Me, Myself and Them

April 15, 2018
Seven years after a horrendous car crash claimed his sister's life and landed his best friend in the hospital, Denis Murphy still isn't coping well. He refuses to open up to his friends and family, adheres to a rigid schedule, cleans compulsively, and takes the advice of his four housemates?who just happen to be monsters hell-bent on making his life difficult. The monsters echo different facets of Denis' personality by highlighting his deepest fears and dearest wishes and work together to advise, comfort, or harass him. Dealing with them alone is work enough, but when an old girlfriend walks back into Denis' life, he must decide how much of his old life he can bear to revisit and how long he can keep the monsters hidden. This is a vibrant story of a deeply troubled man navigating his self-imposed exile with wry humor and flashes of insight. Mooney's debut admirably portrays mental-health issues, and fans of Sara Baume and Mark Haddon will enjoy reading about Denis' struggles and triumphs.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)