The Girl He Used to Know: A Novel

4.5 stars Tracey Garvis Graves is one of my favorite authors. I fell in love with her story-telling abilities when I first read On the Island. So any book by her is a must-read for me. The Girl He Used to Know is a beautiful second-chance romance about two amazing characters that find and elevate each other for the better. Annika is a unique and amazing person, and there were a couple of scenes that broke my heart. Jonathan, who is a great guy, learns quickly how to socialize and put her at ease. Of course they both aren't perfect, and unintentionally they hurt the other. I will not really go into the plot because the synopsis of this book is perfect in my opinion. I also think you should just dive in blind and just experience the beautiful love between these great characters. "Life isn't easy for anyone. We all have challenges. We all face adversity. It's how we overcome it that makes us who we are." I just loved that the author took her time including flashbacks to tell how these to met and fell in love. I was glad that the flashbacks weren't overwhelming or take over the whole story. Because I do have a love/hate relationship with flashbacks. Sometimes it can be a bit too much, but that wasn't the case for this book. The individual character development was really good, and you could really see a growth, especially in Annika. The last quarter of the book was very emotional, and I was tense and on the edge of my seat. It was such an emotional roller coaster for me. I honestly wouldn't change anything about this book, but I really would've loved an epilogue. I felt like this book needed one. I just wasn't ready to say goodbye and I wanted to see more of Annika and Jonathan.

4.5 stars. This story is very fascinating. Annika is a young woman who doesn't quite fit in or see the world the way most people do. She doesn't pick up on normal social cues and noisy places and crowds ramp up her anxiety. Jonathan meets Annika at the chess club and immediately feels a strong pull and attraction to her. They slowly form a friendship that eventually turns into a relationship and Annika relies heavily on Jonathan's strength and protection to get through the tumult of college life and acclimating in society. Until something pretty terrible turns their lives upside down. Something that Annika doesn't have the capacity to deal with, even with Jonathan's help. I'm getting ahead of myself here, the book starts out in present day (2001), with Annika bumping into Jonathan, who she hasn't seen for ten years. It is quite a surprise for her, and something totally out of her normal day to day, but she handles it quite well. Soon enough they start spending time together again, and Jonathan quickly sees that Annika has made great strides in how she deals with things that most people would not think twice about but that she has always struggled with. The story alternates between present day (2001) and their college days of 1991 when they first met and started a relationship. It was clear to me that Annika suffered some form of social anxiety and was at least borderline on the Autism spectrum, but back in 1991 it wasn't something that much was known about, much less talked about. And it was often something that people made fun of, and didn't make life easy for people who suffered anxiety and the symptoms associated with ASD. But Johnathan had incredible patience with Annika and it was clear to see why she bonded so well with him. Tracey does an amazing job of leading the reader through the journey these two college kids were on, building excitement that they were going to have a great future together, that love conquers all. Until something happens that tears at the fabric of their relationship, until the seam is so frayed there's nothing left to hold them together. That was heartbreaking, truly. The excitement builds again in present day, as these two people spend time together and catch each other up on everything that has happened in their lives for the past ten years. I waited with bated breath reading the present day chapters because they kept teasing whatever it was that tore them apart, until those past chapters finally revealed what it was. I admit, I shed a few tears at the loss of such a beautiful connection these two people had. Even after all Annika and Jonathan had been through, life up and throws another huge obstacle at them. I couldn't turn the pages fast enough to see if Annika was going to be able to rise to the challenge. All I wanted was for these two to be together! It's been ten years that they've lost, surely they deserve to find their happily ever after! What an intricate tale Tracey has woven in this story. I could keep reading about Annika and Johnathan for years to come. My only complaint about this book would be that the ending was wrapped up too quickly. I feel like there was a little more that needed to be fleshed out at the end before Annika and Jonathan rode off into the sunset. With as monumental as the events were that occur towards the end, I feel like the reader needs a little more substance with how Annika and Johnathan's story concludes. With the way it ends currently, I'm left saying, "that's it?" Yes it is happy and yes I am glad, but I feel unbalanced and need more happy stuff to even it out. That's just me, I readily admit I am greedy and want it all!

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.