One of Us Knows by Alyssa Cole is a gripping stand-alone psychological thriller that masterfully explores the depths of friendship, secrets, and betrayal. Set in a seemingly idyllic suburban community, the novel delves into the lives of four friends whose bond is tested when a tragic accident uncovers hidden truths and long-buried tensions.

Cole's nuanced writing and keen insight into human nature bring the characters to life, each with their own distinct personality and complex motivations. As the story unfolds, the shifting perspectives and cleverly woven flashbacks reveal the dark undercurrents running beneath the surface of their relationships.

The novel's pacing is impeccable, maintaining a steady build-up of suspense that keeps readers on edge. Cole's ability to blend psychological intrigue with emotional depth creates a compelling narrative that is both thought-provoking and thrilling. Themes of trust, guilt, and the consequences of past actions are expertly explored, adding layers of complexity to the plot.

One of Us Knows is a standout thriller that showcases Alyssa Cole's versatility as an author. With its well-crafted characters, intricate plot, and engaging prose, this novel is sure to captivate fans of the genre and leave them eagerly anticipating Cole's next foray into suspense. Whether you're new to her work or a longtime admirer, this book is a must-read.

I love anything Alyssa Cole so I may be bias but this one was a hit for me. I was excited about the plot of this book and was not disappointed. Although I don’t feel like this was an accurate portrayal of people with DID this was an interesting read. This book was so different from my usual reads but I love how thrilling and intriguing this one was. The beginning was a little slow for me but I’m glad I stuck with it until the end. This was a fun read.

I honestly wanted to like thos book, but I feel as know i read it during a reading slump. This wasn't the only book I DNF'd but I will definitely give it another try!!
I have high hopes for this book and plan on reading again next month!!

3.5 stars

Kenetria “Ken” is hired as a resident caretaker of a historic home located on an island on the Hudson River. It seems like a dream job except that Ken didn’t apply for it. It was one of her “headmates”. Ken has DID - Dissociative Identity Disorder - and any one of her headmates can take control of things at any moment. The headmate who got them this job has gone AWOL so Ken has to put together why they’re there. Things get stranger when visitors arrive, one of them being an unwanted blast from her past leading to more tension. That coupled with the house’s sinister past leads to a treacherous night trapped in during a storm.

This was a doozy!! It takes a bit to comprehend the who, what and where because any one of the headmates could be speaking or in charge. A lot also takes place in Ken’s mind, and even in “IRL” situations, there are inner conversations taking place.

I’m a fan of Cole’s previous books, and I commend her for this fascinating and complex concept for a story. She did some major world building with Ken’s thoughts, and also with what it looks like inside her mind with all her headmates. It’s impressive! It requires concentration to keep up. I love suspense and multi POVs, but I did find it challenging to follow all the POVs at times.

Highlights:
* Psychological thriller
* Multiple POVs
* Isolated locale
* Unreliable narrator(s)

Heads up: mental health (DID), toxic relationships, regular mention of COVID

Thanks to @netgalley & @williammorrowbooks for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Book: One Of Us Knows
Author: Alyssa Cole
Publisher: William Morrow
Pub Date: April 16, 2024
Ugh. I want to like this author. I had to DNF When No One Is Watching and I had to DNF this one as well. I may try and pick this one up at a later date because I hate giving up on a book. I just could never get into the storyline.

I wanted to love this, but I was not able to get into it. It took a while, but I eventually had to put it down. I will give it another try soon. I do think a lot of people are going to enjoy this book, it just wasn't the right time for me. I did like the unique plot though. I have not read another book that was quite like this one.

Having read and enjoyed the previous thriller by this author, I was excited to check out her latest. Since the previous novel had been a bit of a slow-burn, I was expecting something similar pacing-wise, which was definitely the case. I felt like the decision to tell the story completely from the perspective of Kenetria (Ken), who suffers from Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID), and her alters made a lot of sense, and the author did make me feel like I was inside of Ken's interior world. However, I felt like the story dragged a bit in spots because I wasn't able to keep all of the alters straight and I felt lost at times. Perhaps that was a deliberate technique to make the reader experience the world as Ken did, but it made it harder for me to stay engaged and I skimmed a bit to get to the explanation/big reveal. I think I would have flipped back to the opening chapter where all of the alters were introduced more frequently if I had been reading a physical copy of the book instead of an ebook version, which would have helped me to keep track of them better as the story unfolded.

Based on my experience with the previous thriller, I was fine with a more deliberately paced story because I was expecting something truly bonkers to happen towards the end. While the revelation about why Ken was hired as the caretaker for the isolated Hudson River island and what was truly going on there was horrifying, I don't know that I was surprised by the big reveal and it didn't propel me to the final chapter like the previous book had done. That said, I felt like the author played fair with the reader and the big reveal did end up explaining what had triggered Ken's DID. I just wasn't as invested as I thought I would be.

This review is based on the Advanced Reader Edition ebook I received on NetGalley from William Morrow, courtesy of their Scene of the Crime Early Read program. Many thanks for the opportunity to read the opportunity to read this one!

This book uses a unique narrative technique to tell the story from multiple perspectives. The protagonist has DID (dissociative identity disorder), but one of the identities does most of the talking. Occasionally, others appear, either lurking in the background or dealing with some crisis or other in real life.

And I'm tempted to put "real life" in quotes. Because so much of the story is surreal. Nonetheless, it deals with very real issues pertaining to race relations, white privilege, and weird traditions.

That's why I love this book. It's so relevant, so engaging, so uniquely told, and so real, yet so unreal.

I struggled with following this read from the very beginning, I couldn’t even finish it. The character development felt incomplete from the start.

I enjoyed this book. First off it gave off a such a sense of dread that at times I was scared to go on, but I like that. I also liked DID aspect. There was so much nuance between the different personalities that I thought the author did a fantastic job.

This book can be confusing if you aren't paying close attention but thankfully the writing style made me intrigued enough to fly through out. Love the setting and the atmosphere. The disease is interesting and though I don't know how realistic it is as I don't know much about it but it made a fascinating story plot. Characters I enjoyed, some I didn't, but it left me wanting more

What amazing book!! The characters are amazing the plot is unique . You will never find out ! I strongly recommend this book .

Having read Alyssa Cole's previous social horror, I was very excited for a chance to read this title! I enjoy books that take time to build before the reader understands the trajectory. This one definitely is different in its presentation, but while reading I had the feeling that I remember reading something similar in the past. Talking too much about the set up or the characters could lead readers to feel they already know what's going to happen, so I'll just say that once you realize who's presenting the story, you'll have decided if you want to continue the ride. If you enjoyed books like Shutter Island or The Fury, give this one a chance. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC to review, these are my own opinions.

I usually am really good about publishing feedback before or within two weeks of a publishing date. It is 2 months past and I just need to stop trying this one.

Premise: loved it
Execution: not so much

I am fine with a story starting slow. Especially considering we have a character with DID. It will take time to learn the different narrators. But I am 80 pages in and I don't think I can or will ever go further. Are we going to get somewhere? Is something going to happen?

Wanted to love this one, but it just is not for me.

I am planning on reading whatever Alyssa Cole cares to jot down on paper. I love her fresh and unusual plots.

I just could not get into this try as I did and now give up marking it DNF at 66%.

The character has dissociative identify disorder and is confused about everything that is happening. So was I.

The setting was interesting - a castle on a mostly deserted island gave all the Gothic feels.

I was listening to the audiobook as I followed along in the e-book ARC provided by the ppublisher and the narrator was great and voiced the MANY characters quite well.

The plot, as it were, was meant to be a mystery but at this point there was yet to be the murder.

Moving on.

Thank you CocoaChapters and William Morrow for my gifted copy.
This book was a highly anticipated read for me, as I loved the author's previous thriller. What this book left me with was straight confusion. I kept asking, Wtf was going on? Because I genuinely did not know. I started off reading this book, and when I saw the audio was available, I thanked God. I believe that was the only reason I got through this, plus the fact that I was on a bus ride where I couldn't sleep.

Let's get to the story at hand. I appreciated Alyssa putting the list of personalities at the beginning of the book. Too often, authors introduce a bunch of characters, and it makes it hard for people to follow along. The personalities were easy for me to distinguish; what became confusing was the inner world from the real world. Some of the personalities could be in the real world, and some of them couldn't, and the switching was chaotic, which made the book harder to digest. When it came to the twist, it fell flat on me and just left me with more questions than when the book started. There's a certain point of confusion I can entertain with a thriller, and this book went way past the threshold.

Keke would have to be my favorite personality out of all of them. I could follow along well with her when she was on the page, and she brought an emotional pull to the story. This story had a chance to go a different way, but it didn't. I found the DID focal point so interesting, and it was almost like you had to be well-versed in the subject or research it on the side while reading the book. I would not recommend this book, but I may give Alyssa another chance.

Ken Nash finds herself waiting on a pier for her ride to Kavanaugh Island in the Hudson River. She has been hired as a resident caretaker for the estate on the island, but she has no recollection o applying for the position. Ken has dissociative identity disorder. While she had taken a step back, one of her alternate personalities got her evicted from her apartment and arranged for the position. She has no choice but to head to the island. The river is rough and there is a major storm coming in. She has not even been there for a full day when her ex-boyfriend arrives and orders her to leave the island. He is a junior member of the Trust that manages the island. Additional Trust members arrive, including his father, who hired Ken. The storm has arrived so no one can leave the island. The Trust members are there to hold a ceremony and make Ken’s ex a full member. Before they can begin the first murder occurs. Ken has a temper and had attacked the victim in the past, making her the prime suspect. Murder will not stop the ceremony, but if the ceremony continues more people will die.

As Ken’s personalities are introduced and continue to make appearances it becomes a bit confusing at times. They reside in a castle in Ken’s mind. When she arrives on the island she finds that the estate is exactly like the castle she had imagined. Ken has a connection to the island that she had blocked out but events are bringing the disturbing memories back. The story is atmospheric and Ken’s fight to survive will have you on the edge of your seat. I would like to thank NetGalley and William Morrow Publishers for providing this book.

I was a huge fan of her other book, but unfortunately, this one did not hit right for me. I didn’t really understand the plotline, and it was difficult to get into the characters in the story. I did not finish this one

Kenetria Nash isn’t alone inside her head. She has dissociative identity disorder, and the “Ken” personality has been dormant for years – until now. Ken comes back to awareness with only a note from one of her “headmates” to tell her that she’s about to start a new job as the caretaker of an old mansion on an island in the Hudson River. She has no other job or home to go back to. And the alter who got her into this situation is nowhere to be found. She goes to the island – what other choice does she have? - only to find that (a) it’s extremely creepy (b) it has some mysterious connection to her traumatic, unrememberable past and (c) it’s linked to the men who ruined her life years ago. And she’s losing chunks of time that neither she nor any of her alters can account for.

I never really gave any thought as to how someone with DID might manage it. (I had actually thought it had been debunked but it turns out it’s still a controversial and hotly debated diagnosis.) Obviously this is a fictionalized version of the disorder but it’s still really interesting to explore. I also like the sort of sci-fi/fantasy flavor that the way that the DID is represented – the castle, the “inner world” – gives the book.

Overall the book is entertaining and fast-paced, but there’s something about it that feels disjointed, and not in an intentional way. The tone and pacing are uneven and I found that some developments later in the book stretched my suspension of disbelief a little too much. Three stars.

Representation: Black main character, other POC characters, bisexual main character, other LGBTQ+ characters

Content Warning: racism and misogyny, severe mental illness, past suicide attempt, mention of cutting, ableist discrimination against people with mental illness, attempted rape