The Strange Case of Jane O.

Reviews / Votes

An extraordinary book. The author takes familiar psychological thriller tropes and throws them up in the air to produce something truly original . . . The flawless storytelling is shared by Jane and Dr Byrd, and produces a narrative that successfully operates on several levels - simultaneously asking questions about the nature of being alive while still being a good old-fashioned page-turner. * Daily Mail * Both moving and unexpected . . . An unusual, involving read. Jane's case is strange indeed; more than that, it lingers in the mind. * Guardian * A mesmerizing tale about the mysteries of the brain, the limits of rationality and the magic of love. * People Magazine * The Strange Case of Jane O. is a brilliant and unforgettable novel, at once a metaphysical thriller, a psychological mystery, and a profound love story-a book for every haunted heart. I couldn't put it down. * Karen Russell, Pulitzer Prize finalist and New York Times bestselling author of Swamplandia! * Heart-expanding . . . inquisitive, brilliantly-crafted. If you enjoyed Kazuo Ishaguro's Never Let Me Go, Stephen Gosz's non-fiction The Examined Life, or The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat, Oliver Sacks, then I think you'll love this novel. * Florence Knapp, author of THE NAMES * A tantalising and satisfying mystery. * Claire Fuller * Mesmerising. * My Weekly * Part deep psychological drama, part twisty, sci-fi-laced mystery, this genre-bending tale is like nothing we've read before . . . when Jane disappears, her case ramps up into a true mystery, stacked with genius, jaw-dropping twists . . . By the time Walker had us hunting for Jane throughout NYC through snippets of CCTV footage, we were questioning reality on every level - and loving every minute of it. * Apple, Best Book of the Month * A page-turning mystery that's simultaneously moving and often nail-biting. * BookPage * In her brilliant and mesmerizing new novel, Karen Thompson Walker invites readers to consider the mystery of the human brain and asks thrilling and vital questions about perception, memory, consciousness, and the limits of our known world. Elegant, propulsive, ingeniously structured, and intellectually rich, The Strange Case of Jane O. is both mind-bending and soul-altering. I loved it. * Jessamine Chan, NYT Bestselling author of The School for Good Mothers * Both visceral and luminous . . . At once quiet and intense, the novel takes an unexpected turn during its final chapters that begs its audience to reread in search of clues. Perfect for readers who like their literary fiction with an edge of psychological mystery. * Library Journal * Scenes vibrate with the high-key hopes and anxieties of adolescence, the inherent loneliness of being a person in the world. * New York Times * A novel that begins quietly becomes an exhilarating and riveting must-read and then read-again. * Kirkus starred review * An astonishing novel-a mind-blowing blend of page-turning mystery and deep philosophical inquiry into the nature of memory and reality itself. Karen Thompson Walker has created an unputdownable book with a haunting twist ending I'll be thinking about for a long time. * Angie Kim, New York Times bestselling author of Happiness Falls and Miracle Creek * The mesmerizing latest from Walker (The Age of Miracles) is a fantastical tale of a mother's mysterious visions and memory lapses . . . As [the] tone becomes more confessional, the narrative opens up an alluring vision of how personal history and memory intertwine. This one is tough to shake. * Publishers Weekly * A captivating, deeply psychological novel with restrained yet potent characterisations that jump off the page. I couldn't put it down. * Lisa Ballantyne, author of The Guilty One * Stunning. I know I'm going to think about this book for the rest of my life. * Deborah O' Connor * I absolutely loved this astonishing novel. It's so beautifully written, with a central puzzle - elegantly narrated, and deeply, deeply unnerving . . . It's a subtle, eerie and profoundly moving story, truly haunting, and I can't recommend it highly enough. * Amanda Mason, author of The Wayward Girls * A master of building tension, Walker has written a thought-provoking novel that lingers long after the final page. * Seattle Times * [Karen Thompson Walker] creates what is in effect a case study - both of a young mother, Jane O., and the psychiatrist treating her . . . Dr Henry Byrd tries to find out what's going on in her head, and thereby finds out plenty about himself. * Brisbane Times * An extraordinary book. The author takes familiar psychological thriller tropes and throws them up in the air to produce something truly original . . . The flawless storytelling is shared by Jane and Dr Byrd, and produces a narrative that successfully operates on several levels - simultaneously asking questions about the nature of being alive while still being a good old-fashioned page-turner. * Daily Mail * Both moving and unexpected . . . An unusual, involving read. Jane's case is strange indeed; more than that, it lingers in the mind. * Guardian * A mesmerizing tale about the mysteries of the brain, the limits of rationality and the magic of love. * People Magazine * The Strange Case of Jane O. is a brilliant and unforgettable novel, at once a metaphysical thriller, a psychological mystery, and a profound love story-a book for every haunted heart. I couldn't put it down. * Karen Russell, Pulitzer Prize finalist and New York Times bestselling author of Swamplandia! * Heart-expanding . . . inquisitive, brilliantly-crafted. If you enjoyed Kazuo Ishaguro's Never Let Me Go, Stephen Gosz's non-fiction The Examined Life, or The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat, Oliver Sacks, then I think you'll love this novel. * Florence Knapp, author of THE NAMES * A tantalising and satisfying mystery. * Claire Fuller * Mesmerising. * My Weekly * Part deep psychological drama, part twisty, sci-fi-laced mystery, this genre-bending tale is like nothing we've read before . . . when Jane disappears, her case ramps up into a true mystery, stacked with genius, jaw-dropping twists . . . By the time Walker had us hunting for Jane throughout NYC through snippets of CCTV footage, we were questioning reality on every level - and loving every minute of it. * Apple, Best Book of the Month * A page-turning mystery that's simultaneously moving and often nail-biting. * BookPage * In her brilliant and mesmerizing new novel, Karen Thompson Walker invites readers to consider the mystery of the human brain and asks thrilling and vital questions about perception, memory, consciousness, and the limits of our known world. Elegant, propulsive, ingeniously structured, and intellectually rich, The Strange Case of Jane O. is both mind-bending and soul-altering. I loved it. * Jessamine Chan, NYT Bestselling author of The School for Good Mothers * Both visceral and luminous . . . At once quiet and intense, the novel takes an unexpected turn during its final chapters that begs its audience to reread in search of clues. Perfect for readers who like their literary fiction with an edge of psychological mystery. * Library Journal * Scenes vibrate with the high-key hopes and anxieties of adolescence, the inherent loneliness of being a person in the world. * New York Times * A novel that begins quietly becomes an exhilarating and riveting must-read and then read-again. * Kirkus starred review * An astonishing novel-a mind-blowing blend of page-turning mystery and deep philosophical inquiry into the nature of memory and reality itself. Karen Thompson Walker has created an unputdownable book with a haunting twist ending I'll be thinking about for a long time. * Angie Kim, New York Times bestselling author of Happiness Falls and Miracle Creek * The mesmerizing latest from Walker (The Age of Miracles) is a fantastical tale of a mother's mysterious visions and memory lapses . . . As [the] tone becomes more confessional, the narrative opens up an alluring vision of how personal history and memory intertwine. This one is tough to shake. * Publishers Weekly * A captivating, deeply psychological novel with restrained yet potent characterisations that jump off the page. I couldn't put it down. * Lisa Ballantyne, author of The Guilty One * Stunning. I know I'm going to think about this book for the rest of my life. * Deborah O' Connor * I absolutely loved this astonishing novel. It's so beautifully written, with a central puzzle - elegantly narrated, and deeply, deeply unnerving . . . It's a subtle, eerie and profoundly moving story, truly haunting, and I can't recommend it highly enough. * Amanda Mason, author of The Wayward Girls * A master of building tension, Walker has written a thought-provoking novel that lingers long after the final page. * Seattle Times * [Karen Thompson Walker] creates what is in effect a case study - both of a young mother, Jane O., and the psychiatrist treating her . . . Dr Henry Byrd tries to find out what's going on in her head, and thereby finds out plenty about himself. * Brisbane Times *