The Eighth Girl audiobook

(4.5) & I can certainly see why it has so many 5 star ratings! For me though, while i loved the parts involving Alexa's personalitys & her sessions with Daniel, I just wasn't as interested in the parts having to do with the club. I get that it was an integral part of the book, i just found myself looking forward to the next chapter. The characters Alexa & Daniel were exceptional though, & the end was great! I'd definitely recommend this to anyone who enjoys psychological thrillers or anyone interested in multiple personalities. (The author really did an excellent job developing each of Alexa's separate personalitys, their interactions with each other & with other people- they were by far the standout for me. Because of them, if there was a book 2 I'd be first in line!)

Intricately plotted and sensitively written, The Eighth Girl draws the reader into the dark heart of London’s underworld with relentless tension until the shock of the final reveal. I loved this book and would recommend it highly.

Wow - this is one where you have read every word and stay on your toes - in the very best way! It is expertly written and complex, which I absolutely love in a book, movie, TV show, etc. Chung's depth of knowledge in psychology enables her to surpass what we see in most psychological thrillers. Here is what I wrote when I first read The Eighth Girl:"The Eighth Girl is an exquisite exploration of childhood trauma and its impact on the psyche. Part thriller, part character study, I devoured this novel in one sitting, reflecting on each sentence, each passage, and each astute observation of humanity"Give this one a try!!!!

I really wanted to take my time with this book. As it is about DID and I know the disorder so well I wanted to make sure it was accurate. So here's where I'm at. Yes, some of it is slightly predictable. Did not stop my enjoyment. Yes there is a sexualized part within the book witch not all systems have but most times in media they do. This had an accurate depiction of how a trauma survivor would respond to some scenarios. Abandonment is a very real fear and well thought out subject in this book. Be aware trigger warnings for child abuse, sexual assault, and suicide. All in all well worth and I will share more thoughts on my blog and booktube channel.

I received an advanced reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review I loved this one. Very fast paced, had me turning pages as I tore through it – I had to see how it would end. The characters were well rounded and the narrative felt believable. Gave me chills. Solid five

Epigraph:“The girl would see, in the locking of her mind with Freud’s, how cruelly her own understanding had deceived her.”-Philip Rieff, Introduction to Dora: An Analysis of a Case of Hysteria, by Sigmund FreudThe Eighth Girl by Maxine Mei-Fung Chung takes a perceptive look into the heart of mental illness and even more so into Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID). While I was expecting more of an in-your-face psychological thriller, I was captivated with the way the story progressed. The Eighth Girl is most definitely a suspenseful thriller but the underlying issues of Alexa’s DID makes for a more compelling read and although Alexa’s ‘flock’ of personalities makes her an unreliable narrator, it really worked for this story. I was fascinated by the interactions between Alexa and her new therapist, Daniel along with the past history Alexa had of trauma and abuse that lead to her dissociative disorder. It’s absolutely heart-breaking and as the author points out in the book there are many in the world that will take advantage of someone in this scenario. I think this is an eye-opener of a book that explores the pain of mental illness in a setting that could be all too real.A big thank you to Netgalley and William Morrow for providing me this galley for my honest review.

Did you ever read something that just made you feel so unsettled you thought about it for days afterwards?The Eighth Girl did that to me. And I'm not mad about it. This book haunted me, and still does a bit. It's equal parts seductive, disturbing, fascinating and yes, unsettling.It’s the epitome of psychological thriller. The narrative alternates between a young woman named Alexa, who suffers from Dissociative Identity Disorder stemmed from horrible childhood trauma, and her therapist.But its it really Alexa? Or perhaps one of the "flock" of identities inside her?Strung along by her friend Ella, Alexa gets caught up in some dark and seedy dealings in the London underground club scene. Ella, absorbed by the money and gifts, refuses to quit - and Alexa won't leave her best friend.Will her multiple personalities be an asset in helping them get out of this shady business, or will they put them in even more danger, and exposed to even more trauma than shes already been through?This was a bingeable thriller at it's finest. Maxine's insight and knowledge as a mental health professional adds to the realism of this disorder and feeds the narrative with heart-pounding suspense. The plot is engaging and fast-paced, and tense and disturbing in all the right places, and I had a really hard time putting it down.I had a lot of questions at the end though! I need to know so many things... like why and when and how and why again?!? But as is the case of what goes on in another person's head... I will just never know.An ambitious and compelling read.Bravo to Maxine on this debut- which has also been optioned for Netflix! Yay!

Alexa Wu has DID, otherwise known as dissociative identify disorder, which she got after a lifetime of trauma relating to her family. She joins forces with her best friend Ella and her psychiatrist to uncover the dangers behind a gentleman’s club. As Alexa’s personalities begin to fracture, the danger she faces threatens to overwhelm her. Will Alexa save herself or will she be lost forever? I absolutely loved reading this book. It was gripping, compelling and I felt like I was reading about a diagnosis that had been well researched. I found the topic to be a little hard to deal with (I’m definitely going to advise those with sexual trauma issues to take care when reading this) but at the same time, this is SUCH an important topic that needs to be discussed. I found the book to be absolutely fantastic and was really drawn into this world. Over all, I highly recommend this book, despite the intensity of the sexual trauma described in this book.

The Eighth Girl gives a fascinating insight into Dissociative Identity Disorder. The fact that sustained trauma can cause the personality to fracture into pieces, each of which has its own identity and personality, was something I knew nothing about. The writing is excellent, the story brilliantly told. I found myself swept along in Alexa’s world as she uncovers the horrific reality of the sex trafficking/child pornography industry. The way the trafficked women and girls are treated was upsetting and hard to read at times. The fact that this vile abuse goes on, IS going on right now, makes it even more heartbreaking to read. Hard-hitting, compelling, horrifying, and tragic, The Eighth Girl is an extraordinary novel.

You can tell The Eighth Girl was written by an experienced psychotherapist. It would be easy for this book to be really confusing, bearing in mind that the main character, Alexa, has 8 different personalities. But it’s so cleverly done that I didn’t get lost at all. It turned into a story I really wasn’t expecting & it got very dark, very fast, with an ending I genuinely didn’t see coming. It explores themes of mental illness and misogyny in a very different way. Though it may be a tough read for some, I found it fascinating and extremely clever.

By no means an easy read, but it’s a stunningly good debut! Dark and disturbing, you’ll definitely need to research trigger warnings for this one!But if you can handle the subject matter, then this is a fantastic read. I may have figured out the big *twist* very early on, but there was still enough going on to keep me hooked.Can’t wait to see where this author goes next.

The Eighth Girl is original, heartbreaking, and compelling. I read it in one sitting, caught up in the momentum of the protagonists world. This is a poignant insight into the creative fractures that can allow us to make sense of the unbearable, and the motivations that propel the wounded healer. The narrative is both panoramic in themes and intimate in its characterisation Of Daniel and Alexa. The Essential membrane between ‘madness’ and survival is quietly dissected as the reader is invited into a world where realities collide and painful truths reveal themselves in kaleidoscopic form.

I listened to this book and I need a physical copy so I can reread it. What a trip. I loved getting to know the personalities in this novel. Can't even talk about it too much or I might drop a spoiler but this is a well written psychological thriller. Enjoyed reading it👌🏾Worth a read

There's a lot going on in this novel of a young woman dealing with dissociative identity disorder. Alexa suffers from the problem as a result, perhaps, of childhood abuse and regularly sees Daniel, her therapist, who has issues in his personal life. She's tapering off her meds (not a good ides imho) and thus her "flock" of people are appearing more often in her life. Her bff Ella has discovered a sex trafficking ring at the club where she works- and Ella and Alexa (along with the flock) decide to break it up. Whew. Parts of this are more appealing that others. Chung's expertise in mental health is of great benefit in the scenes between Daniel and Alexa (as well, one assumes wrt DID). Thanks to the publisher for the ARC. It's got an interesting premise and is a fast paced read.

A mind-blowing debut by a writer who has honed her craft to perfection. This is a dazzling portrait of a talented, clever, but seriously troubled young woman undergoing intensive psychotherapy to address the childhood trauma which led her to inhabit multiple personalities. The story is told in turns by the patient, Alexa Wu, and her psychotherapist, Daniel, although, we meet several of Alexa's personalities not only in the therapy sessions but also as she, or they, try to gain evidence against child sex traffickers. We soon learn the psychotherapist has several issues of his own, and the therapeutic relationship between Alexa and Daniel becomes fraught with potential danger for both of them. The sheer brilliance and strength of the story , which has not one but TWO wild and wonderful twists near the end, makes this such an addictive and unputdownable read. It's the sort that makes you feel sad when you finish, because you are finished. BUT, the twists , oh boy, the twists, had me going back to the start of the book to read it again, to try to make sense of what, haha, I didn't actually know the first time round. Absolute genius.

This book was strange. Disturbing topics and very dark. The writing was pretty good but had some strange moments and unnecessary descriptions. Slow burn but towards the end got pretty exciting (we love a good plot twist!) the ending was meh and kinda fell flat. I also didn't like the way the author generalized all sex workers as helpless and weak and that they were only working because they were being exploited. Felt a little condescending and presumptuous. Overall I'd give it a 3.5/5 but only because of the twist at the end. So far not loving the $6 indigo books, I guess you get what you pay for lol.

I enjoyed this book. It was engaging from start to finish. I loved the characters. I found the alternate personalities to be very entertaining and a unique story.The big reveal at the end was excellent. The story was a little confusing. If you contemplated it for too long you might find some to be unexplainable. But overall it was a good thriller.I received this galley from NetGalley.