MY NAME IS ANNA
LIZZY BARBER
**
Anna lives in a strictly religious household and loves her mamma, but after her 18th birthday she starts to have some memories she can’t quite place – is everything really as it seems?
I found My Name is Anna to be a very frustrating read, it’s an interesting concept and actually a quite a good story but the entire progression of the plot could be guessed before you even pick up the book! The blurb gives enough away that when the reveal comes at 60% of the way through you have no reaction, I then sat there waiting for another, better twist to come along later in the book and completely blow me away but it never did. I don’t think this is entirely the fault of the blurb however, having the chapters change perspectives between Rosie and Anna meant you could guess who they were and the link between them two chapters in as well. I think perhaps had the first half of the book just been about Anna and then Rosie was introduced later on, it would have kept up the suspense and tension a lot more.
The writing style was very engaging and I finished it in two sittings. There were some things that irritated me throughout though. Do we really need to patronise the reader by writing out the dictionary definition of ‘false memories’ (basically amounting to ‘a memory that is false’) twice? Would a teenager be talking about putting a photo up on Instagram one minute and then worrying they haven’t written down a number for a taxi the next (Uber and Google are also on phones I hear). The last chapter also randomly changes perspective at the last moment which is out of keeping with the rest of the book.
Overall if you’ve read the blurb of My Name is Anna then you already know the plot and there isn’t much else the book has to offer besides. It’s a good concept and an engaging, quick read but let down by revealing its twists before you even pick it up. Thank you to NetGalley, Random House UK – Cornerstone and Century for allowing me to read a copy of the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/My-Name-Anna-Lizzy-Barber-ebook/dp/B07CN8RM2L
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