Kate McLaughlin
Realistic Fiction
The next gut-punching, compulsively readable Kate McLaughlin novel, about a girl finding strength in not being alone.
When eighteen-year-old Dylan wakes up, she’s in an apartment she doesn’t recognize. The other people there seem to know her, but she doesn’t know them – not even the pretty, chiseled boy who tells her his name is Connor. A voice inside her head keeps saying that everything is okay, but Dylan can’t help but freak out. Especially when she borrows Connor’s phone to call home and realizes she’s been missing for three days.
Dylan has lost time before, but never like this.
Soon after, Dylan is diagnosed with Dissociative Identity Disorder, and must grapple not only with the many people currently crammed inside her head, but that a secret from her past so terrible she’s blocked it out has put them there. Her only distraction is a budding new relationship with Connor. But as she gets closer to finding out the truth, Dylan wonders: will it heal her or fracture her further?
-Excerpt taken from Goodreads.
Check Goodreads to see the book’s ratings.
My Opinion
(4.5 / 5) What I assumed I was getting was a thriller about dissociate identity disorder. But what I got was so much more. It was an emotionally fascinating story of someone learning they have the disorder.
We’ve all seen the movie Split with James McAvoy. That portrays a very extreme and rare side of DID. This book took that label the movie created and that we’ve all assumed and made it into something positive.
“There’s no cure for many things. I didn’t need a cure. I needed to accept. I needed to find a way to be happy in my own skin, and I did. Was it easy? No. Was it worth it? Yes.”
To say I was glued to this book is an understatement. I could not get enough. I was fascinated with each aspect playing out and how each character responded. I learned a lot and more importantly, I learned the positive aspects of DID. Reading textbooks in college about this disorder could never give me the insight this book did and I am grateful for that. Too many labels are given to mental health issues and I’m hoping this helps alleviate some of the stigma.
It’s an intense, fascinating and emotional read. I highly recommend it to those that can handle the content/triggers.
General content summary: This is labeled as young adult. I do not agree with that. The main character is in college and is dealing with very adult situations. I would not recommend this for sensitive readers.
From author: Some of the thematic material within contains discussions of suicide, child abuse/sexual assault, and alcohol abuse, as well as mentions of vaping, smoking, and sex.
F words= 130, language, alcohol (blackouts, multiple), vaping (multiple), cigarettes (multiple), waking next to a man with no memory, previous parental infidelity, f/f kiss (previous intimacy, no details), m/f intimacy (some details, few), m/f kissing, masturbation (few details), transgender, suicide attempt (blood), one alter personality is very sexual and crass, child sexual molestation (few details, mentioned multiple times), physical violence (blood), near drowning, captivity (tied up), dementia and broken hip (previous), possible assisted suicide (vague), arrest, pedophilia, attempted suicide.
Thank you to Wednesday Books for the gifted copy!
The book releases April 18, 2023.
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