Member Reviews
An intriguing premise.
Make-up artist Jessica manages to sneak her way on to a paid social experiment about morality after overhearing a client's phonecall. The money is appealing to her, her dad has been made redundant and she has a disabled sister who requires expensive therapies.
However it soon transpires that the experiment is a cover for therapist Dr Lydia Shields' personal experiment about infidelity.
This started out so well but then as the book went on it felt more ridiculous but I was still expecting some kind of big climax but it just fizzled out.
This was an interesting read by an author that I was not familiar with having never read their work before. I always enjoy a new to me author and I wasn’t disappointed.
I found the characters interesting and really had a depth to them with lots of details described for me to portray them in my mind and really get inside them.
The story line took me to a place I wasn’t expecting and kept me intrigued right until the end.
I would recommend to anyone interested in this genre and will be reading more.
Jessica is a make up artist just trying to make ends meet when she comes across a well paying medical study by chance, a seemingly innocuous job that would change everything. After taking part in Dr Shields test she finds herself in the middle of a real life psychological battle, a marriage.
I listened to the audiobook version of this title which may have been part of the reason I took so long to finish it. The start of the book features a ‘twist’ of sorts that was identifiable due to the actors, i’ll say that much! Once I got past the 20 percent mark and the plot started to thicken, I began to really get enthralled by the twists and turns that followed.
There were genuine moments where I was shocked at what was unfolding. I tend to pride myself on figuring out twists long before they happen but there were definite moments that took me by surprise.
The characters had unique and interesting voices, Dr Shields in particular was one I loved to hate and hated to love. Overall whilst I did enjoy reading the story I cannot ignore the fact it took me so long to get into the story and it struggled to grip me for so long. I felt like I could tell this was written by two authors, sometimes the writing felt staggered. I would be very interested to see what the individual authors work is like though.
The plot of this story initially intrigued me with its originality, but unfortunately, that's where my enthusiasm ended. I realize my views might be in the minority, as this book is likely to appeal to many.
Narrated from two perspectives—Dr. Shields, a manipulative therapist conducting an ethics and morality survey, and Jess, an unwitting participant targeted by Dr. Shields—the story explores grooming and manipulation. While Dr. Shields' chapters aim for a creepy atmosphere, it falls flat. Jess is a likable but deeply flawed character, haunted by her own secrets.
I appreciate a slow burn, but this book's pacing extinguished itself by the 40% mark and failed to engage me thereafter. The synopsis promises a psychologically chilling tale that doesn't materialize on the pages. The story feels implausible, which I could overlook if it were more compellingly narrated. There are no twists, no gasp-inducing moments, and little sense of mystery. The ending is underwhelming and unrealistic, leaving the overall narrative feeling lackluster.
Far-fetched but totally thrilling! I found this difficult to put down and really easy to read. Creepy in places, and some difficult subject matter at times, but not overly gory or violent. A bit heavy handed on the morality / ethics theme rather than letting the reader pick up on the cues. Despite not really feeling much about the main character, Jess (she's a little annoying at times), I thought there were some good twists in here and quite a unique concept.
Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.
This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.
I really wanted to enjoy this one, the synopses grabbed me straight away because it was a fairly unique genre, however I just could not get invested in the character, it was all a bit boring for me. That is obviously my personal opinion and for others it may have been the best book ever,
thank you for the advance copy
The book was interestingly written, with the two main characters' POV's being shared at the same time. Keeps you on your toes. Well written and thrilling until the end.
You could never predict which way this tale was twisting and I LOVED IT. Kept me alert. on my toes and wide awake until I finished it. I will go back to read the previous works by this writing pair. Recommend!
I really desperately wanted to love this one but I struggled through it - unfortunately i've left it too long to give a full review
Meh. That's all I can say about this one.
So many 4 and 5 star ratings and reviews? What did I miss? I'm not going to write any sort of long review for this one because it's really difficult to write a review for a book you didn't enjoy, and especially one where you were so bored you only concentrated on the story some of the time.
In summary, yes I was bored. I didn't enjoy it. I felt the story lacked any sort of addiction factor, I had no desire to get into bed at night and read, and simply put, this just wasn't the book for me.
Moving on...
I struggled to connect with the characters in this book and it didnt live up to the hype to me sadly.
Another wonderful thriller from the duo, this one is a charming story full of ambience and twisty plot. Unsettling and unique, the very vibe of the book is what makes it so successful, a good choice for those who like their thrillers spooky but not scary. Heartily recommended!
A fantastic novel which really makes the reader think. How does morality affect us and what would make us change our stance.
An Anonymous Girl by Greek Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen is an original and creepy psychological thriller.
I'm not sure why this has appeared in my feedback needed section twice but I have previously reviewed this and raved about how incredible the book was. Highly recommended to everyone and i look forward to reading all other novels by this writing duo.
If you are a fan of books that keep you guessing, this is one for you! I couldn’t put it down! Five stars!
The task of repopulating the senior library has been an exciting and daunting task aS in a boarding school our aim is to encourage all members of the community to read. Because of this, I have been searching down a wide and diverse range of books to read that will entice a wide cross-section of the school to come in, browse and find books that they love.
Books like this will ensure that the senior students in the school see the library as a diverse, modern and exciting place with books that speak to them and they want to recommend to their friends, classmates, teachers and tutors.
It is an engrossing and exciting read with fully-formed characters and a plot that ensures that it's hard to look away. It is as far from formulaic as it is possible to be and kept me up far too late in order to finish it. I immediately wanted to read all of this writer's other books as I loved their voice and found that it really drew me into the story and made me think about it even when I'd stepped away from this tale.
This is a thought-provoking read which I'm sure will be a popular and well-read addition to our new library; I'm grateful to have had the opportunity to read it and I know that the students are going to absolutely love it too!
This was ok, but didn't quite live up to the hype for me. I found it a bit predictable, and couldn't really engage with the characters.
Sorry for late review - just catching up after a busy 12 months. Loved this book a lot - didn't know how a book written by 2 people would work but great story with great characters and really well written. Will definitely read more by these authors and thank you for the read. Much appreciated.