Monday, December 10, 2018

An Anonymous Girl Review



Title:  An Anonymous Girl
Author:  Greer Hendricks & Sarah Pekkanen
Genre:  Psychological Thriller
Publisher:  St. Martin's Press
Release Date:  Jan. 8, 2019
Purchase Link:  Amazon

My Rating:  4 Obsessive Hearts

*Many thanks to St. Martin's Press for an arc of this book.



Synopsis:
Seeking women ages 18–32 to participate in a study on ethics and morality. Generous compensation. Anonymity guaranteed.

When Jessica Farris signs up for a psychology study conducted by the mysterious Dr. Shields, she thinks all she’ll have to do is answer a few questions, collect her money, and leave. But as the questions grow more and more intense and invasive and the sessions become outings where Jess is told what to wear and how to act, she begins to feel as though Dr. Shields may know what she’s thinking…and what she’s hiding. As Jess’s paranoia grows, it becomes clear that she can no longer trust what in her life is real, and what is one of Dr. Shields’ manipulative experiments. Caught in a web of deceit and jealousy, Jess quickly learns that some obsessions can be deadly.

Review:
Jessica Farris seizes an unexpected opportunity to earn some extra money by showing up at an appointment for participants in a morality and ethics survey - one that was meant for another girl.  Jessica takes her place and becomes Subject 52.  Upon subsequent survey sessions, Jessica's involvement progresses from answering questions to following precise instructions and venturing out into questionable real life situations, causing her to question the morality of what she's being asked to do.  Meantime, her curiosity drives her to start searching for information on the illusive Dr. Shields  - an action that brings about a game of cat and mouse, leaving readers to figure out who's playing whom?  

I highly advise going into this thriller blind.  Do yourself a favor, and don't read spoilers.  The beauty of this story is in the slow development and peeling back of layers, revealing the true nature of characters and raising the stakes chapter by chapter.  Through dual narration, readers are lured into menacing mind games fueled by obsession and paranoia.  At times, I felt like I was fighting my way out of a dark maze trying to determine who was telling the truth and who was lying.  While I did figure it out, I still wasn't one hundred percent sure I was right until the end.  An Anonymous Girl is an addictive, creepy thriller that is hard to put down.  The authors have created a dark, tense atmospheric setting that reeks of impending doom.  Flawed characters sporting disguises of normalcy keep readers working to unmask the identity of the real villain.  I greatly enjoyed the originality and delivery of the plot line and look forward to more from these authors.  A Must Read!

My Rating:  4 Obsessive Hearts . . . And that's the truth!

Cross My Heart . . . xxx
Sandra



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