I am so impressed! It was nothing that I expected in SUCH a great way. 1101982357 I wish I could go into more detail about the book, but you will thank me that I did not!Not sure why this one just didn't do it for me. …. I have signed up to receive info of that day!! . It felt like a really long game of musical chairs, where the music never stops and you just have to keep marching around the chairs. A story of extreme manipulation, degradation, brain-washing and willful ignorance - this was a tough read at times, or in my case, a tough listen. Clara lives the life she has been conditioned to live and when she is forced to confront reality and what she thought was her life she has a hard time accepting who sThe Girl Before by Rena Olsen is a suspense thriller from beginning to end. Captivating! THE GIRL BEFORE is a riveting complex psychological suspense debut by Rena Olsen, where lines are blurred, between victim and perpetrator, from then and now. (somewhere between 3 and 4 stars; may change it later)(somewhere between 3 and 4 stars; may change it later) Putnam's Sons Olsen grew up moving around every few years, following her minister father from church to church, and her exposure to so many different people… More about Rena Olsen. I enjoyed the book a lot, because it is very psychological which I am interested in. I found this book to be a moving experience, but given the subject matter it was also, at time, quite confronting.I found this book to be a moving experience, but given the subject matter it was also, at time, quite confronting.This started out strong.
The character of Clara was flawed, I liked reading about how she did not know why she was taken hostage, Also I like knowing about the cause and effect of why she was taken, her mate telling her to not say anything and how the books was divided. Rena! I had a hard time tearing myself away from this book and was really annoyed when I had to go about doing adult things instead of finishing this right away.I had a hard time tearing myself away from this book and was really annoyed when I had to go about doing adult things instead of finishing this right away.I received a copy of The Girl Before by Rena Olsen through NetGalley for an honest review. The Girl Before by Rena Olsen is a harrowing ordeal of a book that I listened to compulsively for two days straight. Seriously, I cried in public at the ending, that's how good it is. Brainwashing is real. .
As for the bust, because the book is told from Clara’s perspective, we only see what she sees and catalogues as important. A moving story of recovery and responsibility.” —Kirkus Reviews“I couldn’t put it down. THE GIRL BEFORE is a great read though, hard to put down. I was settling into it with eager anticipation. I then read Linda’s review and a lightbulb popped into my head and realized it was about human trafficking. Which made it all the more 'enjoyable', I suppose. There was so much repetition, (never a good thing). Perfect pacing, consistency but one thing that lacked was the characterization. August 9th 2016 Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read The Girl Before. Done in very short chapters of Then and Now, the author does a fantastic job of putting you inside the head space of Diana/Clara as she has only known one life that she can remember, and as she unfolds into an adult who learns her entire life has been a lie. The Verdict: immersive, psychologically astute suspense. I need to pick up all my feelings from the floor and put myself back together again after finishing this book. To create our lis...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 . (Seriously, I did.) . It touches on the very deep subject matter of human trafficking and Stockholm Syndrome. I am scared now as I have a young daughter. “[A] thoughtful look at victims and perpetrators and the difficulties that arise for someone who is both at once. (I think when I looked at it from that angle, it was easier to just view this as a harrowing story of someone having their life uprooted & learning to start again.) This book truly surpassed my expectations, so much so that I wound up crying on public transportation while finishing it. Scenes of interrogation, individual and group therapy sessions, and flashbacks reveal Clara’s training to be an ideal mistress for a wealthy client, a plan that is derailed by her growing relationship and eventual marriage to the heir to the trafficking business. 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. Full review coming on CBTB!! I wish I could go into more detail about the book, but you will thank me that I did not!This novel is a psychological thriller. It touches on the very deep subject matter of human trafficking and Stockholm Syndrome. A story of extreme manipulation, degradation, brain-washing and willful ignorance - this was a tough read at times, or in my case, a tough listen. This isn't really type of story one would enjoy, but it's a necessary tale of survival & reality of what happens under noses, plus, I'm a sucker for all that psychology.