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nicole_marissa's review against another edition
1.0
It was an okay read, maybe 3 stars? Then the ending took a left turn and just turned ridiculous and absurd and ruined what little of the book I did enjoy.
jennabeck13's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
fast-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
3.0
The Girl Before by JP Delaney
⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3/5)
Genre: Thriller
About 335 pages
After a tragedy, two women (Jane and Emma) find themselves looking for clean slates which leads them to One Folgate Street. To Emma, the security was the draw. For Jane, the emptiness matched the emptiness in her heart. While they lived there at different times, these two women are extremely similar. And when Jane realizes this, she can’t help but dig into the girl before her. What she finds won’t be pretty, but she can’t help but follow the same path as the girl before.
The Girl Before was fast-paced and engaging, making it a quick read. However, I was not a fan of the ending. I finished the book with more questions than answers and was a bit frustrated by all the different directions Delaney tried to go.
Favorite Quote: “People like to talk about clean slates. But the only truly clean slate is a new one. The rest are gray from whatever’s been written on them before. Perhaps this will be your chance for a brand-new slate, Jane.”
grimpendragon's review against another edition
2.0
Not a very satisfactory ending, you could see it coming. It copied a lot of structure from girl on a train.
carlycampbell93's review against another edition
2.0
Bought this because it looked like a good thriller without realizing it was a 50 shades knock off
jaclyncrupi's review against another edition
2.0
This actually wasn't for me at all and I'm starting to think I'm just not a thriller person. Suspending disbelief just becomes tiresome and the horrid characters just feel like caricatures. I keep trying to find something as good as Megan Abbott or Jessica Knoll and keep coming up short.
pinkydink70's review against another edition
5.0
I rate simply: 5 = liked it, 3 = meh, and 1 = didn't like it.
jessica_reading_writing's review against another edition
3.0
Overview: I must say I found this one a little disappointing overall. I really wanted a massive twist at the end or something to shock me, but it never happened. That being said I did enjoy reading it and it was written well, but it was missing the wow factor for me. I guessed the ending early on.
Good Points: I always enjoy a back and forth in time narrative and this one worked really well. The characters were well developed and intriguing (if slightly unstable!)
Not so Good Points: Just missing the twist at the end really. It needed something to shock me to rate it higher.
Overall a decent psychological thriller that's certainly creepy but unfortunately too predictable for me.
Good Points: I always enjoy a back and forth in time narrative and this one worked really well. The characters were well developed and intriguing (if slightly unstable!)
Not so Good Points: Just missing the twist at the end really. It needed something to shock me to rate it higher.
Overall a decent psychological thriller that's certainly creepy but unfortunately too predictable for me.
kpaladino's review
3.0
Insanity
Edward, Simon, Emma and Jane - I don't really know where to begin, except at first I was confused. Then the story got pretty interesting w everything Jane uncovered and the more convoluted Emma appeared. I wasn't sure what the mystery would unravel and in the end it's unveiling both made sense and created even more confusion.
Edward, Simon, Emma and Jane - I don't really know where to begin, except at first I was confused. Then the story got pretty interesting w everything Jane uncovered and the more convoluted Emma appeared. I wasn't sure what the mystery would unravel and in the end it's unveiling both made sense and created even more confusion.
hannahbellz's review against another edition
2.0
Thought this book was unique in some ways and had potential but was poorly executed.
It switches perspectives between Emma (the girl before) and Jane, who live in a weird minimalist house for cheap rent in exchange for following hundreds of bizarre rules, such as no curtains and no books. Emma and Jane are similar in a lot of ways, so much so that I had to flip back several times to remember whose perspective I was reading. The synopsis made it clear this would be the case ("As Jane tries to untangle truth from lies, she unwittingly follows the same patterns, makes the same choices, crosses paths with the same people, and experiences the same terror as the girl before.") but sometimes it resulted in reading almost the exact same thing multiple times so was a little boring. To me it just didn't quite work.
It switches perspectives between Emma (the girl before) and Jane, who live in a weird minimalist house for cheap rent in exchange for following hundreds of bizarre rules, such as no curtains and no books. Emma and Jane are similar in a lot of ways, so much so that I had to flip back several times to remember whose perspective I was reading. The synopsis made it clear this would be the case ("As Jane tries to untangle truth from lies, she unwittingly follows the same patterns, makes the same choices, crosses paths with the same people, and experiences the same terror as the girl before.") but sometimes it resulted in reading almost the exact same thing multiple times so was a little boring. To me it just didn't quite work.
horsley123's review against another edition
3.0
Update at the end - having since read the whole book!
I feel my review will be heavily influenced by the ‘sample’ that I read. I was kindly given a ‘sample’ of the book via NetGalley, it was clearly pointed out that it would be a sample and not the whole book so I can not claim to have been short changed. Having read the ‘snippet’ I feel as I have been played by the marketing department. I read a few chapters – then when the first big ‘hang on’ moment comes along, the ‘sample’ ends – presumably I am meant to rush out and get the rest of the book. But I can’t as it has not been published yet – and I am not sure that by the time it becomes available I will still have any ounce of curiousity left.
Anyway rant against marketing over! How do I feel about the book?
Well it ticks all of the boxes that publishers must be looking for – female protaganist, split ‘then and now’ timeframe, strange men/technology/houses, the word 'girl' in the title – and presumably some great twists (however as you know from before I can’t comment on them).
As I can’t rave about the story I can only focus on the prose which frankly is pretty basic. It does seem to follow the downward trajectory started by ‘Gone Girl’ which was well written to ‘Girl on a Train’ which was enjoyable if a little Sixth Former-ish. Weirdly the author seems to have dispensed with speech marks for the ‘Then’ part of the story, anyone got any idea why this should be? Again I can see what the publishers are after; a page turner, easy reading with not too many taxing words – and on this front ‘The Girl Before’ delivers.
Update!!!
I have now read the whole book and it is better than I expected. I was gripped and wanted to know what happened. My reservations about the title stand - surely the reading public can be convinced to read a book that does not contain the word 'girl'? But if you are after an easy thriller this book will do it for you.
I feel my review will be heavily influenced by the ‘sample’ that I read. I was kindly given a ‘sample’ of the book via NetGalley, it was clearly pointed out that it would be a sample and not the whole book so I can not claim to have been short changed. Having read the ‘snippet’ I feel as I have been played by the marketing department. I read a few chapters – then when the first big ‘hang on’ moment comes along, the ‘sample’ ends – presumably I am meant to rush out and get the rest of the book. But I can’t as it has not been published yet – and I am not sure that by the time it becomes available I will still have any ounce of curiousity left.
Anyway rant against marketing over! How do I feel about the book?
Well it ticks all of the boxes that publishers must be looking for – female protaganist, split ‘then and now’ timeframe, strange men/technology/houses, the word 'girl' in the title – and presumably some great twists (however as you know from before I can’t comment on them).
As I can’t rave about the story I can only focus on the prose which frankly is pretty basic. It does seem to follow the downward trajectory started by ‘Gone Girl’ which was well written to ‘Girl on a Train’ which was enjoyable if a little Sixth Former-ish. Weirdly the author seems to have dispensed with speech marks for the ‘Then’ part of the story, anyone got any idea why this should be? Again I can see what the publishers are after; a page turner, easy reading with not too many taxing words – and on this front ‘The Girl Before’ delivers.
Update!!!
I have now read the whole book and it is better than I expected. I was gripped and wanted to know what happened. My reservations about the title stand - surely the reading public can be convinced to read a book that does not contain the word 'girl'? But if you are after an easy thriller this book will do it for you.