Book Review: Jane Anonymous by Laurie Faria Stolarz

Title: Jane Anonymous

Author: Laurie Faria Stolarz

Publisher: Wednesday Books

Publishing Date: January 7th, 2020 

Read: January 6th, 2023

Pages: 306

Audio Length: 8 Hours 11 Mins

Genre: YA Mystery Thriller

TW: sexual assault, rape, stockholm syndrome, suicide & suicidal ideation, self-harm, nonconsensual drugging

Series: Jane Anonymous Book 1

Source: Audio

What it's about:

“Jane” was just your typical 17-year-old getting ready to start her senior year. She had a part-time job she enjoyed, an awesome best friend, overbearing but loving parents, and a crush on a boy who was taking her to see her favorite band. She never would’ve imagined that in her town where nothing ever happens, a series of small coincidences would lead to a devastating turn of events that would forever change her life.

Now, it’s been three months since “Jane” escaped captivity and returned home. Three months of being that girl who was kidnapped, the girl who was held by a “monster.” But, what if everything you thought you knew―everything you thought you experienced―turned out to be a lie?

What I thought:

I love most of Laurie Faria Stolarz book, I think there's been one *maybe* two books by her I was just meh on.

With that being said, I wasn't quite sure what I was expecting going into this book. I 100% judged a book based on it's cover, title, and author and thought it would end up being a book about anonymous bullying or something of the sort. 

Obviously I was very wrong... In the best possible way. 

I like kidnapping books. I like the thriller aspect, I like the emotional vulnerability it brings, I like the mystery and the character development. Ad this one definitely did not disappoint. 

Cover:

I'm not a huge fan of this cover. It's okay, I'm not really sure what I don't like about it, but I just don't feel like it matches the book very much. 

Story:

Again, I love kidnapping books. It's not a very unique story, but I really love how Laurie made it hers. I love how it's about Jane going back to talking about it as a way to cope, as opposed to it being while she's actually in captivity. I feel like because of that it really showed her emotional damage and how angry she is. 

Pace: 

The pace is perfect, it was slow going in some parts, but in a really good way. In a way that really helps you to feel what Jane is feeling. But then the parts that need to be sped up, are. Not in a way where you feel like it's being rushed, but in a way that feels like there is always something happening. I wasn't bored or just waiting for something to happen, I was able to ride the ride and be happy with it. 

Writing: 

As usual Laurie's writing is amazing. I felt so much. I was angry, I was sad, I was surprised, I was scared. I felt everything in this book and I really feel like she wrote Jane's emotions and responses perfectly. I feel like she did a really good job of writing Jane's growth and how her relationships changed based on her trauma. 

Characters: 

I loved Jane. I was a little put off at first, and I think that's because Jane was a little unlikeable at first. But it was mostly because of her trauma and her being angry at the world and I was so scared that I was going to hate her, but I actually really loved her. I loved seeing how much she grew throughout the book and I loved seeing her before the kidnapping and after and how much the trauma can really change a person.  

I really liked Mason... at first... Read the book, you'll understand the dots. 

I also really liked... Jack, I think his name was? I read this months ago, but it's the boy she likes. He's very sweet and has golden retriever energy. 

 

World building: 

This was the part I didn't quite like. I could not picture the world around her. I couldn't picture her room when she was kidnapped, I couldn't picture her room when she's home. It might be a me problem, but I just couldn't get it in my head about what it was supposed to look like. 

Ending: 

I really feel like the ending fit. I almost didn't want the book to end because I just loved it so much.  

Narrator:

She was perfect. 

Overall:

An emotional roller coaster full of growth, emotional trauma, and healing.

A little Snippet:

"We're all broken in some way; it's part of that being-human thing I was talking about before. The key is to learn how to carry your broken pieces as you move forward day by day."― Laurie Faria Stolarz, Jane Anonymous

Possible books of likeness:

Author's info:

Website

Laurie Faria Stolarz grew up in Salem, MA, attended Merrimack College, and received an MFA in Creative Writing from Emerson College in Boston.

Laurie Faria Stolarz is an American author of young adult fiction novels, best known for her Blue is for Nightmares series. Her works, which feature teenage protagonists, blend elements found in mystery and romance novels.

Stolarz found sales success with her first novel, Blue is for Nightmares, and followed it up with three more titles in the series, White is for Magic, Silver is for Secrets, and Red is for Remembrance, as well as a companion graphic novel, Black is for Beginnings. Stolarz is also the author of the Touch series (Deadly Little Secret, Deadly Little Lies, Deadly Little Games, Deadly Little Voices, and Deadly Little Lessons), as well as Bleed and Project 17. With more than two million books sold worldwide, Stolarz's titles have been named on various awards list.

Book Review: Bleed Like Me by Christa Desir

Title: Bleed Like Me

Author: Christa Desir

Publisher: Simon Pulse

Publishing Date: October 7th, 2014
Read: January 28th, 2022

Pages: 288

Audio Length: 6 Hours 34 Mins

Genre: YA Mental Health/Contemporary/Romance

TW: Self harm, depression, suicide, gaslighting, controlling/domestic violence, drug usage, harm to an animal

Series: Standalone

Source: Audio

What it's about:

From the author of Fault Line comes an edgy and heartbreaking novel about two self-destructive teens in a Sid and Nancy-like romance full of passion, chaos, and dyed hair.

Seventeen-year-old Amelia Gannon (just "Gannon" to her friends) is invisible to almost everyone in her life. To her parents, to her teachers-even her best friend, who is more interested in bumming cigarettes than bonding. Some days the only way Gannon knows she is real is by carving bloody lines into the flesh of her stomach.

Then she meets Michael Brooks, and for the first time, she feels like she is being seen to the core of her being. Obnoxious, controlling, damaged, and addictive, he inserts himself into her life until all her scars are exposed. Each moment together is a passionate, painful relief.

But as the relationship deepens, Gannon starts to feel as if she's standing at the foot of a dam about to burst. She's given up everything and everyone in her life for him, but somehow nothing is enough for Brooks-until he poses the ultimate test.

Bleed Like Me is a piercing, intimate portrayal of the danger of a love so obsessive it becomes its own biggest threat.

What I thought:

I hate every part of this book. EVERY part. I was reading it and I was like everyone in this book is absolute garbage for varying reasons. I couldn't wait for the book to be done. This book has so any trigger warnings and that's not talked about on the goodreads page at all, the author absolutely should've mentioned it in the description of the book. Luckily the triggers didn't bother me, but once upon a time they absolutely would have. 

Cover:

It's a bit boring. I kinda see how it matches, but it's just not something I like. 

Story:

I understand what the author was trying to do with this book. She was trying to bring awareness to self harm, controlling relationships, and how messed up people can be. But the whole thing just felt too... stupid. That's not the word I want to use because it sounds mean, but I can't think of a better one. It almost feels like she's glorifying it, does that make sense? Maybe I missed something big that really shows how bad this lifestyle is, but dang. 

From the insta love, to the boy who won't take no for an answer, to the stupid girl who falls for it, it's all just so bad. So so bad. I remember pausing my book just to rant at my husband about how bad it is.

Pace: 

I was either pissed off or bored the whole book. 

Writing: 

I guess she does alright writing about the self harm. She does well in making you feel something, even if it's a bad something. But honestly it feels like it was written by a 12 year old. 

Characters: 

Literally there is not a single good person in this entire book. The parents ignore the MC and only pay attention to the boys they adopted, not only that they make her watch the boys and the boys are absolute brats. The MC is whiny and so naive and stupid. The love interest makes me want to punch him in the face and I don't feel bad at all for what happens to any of them.  

World building: 

None, none whatsoever.

Ending: 

I mean, like I said, I don't feel bad for anything that happens in this book because they all caused everything. By the ending I was literally just thinking that is by far one of the worst books I've ever read.

Narrator:

Meh, the narrator didn't have much to work with to be honest, but she was a bit whiny. I guess it fits with the character.

Overall:

I hated it, it was badly written, it had horrid characters. It was just bad. I've read so many good books about awareness for self harm, drug abuse, and domestic violence, and this just wasn't one of them. I'm sorry

A little Snippet:

“Well,” he said, dropping the can into the paper bag, “huffing wouldn’t be my first choice, but we’re in the suburbs. Sometimes you gotta work with what you’ve got.”
― Chrisa Desir, Bleed Like Me

Possible books of likeness:

Author's info:

Website
http://www.christadesir.com

Twitter
ChristaDesir

I'm a YA author who loves dark contemporary books. Novels include: FAULT LINE (Oct 2013), BLEED LIKE ME (Oct 2014), OTHER BROKEN THINGS (Jan 2016), LOVE BLIND (May 2016), and FOUR-LETTER WORD (May 2018).

I am also a feminist, rape victim activist, book seller, and romance novel editor. I live outside of Chicago with my husband and our three children.