Pieces of Me by Kate McLaughlin and Hot Dutch Daydream by Kristy Boyce #bookreviews #ya #contemporary #thriller #romcom

What’s it about (in a nutshell):

Pieces of Me by Kate McLaughlin is an incredibly authentic and riveting look inside the mind of someone suffering from Dissociative Identity Disorder (Multiple Personalities). This riveting story shows that no matter what, there is always hope for a better future.

My Reading Experience:

I couldn’t put Pieces of Me down! Dylan is a young woman with chunks of time that she cannot account for. Eventually, she was diagnosed with DID, and I loved experiencing the disorder from a first-person perspective. I also loved how the author handled the mental health disorder with empathy and respect. DID is a controversial diagnosis because it’s hard to prove that people are not faking it, and I wondered which way McLaughlin would go with it. I don’t want to tell you everything, but I do want to say that I was delighted with the portrayal.

Are there some technical issues from a clinical perspective? Oh, definitely! A therapist would never have diagnosed a person so quickly. Clients/patients undergo many assessments – some observational and some through different assessment tools- to ensure a correct diagnosis. Also, a person with DID could be experiencing the disorder in much more challenging ways. And the people around that person would reflect varying degrees of understanding and acceptance. But all that side, it’s still fascinating and riveting, holding me focused from beginning to end.

Characters:

Dylan is a young woman attending college as an art major and an artist through and through. But, she has blocks of time missing and no explanation for it. Therapists diagnosed her with a few mental health disorders, but her symptoms feel different than the diagnosis reflects.

Connor is the fantastic guy she meets who shows exceptional respect and compassion for Dylan. He is a rare person, and I just adored him.

Narration & Pacing:

The narration is done in the first person by Dylan, and sometimes her alter personalities. The story is also told through journal entries by the different personalities. This worked incredibly well, as I was never once confused about who told the story. 

The pacing is rapid, which I loved!!!

Read if you like:

• Respectful and compassionate stories about mental health disorders
• Suspense filled stories
• One-sitting reads 

Overall Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

What’s it about (in a nutshell):

Sage is spending the summer before college in Amsterdam as her research mentor’s intern and live-in babysitter for her 3-year-old son. But when her mentor’s teenage son returns home unexpectedly, he threatens to upend Sage’s summer in more ways than one.

My Reading Experience:

This is such a light, fluffy, fun read. Perfect for curling up with when you need a boost in your mood. That’s not to say it doesn’t cover some deeper topics. Sage is still experiencing grief over her father’s passing, which shows in her determination to do things that would make him proud were he still alive. Also, it shows up in her floundering relationship with her older sister, who is at a point where she wants to talk about Sage’s grief, but Sage isn’t ready for that. YA stories where the main character deals with grief over losing a parent always touch my heart. Every parent’s worst nightmare, after the nightmare of something terrible happening to their children, is the one where they leave their child too soon, and I’m no exception. This story, and others like it, touch that part of my heart in profound ways.

The romance is so cute. Ryland is the male version of me, the teen who is determined to forge their own path no matter what and sometimes despite their parent’s wishes. I chuckled over his parent’s reactions to him often because I’ve been there and done that. He is the perfect foil and counterpart to the main character, Sage, because she is so serious and is constantly toeing the line, afraid to step off it even just a little.

It’s also a coming-of-age story, and watching Sage grow and mature, figuring out her own path was just a delight. And watching her learn how to deal with a three-year-old is hilarious. She likes schedules, and little Dietrick wants to upend those schedules at every turn.

Characters:

I described Sage and Ryland already, so I’ll use this section to discuss character development. The characters were developed enough so that you could appreciate the connection, the growth, and the humor, but not so much that the more poignant aspects changed the tone of the story. They are very relatable in all the best ways.

Narration & Pacing:

Sage tells the story in first-person narration, keeping the pace quick. It only lagged in a few brief sections, but not to the extent that impacted my reading.

Setting:

The story is set in Amsterdam and does an excellent job incorporating the city’s beauty into the account. I’ve never considered visiting Amsterdam before, but now I feel like I have to go and experience the gorgeousness for myself. Of course, I must hone my bike riding skills before I go.

Read if you like:

• Light YA romcoms
• Holiday/vacation reads.
• STEM romances-ish

Overall Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐