Many of the bibliophiles I know like to plan their reading. Sometimes that means a month at a time, sometimes it means for the entire year, but always it’s a carefully curated selection of titles they are excited to embark on. One of my favorite things happens to be planning out my reading list and having it promptly derailed by something wonderful. That’s what happened with Alyssa Cole’s, One of us Knows.

My 2024 reading list included an eclectic range of books spanning several genres and including some I should read in school but didn’t. The bulk of it, however, relied on horror titles because that’s generally my bread and butter. On that list was Cole’s first book that I was excited to read, When No One is Watching. I won’t veer far off into talking about that one except to say that it. was. awesome.

The thing is, I had plans. I had other books to come after and then I learned that just as I finished When No One is Watching the author released a brand new book. What can I say? After reading the synopsis I had to see what else she had in store for me and boy was I not disappointed!

It’s difficult to capture all this book has to offer without giving too much away because there is simply SO much here. One of us Knows is the story of Kenetria Nash, a woman living with DID (dissociative identity disorder) and each chapter is told from the point of view of one of the “headmates” in her mental system, each one having their own personality traits, unique advantages, medical concerns and fears.

We “wake up” with Ken on a dock awaiting a ferry to take her to her new job as a castle caretaker on a mostly deserted island, learning that she has been dormant inside her own mind for six years. We are along for the ride as she pieces together her own life as well as the world events she’s missed. (Imagine waking up mid-pandemic!) From there we join her on her journey to discover why she’s here, what her headmates have been up to and what exactly is up with creepy Kavanaugh Island.

This book is FILLED with mysterious intrigue, brilliant insights into mental health, illuminating commentary on current social issues regarding race, gender and religion as well as hilarious and emotionally moving dialogue between headmates. Sure, there’s a super fun mystery here about the history of this castle and the secretive trust that owns it today. But it’s more than that. As I’m quickly learning is Cole’s typical style, this story is also a deep look at how we treat ourselves and help ourselves heal and understand our own trauma.

Highly recommend – 5/5 stars