Review: The Girl Before by J.P. Delaney
The Girl Before by J.P. DelaneyMy rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
Ballantine Books
Publishes 1/24/17
Do you ever read those books that you flew through, loved each page and then the ending comes and you get it, you like it, but it just leaves you kind of meh? I keep going back and forth with what I think and how I felt. But rather than stew on it, I decided to write this review based on my initial thoughts. It's hard to express how you feel about things that happen in a book without giving too much of it away. If you have read this and would like to discuss please get in touch! I would love to get into the nitty gritty!
We follow the lives of Emma (and her boyfriend, Simon) and Jane - two damaged women who end up living on One Folger Street - a domicile of extreme minimalism and 200 rules to abide by. The story unfolds from Emma's perspective (who lived there before Jane) parallel to Jane's perspective in her process of gaining approval and then moving into the house. Edward is the architect who built the house and has a distinct personality - on the OCD side - in which he lives by certain rules and want his women to do the same. If they don't, it's no longer perfect and he moves on. He pretty much caters to no one but himself and yet women are drawn to his "nonchalant" yet take charge attitude.
One Folger Street is affordable because whoever decides to live there are automatically test subjects. They live by certain rules and must answer various surveys... certain features such as the shower, may be disabled until the surveys are complete. They will be monitored and lifestyle changes will be strongly suggested to help them live a more perfect life. But to what cost? How far will Edward go to create the perfect life? (Side note though - a shower that automatically knows my temperature setting is a win for me!)
I've heard people discussing the similarities between Edward and Christian Grey. While I may not have read the 50 Shades of Grey books, I did see the first movie and I just don't see it. Because of the controlled sex? I think it does it a disservice to compare the two when the circumstances are completely different. Maybe the books portray something different that makes it more so, but this is where I stand on that comparison.
I was engaged throughout this entire book. I needed to know what happened from chapter to chapter. I did feel there was some repetitiveness but that certainly was to show the similarities in Emma and Jane's parallel world. I was kept on my toes all the way til the end of the book and loved the little twists thrown in at the end. However, I did feel that the ending was tied up a little too neatly in a little bow for my taste and one particular part felt a bit out there. I am torn but will keep this at 3.5 stars.
Good for a quick, entertaining read of a thriller that keeps you guessing until the end.
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