A review by lindsaytonner
The Eighth Girl by Maxine Mei-Fung Chung

4.0

Oh wow. I feel like I am going to need some time to recover after finishing the Eighth Girl. A novel where the main character has dissociative identity disorder is quite uncommon, a novel where the character has DID and it is done well is rare, a novel where the character having DID isn't the entire plot line is unheard of. Initially I was slightly concerned - would the different personalities be different enough to make them stand out or would they all blend into one, ill-defined 'crazy'character? I shouldn't have worried! Maxine Mei-Fun Chung writes her characters with such care and tenderness, it is almost like she is just describ8ming her real friends and the way she integrated them was perfect. Alexa, the host for all of these personalities and her best friend Ella get involved in the murkey underworld of Sex Clubs and human trafficking, making for an impressive and tense thriller with several gasp-inducing twists!

I really enjoyed how chapters alternated between the unreliable narrator of Alexa and her personalities, and her Therapist, who despite his own issues, is seemingly more reliable. The alternating voices made it very easy to read and made me want to keep going.

This debut is a shocking and breath taking masterclass in characterisation and plot development. A dizzying thriller with a satisfying ending.