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wsk56's review
4.0
Partly a literary mystery, partly a depiction of Alzheimer's and partly the story of a family, this wonderful first novel by Alice LaPlante succeeds at all of these things. It is a difficult book to read, heartbreaking and poignant, but also impossible to put down. LaPlante has created an intriguing character with Dr. Jennifer White, a retired orthopedic surgeon and Alzheimer's sufferer. Her best friend Amanda has been murdered and Dr. White is a suspect. However, she does not remember anything about the murder and, at times, believes her friend is still alive. Through her sporadic memories, we learn about the history of the Dr. White's family and their friendships with Amanda and her husband Peter. As her dementia worsens, her visions and flashes of memory provide clues to the mysteries surrounding Amanda's murder. The novel is brilliantly constructed and the plot provides structure to the narrative. I will look forward to LaPlante's next project!
bwebber's review
4.0
Really good book. But really hard to read emotionally. Told from the perspective of an early onset Alzheimer's patient and it takes a while to get used to the jumping around and changing of perspective. One page she is very lucid and the next she thinks she is 18. Half murder mystery/half super depressing.
ula_j's review
3.0
A murder mystery told from the point of view of a successful doctor deteriorating through dementia. Its a bit 'Memento' without the tattoos and much more family involvement. It could've been even more complex but it provides an insight into what life might be like living with Alzheimer's. So it's a bit sad but an interesting way to write about family and friendship dynamics that spanned many decades.
nixieknox's review
3.0
I was a little unsure that I wanted to read this book but I'm glad I did. It was less thriller and more suspense, and although I guessed most of it, still read through to the end. The writing style reminded me of Before I Wake, because in both the main characters have to refer to journals and other people's instruction due to their mental incapacity (in this case, Alzheimer's.)
dakmommy's review
2.0
The book was not an easy read; I believe the reason is due to the way it was written. I did enjoy how it was written from the point of view from someone with alzheimer's and the view of things happening in their life. There were reviews printed on the book that described it as a thriller, but I didn't find that to be case. There were unanswered questions that sort of made me want to continue to read, but nothing thrilling. There was still, to me, an unanswered issue or it may have been explained but I missed it.
noahbw's review
4.0
A good read if you’ve ever watched the Ellis Grey era of Grey’s Anatomy and thought “I want to see more of a female surgeon with dementia.” Or if you’ve never thought that, still a good read! (Would also make a good play)
andintothetrees's review
4.0
This had been on my “To Read” list for over a year, and I finally got around to reserving a copy at the library last month. I first heard of it in book review supplement that mentioned it alongside S J Watson’s Before I Go To Sleep (a book which almost everyone I know seemed to have read last year, so if you liked it, you may well enjoy this too), and it is true, they are pretty similar. Both have middle-aged female main characters with memory issues who are trying to piece together a mystery, and both are page-turners with a twist near the end.
[To read my full review, please visit this blog post.]
[To read my full review, please visit this blog post.]