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3.81 AVERAGE
3.81 AVERAGE
dark
tense
fast-paced
Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC.
Twist was amazing. But lots of loose ends that didn't get tied up.
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Disclaimer: I received a free digital ARC (Advanced Reading Copy) of this book from NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.
A shocking story with the main teenage girl character suffering from DID (Dissociative Identity Disorder) and accused of murdering her birth mother and the efforts of her adoptive mother to find out what happened that fateful night.
This book was a lot!
In the first paragraph of the book, we find out that Penny is in jail charged with murdering her birth mother while the police visit her adoptive mother Grace to give her the news. We also find out right away that Penny suffers from DID (Disassociate Identity Disorder,) and one of her alters, Eve, has taken over as the main personality. We learn about Grace finding Penny alone in a park when she was only four-years-old, and the events leading to her adoption. And we also get glimpses of Penny's alters which started to manifest as a young little girl throughout her teenage years.
The plot starts slowly by building up to the narrative of the murder. We are introduced to the main characters right away, so we know from the getgo that both Penny and Grace will be the main people to keep an eye on as the story develops. We are also introduced to Grace's other children, the lawyer she hires to represent Penny, and the doctor in charge to diagnose Penny at the mental facility she's been held at. All of these characters have a prominent place throughout the book and aid to neatly tie everything together at the end.
A lot of the book is spent narrating the different occasions in which Penny's alters manifest, and how the family came to figure out what was happening to her. We learn that Grace's husband died at their family pizzeria and Penny was there when it happened, which has caused a rift between her and her older brother Ryan. We also find out that one of Penny's alters, Eve, had already gotten in trouble with the police a few years before and had made death threats against her birth mother. We are also introduced to her other alters Ruby and Chloe, and we learn how the different personalities behave and differentiate from the others.
At first, I thought the book was dragging the whole DID conversation and felt that so much didn't even matter in the great scheme of things, but every single part fits neatly once the story ends. By the end, I was grateful that the author goes into detail about DID because I had a better understanding of Penny's character and her actions. I didn't know much about this disorder so it was great to have some background information about what the disorder entails and how the abuse she suffered caused Penny to split her personality to protect herself.
Grace's character is great. She's a mamma bear trying her best to defend her daughter. She is sure that Penny has not hurt anyone, and she spends a lot of time in the story trying to find a viable suspect to get her daughter out of jail. However, she acknowledges she can't be sure that any of the other alters, Eve in particular, are not guilty of the murder. Her previous interactions with Eve and the other alters make her unable to stand for them but she knows she doesn't have any other choice because all of the personalities live within Penny.
Dr. Mitch's contributions to the explanation of the disorder were fantastic. I also enjoyed the side story with his son Adam because it gave a better idea about his choices regarding Penny's treatment. I was engrossed by the scenes in which he gets Eve to allow the other alters to manifest. These interactions made me doubt the DID diagnosis, which I'm going to assume was the author's intention. He connects everything at the end in a way that explains so many other details we found out early in the book.
I did not figure out the main plot twist until a couple of pages before it happened, so that was a great surprise. I was glad it doesn't come until the end because it gave the book a strong ending. Overall, a great thriller.
A shocking story with the main teenage girl character suffering from DID (Dissociative Identity Disorder) and accused of murdering her birth mother and the efforts of her adoptive mother to find out what happened that fateful night.
This book was a lot!
In the first paragraph of the book, we find out that Penny is in jail charged with murdering her birth mother while the police visit her adoptive mother Grace to give her the news. We also find out right away that Penny suffers from DID (Disassociate Identity Disorder,) and one of her alters, Eve, has taken over as the main personality. We learn about Grace finding Penny alone in a park when she was only four-years-old, and the events leading to her adoption. And we also get glimpses of Penny's alters which started to manifest as a young little girl throughout her teenage years.
The plot starts slowly by building up to the narrative of the murder. We are introduced to the main characters right away, so we know from the getgo that both Penny and Grace will be the main people to keep an eye on as the story develops. We are also introduced to Grace's other children, the lawyer she hires to represent Penny, and the doctor in charge to diagnose Penny at the mental facility she's been held at. All of these characters have a prominent place throughout the book and aid to neatly tie everything together at the end.
A lot of the book is spent narrating the different occasions in which Penny's alters manifest, and how the family came to figure out what was happening to her. We learn that Grace's husband died at their family pizzeria and Penny was there when it happened, which has caused a rift between her and her older brother Ryan. We also find out that one of Penny's alters, Eve, had already gotten in trouble with the police a few years before and had made death threats against her birth mother. We are also introduced to her other alters Ruby and Chloe, and we learn how the different personalities behave and differentiate from the others.
At first, I thought the book was dragging the whole DID conversation and felt that so much didn't even matter in the great scheme of things, but every single part fits neatly once the story ends. By the end, I was grateful that the author goes into detail about DID because I had a better understanding of Penny's character and her actions. I didn't know much about this disorder so it was great to have some background information about what the disorder entails and how the abuse she suffered caused Penny to split her personality to protect herself.
Grace's character is great. She's a mamma bear trying her best to defend her daughter. She is sure that Penny has not hurt anyone, and she spends a lot of time in the story trying to find a viable suspect to get her daughter out of jail. However, she acknowledges she can't be sure that any of the other alters, Eve in particular, are not guilty of the murder. Her previous interactions with Eve and the other alters make her unable to stand for them but she knows she doesn't have any other choice because all of the personalities live within Penny.
Dr. Mitch's contributions to the explanation of the disorder were fantastic. I also enjoyed the side story with his son Adam because it gave a better idea about his choices regarding Penny's treatment. I was engrossed by the scenes in which he gets Eve to allow the other alters to manifest. These interactions made me doubt the DID diagnosis, which I'm going to assume was the author's intention. He connects everything at the end in a way that explains so many other details we found out early in the book.
I did not figure out the main plot twist until a couple of pages before it happened, so that was a great surprise. I was glad it doesn't come until the end because it gave the book a strong ending. Overall, a great thriller.
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
We love a good twist - one that we don’t see coming until right before.
We love mental health awareness and advocation for drug abuse.
This isn’t a life changing book or one I’ll remember in the future but it wasn’t a bad book.
We love mental health awareness and advocation for drug abuse.
This isn’t a life changing book or one I’ll remember in the future but it wasn’t a bad book.
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No