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lindsaymay92's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
_bookally_'s review against another edition
2.0
This one is a hard review to write and rate mostly because there were a few off comments in there I felt to be racist. I re read both the sentences i thought to be racist and saw no reason as to why they needed to be in the book which put me off which was sad because until that point I was enjoying the book.
Also had some interesting content revolving around the police which is pretty fitting and most probably highly accurate in reflection of what is going on in the world at the moment in regards to the police.
So you are following Carolyn grand who has dissociative identity disorder aka multiple personalities. There are 7 different personalities all vastly different. Carolyn grew up being abused by her father then went into the foster system. After an incident happens that involves the police she is ordered to see a psychiatrist. Drama ensues.
The premise, very different and very intriguing. I enjoyed the writing and the cast of characters. Like other reviewers have said I think this would be a great movie. The ending was a bit eh, could see it coming. I could see people with or who know people with DID might not like that ending and the portrayal but that is merely a guess on part.
Could have been a 3 star but had to bump it down to 2 purely because of the questionable racial comments
Also had some interesting content revolving around the police which is pretty fitting and most probably highly accurate in reflection of what is going on in the world at the moment in regards to the police.
So you are following Carolyn grand who has dissociative identity disorder aka multiple personalities. There are 7 different personalities all vastly different. Carolyn grew up being abused by her father then went into the foster system. After an incident happens that involves the police she is ordered to see a psychiatrist. Drama ensues.
The premise, very different and very intriguing. I enjoyed the writing and the cast of characters. Like other reviewers have said I think this would be a great movie. The ending was a bit eh, could see it coming. I could see people with or who know people with DID might not like that ending and the portrayal but that is merely a guess on part.
Could have been a 3 star but had to bump it down to 2 purely because of the questionable racial comments
brenluvsbooks's review against another edition
5.0
Wow! Great suspense/mystery novel.
Enjoyed getting to know each "character", and what made them tick.
The pace is fast, and it grabs you from page one.
Great read.
Enjoyed getting to know each "character", and what made them tick.
The pace is fast, and it grabs you from page one.
Great read.
alstrath's review against another edition
4.0
Carolyn Grand suffered extreme abuse as a young child at the hands of her father and not much improved for her in foster care. In order to survive her horrific circumstances, various personalities were birthed to control each aspect of her life until she, Carolyn, didn't have to surface and function anymore.
I found this book beautifully written, so respectful of the struggles of multi-personalities. The author got the reader inside the head of each multi and you started understanding why each one was birthed and the role of each one in their life.
How each multi deals with the therapist; the police and other figures and even each other, is very clever and insightful.
The ending caught me totally by surprise and in retrospect was actually very clever. The policeman was a clever addition to the whole setup.
A book well worth reading.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me the chance to read this book.
I found this book beautifully written, so respectful of the struggles of multi-personalities. The author got the reader inside the head of each multi and you started understanding why each one was birthed and the role of each one in their life.
How each multi deals with the therapist; the police and other figures and even each other, is very clever and insightful.
The ending caught me totally by surprise and in retrospect was actually very clever. The policeman was a clever addition to the whole setup.
A book well worth reading.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me the chance to read this book.
bookdarling1987's review against another edition
4.0
Who D.I.D. it?
Having studied psychology in college when this book came to Netgalley I rushed to request it. This type of mystery is completely up my ally. So, thank you to all parties involved in my getting a copy of this book. A.F Carter you have a new fan with me I really enjoyed this new twist to a thriller so thank you. Carolyn Grant had been subjected to extreme and horrible sexual and physical abuse from her biological father, then by the foster family, she was sent to. Even after she aged out of the system, she continued to be exploited by others around her. She had fractured into several different people all sharing the same body, all with the goal of surviving one day at a time. Their lives are put at risk when Eleni the rather promiscuous personality gets picked up by the police and their freedom is questioned. The story takes an even more interesting turn when the father who abused Carolyn for so many years is paroled after serving a large part of his sentence. I don’t want to give two much of the story away but I will say someone does die and we don’t know who did it until the very end.
This is one of those novels that will do well with book clubs and friends because it opens the discussion for mental health. I love how the author treats the subject with respect and gives the reader a proper insight on treatments. I enjoyed that the separate personalities had a great deal of details and independence to them. Who I hated was the psychiatrist that the court appointed I will say that I enjoyed that he made all the personalities work together to better support the collective but that is about all I liked of him. Overall a 4.5 star read. I will continue to support this author in the future because I enjoyed the original concept.
Having studied psychology in college when this book came to Netgalley I rushed to request it. This type of mystery is completely up my ally. So, thank you to all parties involved in my getting a copy of this book. A.F Carter you have a new fan with me I really enjoyed this new twist to a thriller so thank you. Carolyn Grant had been subjected to extreme and horrible sexual and physical abuse from her biological father, then by the foster family, she was sent to. Even after she aged out of the system, she continued to be exploited by others around her. She had fractured into several different people all sharing the same body, all with the goal of surviving one day at a time. Their lives are put at risk when Eleni the rather promiscuous personality gets picked up by the police and their freedom is questioned. The story takes an even more interesting turn when the father who abused Carolyn for so many years is paroled after serving a large part of his sentence. I don’t want to give two much of the story away but I will say someone does die and we don’t know who did it until the very end.
This is one of those novels that will do well with book clubs and friends because it opens the discussion for mental health. I love how the author treats the subject with respect and gives the reader a proper insight on treatments. I enjoyed that the separate personalities had a great deal of details and independence to them. Who I hated was the psychiatrist that the court appointed I will say that I enjoyed that he made all the personalities work together to better support the collective but that is about all I liked of him. Overall a 4.5 star read. I will continue to support this author in the future because I enjoyed the original concept.
aplace_inthesun's review against another edition
2.0
Reference was made to AllofUs by AFCarter as a novel of suspense. It's a doozy! The premise is that Carolyn Grand is arrested late one night for propositioning an undercover police officer during a sting targeting prostitution. The issue: Carolyn Grand is not actually a prostitute and she will argue she was not even present at the time. The offender was Eleni, one of Carolyn's many identities.
Carolyn has a history of complex trauma at the hands of her father, as well as others, over many years. As a result she developed multiple personalities and has a diagnosis of Dissociative Identity Disorder. Each chapter is narrated by one of the identities. There is Victoria, Martha, Kirk, Serena, Tina, and finally Eleni, whose voice interestingly (in terms of having a chapter allocated to her view) does not appear until Chapter 12. As a result of her arrest, Carolyn et al must attend psychiatry appointments pursuant to a stint in psychiatric care. During her treatment Carolyn's father is released from jail, only to be murdered. And guess who is the main suspect?
And so enter the police (again) but this time we meet Detective Ortega who forms an unusual relationship with Carolyn as the reader observes the investigation unfold, as well as Carolyn's battle for power with her psychiatrist, and with her competing identities.
What I liked?
The backwards and forwards struggle the identities had with the psychiatrist.
The pacing - it was a page-turner.
The portrayal of isolation in the every day minutiae of Carolyn's life.
The distinct voices of each identity.
What I didn't like?
This seemed to pigeon-hole survivors and their experience.
The voices of Carolyn's identities though distinct might be considered by some as cliched.
The "relationship" between Ortega and Carolyn given her vulnerability. Again, my belief is this propagated further abuse upon Carolyn given Ortega's position of power in the relationship. This just seemed to violate all ethical and moral dilemmas of modern day investigation and trauma informed victim care. I couldn't stomach it, irrespective of Ortega's own background and motivations.
All of Us is a book that I think will give readers a reaction one way or the other. I think people who love suspense novels are most likely to love this one. It's a quick, fast-paced book with alot happening. I just couldn't get past the portrayal of the extreme abuse of power to be able to say I loved it.
Thanks to Netgalley and Grove Atlantic for an electronic advance copy of this book. My opinions are my own.
Carolyn has a history of complex trauma at the hands of her father, as well as others, over many years. As a result she developed multiple personalities and has a diagnosis of Dissociative Identity Disorder. Each chapter is narrated by one of the identities. There is Victoria, Martha, Kirk, Serena, Tina, and finally Eleni, whose voice interestingly (in terms of having a chapter allocated to her view) does not appear until Chapter 12. As a result of her arrest, Carolyn et al must attend psychiatry appointments pursuant to a stint in psychiatric care. During her treatment Carolyn's father is released from jail, only to be murdered. And guess who is the main suspect?
And so enter the police (again) but this time we meet Detective Ortega who forms an unusual relationship with Carolyn as the reader observes the investigation unfold, as well as Carolyn's battle for power with her psychiatrist, and with her competing identities.
What I liked?
The backwards and forwards struggle the identities had with the psychiatrist.
The pacing - it was a page-turner.
The portrayal of isolation in the every day minutiae of Carolyn's life.
The distinct voices of each identity.
What I didn't like?
This seemed to pigeon-hole survivors and their experience.
The voices of Carolyn's identities though distinct might be considered by some as cliched.
The "relationship" between Ortega and Carolyn given her vulnerability. Again, my belief is this propagated further abuse upon Carolyn given Ortega's position of power in the relationship. This just seemed to violate all ethical and moral dilemmas of modern day investigation and trauma informed victim care. I couldn't stomach it, irrespective of Ortega's own background and motivations.
All of Us is a book that I think will give readers a reaction one way or the other. I think people who love suspense novels are most likely to love this one. It's a quick, fast-paced book with alot happening. I just couldn't get past the portrayal of the extreme abuse of power to be able to say I loved it.
Thanks to Netgalley and Grove Atlantic for an electronic advance copy of this book. My opinions are my own.
bookally's review against another edition
2.0
This one is a hard review to write and rate mostly because there were a few off comments in there I felt to be racist. I re read both the sentences i thought to be racist and saw no reason as to why they needed to be in the book which put me off which was sad because until that point I was enjoying the book.
Also had some interesting content revolving around the police which is pretty fitting and most probably highly accurate in reflection of what is going on in the world at the moment in regards to the police.
So you are following Carolyn grand who has dissociative identity disorder aka multiple personalities. There are 7 different personalities all vastly different. Carolyn grew up being abused by her father then went into the foster system. After an incident happens that involves the police she is ordered to see a psychiatrist. Drama ensues.
The premise, very different and very intriguing. I enjoyed the writing and the cast of characters. Like other reviewers have said I think this would be a great movie. The ending was a bit eh, could see it coming. I could see people with or who know people with DID might not like that ending and the portrayal but that is merely a guess on part.
Could have been a 3 star but had to bump it down to 2 purely because of the questionable racial comments
Also had some interesting content revolving around the police which is pretty fitting and most probably highly accurate in reflection of what is going on in the world at the moment in regards to the police.
So you are following Carolyn grand who has dissociative identity disorder aka multiple personalities. There are 7 different personalities all vastly different. Carolyn grew up being abused by her father then went into the foster system. After an incident happens that involves the police she is ordered to see a psychiatrist. Drama ensues.
The premise, very different and very intriguing. I enjoyed the writing and the cast of characters. Like other reviewers have said I think this would be a great movie. The ending was a bit eh, could see it coming. I could see people with or who know people with DID might not like that ending and the portrayal but that is merely a guess on part.
Could have been a 3 star but had to bump it down to 2 purely because of the questionable racial comments
lilyp7's review against another edition
4.0
I received this book from NetGalley in exchange of an honest review.
This book contains trigger warnings: paedophilia, sexual and physological abuse, paedopornographia, attempted suicide, murder, prostitution.
Carolyn Grand suffers from dissociative identity disorder, from multiple personalities. She's Martha, the housewife, who takes care of bills and food, Victoria, the public face, put-together, Serena, the artist resident, Kirk, the only "brother", heterosexual, Eleni, the promiscous one and Tina, the nine years old, the only one of them that remember her, their, gruesome past.
Carolyn suffered from childhood abuse. Molested and lease out to peadophile by her own father and then, in her foster family, pimped by her foster parents, Carolyn created multiple personalities, to protect herself, to hide, to function, to endure.
The story, told by the six personalities, starts when Eleni propositions herself to a cop and, when he discovered she was committed, it's decided she should be go to the Kings County Hospital and to talk with the psychiatrist Halberstam. As each one of them wants to live his/her own life, taking control of the body, the six personalities cooperate to not being commited into a psychiatric hospital, but Carolyn's life is again turn upside down when her father is released on parole and contact her. When he's discovered dead, she becomes a suspect. When detective Ortega (who starts to feel something for Eleni), decided to being part of her life, helping her, getting to know the other personalities, Carolyn finds herself overwhelmed and confused, while the reader, while the investigation goes on, asks him/herself, who could have committed the murder? One of her personalities? Or other people in Hank Grand's life, since he was involved in suspicious business and so on?
This book is incredible. The reader swings past from voice to voice, personality from personality, getting to know more about Carolyn's awful life, her past, her trying to endure what she's been through and move on, while fighting against the police's questions and investigation, Dr Halberstam and his games, getting support and help by her neighbour Marshal and then by Bobby Ortega. The plot is a beautiful rendering of Carolyn's life, with her problems, her doubts, her personalities trying to overwhelm one other, hjacking the body to live the moment and so on. It was hard reading about her abuse and her so unfortunate life, since childhood and how, as a grown woman, she managed, more or less, well enough, to function, to live.
It was captivating, thrilling and hopeful at the same time. I really like Carolyn's personalities and each one of them was fierce, brilliant, especially when they cooperate against Halberstam or her father.
This book is written beautifully and the reader finds him/herself involved in the story and in the investigation, wondering who did that? Until the very end.
This book contains trigger warnings: paedophilia, sexual and physological abuse, paedopornographia, attempted suicide, murder, prostitution.
Carolyn Grand suffers from dissociative identity disorder, from multiple personalities. She's Martha, the housewife, who takes care of bills and food, Victoria, the public face, put-together, Serena, the artist resident, Kirk, the only "brother", heterosexual, Eleni, the promiscous one and Tina, the nine years old, the only one of them that remember her, their, gruesome past.
Carolyn suffered from childhood abuse. Molested and lease out to peadophile by her own father and then, in her foster family, pimped by her foster parents, Carolyn created multiple personalities, to protect herself, to hide, to function, to endure.
The story, told by the six personalities, starts when Eleni propositions herself to a cop and, when he discovered she was committed, it's decided she should be go to the Kings County Hospital and to talk with the psychiatrist Halberstam. As each one of them wants to live his/her own life, taking control of the body, the six personalities cooperate to not being commited into a psychiatric hospital, but Carolyn's life is again turn upside down when her father is released on parole and contact her. When he's discovered dead, she becomes a suspect. When detective Ortega (who starts to feel something for Eleni), decided to being part of her life, helping her, getting to know the other personalities, Carolyn finds herself overwhelmed and confused, while the reader, while the investigation goes on, asks him/herself, who could have committed the murder? One of her personalities? Or other people in Hank Grand's life, since he was involved in suspicious business and so on?
This book is incredible. The reader swings past from voice to voice, personality from personality, getting to know more about Carolyn's awful life, her past, her trying to endure what she's been through and move on, while fighting against the police's questions and investigation, Dr Halberstam and his games, getting support and help by her neighbour Marshal and then by Bobby Ortega. The plot is a beautiful rendering of Carolyn's life, with her problems, her doubts, her personalities trying to overwhelm one other, hjacking the body to live the moment and so on. It was hard reading about her abuse and her so unfortunate life, since childhood and how, as a grown woman, she managed, more or less, well enough, to function, to live.
It was captivating, thrilling and hopeful at the same time. I really like Carolyn's personalities and each one of them was fierce, brilliant, especially when they cooperate against Halberstam or her father.
This book is written beautifully and the reader finds him/herself involved in the story and in the investigation, wondering who did that? Until the very end.
stefphoenix's review against another edition
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
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