The Girl He Used to Know: A Novel

This book started out somewhat slow then in the middle it took off. I felt like the author gave you more knowledge of the characters and their personality. I knew that Annika was a high functioning autistic person from the very beginning but this wasn't mentioned until the middle. Was it to make the reader guess?The ending allowed Annika to prove herself and her courage showed how much she loved Jonathan. The ending really was fantastic. I love this author and hope to see another book soon!

What a moving, emotional, and beautiful story! I’m not sure what exactly I was expecting when I began this book but I promise you, it was far more than anything I could have dreamed. Ten years ago Annika was finally finding a way to live her life as normally as possible. It wasn’t perfect by everyone else’s standards, but with the help of her roommate she began to acclimate to a world she was unprepared for. Having been the subject of bullying and emotional taunts, even from those she thought she could trust, she finds it difficult to rely on her own impressions of the people around her. Namely, Jonathan who has insinuated himself first into her chess club and now into her life. Jonathan was everything sweet and kind, patient and loving and exactly what Annika needed. He fights with a gentle ferocity to get through to her and is rewarded with her heart. But when the unthinkable happens and Annika falls into a dark place, he is left with his own broken dreams. This story was so incredibly moving. So much so that I can’t find the words to adequately describe it. The author takes us through this couple’s first meeting to their reunion years later with all the angst and heartache along the way. I smiled, I winced, I laughed and I cried over the journey Annika had to survive. There wasn’t a single page that I didn’t feel some type of emotion. This story is just layer upon layer of emotions. From Annika’s struggles to fit in, to accepting Jonathan into her life, to this ending that was so very shocking and gut clinching, I was a mixed ball of anxiety. I don’t want to give anything away because getting to know these characters is all part of the experience but watching this heroine evolve is one of the most beautiful stories I’ve read in a very long time. While I absolutely loved this book, I was very disappointed at its abrupt ending. It looks and feels like a happy ever after even while it doesn’t. I desperately needed an epilogue. I need to know that everything really is alright. For the hard fist that landed in my chest at the conclusion, I have to deduct a star. Perhaps if the author releases a bonus chapter/epilogue I may revise it, but until then I will be unhappy with the ending of a story that was wonderful until that point. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book provided by NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

What an incredibly rich and captivating journey. Annika is a beautiful spirit, incredibly intelligent but struggles with understanding daily life’s social nuances. She made me smile as I experienced the world through her eyes with the challenges and her frustrations. In college she finds a best friend, Janice, who is that BFF we all need that is there no matter what happens. Then through chess, she meets Jonathan. I loved how this is a second chance romance for Annika and Jonathan and the story unfolds taking us back to the past to learn how they met, fell in love and drifted apart. Getting the dual POV delivers the added layers to the story to learn of Jonathan’s struggles in college as well as his dreams and passions. This story threw me several curve balls which kept me enthralled as a reader. I don’t want to give away any of these surprises. Just know that this is a beautifully crafted love story that also delivers on the belief in hope, faith and trust in humankind.