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lastpaige111's review
5.0
Genova's voice is lyrical, and she explores the interiority of her protagonist without losing momentum. She also blends so many important topics into her heroine's very personal journey. I was afraid to read Still Alice before, as my mom had Alzheimer's. Now, I believe I am going to try it.
tiggerser's review
5.0
I loved this book! Sarah is a hard charging business woman who multi-tasks every minute of her life. She has a car accident that produces a traumatic brain injury causing left neglect. Her therapy and recovery makes you realize all the things you take for granted and what you would miss without knowledge of left. Sarah is smart, clever, and hard on herself during recovery, but as the story progresses she learns to accept herself in her new state. She needs assistance during recovery so her estranged mother comes to the rescue in the firm if super grandma and overly helpful/annoying mother. As Sarah eases up in herself, she finds room to love her mother and see their life together from a new perspective. You will laugh at some of the recovery things like sex, putting on pants, and applying makeup. The author makes light of the tragedy as all families coping with something massive, scary, and new would. Lisa Genova dies not patronize her readers by making light of a severe condition. She exposes some horrible but real truths, but also offers enough inspiration and hope through unusual sources of help for handicapped. I believe this book was well thought out and researched and would gladly read another along similar lines.
book_concierge's review
3.0
Digital Audiobook narrated by Sarah Paulson
A high-powered, “Type A” professional woman is excellent at her job and at juggling the demands of her children, her husband and her career. That is right up until the moment that she suffers a major brain injury in an auto accident and wakes with “left neglect.” This is a real neurological condition brought on by stroke or trauma, that results in the patient’s inability to recognize anything on the left. Patients suffering hemispacial neglect can see, walk, talk, but their brains ignore any signals from the left.
As she has done for other neurological disorders, Genova crafts a compelling story that educates and entertains. I felt Sarah’s frustrations as she worked with occupational therapists to try to regain some of her lost functionality. I empathized with her inability to let go of the high expectations she set for herself. Her relationships with her husband, her mother, her children were all greatly affected by her changed circumstances. Something as “simple” as getting a Coke from the fridge became a complicated, frustrating and possibly dangerous adventure. I applaud Genova (and Sarah) for finding a little humor in some of these situations.
I know a person with some aspects of this (result of a stroke). His stroke was several years ago, and he has long since stopped any physical or occupational therapy. His wife (and now the caretakers at the assisted living facility he calls home) turns his plate around for him or he’ll eat only what is on the right side, totally ignoring the left side of the plate. When she was still alive, his wife frequently reminded him to use his left hand. Reading this book has helped me understand a bit more about his condition.
That being said, I thought the book was interesting and informative, but not as compelling as some of her other works.
Sarah Paulson did a fine job performing the audiobook. She has good pacing and enough skill as a voice artist to different the various characters. I particularly liked how she voiced Sarah and her mother; the emotions behind their words really came out in her performance.
A high-powered, “Type A” professional woman is excellent at her job and at juggling the demands of her children, her husband and her career. That is right up until the moment that she suffers a major brain injury in an auto accident and wakes with “left neglect.” This is a real neurological condition brought on by stroke or trauma, that results in the patient’s inability to recognize anything on the left. Patients suffering hemispacial neglect can see, walk, talk, but their brains ignore any signals from the left.
As she has done for other neurological disorders, Genova crafts a compelling story that educates and entertains. I felt Sarah’s frustrations as she worked with occupational therapists to try to regain some of her lost functionality. I empathized with her inability to let go of the high expectations she set for herself. Her relationships with her husband, her mother, her children were all greatly affected by her changed circumstances. Something as “simple” as getting a Coke from the fridge became a complicated, frustrating and possibly dangerous adventure. I applaud Genova (and Sarah) for finding a little humor in some of these situations.
I know a person with some aspects of this (result of a stroke). His stroke was several years ago, and he has long since stopped any physical or occupational therapy. His wife (and now the caretakers at the assisted living facility he calls home) turns his plate around for him or he’ll eat only what is on the right side, totally ignoring the left side of the plate. When she was still alive, his wife frequently reminded him to use his left hand. Reading this book has helped me understand a bit more about his condition.
That being said, I thought the book was interesting and informative, but not as compelling as some of her other works.
Sarah Paulson did a fine job performing the audiobook. She has good pacing and enough skill as a voice artist to different the various characters. I particularly liked how she voiced Sarah and her mother; the emotions behind their words really came out in her performance.
msmoxiemae's review
1.0
I'm making my way through this book for a book club. I'll admit, I'm doing some major scanning. I don't know if it's the simplistic writing or the single-minded and arrogant main character, but I do not like this book. I can't identify with any of the main character's qualities - normally this can be overcome with good writing and insight, two things this book lacks. I'm longing for some perspective from the other characters - please get me out of Sarah's head. Oh, and you only need to mention Harvard once for a reader to get the picture.
Finished. The last few chapters were the most interesting of all of them. The writing was still too simple and the insights felt forced but they at least held my attention.
Finished. The last few chapters were the most interesting of all of them. The writing was still too simple and the insights felt forced but they at least held my attention.
dsuzno's review
3.0
This book is a bit of a disappointment after reading Genova's page turners, Still Alice and Inside the O'Briens.
alidottie's review
4.0
4 and a half
This book wasn't quite to the level of Still Alice, but it is still a really good book that takes you into the mind and life of a person with a brain injury (left neglect). It is interesting and insightful. Definitely worth reading.
9/2012--Rereading to review for my book group this month. I love rereading a good book!!
This book wasn't quite to the level of Still Alice, but it is still a really good book that takes you into the mind and life of a person with a brain injury (left neglect). It is interesting and insightful. Definitely worth reading.
9/2012--Rereading to review for my book group this month. I love rereading a good book!!
sksrenninger's review against another edition
3.0
The writing was a little more finessed than Still Alice, but the plot was also more predictable. There was no real conflict except for the stress and the car accident at the real beginning. Interesting for a while, but I quickly got antsy and skimmed the second half.
mslenakay's review
4.0
I really enjoyed this book. I did find a few things about "Left Neglect" confusing. Sometimes it felt to me as if there were things off to the left that she could see and sometimes she couldn't.
I felt it was also a little longer than it needed to be.
All in all a good book with an important lesson.
I felt it was also a little longer than it needed to be.
All in all a good book with an important lesson.
fkshg8465's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Story was good enough, and characters were likable enough. But it was took too long to tell the story, and like every Harvard MBA I know, the protagonist took every opportunity to remind the reader she went to Harvard for her MBA. It got old fast. On the positive side, I learned about a disability I’ve never heard of before.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Abandonment, Body horror, Death of parent, Ableism, Car accident, Child death, and Chronic illness