense of safety, amongst other traumas, was hard to read.

Her efforts toward recovery were equally heavy and disturbing. In some ways, I think that was even more difficult to read, her struggles to try to adapt back to the life she had before.

Severe trauma, feeling broken and the pathways to recovery are all covered within these pages. I think if this book is read at the right time, by the right person, it could really mean a lot to them and become a favorite.

Hard-hitting the entire way through, if you can stomach it, I think the message of hope that ultimately shines through is worth the effort.

It was that way for me, at least. Although my heart was a little battered and bruised at the end, it was worth it.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Wednesday Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I appreciate it!

Title:  Jane Anonymous
Author:  Laurie Stolarz
Genre:  YA
Rating:  4 out of 5

Jane is a normal seventeen-year-old girl, busy with her manicures, her best friend, and that cute boy she’s kinda-sorta dating. Until the day she is kidnapped by a stranger and taken to live in a room with a bed, a refrigerator, and a bathroom. She’s given a set of rules to live by---and to earn rewards---given her meals through a cat door, and never sees her abductor. Only the boy trapped in the room next to hers gives her any hope.

Until the day Jane manages to escape. But when she returns home, her family and friends expect her to just return to her old life. But she can’t. So, she hides in her room---and hides from people---as she struggles to process. She writes about her experiences as her therapy, and slowly realizes that not everything in that house was it seems.

Jane Anonymous was a tough read. The horrific experience Jane goes through is terrifying, but the most difficult part of the book is after she escapes. The author does an excellent job capturing the chaos that is Jane’s mind, her struggles, and her growing realization of the truth.

Laurie Stolarz has sold over a million books worldwide. Jane Anonymous is her newest novel. 

(Galley courtesy of St. Martin’s Press in exchange for an honest review.)

Jane Anonymous by Laurie Faria Stolarz gave me mixed feelings. I found it a very compelling read that had me hooked right from the start. I did not want to put this book down until the very end. I have always been a fan of   having two story lines and Stolarz did a great job of it in this book as well.. She made me feel scared, excited, hunted, relieved, and everything else in this story along with her main character. She is a talented writer that knows how to put together a good story. 

But. I found the twist rather unsurprising and had a feeling it was coming pretty soon. I also was not a fan of how she portrayed certain people towards the end of the book, such as one of her friends, the police and the therapists. We are in a place where therapy becomes more and more accepted openly, rather than something you should keep a secret at all costs, and I would have liked to see some more support for that in her book. She had a great set up for it but went the opposite way the majority of the time.

Thank you to Netgalley and St.Martin’s Press / Wednesday books for the opportunity to read this. Jane is a girl who gets taken captive and tells her story after escaping. I really felt for her and am grateful for the way Laurie Faria Stolarz shares Jane’s  words, emotions and experiences. I wish it went a little bit deeper which is why I am giving this four out of five stars. But I do highly recommend this.

I enjoyed this book, but I would have enjoyed it more had I not read any reviews before finishing. Totally my own fault. I read a spoiler-free review, but as soon as the person said a certain thing, it sent me on a thought process that led to me effectively spoiling myself.

In the review I read, the reader said they had figured out who the captor was early on. I hadn't even be trying to figure that out but from then on, I made an assumption that turned out to be correct. In hindsight, I think a lot of people would correctly guess. But I had been blissfully ignorant. For someone NOT able to figure it out ahead of time, I think the gradual reveal would have a serious impact. The way that the book displays not just the trauma post-kidnapping, but also specifically Stockholm Syndrome, was fascinating.

Jane Anonymous is a story of a 17-year-old girl who got abducted and was held captive for seven months before finally escaping. The book is told in alternating timelines between THEN (during captivity) and NOW (after escape). It is a girl’s journey through healing and recovery.

I confess to putting off reading this book because I didn’t think I was ready to face something stressful. I’m not even sure why I requested this, knowing full well that it contained sensitive topics. But sometimes, I like to go out of my comfort zone so here I am.

Let me begin by saying that I did not enjoy this and at times, it made me uncomfortable. But books like this are not meant for enjoyment. They were meant to make you see things from a different perspective. They exist to help you understand what others have gone through, in hopes that you never experience them. But don’t get me wrong. This book wasn’t graphic and it glazed over some details. The parts detailing injuries were sometimes too much for my heart, but that’s just me.

This book was gripping and it definitely kept me on the edge. The transition between THEN and NOW was just enough to keep me guessing and wanting more. I also liked how even after everything, this book ended on a hopeful note. Because as much as I want books to be realistic, I also want to feel hope: that although things are never going to be the same, maybe someday, they will get better.