A New New Me is narrated by seven different characters, each a different personality occupying the same body. Kinga Sikora has a personality for each day of the week. Kinga-A is capable and optimistic and handles Mondays. Cynical Kinga-B is in charge on Tuesdays. Kinga-C spends each Wednesday flying by the seat of her pants. Thursday’s appointments and errands are handled by Kinga-D, the “self-care queen.” Dreamy Kinga-E drifts through her Fridays, and Kinga-F parties hard every Saturday. Kinga-G…well, nobody knows much about Kinga-G, but she’s definitely up to something. The story begins on a Monday, when Kinga-A discovers a man tied up in her pantry, claiming that she kidnapped him. This sends the seven Kingas into a tailspin of suspicion, lies, and intrigue, and worst of all, may force them to actually communicate with each other.
This book was a lot of fun. Each chapter covered one day of the week and was narrated by a different Kinga. Each Kinga had a distinct voice and a unique perspective. Every single one of them was an unreliable narrator in her own way, and most of the non-Kinga characters seem to be habitual liars as well. Sorting out what actually happened in the story and what anyone’s motivations were created a fun puzzle. The one hangup I had was a stylistic one. Each chapter is supposed to be a journal entry from that day’s Kinga, addressed to the other six personalities and written in a shared diary. The diary serves to keep the personalities updated on each others’ activities. However, in several of the chapters, the narrator takes several paragraphs giving exposition on Kinga’s childhood and adolescence. This was helpful for me as a reader, but it did take me out of the narrative a little bit. Most of this backstory took place before Kinga’s original personality split, so wouldn’t the other Kingas who were being addressed already know about it? Despite this inconsistency, I enjoyed the witty writing style and the unique premise of this book. For ultimate enjoyment, take a week to read the book, reading each chapter on its corresponding day.
