This book was definitely a slow burn but so eerily captivating. The POV from the psychiatrist is very clinical in tone which in the beginning I wanted to flip past but towards the end conveys the seriousness of the mystery. It's really hard to review without giving any details away! The less you know the better to enjoy the twists and turns.

3.5 ⭐️

Jane, a new mother, experiences unsettling blackouts, during which she vanishes for days without any memory of what happened. The police are skeptical of her claims, dismissing her lack of recollection. It's up to the flawed psychiatrist, Dr. Byrd, to help Jane uncover the truth behind her mysterious condition, all while others begin to doubt her sanity.

The narrative is revealed through alternating viewpoints, including Dr. Byrd's clinical notes and Jane's journal entries, written as letters to her infant son.

This book was very interesting but for me it was a bit wordy and slow. Once I got to about 75% it picked up pace but until then I found myself putting this one down mins after picking it up so It took awhile to get through it.

I’m also not a huge sci-fi fan, so that doesn’t appeal to me as much.

Overall, I enjoyed the book and would recommend it to anyone who is fascinated with mental illness of the mind and likes sci-fi.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this free arc in exchange for an honest review.

Dear Author,

When I found this e-arc on NetGalley I flipped out with happiness! I love your books, your wonderful pros, your characters well flushed out and relatable, plus you always have great twists. This book was fantastic! I'm already handselling this at my store!

Warmest Regards,

J.D. McCoughtry

Thank you, NetGalley and Random House for this e-ARC.

The Strange Case of Jane O. by Karen Thompson Walker is a thought-provoking exploration of memory, identity, and the complexities of the human mind. The novel follows Jane O., a 38-year-old single mother who experiences unexplained blackouts and hallucinations, leading her to seek help from Dr. Henry Byrd, a New York City psychiatrist. As their sessions progress, both Jane and Dr. Byrd confront unsettling questions about reality and consciousness.

Walker's writing is both profound and evocative, drawing readers into a speculative mystery that intertwines psychological intrigue with emotional depth. The narrative structure, presented through Dr. Byrd's clinical notes and Jane's personal letters to her son, offers a unique and intimate perspective on their evolving relationship and the enigmatic circumstances they face.

While the novel's deliberate pacing allows for deep character development, some readers may find the progression slow, particularly in the middle sections. Additionally, although the open-ended conclusion might raise interesting questions, it's also possible that it might leave those seeking clear resolutions somewhat unsatisfied.

Overall, The Strange Case of Jane O. is a compelling read that challenges perceptions of reality and self. It is well-suited for readers who appreciate literary fiction infused with psychological and speculative elements. Three and a half stars rounded up.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for providing me with a copy of this book. It was published on February 25, 2025.

THE STRANGE CASE OF JANE O. by Karen Thompson Walker is a genre-bender of a novel that had me hooked from the jump. Told partially from the point-of-view of Jane’s psychiatrist, and partially in the form of diary entries that she addresses to her son, we learn three things about Jane very early in the book: 1) she goes missing for a day, and when she comes to in a park in Brooklyn, she has no memory of what happened during that time; 2) shortly before she went missing, she had a hallucination; and 3) otherwise, she has a near-perfect memory. I think it’s best to go into the book not knowing any more than that!

This is a surprisingly plot-driven novel, as Jane and her psychiatrist try to understand what is going on in her brain. The reader’s understanding of events is constantly shifting as additional information is provided. I think the two points-of-view Walker used (the psychiatrist and Jane herself) really worked to keep me off-kilter throughout the book - I would think I knew what was going on, and the other person’s perspective would completely flip that on its head.

I’m not sure how to categorize this book; it’s not quite a thriller - maybe a literary mystery? But it’s definitely a page-turner. I was squeezing in pages whenever I could! I’m struggling to think of comp titles for this one; it’s really unlike anything I’ve ever read. I know this was an Aardvark pick this month and I’m excited that it will get into a lot of people’s hands - if you’ve read it, let’s discuss!

Thanks so much to @netgalley and @atrandomhouse for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review!

I felt that this book was a huge run on sentence. There was no depth to the description of the character or the plot. It read largely like a continued list. I almost DNF’ed this book but I felt an obligation to finish the Arc. I will not be reviewing this book on my social accounts, as I don’t like giving bad publicity to authors.

The Strange Case of Jane O. by Karen Thompson Walker surprised me by starting in one place and taking me somewhere much stranger than I expected. This novel was a quick read that starts from the perspective of a psychiatrist who welcomes Jane, a new patient with highly accurate memory. Jane leaves the session early and then lists the psychiatrist as her doctor when she shows up in the ER following a blackout with no memory of where she has been for the previous day. The novel is told from two different perspectives and is interested in character, memory, and time. I read the novel in two days. While initially I was nervous about the set up of a patient and psychiatrist, the mysteries of each character unfolded in a way that was highly readable and interesting. After enjoying both The Age of Miracles and The Dreamers, I should have expected this novel to also be speculative fiction. Because I did not, it snuck up and surprised me in the best way.

I loved this book. It explored a character’s experience with memory and reality and her psychiatrist’s attempts to reconcile her experiences with reality. Should he give her a diagnosis or accept the possibility that she experienced an alternative universe? For me it conveyed the sense of unreality that can be felt in tempestuous times when you hope you will wake up and find that it was all a dream.. Jane and her experiences were so well conveyed by this author that I was thoroughly moved.

This book is based on alternate universes, which I normally shy away from. But I’’m so thankful I gave this story a try. The characters are well described; I felt like I was watching a documentary. Concise with never a dull moment, I was on edge trying to understand how this was going to unfold.
Thanks so much to Random House Publishing Group- Random House for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. The publishing date is February 25, 2025.

I dislike the cover- so much I almost didn’t request this title from Net Galley. I had previously enjoyed another title by this author, and the description was intriguing so I did ultimately request and was granted access.
The book draws you in. It’s a puzzle you are putting together, and when it’s almost complete, you find out there is pictures on both sides of the puzzle pieces. So do you have a full understanding or is it altered?

It is a book I will continue to think about and would recommend.

This fantastic literary thriller will keep you reading well past your bedroom.

Jane, new mother, is struck by a mysterious syndrome—she is experiencing hallucinations, visions of people she knows are dead, and finally missing time. She is found in Prospect Park and the thought that this happened and she left her baby sends Jane to a therapist. Jane and her therapist become closer and their travels through her experiences cause them both to uncover truths about the true nature of the reality they live in. This was an amazing book—part literary musing on motherhood and part medical mystery.I couldn’t put this down.

I absolutely loved this book.

It is about a psychiatrist treating a patient who keeps having blackouts. It is told from the psychiatrist's POV in the form of something he intends to keep secret. He begins to develop unprofessional feelings for Jane and is way too wrapped up in her case. The second POV is Jane's told through letters she leaves for her infant son. The letters read more like diary entries. Jane experiences blackouts and keeps disappearing. Her doctor thinks it is a mental or medical condition, but the police think she is faking.

I got so wrapped up in getting to the truth of this one. The book has a touch of sci-fi or maybe just the not yet known. As I got to the end, I started to predict what was happening to Jane, but it didn't take anything away when my suspicions were confirmed.

I recommend this one if you like books that rely on psychological aspects.

I really enjoyed The Strange Case of Jane O. This is told in alternating perspectives between Jane and her psychiatrist. It’s hard to tell much without spoiling - so will just say that Jane starts to experience some unusual events. It’s so tough to tell if we are reliable narrators in our own lives and if Jane and Dr Byrd can trust what she says. This one went in some really interesting directions and I enjoyed being along for the ride. Thank you to the publisher for the gifted book!

It is a testament to great writing when an author can evoke a mood, a tone, an unnerving sense of imbalance with just a key choice of words and pauses. This book is remarkable in its quiet. It creeps up on you and bowls you over in the end. I was captivated and intrigued all the way through, and unusual for me, surprised by the ending. Surprising also was how much I was rooting for these two lonely souls to come together. But the brilliance of this book is that we don’t know if they actually ever do.

“𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘱𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 - 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘢𝘮𝘱𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘢𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘰𝘯’𝘴 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘧 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺.“

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for providing this advanced readers copy. I love The Dreamers so when news of this one came out I promptly added to my tbr.

As a psych and mental health worker, I immediately was drawn to this mystery. Told in six parts, featuring either chapters from the psychiatrist’s POV or brief entries/letters from Jane, we get the whole story and I appreciated that we got into both of their minds. As I read on I grew both unsettled (due to some personal parallels of psych and/vs law) and curious (what was going on with Jane?) as I read it with these unreliable narrators and the psychological depth that gets explored.

“𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘮𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘩𝘪𝘥𝘥𝘦𝘯 𝘪𝘯 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦’𝘴 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘴.”

It’s a challenge to know what to say without spoiling anything but I liked it and I like it in the same ways I enjoy The Dreamers: the ethereal atmosphere, the psychology, the connections between characters, the unraveling of the story, the way it concludes. It’s the ways it’s subtle yet not simultaneously. There are the facts of the story and the underlying themes, the overall vibe, that creates a unique reading experience and you’re left reflecting. Or at least I was, especially with how it ended.

Content includes mentions of a death by suicide (often brought up, off-page), loss of spouse, mental health and hospitalizations.

Loved this totally different story. This is not going to be for everyone but I really enjoyed it. I didn't love The Dreamers but really enjoyed this one.

Jane is having mental issues. Dr. Byrd the MD trying to get her diagnosis. The story is told through Dr. Byrd’s reporting on their meetings and Jane’s letters to her young son. Initially I found the medical mystery aspect of this compelling. Were these events really happening or is Jane an unreliable narrator? What would cause such gaps in her memory? However, by the end of the book, I was getting tired of the story and I found the conclusion very unsatisfying. I’m not sure that I can recommend this one but I thank the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.

Initially, the thing that attracted me to this book was the author. I read The Dreamers years ago and really liked it. This book does have the same mysterious air - we're figuring the weirdness out with the characters, not just having them tell us why its weird - but I do feel like the mystery in Dreamers is definitely more urgent and it helps drive the story more. But, even saying that, I was intrigued enough.

The majority of the book is told via a report that the psychiatirst is writing about his encounters with Jane so you feel like youre getting a solid timeline of whats been happening to her. But then! the story starts to be told in journal entries from Jane to her infant son, meant for him when he's grown, and the events recorded there are very different. I love the discord that happens in my brain when I realize one of the characters is an unreliable narrator and how the story could end in a really different spot depending on which one is it.

Like I said above, sort of a slow build up to the "conflict" but it held my attention in the end. If youre into psychology/psychiatry, this is probably a good read for you. The acknowledgements say that KTW did a fair bit of research and was highly influenced by books from Dr. Oliver Sacks, like The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat, which I have also read and thought was really interesting.

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House for providing the advanced reader ebook in exchange for an honest review.

Karen Thompson Walker is such an inventive and unique writer and The Strange Case of Jane O. does not disappoint. I think the book would be best enjoyed knowing as little as possible about the premise. The story unfolded like a literary puzzle and contains elements of science fiction and suspense. A speculative mystery about love - this made for an unforgettable read.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group and NetGalley for this ARC.

An intriguing book with not one but two unreliable narrators. I loved the psychological component to the storyline. Written like case notes for the one narrator and like letters from the other proved to be an interesting way to tell this story. I’m forever astounded by an authors ability to have an idea for a book and then to develop it so well. Karen Thompson Walker does not disappoint in this regard. I’d recommend this book to others who enjoy psychologically complicated themes. I special thanks to netgalley for the arc!