A review by bookishmillennial
The Girl Before by JP Delaney

dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
  disclaimer: I don’t really give starred reviews. I hope my reviews provide enough information to let you know if a book is for you or not. Find me here: https://linktr.ee/bookishmillennial 

This is The Girl Before by JP Delaney, which is a pseudonym for Anthony Capella, who writes under this name and another. This book was adapted into a mini series on HBO Max, which I watched before reading this. It was actually the reason I decided to read it. I felt the ending of the show was somewhat of a letdown so I wanted to see if the book had a different ending. I don't want to spoil it for those of you who haven't watched the show but this was a fairly quick and easy read - I ravished through it in about 3 hours! 

This book rotates between two people's perspectives - Emma, who is prefaced as "Then". She and her boyfriend Simon have just experienced a break in at their old flat and they are looking for a new rental property. Emma was held at knifepoint during this break in and Simon was out. 

The other perspective is from Jane, who is prefaced as "Now". Jane has suffered the loss of her baby, and is looking for somewhere new to live. One Folgate Street, is recommended to both of them -which is a unique property, not only in its minimalistic and almost cold design, but that there are a set of over 200 rules that you have to follow while you live there, such as no children, no pets, no cushions, no frames or photos.. 

I already know that no one on BookTok could live here because no books are allowed either. I know, the outrage! Anyway, Edward Monkford is the owner, the architect and the creator of this house and its rules. He personally interviews everyone who fills out the application questionnaire successfully and approves Emma and Jane, albeit in different times. Also, they look a lot alike. 

Emma and Simon clearly have a struggling relationship, and as more of Emma's trauma comes to the surface, it puts a wedge between them, pushing her towards Edward and they begin an affair. Then, Jane starts an eerily similar relationship with Edward, a few years into the future. It is made known to Jane and the readers early on that Emma died in this house and Jane begins to question everything about the house's technology, the past and Edward. 

I would say that if you haven't watched the show, this could be a fun quick vacation or weekend read. If you have watched the show, mmmmm you might not be missing too much. However, I did appreciate that they clarified what the relationship was with Jane's previous baby daddy, which I didn't get clarity in the show. I also thought Edward was just as annoying in this book as in the show, like when he tells Jane she should be cleaner down there for him. I liked that in the book, these people are definitely white and in the show, they are Black with a great cast (Gugu Mbatha-Raw is my wife) so I do recommend it! 
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