The concept was interesting and unique. However, it lacked a bit in execution. I enjoyed the fact that the narrator has Dissociative Identity Disorder. However, the multiple personalities were plenty, which made parts confusing to follow. The personalities weren't interesting enough to easily tell them apart or engage with them. I expected to love this one, but I just couldn't. Character development wasn't enough to match up to the complexity of the storyline.

Cole adds a layer to the typical gothic, isolated island storyline by weaving in a main character with DID (dissociative identity disorder). It's a bit difficult in the beginning to grasp who is having a conversation at times, however once you start to get a feel for each alter's character the conversations flow more easily. Ken "wakes up" standing on a dock waiting to be ferried to an isolated island where she has been hired to be a caretaker. I found it a bit of a stretch that the castle she will be working in matches the castle in her head that her alters live in. A bit mind-bending to say the least. Readers will be immersed with the disappearances of Ken's alters, the mystery of the castle and its secrets, and then a dead body, along with thoughtful social commentary (Get Out, Purge vibes).

This was a highly anticipated story for me and sadly it didn’t work out in my favor. The story had a very slow start and things didn’t get interesting until well over 100 pages. 141 to be exact…….then when the action finally started I felt like things were rushed and I was left with more questions than answers. I will give Cole kudos for writing a unique thriller about a main character with Dissociative identity disorder and I really did feel each character was unique but something was missing for me to truly connect to the storyline.

Interesting, twisty thriller about someone with a dissociative identity disorder.. also know as multiple personality disorder. It took a while for me to figure out all the characters but once I did this book drew me in

I always have a problem reading about alters. I find them so scary and out of control. Ken has a head full of them chattering and nagging at her. Once I became a little more familiar with their personalities I was able to read with enthusiasm. Alyssa Cole is an excellent writer and takes us on a dangerous journey back to the beginning. So glad I was able to finish it!

This took me a bit to get into - there are a lot of characters to master. But once I did, it was a fast read. A lot of interesting narrative tension came from the narrator's dissociative identity disorder, where different personalities can be at the forefront but others don't necessarily know what's going on when they're not fronting.

It's 4 stars because love the writing style - but that's a personal preference thing.

A creative premise, well-executed!

Tick tock, tick tock… Can you hear the ticking clock inside my head? It's like a bomb ready to explode any second! Oh boy, what did I just read? My head is spinning! My brain cells are all mixed up! It's been ages since I've come across something so quirky, eerie, yet incredibly intelligent, unique, creative, and entertaining in a strangely sarcastic way!

The inner dialogues between multiple dissociative characters were a bit overwhelming, yet oddly humorous and refreshingly original, like a bizarre kind of theatrical performance with multiple actors. As you delve into this journey, you quickly realize you're reading two books, two storylines, two themes at the same time: one about being trapped on an island where people start dying one by one, reminiscent of Agatha Christie's "And Then There Were None," and another about a traumatized woman suffering from dissociative identity disorder, struggling against her other identities and trying to unite them to protect herself from an outside threat, akin to "Shattered Island," "Split," and themes from "Minds of Billy Milligan" and "Sybil." Both storylines are incredibly compelling and immersive, drawing you in with their clever and sarcastic tone, conveyed through the characters' multitude of voices: from Solomon's rational and controlling demeanor to Empress's quirky nature, Della's responsible attitude, Mesmer's confidence, Keke's innocent charm, Lurk's confusion, Rapunzel's wild spirit, and Kenetria's self-deprecating humor. The portrayal of the castle she's constructed and the positioning of each identity as "headmates" are brilliant inventions that transport readers into a fantastical realm.

The story begins with Kenetria Nash's boat trip to an isolated island on the Hudson River to start her new job as the resident caretaker of a historic home. The catch? Kenetria didn't apply for the job—her alter ego, Della, did. And when Kenetria decides to take control of her body, Della disappears, as if she were never part of her shattered personality. Desperate for stability after being dismissed from her university program and kicked out of her home, Kenetria seizes the opportunity, only to discover that the house on Hudson River eerily resembles the one she's imagined in her mind for her other personas. Coincidence? And why do the boatman and caretaker warn her that she can't spend a single night alone in the house? What secrets does it hold? Is it cursed, as rumored by the locals? And why does everyone who sets foot on the island end up dead?

But caretaking isn't Kenetria's only problem. A surprise visit from the house's conversational trust leaves her rattled, and when one of them dies, she becomes a prime suspect. Now, she must make peace with her inner demons and enlist their help to uncover the real perpetrator before she becomes the next victim. But to do so, she must confront her dark past, the very reason she created a castle with multiple characters in her mind in the first place.

Overall, this is Allyssa Cole's second thriller, and it's even more captivating than her previous work. I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys psychological thrillers with a unique writing style.

Many thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow/William Morrow Paperbacks for providing me with a digital review copy of this well-executed psychological thriller in exchange for my honest thoughts.

I love all of Alyssa Cole's books! This one was similar to others but had a great storyline that kept me guessing til the end. Maybe I'm getting worse at figuring them out or writers are getting better at revealing the truth slowly, piece by piece. Either way, this was a great read!

A twisty, gothic thriller that had me guessing the entire time. Unreliable and spooky and perfect. Highly recommend!

A good story with complex characters. Dissociative identity disorder plays a major part of the narrative and seems to be very well written from a layman's point of view. If you're a fan of the isolated group of people that start dying one by one, this is for you.

Alyssa Cole made an interesting choice in making most of her cast of characters people that mostly live in the main character's head. The book did a good job of delving into the trauma that caused the main character to initially develop DID, and all of the characters had incredibly distinct personalities. She also provided sharp critique of how easy it is to victimize the marginalized and never be held accountable for it.

Well, at least until the marginalized starting hitting back. Of the headspace system, while I enjoyed them, I really would have liked to spend more time with Lurk. The personality that basically wants to sit back and chill is always going to be my favorite.

What a week of great reads I’ve had! One of Us Knows by Alyssa Cole was AMAZING! I can’t wait to see how readers react to this one when it comes out in April. Sooooo good.

Many thanks to #netgalley #williammorrowbooks and the author for the #arc in exchange for an honest review.

#oneofusknows #alyssacole #mystery #thriller #horror #5starbooks #bookrecommendations

After enduring a breakdown and being diagnosed with dissociative identity disorder, Kenetria Nash and her alternate personalities are presented with an irresistible opportunity: to serve as caretakers of a historic home. Despite years of dormancy, Ken is determined not to squander this chance on the remote Hudson River island, though she's clueless about what led them there.

Unexpectedly, a visit from the home's conservation trust coincides with the approach of a fierce Nor'easter, throwing Ken's newfound stability into disarray. Stranded with a group of potentially perilous strangers, including the individual who shattered her life years earlier, Ken finds herself at the center of suspicion when he is found dead.

Entangled in a labyrinth of secrets and racing against the clock, Ken and her alters must unite to clear their name and unearth the mysteries of Kavanaugh Island, as well as their own past. Failure not only jeopardizes their future but also their very survival.

I was ready to like this book- the idea of a main character with DID in a thriller where their survival depends on knowledge that only one of their personalities possesses sounded amazing. Unfortunately, the execution didn't live up to the premise.

The most interesting and creepy part for me was how the personalities' interior environment of a castle corresponded to the place in which Ken, the alter who was in "front" for most of the book, found herself. I think that probably there needed to be a little bit more of everything. A little more character development among the alters. A little slower pace so that we could get more of a feel for the creepy castle setting. I never knew where anybody was. A little more of the climactic night.

This feels like it might be a good screenplay but it didn't quite work for me as a book.

One of Us Knows is one of the best thrillers I’ve read in a while. I honestly wasn’t sure how I’d feel about it by reading the cover. I nearly didn’t want to read it because so often I will see someone take a condition and try to sensationalize it to make a story. Let me tell you, this is not what happened in this book. Alyssa either has first hand experience with DID or she took her research very seriously to the point she had diagnostic fluency. Again and again, I was amazed by how well versed she was in the DID colloquialisms. She took parts of DID that I was familiar with and described them in a was as to humanize the sufferer for me in ways I’d overlooked in the past.

I so appreciated the nuance she brought into the story. Which brings me to my second thrill— the plot didn’t suffer from having a main character with DID. The story not only couldn’t have functioned without her and her parts, her and her parts enhanced the story and made it better!

There are two story lines happening in this book, the story in the outer world and the story in the main characters internal world; both are fascinating and interesting— as both story’s race to the finish line, the reader is able to piece together an understanding of what’s going on. It’s a novel and one of a kind story. I couldn’t put it down. I so appreciated how Alyssa did nothing halfway. Kenetia Nash has DID, and each of her alters has a story - and each of her alters gets to tell her story from her own perspective. Alyssa doesn’t ignore the stigma of the condition, she acknowledges its existence and the story is made better for it. I hope this book will be read far and wide if only to bring awareness to a condition that’s real and tricky for people to learn to live with. What a read. Superlative. So well done.

I’d like to thank William Morrow and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book is tedious. It has so much potential- plot, characters, premise….but the execution just isn’t there. The dialogue is clunky.

I was told by a coworker about this book and I wasn't sure it was my cup of tea. Turns out I liked it very much! Unexpected and a great surprise. It was different then anything I have read before and it had some great twists and turns. I will be recommending this to people who want to try something different. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

One of Us Knows by Alyssa Cole is one of the most original psychological thrillers that I've ever read, and I've read a lot of them, The story centers around Kenetria Nash, who has dissociative identity disorder. The story is told from the point of view of her headmates, or her multiple personalities. This is what makes this story so unique. You are only getting part of the story at a time as each headmate only knows part of what is happening. As you read the story you start to piece together what it happening in the real world and what is happening in the inner world of her head.
The atmosphere of the story takes place on an island in the Hudson River during a major storm. This increases the tension as you are just as disoriented as Kenetria. You are trying to figure out why she took this job out here on the island and why it is causing chaos in her inner world.
The story has psychological tension that keeps you on the edge of your seat. It address the age old issue of men warding their power over women, especially over woman of color and women who don't conform to cultural norms. It addresses childhood trauma and mental health, all while keeping you invested in the story and life of Kenetria Nash. It is a beautifully written story that meshes real world issues with fictional storylines. It is a must read for anyone who likes psychological thrillers.
Thank you to NetGalley, William Morrow, and the Scene of The Crime Group for the advanced copy of the book. The opinions are my own.

Kenetria spent the last six years dormant, letting her other identities run her life. That might've been a bad idea. She awakens on a dock, waiting to be ferried to an island with a creepy castle that one of her alters decided they should be caretaker of. The alternative is homelessness, so Ken plays along while trying to figure out what's going on. The castle is unnervingly familiar, her headmates are going silent, and she's losing time. Then her horrible ex shows up and things really go off the rails. Good creepy vibes but the gaps in backstory and plot mean it doesn't really work as mystery/thriller, more gothic horror.

Thank you to William Morrow and NetGalley for this ARC!

This book is one of my most anticipated of 2024, and it did not disappoint. It is a very fresh take on the Gothic thriller and will easily appeal to fans of Alyssa Cole’s previous novel (When No One Is Watching), mystery/thrillers, and anyone interested in stories revolving around mental health. I will be recommending this to all librarians I work with!