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vistacanas's review
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
...My yesterdays are disappearing, and my tomorrows are uncertain, so what do I live for? I live for each day. I live in the moment.
I couldn't pry myself away from this literary gem, finishing it in only two days. It had every ingredient I cherish in a book – a resilient and relatable female lead, layers of emotions, an air of anticipation, and a narrative that imparts invaluable lessons.
Lisa Genova's background in neuroscience brings an authentic voice to the story of a Harvard professor grappling with early-onset Alzheimer's. Every nuance of Alice's battle was palpable and heart-wrenching. Genova masterfully illustrates the harrowing progression of the disease and Alice's struggle as the condition worsens.
Now, while I gave this book a well-deserved 5-stars, it wasn't perfect. The final chapter left me a bit disappointed...but, the brief letdown at the end didn't come close to overshadowing the journey this book took me on.
This book is a profound exploration of human resilience and vulnerability that has left an indelible mark on me. I highly recommend it! Now for the movie adaptation...
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical content, Chronic illness, Terminal illness, Grief, and Dementia
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts
hcjflauer's review
emotional
informative
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Dementia, Medical content, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, and Terminal illness
Minor: Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Child death, Death of parent, Death, Grief, and Pregnancy
katsbooks's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
"But just because I'll forget it some tomorrow doesn't mean that I didn't live every second of it today. I will forget today, but that doesn't mean that today doesn't matter.”
“Everything she did and love, everything she was, required language.”
“I can’t stand the thought of looking at you someday, this face I love, and not knowing who you are.”
The beauty of this novel was the choice to tell it from the point of view of the person suffering from Alzheimers. It made the story very visceral and real. Unfortunately, it's hard to know how authentic it actually is since people suffering from Alzheimers can't really confirm what the decline feels like but it honestly felt like a realistic imagining of what it probably feels like. There were some scenes that made me genuinely emotional. I also feel like the author made an effort to depict the effect diseases like this have on families and caregivers. There were quite a few times when I genuinely disliked Alice's husband, John, but I felt like the author was trying to show how a disease like Alzheimer's drastically affects the caregivers, especially when it is early-onset and progressive, like the case depicted in this novel. My only critique of this book is probably the writing. It was good enough to tell a great story but I think the content of the story was enough to be compelling. The writing was simply inconsistent. Sometimes, it was powerful and impactful enough to make me tear up and sometimes it was a little clunky and awkward. I will give the author credit, though, since her day job is scientist, not writer. Given that, the writing is quite impressive.
“Everything she did and love, everything she was, required language.”
“I can’t stand the thought of looking at you someday, this face I love, and not knowing who you are.”
The beauty of this novel was the choice to tell it from the point of view of the person suffering from Alzheimers. It made the story very visceral and real. Unfortunately, it's hard to know how authentic it actually is since people suffering from Alzheimers can't really confirm what the decline feels like but it honestly felt like a realistic imagining of what it probably feels like. There were some scenes that made me genuinely emotional. I also feel like the author made an effort to depict the effect diseases like this have on families and caregivers. There were quite a few times when I genuinely disliked Alice's husband, John, but I felt like the author was trying to show how a disease like Alzheimer's drastically affects the caregivers, especially when it is early-onset and progressive, like the case depicted in this novel. My only critique of this book is probably the writing. It was good enough to tell a great story but I think the content of the story was enough to be compelling. The writing was simply inconsistent. Sometimes, it was powerful and impactful enough to make me tear up and sometimes it was a little clunky and awkward. I will give the author credit, though, since her day job is scientist, not writer. Given that, the writing is quite impressive.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Dementia, and Grief
Minor: Excrement and Gaslighting
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