Showing posts with label multiple personalities. Show all posts
Showing posts with label multiple personalities. Show all posts

Tuesday, May 7, 2024

One of Us Knows

One of Us Knows by Alyssa Cole, 336 pages

When this book begins, Kenetria Nash comes to after six years of absence from her consciousness. While she's been MIA, her headmates Della, Solomon, Keke, Empress, Mesmer, and Lurk have been running their collective body, dealing with the pandemic and losing their job and home. When Ken comes back, however, she's heading toward a new job as caretaker of a historic castle on a remote island. It's a strange job to be sure, even more so when Ken arrives and discovers that the castle is exactly like the building she and her headmates share in their shared consciousness. Something is definitely wrong here, and Ken has no idea how to even begin figuring it out.

I'm always wary about books that use disassociative identity disorder (multiple personalities) as a primary plot device, as there's a long history of the disorder being sensationalized and it's tricky to get right in fiction. That wariness holds true with this one, as it's confusing (intentionally) and the diagnosis is what leads Ken and her headmates to be imperiled in the book. There are some who would find this fascinating, I'm sure, but I can't say this is one I'll be recommending widely.

Monday, February 24, 2020

Hi Five

Hi Five: an IQ novel / Joe Ide, 341 pgs.

I really like IQ and the supporting cast of characters but I fear IQ is getting soft now that we are hearing about his love life. Of course there is no TIME to be soft when the local weapons dealer is trying to keep his daughter out of jail for a murder that she at LEAST witnessed.  Of course there is a story...the daughter has multiple personalities and none of the "alters" was present for the entire event so can't speak to what actually happened.  IQ has to catch the alters as they appear and question them even though they aren't all that forthcoming.  The side stories include interactions with best friend/former partner Dodson who is still struggling finding his place in society.  Junkyard operator TK is interested in a woman and wants to dip his toe into the dating scene.  Grace is back after two years and she and IQ rekindle their love affair.  Will they stick together this time? IQ's love life is the least interesting to me.  Grace as a character is cool but their relationship needs to get settled, I think.  Another interesting Sherlockian tale by Ide.