I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My thoughts and opinions are my own. Any quotes I use are from an unpublished copy and may not reflect the finished product.

I read and loved Deadly Little Secret and the rest of the Touch series by Stolarz, so I was stoked to see she'd written something new! As a parent, Jane Anonymous was hard to read. I don't know what I would do if my child was abducted𑁋just thinking about the possibility makes me nauseas and panicky.

This book is told from Jane's perspective (she's a somewhat unreliable narrator, and doesn't remember everything that happened to her while she was held captive), although the main character doesn't use her real name or places. She's journaling about the events that happened before, during (Then), and after (Now) she went missing, so we live through her experiences and how she remembers them. We're told at the start that names and places will be altered to protect her identity, and I thought it was a really interesting way to tell the story.

My one issue would be the secondary characters (especially Jane's mom), because I refuse to believe a parent would be so daft. Jane's mother wanted her daughter to simply pick up where she left𑁋go out with friends, see an old (sort of) boyfriend, and even go to prom. For fuck's sake, your only child was missing for seven months𑁋went through something unimaginable𑁋and you want her to go dancing?? It doesn't take a genius to realize that things are not going to be the same, and it's ridiculous to think otherwise. Captivity changes people. It's safe to assume that a person would not jump back into their old life, so I got increasingly frustrated when her mother kept pushing her to do things the old Jane would do. Her mother's constant disappointment was a drain on Jane. She felt responsible for how other people were feeling, and it was heartbreaking to read how that made her feel about herself.

Jane kept telling people what she wanted, and she tried to express what she needed from them, but they were too busy trying to push their own agendas. She was the victim, not them. Her mental stability should have trumped their petty priorities. Even her best friend, Shelly, wanted Jane to talk about what happened. She asked very probing questions𑁋and thought she had a right to𑁋because they used to be close and talked about everything. Where was her compassion? Was her need to know more important than Jane's recovery? Her feelings? She should have been allowed to talk when she was willing, and not pressured into discussing the gruesome details of what transpired while she was missing. (Also, other friends calling her bratty because she wanted to stay home and not hang out with them, was stupid and selfish.)

Additionally, once she does return home, strangers are pressing her for information. Reporters were outside of her house, news vans, friends of the family, neighbors - - leave the girl alone! You can be concerned from a distance. Make a meal for the family and discreetly leave it on the doorstep. Don't do something just for the sake of getting the "inside scoop". Also, don't walk up to someone and tell them how inspiring or brave they are. They don't want to hear that shit. People who are actively suffering (and even people who aren't) don't want to hear how their traumatic experiences have made you feel. They're likely trying to get through life one day at a time, and your "well-meaning" words are only making it more difficult. Besides, there's no way you could possibly relate to what they've been through, unless you've gone through something similar yourself. Even then, no two situations are the same.

Basically, bad things happen to people, and it's not your job to sniff out the details. Leave people alone so they can heal and work towards some semblance of a normal life. If they want to talk, they'll talk. I wish the secondary characters in this book had been more supportive and understanding, yet even the therapists seemed to fail at having a clue. It's their job, and they still managed to make Jane feel unheard. It was saddening to see what she had to endure even after her escape. There was one person that mad Jane feel like she could breathe, and I wish there had been more interactions between them.

There are a few revelations that were surprising to Jane, but that seemed obvious from an outsider's perspective. A couple of details here and there didn't make sense, so I started crafting my own version of events alongside Jane's. Eventually the two overlapped (when Jane is presented with irrefutable evidence), and while I wasn't too surprised, I thought the end result was well-crafted. I felt Jane's fear and uncertainty, her convictions and subtle strengths. She's a character you want to rage for. Stolarz's story was believable, brutal, and something that will stay with me for a long time. (★★★★☆)

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Jane Anonymous is told through an unreliable narrator, as Jane writes as a form of therapy after a traumatic experience. Jane had a wonderful life before, but after she is abducted and held for seven months before escaping, she has trouble connecting with the real world. Can self reflection and therapy help Jane to realize the truth about her time in captivity? Does Jane's future hold the promise it once had, just hidden beneath layers of pain?

Author Laurie Faria Stolarz gives readers a different perspective on what could have been an ordinary novel about survival after a traumatic experience. Told through Jane's eyes, readers are taken on her painful journey to awareness. I particularly liked how the author placed a filter over the months that Jane spent in captivity, as readers can fill in the blanks of her experience without having to read all of the graphic details. I did not like the portrayal of Jane's mother, as it did not seem realistic that she would have pushed her daughter so hard. Additionally, her mother would have been more sympathetic and would have made her daughter's transition back to reality more painless. I guessed some of the major plot points early on, but the transparency may not be obvious to all. Jane Anonymous is a powerful book about trauma and the hope that can come with time.
For the reasons listed above, I would recommend Jane Anonymous to readers who like YA realistic fiction.

Wednesday Books and NetGalley provided me with an electronic copy of Jane Anonymous. I chose to review this book and my opinion is freely given.

It was amazing to get an eARC of Jane Anonymous because I loved Stolarz series Blue Is For Nightmares in high school. Jane Anonymous is such a dark read. There were scenes that had me in panic and tears. This was really difficult to listen to. You never see the end of the world coming before it comes for you.

Veronica Mars quote change

Everything I Loved:

*All The Feels – Let me specify, all the ‘heartbreaking’ feels. Jane Anonymous will take your heart and rip it straight out. I have never read a book dealing with an abduction where the character actively talks about it and goes through it. I read other books like Emmy & Oliver and Afterward but they didn’t delve a ton into it. Jane Anonymous…does. And it’s completely devastating.

* All of The Warnings – One of the most heartbreaking parts is actually seeing Jane’s abduction. It seriously made me panic when I came to that part. There were almost tears, everyone. It’s serious. We see her thinking about all of the warnings she’s been given to avoid this, to get out of this when it’s happening and how to deal with it after it happens. I think that part made my heart hurt even more. Jane knows what she’s supposed to do, how to stop it, but she can’t stop it.

*Alternate Timelines – Jane Anonymous shares the story before and after the abduction. We see how Jane is before, the lead into her abduction and how it affects her after. This really helped get inside Jane’s head. We see her in her prison, we know her thoughts and we understand why she’s so different in the after and struggling so much.

Some Things I Didn’t:

* I’m Horrified – This is a ‘me’ issue and it’s not even a negative. This book did a little number on my mental health afterward so if you are anxious-proned about being abducted, read with caution. It’s a hard read but it’s so, so worth it.

* Jane’s Parents In The Aftermath – When you go through something as traumatic as Jane does, people in your life aren’t going to understand. They can’t even begin to try to understand because it just takes something so intimate from you. How do you even come back to ‘real life’ after something like this? Her parents are kind and patient with her when she returns but eventually, her mom can’t understand why Jane doesn’t want to therapy and why she does certain things. I just wanted to yell at her because Jane’s so clearly still dealing with the aftermath so deeply, let her have her ‘odd’ habits. I didn’t see anything that was destructive to her that she was doing. I know she wanted Jane back the way she was but that couldn’t happen. The trauma is deep and it will require work. Jane does get help eventually but I still wished her parents wouldn’t place her old expectations on her.

—.:* Quick recap!
☆ This book is about a reminisce from a girl who got kidnapped and locked up for seven months.
☆ Read this book if you're a fan of YA mystery combined with a sense of memoir in it.
☆ You might want to consider it because it includes a lot of graphic scenes.

—.:* More Thoughts
Jane Anonymous was a thrilling ride from start to finish. Following the story of Jane, a seventeen years old girl who got abducted and kept by her kidnapper for seven months, we got to peek at Jane’s past during her abduction and current recovery states. Told in alternating timelines, though we knew that Jane got to escape since the very first page, it was still just as scary to witness her abduction and how everything unraveled.

What I enjoyed the most about this book is the fact that it showed us how a traumatic past can haunt someone for the rest of their life and follow them in every step they take. I also enjoyed Stolarz’s outstanding writing style in this book, where she narrated Jane’s story in a memoir style, making Jane’s emotion and rage feels close to my heart.

I run.
Because I can’t sleep.
Because Memory can’t catch me if I keep a fast pace.
Because my parents’ door is closed, but Night can’t shut me out.
Because I’m not supposed to be out at this hour, especially after everything, especially all alone—and so it feels a little like power.

Jane Anonymous was a hard-hitting contemporary, mixed with the thrill of not just an abduction, but also recovery. With extraordinary execution of telling the story through an alternate timeline, bold and raw characters, and unexpected plot, it’s a must-read that you don’t want to miss.

Thank you Wednesday Books and The FFBC for providing me with a review copy in exchange for an honest review and joining the blog tour.

Obviously, I am far from a spring chicken. When requesting and reading young adult, I have to be careful as stories that are too young can get old quick. Not due to the writing or story, but I am no longer the targeted audience. With this thought in mind, I still found myself drawn to Jane Anonymous. Admittedly, I think it was due to the dark nature of the story. While it is YA, it is quite heavy yet not overboard. I found Jane Anonymous to be quite an interesting read that could target a great range of readers.

Jane Anonymous is told from alternating points of time. You get to meet Jane when she is a simple teenager eager to see her best friend. From the abductions thru her three months of being imprisoned. Readers also get the POV of Jane after she returns home. Jane experienced an incredible trauma that feels impossible to move past. And it might be.

Jane Anonymous has the potential to be a tough read for some. I’m certainly suggesting that readers be of a mature audience. But it is also quite a gripping read. I picked the story up and couldn’t put it down. One go. I was shocked with how much I really enjoyed this novel as I mentioned my hesitation with the genre. But the alternating perspectives and experiences really took the story to another level. You also find yourself routing for Jane. You are routing for her to outwit her abductor and you are routing for her to find herself again. As a reader, you want nothing more than for her to find whatever it is she is looking for.

This could be a great read for some YA readers. It could be a great read for some adult readers. It might just be a great read!

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the read!

#JaneAnonymous by @lauriestolarz was a heart pounding read for me. Jane is in high school and she gets abducted one summer day. She doesn’t know who her kidnapper is or why he took her. She is held captive in a small room for seven months. She’s given one hot meal a day and there is a star system for rewards if she behaves and does her chores. She hears other girls screaming and becomes friends with Mason while he travels through the vents trying to find an escape route.

The story is told by Jane in then and now perspectives. It is everyone’s nightmare told so realistically on the pages of this book. The story takes on the very heavy subjects of abduction and trauma. Then Jane is fighting and learning how to adapt to her captivity and Now Jane is broken and traumatized beyond belief with no one in her life understanding what she’s going through and feeling. I honestly felt like I was reading a true story and was hooked on finding out how Jane survives and what the aftermath looks like for a survivor. I devoured this book over the weekend and highly suggest you get it because it is OUT NOW!

A great book that will have you guessing with all the twists and suspenseful events. I loved how this book drew me in and had me reading more as I wanted to know hat would happen next.

I really enjoyed reading about Jane’s character development throughout the novel. It was interesting to read alternate timelines, as the story was told partly from “then” when she was held captive, and the “now” when she has found freedom again. I enjoyed how it went back and forth, only giving us glimpses and pieces at a time, slowly, until we got the bigger picture of what truly happened.

An emotional roller coaster, that covers many sensitive topics, including mental health, abduction, imprisonment, etc, this book will have you feeling so many raw emotions. You will be hooked once you start reading this novel, and you will want to read it all in one sitting!

Great job on a wonderful book Laurie! I look forward to reading more novels written by you!

I picked this book up and didn't want to put it down. Jane's story is compelling and feeling her anxiety and trauma as she retells her story is powerful. I like how the story goes from THEN to NOW so that we can slowly piece the story together while feeling Jane try to deal with what the aftermath of her abduction. Students will find this book readable and will want more like it.

This book is so emotional. It is about the girl who was abducted for 7 months and how after she escapes, she coping with the trauma. The book shows the past and present.

**Possible Spoilers**









I knew this book would be deep and disturbing just from the prologue. I was correct.

Jane is one tough chick and a very worthy heroine. Having been kidnapped and finding her way home, she has to find her way again and who she is now.

I was a bit concerned when she couldn’t return the things going on and how was she able to hold Mason’s hand?

Grab this book and enjoy it!!

This was a very interesting read about a girl, Jane, learning to cope after 7 months in captivity. Jane writes about the Then and Now, which added to the story. It shows how changed she is, and where she is now. I found it interesting, and enjoyed it. The story was well written, and the author did a great job bringing Jane to life.

Thank you to the publisher for providing this ARC via Netgalley!

I love Laurie Faria Stolarz's writing style. It's introspective and creepy and just absolutely wonderful. This book didn't fall into the same vein as her previous stories in that it wasn't about solving the murders or being creeped out. There is a crime and a slight mystery theme to it, and I was creeped out for sure. But those weren't the main point of the story. The main point was "Jane"'s healing journey as she comes to terms with the awful things that happened to her. I loved how introspective Jane was and how she talked about writing being the way she worked through her healing. The biggest part of the book that absolutely broke me was how Jane's relationship with her mother changed and how it really seemed like her mom couldn't handle Jane not being the same person. This is a heartbreaking, hauntingly hopeful story and I highly recommend.

⚠️ Content and trigger warnings: Abduction, Stockholm syndrome, manipulation, PTSD, obsession, stalking

It’s been a long time since I read a YA that was this serious and complicated. It was intense and a real emotional roller coaster and I enjoyed this experience very much.

- This story is about Jane who was kidnapped, and her life after she returns from captivity.
- The author was clever to alternate the story between NOW and THEN– her time in captivity and the current day after she got out. This kept the tension alive in the story.
- This story freaked me a little and I had goosebumps when I was reading how Jane’s kidnapper stocked her room, where she was captured, with all her favorite snacks, clothes and toiletries. You are supposed to freak out, right?
- Though I guessed the big “twist” in the initial chapters itself, the story kept me invested because of its fast pace and how switching between past and present helped to understand Jane’s trauma in a better way.
- It was stressful and heartbreaking to read how Jane was living in her trauma of kidnapping. She felt safer in her closet. Her bed now scared her.
- This book has a wonderful set of characters and each of those characters had their own role in Jane’s healing.
- I really loved the way Jane’s parents were portrayed. We don’t only see how difficult it is for the victim to come out of such traumas, but we also get to see how such incidents affects the parents lives and life of those who are connected to the victim.
- Jane Anonymous is a thriller and a suspense story, but more than that it is a story about learning to heal from a traumatic event on your own terms.
- If you are thinking that you would get to see a ‘healed’ Jane at the end of the story then you would be disappointed because this story is actually about her coming to the terms that she needs help and therapy to come out of that trauma.

Overall, Jane anonymous is a gut-wrenching and gripping story that explores trauma and will surely remain with you for a long time.

I did think this was interesting. I found it easy to sit down and read here and there. But, and I still can't put my finger on it, I didn't fully enjoy it. The writing was great but the characters just seemed... odd to me.

This was not a hit for me but I'll definitely be checking out this author in the future! I think I just don't enjoy books about kidnapping so I'll put this under a "it's me not you" type thing.

I had a hard time putting this psychological thriller down! I kept wanting to “fast forward” through the “now” portions of the book so I could figure out who took Jane and why they would do such a thing, Very captivating!

2.5/5 There's a right way to write about a girl who's been kidnapped, but this exploitive trauma porn can't be it. This book is really frustrating because it's about 7 years behind where it should be. Everything reads very unrealistic or convenient so that Jane either gets more traumatized or gets to escape (which was its own convoluted series of conveniences). The plot twist was so obvious that it made it increasingly frustrating for the author to spend six god damn chapters achingly going over and over Jane's obstinate confusion. I hated the way Jane and Jack talked about therapy, I thought it was such a backward mindset for a 2020 YA novel (though I do appreciate it was somewhat rectified by the end), and I thought the way self-harm was discussed in only the way of romanticism (that it relieved her stress, made her feel better, etc) was disgusting. There was no afterthought of the damage mentally and physically that her self-harm habits caused. It was just a really uncomfortable read. I'm not saying all books have to be happy honkey-doory, but surely it can get better than this.

4.25/5
Jane Anonymous is the story about Jane, from Jane’s point of view in a Journal format writing “Then” & “Now”.
As the story has a “Now”, we immediately know all went well and I would have preferred it divided in first Then and second Now parts. Also because the story is given by Jane herself, she describes the relationship between her mother, and friend pretty well. But that same care I wasn’t able to see later in the chapters in “Now” part. and I felt so pity for Jane because she thought so high of them and they felt more like a people who taunt about things..

I was really spiraled by Jane’s time as a captive, it was so horrifying. Someone losing their independence and sitting in just a room for months.

There are also some twists in the story, but I had my doubts about those but still those came as more surprise when full story was revealed.

This was my first read by author Laurie Faria Stolarz, but am pretty sure I am gonna go and other published books by her.

While compelling, the content in this book was quite difficult for me to read at several times. I'm also much removed from teenage years so the narrative voice didn't resonate with me as much as it would with it's target audience. If you're looking for a quick, fast paced, very intense novel with a twist this is worth a try - it just didn't quite hit the mark for my personal preferences.

This book was hard for me to put down, but I don't necessarily feel like it was in a good way. While the story is intriguing, I had major issues with this one: namely the fact that I felt trauma and mental illness were exploited in order to craft a compelling piece of fiction that was really just decent and predictable at best.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me an advance copy in exchange for this review.

4.5stars
This was not an easy book to read by any means but it’s a fantastic one. It took me some time to gather my thoughts because of the topics this book handles.

The thing is, I really enjoyed this book and it hits hard and it’s as realistic as it could ever be. But I wanted it to dwell even more on the trauma and mental health aspects, and less in the mystery part as I solved it right at the beginning and believe many of you might too… That was my only negative-ish point.

So, let’s get to what I loved about it. This is Jane’s story. Everything in her life seemed to be going great until she was kidnapped and held captive for 7 months. This book tells her story like a diary, retelling all that passed from the beginning when she was taken until now, 3 months after she returned home. It jumps from past to present (which isn’t one of my favorite things but it worked perfectly here) and holds your attention from the very beginning in a way that’s impossible to put it down no matter what.

It was really hard to see Jane dealing with everything while she was captive, and it was hard seeing her cope after the nightmare ended… It’s like a new one started, where one would think everything would be better. I can’t even imagine being in Jane’s situation but her feelings, the panic, the withdrawal, are afterwards present after many other abusive situations, so it really hits hard.

Jane is a very relatable character because she was just a normal 17 yo girl when everything went wrong. And seeing her broken like that… It was so impactful! Jane’s emotional, heart-wrenching, terrifying survival journey was remarkably told. I could feel Jane’s feelings, fears and questions so well. I literally loved the writing and how on edge it put me.

I was especially taken aback by how well put together was her slow recovery. It felt so real and hard to read! It made me cry and many moments were just… Like I said, this book was incredibly and realistically written and I would recommend reading it with caution. It’s unlike anything I’ve read and I couldn’t recommend it enough.