Review: 4 1/2 Stars from "Red Adept Reviews"
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 01 2, 2011
Plot/Storyline: 4 StarsI found this book to have a somewhat uncommon plot, even though there are many other books that have featured characters with Multiple Personality Disorder (MPD). The difference was that this story was told with a kind of tongue-in-cheek humor. I did have to suspend a little disbelief as Richard, the main character, was not subjected to the type of abuse that usually leads to MPD. The author was aware of this and mentioned it once, implying that it was an anomoly.  It was even more odd that Richard was fully aware of his other personalities, even though he thought of them more like imaginary friends.  Toward the end, I think there was even a touch of schizophrenia breaking through, or maybe not if you prefer to believe in more supernatural things.The first half of the book, which depicted Richard's childhood, was a fast paced roller coaster. The third quarter of the novel was drudgery, like walking thorugh a swamp. During the final quarter, the storyline really picked up and regained my interest.I enjoyed the interval chapters where Richard's other personality took over. There were portions where I didn't know what was real and what wasn't. However, unlike dream sequences in some novels, it was not annoying here, perhaps because Richard's confusion mirrored my own.Warning: There are hints of pedophilia and incest.Characters: 4 1/2 StarsRichard was a fully involved character who evoked plenty of empathy. While some portions of his thoughts were humorous, I never forgot that he was suffering from a mental disease. The author did a great job of portraying Richard as a child, albeit a rather warped one. As the story progressed, so did Richard's maturity level in a seamless transition.Richard's mother was also pretty well developed. She brought out plenty of pity, but she also provoked a profound disgust, making her one of those character that I didn't know whether to feel sympathy for or just hate.I would have liked to have known more about Richard's last girlfriend. She was almost peripheral to the story, yet she was important.Writing Style: 5 StarsPeppered with imaginitive metaphors, the narrative style of this novel really stands out.  The sheer brilliance of the imagery was reason enough to keep reading this novel and go looking for more from Scott Nicholson.