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316bunny316's review against another edition
4.0
The book sets everything up wonderfully and it comes to a brilliant crescendo at the end
steppingthroughpages's review against another edition
4.0
Elizabeth is missing is a thought provoking read, a view into the life of a 70year old women with dementia. Also into the world around her and how she processes the things we find simple and mundane. Not only that but she is living with a weight of the past and an unsolved mystery.
zoefruitcake's review against another edition
3.0
I found this rather traumatic to read, not only because of the subject but also the style that the subject resulted in
kendallsnead's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
4.25
becky_mercer93's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
wishpearl's review against another edition
4.0
This was a pretty good albeit sad book to read. I liked how it gives the reader an insight into life as someone who has dementia. The author did well describing the struggles of how someone with dementia might have even just going about their daily life. The way they described how their thoughts could just slip away was also well done.
I really felt with Maud and also the characters around her. I was hooked trying to find out what happened and the ending was quite unexpected.
I really felt with Maud and also the characters around her. I was hooked trying to find out what happened and the ending was quite unexpected.
rachel_sheppard's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Definitely worth a read, very well written so that you are drawn into the story and characters lives.
chloe_s's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
3.5
katykelly's review against another edition
4.0
When I read the synopsis, I assumed this might be like Alice laPlante’s Turn of Mind, with an unreliable narrator involved in a murder case. But this is not a murder mystery, even though there is both murder and mystery within.
It's in reality all about an 80-year old with dementia, Maud. She is increasingly fixated on finding her 'missing’ friend Elizabeth. Daughter Helen repeatedly tells her wearily that she KNOWS where Elizabeth is, her friend is NOT missing. We never see evidence as readers of this, so feel as disorientated as Maud herself, despite having greater awareness than our protagonist.
We watch from the sidelines as the downward spiral of dementia takes hold. It's very well done, how it affects Maud, her life, her family, her safety.
Maud herself is spirited and fiercely independent, despite every obstacle of the condition. And we soon start to see evidence that her thoughts are wandering... But they wander from her missing friend back to the real case of her missing sister 70 years ago.
The stories begin to intertwine a little, as Maud and her mind merge them together. We see Maud’s older sister Sukey going missing back in the 40s, her black marketer husband inconsolable, the family stunned, a young Maud desperately searching for clues.
Can either storyline be resolved, by a woman whose memory and cognition are degenerating?
I both felt for Helen and found her a little irritating – but I think you are meant to:
"You KNOW where she is mum, you just saw her.”
Why should she repeat herself ad infinitum for our benefit? I could feel for Maud here too, empathise, neither of us has all the knowledge we need. We feel the confusion of Maud’s world – going to report her friend missing only to be told by a weary police officer that she’s done the same thing several times in succession.
Despite liking the method of putting you in the mind of a dementia sufferer, and how it DID work as narrative, I found the ending a little abrupt (with Elizabeth’s storyline), and a little coda missing off the end of Sukey’s, though both are resolved in one way or another.
You do like Maud, you just want her to shake the dementia off and see clearly. It’s in some ways incredibly depressing, but a real eye-opener. I was very impressed with the author’s ability to put us in the mind of Maud and see what dementia may look like. And unravelling the plots was certainly a challenge only having Maud's confused memories to go on. Sad but a good read.
Review of a Netgalley advance e-copy.
It's in reality all about an 80-year old with dementia, Maud. She is increasingly fixated on finding her 'missing’ friend Elizabeth. Daughter Helen repeatedly tells her wearily that she KNOWS where Elizabeth is, her friend is NOT missing. We never see evidence as readers of this, so feel as disorientated as Maud herself, despite having greater awareness than our protagonist.
We watch from the sidelines as the downward spiral of dementia takes hold. It's very well done, how it affects Maud, her life, her family, her safety.
Maud herself is spirited and fiercely independent, despite every obstacle of the condition. And we soon start to see evidence that her thoughts are wandering... But they wander from her missing friend back to the real case of her missing sister 70 years ago.
The stories begin to intertwine a little, as Maud and her mind merge them together. We see Maud’s older sister Sukey going missing back in the 40s, her black marketer husband inconsolable, the family stunned, a young Maud desperately searching for clues.
Can either storyline be resolved, by a woman whose memory and cognition are degenerating?
I both felt for Helen and found her a little irritating – but I think you are meant to:
"You KNOW where she is mum, you just saw her.”
Why should she repeat herself ad infinitum for our benefit? I could feel for Maud here too, empathise, neither of us has all the knowledge we need. We feel the confusion of Maud’s world – going to report her friend missing only to be told by a weary police officer that she’s done the same thing several times in succession.
Despite liking the method of putting you in the mind of a dementia sufferer, and how it DID work as narrative, I found the ending a little abrupt (with Elizabeth’s storyline), and a little coda missing off the end of Sukey’s, though both are resolved in one way or another.
You do like Maud, you just want her to shake the dementia off and see clearly. It’s in some ways incredibly depressing, but a real eye-opener. I was very impressed with the author’s ability to put us in the mind of Maud and see what dementia may look like. And unravelling the plots was certainly a challenge only having Maud's confused memories to go on. Sad but a good read.
Review of a Netgalley advance e-copy.
rosimari's review
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.0