One of Us Knows by Alyssa Cole | Book Review

Why I read it: I’ve been a fan of Alyssa Cole for a while, by way of her romance titles. When she published her thriller When No One Is Watching, I read and loved it, too. And I had to get this! Probably worth noting that I’ve been reading adult mysteries and thrillers since middle school—before I ever got my hands on romance.

Review #insixwords: A must-read thriller from Alyssa Cole.

More:

• If you want a thriller that does not center the police or the legal system at all, get yourself this book. (It’s very possible that other books like this exist and I’m not aware of them. If they do? Please gimme your recs.)

• The tension of this book is going to be even better if you either don’t read the book description (a suggestion from Lauren of Tropes & Trifles) or if you read the book description then forget it in the 10 months between purchasing the book and reading it. (It me.)

Because . . .

• The main character Ken has dissociative identity disorder (DID; formerly multiple personality disorder), and the book starts with her fronting (being in charge of the body) after a six-year gap of time. She’s thrust into attempting to piece together what’s happened and where she’s supposed to be going.

• The story is told from the different POVs of Ken and other members of her system. It’s hard to trust the accuracy of each narrator; we never quite know how much of the story and of the past we’re actually getting. But you know something! is! happening!

• Ken finds herself as the caretaker of a historic home on a island, but there are many problems with this. An oncoming “once in a century” storm. People! I mean, people are often the problem, but in this case, they’re bringing potentially deadly trouble and stirring up Ken’s past.

• There are so many good, necessary, interesting themes—race and power dynamics, corrupt and morally bankrupt politicians, the way history can be rewritten, how we cope with trauma, who we can trust, mental health and disorders.

• Dissociative identity disorder is often sensationalized when it’s depicted in media (or, honestly, invalidated), but how the members of system are represented in this book feels incredibly empathic and nuanced. (Cole mentions in acknowledgments that she had a DID accuracy consultant for the story.)

• If it is helpful, here are the content warnings outlined in the book: “depictions of physical violence, references to self-harm, misogyny, ableism, racism, and sexual assault.”

Recommendation: This is the kind of book that stays in your brain after you read it. (Complimentary.) Cole is so, so good at writing thrillers with compelling characters, eerie and realistic settings, and all the tension. Highly recommend.

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