The Gatekeeper

by C. Alease

When you put together the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle it's supposed to fit together with no spaces in between, forming a clear picture of what it represents. But when the pieces are shaken causing them to fall apart, you have what happened to our main character in The fragmented, disassembled pieces of a puzzled mind without a clear picture of what it is supposed to represent. The story explores her decision to go into therapy, unlocking the truth of her past; discovering secrets her mind chooses to forget, secrets which shaped her vast and conflicting personalities. The novel is an insightful and sometimes humorous journey of self-preservation and actualization, where readers are drawn closer to the truth in their own lives by gaining a better understanding of how their own experiences can be catalysts for their behavior. Our protagonist's complex personalities take the reader through a literary odyssey to emerge with greater clarity and understanding of their own lives.

216 pages, Paperback

First published November 3, 2009

Reviews

[Dream 4 More Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an impressive debut novel! In “The Gatekeeper” C. Alease writes a riveting, believing, and heartfelt story dealing with a mental disorder. I was very impressed with C. Alease writing style, which is mature and refreshingly thought-provoking. This novel is themed and character driven, even still the story is easy to read; as each character’s personalities are understood and are climactic. The Gate Keeper takes us on a journey of women dealing with dissociative personality disorder.

"The Gatekeeper" opens up with the main character seeking counseling for her young son. The tables suddenly turn; as she discovers that it is she who would need counseling. This is where the journey of self-discovery and lessons learned begins. One of the many lessons is deciphering between what is real and what is not real. C. Alease, brilliantly reveals the “why of,” these characters existence; as their presence stems from repressed events, that had or has happen in the protagonists life. I would certainly love to read her next release.


Dream 4 More Reviewer,

Vanessa Richardson

* This is the opinion of the reviewer in which it does not reflect any views of Dream 4 More Literary Consulting Firm. Dream 4 More Reviews has received a copy of the book from the author for a book review.

[African Americans on the Move Book Club · Rating 4 out of 5]

Can you imagine going to therapy and finding out that everything you thought you knew was a lie? That is exactly what happened to one woman. She thinks that her son David has issues because of her divorce from his father. After taking him to see the therapist that was referred to her by a coworker, it doesn’t take long before the doctor tells her that she needs help and not her son.
She has always thought that she was “a bit touched” but she figured that everyone else was also. Her therapist shows her that she actually has more than one personality. After finding out that there are quite a few people living in her head she has to come to terms with the details of the life she lived but never knew that she lived it. She then gets the biggest shock of her life when she meets the last personality; The Gatekeeper. Can she deal with the one that has tried to hold it all together?
I give this book a four because it surprised me. I didn’t expect it to be good but when I picked it up I couldn’t put it down. I never saw the twist coming and this book actually made me question myself. That never happens.

Adellia Whitson-Stafford
AAMBC Reviewer