Book Review: An Anonymous Girl by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen

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.

From the authors of the blockbuster bestseller The Wife Between Us comes an electrifying new novel about doubt, passion, and just how much you can trust someone.

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Review:

I had read The Wife Between Us by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen and loved it. When I heard that the same authors were releasing another book, I became giddy and knew I had to read it. Luckily, An Anonymous Girl was a good read.

The pacing for An Anonymous Girl started off very fast which is what I like. I read a quarter of the book right before bed, and I only stopped because I had to go to sleep. I would have read more had I not been so tired. However, once I found out what the motive was behind Dr. Shield's study, the pacing slowed down, and I found myself not being drawn to the book as much although it still held my attention.

I started off enjoying the plot very much. I loved reading about Jess' participation in this strange study. However, like I felt about the pacing, once I learned the true motive behind the study, the plot wasn't as interesting. I don't want to elaborate on the plot because I don't want to give the motive behind the study away in my review. I will say the plot for An Anonymous Girl was well executed. It is an idea that's been written about so many times, but the way Hedricks and Pekkanen wrote about it was very original. There is one plot twists involving the study, but I felt like their aren't any more major plot twists. I kept waiting for more to happen, but they never came. I was left a little confused about the ending. I'm not sure if it was meant to be a plot twist or not.

The world building was written so amazingly! Everything about An Anonymous Girl felt real. It was obvious that the authors had done their research when it came to therapy and how a therapist would act. I felt as if I were watching everything unfold right in front of me. I was constantly worried for Jess, and I wanted to be her friend and help her with what she was going through.

I felt like the characters were very well written. I felt they were fleshed out enough to be enjoyable. It was hard to not like Jess and want to help her. She was an amazing character. Dr. Shields was also well written. As I've stated about the plot, it is obvious that Hendricks and Pekkanen had done their research on how a therapist might act by analyzing situations. I thoroughly enjoyed the character of Dr. Shields. I thought Thomas was well written. I kept wondering what Thomas' motives were, and I was constantly left guessing if he was bad or good. Luckily the ending of the book makes it clear.

Trigger warnings include possible suicide/murder, alcohol (the characters drink wine throughout the book), prescription drugs (Vicodin is mentioned), one count of sexual abuse, swearing, cheating, blackmail, and manipulation.

All in all, An Anonymous Girl is a good read. The plot takes an idea that's been done numerous times and changes it so it feels different. The characters are fleshed out, and the world building is amazing. I would definitely recommend An Anonymous Girl by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen to those aged 16 and above.

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(I received a copy of An Anonymous Girl by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen through Netgalley in exchange for an unbiased review. All opinions are my own.)