This book had a very interesting concept. I would definitely consider it more Sci Fi/Fantasy than Mystery/Thriller though.

I didn’t even read the plot summary for this one, didn’t need to, it sold me just by being Carey’s latest. What can I say…the guy knows how to tell a story. Even if it takes him over 500 pages to do so. Normally I stay away from such behemoths, but this was definitely a worthy exception. Sure, the plot is far fetched and wildly implausible in the way that it’s difficult to explain and probably would be insane to turn into a movie, but this tale of body swiping evil and otherwise doubles spun around Native American beliefs is just so much fun to read. It isn’t a perfect book by any means, it meanders, it takes entirely too long to tell a story, it plays out pretty much as you’d expect and doesn’t surprise you as often as you might like, it’s main protagonist, a single mother with unreliable child support, somehow manages to raise two kids on what sounds like a minimum wage job at the multiplex cinema. Frankly, the latter is probably the most supernatural aspect of the book and this is the book where characters from other worlds bleed into each other. That’s always fun and, because it’s oh so close to October 31st it was lovely that Carey took a supernatural way around that as oppose to, say, quantum physics. Also, great kid characters or at 16 and 17 is it already young adults…either way, not at all annoying, very likeable. Most of the cast, in fact, is very likeable. And the few antagonists are all the way on the opposite end of that spectrum. So when it comes to good and evil battling it out (and it comes more than once and brutally) your loyalties are never in question. I’m not going to summarize the plot, it’s complicated and is probably best left to the professionals, let’s just say that it starts off with a woman who, after continuous abuse and battery by her ex, finally develops a backbone and fights back, only it seems that backbone is actually her evil self from another dimension and she has more in mind than just helping out. And see...don’t you want to read the book now? Doesn’t it sound exciting? It really is, it’s this book’s greatest strength and a great credit to its author, it’s just such an exciting read. I enjoyed it thoroughly, which is a good thing, considering its length. Recommended for all fans of literary speculative fiction. Thanks Netgalley.

Ahoy there me mateys!  I received this fantasy thriller eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  So here be me honest musings . . .

someone like me (M. R. Carey)

Title: someone like me

Author: M. R. Carey

Publisher: Orbit Books

Publication Date: TODAY!! (hardcover/e-book)

ISBN: 978-0316477420

Source: NetGalley

I found out about the book from me matey, Paul @ paul'spicks and immediately had to read it.  I love this author's work.  Now I didn't read the blurb before readin' this one, but I have to admit that it is a bit misleading.  It suggests that the main focus of the story is a woman named Liz.  Aye, she be one of them.  But equally important to the story is a young girl named Fran.

Fran is a young teen with post-traumatic stress disorder due to her kidnapping at the age of six.  She survived but every day is a struggle to cope with the aftermath.  One of the things that helps her get by is a cartoon fox that only she can see. Her hallucinations have begun to worsen, despite her medication.  Fran was the highlight of the novel for me.  She is intelligent, funny, lovable, and tenacious.

Liz is the mom of two kids and the survivor of an abusive ex-husband.  She works a low-paying job and does her best to raise her children with very little help.  Her children are her strength and she is determined to give them the best life she can.  Her ex-husband seems equally determined to make her life hell whenever he can.  Liz is caring, thoughtful, passive, and a bit stressed out.

The real onset of the action in the novel comes when Liz' s husband violently assaults her.  Liz wants to fight back but old habits are hard to break.  Submissiveness and inaction are winning when suddenly a part of Liz she was unaware of takes over for survival.  But once unleashed, this rage filled personality seems bent on controlling her and dominating her personality with hatred and personality.

Liz and Fran's worlds eventually collide.  Part of that arises from the trauma both have suffered.  Part of that stems from their relationships with Zac.  Zac is a classmate of Fran and Liz's son.  He is sweet, thoughtful, conscientious, and a bit sheltered despite his negative relationship with his father.  I particularly enjoyed his interactions with Fran.  Interestingly, Fran's relationship with her father was awesome.  It was fantastic to have such a wonderful father figure in this novel.

The fantasy elements of the novel were fun as well.  I don't want to get into them here because of spoilers but the concepts were interesting and the ramifications fun to explore.  What happened with the other side of Liz was crazy and fascinating.  And rather scary.

The pacing was intense at the beginning and then it went to a more leisurely pace before picking back up again at the end.  I have to say that the ending didn't work for me.  A little too convenient and unbelievable.  But I loved the book and couldn't put it down.  And Fran won over me salty heart pretty quickly.  So I think that this be another win for M.R. Carey.  Arrr!

So lastly . . .

Thank ye Orbit Books!

Goodreads has this to say about the novel:

SHE LOOKS LIKE ME. SHE SOUNDS LIKE ME. NOW SHE'S TRYING TO TAKE MY PLACE.

Liz Kendall wouldn't hurt a fly. She's a gentle woman devoted to bringing up her kids in the right way, no matter how hard times get.

But there's another side to Liz---one which is dark and malicious. A version of her who will do anything to get her way, no matter how extreme or violent.

And when this other side of her takes control, the consequences are devastating.

The only way Liz can save herself and her family is if she can find out where this new alter-ego has come from, and how she can stop it.

To visit the author’s website go to:

M. R. Carey - Author

To buy the novel go to:

someone like me - Book

To add to Goodreads go to:

Yer Ports for Plunder List

Previous Log Entries for this Author

the girl with all the gifts - book 1 (Captain's Log - Sci Fi)

the boy on the bridge - book 2 (On the Horizon - Sci-Fi eArc)

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to preview Someone Like Me. This is a tough read. I would characterize this as a family drama, with violence and bruality as a result of domestic issues.
Unfotunately, the characters were unrelatable for me and the plot just didn't work where I could grasp and believe what was going on.

Just not for me.

Unlike any other M.R. Carey book I have previously read. The twists and intricacies of dimensional space were a bit tricky but interesting and engaging. The characters were amazing and the storyline was definitely unique.

This book had some interesting ideas, but overall I felt like it could have worked a lot better than it did. It took a while to get into the swing of the story with the differing perspectives, and I cared much more about Fran than I did about Liz. I also felt like Carey could have done more to flesh out the mythology behind the story, and even though this obviously wasn't realistic fiction, I had trouble swallowing the fact that these characters got away with so many serious crimes despite being total amateurs. Overall, I think this is a book that people will either love or hate, without much in between.

This is a brutal domestic violence thriller, whatever; it is too much for me. I grew up in a home for 18 years where my father behaved like this. Now, all she had to do was move, any court in this screwed up world would have had him put away! He should have lost any custodial rights to his children. I do not believe in homosexuals being married! It is an abomination in the Eyes of GOD.
I do not recommend.
Carolintallahassee

This intriguingly disturbing and brilliant novel has all the tendencies to make one go crazy. The story revolves around two characters, and we are introduced to Liz, a single mother of two. She is a lovely caring person who is struggling with her income to keep her and her children’s life together. The only child support she has is from her abusive ex-husband who is far from being helpful. But one day, when her ex-husband assaults her, she fights back. Another side of her comes out with such rage and frustration that even she didn’t know she had.

Then we meet Fran. A high school kid, who suffered a horrifying abduction nearly 10 years ago and still bears the mental scars from the experience. Her trauma caused her to begin to hallucinate. She looks for comfort in her imaginary fox friend, Lady Jinx. Her only emotional support is her single father and therapist, but sometimes the pain gets too much to handle.

Their life gets intertwined when Fran meets Liz’s son. How they struggle with themselves will keep you on the edge of your seat. With each page the suspense keeps accelerating and you cannot put the book down until you finish it. It’s a devouring tale of a single mother and a teenager, who you’d be rooting for from the very beginning. A complete psychological thriller, where the author messes with your head and makes you wonder about the demons that live within us.

[ Review to be published November 8 ]

"Liz Kendall wouldn't hurt a fly. Even when times get tough, she's devoted to bringing up her two kids in a loving home.
But there's another side to Liz---one that's dark and malicious. She will do anything to get her way, no matter how extreme.
And when this other side of her takes control, the consequences are devastating.
Love her or hate her: there are two sides to every story...."

This was intense! Someone Like Me by M. R. Carey started out with a shocking bang, then crept in the insanity of Liz being pushed way past her breaking point. It had a horror/mystery feel to it without being an actual horror story.

Thank you to #NetGalley, Orbit Books, and M.R. Carey for an advanced copy of Someone Like Me.
Pub Date: 06 Nov 2018

When Liz Kendall's abusive ex-husband returns late with their kids Zach and Molly one night, the argument quickly escalates to violence. As Liz is struggling for her life she suddenly feels as if her body is taken over by someone else...a darker side of Liz who is willing to fight back. Believing that the incident was just some sort of traumatic survival mechanism, Liz tries to put it behind her...but then it happens again.
Fran Watts was abducted as a child, her traumatic experience leaving her mentally and emotionally scarred and on medication for her nightmares and hallucinations. While waiting to see her psychiatrist she recognizes a boy from school, Zach Kendall, and he's sitting with his mom Liz...only when Fran looks at Liz she sees something else…

It's so hard to think of a way to review this book without giving any spoilers. I will say I am a big fan of M.R. Carey and love that the "monsters" in is books are not always the villains. This book had me completely hooked and I had a hard time putting it down. The novel is classified in the horror genre, and rightfully so, but not in a graphic, gory, or overly frightening way for those who don't necessarily love the horror genre like I do. Without spoiling anything I will say that it has a folklore element that places it in the genre but it reads more like a suspense/thriller novel. Please be aware the story does involve physical abuse for those who may find this type of material difficult to read. I loved the characters and how their experiences defined their rolls throughout the story. Fran and Lady Jinx are probably my favorite characters and I was rooting for them through the whole story. I am always looking for something unique, especially in the horror genre, and once again this author delivers a distinctive "monster" story. This is definitely one I will be adding to my library, and a must read for 2018.

This is a very original, disturbing novel. Liz is a single mom. She finally found the courage to leave her abusive husband and is working hard to raise her son and daughter. Fran, a teenager, survived a horrific abduction and attack and has the mental scars to show for it. Both, Fran and Liz, seem to see things other people miss, but it's Liz who has a very dark side to her personality. I had no idea what to expect and I was pleasantly surprised. It is an unusual story that is hard to define. Is it philosophical horror? Whatever it is, it works. The changes that the characters experience are believable and well thought-out. The book is flawlessly written and the pace keeps accelerating until it's so suspenseful it's impossible to put it down. It is offbeat and unusual, so not all readers may enjoy it. Me? I was impressed.
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, NetGalley/Orbit Books!

Thanks for the early review copy!

I recommend this book to fans of adult thrillers. I picked this up because of the author, I enjoyed The Girl With All of the Gifts. It was a well-done thriller and I will be checking out his other mystery/thriller novels in the future.

The Girl With All the Gifts is one of my all time favorite dystopian novels, so I’m always eager to read anything by Carey. This is no dystopian story, but a story about a woman who has been pushed too far by the circumstances of her life. Unable to defend herself, another force seems to overtake her body to take brutal revenge on those who have wronger her. I guess I was supposed to really dislike the “evil” side of Liz, but frankly, I kind of liked her. Yes she did some horrible things, but it was so much fun to read a story about a woman handing everyone their ass while the rest of us seem to be living in our own, real dystopian reality

I requested this because I had read two or three other books by this author. I enjoyed them, and when I looked, I'd rated them 4-5 stars. When I got approved I was super excited, and jumped right into reading it, and I kinda stayed in that world for a while, I even dreamed about it. I thought about it driving to work, I thought about it at work, I read it every chance I got. I don't even know why, it's not the worlds best book, but it's pretty darn great. The twisted effery of the theme rates up with dean koontz, john saul. not quite stephen king screwy, but its one of those things that you don't even sit and thing like, omg that's so not even realistic or possible! obviously it's not realistic but you don't sit there and scoff and roll your eyes, you just accept. THAT to me is excellent storytelling.

I really enjoyed the world, the characters, the plot, I loved to hate the evil character, yet love her, because I could easily understand why she was evil. One of the only complaints I really had was the ex husband, that felt like a loose end that was still floating at the end of the book, I wish somehow that could have been tied up. Otherwise, I definitely want to read more books by this author.

I read the page at least 5 times. I read the paragraph on that page at least 10 times. I was shocked. I was terrified. And I loved every word of it. A twist that took this already gripping spectral thriller into an even darker and more wicked place.

Someone Like Me begins with two central characters, Liz and Fran, living in modern-day Pittsburgh. Liz is a single mother of two who is trying to survive on a very limited income and a trickle of child support from an abusive ex-husband. Yet, when her ex assaults her, something inside of Liz snaps, and out comes a part of her she never knew existed. A manifestation of rage, and hate, and frustration that cuts through the gridlock of the superego.

Now in high school, Fran was the victim of a violent abduction at age six at the hands of Bruno Picota, "The Shadowman." Her trauma has manifested itself in hallucinations, most notably Lady Jinx, a warrior fox from a childhood TV show. Jinx acts as protector and confidant, someone she can share her pain with. Fran also has the support of her strong single-parent father and her therapist, and she tries to manage with medication, but sometimes her suffering is too much.

I instantly connected with these characters and the complex ruminations of the "others" in our minds. After a shocking start, the books ramps down a little to a slow creep, but the twist about halfway through creates a tension unmatched by the vast majority of books I've read. 

Someone Like Me is a contemplation on fear, memory, and the will to get out from under the weight of ourselves. What is the origin of the attacks on our own psyche, and the "shadows" that live within us all? 

Thank you to NetGalley, Orbit Books, and M.R. Carey for an advanced copy of the book.

Amazing publishers! Full review of Someone like me by author M. R. Carey to come (Amazon/Goodreads/Blog/Etc) I am really excited to read this and have heard many great things about Someone Like Me!
Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of Someone Like Me in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 A tense thriller with a great concept, this MR Carey book is great for those who like paranormal aspects to their fiction. The story is twofold, Liz and her kids are trying to get away from her abusive ex-husband, and young Fran, who goes to school with Liz's son, is trying to cope with her past and her imaginary friend, Jinx. When their worlds collide, it's nail-biter city (which made me so tense I almost wanted to skip ahead, but refrained. Mostly.)

This book is enormous and it felt like it took me forever just to reach the 5% mark, but 5% was unfortunately enough for me to realize this might not be the story for me. The first chapter details a domestic dispute between a woman and her ex husband and things escalate rapidly. The reference to the woman feeling like there was something dark inside her that temporarily took over was interesting, but the whole situation was so off-putting for me, and I try to keep a real open mind with stories especially as early on in the story as I was. The second chapter threw me for a loop with Carey detailing this sixteen year old girl and her supposed imaginary fox that seems to be real? I honestly had no idea what was going on and I was so exasperated I put it down and haven't been back.