Reviews

Turn of Mind by Alice LaPlante

campreadkarin's review against another edition

dark sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

sml21's review

dark

3.25

rglossner's review

5.0

I could not put it down!

lynnedf's review

4.0

I have to admit - I wanted this to be another "Still Alice" - and it totally is not. It's narrated by Jennifer White, a former Doctor who suffers from Alzheimer’s. We follow her thoughts - lucid and otherwise - as she learns that her neighbour and friend has been killed; with her as the main suspect. I have to admit that the murder storyline does take a back seat since Jennifer doesn't think about it often, and isn't always aware of what has happened. I do have to applaud Alice LaPlante for writing an Alzheimer victim so well - many of the conversations reminded me of conversations with my grandfather who also suffered from the disease. The twist at the end caught me by surprise – so although I thought it dragged a little, I did like it. It's probably more of a 3.5 rather than a 4 stars ... but it certainly left me thinking about it once I had finished.

kjboldon's review

4.0

For Books and Bars next week. The book was such a page turner, that if the author had botched the ending, it would've undone much of the pleasure of what had gone before, which was a thumping good read. But I thought she mostly pulled it off, avoiding the one cliche I'd been dreading. There was one issue that nagged, though. An interesting unreliable, unlikeable narrator that I nonetheless was happy to spend time with (fictionally).

wendoxford's review

4.0

The ultimate unreliable narrator. A woman with dementia narrates in a disjointed way about being accused of murder. Astonishingly clever insights, vague connections mixed with moments of real clarity raises the suspense bar, challenging every turning of this whodunnit.

An amazingly realistic portrayal of a highly regarded surgeon sinking into dementia as she is charged with murder. Fascinatingly terrifying

alysona's review

4.0

Fascinating look at this women's mind and an interesting mystery, but not an easy read, because it is so painful at times.

palliem's review

3.0

I debated between a three and a four because I did enjoy this book, but ultimately, despite its fragmented and interested writing style, I felt it dragged a little at times. But still an iinteresting look inside the mind of a patient with Alzheimer's.

knit3314's review against another edition

5.0

What a suspense ride this one turned out to be! Not the on the edge of your seat suspense, but the I just need to know "did she do it?" suspense. The insight into what it may be like inside the mind of a person suffering from dementia, possibly Altzheimers (can't be diagnosed until after death) was fascinating and so very somber. The characters have differing views of the affects of the disease but I think all in all we see love and loss in varying degrees as we follow the main character's journal style comments and memories. And a surprise ending you won't see coming until you are right up on it.
A debut novel! I'll look forward to her next!

marryallthepeople's review against another edition

3.0

Reading this novel I couldn't shake the feelings that this was trying to be a cross between [b:Before I Go To Sleep|9736930|Before I Go To Sleep|S.J. Watson|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1358353512s/9736930.jpg|14625976] and Meredith's mother on Grey's Anatomy. And who knows, that show could ave been the inspiration!

I think what I struggled with the most with this book, was not the plot, but was that nothing happened, and then everything happened all at once. I'm all for twists (I actually LOVE twists) but there seemed to be nothing setting things up...