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    The Girl Before
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    The Girl Before
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    The Girl Before
    Audiobook12 hours

    The Girl Before

    Written by Rena Olsen

    Narrated by Brittany Pressley

    4/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    In this powerful psychological suspense debut, when a woman's life is shattered, she is faced with a devastating question: What if everything she thought was normal and good and true . . . wasn't?

    Clara Lawson is torn from her life in an instant. Without warning, her home is invaded by armed men, and she finds herself separated from her beloved husband and daughters. The last thing her husband yells to her is to say nothing.

    In chapters that alternate between past and present, the novel slowly unpeels the layers of Clara's fractured life. We see her growing up, raised with her sisters by the stern Mama and Papa G, becoming a poised and educated young woman, falling desperately in love with the forbidden son of her adoptive parents. We see her now, sequestered in an institution, questioned by men and women who call her a different name-Diana-and who accuse her husband of unspeakable crimes. As recollections of her past collide with new revelations, Clara must question everything she thought she knew, to come to terms with the truth of her history and to summon the strength to navigate her future.


    From the Hardcover edition.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherPenguin Random House Audio
    Release dateAug 9, 2016
    ISBN9780451486684
    Unavailable
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    Reviews for The Girl Before

    4/5

    113 ratings14 reviews

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    • 4/5
      When armed men invade Clara Lawson’s home, they separate her from her husband, Glen, and her daughters. As she led away, Glen cautions her to say nothing. Having learned to do exactly what her husband asks, Clara keeps silent when men and women come to interrogate her, but eventually she comes to question everything she thought she knew and finds herself forced to face the truth of her life.Alternating between past and present, Clara’s story slowly unfolds as the narrative builds her backstory. Readers will easily intuit the truth; one wonders how Clara can be so unbelievably naïve for so long. Readers are likely to ask how anyone could truly be THAT clueless? Nevertheless, throughout most of the story, it is difficult not to feel some degree of sympathy for Clara and for the situation in which she finds herself. The power of the narrative comes from its focus on the “training” of the stolen girls and the process by which these abducted victims are “prepared” for the traffickers who will ultimately purchase them. There are no surprises here, no mysteries to unravel; early on, readers will know [even if Clara doesn’t] exactly what is happening. Although it is often difficult to read, the straightforward narrative is at its best when it reveals the horror hiding in plain sight, showing readers the raw and gritty aspects of the harrowing tale. It may not always be easy reading, and Clara may be more than a little frustrating, but it’s an important look at an all-to-real, horrific practice. Recommended.
    • 3/5
      Surface level: fair mystery novel.Thinking further: many elements of this don't make sense. A human trafficking ring that trains girls for years and sells them as near adults? Nonsense. Weeks and weeks spent in a psych ward as the FBI patiently talks to her five minutes at a time? Yeah, no. The timeline is completely unrealistic.
    • 4/5
      Ugh, so disturbing! THE GIRL BEFORE is a great read though, hard to put down. It's not a typical suspense novel, as it's clear up front what's going on. However, the story flipping between "Now" and "Then" creates some amazing tension, fear almost, about what horror will be revealed next.Clara is a frustratingly naive character, refusing to believe the obvious when it was right in front of her. As Clara tells her story, it's up to the reader to decide if she was a victim, perpetrator, or a bit of both. And, of course, Clara has to decide how she sees herself after all the evidence is presented.I enjoyed how the story was constructed, alternating between the past and present, though you need to pay attention - the past is not told chronologically. This book was difficult to read with its dark subject matter, but at the same time I was glued to the pages. I'd definitely recommend it to readers who enjoy a different kind of suspense.Disclosure: I received a copy of this book through Penguin's First to Read Program in exchange for an honest review.
    • 4/5
      Clara Lawson believed that she was living a good life. She had a nice home and a husband who loved her despite using physical force to punish her when he felt she did something wrong. She spent her days caring for and preparing her girls for a good life beyond their compound. However, of those girls did not follow the rules and learn their lessons well, their futures were not as bright. Once night all that changes as strange men enter her home and take her away from everything she knows. Told in sections alternating between the past and present, we learn that Clara was not always Clara, but a kidnapped child named Diana. We also discover much about the family she lived with, as well as her husband. This is a timely look at human trafficking and the price everyone involved with is pays.
    • 5/5
      Wow! Suspenseful, emotional, and real. I couldn't stop listening to this story. I like how the author developed the characters. My only critique is with the "then-now", the "thens" did not occur in chronological order and at times it was confusing, but I caught on to the story more toward the end when the whole picture came into view.
    • 5/5
      some of the topics are hard to stomach in this book, but it's a great read!
    • 5/5
      Wonderful plot, smooth moving between NOW and THEN. Everything is logical and falls right into place.
      Excellent narration!!
    • 1/5
      I really tried to push through and finish this, but I ended up not listening to any audiobooks because this was holding up the queue. I think the real problem with this, for me, was that it just really _really_ was not what I was expecting based on the blurb. I did not enjoy the story, I felt really bad while listening to it and I had a constant feeling of dread with me as the story progressed. Maybe I could have finished this if I read it another time, but for now I'm giving up on this.
    • 4/5
      This is a very interesting book regarding human trafficking. When authorities storm the home of Clara and her husband, they are separated. He is taken to jail; she is taken to a place of safety where she can be questioned.The story goes back and forth between chapters titled Now, and Then.Usually I don't like books that change direction with each chapter, but this one worked. Clara loves the son of Mama and Papa G. With her marriage to Glen comes additional responsibilities of the various buildings on the compound.Slowly, she comes to realize that as the caretaker of children and young adults that they are sold to the highest bidder. The children are kept under close supervision. And, punishment is meted violently by Glen when he believes children do not obey. They dare not escape.Whereas Clara, whose real name is Diana, reused to cooperate with the police and psychologist assigned to her, eventually, she realizes that she was brainwashed, and like all the little girls she oversaw, she too was abducted.Dealing with this difficult subject, the writer does an excellent job of carefully uncovering the layers of brainwashing.
    • 4/5
      What would you do if suddenly your home was invaded by strange men who rip your daughters from your arms and restrain you as they drag your husband away? The last words you hear from him command you not to say a word to these strangers. Locked in a secluded room, they bring you food three times a day but you refuse to eat and you decline to speak. The strangers tell you that everything you think you know is a lie. Your entire life is not what it had seemed.

      This is precisely the situation that Clara finds herself in. The strangers call her by a different name and tell her that her husband is being charged with horrendous crimes. “The Girl Before” alternates between the past and present that Clara has found herself in. The more she digs into her past, the more she starts to question everything she knows.

      I questioned whether this book was for me. The alternating chapters were a bit awkward to read at first and I found myself having trouble keeping up. That all went away about twenty pages in and I couldn’t put the book down. While not everything was a complete mystery in this story, I was still pleased with the overall outcome. It’s very clear right off the bat what the truth is. Caught off guard towards the end, I teared up a bit. Although I don’t have any experience with the underlying story here (no spoilers), the account of Clara’s life was extremely believable. “The Girl Before” is a powerful story of how one girl’s experiences with adoptive parents and forbidden love lead her to a life that is far from normal.

      I won this book in a goodreads contest from the author. This has not kept me from giving my complete and honest opinion in this review.
    • 3/5
      When I reserved this at the library, I thought I was reserving a different book, by the same title. It was not until I started reading that I realized the expected story wasn't being told.There seem to be a lot of books and stories/tv lately about people kidnapped and recovered, usually involving some sort of sect. This was an engaging read, even when my mind kept screaming at a few of the obvious gaps or holes in the context of the narrative. But, the questions I had didn't interfere with the story itself, and, even though it's not a plot I normally would have chosen, I read it through.From the publisher:In this powerful psychological suspense debut, when a woman’s life is shattered, she is faced with a devastating question: What if everything she thought was normal and good and true . . . wasn’t?Clara Lawson is torn from her life in an instant. Without warning, her home is invaded by armed men, and she finds herself separated from her beloved husband and daughters. The last thing her husband yells to her is to say nothing.In chapters that alternate between past and present, the novel slowly unpeels the layers of Clara’s fractured life. We see her growing up, raised with her sisters by the stern Mama and Papa G, becoming a poised and educated young woman, falling desperately in love with the forbidden son of her adoptive parents. We see her now, sequestered in an institution, questioned by men and women who call her a different name—Diana—and who accuse her husband of unspeakable crimes. As recollections of her past collide with new revelations, Clara must question everything she thought she knew, to come to terms with the truth of her history and to summon the strength to navigate her future.
    • 4/5
      The Girl Before by Rena Olsen is a gripping psychological suspense thriller that will keep readers’ attention to the very end. When Clara Lawson and her family experience a home invasion and Clara gets separated from the rest of her family, what she is about to go through brings her to confront both her past and future as well as the present where she is being held against her will, and being addressed by her captors as “Diana”. In a manner that moves seamlessly between past and present, Olsen masterfully carries readers through Clara’s life story; a story that includes her upbringing by strict adoptive parents and forbidden love. The characters in this novel are true to life and Olsen gives readers the sense that they are real people. For her debut novel, Rena Olsen has truly set the stage for great expectations for her next works. I can recommend The Girl Before to those who enjoy well written psychological suspense thrillers, as Olsen’s writing will keep readers engaged through to the end.
    • 4/5
      Human trafficking. I know it happens but it's hard for me to comprehend.This story is told in alternating times, then and now. This let's us see how the characters became who they turned out to be. I thought the characters were all defined well enough to like or dislike them.I don't agree with the book being tagged as a thriller so there's that. Otherwise, it was good and I'd recommend it for sure.
    • 4/5
      The Girl Before is the debut novel of author Rena Olsen.We've all seen them, heard of them or read them - stories of young girls kidnapped and never seen again. But....sometimes they are rescued or manage to escape. I can't bring myself to read the accounts or the books that are released afterwards.But knowing Olsen's account was fictional I picked it up. The publisher's tagline was also intriguing. "In this powerful psychological suspense debut, when a woman’s life is shattered, she is faced with a devastating question: What if everything she thought was normal and good and true...wasn’t?"Clara remembers nothing of her life 'before.' She only knows her husband Glen, his parents Papa G and Mama Mae - and their illegal family business. But Clara doesn't see it that way. Over the years she's been trained, conditioned and manipulated to believe something other than reality. "I only need to know what Glen tells me."When an arrest occurs, Clara is forced to confront that reality. Olsen does this in a now and then narrative, allowing the reader to uncover and discover along with Clara. "What if how I lived my entire life was not how I was meant to live?"And with each new revelation, it's hard to put it down. I wanted to know - who was Clara and would she remember the 'before'? My opinion of Clara changed throughout the book - is she a victim or a criminal? Clara faces the same questions herself. Olsen does an admirable job in depicting Clara's confusion. I imagine that Olsen's daytime job as a school therapist adds to the authenticity of Clara's emotions, feelings and journey to self realization. The other main characters however, are very easy to categorize as perpetrators.I did find it somewhat difficult to remember that yes, although this was fiction - it's still someone's reality somewhere. But, it was hard to put the book down - kind of that 'accident on the road don't look but cover your eyes and peek as you drive by' feeling. While this is a disturbing premise, Olsen manages to avoid graphic detail while still transmitting the reality of Clara's - and other's - situations.Some plot points were a bit of stretch for me - particularly the police procedural details. And the 'after' chapters got a bit repetitive in the final countdown. But all in all, an addictive read.