Gone to Pieces

This was a really unusual read but loved it
Enjoyed the humour and the interactions but also was quite moving re the serious side of things and I was really rooting for Rebecca
Great descriptive writing
Thoroughly enjoyable and unique book

I have a certain affinity for fiction books that portray the experience of therapy. What made "Gone to Pieces" special for me as a reader, was the choice of protagonist - middle-aged wife and mother, Rebecca, whose ways of coping with unaddressed childhood experiences stopped serving her, resulting in a mental breakdown.

Psychiatric treatment that the protagonist receives creates a triple narrative, one that pushes the plot forward in the present day, one that recalls Rebecca's experiences from her childhood and adolescence (written in an unsettling and atmospheric manner, almost to the point that I expected an equivalent of a jump scare), and the other that showcases literaty fiction created by Rebecca, based on her interaction with mental health professionals and patients, giving the story an interesting edge. Slow tempo and interactions with the psychiatrist represent therapeutic process and trauma work really well, including Rebecca's resistance, initial unwillingness to go deeper or even participating in a group.

"Gone to Pieces" utilises an often omitted type of a protagonist, proving that women over 50 are the ones who often have the most complex stories to tell and I'm glad that Rachel Cosyns decided to create such piece of fiction.