The Girl Before

“Dr. Mulligan???s eyes look sad, and my fears are confirmed. I am not normal. My beautiful relationship with Glen is not right.”

While I don't recall the sex being explicit, I need to clearly state the plot revolves strongly around issues of physical, sexual, and psychological abuse, much of it concerning underage characters, some of it done to the main character, some of it perpetrated by the main character.

Explosions or introspection? This is the way I ask/share if the story relies on a lot of action or if it's more suited to people who are looking for a more thought-provoking story. This is decidedly in the latter camp, because the story is the journey of the main character to understanding the nature of her life – what's been done to her body, mind, past, and what she has been drafted to do to others. Not a lot “happens,” overall, other than in flashback.

“Clara” has been conditioned to see the abnormal as normal, to have a warped understanding of marriage and family. She might be frustrating for some reasons in her utter initial denial, the walls she's built in order to live her life. At least some of the people around her after she is taken from her home are frustrated as well. But I couldn't help but root for her, to take joy in her breakthroughs.

I read The Girl Before several months ago, and I can say it's one of the stories that most stuck with me in 2016. I'd have to call it in my top 5 reads of last year. Because of it being so introspective, because of “Clara” being so unable to see her own life at first, this is probably not the read for everyone, but I loved it. The story impacted me, and the author clearly knew a lot about the various topics.

I'd love for The Girl Before to find an appreciative audience!