Requires a large amount of patience early on, but the second half shines as the various threads start coming together. I greatly enjoyed both of Walker's previous books, so my expectations were very high heading into this one. At first, I struggled with the slow pace and staying engaged with the story. However, it helped once the perspective started shifting between Dr. Byrd's standard point of view of what was unfolding and Jane's through the letters she wrote to her son that started filling in the blanks; suddenly, it wasn't just someone trying to decipher another's unusual behavior and instead delved directly into that person's mind, which helped deepen the themes that were being explored. I liked how the tale started as a mystery, yet added several intriguing science fiction elements and even a dash of romance by the end. Although I didn't end up liking this book as much as Walker's others, I eventually found it worth reading and it gave me a lot to think about afterward.

I went into this book mostly blind. I loved THE DREAMERS by this author when I read it a few years ago and remember it as incredibly readable and mostly grounded in reality but with a hint of speculative fiction - not quite magical, but just outside the realm of possibility. Going into this new book, I expected those vibes and all I knew was what the title implies - something strange is going on with Jane O.

We follow her story through the eyes of her psychiatrist as he tries to make sense of her case. That’s really all you need to know about the plot! This book is firmly in the mystery/thriller genre, but Karen Thompson Walker’s books still feel like their own thing. We’re trying to figure out what’s going on, and there are clues laid out along the way, but it’s not a murder mystery or a psychological thriller. I felt like I could play along and slowly piece together what was happening alongside the narrator, and the ultimate explanation was incredibly satisfying. I was swept away with the story in an almost surreal way. It’s also pretty short! I’d definitely recommend this is you’ve enjoyed Karen Thompson Walker’s books before, or if love a book with a puzzle at its center.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House for the free copy in exchange for my honest review!

This was an interesting book. I come from a Psychology background so reading case studies and journal entries are things that I enjoy. I am not sure if you are looking for a novel, that this would work for you. I would describe this book as a psychological, science fiction, suspenseful, case study. I read it very quickly and was invested in the characters.

This was a quick, unique read. I was entertained throughout and was very curious to see what had happened to Jane. Overall, an entertaining read but not 100% sure about "staying power". It got the job done and if you like more of a literary mystery try this!

Karen Thompson Walker's writing is truly spellbinding in this novel. My favorite bits were the author's descriptions of New Yorkers and the city. The novel really captures how crowded, overwhelming and remarkable New York is. The city was described so vividly, yet both of our main characters felt underdeveloped and I wish we got to spend more time with them both individually and in unison.

Bleak yet ambitious. The Strange Case of Jane O makes for an intriguing quick read that might raise more questions than actually resolve them. Which I enjoy so. I would recommend this if you are looking for a story with a vibe similar to Nolan's Tenet and/or Inception.

This started off slow and picked up a bit when I started to become curious about Jane Os story. The ending was a let down and left me a tiny bit confused.

I became a fan of Karen Thompson Walker with THE AGE OF MIRACLES, and THE DREAMERS solidified my fandom. A new novel by Walker is always cause for celebration, and THE STRANGE CASE OF JANE O. is no exception. Jane's disappearing acts are the mystery on which this book is built, but the true mystery is of a deeper, psychological nature. Once again, I found myself hypnotized as much by the prose as by the story itself.

This is the first novel I’ve read by this author. Though it is science fiction, it reads as a clinical case of Dr. Byrd, a psychiatrist and his patient, Jane. Jane contacted Dr. Byrd after she had a blackout. She told him that she had met with him 20 years prior because of an incident while she was in college. He did not remember her, so she described his office and meeting in detail. She claimed she had the ability to recall everything and he tested her by giving her random dates. Jane responded with details of the day of the week, weather and news of that day. She did not recall anything about the time of her blackout a few days prior to her current visit. He accepted her ]as a patient and a short time later, she had another blackout that lasted 11 days and she was discovered in a hospital. Discrepancies in her story began to surface and she became delusional and was diagnosed with dissociative fugue or, perhaps, something in another dimension.
I finished this book questioning what was real and what was fiction. It is well written though it seemed clinical in some places.

Thank you NetGalley

Ate. This. Up. I really liked Walker's The Dreamers, although I do think reading that book in the *middle* of the pandemic was a little damaging in hindsight, but this is everything I wanted from that book outside of it being well written. I loved the intrigue in this book and the characterisation. I also think it had something interesting to say about loneliness and how vulnerable that can make you, however I do think that this topic could've been more of a focal point at times especially given how short the book was. I still think this is a good book and I am so happy I read it!!

I loved this book I remember loving the author’s previous two novels but I think this one tops them both. I was immediately hooked and invested in understanding what was going on with Jane. I couldn’t put the book down.

Told from two perspectives- her psychiatrist and her letters to her son, I felt as if I were traveling down a rabbit hole, or putting together a puzzle I didn’t have a picture for.

With so much emphasis on mental health right now, this book feels smart, timely and I hope it does really well.

Wow. This book is quiet, and yet utterly compelling. There is so much to think about and digest after reading it that I'm not even sure where to start with my review. I honestly think you should go into the story blind; don't read blurbs, don't look up synopses. Just pick up the book and start reading. The story takes place in New York City, and alternates sections between a psychiatrist's case notes on his patient, Jane, and Jane's letters to her infant son. It's suspenseful, puzzling, intriguing, and a wonderful mix of psychological suspense and speculative fiction, all wrapped up in a literary masterpiece. Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for a digital review copy.

I received a digital advance copy of The Strange Case of Jane O. by Karen Thompson Walker via NetGalley. The Strange Case of Jane O. is scheduled for release on February 25, 2025.

Jane O. has been having strange episodes. The most intense is the hallucination of a young man who died twenty years ago appearing on a city street and warning her of looming disaster. Jane O. visits a psychiatrist for help, only to disappear, then reappear in a Brooklyn park with no memory of the twenty-four hours she was missing. Jane O. and her psychiatrist work to understand what is happening to Jane O., delving into her past, her increasing symptoms, and the threads that connect them.

This story is told from both the psychiatrist’s point of view and Jane’s. The psychiatrist is recording his thoughts about this puzzling patient, and tracking his growing sense of connection to her. Jane O. is writing letters to her infant son, in the hopes of helping him understand this time in their lives when he is older. The two narratives play off of each other in ways that leave the reader unsettled and a bit unsure of where the reality of the story lies. As a reader, I could feel that things were off, I could see clues that hinted at what was happening, and needed to work to put the pieces together. This worked well to make me question both reality and memory, as most of the story deals with Jane O.’s memories and how reliable they may or may not be.

While one of the themes explored in this novel is bonds between people, I did feel the addition of the romance thread was unnecessary. The psychiatrist and Jane O. do develop a relationship throughout this story, but it did not need to take a romantic turn to explore personal connections. This romantic aspect was not thoroughly developed within this novel, and its placement at the end disrupted the other points the story was making for me.

Overall, The Strange Case of Jane O. is an intriguing literary mystery with psychological and speculative elements. I would recommend it to readers who enjoy exploring the uncertainties of human memory and reality as a whole.

Thanks to NetGalley, I received an ARC of this book. I love these types of stories, with mysterious psychological symptoms and happenings. The Strange Case of Jane O really is strange! It is reminiscent of The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat by Oliver Sacks. Highly recommended this novel - I will definitely be checking out her other books as well.

✪ ✪ ✪: Unique story with a fascinating twist, but a ho hum ending.

The structure of this book is both interesting and somewhat challenging. Its told in a report-like style, from notes seemingly dictated or written down by the main POV, Dr. Byrd. While he explains he's being truthful, there are times he admits to omitting things in earlier passages, so his reliability as a narrator has to come into question. The titular character of Jane is as unreliable as they come, but, as we come to find out, through no fault of her own.

For much of this story I think there is a lot being said about the challenges of motherhood, perhaps single motherhood, and the challenges of being a person who keeps themselves separate from others because they feel they would be misunderstood or, even, a burden.

But that's also not what this story is about at all. Its hard to talk about this book without spoiling it, but I find the central question to be fascinating, and the way that Jane's blackouts affect not only her but Dr. Byrd through what they might mean, to be profound.

This was my first Karen Thompson Walker book, but it will not be my last! Jane O. is the patient of Dr. Byrd, a psychiatrist in New York City. Jane begins seeing Dr. Byrd because of seemingly unexplainable episodes of blackout and hallucination she's experiencing. The police are also interested in Jane's case because of inconsistencies in a story she gave to the police when she was 17 years old regarding a deceased friend.

This book is part science fiction, part coming of age, and part deep dive into the mysteries of the human brain. It's about love and loss as much as it's about diagnosing Jane's "strange case." In reading this book, I learned fascinating theories of psychiatry, but I also felt sadness, loneliness, and hope through the well-developed and empathetic characters. There are also twists and turns that kept me on the edge of me seat. I couldn't put this book down!

I highly recommend The Strange Case of Jane O. for fans of Iain Reid and Ashley Audrain.

Pretty exhilarating! The writing is sharp and I loved the structure - told mostly from the point of view of the psychiatrist working with Jane and Jane's journal entries/letters to her son.

I found this to be a compelling read largely because I couldn't imagine how the story would end and what was up with Jane. I did feel like the pacing was a bit off and I wanted more clarity at the end, though I understand the decision to keep many questions unanswered.

Overall, an intriguing psychological mystery/thriller. Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a copy.

Interesting premise though I found the plot a little slow moving. It did make me think though...

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group and Netgalley for providing an ARC of this title.

I finished this book in two sittings because I absolutely couldn’t put it down to rest without understanding the psychological mystery behind Jane O. This is a story I would recommend going into blind: don’t look up the genre, don’t read a summary, don’t look at the back of the book. Stop reading this review, you know all you need to know.

(If you do choose to read more before committing, I’ve included my thoughts below as I owe it to NetGalley & the author who graciously provided an ARC in exchange for an honest & thorough review).

The storytelling reminded me of The Secret History, it’s haunting and academic (it does not take place in a school, but rather feels like reading a psychoanalyst’s case study and journals of their subject). We follow a young woman with a near perfect memory apart from mysterious gaps of hours or days in her otherwise detailed recall. After experiencing what can only be described as a hallucination of a former classmate 20 years following his death, Jane falls victim to a series of dissociative fugue states. Her case sparks the interest of a psychotherapist who obsesses over unraveling the gaps left in Jane’s consciousness.

I found the story and how the mystery unfolds so satisfying. I was wary that the ending would be too fantastical or leave too many questions, but it scratched all the right places in my brain. The questions left unanswered are thought-provoking in the best way and bring peace to some of my own losses in life.

Thank you @netgalley for the Advanced Reader Copy of The Strange Case of Jane O by Karen Thompson Walker. It's the story of a woman who is experiencing some strange symptoms such as hallucinations and amnesia. It is told from the point of view of her psychiatrist, and the woman herself. I tried reading this and just could not connect, so am not going to finish it, at least right now. May come back and try it later.

Couldn’t put this book down! It was not at all what I was expecting and was pleasantly surprised with the sci-fi aspect of the story. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC