Join Books.org — it's free

Body, Mind & Health - Fiction, Women's Fiction
Sounds Like Crazy by Shana Mahaffey — book cover

Sounds Like Crazy

by Shana Mahaffey
Available on Bookshop Write a review

Books.org participates in affiliate programs including Bookshop.org and the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. We may earn a commission from qualifying purchases made through links on this page, at no additional cost to you.

Log in to track your reading progress.

Overview

Learn why Holly Miller has five people living inside her head in this “remarkable debut novel.”(Kemble Scott, author of SoMa)

Though she doesn’t remember the trauma that caused it, Holly Miller has Dissociative Identity Disorder. Her personality has fractured into five different identities, together known as The Committee. And as much as they make Holly’s life hell, she can’t live without them.

Then one of those identities, the flirtatious, southern Betty Jane, lands Holly a voiceover job. Betty Jane wants nothing more than to be in the spotlight. The rest of The Committee wants Betty Jane to shut up. Holly’s therapist wants to get to the bottom of her broken psyche. And Holly? She’s just along for the ride…

Watch a Video

Synopsis

Learn why Holly Miller has five people living inside her head in this "remarkable debut novel."(Kemble Scott, author of SoMa)

Though she doesn't remember the trauma that caused it, Holly Miller has Dissociative Identity Disorder. Her personality has fractured into five different identities, together known as The Committee. And as much as they make Holly's life hell, she can't live without them.

Then one of those identities, the flirtatious, southern Betty Jane, lands Holly a voiceover job. Betty Jane wants nothing more than to be in the spotlight. The rest of The Committee wants Betty Jane to shut up. Holly's therapist wants to get to the bottom of her broken psyche. And Holly? She's just along for the ride...

Publishers Weekly

A woman suffering from dissociative identity disorder takes center stage in Mahaffey's lamentable not-quite comedy. Holly Miller shares her head with a number of personalities, from the demanding Southern belle Betty Jane to the terse Sarge, as she pursues a career in voice-over work (surely a snap for someone who hears voices). The first half of the book—a tangle of unfortunate events strung together to maximize Three Stooges–style slapstick—is pure farce, while the second half is a forensic excavation of Holly's past intended to explain her problems. Mahaffey's attempts at turning Holly into something that could be mistaken for a well-developed character, however, is undermined by an avalanche of camp that renders this as absurd as it is pointless. (Oct.)

About the Author, Shana Mahaffey

Shana Mahaffey lives in part of an Edwardian compound that she shares with an informal cooperative of family, friends, and five cats. She is a member of the Sanchez Grotto Annex, a writer's community.

Reviews

There are no reviews yet. Log in to write one.

Editorials

Publishers Weekly

A woman suffering from dissociative identity disorder takes center stage in Mahaffey's lamentable not-quite comedy. Holly Miller shares her head with a number of personalities, from the demanding Southern belle Betty Jane to the terse Sarge, as she pursues a career in voice-over work (surely a snap for someone who hears voices). The first half of the book—a tangle of unfortunate events strung together to maximize Three Stooges–style slapstick—is pure farce, while the second half is a forensic excavation of Holly's past intended to explain her problems. Mahaffey's attempts at turning Holly into something that could be mistaken for a well-developed character, however, is undermined by an avalanche of camp that renders this as absurd as it is pointless. (Oct.)

San Francisco Book Review

San Francisco Book Review
Mahaffey has infused the book with keen insights into human nature and the complexities of life that challenge all of us . . . Sounds Like Crazy is a novel that should appeal to anyone who has ever wondered about the little voice in the back of their head.

The San Francisco Chronicle

Mahaffey documents a realistic setting and progression of psychotherapy . . . Not surprisingly, Holly's rediscovering the sources of her alternate personalities provides the necessary tools for the ultimate healing of her self.At turns both funny and poignant, "Sounds Like Crazy" celebrates resilience as an essential element of the human condition.

Book Details

Published
October 1, 2009
Publisher
Penguin Group (USA)
Pages
400
Format
Paperback
ISBN
9780451227911

Similar books