The Truth of a Kaleidoscope Mind
From Wicked Ink
In a 1950s Craftsman house steeped in the weight of the departed, Fredrick Michael Anderson faces a daunting task: preparing his late mother's home for auction. Battling memories of a turbulent childhood marred by gender conflicts, Fredrick delves into the cellar alongside his faithful friend Chalsey. Amidst unearthed relics, Fredrick stumbles upon his locked diary, triggering a chilling revelation.
Within its pages lie secrets of his father's sinister past, fracturing Fredrick's fragile psyche. Unleashed by the diary's opening are dormant spirits—some benevolent, others malevolent. As Fredrick grapples with Dissociative Identity Disorder, his mind splinters into distinct personalities. Amidst this psychological turmoil, a battle of good and evil ensues within the haunted confines of his home.
Confronting his family's dark truths, Fredrick must navigate the volatile terrain of his own mind. Cryptic messages from a flapper ghost serve as a guide, unraveling his family's sinister history. To survive the malevolent forces unleashed by the diary, Fredrick must confront his inner demons, embracing painful truths and finding strength within. In this supernatural horror tale, the boundary between the paranormal and the psychological blurs, leaving Fredrick to confront the ghosts of his past and an uncertain future.
Reviews
“I must say, this book is an enthralling delight. From the very beginning, you can’t wait to learn more about the two main characters. It grabs you & holds your attention all the way through…you won’t be disappointed. I really look forward to reading anything else this wonderful author, brings to the table!”
“I do want to say that I was blown away by this book and how much I was so underwhelmingly unaware of Dissociative identity disorder. I still thought it was called multiple personality disorder. Boy was I wrong. The character of Frederick Michael was so well written that for me it normalized DID and if him and I were in the same room I would have not batted a second thought at the different personalities within Frederick Michael. I loved how much I learned. The story of how Frederick Michael overcame their past and trauma was so well written I found myself crying and not wanting to put the book down until I finished it. I was rooting so hard for their success. The character of Chalsey was also super cool. I don’t want to ruin the story or spoil anything. But the ending was beautifully done. Just like the man said: It made all the difference. ❤️❤️❤️❤️”
“This book was truly a wild spooky ride! Patrick really delivered on the creepy factor with the demon and spirits that were in this book. There were so many layers to this dark and disturbing story, that in the end was wrapped up nicely. I appreciate the author inserting his own personal experience with DID. It gave us a true insight and understanding on how a person with DID feels and thinks.”
“What if what we remember is actually a lie. Brilliantly written. Sometimes you have to fall apart to become whole. I absolutely loved this book. It’s refreshing to read something that steps away from the normal.”
"The Truth of a Kaleidoscope Mind" manages to cover a lot of ground in a fast-paced manner, offering a supernatural tale of grief horror and spiritual menace. It's impressive how balanced the story is: parent-son relationships dominate the narrative with several rough and uncomfortable moments, interspersed by nice portrayals of friendship and moments of emotional support, though ultimately the author seems to eschew psychological horror in favor of a haunting house tale. I personally appreciated this very much, since I was worried the story would develop in familiar, self-indulgent ways or drown the reader in ambiguity, instead of facing the haunting head on. Thankfully, however, this is a Gothic-adjacent story, meaning that it has beautiful prose, atmospheric ambience, remains respectful towards trauma, yet its focus exceeds the supernatural and dives back into the psychological confusion of shocking revelations about oneself. This makes for an original, two-pronged story, one that combines information (I was amazed how misinformed I was about Dissociative Identity Disorder, for example) with great imagery. I recommend the book to horror fans who enjoy following this kind of insightful two-sided plottting, and who can appreciate the difficulty of one's finding closure after a haunting past trauma.”