The Eighth Girl: A Novel

Reading debut works of fiction can be a tricky business: either it is really good and the beginning of a prosperous writing career or it falls pretty flat, and prospects dim that there might ever be another book by the author. This book falls into the latter category. It is written in such a way as to leave the reader lost, confused, at times bewildered, and wondering why we should even care for the main character. Maybe the author, a psychotherapist, wanted to explore the world of multiple personalities without wanting to write an academic work.

The story follows Alexa Wu, who suffers from multiple personality disorder that only three people know about. One of those is Ella, an enigmatic friend who gets a job at a fairly seedy gentlemen’s club. When things turn south and a rescue mission must occur, it is up to Alexa to lead the way into the underbelly of London, with all of her issues and personalities, while maintaining a facade that everything is normal. Frankly, it is fairly flat, and I am not sure the author’s strong point is writing fiction.