18 year old Dylan wakes up in an unknown apartment with people she doesn’t know. She soon learns she’s been missing for 3 days and has no clue what has happened during all her missing time. You see Dylan suffers from Dissociated Identity and the many voices in her head. It’s hard to feel like she has any breathing room, except for Connor, the boy she wants nothing more but a normal relationship with. They’re still in the beginning of it and he’s a great distraction, but her disorder is becoming harder to hide.

This was a unique debut book about mental health and the love we all want to find. Dylan was complex yet relatable. She loves her twin and art and has what seems like an easy childhood except for these voices that are constantly in her head pressing on her. I don’t know what that’s like, other than I tend to talk to myself when doing tasks lol, but I really appreciate how the authors wrote this complex character.

This I a story about self discovery and working through the rough things some face.

There is beauty in embracing yourself. This book is a beautiful tragedy. You have Dylan who has lived most her life without realizing she has dissociative identity disorder being forced to face that not only does she have different people in her mind, but that something happened in her life forcing her to live with these others inside her body. I love that she finds people who help her along this journey of understanding, and they encourage her to embrace her community and look at them for support. I think this book is such a lovely way to face such a difficult disorder that is created by such tragedy. I truly enjoyed going on Dylan’s journey and I think this is a great way to look at this disorder and gain some understanding of what people dealing with it daily have to go through.
Thank you so much to St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for allowing me to read an advance copy.

This book was a lot.

Being someone with a healthcare background, though not in psychology, I did see the early signs that eventually led to Dylan’s diagnosis. It also meant I had a strong idea of the type of trauma Dylan must’ve experienced as a child. Though that did not make it any less sad to think about. I also immediately knew who the perpetrator was. One line, that’s all it took. Because there is a pattern of behavior established from that single detail.

I will say I do think the author did a good job of letting us know about the trauma without getting too graphic. A lot was hinted at and implied, and I was genuinely worried we’d have to see Dylan recall it all for herself in order for her to fully break down the walls between herself and her alters, and begin to heal, but thankfully that wasn’t the case. Most of it was kept off-screen.

I felt like Dylan reacted about as well as anyone in her situation could. There was a little denial and resistance at first, but once she resolved to figure out and understand what was truly going on with her she stayed true to that path.

I will say Dylan had an amazing support system, people who love her, support her and do their utmost to try to understand her and her condition. Something I believe others may point out as unrealistic. I can totally see why they’d say that. Because, sadly, there are far too many cases in which the abused are not believed. Far too many cases where people blame the victim rather than the perpetrator or where families protect the abuser for whatever reason, it’s so wrong but it happens too often if studies and statistics are to be believed.

So while maybe that may have made the representation a tad unrealistic for some, I’m glad for it. Because this is the type of resolution I hope all survivors of abuse get. They deserve to be able to live their lives to the fullest, to have people around to love and ground them, and to see justice wrought.

I just finished Pieces of me by Kate Mclaughlin and here are my musings.

Dylan has no idea whose apartment she's in or how she got here. The people seem to know her but she can’t place them. Connor is adamant nothing happened and that they had been hanging out. Mildly freaking out until she calls home and finds out she cannot remember the last three days.

This isn’t new but, this length of time is excessive and now Dylan knows that there is something wrong. Imagine being diagnosed at 18 with Dissociative identity disorder. A disorder brought on by severe childhood trauma but she cannot remember whatever it is that was supposed to have happened and as she navigates getting to know her the other people that live rent free in her head, they know a dangerous secret that they are hiding from Dylan, a secret so bad, it is worth dying for.

Have you ever read a book that was so intoxicating that the book hangover was pretty horrific? This book did that to me. I was hooked right from the start. Dylan was the most perfect unreliable narrator but she was so likable and I felt the need to protect her myself. I didn’t know much about DID but this book did an excellent job of dispelling some myths surrounding the disorder and really took the stigma out of it as well.

The human mind is incredible and this book really took entertainment to a whole other level. Yes the book was heavy but it was worth it.
The character development was very well done and the language was lucid and flowed beautifully. I had my doubts that a topic this complex could be written as a young adult book but I did enjoy being oh so wrong. You could tell the author took a lot of time researching and the talent in the writing shines through.

I couldn’t find anything I didn’t like about this book. Nothing, it was perfect and for me, the best read of the year so far!

I cannot wait to read more by the author!

5 stars! If you are a lover of YA like I am, this has to be on your list! Released today!! Thank you @netgalley and @stmartinspress for my review copy!

Interesting novel about Dylan, who is diagnosed with Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID), and how she deals with it, and her alters. Because this is a YA novel, it's pretty positive - for example, her mom and best friend (and new boyfriend) pretty much accept the diagnosis and are fine with dealing with her alternative personalities. Although, I'm going to be honest - I would've loved a boyfriend like Connor back in college. I did find the novel pretty compelling, and I did want to keep reading to find out how, or if, any resolution would take place. It definitely ends on a positive note, which I would hope all of those diagnosed with DID could eventually reach.

"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?"

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press/Wednesday books for the free ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed herein are my own.

Pieces of Me by Kate McLaughlin is very different from her last book.

"A young woman, Dylan, has been losing time and wakes up in a strange apartment after three days missing. She talks to a therapist about the voices in her head and her seemingly different personalities or alters. Turns out they are there to protect her from some childhood trauma. With their help, she must confront the source of the trauma to move forward with her life."

It's a simple story. Dylan wants answers to what happened. She wants a life without fear. Her alters have different ideas of how to handle it.
The book seems at times like a vehicle to have a discussion about Disassociative Identity Disorder (DID) but McLaughlin keeps the reader interested by focusing on Dylan. It's admirable how supportive other characters are but is probably unrealistic.
Some of Dylan's artwork would add a lot to this book.
A gripping, readable story from McLaughlin.

The quick cut: A college aged girl starts losing days at a time and discovers that she has dissociative identity disorder.

A real review:
Thank you to Wednesday Books for providing the arc for an honest review.

We all become different versions of ourselves over time, but what if that was true all of the time for you? What if you weren't as singular a person as you always thought? This is a struggle and process for Dylan.

Dylan has had many doctors, medications, and therapies over the years for her issues. She's not new to losing time, but when she wakes and discovers she's lost three days? It's a bigger span than ever before. Soon discovering a diagnosis of dissociative identity disorder (also known as DID), she's forced to grapple with the reality she's never dealt with before and the trauma that started it. Can she find a balance to move forward with her life?

I've read many ARCs before, but rarely do they inspire me as much as this one. Every now and then I read one I know I'll want to read again, but this had me preordering a physical copy before I even finished it! It's such a profoundly well written representation of DID, which is far too often demonized in media. The movies Identity and Split (while entertaining) are not accurate representations of DID and this book makes that point spectacularly!

We get to watch Dylan go through the entire process of diagnosis: from the breaking point (a 3 day time loss) all the way to acceptance (of her alters and inner life). Her struggles to deal with her diagnosis and understand the trauma her alters have been carrying for her feel genuine. The alters also very much have their own personalities and feel like their own unique selves. It's clear the author was deliberately careful in their representation of DID in this book.

Like many mental health conditions, this story also shows how frustrating getting a true diagnosis can be: with multiple doctors, medications, and misdiagnoses. So many people go through this agony to the true answers and it's a good thing to have that represented. It's okay to stand up for yourself so that you can find the truth.

There's also mentions of depression, anxiety, and borderline personality disorder. They are only mentions though, not truly represented in the story. They do occur often though in the diagnosis process for DID.

While this book deals with some difficult topics like suicide, sexual assault, and mental health, I do feel like they're tackled in an appropriate and authentic way. It's a great book for older teens who are ready for a story with solid disability representation that shows what proper support looks like.

A powerful story on dissociative identity disorder (DID).

My rating: 5 out of 5

An honest and thoughtful depiction of a young woman's struggle with mental illness and trauma, and her determination and strength in coming to terms with it all.

I can't even imagine what it's like to lose time, or live with any of the other symptoms of dissociative identity disorder (DID), like Dylan, or anyone in real life, does. Though I do not have DID myself, I do have a mental illness, which I could definitely relate to some aspects of her struggle, such as feeling like a burden, especially in the beginning part of the book, as well as doing whatever it takes to manage mental illness out of desperately just wanting to feel okay.

Any mental illness can be difficult to get under control and manage, which I know firsthand, and I'm grateful to Kate McLaughlin for taking the time to portray mental illness (both Dylan's DID and in general) with all of its rawness and messiness. She told Dylan's story with thoughtfulness and compassion, and gave her such a wonderful and necessary support network as she navigated her diagnosis and underlying trauma.

I sincerely hope that stories like this continue to be told. They do such important work, showing how no one is alone with their struggles, as well helping to decrease the stigma around mental illness. And this book does it in spades.

I enjoyed this. It was hard to put down because I wanted to just keep reading and reading. It was such a neat concept and point of view of mental illnesses and I really loved seeing it. I love books that have different point of views of mental illnesses but I really just love when there's mental illness representation in general. The characters were extremely in depth and developed which was sooo nice because sometimes when books have genuine mental health representation, the characters can kind of fall flat for me because it doesn't feel genuine, but Pieces of Me was so far the opposite. I loved it and can't wait to read more from Kate McLaughlin in the future.

Dylan wakes up in a strange place and not able to remember the last three days. She eventually learns she has a mental illness and must learn to live with it and the trauma, that she doesn't remember, that caused it. Thankfully, she has the support of her mom, brother, best friend and new found boyfriend.
Opinion
One of the things I love most about McLaughlin's books is the research she puts into making the book as authentic as possible. This makes for a book that flows well and explains whatever topic she is addressing.
Dylan's Dissociative Identity Disorder is one I found interesting. McLaughlin was able to write about each of her different personalities both as individuals and as a cohesive unit, aka system. Honestly, I was just fascinated by this topic. The trauma was heartbreaking, once Dylan remembered it, but the support from her family and her 'alters' was fabulous.
When I got a few chapters in, I started to recommend this book to people I know. (I usually wait until I've finished the book to make recommendations.) I cannot give this book high enough praise, I simply loved it.
Many thanks to Net Galley and St. Martins Press for providing me with an ARC of this book.

I was provided an ARC of this book via Netfalley, all opinions are my own.

This follows Dylan after waking up in a strange place and not being able to remember the last few days. She has lost time before, but never days at a time. Dylan has always struggled with her mental health, but she thought she had it under control. She stopped drinking and the people she was with over the weekend assure her she wasn't drunk, so what happened that made her forget and why does she hear voices inside her head? Fortunately for Dylan she has the support of her mom and best friend to help her navigate things as they try to get a diagnosis from a neurologist and therapist. Eventually they pursue DID or Dissociative Identity Disorder, which Dylan has many of the markers for and it seems to fit all of the strange behaviors she has exhibited throughout her life. Dylan has to embark on a journey to not only uncover the trauma that caused her to dissociate but get to know each of her alters and learn how each of them functions within the larger system,

I enjoyed this. I know DID is still a questionable diagnosis in the mental health community and it is hard to get diagnosed with it. This has some tough moments as Dylan has to face her trauma and there are some content warnings that the reader should be aware of before undertaking this read (attempted suicide, sexual abuse of a child, mental illness). Learning about her different alters and how all of them work together was insightful.

I did think that it came together in a nice neat package, but that comes with being YA I find. Dylan suffered a terrible trauma as a child, but her diagnosis came fairly easily and everyone around her accepted it. Her relationship with Connor fell into place pretty easily as well, and he is a little too perfect sometimes.

Overall, this was an enjoyable and quick read. I read this in a few hours and found it hard to put down.

4.5 stars

Thanks to St. Martins Press and Netgalley for a digital arc.

Kate McLaughlin is quickly becoming an author I will reach for, you can tell she put so much research and time on this subject. You could feel how the whole 'system' worked and at the same time got to see and feel how they were each separate. I have not read much about DID but this was a great start for me to read more about it.

Thanks to Wednesday Books for the free book.
What an engrossing look at Dylan and her struggle with Dissociative Identity Disorder. This book is a deep character exploration of what it's like to live with this mental illness and what caused it in this case. The details here were vivid. The author brought lots of information into this book and balanced it with the characters and plot well. I didn't feel bogged down in any of the story. I liked the pacing and how the story was told. I was also thankful for Connor and how good of a person he was. It's nice to read about a nice character, especially to help break up some of the heaviness of this story.
I am also wanting to read some #OwnVoices reviews of this to see how this holds up to their experiences. The author did do lots of research for this one.

This novel is a magnificent and accessible representation of dissociative identity disorder portrayed in a new and interesting way. It’s obvious the author took the time and effort to research this topic and was careful to represent it as accurately as possible. The characters are relatable and realistic which makes the plot more powerful. This story is hopeful and encouraging. I loved it.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for the eARC in exchange of my honest review

I thought this story was excellent, and brought to light a disorder that is not often talked about. I was hooked from the start. The disorder was not over glamorized, but the portrayal of how Dylan's mind worked was fascinating . I think the author did a great job with a hard topic and appears to have done extensive research which in noted at the end of the book. An extremely hard topic to discuss especially for a YA audience. I will sure check out other works bu this author. 4.5 stars

What's it about (in a nutshell):
Pieces of Me by Kate McLaughlin is an incredibly authentic and riveting look inside the mind of someone suffering from Dissociative Identity Disorder (Multiple Personalities). This riveting story shows that no matter what, there is always hope for a better future.
My Reading Experience:
I couldn't put Pieces of Me down! Dylan is a young woman with chunks of time that she cannot account for. Eventually, she was diagnosed with DID, and I loved experiencing the disorder from a first-person perspective. I also loved how the author handled the mental health disorder with empathy and respect. DID is a controversial diagnosis because it's hard to prove that people are not faking it, and I wondered which way McLaughlin would go with it. I don't want to tell you everything, but I do want to say that I was delighted with the portrayal.

Are there some technical issues from a clinical perspective? Oh, definitely! A therapist would never have diagnosed a person so quickly. Clients/patients undergo many assessments – some observational and some through different assessment tools- to ensure a correct diagnosis. Also, a person with DID could be experiencing the disorder in much more challenging ways. And the people around that person would reflect varying degrees of understanding and acceptance. But all that side, it's still fascinating and riveting, holding me focused from beginning to end.
Characters:
Dylan is a young woman attending college as an art major and an artist through and through. But, she has blocks of time missing and no explanation for it. Therapists diagnosed her with a few mental health disorders, but her symptoms feel different than the diagnosis reflects.

Connor is the fantastic guy she meets who shows exceptional respect and compassion for Dylan. He is a rare person, and I just adored him.
Narration & Pacing:
The narration is done in the first person by Dylan, and sometimes her alter personalities. The story is also told through journal entries by the different personalities. This worked incredibly well, as I was never once confused about who told the story.

The pacing is rapid, which I loved!!!
Read if you like:
Respectful and compassionate stories about mental health disorders
Suspense filled stories
One-sitting reads

I always appreciate it when an author writes about mental health, especially an author I enjoy. McLaughlin did as well of a job as an author could do that doesn’t have DID. The research that went into writing this is evident throughout the story.

The book would benefit from a bit of editing before release day. The timing of when Dylan quit drinking is all over the place, going from last year to 6 months ago, which would put it in April, considering it’s October. Also, her half-sister Bella goes from being a step-sister to a half-sister. So it definitely needs a little bit of tweaking, which is an easy enough fix as my copy is an ARC.

Mental health is so often misdiagnosed. You can run through a few diagnoses before getting the correct one. We don’t see any signs of BPD in Dylan, so I wonder if that was a misdiagnosis, especially considering everything that comes to light throughout the story. Dylan has gone through so much and still has a long road ahead of her. But she has the strength to see it through. Overall, this is an interesting, thought-provoking read. Many thanks to St. Martin’s for sending this over.

*Trigger Warning*

Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) has always fascinated me. It's not a mental health condition that is talked about nearly enough, especially because of the stigma surrounding it. I think McLaughlin did an excellent job portraying the disorder in a way that did not romanticize or over-dramatize.

That being said, there were parts that gave me pause. While it is not difficult to believe that no one noticed the abuse while it was happening, it is a little unbelievable that the family readily accepted the news and transitioned straight into supporting Dylan. While that is obviously the hope for all victims of child sexual abuse, it definitely is not always the case.

Dylan's journey to diagnosis also confused me a bit. Prior to even meeting with the therapist, her best friend has done a Google search and decided that DID is definitely what Dylan is grappling with. Because DID is so rarely discussed, this made me question how she came to that conclusion. Add to that a perfectly supportive new boyfriend who asks minimal questions about Dylan's disorder and is somehow the only person who can recognize her different alters and knows how to best support her, it felt unrealistic at times.

The book was well-written and it kept me interested. But I will say that there's not much of a plot line. It's pretty obvious from early on what the trauma was and who the perpetrator was. Then it's a quick diagnosis. Then Dylan's in love and coping well. It feels a little bit too "happily ever after" at times. Readers who enjoy reading fictional books as a way to learn more about different mental health disorders will enjoy this one. It is based on actual research and does an excellent job placing the reader inside the story to build empathy for Dylan.

Overall, this was a 3.5 star read for me because of the moments I was left questioning the reality of it. Thank you NetGalley and Wednesday Books for gifting me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review and opinion.

I really enjoyed this book! It was a quick and easy read. I was pulled in from the very beginning. I love how the author is trying to normalize mental illness. It appears that there was a lot of research to make this book accurate. But I found that everything worked out way too easy and too perfect. Great work of fiction, but life is never that perfect!

Whoa! This was a lot to take in with "Disassociative Identity Disorder" (DID) and had me thinking about the book and movie, Sybil. This surprising wasn't dark as it could have been as the author could have easily gone there. Dylan, an eighteen year old HS student wakes up in a stranger's bed and has no recollection of him or how she got there. Looking at her cell phone which is dead and after conversation with the stranger, Collin she charges her phone and calls her frantic mother back thinking it was one day, she actually lost 3 days and everyone is looking for her. One twist, she told Connor who she spent the weekend with that her name is Lannie. Dylan has been having memory losses or losing time and waking up outside and other places not technically sleepwalking. This was really eye opening in what the human brain and psyche can do to survive trauma. Dylan no longer able to deal with what is happening to her agrees to let her mom take her to yet another doctor who is able to assess and help. Feeling victimized by her twin brother for seeking attention and having the support of her friend Izzy and Connor, Dylan finds about her DID and trauma that she doesn't remember. What she realizes is that her childhood imaginery friend, Kaz is actually an "alter" in head. There are several "alters" who come forward and take over her body at different times to her help during different situations. Dylan begins to get glimpses of what happened to her at 5 with the sexual assault. Just in the back of her mind are smells of the man, and other glimpses. This was truly eye-opening. Liked how the story unfolded and ended.