The cover is truly striking. Dylan’s upbringing was privileged, with divorced yet wealthy parents, and a close bond with her twin brother. On the surface, her life appears idyllic, but beneath it lies a struggle—bouts of ADHD and drinking binges. Recently, she’s been “losing time,” frequently awakening in unfamiliar places with no recollection of her activities. When she discovers she’s spent three days with a boy named Connor without memory, Dylan recognizes the need for help. Eventually diagnosed with dissociative identity disorder (DID), she begins to understand the voices and presences that seem to inhabit her mind. However, this diagnosis brings its own fears, and Dylan questions her ability to persevere.

This book took me by surprise, deviating from my expectations but proving to be exceptionally compelling. I had never read a book centred on Dissociative Identity Disorder, and this one handled the topic with such skill that it immediately drew me in.

The author possesses a remarkable command of language. The book’s intricate details and seamless narrative flow will ensnare your attention from the very start.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for sending a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a very interesting read, with a very interesting premise.

I wasn’t expecting much when I went into this, as I am not a huge fan of books centered around mental illness and “uncommon” diagnoses, but this was surprising. The research that the author put into writing shows in the way that the story progresses, and makes it feel much more realistic. But the Dr. Google diagnosis and everyone accepting it almost instantaneously did feel a bit picture perfect.

The cast of characters really made this book work. The relationships between everyone felt very real, and sort of grounded the book. I also liked the way that it was split up into sections that eventually pulled everything together into one place.

The plot twist was what I was expecting, and also not close at all. It was very quickly introduced and wrapped up, almost in a way that felt like an add-in. I did like that everything wrapped up, and made sense though.

There was a list of trigger warnings in the front of the book, which I liked to see, especially with heavy content such as this.

Overall this was a very informative and quick read. Thank you to NetGalley, Wednesday Books and the author for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Dark and compelling!

Eighteen-year-old Dylan wakes up in a strange apartment with people she doesn’t know. It appears she’s had another blackout. Dylan has lost time before but this is the first time it’s lasted an entire weekend. Soon after this her mother makes an appointment for Dylan to see a neurologist. Dylan is given a diagnoses that seems to explain what’s been happening to her.

Dylan tries to come to terms with her diagnosis and everything that goes along with it. But is she ready to face things she has blocked out?

Will revelations from the past be more than Dylan can take?

An entertaining, thought-provoking and informative read!!

I finished reading this in just a couple of sittings. I’ve read two of the author’s previous
Young Adult novels that also dealt with some dark but important issues.

It’s obvious that once again, Kate McLaughlin has done a lot of research. The author educates while telling an intriguing story with well developed characters. The characters are relatable (though some may seem a little too good to be true) and you can’t help but root for them.

Readers should take care as this book deals with issues that may be triggering. Though it deals with some heavy issues, “Pieces of Me” is still an entertaining read written with respect and compassion.



I'd like to thank the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this novel. All opinions are my own.

This was a gripping book, Dylan wakes up in an unfamiliar place surrounded by strangers. After being diagnosed with Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID), Dylan embarks on a challenging journey of self-discovery, navigating the many voices in her head and forming a deep connection with a man named Conner. As their relationship grows, Dylan realizes that keeping herself away from him becomes increasingly difficult. While the story initially felt slow before the diagnosis, overall, it offers readers an eye-opening exploration of DID that is worth checking out.

𝐏𝐢𝐞𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐌𝐞
𝐁𝐲 𝐊𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐌𝐜𝐋𝐚𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐥𝐢𝐧
𝐏𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐫: 𝐖𝐞𝐝𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐬
𝐏𝐮𝐛 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞: 𝟒.𝟏𝟖.𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟑


I let 𝐏𝐢𝐞𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐌𝐞 sit too long - this was so good!

Dylan is a teenager who is partaking in risky behavior: drinking, staying out late - she even loses time in her mind.

This time, she wakes up in a strange guy’s apartment. He says he’s Connor, and thank goodness he didn’t hurt her; in fact, he’s pretty sweet. When she checks in with her mom, Dylan discovers she’s been gone for three days.

Dylan is concerned something might be seriously wrong with her, like a brain tumor or something, because she meets people who know her but call her by a different name. They seem vaguely familiar, and dreamlike memories float around in her head. Sometimes she hears these voices too, but she’s not sure who these people are.

Finally, with the support of her mom, her only friend Izzy and even her brother Mark, Dylan gets a proper diagnosis - Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID). She learns that she has alters (many different people) that exist in her head, most likely as a way to block trauma in her past.

I felt this book was very well done, but I will caution anyone who may be sensitive to topics such as suicide, mental health topics, and sexual abuse. The focus is Dylan’s diagnosis, what living with DID is like, as well as acknowledging her trauma. I did like that the author included how her family was affected by Dylan’s DID as well; could that have gone deeper, maybe? But I appreciated how we get a better understanding of DID through this story and the repercussions of trauma.

𝘌𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭, 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘪𝘨𝘯𝘪𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘯𝘵!

Thank you @wednesdaybooks and @stmartinspress for a gifted ebook.

This was definitely not what I was expecting but it was so, so good. I have not read a book on Dissociative Identity Disorder and this one was done so well, I was hooked from the beginning and did not stop until it was over. Dylan is 18 and wakes up in an apartment she doesn’t recognize, everyone else there knows her, but she has no clue where she is, how she got there or what she has done. And she is with a boy named Connor, who lends her his phone and when she calls home she realizes she’s been missing for three days. From there, she starts her journey to figure out what is going on, and this was such a fascinating read that like I said I could not put it down. What I loved in here was the support Dylan received, the lesson I got on how fascinating the mind works to protect someone from a traumatic experience, and how important it is to hold people accountable that inflect said trauma. I have now read two of McLaughlin’s books and they have both been excellent, I encourage you to read this one and she is now an auto read author for me.

I will say that while this does seem heavy, it is YA so it was easier to get through than you would think, the author works in some moments of levity as any teenager would have, and I really appreciated that. I do recommend this one, it was such a great read.

Thank you to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for the digital copy to review.

Wow, what a powerful read! I really connected and felt for Dylan. Mental health is so important and such a tricky thing to navigate. I felt like the author wrote about it well.

4.5 rounded up to 5.

A unique, needed perspective in YA.

I was not familiar it with DID before reading this book! I mean, sure, I’ve heard things in general but this felt like taking a magnifying glass and looking very closely.

I found it to be very interesting, complex, and well-researched. Personally, I was fascinated by learning about differing personalities and their roles in the system. It took a minute for me to begin to comprehend/wrap my mind around what was going on in Dylan’s mind.

At times, I thought the story was a little unrealistic. Like, the boy seemed too good to be true. Not saying they don’t exist! Also, I don’t know if I loved her rushing into a relationship. I had some mixed feelings about it.

I also wish the author had explored Scratch a little bit more. Like, I wish Dylan could confront the anger towards her mom. In real life, it didn’t seem like she harbored any dark feeling towards her but then why does Scratch look the way she does?

Truth be told, I also wasn’t a huge fan of the twin brother. The side characters aren’t as developed but that’s because the center focus is on Dylan and the alters in her mind (which are developed to an extent). Maybe I’d be more sympathetic towards the brother if I knew him better but I felt like Dylan’s was way too hard on herself and forgiving of him.

Overall, a much-needed book! I look forward to learning and researching more about this. Thank you so much to St. Martin’s Press & NetGalley for this eARC!

🧠🧩Book Review:
Title: Pieces Of Me
Author: Kate McLaughlin
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 stars

I loved this book! It was so difficult for me to put it down! It is so intriguing and interesting. This story is very personal in the journey of a young girl named Dylan, who eventually gets diagnosed as having Dissociative Identity Disorder. This book definitely put me in the shoes of someone struggling with this disorder, and I have so much empathy for anyone who has to live with it. Incredible book!

Published: April 18th, 2023

Thank you, @netgalley, and @stmartinspress for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

A Massive Thank You to the Author, the Publisher and NetGalley for giving me the chance to read and review this book prior to its release date.

I apologize, I wanted to red this book, but was unable to read this book in the permitted timeframe. Life got in the way, but now I am back, so if this is released to me again, I will download, read and review it.

Pieces of Me
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Author: Kate McLaughlin
GR: 4.07

I requested a digital advanced readers copy from NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press and providing my opinion voluntarily and unbiased.

Synopsis: 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?

Thoughts: For a YA novel, this was a really intriguing premise. A young lady who struggles with DID (dissociative identity disorder), at times, you will question who she really is. McLaughlin addresses DID with grace, honesty, and integrity. Our protagonist has gaps of missing time that she cannot account for. She hears voices that sound familiar, but at the same time, does not sound like her. After going to a psychologist, Dylan learns that she has DID and the voices are trying to protect from a trauma. She is on a quest to discover that trauma, will this push her further into her own mind, or will she discover the truth and heal?

The author has done an amazing job at researching before putting this novel together and delivers an expertise view with some hard trauma topics, such as abuse and suicide. The author also has exceeded at researching DID, this storyline feels very authentic. The story is narrated by the various alter personalities, and came across as truly separate people. The characters were well developed, even the various alters. There was suspense, creepiness, and just keeps you on the edge of your seat to finish the whole story in a sitting.

I would recommend this book. Even at YA, it was really good suspenseful read.

Pieces of Me was such a beautiful, heartbreaking and realistic read. Dylan suffers from dissociative identity disorder (DID) and has blackouts where she comes to missing large parts of her day. She knows she has something wrong with her, but no one can pinpoint what it is, until Dylan finds a new therapist and works toward discovering the truth that her mind has kept hidden and protected her from for years.

This is a fast-paced book that offers suspense, a compassionate look into mental health disorders and resilience. I definitely recommend picking up a copy!

Thanks to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for the advanced download in exchange for my honest review.

I enjoyed reading this novel, and I LIKED it very much, but unfortunately, I did not love it.

The novel is ambitious in its aim to discuss DID, and at times it does unfortunately miss the mark. While it is not a perfect novel, I do believe it is worth reading, and recommending.

This was a DNF for me. Just wasn't in the mood to read through it - maybe I will come back to it someday!

First of all, I want to send a huge thank you to the publisher for sending me this gifted copy in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

And now for my review..

Pieces of Me is about 18 year-old Dylan who has Dissociative Identity Disorder. When she wakes up one morning after having lost an entire weekend, she, along with her family, gets very concerned. We journey along with Dylan as she gets her diagnosis and works through the trials and traumas from both her past and present.

Pieces of Me is an emotional and sometimes hard to read book. I think the subject of DID was handled incredibly well with rawness and compassion. This was an emotional and touching book that deals with not only DID but also the painful impact of facing trauma years after it happened. In my opinion, this is such an important topic, and it is represented incredibly. I strongly recommend this book to anyone looking to read a story involving healing and DID.

If you are someone who requires trigger warnings, I highly suggest checking into them before starting this.

Books like this one can be kind of tough to read, because you end up caring so much for the main character and really want to help them through some of the tougher things they're dealing with. I loved Dylan's characterization here, and really felt connected to her and her story. DID can be a difficult thing to write about or include in a book, and I feel like it was well done here.

This one definitely has some trigger warnings sexual abuse & mental health. Kate McLaughlin writes a wonderful story about mental health. Her writing is so captivating, Dylan really resonates with me even after reading, this story that will stick with me. McLaughlin really had me captivated with not only Dylan's struggles but also how it effects Dylan's loved one's as well a truly insightful read. When authors tackles difficult topics and you can tell how well researched the topics like DID (disassociate identity disorder) was it really makes you feel more about the characters.
I'm definitely going to have to read more by Kate McLaughlin!!

This book really just took me for a ride. I loved the build up, the character development, and the writing. I would definitely read more from this author!

This YA book spoke about a mental illness (DID), and I found it very inspiring. Dylan will stay with me for a very long time. Thank you Net Galley.