The Girl Before
Books | Fiction / Psychological
3.8
(164)
Rena Olsen
In this powerful psychological suspense debut, when a woman’s life is shattered, she is faced with a devastating question: What if everything she thought was normal and good and true...wasn’t? Clara Lawson is torn from her life in an instant. Without warning, her home is invaded by armed men, and she finds herself separated from her beloved husband and daughters. The last thing her husband yells to her is to say nothing. In chapters that alternate between past and present, the novel slowly unpeels the layers of Clara’s fractured life. We see her growing up, raised with her sisters by the stern Mama and Papa G, becoming a poised and educated young woman, falling desperately in love with the forbidden son of her adoptive parents. We see her now, sequestered in an institution, questioned by men and women who call her a different name—Diana—and who accuse her husband of unspeakable crimes. As recollections of her past collide with new revelations, Clara must question everything she thought she knew, to come to terms with the truth of her history and to summon the strength to navigate her future.
AD
Buy now:
More Details:
Author
Rena Olsen
Pages
320
Publisher
Penguin
Published Date
2016-08-09
ISBN
1101982357 9781101982358
Community ReviewsSee all
"I feel like the person who wrote this either went through this herself, or is a psychologist because their understanding of victimhood, to victimizer, to understanding, and on the path to healing is too realistic to have just come from research. Very good read!"
Brooke Gross-Gilbert
"This book was so good. It was heartbreaking, deep, thrilling, and a mystery. I loved the main character's arc, and her transition from beginning to end was handled flawlessly. This book definitely deals with some heavy topics (just be warned). I hope Olsen writes more books. This was phenomenal, especially for a debut novel. I tore through this and would read it again."
Emily
"Amazing book! I read in one sitting! It's heartbreaking and intriguing. "
Kinsey
"solid 10/10, one of the best books i’ve ever read"
a m
ariana molfetas
"Wow ! Another twisty thriller ! I finished this book in just a few sittings. Clara is a good wife, happily caring for all the young girls her husband Glen brings home to her to raise as their daughters, training them very well to be the good little girls their clients will want... while some parts of this book may be triggering for some they leave out the rough details that could push it over the edge. Absolutely beautiful wvolution of theain character, I wish there was a sequel 💞"
K B
Kori Brown
"I typically stick to my thrillers and suspense novels, but I enjoyed this brief dabble into the more psychological side of the human mind. Clara, the main character, quickly finds out that her life is not as it seems and the reader learns how nature vs nurture can really effect a human being's development as we see how two people who grew up together can become vastly different people. <br/><br/>At times I couldn't tell if the writing was a bit clunky or if it was the narrator and I still haven't come to a conclusion on that. It's difficult to describe entirely, but it's almost as if you had someone to write all your own inner dialogue for you. There was no hemming and hawing. No deliberating. Every word was very well-thought out and it just rang out a bit untrue at times. On the other hand this outcome may lay on the narrator's shoulders for not breathing real life into the main character she was portraying. That being said the narrator did a very good job with the young Clara voice and differentiating the other characters.<br/><br/>All in all, it was a good listen and I enjoyed myself."
Jennifer O'Neill