I have never been a fan of stories about Dissociative Identity Disorder. It is a really hard disorder to write about without feeling over the top, soap opera like, or inaccurate. I think the author obviously did her research and did a great job of the symptoms. I did not like how it was diagnosed and how friends played into that diagnosis. I think it is really hard to write about, especially for a young adult audience, but the author did a good job.

4.5 out of 5 stars (4.5 / 5) What I assumed I was getting was a thriller about dissociate identity disorder. But what I got was so much more. It was an emotionally fascinating story of someone learning they have the disorder.

We’ve all seen the movie Split with James McAvoy. That portrays a very extreme and rare side of DID. This book took that label the movie created and that we’ve all assumed and made it into something positive.

“There’s no cure for many things. I didn’t need a cure. I needed to accept. I needed to find a way to be happy in my own skin, and I did. Was it easy? No. Was it worth it? Yes.”

To say I was glued to this book is an understatement. I could not get enough. I was fascinated with each aspect playing out and how each character responded. I learned a lot and more importantly, I learned the positive aspects of DID. Reading textbooks in college about this disorder could never give me the insight this book did and I am grateful for that. Too many labels are given to mental health issues and I’m hoping this helps alleviate some of the stigma.

It’s an intense, fascinating and emotional read. I highly recommend it to those that can handle the content/triggers.

Thank you to Wednesday Books for the gifted copy!

The book releases April 18, 2023.

Pieces of Me by Kate McLaughlin, 368 pages. Wednesday Books (St. Martin’s Press), 2023. $15. lgbtqia
Language: R (205 swears, 133 “f”); Mature Content: R; Violence: PG13
BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL
AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE
Dylan (18yo) is used to losing time, but she thought she solved the worst of it when she stopped drinking. When she wakes up somewhere unfamiliar and calls her mom, Dylan learns she’s been missing for three days. With a doctor’s appointment, Dylan and her family hope to figure out what’s going on—but the voices in Dylan’s head want to keep her in the dark.
McLaughlin writes beautifully even with sensitive and abhorrent issues. Dylan’s story is raw and real, reaching out to suffering readers, even if they don’t hurt in the same way, for the same reasons, or with the same mental health trauma. These pages bleed love for anyone who has experienced unsavory things and highlight the strength of survival.
Dylan and her family are implied White, Connor is White, Izzy is Black, and Nisha is Indian and British. The mature content rating is for mentions of underage drinking and orgasm, masturbation, sexual abuse, and manual and vaginal sex. The violence rating is for blood, self-harm, and attempted suicide.
Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for the eARC of this thoroughly researched and compelling novel centered around a young adult woman diagnosed with Dissociative Identity Disorder. I went into reading this book completely blind; having not even read the synopsis. All I knew is that I love Kate McLaughlin's writing-- having read 'Daughter' and 'What Unbreakable Looks Like' previously. To say I was pleasantly surprised is an understatement: I love glances into mental disorders and have been interested in DID since watching United States of Tara as a teenager myself.

Kate has done a beautiful job bringing Dylan and her alters to life. When we first meet our protagonist, she is coming to at an unfamiliar place and realizes that she has lost three whole days with her last memory consisting of being at a coffee shop. This begins a journey to figure out why this has happened, and after some run-ins with people who know her face without her being able to reciprocate and other instances of time loss-- Dylan is diagnosed with DID. She meets some of her alters: Lannie, Kaz, and Dali to name a few, and begins to understand that something terrible happened in her childhood to bring them all to life.

What follows is an absolutely chilling and heartbreaking voyage into Dylan's mind to finally piece together what she's been hiding from herself for years. Thankfully, she has an amazing support system, including her famous mother, her only best friend, and a boy named Connor that she met while she was not in control of her own body. This is a story of self-discovery, but also one of familial and romantic love, and the lengths we go to in order to protect ourselves and the ones we adore. Kate weaves a narrative that you will not be able to put down, and one that will give you new insight on DID itself. This novel is brilliant, and I'm so lucky to have gotten to experience it.

This book was very well written and hard to put down. The whole time, you are rooting for Dylan and hoping everything works out for her. I don’t know anyone who has been diagnosed with DID so I’m not sure how closely Dylan’s story might resemble another’s, but if any part of it is similar this story could help explain it to those of us without DID. It seems like the author did extensive research and she even mentions having a psychotherapist assisting with some parts.

I found the description of the “system” or Dylan’s “posse” very interesting. The way her brain processed that information and created the different personalities that each had their own responsibilities and would front at specific times when needed is amazing to think about. The things our bodies and minds can do to survive traumatic events is incredible.

The only part of the story that I might see a problem with is the support Dylan received throughout. It seems like it might be a little too good to be true. Granted, there was some pushback from her brother Mark and also from Nisha, the girl on the train, but overall she seemed to have overwhelming support. I would hope that a situation like this could be true, but with human nature and the way people act when they don’t understand things, I’m not sure how someone’s family might react to a DID diagnosis. It would be a lot to take in and could be tough for some to accept.

*** If you read this book, you MUST read the acknowledgments. The author explains some of the research she did and why she wrote the ending this way.

SPOILER ALERT

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Not everyone ends up with what seems like an easy road and a happy ending, but for the sake of the book, it made the story easier to tell and I think it does a good job of bringing awareness to DID (which I didn’t know much about until reading this).

Pieces of Me by Kate McLaughlin

Published: April 18, 2023
Wednesday Books
Genre: Teen & Young Adult
Pages: 363
KKECReads Rating: 5/5
I received a copy of this book for free, and I leave my review voluntarily.

Kate McLaughlin likes people, so much so that she spends her days making up her own. She likes writing about characters who are bent, but not broken - people who find their internal strength through friends, strife and sometimes humor. When she's not writing, she likes studying people, both real and fictional. She also likes playing board games with friends, talking and discovering new music. A proud Nova Scotian, she'll gladly tell you all about the highest tides in the world, the magical creation known as a donair, and people who have sofas in their kitchens. Currently, she lives in Connecticut with her husband and four cats.

“But I don’t feel much like a winner.”

Dylan often loses hours of time. She won’t remember anything she did. It scares her, but she isn’t sure how to ask for help. Kaz is confident and comfortable with her sexuality. She is not afraid of going after the things that make her feel good. Lannie is the mother hen; she protects those she loves without question. Scratch is filled with rage and resentment. She wants revenge. The others want to feel safe, but is that possible?

This was such a fantastic novel. First, trigger warnings for SA towards minors, mentions of suicide, and dealing with mental illness.

The way this book was written was so beautifully compassionate. The care, concern, and research are apparent. I don’t know much about DID, but this book did a fantastic job explaining and breaking down for Dylan’s situation.

I loved Dylan. She was so sweet. I loved her artistic soul and her desire to love and be loved. I liked Kaz and her comfort with who she is. Lannie was such a great character with a huge heart. Connor was the perfect balance for Dylan, and I love how open and accepting he was.

The topic of this book is fascinating because people are diagnosed with DID and have to navigate living their lives with it. I found this represented fair and honest, and I enjoyed how the struggles were written respectfully.

This book will grab you from the first page and hold you until the last. It’s such an engaging, haunting, beautiful story.

Pieces of Me is a YA contemporary fiction by author Kate McLaughlin that tells the story of a young woman who discovers she has Dissociative Identity Disorder .

Wow this one blew my expectations for it out of the water. I appreciate all the research the author did to do justice to Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID). The story follows Dylan as her latest bout of losing time result in a scary situation , in a strange bed next to a strange boy who seems to know her. From there with the support of her mother and best friend she tried to figure out what wrong and eventually figure out she has DID. Once Dylan realizes she has a bunch of alters inside her, she does her best to learn more about them and figure out a way to coexist. Yet the alters are protecting her from trauma that happened to her as a girl, and they are hesitant to reveal the truth of her past.

I was fully Invested in Dylan and all her alters. They are all individuals and have a purpose. The characters came to life and I was rooting for them to learn to coexist. I really loved the positive mental health representation. Just because Dylan has DID doesn't mean she can't live a productive life with the right tools.

There is a side story line of a romance between Dylan and the boy she wakes up next to in the beginning. Connor was an innocent love interest who was understanding and supportive, but at times he seemed a little too good to be true. He was the only one who seemed too perfect. Everyone else had their faults like her mother and her brother, their humanity made them more real.

In the end, Pieces of Me by Kate McLaughlin was a moving and emotional Young Adult novel. A story focused on mental health, Dissociative Identity Disorder, family, friendships, healing, facing your trauma, and a hopeful ending.

TW: trauma , child sexual assault, self harm (double check TWs yourself because this book is definitely on the heavier side)

This is a very intense read about a fictional depiction with some very realistic details of an 18 yr old with DID. Dissociative Identity Disorder is something that I believe is hard to describe, even for people who have it. However, this book, this author, gives a very valid attempt, and I think this is definitely worth a read if you are at all interested in DID.

The main character, Dylan, wakes up in a stranger's bed and finds out she has been with him at his house with his sister all weekend. At this time, Dylan has no idea that she has these different people within her ready to come out and protect her at a moment's notice. The guy she was with, though, turns out to be seriously the best person in the world. Conner is almost unbelievably understanding of everything, so of course I automatically love this dude.

Dylan has lots of support. This is a wonderful story about an amazing family (mostly). This is not the case for everyone with DID or any other mental illness, so at points, it felt a bit overdone. However, I learned some things about DID and love this author, so I would say I'm feeling pretty positive about this book.

Content warnings for mental illness, suicide, hospitalization, and child sexual assault.

Out April 18, 2023

Kate McLaughlin always writes extremely hard hitting stories and Pieces of Me is know different. I was so fascinated by this exploration of Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) and how it was explained in a very clear and succinct way. How our minds can try to protect ourselves from trauma is absolutely wild. My only issue was that I thought the ending felt a little rushed.

Eighteen-year-old Dylan wakes up in an apartment she doesn’t recognize, surrounded by people she doesn't know. She finds out that she’s been missing for three days. This leads to being diagnosed with Dissociative Identity Disorder, the result of a secret from her past so terrible she’s blocked it out. Her only distraction is developing a relationship with Connor, one of the strangers in that apartment. As she figures out her past, Dylan wonders if will it heal her or fracture her further.

The opening chapters really hook you in as Dylan realized she was missing three days, and tried to figure out why. She has a history of missing time, off behavior, and people who called her by different names. When flashbacks begin, we learn what kind of trauma led to the fracturing of Dylan's personality. None of it is graphic or on the page, but enough is there that we get the idea. The real draw is that we're in her head as she learns about her diagnosis, figures out how to communicate with her alters, and navigates the system. This is a situation that also affects her family and the burgeoning relationship with Connor, who really is a nice guy who does his best to stay with her and understand what happened. Dylan's parents, twin brother and best friend might not always get it right, but they try hard to figure out how to deal with the development and progression of treatment, especially when it gets rough. The book is well-researched and heartfelt in its presentation, giving us a glimpse into the complicated world that people with DID live.

This book was an interesting read and was extremely hard to put down. However, I'm have a extremely hard figuring out how to rate this book. While the author stated she did a lot of research on DID, she has very little personal experience with it (only a briefly with a old friend from when she was younger). I feel like while trying to bring awareness, I feel some of things felt a unrealistic or rushed. I may have rated this a 5 star read if it was an own voice book, however since it not I'm going to rate it a 3 stars.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for a honest review.

This was an insightful look into a young woman who is diagnosed with DID. When she learns more about her “alters” and why her mind created them to protect her from trauma, she begins to heal and accept these pieces of herself.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC, I’ve enjoyed everything I’ve read from this author and look forward to whatever she writes next.

#PiecesOfMe by #KateeMcLaughlin is a phenominal novel that dives into the world of DID (Disassociative Identity Disorder)
Dylan has lived a fairly charmed life with a mother who was somewhat famous in the past and sort of still is. She has a twin brother that she loves very much even though he seems to always be very angry with her. Dylan has BPD and struggles to function properly with it. She finds that she doesn't have many friends but she has found one that loves her no matter what. Izzy is a special person for putting up with the things Dylan has put her through. Some days Dylan doesn't seem like herself. Her mother and brother struggle to understand the drastic shifts in Dylan. Her brother feels as though Dylan just wants all the attention she can possibly get and her mother worrise that no amount of money can help her daughter heal.
One morning Dylan wakes up in the bed of a man named Connor who calls her by a different name. She finds out that she has been with Connor for the last 3 days and begins to panic because she doesn't remember any of it. Once she returrns home and is able to calm her mother and brother down she starts to lose time more and more often and the voices in her head are getting louder and closer. As time continues people recognize her and know things about her they shouldn't and call her by names she doesn't know.
Pieces of Me dives deeply into the world of Dylans mind and what she begins calling her system. Although not written by someone who has DID the author Kate McLaughlin did alot of work and research so she could portray this disability as accurately as possible. There are triggers within this book about sexual abuse, and suicide so please be aware of this before venturing into this novel. I absolutely adored this book and cannot wait to add it to my collection!

Thank you #Netgalley for the oppertunity to read this eArc in echange for an honest review.

I read about the first thirty percent of this book, before decing to give up. Nothing about it was bad, it was just ok, and I lost interest in it.

I have been intrigued and fascinated by Dissociative Identity Disorder ever since I watched Jessica Buchanan and Victoria Lord in the soap opera One Life to Live. Pieces of me really dove deep, and made it so much easier to understand this disorder, and getting to see it from the inside through Dylan is emotional and wonderful, and so compelling.
From the first page to the last, I was completely sucked in. I loved seeing Dylan's journey from discovering her diagnosis to openly communicating with her alters, to remembering the trauma that triggered the need for them in the first place. I loved actually getting to not only live inside Dylan's head but also getting to see the alters from their own POV.

I was slow to pick this one up off of my TBR shelf. I wasn't sure that I was ready to dive into a story that might require a lot of mental fortitude and emotional strength. I'm so glad that I decided to read it though because it was an amazing read.

I have read one other DID focused novel, Love Me Whole by Nicky James, so I was prepared for some of the character interactions that the author used. I think that McLaughlin did a beautiful job of creating the personalities within Dylan and having all of them easily understandable. There were a couple, Monet for example, who were mentioned but not explained, but it didn't take away from the understanding of their purpose.

As we are becoming more and more aware of mental health needs and resources in our community, I think that this would be a worthwhile read for all!

This was not at all what I was expecting, and I had a hard time putting this one down.

DID has always fascinated me, whether in movies or books. Pieces of Me is geared more towards YA so that is what immediately caught my attention. You can tell the author researched and did as best as possible to portray the reality of someone having DID. I don't know anyone who has it, but if it's anything like this story then I at least I can have some general idea.

That being said, this is a well written and interesting journey that Dylan and her alters go through. It's definitely easy to figure out early on where this is going, but I think this is more about the process of getting to a healing point versus the mystery of what happened that made DID a reality for Dylan.

I haven't read this author before and I really enjoyed the style of writing and storytelling. Definitely recommend this one for those who aren't sensitive to child trauma and abuse. I sincerely appreciate St. Martin's Press for the review copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

An incredible look at the life of a young woman coming to the realization of having DID and her, her family and friends dealing with it day to day. You can tell an immense amount of research was done to create this story and that lent to such an emotional pull throughout the journey. Some pretty hard subject matter was discussed but was done in a way that was more healing than traumatic. I think everyone should read this. A definitely five star.

Thank you Netgalley for this arc

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for access to this title. All opinions expressed are my own.

TW: Sexual Abuse, Mental Illness, Physical Violence, Hospitalization

Eighteen-year-old Dylan, a college fine arts student is feeling anxious about the large periods of time that are beginning to disappear from her memory. With her mother and best friend's support, Dylan seeks help and soon learns that she has Dissociative Identity Disorder(DID). A novel about a young woman that wants to get to the root of her diagnosis even if the truth hurts.

My thoughts: I chose this book for two reasons. First, I enjoyed the last two Kate McLaughlin books I read and so this was an automatic request. Second, I loved that book cover and after finishing the book, think it's a perfect depiction of how the character Dylan is feeling.

The author does her research( which is included at the back of the novel) and paints a very vivid portrait of what a person with DID might experience. I don't work in the field of psychology so I cannot state that this is a 100% accurate portrayal. As a reader, I felt the book was easy to read and I kept turning the pages to see how the plot would evolve.

My 3-star rating is because I figured out very early on how the story would be resolved. It is also because as amazing as Dylan's family and friends were, it raised an eyebrow that only her twin brother Mark and an acquaintance seemed to express any doubt or anger towards Dylan. Also, it was a bit troubling that even before Dylan gets an official diagnosis her bestie has done a Google search that points to the same conclusion.

Overall, I did enjoy my reading experience and would recommend the book to other interested readers.

Expected Publication Date: 18/04/23
Goodreads Review Published 25/04/23

This was such a unique story with a perspective that's often overlooked in media. I enjoyed the unique narrative strategy and thought it showed a complex depiction of DID.