Anna lives in a quiet town with her Mamma, who is very strict and religious. One day Anna does deceives Mamma and goes to Astroland even though it’s forbidden. While there, Anna begins to have a feeling that she remembers this place and then she receives a letter from a mysterious man addressed with a different name. Is this a coincidence?

Rosie has grown up in the shadow of her missing, older sister Emily, who was taken from a theme park. On the 15th anniversary of her sister’s disappearance, Rosie is determined to find out what happened to her sister.

Although the book was fairly predictable and the ending felt rushed to me, I did find myself enjoying the story.

I received a reviewer copy of A Girl Named Anna by Lizzy Barber from the publisher, Mira Books, through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. ( )

Fifteen years ago, three-year-old Emily Archer disappeared from the carousel at Astroland. Her family has no idea what happened to her; they don’t know if she is alive or dead.

Eighteen-year-old Anna Montgomery lives with her mother in a small rural town. As a birthday celebration, her boyfriend, William, takes her to Astroland despite her mother’s long-standing refusal to allow the sheltered girl to visit the amusement park.

Fifteen-year-old Rosie Archer, her family broken by the tragedy that befell them, struggles to maintain some semblance of normalcy. Rosie lives in the shadow of her long-missing sister.

Anna discovers she has a great many questions: why did Astroland seem so familiar? And why is there a different name on the mysterious letter left for her in the mailbox?

Rosie wants to help her family heal. The trust monies that have funded the search for her sister for fifteen years is running out. But she’s determined to find her sister.

Well-developed characters and a strong sense of place pull readers into the telling of the tale from the beginning. Told alternately through the eyes of the two teen-aged girls, this is a story of a need to understand, of a search for answers. Early on, readers will know exactly what happened. A constant sense of tension and unease permeates the narrative and the unfolding story slowly reveals the both the truth and the why.

This is a dark and disturbing story filled with unexpected reveals and twists. It’s emotional, it’s heart-rending, it’s inspiring. Readers are certain to find it difficult to set this one aside before turning the final page.

Highly recommended. ( )

Excited to have won this book in a Goodreads giveaway! Looking forward to reading and reviewing it soon!

I saw another reader comment that this book was very predictable. I do have to agree. There was no suspense or build up to the mystery. The mystery was revealed within like the second chapter. From there it was mainly just a very slow, slow burn to the conclusion of the story.

After a while, I found myself wanting to rush this story and did skim parts. In fact, this story would have been better if it has just been Anna's voice. I found her to be more intriguing than Rosie's voice. There were a few times where I did skip Rosie's parts.

The ending was fine. It was fitting for the story. Yet, it was a bit sad. However, I understood where Anna was coming from in regards to her new sense of discovery. She may have been someone else in a past life but she is...Anna. ( )

A Girl Named Anna by Lizzy Barber is a suspenseful story of two teen girls, Anna who lives a very sheltered religious life with just her mother and Rosie who's family is enmeshed in the disappearance of her elder sister Emily.

Anna has always wondered why her mother never lets her go to Astroland. She flat out refuses to let Anna go to many places. She is all about cleanliness and godliness. Anna has a boyfriend William, and he convinces her that yes she can go, she is 18 after all. Once there Anna experiences a weird thing, it is almost a Deja Vu feeling that she has been there before.

Rosie and her family have suffered the disappearance of Emily at Astroland, it has pulled at the fabric of her parent's marriage, their daily lives. Every year they are interviewed by the media, the same questions every year. The family has no clue as to what happened to three-year-old Emily, only that it is been 15 years and still no clue. Rosie is determined though to find out the truth. The funds that are for the search for Emily have virtually dried up and hope is running out.

This book was a story of two families tied together with the disappearance of one little girl. The character of Anna's mom was pretty strange. The reader comes to find out later in the book that she was involved in a religious cult. Anna, on the other hand, is a meek girl, living with her mother's fear.

The concept of Emily's abduction was kind of scary but a very real thing, but who did it, why and what happened to Emily. Alternating chapters tell the story of the two girls and how they are entwined. Can Rosie find out what happened to her sister before her family is further torn apart? The story started out a bit slow but as I read, it became more exciting and I could not put it down. I read it in two sittings!

I recommend it with 4 stars! ( )