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pikusonali's review against another edition
3.0
Thrillers are always welcome in my world and this one is pure pulp fiction – fast-paced, with little sex, a whole lot of drama, and plenty of eye-rolling.
What works for Jane Doe is its protagonist – a psychopath called Jane, who is NOT on a murder spree but rather cool and detached and emotional-less. So when Jane decides to exact revenge on the ex-boyfriend of her best friend, she brings her A game – seducing and manipulating the rather shallow Steven and his family.
This was a pretty quick read. And if you are looking for something not serious but enjoyable and don't mind indulging in the guilty pleasures of pulp fiction, this book will be a hit for you.
What works for Jane Doe is its protagonist – a psychopath called Jane, who is NOT on a murder spree but rather cool and detached and emotional-less. So when Jane decides to exact revenge on the ex-boyfriend of her best friend, she brings her A game – seducing and manipulating the rather shallow Steven and his family.
This was a pretty quick read. And if you are looking for something not serious but enjoyable and don't mind indulging in the guilty pleasures of pulp fiction, this book will be a hit for you.
tuckeralmengor's review against another edition
4.0
Many thanks to Lake Union for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review
Okay, I am confused... How did this not win the 2018 Goodreads Choice Award for thriller? It was beat by... Checking... [b:The Outsider|36124936|The Outsider|Stephen King|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1524596540l/36124936._SY75_.jpg|57566471]?! Yeah, no. This book is definitely better.
So, what's this book about
Jane Doe follows Jane, a woman who just happens to be a sociopath. Jane is working at a Midwest insurance company. She is extremely talented at blending in and flying under the radar. But she's done with that because she has a plan for revenge.
Throughout the novel, Jane seduces and tricks Stephen Hepsworth, a entitled white guy who is responsible for her best friend's death. Now, with a thirst for revenge, Jane will do anything she can to make Stephen pay. What follows is a thrilling, intriguing, and, at times funny, story of a young woman with a weakness that may actually be superpower.
I don't have much to say on the actual thriller bits because they were just... Average. What I do want to (need to) talk about is Jane. Jane is a sociopath and this character trait made the entire novel to drink a 3 star rating to a 4.5.
Confession time, I don't know much about sociopaths. Scratch thay. Before this novel, I didn't know anything about sociopaths. I assumed (and you probably did too) that sociopaths were cold, unfeeling monsters. But this novel shows that they're not.
Sociopaths have problems with empathy, guilt, and remorse but that doesn't mean that they're all murderers. In fact, as we see in the novel, their detachment from empathy can help them be cunning and stealthy (which is definitely a bit unsettling).
I just loved being inside Jane's mind. Seeing what made her tick, what her thought processes were was so fascinating.
Finally, I wanted to discuss the ending.
Spoiler
I loved that, in the end, Jane was able to find love. It was so heartwarming. Especially because Luke was able to see past her mask. He saw that there was something different about her but he didn't care. Aahhhh. So sweet.❤Bottom Line:
4.5 Stars
Age Rating: [ R ]
Content Screening (Spoilers) - Educational Value (3/5) - [Sociopaths, how to spy on people
booksandapril's review against another edition
5.0
I was not expecting to love this book the way I did. Jane's personality was so interesting. The way she knew how to use her body to it's advantages, the way there were no emotions to interfere with her goal, and that way she made me fall in love with her character.
I loved that I could not guess what would happen. Usually in books like this it is easy to become detached because I can guess what is going to happen, but not in this book. I was constantly surprised and happy with what was written
The writing was done so well. The author puts you in a position where you feel exactly what she wants you to feel and I surprisingly loved that.
There were multiple times when I wanted Steven dead. I wanted Jane to just kill him and disappear. I wanted her to murder him in all the ways she imagined, but I was overall satisfied with how she handled the entire family.
Before I could happily move on I read the scene where she exposed the family multiple times. I was not sure if her happily ever after would be what I wanted for her but the author did an amazing job by giving a great ending without compromising the characteristics of her main character.
I loved that I could not guess what would happen. Usually in books like this it is easy to become detached because I can guess what is going to happen, but not in this book. I was constantly surprised and happy with what was written
The writing was done so well. The author puts you in a position where you feel exactly what she wants you to feel and I surprisingly loved that.
There were multiple times when I wanted Steven dead. I wanted Jane to just kill him and disappear. I wanted her to murder him in all the ways she imagined, but I was overall satisfied with how she handled the entire family.
Before I could happily move on I read the scene where she exposed the family multiple times. I was not sure if her happily ever after would be what I wanted for her but the author did an amazing job by giving a great ending without compromising the characteristics of her main character.
victoriap1026's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
hannahmdiaz's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
lavins's review against another edition
3.0
The book was not as good as I expected. The character, although witty and funny at times, it's a bit weird and unrealistic. The ending was also a disappointment.
winemakerssister's review against another edition
5.0
Compelling, suspenseful, and creepy!
When Jane's best (only) friend Meg commits suicide because of her boyfriend's abuse, Jane returns to Meg's hometown Minneapolis to avenge her death. We watch the story of this self-diagnosed sociopath through her eyes as she plots her revenge. But along the way, even though she doesn't believe she can care for any other living being, she adopts a cat and falls in love with it, and reconnects with a college boyfriend, Luke, who appreciates her for her strange qualities.
I devoured it in a day -- I couldn't stop listening!
Themes: sociopath, suicide, abuse, revenge, unexpected love and acceptance
When Jane's best (only) friend Meg commits suicide because of her boyfriend's abuse, Jane returns to Meg's hometown Minneapolis to avenge her death. We watch the story of this self-diagnosed sociopath through her eyes as she plots her revenge. But along the way, even though she doesn't believe she can care for any other living being, she adopts a cat and falls in love with it, and reconnects with a college boyfriend, Luke, who appreciates her for her strange qualities.
I devoured it in a day -- I couldn't stop listening!
Themes: sociopath, suicide, abuse, revenge, unexpected love and acceptance
filemanager's review against another edition
4.0
Jane has to be one of my favourite characters ever. Especially her sarcasm & her love of cats!
ihateprozac's review against another edition
4.0
This is one of those books that is INFURIATING to read, but deliberately so. Pick it up if you’re okay with books making you uncomfortable!
This book is a longcon revenge plot, so 90% of it is watching Jane submit to a man who is legit worthless trash. As a female reader it’s super frustrating and triggering to read, because we’ve all seen and experienced people like Steven. But again - this is a deliberate choice so be conscious of what this book is trying to do when you go in!
I personally looooved being in Jane’s head. She is such a convincing actor, and her sociopathy allows her to stay detached from Steven’s misogyny and emotional abuse. He’s absolutely VILE but instead of snapping, she’s able to turn the submissiveness up a notch every. single. time!
I also loved how self-aware she was of her sociopathy, and yet she still had more to learn! There’s an interesting dual arc here where Jane learns that sociopaths can have healthy relationships, they just might look a little different. I went in expecting a stabby novel and I got legit character growth!
4 stars. This was a super entertaining solid read! I loved exploring Jane’s psyche, how absolutely toxic and deluded men can be, and that I was never sure whether this would be a humiliation or a murder plot. And the author came THROUGH with the character development! Such a pleasant (albeit dark) surprise.
This book is a longcon revenge plot, so 90% of it is watching Jane submit to a man who is legit worthless trash. As a female reader it’s super frustrating and triggering to read, because we’ve all seen and experienced people like Steven. But again - this is a deliberate choice so be conscious of what this book is trying to do when you go in!
I personally looooved being in Jane’s head. She is such a convincing actor, and her sociopathy allows her to stay detached from Steven’s misogyny and emotional abuse. He’s absolutely VILE but instead of snapping, she’s able to turn the submissiveness up a notch every. single. time!
I also loved how self-aware she was of her sociopathy, and yet she still had more to learn! There’s an interesting dual arc here where Jane learns that sociopaths can have healthy relationships, they just might look a little different. I went in expecting a stabby novel and I got legit character growth!
4 stars. This was a super entertaining solid read! I loved exploring Jane’s psyche, how absolutely toxic and deluded men can be, and that I was never sure whether this would be a humiliation or a murder plot. And the author came THROUGH with the character development! Such a pleasant (albeit dark) surprise.