April/An Anonymous Girl

April 2019's was An Anonymous Girl by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen

Nitty Gritty:

Published Date- January 8th, 2019

Publisher- St. Martin's Press

Pages-375
Genre- Thriller, Suspense, Psychological Fiction

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. 

Question #1: Could you tell a lie without feeling guilt? 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. 

Question #2: Have you ever deeply hurt someone you care about? 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. Question #3: Should a punishment always fit the crime? 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.

My Summary:

Jess has some secrets and she's tight on cash. She hears about a study that pays big for what seems like nothing. This is when the trouble starts. She is introduced to Dr. Shields and immediately bewitched by her essences but it doesn't last long. Soon enough she starts to question Dr. S and her motives, the truth behind the study and her involvement but it's too late, Dr. Shields isn't going to let her go quietly. On her way to one of Dr. Shields' assignment, there is an accident, she meets a man, she needs a distraction and he seems innocent enough...

My Thoughts:

Before you even get to the book, the official synopsis is all wrong. Jess doesn't sign up for this study, she sneaks into it. I just felt like most of it was misleading. When I read it back after I was finished with the book I didn't think it was for the same book.

With that being said I was pretty into it from the beginning. While Jess is a little bit of a mess with her family secret and one night stands, she's not completely hopeless, which is a relief. The story is told from both Jess and Dr. Shields perspective. Dr. S goes back and forth from 1st person to 2nd person. This I have seen in other reviews bothered people but I think it helps solidify her personality and role in the story. Jess redeems herself a bit in the end but after Chapter 33, my favorite twist, I didn't really ever get excited again. Of course, I wanted to know how the story ended and it's worth the read but I didn't put it down once I was reading and have a WTF moment. Bottom line, I would lend this book to a friend and if she didn't return it I wouldn't ask for it back. 

My rating: 3/5

Goodreads: 3.9/5

Amazon: 4/5

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