– I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review. –
To be published by St. Martin’s Press on 08 Jan 2019
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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.
I chose this book because…
It reminds me so much of the Stanford Prison Experiment. What makes Jess stay? How does the experiment filter into her own life? What is she hiding? What is the mad scientist’s obsession? I’m excited to start reading and find out!
Upon reading it…
I think that my main challenge with this novel was the characters. This novel is told in alternating points of view between Jess and Dr. Shields. Let’s start with Jess. Immediately, she fell into the trope of the victim. She didn’t have confidence in herself, sought validation from Dr. Shields, and was paranoid from the get go. As soon as the morality experiment began, Jess started questioning everything in real life, wondering if it was one of Dr. Shields’ morality tests (as hinted at in the blurb). The pacing was too quick and I didn’t have time to understand where she was coming from or why she was reacting the way she was. I couldn’t sympathise with her; I only saw her as a victim in the novel playing her role.
Dr. Shields fell into the trope of the cold-hearted scientist. The writing from their point of view was purposefully mechanical, as if the doctor was just some psychotic empty shell of a human going through the motions. Perhaps that was the point, to make the doctor seem creepy, but I find antagonists more compelling when they’re human too.
The juxtaposition between Jess and Dr. Shields was a little more transparent than I would have liked. Their conflict was obvious. What I wish I could have better understood was why. What about Jess made her special? Why was Dr. Shields so interested in her? Jess’ answers to Dr. Shields’ initial morality questions didn’t seem all that extraordinary. The doctor conducted a pointed experiment with leading scenarios, tainting the experiments from the get go, so no matter what the results turned out to be, you couldn’t reach a conclusive answer from them. Shouldn’t any doctor worth their salt know that? There must have been something blinding the doctor, and part way through the novel, we begin to understand why Dr. Shields is conducting their research, but it’s still unclear what the endgame is. that was what I was interested in getting to, and that’s what kept me plowing through the rest of the novel. There’s a mystery in itself!
This author duo also co-wrote the popular The Wife Between Us, which I never read before. I’d be really interested to hear from anyone who has read either of these novels! I have a suspicion that An Anonymous Girl is a bit formulaic, following the success of The Wife Between Us, but who knows?
★★★☆☆
We all have reasons for our actions. Even if we hide the reason from those who think they know us best. Even if the reasons are so deeply buried we can’t recognize them ourselves.
Guilt is the heaviest thing I carry.
I’m not used to expressing myself like this. Writing about hidden thoughts is like washing off makeup and seeing a bare face.
Every therapist knows the truth shape-shifts; it is as elusive and wispy as a cloud.
A secret is only safe if one person holds it, I think. But when two share a confidence, and both have self-preservation as their main motive, one of them is going to give.
His absence feels like a theft.