I was really drawn to the premise of this book and eager to read. The story is told from two perspectives – Jane, who begins experiencing amnesia and hallucinations, and the psychiatrist she turns to after being found in a park with no memory of how she got there.

I found the mystery element engaging and intriguing, and I enjoyed how the story unfolded through the alternating perspectives of Jane and Dr. Byrd. However, the book ended up being quite different from what I had expected. It’s listed as literary and science fiction, but I also saw it tagged as a psychological thriller, which led me to anticipate a different kind of story. I was waiting for that element to emerge with each page turn. While it does have psychological and police procedural aspects, at its heart, it’s a story about memory, fate and love.

If you enjoy reflective, genre-blurring narratives, this could be one for you! Likewise, if you enjoy love stories but weren’t sure about this one based on the description, I’d recommend giving it a try.

Thank you to Manilla and NetGalley for the ARC.

This was a cracking read. A delicious mix of so many genres - a suspense,a thriller, a love story and a sprinkle of sci fi/ psychological twitsts.
I didn't know what to expect or where this one was going and I loved that. Kept me turning pages way too late in the night. Recommend.

#Netgalley #Gifted

I’m a big fan of Karen Thompson Walker’s books; I loved both The Dreamers, and The Age of Miracles, so I had high hopes for her new novel, and thankfully I wasn’t disappointed.

Set in New York in 2018, we’re introduced to Jane O, via both her own diary entries, and the case notes of her psychiatrist Dr Henry Byrd. Jane went missing for a day, unintentionally leaving her young son in the care of crèche workers overnight. The next day Jane is found in a park, seemingly unharmed, with no recollection of where she’s been or what happened.

Dr. Byrd is perplexed by this short-term amnesia, and becomes more involved in Jane’s case in an effort to find a solution for this bizarre incident. Jane also has a form of autobiographical memory called hyperthymesia, so she can remember every tiny detail outside of these amnesiac breaks. Soon it happens again, this time Jane takes her son with her, and with more serious consequences.

This is really just the bare bones of this storyline; to say more would be revealing too much, and I feel this is one you need to go into with a clear and open mind!
One thing I love about this author is how her books have an almost dream-like quality but are also fully grounded in reality. It feels a bit mind-bending at times, in the best possible way.
I spent the book guessing as to what was happening, but of course, at the end, Thompson Walker pieces it all together perfectly like a jigsaw puzzle. Very satisfying!

I really enjoyed this neat little piece of sci-fi/mystery/speculative fiction.
At times it has similar vibes to Emily St. John Mandel’s writing; another author I love.
This is a slower burn. Take your time with it and you’ll be rewarded with a thought-provoking and thoughtful story, that you’ll be pondering for some time after you finish it. Recommend!

With many thanks @netgalley and @bonnierbooks_uk for my early ebook copy. All opinions are my own, as always. #TheStrangeCaseOfJaneO is available to buy now.

I really liked that the story was told from two separate points of view - Jane who is writing to her baby son Caleb and Dr Henry Byrd who is a psychiatrist and Jane becomes his patient.

Jane comes into the office of Henry and insists they met twenty years ago when she came to see him. She tells him that something has happened but doesn’t seem to want to give too many details. She leaves the office and Henry doesn’t see her for a while until she is found in a park with no memory of how she got there. Henry is intrigued and wants to see more of Jane and help her piece everything together. Jane can’t remember anything about the blackout and her baby son was left at nursery and she can’t find any memory of the episode at all.

Henry works with Jane and quickly establishes that she has an amazing memory and can remember every detail of his office from twenty years previously but her memory totally failed her in relation to the blackout. Jane suffers another, much longer, blackout and this time she takes her son with her.

Henry thinks she is suffering from some sort of disassociative condition and has to convince the police that Jane isn’t pretending that she can’t remember anything.

Henry starts to think he may feel more for Jane than he should but can’t stop himself from digging more into her background and her condition.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. It was a book full of twists and surprises and i enjoyed it.

This is quite a tough book to review. I read it as part of an online book club and loved the title and blurb of the book. I thought it was going to be a mystery with a twist which it was, it not a twist that I had imagined

It is obviously centred around the life of Jane O and her son, her psychiatrist Dr Byrd and her parents. Jane goes missing and when she returns has no recollection of anything from the time she was missing. This wouldn’t be unusual for most people but Jane has an incredible memory and can remember, with clarity, what happened on any given day at a particular time.

The. Ok started brilliantly, a typical mystery with several characters and an unexplained happening. Although the rest of the book was really interesting, it read more like a text book than a novel which slightly took the shine off it for me. The ending was ok, for a text/non-fiction book but somewhat lacking for a novel.

I will rate this book ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ because it was incredibly interesting but I hadn’t chosen this to “learn” anything

An intriguing and complex novel, which follows Jane O. through her psychiatrist's patient notes and her own letters to her young son.

Jane has blackouts, hallucinations and a feeling of fear and dread, after giving birth to her son. Surely more than post-natal depression? Dr. Byrd, her psychiatrist, seems equally baffled and there is a slight sense of the supernatural when Jane seems to have contact with his deceased wife and memories that seem impossible for her to have.

The writing is quite clinical, due to the nature of the story being told through medical notes and this gives a creepy vibe which fits the story perfectly. There were some unresolved elements to the story which I'm undecided on in terms of whether I need the answer or can draw my own conclusion, so there's food for thought at the end of the book.

3 ⭐️ Thanks to Netgalley, Karen Thompson Walker and Bonnier for an ARC in return for an honest review.

I previously read and enjoyed The Dreamers by the same author when I read it a while back so I was intrigued to see what she had in store for me this time. And I wasn't disappointed.
We start with a woman, Jane, who, during her first year of motherhood starts to suffer from strange episodes. The first one being apparent when she fails to collect her son from nursery, and disappears, only to be found a day later unconscious in a park with no memory of what happened to her.
Her story is told through the journals of her psychiatrist Henry Byrd initially, with later additions in the form of letters to her son Caleb. And, to be honest, apart from teasing you with the addition of a character from Jane's past who died a fair few years ago, I am saying nothing more about the plot of this book. In fact, my advise to you would be to go in as cold and blind as you can as discover all the mind-bending delights this book has to offer in your own time, as the author intended...
Suffice to say that even a couple of weeks after finishing it, I am still thinking about it and gagging to get my hands on the Audiobook when it is released so I can revisit it. I don't re-read, I don't have the luxury of time to do so, but I do re-listen certain books. I also, about half way through, completely gave up trying to work out what was going on. I think I had a better time once I made the decision to just go with the flow.
Characterisation, as you might expect, is a bit tricky to talk about, especially that of Jane who is one of the most complex characters I have come across in a while. But again, you need to meet her as the author intends. Dr Byrd is also a funny fish, not a professional as he should be, and his connection to Jane is intriguing.
I would say that reading this book is kinda like playing a game of chess. There is a lot of positional play for the most of the book, setting the scene, introducing certain topics and other characters, until eventually everything is in place for the final denouement which both shocked and satisfied. I say that even though it also left me pondering some...
It also intrigued me so much, and I connected (eventually) with Jane so well, that I was actually rather sad to have to say goodbye to her at the end. I would absolutely love to reconnect with her in a future book as I wholeheartedly believe she has much more to give.
My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

This was a different kind of book to read! I liked the dual perspectives, from Jane and Dr Byrd.

It wasn't what I was expecting but definitely kept my interest. I'd say it's psychological, with a little bit of sci-fi mixed in.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Strange Case of Jane O
By Karen Thompson Walker

A brief recap of my long, gushing and somehow lost earlier review.

A fascinating exploration of memory and how it compares to reality. The novel alternates between the clinical notes of Jane's psychiatrist told in objective, analytical style, and Jane's letters to her young son which offer a more emotional, intimate perspective of her perplexing condition and her past experiences. There are many similarities between the two narratives, but also quite a few differences, some subtle, some, not so subtle, and through these variations we are invited to speculate on how reliable either narrative is.

This novel touches on so many ways that memory can be edited, warped, thwarted and revised, blurring the lines between personal truth and reality. I love stories that contain psychological and psychiatric study and this one captured my imagination from the first page. Even the metaphysical element somehow gave me pause for thought.

A suspenseful and compelling read that delivers an emotional and intellectual punch.

Publication Date: 6th March 2025
Thanks to #Netgalley and ##BonnierBooks for providing an eGalley for review purposes

This was a very intense read that dealt with the memory loss in a way that definitely made me question things,

In this spellbinding novel, we follow a young woman who suffers from a series of unexplainable psychological afflictions, amnesia, hallucinations, premonitions, and a sense of foreboding
As Jane's psychiatrist grapples to understand what is happening to her mind, Jane goes missing. A day later, she is found unconscious in a park but has no recollection of how she ended up there and what happened in her waking hours before.
The novel is told from two points of view, her psychiatrist which reads like a doctors case file and from Jane as she writes letters to her son describing what she has experienced.
The writing is beautiful, yet also simplistic, which really works well to form an indepth character study.

Both narrators are quite unreliable at points, and this did tend to throw me out of the story slightly as I struggled to see what was reality and what was imaginary but I also think this was to be expected. I also found the ending slightly confusing, but overall, this was such a fascinating read. I've never read anything like this before, and the uniqueness of The Strange Case Of Jane O meant I really enjoyed it.

This goes into quite a lot of depth from a psychological point of view, which I personally loved, and it didn't feel rushed at all. A novel of what it means to remember, I would recommend this one if you're looking to read something a little different.

The Strange Case of Jane O. by Karen Thompson Walker | Pub Date Mar 06 2025
This novel is a beautiful exploration of memory, identity, and the complexities of the human mind. The story centers on Jane, who begins to lose her memories in an increasingly surreal and disorienting ways. And Dr.Byrd, a psychiatrist, wants to figure this her blackouts and understand their nature. So, the narrative unfolds from both of their perspectives, which adds a layer of intrigue. This dual viewpoint creates an atmospheric, captivating experience that draws readers deep into Jane’s disorienting world.

I have to admit, Karen Thompson Walker does an exceptional job with her writing - it’s both lyrical and poignant. She perfectly captures the fragile nature of self-awareness while keeping the reader hooked with a deep sense of mystery, leaving you reflecting long after you’ve turned the last page.

I'd recommend this book for those who likes fiction with a touch of psychological intrigue that gives you a sense of unease. It is a beautiful work that shows us how we hold onto who we are - and what happens when we start to forget.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for providing me this ARC in exchange on my honest review.

right lets start with how much i enjoyed this book.
but from there on in it will be hard to give a satisfying review! because i think it will be appropriate for some and not others. and even then it needs to sit well in the time the reader is ready for it. because it takes thought. it take empathy. and it does take knowledge or the calm and thoughtful approach to those possibly suffering with mental illness. or at least open to not being (todays society sadly) critical of anyone with those kind of ailments. i suppose it actually just take a person with a kind mind. which sadly is getting fewer and far between.
but for me it was a winner. because it just showed how someone brain is just like anything else in the body. its something that can suffer injury. and might get a little broken and need help. and might not be what doctors can completely figure out how to heal from the start or even what is quite wrong with this broken piece.
so when Jane comes for help with her blackouts and other such ailments it is up to Dr Byrd to try be the one to help. and what could her own mind be trying to protect her from or telling her.
its a great read. and i dont mean to be heavy in the above. it doesnt need someone doing a master in psychology lol. and it could actually teach a fair few people something.
and its an intriguing and well told story from dual perspective.

Karen Thompson Walker’s The Strange Case of Jane O is an engrossing novel told through the dual perspective of a psychiatrist's case notes and the patient's writings. Jane suffers from blackouts, and Dr. Byrd seeks to understand if her blackouts are real, If they are real, what is causing them? The novel is a psychological mystery that is all about identity and fragmentation--how we compartmentalise ourselves into various versions of ourselves to deal with grief and pain. When we do that, we often find that we lose ourselves metaphorically and literally.

I found Thompson Walker's book compelling and emotionally satisfying. I was struck by how readers are left to piece together the narrative fragments into a complete (or not so complete) picture. We are given credit for being intelligent and being empathetic enough to Jane's story. I appreciate when an author treats her readers with care and consideration. Definitely recommended.

I’m still not entirely sure how I felt about this book. It follows both Jane (told through diary entries) and her therapist as they try to piece together what happened to Jane and what her memory is hiding from her.

It was not quite a thriller and not quite completely supernatural but it just wasn’t really for me. It’s hard to review without giving away the plot but i’d recommend going in blind and finding out if it’s the book for you or not.

A young woman, Jane O, arrives in a psychiatrist's office. She's been suffering a series of worrying episodes: amnesia, premonitions, hallucinations and an inexplicable sense of dread. But as the psychiatrist struggles to solve the mystery of what is happening in Jane's mind, she suddenly goes missing. When she is found a day later, unconscious in a park, she has no memory of what has happened to her.

I don’t know how to explain this book except to say that it’s intriguing but it’s very slow. There is a lot of medical information but the characters are built well. The writing is excellent but the pacing meant that I struggled to keep going in places.

I really enjoyed this book it was so different and although it started slow it was a read that I just couldn’t put down. It was an intriguing mystery and had my head spinning as I tried to figure out what was real and what wasn’t making it a fabulous puzzle of what was going on in the mind of Jane the main character.
It’s an impossible book to describe to be honest and is told from two perspectives, Jane and Dr Bryd and this works really well. Twisty and mind bogglingly clever I raced through the pages as was desperate to know how it all was going to end and it was a very satisfying end I’m happy to say and very different to what I was expecting!
So an excellent and enjoyable read that I can highly recommend.
My thanks to NetGalley and Bonnier Books UK, Manilla Press for giving me the opportunity to read the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I’ve read and loved The Dreamers by Karen Thompson Walker and was keen to read this latest book.

Sadly I don’t think this one was for me. I found it really slow and found the psychiatrist a little frustrating.

Thank you to #NetGalley for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

This is my first Karen Thompson Walker book, but after reading it I will definitely be looking for her other books.

I initially thought this would be like Matthew Blake's Anna O, but apart from the addition of an "O" by her name, it was completely different.

A personal note here. At about 5% of the way through, there is a mention of Functional Neurological Disorder, which is the condition I have. It's barely known in the medical field let alone outside of it. And so to see it mentioned in a mainstream novel gave me great pleasure, which I think you'll only understand if you've gone through the same thing.

It is narrated mostly by the psychiatrist that treated her, but on a couple of occasions we get to read Jane's journal, which gives us two different perspectives of what's going on which I think was more interesting than if it had just been straight narrative from a third person's perspective.

Is Karen knowledgeable in the ways of the brain or of psychiatry? Because she's gone into so much detail that it's hard to believe it's all from research, it all sounds so detailed and real, with such understanding.

It didn't have that real fast-paced, breathless, edge-of-your-seat thrill that I was initially expecting, but it doesn't really matter. It's so cleverly written, you still get that thrill but it's softer, more contained. It's the very definition of a psychological thriller.

Because of how gentle it is and how clever it is, I wasn't expecting so many twists and turns which was a nice surprise. There was so much I didn't see coming and yet in hindsight it fits so well. I kept thinking I'd cracked it and then something would happen to turn it on it's head, but there was no way I saw the conclusion coming.

It only really has two characters. Yes there are background characters and side characters, but really we only have Jane, and her psychiatrist Dr Byrd. Which is a risky thing to do because, if for whatever reason you don't like one of them, you haven't really got any other options. It can also feel boring and repetitive if you're only reading the two names but I think it would be a detriment to have more people. It's a busy enough story as it is without having to remember who Tom, Dick or Harry are. It also adds to this sense of secrecy and the unknown

It's really moving. Most thrillers aren't, they're scary and tense. This had so much heart in it that I couldn't help but be taken in by Jane and Dr Byrd.

Psychological thriller, mystery, sci-fi, fantasy—what was it? Probably a mix of everything. It’s hard to discuss the book without giving away the plot or ending. You should definitely go into this blind, avoiding spoilers. The mystery and solving it were the most intriguing aspects of the story.

I really enjoyed the storytelling from two perspectives: Jane, the patient, and her psychologist.

The premise was intriguing, and the beginning was gripping. The author did a great job of muddling your mind, adding layers of confusion as you keep wondering and second-guessing yourself. However, it eventually became frustrating, as every clue or detail seemed to be contradicted or overturned just a few pages later. By the end, I felt tired and increasingly annoyed. The ending was disappointing—unsurprising, superficial, and leaving many questions unanswered. It started off great but ended poorly.