Skip to content
  • HOME
  • THE DREAMER
    • CONTACT
  • DISCLOSURES
  • HOME
  • custom-logo
  • THE DREAMER
    • CONTACT
  • DISCLOSURES
Books

Book Review // Girl Unknown by Karen Perry

March 1, 2018 Crystal // Dreams, etc. 8 comments
Book Review // Girl Unknown by Karen Perry

About Girl Unknown

Hardcover: 304 pages
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (February 6, 2018)

“Explores emotional danger with relentless, surgical accuracy.”
— Tana French, New York Times bestselling author of The Trespasser and Into the Woods

David and Caroline Connolly are swimming successfully through their marriage’s middle years–raising two children; overseeing care for David’s ailing mother; leaning into their careers, both at David’s university teaching job, where he’s up for an important promotion, and at the ad agency where Caroline has recently returned to work after years away while the children were little. The recent stresses of home renovation and of a brief romantic betrayal (Caroline’s) are behind them. The Connollys know and care for each other deeply. Then one early fall afternoon, a student of sublime, waiflike beauty appears in David’s university office and says, “I think you might be my father.” And the fact of a youthful passion that David had tried to forget comes rushing back. In the person of this intriguing young woman, the Connollys may have a chance to expand who they are and how much they can love, or they may be making themselves vulnerable to menace. They face either an opportunity or a threat–but which is which? What happens when their hard-won family happiness meets a hard-luck beautiful girl?

My Thoughts

I loved how atmospheric this is and really enjoyed the writing. It was a book I was always excited to sit down on the couch with the pup and get back into. This moves a little slower than some thrillers, so it’s not necessarily the type of book that keeps you on the edge of your seat. I wanted to come back to it, though. It has some of my favorite things: tense family dynamics, a college setting, beautiful writing to tell the story. I’ll keep an eye out for more books from this author duo.

Praise

Full of intrigue and incident–keeps us guessing until the very last tragic page.  Liz Nugent, bestselling author of Unraveling Oliver and of Lying in Wait

Compulsively readable, with surprises until the very last page. . . . A chilling tale about a family under threat from one of its own.  Jessica Treadway, author of Lacy Eye and How Will I Know You?

“[Girl Unknown] is must-read literary suspense, with dueling character perspectives and sly twists forming a gut-wrenching exploration of trust, manipulation, and obsession.  Booklist (starred review)

Purchase Links

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | IndieBound

Photo by Edmund Ross Photography

About Karen Perry

Karen Perry is the pen name of Dublin-based authors Paul Perry and Karen Gillece. Together they wrote Girl Unkown.

Paul Perry is the author of a number of critically acclaimed books. A recipient of the Hennessy Award for New Irish Writing, he teaches creative writing at University College, Dublin.

Karen Gillece is the author of several critically acclaimed novels. In 2009 she won the European Union Prize for Literature (Ireland).

Connect with them on Facebook.

About Crystal

About Crystal

Hi! I'm Crystal, a millennial learning how to live slowly and sustainably, while still seeking adventure and following my dreams, etc.

Post navigation

Book Review // The Last Days of Oscar Wilde by John Vanderslice
Book Review // Look for Her by Emily Winslow

8 comments

  1. shootingstarsmag says:
    March 2, 2018 at 3:12 pm

    Thanks for your honest thoughts. I’m glad to hear you enjoyed this one, and you were always excited to get back to it even if it was a bit slower than most thrillers.

    -Lauren
    http://www.shootingstarsmag.net

    Reply
  2. Akaleistar says:
    March 2, 2018 at 6:46 pm

    I like the sound of this!

    Reply
  3. Rachel @ It's A Hero says:
    March 2, 2018 at 7:22 pm

    Oooh! This book sounds RIGHT up my alley!

    Reply
  4. Ashley Solberg says:
    March 2, 2018 at 9:21 pm

    Sounds like such a fabulous read! I kinda like when they aren’t all fast paced, otherwise I read compulsively and can’t put them down hehe!

    Reply
  5. Kia says:
    March 2, 2018 at 9:25 pm

    This sounds like an interesting book even if it is a little slow. I may have to add this to my reading list! I’m definitely trying to make more time to read this year.

    Reply
  6. Taylor Reese says:
    March 4, 2018 at 8:48 am

    Sounds good! I like that I know it will move slowly ahead of time. Thanks for the review. Can’t wait to add to my reading list.

    xo
    Taylor
    http://www.reeseshardwear.com

    Reply
  7. Charlotte says:
    March 4, 2018 at 9:16 am

    This sounds like an interesting read! I always love a good thriller; wish it were a bit more edge-of-your-seat, but the fact that you wanted to keep returning to it speaks highly of the writing and storyline itself. Thanks for the recommendation, and hope you’re enjoying your weekend! XOXO

    Reply
  8. Kate • The Gold Sister says:
    March 4, 2018 at 10:11 pm

    This sounds like such a good book! I’m not a huge thriller fan (afraid of the dark over here) but I’m gonna add this to my list.

    Thanks for sharing!

    Reply

Share Your Thoughts! Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

hi!

I'm Crystal, the storyteller behind Dreams, etc. I'm all about learning how to live slowly & sustainably, while also seeking adventure as we follow our dreams, etc.

Picture it. It’s the day after Thanksgiving. I d Picture it. It’s the day after Thanksgiving. I didn’t go on my weekly dam walk earlier in the week when I was excited about it. On this day I was tired after a long week and my least favorite holiday. My bed was oh so comfortable. I forced myself to roll out of bed and journey to the dam. It was filled with people and I was pokey…taking my time to get there and even journeying down one of the other paths to avoid walking across the dam. (Which isn’t long.) I finally joined the crowd and walked across. And then came back, happy to have made my weekly journey. This is when the top layer of the water started to freeze.
From March: an old mini vlog from a bagpipe rock c From March: an old mini vlog from a bagpipe rock concert, which is mostly me trying the say bagpipe rock. Some word combinations are hard! 😂 There was a sign asking us not to film, which is why there’s no concert footage.
Some of my weekly dam walks have been therapeutic Some of my weekly dam walks have been therapeutic and while the walks haven’t fixed the problems, they’ve help me breathe and connect with the world and relieve stress. 💕
April 2023. We got more snow, but it also melted. April 2023. We got more snow, but it also melted. The dam was almost overflowing. The animals are beginning to emerge. Spring is here!
Happy Independent Bookstore Day! After a coffee st Happy Independent Bookstore Day! After a coffee stop (of course) a friend and I checks out two indie bookstores that we have never been to before. I definitely want to go back to Uncle Hugo’s and Uncle Edgar’s! Did you do anything for #independentbookstoreday

#indiebookstore #indiebookshop
After watching some shopping ASMR videos I had to After watching some shopping ASMR videos I had to try it.

#asmr #groceryshopping #groceryshop  #asmrvideos
I’m a little behind in weekly dam walk reels. Le I’m a little behind in weekly dam walk reels. Let’s go back to the third week in November when there was just a little snow on the ground and the footprints in the snow seemed notable.
Happy Easter! Happy Easter!
March 2023. You felt like a million years, but als March 2023. You felt like a million years, but also ended in the blink of an eye.
See More Follow on Instagram

RECENT POSTS

  • Saying Goodbye to Crystal the Writer
  • The Day the Sorcerers Visited Baby Jesus
  • Thoughts on Hope
  • Christmas Playlist // 2022
  • Life Under Construction

CATEGORIES

  • Adventures (52)
  • Beauty (16)
  • Books (147)
  • Creativity (57)
  • Entertainment (18)
  • Life (224)
  • Uncategorized (539)
  • Wellness (8)

LOOKING FOR SOMETHING?

Follow
  • Book Review Policy
  • BOOKS
  • Contact
  • DISCLOSURES
  • Insta Links
  • Seint Links
  • THE DREAMER
Copyright © 2023 | All Rights Reserved | © 2023. All text and photos belong to Crystal Brutlag, unless otherwise stated. Theme designed by Little Theme Shop: https://littlethemeshop.com

We are using cookies to give you the best experience on our website.

You can find out more about which cookies we are using or switch them off in settings.

Dreams, etc. // Minneapolis Lifestyle Blog
Powered by  GDPR Cookie Compliance
Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.

Strictly Necessary Cookies

Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings.

If you disable this cookie, we will not be able to save your preferences. This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again.