Sounds Like Crazy [Paperback]

Shana Mahaffey (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 6, 2009

Learn why Holly Miller has five people living inside her head in this “remarkable debut novel.”(Kemble Scott, author of SoMa)

Though she doesn’t remember the trauma that caused it, Holly Miller has Dissociative Identity Disorder. Her personality has fractured into five different identities, together known as The Committee. And as much as they make Holly’s life hell, she can’t live without them.

Then one of those identities, the flirtatious, southern Betty Jane, lands Holly a voiceover job. Betty Jane wants nothing more than to be in the spotlight. The rest of The Committee wants Betty Jane to shut up. Holly’s therapist wants to get to the bottom of her broken psyche. And Holly? She’s just along for the ride…

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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

A woman suffering from dissociative identity disorder takes center stage in Mahaffey's lamentable not-quite comedy. Holly Miller shares her head with a number of personalities, from the demanding Southern belle Betty Jane to the terse Sarge, as she pursues a career in voice-over work (surely a snap for someone who hears voices). The first half of the book—a tangle of unfortunate events strung together to maximize Three Stooges–style slapstick—is pure farce, while the second half is a forensic excavation of Holly's past intended to explain her problems. Mahaffey's attempts at turning Holly into something that could be mistaken for a well-developed character, however, is undermined by an avalanche of camp that renders this as absurd as it is pointless. (Oct.)
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Review

"Mahaffey documents a realistic setting and progression of psychotherapy...Not surprisingly, Holly's rediscovering the sources of her alternate personalities provides the necessary tools for the ultimate healing of her self. At turns both funny and poignant, Sounds Like Crazy celebrates resilience as an essential element of the human condition."
-The San Francisco Chronicle

"Mahaffey has infused the book with keen insights into human nature and the complexities of life that challenge all of us...Sounds Like Crazy is a novel that should appeal to anyone who has ever wondered about the little voice in the back of their head."
-San Francisco Book Review

"Shana Mahaffey emerges as a talent with a voice all her own...an inventive, eccentric and ultimately healing tale."
-Kemble Scott, author of SoMa

"Surprising, compassionate, and heartbreaking...a story of triumph."
-Joe Quirk, author of The Ultimate Rush

"Highly original and engrossing."
-Melodie Brown, author of My Lost and Found Life --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  
• Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: NAL Trade; Original edition (October 6, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0451227913
• ISBN-13: 978-0451227911
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (32 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,279,553 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Shana Mahaffey lives in San Francisco, California, in part of an Edwardian compound that she shares with an informal cooperative of family, friends, and five cats. She's a survivor of catechism and cat scratch fever, and is a member of the Sanchez Grotto Annex, a writers' co-op. She welcomes all visitors to her website and is happy to meet with book groups in-person or in cyberspace (phone/webcam/the works). http://www.shanamahaffey.com

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Read, October 8, 2009

By 

K. Koch (CA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Sounds Like Crazy (Paperback)

A wonderful, well-written story that tells us how far our minds will go to inhibit trauma and holding on to master everyday tasks. I found the story very moving. The main character Holly has to face life with 5 distinct personalities in her head. (The committee) ruling her day-to-day decisions. What happend to Holly in the past? What caused these interlopers to take residence in her head? The book is well-developed, from laughing out loud to teas - the book was very unpredictable. 5 stars for sure!

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Remarkable debut!, October 6, 2009

By 

Kemble Scott (San Francisco) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sounds Like Crazy (Paperback)

Author Shana Mahaffey emerges as a talent with a voice all her own in her remarkable debut novel Sounds Like Crazy. Holly is an Emmy-winning voiceover actress who walks around with voices in her head...and they're not following the script! It's an inventive, eccentric and ultimately healing tale of what happens when we keep secrets too close.

Kemble Scott
Author of the bestselling novels The Sower and SoMa

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One Crazy Read!, October 16, 2009

By 

Thorsten C. Raab (San Francisco) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Sounds Like Crazy (Paperback)

Length:: 1:58 Mins

I started reading Sounds Like Crazy and could not put it down. Kept me riveted from start to finish. When is the movie coming out??