The Half Life of Molly Pierce

by Katrina Leno

[Jo]

Quick fire review:

Trigger and content warnings are under spoiler tags.

Trigger/Content Warnings: This book features descriptions of blood, mention of animal cruelty, a motorbike accident, death, depression, suicide ideation, and dissociative personality disorder.

- The Half Life of Molly Pierce by Katrina Leno wasn't what I expected. Most of her novels feature magic realism in some way, but Half Life didn't. Despite how the description and how strange it sounds, it's a contemporary story.
- It's a really clever story, where the reveal to the mystery - why Molly keeps losing periods of time - is not what I was expecting at all when I first picked the book up. I did start to piece some things together as I read, but I wasn't able to figure out the whole story. It's intriguing and gripping, and surprisingly emotional.
- It was fascinating being in Molly's head when she "wakes up," as she calls it, from a period where she's blanked out. The book starts with her waking up behind the wheel of her car, no idea where she's heading or why, knowing school isn't out yet, with no clue as to why she left. She's not told anyone about her blanking out and the gaps in her memory, and she's trying her hardest to keep it under wraps.
- Because Molly has depression, and is already seeing a therapist because she once made a "joke" to he brother about wanting to die. It's a difficult read at times, because her depression weighs heavily on her, and she's so unhappy.
- But when there is a motorbike accident involving a boy she doesn't know but seems to know her, something happens. She starts to remember bits and pieces of what's happened during blank periods, but it's like jigsaw pieces with very little context. All she knows are that there are two boys in her life, and she's now seeing them when she's awake. But who are they? How does she know them? And why have they previously only been in her life when she's blanked out?
- It's really amazing how much Leno manages to pack into this story, because it's really short, and such a super quick read. But even so, it still has you asking all the questions, drops hints here and there, as Molly tries to piece things together, and working out is going in general, and what is going on with her.
- The Half Life of Molly Pierce is gripping, so clever, and such a captivating and emotional story. A fantastic look at mental illness, and the things the brain does to protect itself.