Carolyn Grand is not an "I" - she is a "we." Afflicted with Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) stemming from horrific sexual abuse in childhood, there are six different people inhabiting Carolyn's body, none of them actually Carolyn. These personalities include Martha, the dour motherly figure of the group; Victoria, prim, proper, and put together; Serena, the head-in-the-clouds dreamer; Eleni, the sexual temptress; Kirk, the only male out of the six; and Tina, who is stuck in the mindset of an abused 9 year old child. Together, they make up Carolyn Grand's psyche in all of its manifestations.
A.F. Carter's All of Us follows Carolyn's personalities in the aftermath of an unfortunate encounter with the police, which finds Carolyn receiving state-mandated therapy to determine if she is suitable to live independently. Carolyn's therapist is nefarious and judgmental, not quit believing that Carolyn has no control over her numerous identities, and he seems to be doing her more harm than good. Furthermore, when Carolyn's father Hank Grand, a sexual deviant who used a young Carolyn as the star of child pornography films he produced, is released from prison, she finds herself being stalked by him, wreaking havoc on her mental stability. When Hank soon ends up murdered, Carolyn naturally finds herself as one of the prime suspects. But are any of her personalities responsible for the crime, and if so, which one?
All of Us is an unconventional, yet engaging novel that explores the ways that childhood trauma manifests itself in adults. With that being said, All of Us is not an easy, nor enjoyable book to read. Rather, I would classify it as interesting and revealing. The book contains several descriptions of the abuse Hank afflicted upon Carolyn as a very young child, making this novel quite unsettling, stomach-turning, and triggering. It should be obvious that this book will not be enjoyed by everyone.
Looking past the instances of sexual abuse, I did appreciate the way Carter worked the multiple personalities into the novel, switching the character POV in each chapter as a new personality took over "the body." This plot device proved to be very disorienting and sometimes confusing, helping the reader experience what someone suffering from DID deals with on a daily basis.
All of Us is a solid and intriguing read, yet not one that I wholly enjoyed, hence my 3 star rating.
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Rating: *** Stars (I liked it) Reviewer: Brooke, Public Relations Librarian
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GENRE: Thrillers & Suspense TONE: Disturbing; Gruesome STORYLINE: Intricately Plotted WRITING STYLE: Compelling SUBJECT: Child Abuse; Child Sexual Abuse; Dissociative Identity Disorder; Murder; Parolees; Women with Mental Illness
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