The instant #1 New York Times bestseller (January 2019) everyone is talking about! People Magazine’s Book of the Week • Bookish’s “Must-Read Books of Winter” • PopSugar’s “Best Books of Winter” • Cosmopolitan’s “2019 Books to Bring to Your Book Club” • Bookbub’s “Biggest Books of Winter” • Refinery 29’s “Best Books of January 2019” • Crime Reads’ “January’s Best Psychological Thrillers” • … • Crime Reads’ “January’s Best Psychological Thrillers” • InStyle’s “7 Books That You Should Resolve to Read This January” • HelloGiggles’ “The 50 Most Anticipated Books of 2019” • USA Today’s “5 New Books Not to Miss” • Marie Claire’s “The Best Women’s Fiction of 2019 (So Far)” • Hypable’s “Winter Releases You Can’t Afford to Miss”
“Hendricks and Pekkanen are at the top of their game…You won’t see the final twist coming.” —People Magazine
“Beware strange psychologists…the authors know exactly how to play on their characters’ love of danger to bring them to the brink of disaster – and dare them to jump off.” —New York Times Book Review
“Slickly twisty [with] gasp-worthy final twists...major league suspense.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“For those who relished the creepy stalking in Hendricks and Pekkanen’s The Wife Between Us, this unnerving tale will have them rethinking what secrets are safe to share and if moral and ethics really matter when protecting the ones you love.” —Library Journal (starred review)
“Masterfully escalates the suspense.” —Booklist (starred review)
Looking to earn some easy cash, Jessica Farris agrees to be a test subject in a psychological study about ethics and morality. But as the study moves from the exam room to the real world, the line between what is real and what is one of Dr. Shields’s experiments blurs.
Dr. Shields seems to know what Jess is thinking… and what she’s hiding.
Jessica’s behavior will not only be monitored, but manipulated.
Caught in a web of attraction, deceit and jealousy, Jess quickly learns that some obsessions can be deadly.
From the authors of the blockbuster bestseller The Wife Between Us, Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen, An Anonymous Girl will keep you riveted through the last shocking twist.
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The author took me on a complicated, thrill ride. There were many twists and turns to the story that kept me turning the pages.
Jessica Farris is looking to earn some extra cash. She’s a beauty consultant and that pays the bills but she needs more to help her parents pay for care for her sister Becky who is disabled due to an accident. When Jess happens to overhear a potential opportunity to make some extra money by participating in a research study about ethics and morality, she goes for it. After being accepted into the study, things get strange. Dr. Shields, the person responsible for the study, asks Jess if she’s willing to go beyond the routine questionnaire. Jess accepts and the payment is great but when Dr. Shields starts telling her to flirt with strangers and ask men out, she becomes suspicious about the true nature of the study.
This book is a page turner. It’s filled with twists and turns and just about the time you think you have it figured out, something happens that makes you stop and reconsider everything you thought you knew. It’s difficult to ascertain anyone’s motives for their actions and it’s impossible to figure out who’s trustworthy. This is a great book that makes you stop and ponder how far you would go for retribution when you see yourself as a victim.
An awesome, gripping psychological thriller that I could not put down. With fantastic writing and a gripping plot, this writing duo seams to have found what it takes to publish hit after hit..and I can’t wait to see what is coming next! A who-done-it that keeps you guessing right up to the ending..and what an ending! I fully recommend this book!
Ehhh.. it is psychological! Very slow build and not really a thriller. Becomes a page turner in the end.
What a twisted ride! This story of a twenty-something make-up artist who gets twisted up in an analyst’s mind games combines awareness of how women live now with a mastery of plot surprises that leads to a very satisfying page-turner.
“An anonymous Girl” was a collaboration between two authors and I for one couldn’t tell: it was a seamless undertaking that if I hadn’t been aware beforehand I would still be completely in the dark about.
These two writers obviously complement each other’s styles greatly.
This for me was very much a mixed bag.
Mystery and intrigue combined with such a gripping and freshly unique subject matter.
I especially liked that this was so different to all else around at this moment.
This started out so well, pulling at my sense of curiosity and reeling me in, unfortunately, what began with such finesse rapidly fizzled away leaving me feeling a trifle deflated.
This took a while to get off the ground and during this slow start “An Anonymous Girl” lost my attention slightly.
Luckily when things did start to move along I was still somewhat invested in this story.
So this one is a difficult one to explain its such an unusual concept.
Purley a psychological thriller at heart this mainly deals with morality and choices made, but not really in the obvious way that you will initially perceive here.
This is told from Two POV: Jessica and Dr Shields, Dr Shields thoughts are really more of an ongoing voiceover with Jess herself taking centre stage for the majority of this book.
Jess is a viable test subject in morality for a supposed ongoing study, but really she is a pawn for others in a dangerous psychological game where caught in the crossfires she is a casualty of others choices and ultimately their actions.
So while I did enjoy this I did find the writing style wasn’t quite a fit for me which impacted slightly on my enjoyment here hence my three rating: this is still, in my opinion, an interesting undertaking that I would certainly recommend.
I voluntary reviewed a copy of An Anonymous Girl.
All opinions expressed are entirely my own.
Reviewed By Beckie Bookworm
https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/9460945-bex-beckie-bookworm
https://www.facebook.com/beckiebookworm/
http://www.beckiebookworm.com
Jessica Farris, age twenty-eight, is a makeup artist for Beauty Buzz. She lugs her giant makeup kit all around New York City doing makeup for other people who are living their dreams. As for Jess, she’s heavily focused on money, as her parents are stressed trying to provide all the medical support they can for her disabled sister, Becky. Even worse, her Dad is about to lose his job. So when she sees one of her clients get a text where she could enroll in a psychology study, answer a few questions, and make some quick bucks, it sounds ideal. But the questions rapidly grow more intense and soon Jess is asked back for further questions and extra sessions. She then meets the doctor behind the study, Dr. Shields, and becomes caught her manipulative web of experimentation–and obsession.
So I liked THE WIFE BETWEEN US but didn’t *love* it like so many people did, and hence I wasn’t entirely sure about reading this one. I definitely enjoyed AN ANONYMOUS GIRL more. This author duo is certainly adept at writing very readable, very wild books that are hard to put down. I found myself stealing away during the chaos of Christmas Eve to finish this book.
The chapters alternate between Jess and Dr. Shields. Overall, Jess is just your average likeable gal who gets in over her head. I didn’t adore her or anything; sometimes she irritated me a bit, but she was fine. My biggest pet peeve with this entire book was the fact that Dr. Shields chapters were written almost entirely in passive voice. This was obviously done as a literary device and part of her character, but ugh! After a while, I could barely take it. I felt like I was at work, reading all of my colleague’s proposal sections, and I felt as if I was mentally correcting each sentence as I read it. Not fun.
But, I digress. It quickly becomes apparent that we cannot really trust anything that’s happening in this one, which is fun. You know there has to be more to everyone’s stories, and the book constantly had me guessing. There are a lot of nice twists thrown in, and unlike the authors’ previous book, I didn’t guess the main one right away, so I really enjoyed reading the story. It did stress me out a bit, though – sheesh! It’s very crazy, very unbelievable (but in a good way), often quite creepy, but an enjoyable ride.
Overall, this is a fun, twisty thriller that lets you just suspend disbelief and enjoy the ride. It’s different, a bit spooky, and interesting. 4 stars.
I received a copy of this novel from the publisher and Netgalley in return for an unbiased review (thank you!).
A cat and mouse thriller, full of deception and some parts, unsettling. Ironically, in the end it makes you wonder the morality of it all. The authors definitely make us question ourselves about enrolling in any survey/study/questionnaires.
The epitome of a “psychological thriller” with an antagonist who was more frightening than any bad guy threatening violence. The strange and disconnected use of some sections written in 2nd person felt odd, but the more I read, the more I realized that that was precisely the point — to make the reader feel like things were a bit “off.”
Very interesting novel with lots of surprises and unexpected twists. It’s never boring and you’ll be turning pages to see what happens next. Highly recommended.
3.5 stars
While entertaining, there is a whole LOT of suspension of disbelief required. Also, not sure I liked what the main character did at the very end with the money thing…
The bags under my eyes tell the story. This book was unputdownable. Is that even a word? Well, it is now. Hendricks & Pekkanen do it again.
I enjoyed Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen’s previous release, The Wife Between Us, and when I had heard they were releasing another novel, and so quickly, I knew I had to read it as soon as I could. The two know how to write, blending their unique voices together to create characters that are stunning, mysterious, and quite often, very unreliable. We meet Jess in An Anonymous Girl, a makeup artist struggling to make ends meet in New York City who has found an interesting way to make money by answer a research professor’s questions. It’s simple, she must honestly answer the questions on the screen, collect check, come back at another time and do it again. Except the questions become increasingly more invasive and soon Jess is concerned with just how much the person on the other end might now know about her. As the research becomes real life tasks, Jess becomes paranoid that Dr. Shields has gone too far, but just like secrets, obsessions too can take over your life.
With an incredibly unique premise, An Anonymous Girl takes readers on a suspenseful journey where one woman’s obsession just might turn out to have deadly consequences. At first we see New York and the research from Jess’ eyes, an innocent woman with secrets of her own desperate to help her family. As tensions increase the perspective shifts, allowing us a glimpse into the mind of Dr. Shields, a professor using the guise of research to make Jess do what she needs. Jess is not comfortable completing the twisted tasks, but her fear of Dr. Shields and the secrets she now knows forces her to ignore her morals. Soon Jess is questioning reality, unsure of what is real and what Dr. Shields has just made her believe. What was once prying questions is now a high stakes competition where Jess must complete the puzzle before Dr. Shields’ own pieces are in place.
I was enthralled by this story, I pictured myself in Jess’ shoes and as I read I felt the fear and the beginnings of distrust. She’s a smart girl desperate for a solution and as we read on we realize that Dr. Shields just might have picked the wrong girl for the research. As Dr. Shields fights for power, Jess undermines her, and much like the battle between predator and prey, she must find a way to sneak away unharmed. This novel is twisted, a psychological thriller that will leave you unable to think of anything else. Pekkanen and Hendricks reveal things slowly, the puzzle pieces dropping into the story as Dr. Shields true nature is revealed. It is impossible to tell the truth, to know which character to place your trust into, and it only gets more intriguing as the novel’s pacing picks up.
An Anonymous Girl was an all-consuming read for me, I couldn’t put this book down for anything. I think the story line is appealing for readers, one that toes the line of believability and preys on our desires to understand human nature. It’s fascinating, I’ve got no idea how they came up with this novel, but I loved it and cannot wait to see it come to life on a screen. Filled with secrets and deceit, An Anonymous Girl is a compelling psychological thriller that will hold readers’ attention.
ARC provided.
There is no “sophomore slump” for authors Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen, who first partnered on 2018’s The Wife Between Us. Their second collaboration, An Anonymous Girl, cements their status as masters at crafting first-rate psychological thrillers.
Jessica Farris is trying to make ends meet when she agrees to serve as a test subject in a psychological study focusing on ethics and morality conducted by Dr. Lydia Shields, a preeminent psychiatrist in New York City. The story swings into high, tantalizing gear from the very beginning when Jessica, an independent makeup artist, completes the initial questionnaire. Soon the study’s scope ramps up from questionnaires to actual tasks that Jessica is expected to perform. As the line between reality and the things Jessica is asked to do for Dr. Shields blurs along with the line that divides right and wrong, ethical and unethical.
It soon becomes clears to Jessica that not only knows what she is doing at all times, but also what she is thinking and the aspects of her family history that she hides out of guilt and remorse. Before long, Jessica is manipulated by Dr. Shields . . . or is she? Seemingly caught in a web woven by Dr. Shields of attraction, deceit and jealousy, Jessica discovers that obsession fuels the so-called study and believes has become a pawn in a deadly game that has already resulted in one death. Or is she? Is Jessica truly being used by Dr. Shields to carry out a dangerous plan from which she does not know how to extract herself . . . or is she paranoid?
An Anonymous Girl creatively explores age-old questions employing a unique premise. “When money and morality intersect, the results can illuminate intriguing truths about human character. People are motivated to break their moral compasses for a variety of primal reasons: survival, hate, love, envy, passion. And money.” But how far is Jessica willing to go to protect herself and her family, and free herself? The tautly-crafted story never drags. Instead, the unexpected plot twists and surprises propel the action forward right up to the jaw-dropping conclusion that most readers will never see coming. The book will leave readers pondering the limits of their own moral compasses and, for that reason, is an excellent choice for book clubs.
Thanks to NetGalley for an Advance Reader’s Copy of the book.
Another stunning psychological thriller by the writing team of Hendricks and Pekkanen! Following the success of their novel of The Wife Between Us, this story repeats the formula of two women facing off against one another; this time in the world of psychiatry.
Jess Farris thought she could innocently sneak her way into a research study with the hopes of earning some extra cash. Her first session is not with an actual researcher but through a computer. The session consists of Jess answering some deeply personal questions and she starts to wonder if the extra cash is worth divulging her deepest secrets. She’s intrigued enough to return for a second session…and a third.
When Jess decides to do some research of her own, she discovers the person behind the computer is Dr. Lydia Shields, a New York based psychologist and author who is highly respected in her field. When Jess is invited by Dr. Shields to join the study on Ethics and Morality full time she’s curious. The more time she spends with Dr. Shields, the more her life begins to spin out of control.
This fast paced thriller was easily devoured and leaves me waiting for the next Hendricks/Pekkanen book!
After reading The Wife Between Us last year I knew I had to get my hands on An Anonymous Girl. Why? Because these two authors working together are a powerhouse. But I will also admit that even though I knew I needed this book I also felt a bit of hesitation because I didn’t know if this one would be able to top the former. I mean TWBU blew me away! It had a massive twist that truly boggled my mind and had me jumping for joy simply because it surprised me so much. This one, it doesn’t have a massive twist. It’s more of a slow burning, edge of your seat thriller that keeps you puzzled from beginning to end. There were times I felt truly exasperated and wanted to go in and slap a few characters for their stupidity. I wanted to ask them why they were so naive! But then I really thought about it in terms of what the story was subtly telling and I gained an enormous understanding of it.
Anyway, I won’t go into the plot of the story as it may giveaway the core elements and meaning behind it but I will say that it is a clever and tense read that had me utterly glued to the pages. This book certainly stands apart from other thrillers out there and I think the authors did a wonderful job in researching the job behind Dr. Lydia. I myself have a masters degree in psychology and can tell that they did the work they needed to make this seem as realistic as possible.
If you are looking for a taught and edgy read for the new year, I very much recommend reading An Anonymous Girl. It’s a brilliant novel that is bound to make you question your own morals.
Sarah Pekkanen
I knew this was going to be a good one just from what little I’d heard about it. But I really had no clue just how good it was going to be. From the beginning and all the way up until the end there was never a dull moment. Some of the twists had my head spinning because I had no idea what was going to happen next. Jess was so much more than she appeared to be at the being, there were so many complex layers to her personality. I couldn’t stop reading, I had to know what was going to happen. And yet I never imagined an ending like that!!
I thoroughly enjoyed reading, The Wife Between Us and have read many of Sarah Pekkanen’s books – 1 which left my jaw dropped for many years after reading.
I knew this book would be amazing, but I wasn’t expected to get pulled into the suspense as I did.
This story is such a page-turner.
I was on the edge of my seat the entire time and my heart raced right along with Jessica.
Jess was working in New York as a freelance makeup artist.
Needing to earn some extra money for her family, Jess fibbed her way into a psychological study she accidentally eavesdrops on her two clients chatting about while in their apartment applying their night out on the town make-up.
She enters the study with no problems and is known as Subject 52, (An anonymous girl)
Jess is prompted to answer honestly a serious of questions about morals, values & ethics on a laptop in an empty classroom.
Jess finds herself opening up, no holds barred with personal instances in her past.
She becomes so entrenched in the study and with the professor conducting it that she begins to get tangled in the professor’s personal life.
To avoid spoilers, I’ll just say it gets super suspenseful and I couldn’t stop reading.
This writing duo has meshed well and has a talent for unfolding the story at just the right pace to give you just enough details to avoid getting lost, but not enough to figure out where the story will take you.
I loved the concept. Original. Writing was easy to follow. Loved the characters.
I as very dissapointed that it wasn’t a better book. There is a lot of hype about this book for some reason. I just didn’t think it lived up to it. The story is interesting but it just never went anywhere.