, the debut novel of Shana Mahaffey, is something new and different for me as a reader. Shana was kind enough to guest blog here yesterday and if you missed it, you should check it out here (it's also the main giveaway page with many bonus entries). Today I'm reviewing it as part of her Virtual Book Tour with Pump Up Your Book
About Sounds Like Crazy
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.
My review:
Wow! This book makes you laugh, think and feel! Once you get into the meat of this novel, you feel compelled to see it to the end. Shana Mahaffey has done her homework and presents Dissociative Identity Disorder in a way that you not only feel for the character(s) but also learn about how someone lives with a condition like this.
Betty Jane is a take charge character and the self appointed leader of The Committee and at odds with the other personalities, who really just want Holly to stay in her safe little world.
I was honestly worried, before I started this book, that it would be a comedy train wreck at the expense of the mentally ill, but I was pleasantly surprised with how well researched this book was.
My one thought as I read the beginning of the book was that it was kind of slow starting, but I realized that the book resembled a roller coaster and that you needed that slow build to create the anticipation for the wild ride to come... once you're committed to the book, it takes off!
About the author:
Shana Mahaffey lives in San Francisco in an Edwardian compound that she shares with an informal cooperative of family, friends and five cats. She’s a survivor of Catechism and cat scratch fever, and is a member of theSanchez Grotto Annex, a writers’ community. Her work has been published in SoMa Literary Review and SunsetMagazine. She welcomes all visitors to her websitewww.shanamahaffey.com, and is happy to meet with book groups in-person or in cyberspace (phone/webcam/the works).
How do you get your hands on the book?
You can buy Sounds Like Crazy from Amazon.com or other fine retailers - it's only $6 for the paperback at amazon.com
from Amazon.com or other fine retailers - it's only $6 for the paperback at amazon.com
Or you can win your copy here on Acting Balanced on this post and Shana's Guest Post
Rules:
Giveaway is open to US and Canadian Residents only
One Mandatory Entry must be completed before other entries count.
Each entry must be made as a SEPARATE COMMENT
Giveaway will end on January 20th, 2011 at 11:59 PM and the winner will be chosen by Random.org and announce on Acting Balanced and contacted by email
The winner will have 48 hours to claim their prize.
You will have a second round of chances to enter on tomorrow's review post.
The comments on the guest post will number 1 through X,
the comments on the review post will begin at X+1 for random.org
Today's Mandatory Entry is:
Leave a comment telling me why you want to win this book.
All bonus entries can be completed on the guest post - you can do both mandatory entries, but you must complete either this one or the question for the author.
