Girl he Used to Know

    This new novel follows Annika Rose, a young woman who stands apart from the crowd.  The story is divided into two time periods: when Annika is first in college in Chicago in 1991 and the “current day” of 2001.  When we meet Annika in college we see she is a high-functioning possibly-on-the-spectrum attractive young student who just manages to get by in the world.  Annika runs in to her college boyfriend, Jonathan in 2001 after ten years of being apart. He is newly separated from his wife and we aren’t sure how happy he is to see Annika.  Why did they break up in the first place ten years ago?  Annika is now a librarian and single. She sees a therapist.  In the chapters told from Jonathan’s point of view, we see he has moved on from his college relationship, but may still have feelings for Annika.  Janice, Annika’s college roommate and friend, has guided Annika over the years to help her navigate the world.  Annika is a quirky, caring, and somewhat naive woman who doesn’t process social cues, but yet sees the world much brighter than most of us do.  I enjoyed watching how she lived in the world and managed to maintain relationships.