Books › Set This House in Order
Set This House in Order
First published 2002 · 512 pages
A deeply empathetic, surreal psychological puzzle box that explores the intricate architecture of a fractured mind trying to heal itself.
What it feels like
Reading this book feels like wandering through a sprawling, Escher-like mansion where every room holds a different piece of a shattered soul. It is a deeply empathetic and psychologically intricate experience that balances the tension of a thriller with the surreal, imaginative world-building of fantasy. The narrative moves at a steady, deliberate pace, carefully peeling back layers of trauma and defense mechanisms to reveal the vulnerable core beneath. The prose effortlessly juggles a multitude of distinct, fully realized voices, making the internal landscape feel as vivid and urgent as the external world. It will captivate readers who are drawn to complex character studies, psychological puzzles, and stories about the radical, messy, and ultimately hopeful process of surviving the unimaginable.
- Mood
- introspective
- surreal
- tense
- cathartic
- Tone
- empathetic
- suspenseful
- wry
- earnest
- Pace
- steady
- Themes
- fractured identity · the architecture of the mind · trauma and survival · radical empathy · internal landscapes
- The writing
- Clear, inventive, and deeply character-driven, effortlessly juggling multiple distinct voices within a single physical body.
- The arc
- Moves from a fragile, carefully constructed equilibrium through terrifying destabilization to a profound, integrated healing.
- Who it's for
- Readers who love intricate psychological puzzles, deep character studies, and stories of trauma survivors finding unconventional ways to heal.
Content notes
- child abuse
- sexual assault
- severe psychological trauma
- suicidal ideation
About the book
Andy Gage was born in 1965 and murdered not long after by his stepfather... It was no ordinary murder. Though the torture and abuse that killed him were real, Andy Gage's death wasn't. Only his soul actually died, and when it died, it broke in pieces. Then the pieces became souls in their own right, coinheritors of Andy Gage's life...While Andy deals with the outside world, more than a hundred other souls share an imaginary house inside Andy's head, struggling to maintain an orderly coexistence: Aaron, the father figure; Adam, the mischievous teenager; Jake, the frightened little boy; Aunt Sam, the artist; Seferis, the defender; and Gideon, who wants to get rid of Andy and the others and run things on his own.Andy's new coworker, Penny Driver, is also a multiple personality, a fact that Penny is only partially aware of. When several of Penny's other souls ask Andy for help, Andy reluctantly agrees, setting in motion a chain of events that threatens to destroy the stability of the house. Now Andy and Penny must work together to uncover a terrible secret that Andy has been keeping...from himself.
Description from Open Library.
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