The Eighth Girl

Set in London, Mei-Fung Chung’s frenetic debut alternates between two complex and wildly unreliable narrators: Alexa Wú, who has dissociative identity disorder, and her new psychiatrist, Daniel Rosenstein, who seems committed to her treatment. Alexa, an assistant to an accomplished photojournalist, struggles with multiple, distinct personalities that exist inside her head; she also loses time, which often leads to amnesia. Luckily, Alexa has the support of her dearest friend, Ella. Soon after Ella gets a job at a gentlemen’s club, she begins to suspect that her boss, Navid, may be trafficking young women. At Ella’s urging, Alexa helps her gather evidence of Navid’s criminality, but their plans threaten to push Alexa over the edge. The author, whose credentials as a psychoanalytic psychotherapist bring authenticity to the sessions between Alexa and Daniel, sensitively explores Alexa’s traumatic childhood and vividly renders her multiple personalities. However, despite a clever twist, readers will have to suspend disbelief to accept the overly neat conclusion. That said, fans of psychological thrillers will be curious to see what Mei-Fung Chung comes up with next. Agent: Bill Clegg, Clegg Agency. (Mar.)