Week 17 Review: Pieces of Me

From Goodreads:

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?

My Review:
I couldn't get enough of this book! I'm pretty sure that I've read a book that had DID before, but I think that was before it was called that. And I've seen Split and Moon Knight, which apparently the former isn't a great representation, while Moon Knight is. So I was looking forward to see what it was like in this book! Kate McLaughlin deals with difficult subjects, with young adults, and they've all been well done to my uneducated eye. 

Dylan doesn't know what's going on with her. That she woke up, missing days, that's a bit terrifying. It's the not knowing that is hard. And once she has a diagnosis, it's finding a balance within her system, now that she's aware of it. The alters that we got to know felt very distinct and their own people.

While there was a romance (which was so adorable, and I loved how supportive he was, and how he wanted to learn more about her alters) the main focus was on Dylan and her relationships with her alters. Since they were created to keep her safe from the memory of trauma that she went though as a child, it did take some effort on all of their parts to find that balance. 

The trauma that caused her alters to come into being to protect her? When we found out what it was, it was disgusting and horrible that she'd gone through that. I guessed who it was, but having it confirmed, well, I'm glad that justice was served, though it doesn't negate what all the victims had gone through. 

Loved reading this book, and I can't wait to read more! 

Author: Kate McLaughlin
Read: April 23rd, 2023
Source: NetGalley 
Reason Why: Love her writing and it sounded really great, and it's a SAC 2023 Book and a WoW Book! 
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Published: April 18th 2023

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars