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.

Jane Anonymous by Laurie Faria Stolarz is probably best described as a thrilling young adult contemporary. The book tells the story of Jane Anonymous who had been kidnapped and held prisoner for seven months by alternating between Jane in the present time after her escape and going back to the past while she was captive.

In the present Jane has gone through many types of therapy and people helping her deal with what happened but now feels the best way to deal with it would be to write her own story. When flashing back Jane tells of how she left to pick up a present for a friend and came across a man who overtook her and locked her in his trunk before locking her up.

This story was extremely captivating and suspenseful despite knowing from the beginning that Jane had survived the kidnapping. Going back and forth between the then and now you could just feel the emotions coming off of Jane as you read her story. I will say though I thought the twist to the tale was a little easy to see ahead of time leading to dropping my rating to 4 1/2 stars but otherwise a great read.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

What would you do if just one decision, one moment, one blink of an eye, changed the entire course of your life? For Jane, that moment is when she decides to go to a store to pick up her best friend’s birthday gift. That moment is when a man abducts her in broad daylight and takes her away from everyone she knows and loves.

When Jane wakes up, she’s in a small room with white walls and no windows. Her door is locked and has a cat door – for food. And her abductor is nowhere to be seen. One thing keeps her somewhat sane: a voice in the wall, a fellow prisoner: Mason. Mason is working hard to find a way out, and his friendship is the only hope Jane has.

Jane Anonymous flips back and forth between two time lines: “Then”, while she’s being held captive, and “Now”, three months after she escapes. While the ‘now’ glimpses obviously show that Jane did manage to escape, the relief is fleeting. Jane is having a hard time integrating back into her life, and a difficult time coming to terms with what really happened to her.

I found Jane’s voice captivating as she writes down everything that happened to her as she experiences it. I was sent this ARC because I liked Sadie, and while I can see the comparisons, I don’t know if I’d pair the two up. Yes, Jane gets kidnapped and is a lost girl, just like Sadie’s sister, and I loved hearing Jane’s voice and her point of view. I loved how the author handled Jane’s grief and anger and healing – and showed that just because everyone around you wants to be ok and back to normal doesn’t mean you have to be. Healing should occur at your own rate and in your own way, and that was done beautifully here.  

However. And I could be wrong about this. But I feel like a lot of the events that occurred, and things that happened to Jane, were added more for shock value than actual plot necessity. The mental health of the characters was barely touched on despite the trauma that occurred, and while it is definitely personal preference, I wish that had been more prominent.

Despite this issue, Jane Anonymous was definitely a page turner with a strong and unique voice telling the story. I flew through this book in a single day, and thoroughly enjoyed the ride. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

TW: abduction/kidnapping, captivity, vague references to abuse/sexual abuse, manipulation

Jane Anonymous releases on Jan 7, 2020.

This is the story of Jane Anonymous, who was abducted and was missing for seven months. She is now trying to come to terms with and understand what happened. The story alternates between "now," when she is struggling with figuring out if or how she can re-integrate into her previous life and "then," which tells of her abduction and her experiences during the time when she was missing. The story was a quick and easy read and kept my attention, despite some not very surprising surprises. Rounded down from 3.5.

Thanks to the author, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance copy.

Wow. This book gives you the perspective of “Jane Anonymous,” both “then,” as she is kidnapped and held for seven months, and “now,” in the following months as she tries to figure out who she is and how to settle back into a life that is forever changed by her experience. It is heartbreaking, terrifying, and mind blowing.

The writing is very easy to get caught up in and I found myself reading almost the entire book in one sitting because it kept me hooked. Having read other books by the author, I was excited to dive into a book by her that was greatly different from her previous works. She did not disappoint me one bit.

The “then” chapters of the book, in which Jane was first taken, were harrowing and terrifying. It really tells you how much the brain does to help you cope through truly horrible experiences. I kept finding myself with chills, feelings of complete sorrow, and wonder, for how strong Jane manages to be throughout the entire thing. It also touches on Stockholm Syndrome, as she becomes friends with fellow kidnapee “Mason” who turns out to be her kidnapper.

The “now” chapters leave me feeling sad, as Jane struggles to try and fit back into her life. Her relationships are broken as she feels guilty for making her friends and family suffer, while also having “what if” thoughts, and not being able to see past them. She is also struggling with PTSD and panic attacks that make her behave oddly to others, and they just don’t understand. She suffers from memories that no longer make sense, and obsesses over details as she tries to figure out what happened to her and why.

At the end of the book, things finally begin to look up for Jane as she reaches a point where she feels like she deserves help, and it made me feel truly hopeful that she would be able to settle into something close to “normal” in the future.

I am rating this book 4 Stars. It held me captive the entire time I was reading, and I felt like I could connect to Jane’s character. I recommend this novel for anyone looking for a quick read with some major suspense and thrilling vibes!

This is such a hard book to rate.
We follow Jane Anonymous in timelines split between the "then" and "now". Then portrays everything from Jane being taken by a stranger and the now everything that happens - seven months after she was kidnapped.
This book was compulsively readable. I couldn't put it down and had to, just had to read it in one setting. The pacing kept me on my toes, and there was a constant sense of dread during Jane's past because you couldn't guess as to what was going to happen to her in captivity. The now sections definitely alleviated some of the tension but brought only more questions and doubt and dread into the narrative as Jane tries to reacclimate to her friends and family (who of course have lived their own lives these past seven months while still frantically searching for her) after having spent seven months as a hostage by someone who made her "earn" privileges by behaving according to his rules and kept her in a room in what she believed to be a warehouse, one of many inmates being tortured.
Jane's only contact and friend in captivity is Mason, one of the other 'inmates'.
And even though I guessed the plot twist from the first time a certain character showed up, I still felt compelled to find out what happens - the true markings of a well-written novel, when you know the twist but want to see how it unfolds.
I did have some issues with the way some things were portrayed or completely left to the reader's imagination, but other than that, this was quite the unique reading experience and I'd love to read more from this author.

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing me with a free advanced digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

Ok people, if you are into mystery/ thriller books you are going to want to give this one a shot. This book was absolutely FANTASTIC! It was highly recommended to me by a friend. She told me I would love it and she was right.

The main character, Jane, is abducted one morning from her place of work. The story is written in a “now and then” format, which allows the reader to breathe easy and know that she does get away. However, this was so well-written, it was hard not to have a visceral reaction while reading Jane’s entries. Not only can you feel her fear during her abduction, but also her anxiety once she is back at home.

What I found shocking but was genuinely pleased with is that the story isn’t just wrapped up in a sweet little bow. Jane isn’t fixed in the end. Her journey to find her way past her anxiety and fear is still on going down to the last word of the last page. Never have I ever read a book that has taken such an in depth look at the power of anxiety, fear, and paranoia. Highly recommend.

This was a fast-paced young adult thriller. We have one storyteller, Jane, that is writing down the events of her kidnapping as therapy. It oscillates between "then" and "now". I was surprised to find the events of her kidnapping to be just as compelling as her time in captivity. The author did a good job describing how her isolation effected her inability to return to normal. The author is new to me but her writing is solid and I would like to read more of her work.

I wish I would have learned a little more about the kidnapping--motive, events, etc. And the twist was pretty obvious to me but I'm not a teenager who may or may not have seen this sort of twist before. I probably would have been blown away 25 years ago.

All in all, this book was a dark, interesting young adult novel. It has left me thinking about it long after I have finished and moved onto a different book.

***Advanced copy obtained by St. Martin's Press via Netgalley***

To say I was totally unprepared for the impact this compelling book would have on me is an understatement. From Jane's first written words in her journal to her message to readers on the last page, I found it hard to breathe. Jane Anonymous is the gripping, heart-wrenching story of a seventeen year old girl's kidnapping, her struggles to escape captivity with body and mind intact, and her inability to merge back into her old life with family and friends once she came home. Jane was held in captivity for seven grueling months during which time she discovered she could communicate through the wall with a fellow victim in the next room. This communication became her lifeline to reality - another driving force to keep trying to escape. Please avoid reviews that contain spoilers. Readers need to feel Jane's utter despair and devastation as well as her strong will to survive first-hand to understand what happens in the end.

This story unfolds through two timelines - now & then, and is told exclusively from Jane's point of view. In the now, prayers have been answered and Jane is back home with her family, but she's now a prisoner of her own mind and the four walls of her room as she struggles to deal with memories, nightmares, and the trauma of captivity as well as guilt over the one she left behind. She can't return to normal because she doesn't recognize herself in her old life - she's no longer the girl she was before. In the then, readers are in Jane's head within the four walls of a small, locked room watching as she struggles to keep her sanity. We know from the beginning that Jane does eventually escape, but at what cost? Her life is forever shattered into pieces around her. She can't begin to find her way back until she deals with the aftermath and acknowledges the lost pieces of the puzzle taunting her to remember.

Jane Anonymous is an intense, fast-paced story that speaks of control, guilt, anger, mental health, survival, and the emotional struggle of victims to become whole again. To acknowledge, accept, and thus gain control of one's life again. Through short chapters, the author accelerates the pace forward at an intense, rapid rate making for a compulsive, angst-filled read. With few characters, the attention focuses almost solely on Jane, essentially becoming an exclusive character study of her before and after. The swing back and forth between past and present serves to keep readers slightly off-balance in an urgent must-read-now kind of way. While I'm not in the intended age target range for this book, I had no problem becoming totally consumed by it as I simply could not put it down. While I can't say I didn't see the surprise ending coming, it in no way lessened my enjoyment of this unique, brilliantly written young adult thriller. Jane Anonymous is the gripping story of a young girl's emotional journey back from being broken to becoming whole again. A fantastic story that I highly recommend no matter your age!

My Jane Anonymous Playlist

Fix You- Coldplay
Be Ok- Ingrid Michaelson
Bring Me to Life- Evanescence
Ain’t it Fun- Paramore
Pocketful of Sunshine- Natasha Bedingfield
A Little Too Much- Shawn Mendes
Rehab- Amy Winehouse
Put Your Records on-Corinne Bailey Rae
Unwell- Matchbox Twenty
I Was Here- Beyoncé
These are just some of the songs that came to my mind as I read this book. They helped to really set the tone of the book in my opinion. Now, for the review.

Actual Rating: 4/5 stars

When I first read the blurb to “ Jane Anonymous” by Laurie Faria Stolarz, I admit I was a bit hesitant. This story focuses on Jane, whose real name has been edited for all intent and purposes. This book highlights her struggles to fit back into the world she knew before being kidnapped.

I really enjoyed the dynamics of this story. We get to see Jane before ( very briefly), during, and after. She is changed in ways unimaginable. I enjoyed how the story alternated between now and then. Now being the aftermath of her being kidnapped and escaping, while then is the time she spent in captivity. The writing of this book flowed effortlessly, and I could not put it down. It was very easy to follow along with. The small cast of characters were all believable as well as developed. Like others, I saw the twist coming almost immediately.

The subject matter is a tough one. Dealing with trauma and ultimately healing, is important. You may never go back to the person you were before the trauma but finding ways to cope is of the utmost importance. I wish this book would have focused just a tad bit more on that aspect. This is a raw read and can be very heavy for some. Trigger warnings include being held captive, being drugged, manipulation, self-harm, depression, anxiety, paranoia, PTSD, assault, and more.

I look forward to reading more from this author in the near future. Special thanks to Wednesday Books for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.