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3.47 AVERAGE
3.47 AVERAGE
This book was definitely a compelling read, and I certainly admire LaPlante's accomplishment at skillfully undertaking the task of creating a narrator with Alzheimer's. However, there were some weak points. At times the dialogue is a bit stilted, which ends up leaving the characters somewhat wanting. Also, a larger problem is that I didn't feel there was ever really a mystery about who killed the narrator's best friend - just a question of how long it will take the narrator to remember it (SPOILER ALERT: it's the whole damn book). When the big reveal comes, it's so straightforward that it comes off a little anticlimactic.
Dr. Jennifer White is a brilliant surgeon who retires when she begins experiencing the early stages of Alzheimer's and dementia. Now her best friend Amanda has been found dead, and she's being questioned. White is the chief subject because of the state of Amanda's body-5 fingers expertly cut off with precision and skill ascribed to only the best surgeons. The trouble is, White cannot remember what she did minutes before, much less where she was when Amanda died, or that Amanda is even dead to begin with. What follows is a haunting narrative of White's life, told in unchronological memories, as the disease preys on her mind and the police search for answers.
I listened to this book on audio and my only complaint is that because the narrative is so scattered (as a reflection of White's state of mind), I think it would have helped to see the text in order to see paragraph and page breaks to better follow where one thought ended and another began. My only other gripe is that the ending wasn't near as dramatic as I hoped it would be. I will say that the accuracy with which LaPlante portrays the deterioration of someone suffering with Alzheimer's is chilling and heartbreaking.
I listened to this book on audio and my only complaint is that because the narrative is so scattered (as a reflection of White's state of mind), I think it would have helped to see the text in order to see paragraph and page breaks to better follow where one thought ended and another began. My only other gripe is that the ending wasn't near as dramatic as I hoped it would be. I will say that the accuracy with which LaPlante portrays the deterioration of someone suffering with Alzheimer's is chilling and heartbreaking.
Quick read, fascinating murder mystery with a twist. Great book for a long plane ride.
Written in the voice of Dr. Jennifer White, a former orthopedic hand surgeon who is now suffering from Alzheimers, this book traces the deterioration of her mind. Central to the story is that Jennifer's friend, Amanda, had been found murdered and several of her fingers surgically removed. The story is told both through Jennifer recalling fragments of memory as well as her perception of current conversations.
I loved the style of this book as Jennifer tells her story both through the perception of what others are saying as well as through snatches of entries in the journal that she and others keep to help her remember her days. Jennifer is witty and feisty, with little patience for stupidity and it comes across in her voice.
The ending of the book felt a bit confusing to me, but in retrospect I think that was more an intentional reflection of the final state of mind than of any failing on the author's part.
All in all, this was a great read that kept me engaged to the very end.
I loved the style of this book as Jennifer tells her story both through the perception of what others are saying as well as through snatches of entries in the journal that she and others keep to help her remember her days. Jennifer is witty and feisty, with little patience for stupidity and it comes across in her voice.
The ending of the book felt a bit confusing to me, but in retrospect I think that was more an intentional reflection of the final state of mind than of any failing on the author's part.
All in all, this was a great read that kept me engaged to the very end.
Interesting insight into a horrible and frustrating disease. The storyline stayed interesting and kept me wanting to read. I would definitely recommend this one.
challenging
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
i've had this book on my tbr since 2015, i had to get it over with. in a way im glad i waited to read this with my adult brain, so i could focus better following along the nonlinear narrative. overall an okay book. didn't love it, didn't hate it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Terminal illness, Blood, Medical content, Dementia, Murder
Moderate: Infertility, Infidelity, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Animal cruelty
I enjoyed reading this...sort of. The whole time I kept wondering how the author could know so much about what it felt like when you have Alzheimer's. Did she do interviews? Did she read articles? Was she just imagining what it would be like to slowly lose your mind in that way? So I felt distracted most of the time while reading this book. It did make me think a lot about what it would be like to be a doctor in that situation and know precisely what was happening to you--when your mind was clear. Just not that captivating of a book to me.
Turn of Mind depicts the mind of 64-year-old Dr. Jennifer White, who worked as an orthopedic surgeon specializing in hand surgery until she received a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s. Dr. White’s close friend and neighbor, Amanda, is found murdered in her home and missing four of her fingers, which were removed with surgical precision. Dr. White is, of course, the prime suspect in the murder.
The novel is written from Dr. White’s point of view and chronicles her rapid memory deterioration over just a few months. We learn about her family and her life through her disjointed, fuzzy remembrances. As the book goes on, the narration becomes more and more incoherent. The beginning of the story is fairly easy to follow, but by the end, Dr. White’s mind is taking you all over the place, from fantasy to truth via brief moments of clarity.
Turn of Mind was a bit depressing, and I thought the ending was fairly predictable. LaPlante successfully portrays a mind suffering from Alzheimer’s. While you feel for Dr. White, through her confusion and her children’s reactions to her memory loss, you do not get the sense that she and her friends were especially likable people even in their prime. The primary characters are all flawed, and unfortunately, they are not flawed in an endearing manner.
Overall, I felt torn by my feelings toward the book. The Alzheimer’s depicted through the narrative brings to the forefront how terrible it must be to suffer this disease, either in yourself or a loved one. When I consider the fairly unlikable characters, I feel somewhat indifferent to the story as a whole. The murder and the why behind the murder are insignificant to the depiction of a mind suffering Alzheimer’s.
Many thanks to the publisher, Grove/Atlantic, for providing me with a free e-Galley for review, via NetGalley.
The novel is written from Dr. White’s point of view and chronicles her rapid memory deterioration over just a few months. We learn about her family and her life through her disjointed, fuzzy remembrances. As the book goes on, the narration becomes more and more incoherent. The beginning of the story is fairly easy to follow, but by the end, Dr. White’s mind is taking you all over the place, from fantasy to truth via brief moments of clarity.
Turn of Mind was a bit depressing, and I thought the ending was fairly predictable. LaPlante successfully portrays a mind suffering from Alzheimer’s. While you feel for Dr. White, through her confusion and her children’s reactions to her memory loss, you do not get the sense that she and her friends were especially likable people even in their prime. The primary characters are all flawed, and unfortunately, they are not flawed in an endearing manner.
Overall, I felt torn by my feelings toward the book. The Alzheimer’s depicted through the narrative brings to the forefront how terrible it must be to suffer this disease, either in yourself or a loved one. When I consider the fairly unlikable characters, I feel somewhat indifferent to the story as a whole. The murder and the why behind the murder are insignificant to the depiction of a mind suffering Alzheimer’s.
Many thanks to the publisher, Grove/Atlantic, for providing me with a free e-Galley for review, via NetGalley.
I was anxious to get started on this book, because the concept of the story was very intriguing to me. Unfortunately, I did not feel like the book itself lived up to the possibility or perhaps my unrealistic expectations. I felt let down a bit by the "payoff" or "reveal" at the end of the book. My favorite part of the story had nothing or very little to do with the central mystery of the book. Because it came so late in the book, it made me wish that the whole thing had been about Dr. Winter's struggles with dementia and left the mystery side of the story out completely.