Very hard to read, a powerfully emotional book, but worth every minute. Written and edited very well, and it is very obvious the author has done her own thorough research on her diagnosis. Excellent book with great insight into DID, but be warned, it is disturbingly graphic at times. ( )

This is sick
and it is therefore deviant
I do not want it.

I walked a mile in someone else's shoes.
But it was a mile in hell.

(I'm making memes and jokes so I don't curl up and cry) ( )

too much.

I am sure that if you are into these kind of books. (I used to) you will very much enjoy if that is the right word, this book.
For me it was just too much. Only horrible things happen and keep on happening. I guess I was just not in the mood for this book. So draining.

Weird because I used to read a lot of books like this one, but I guess I also changed. ( )

I'm not usually one for reading 'misery memoirs' - but this is not really a misery memoir even though it deals with the horrifying abuse of a girl from babyhood through to the end of her teens, and makes for grim reading. Alice is an exceptionally intelligent young woman who has set down an account of how the human mind finds ways of protecting itself from pain and distress, but in doing so creates major mental health problems which persist throughout life. Even though the abuse - physical, sexual and emotional ended years ago she will live with the 'scars' for ever. And that is one of the biggest lessons one should take away from this book. Abuse of children damages them permenantly, and they live with the pain, shame, rage, fear for years and years. ( )

Fascinating, powerfiul, horrifying.

It is truly horrifying that adults who should be caring for children can behave in such a despicable manner. It is similarly amazing how the body copes with such situations. Alice was able to separate herself from the horrors inflicted by her father by creating alternative personalities. This coping strategy, however, seems to be short term - as puberty begins the 'alters' start to come out of hiding and take over Alice's daily life. She suffers periods of blank time when she has no idea how she came to be in a certain place or why her arms are a mass of cuts, why she is holding a toy gun or is drunk and sleeping in a doorway.
The process of coming to terms with the abuse and attempting to integrate the alters so she can move on, is as painful as the original abuse itself. Even the physical pain recurs.
Some amazing people befriended Alice over the years, but by the same token, many people important to her have been taken away or even died. I felt for her throughout the book as she tackled one hurdle after another. It is surprising that she was able to work through the whole situation and finally put herself in a position to help others and live something resembling normal life.
This book is testament to her strong personality and desire to help others by telling her own painful story.
An eye-opener of a book that should encourage people to speak out more often when faced with traumatised children.
Thankyou Alice. ( )