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fyre_flies's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
What do you do when you can't trust your Own memories?
If there's one thing Maud knows, it's that Elizabeth is missing. She hasn't seen her in days, her house is empty and her horrible son is moving things out of it, even the ecclectic mix of odd ceramics she adores. Something isn't right! But with the past and present jumbling in her brain, making Maud more and more confused, how can she make heads or tails of things? How can she possibly find Maud! And, more importantly, where is the best place to plant marrows? She just can't remember!
Elizabeth is missing is a moving, emotionally unsettling tale of dementia and its devastating effects, encased neatly in the trappings of a mystery. This story will keep you on your toes, both mentally and emotionally, as the half-forgotten events of Maud's past as a young girl after the second world war and the quiet tragedies of her present as a mother, grandmother, friend and unsteady heroine collide.
Mystery lovers, this story is definitely one to add to your list!
If there's one thing Maud knows, it's that Elizabeth is missing. She hasn't seen her in days, her house is empty and her horrible son is moving things out of it, even the ecclectic mix of odd ceramics she adores. Something isn't right! But with the past and present jumbling in her brain, making Maud more and more confused, how can she make heads or tails of things? How can she possibly find Maud! And, more importantly, where is the best place to plant marrows? She just can't remember!
Elizabeth is missing is a moving, emotionally unsettling tale of dementia and its devastating effects, encased neatly in the trappings of a mystery. This story will keep you on your toes, both mentally and emotionally, as the half-forgotten events of Maud's past as a young girl after the second world war and the quiet tragedies of her present as a mother, grandmother, friend and unsteady heroine collide.
Mystery lovers, this story is definitely one to add to your list!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Dementia
Moderate: Death and Violence
Minor: Blood and Medical content
egm247's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Dementia
Moderate: Violence
rinitealeaf's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Dementia, Alcoholism, and Violence
Moderate: Car accident
Minor: Death, Violence, and Murder
lookingmuchimproved's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
This was a very emotional read for me. Healey does a very good job of putting us in the head of the main character, who has dementia, which allows us to experience her frustration along with her as she fails to get people to listen to her refrains that "Elizabeth is missing" due to a breakdown in communication between her memory and thoughts and words. The characters in this book want things that should be reasonable. Maud wants someone to listen, and she wants the peace that comes with finally having answers. Her daughter wants her Mum's last bit of time where she has any cognitive clarity to be focused on her already deceased father and memories of their family. The injustice in this book is seeing people have to bear an emotional or mental toll that never should have been theirs in the first place, and seeing that solving the mystery is more than anything a fight for peace. The book is definitely worth a read, especially if you want a very non-traditional mystery and emotional storyline, but it didn't entirely wow me which is why I'm giving it a 3.75 star rating. There were some portions that dragged and where I didn't feel excited to pick the book back up again.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Violence, and Dementia
Moderate: Car accident
Minor: Schizophrenia/Psychosis and Death
hilarylouise's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Dementia
Minor: Murder and Violence
booksjessreads's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I really liked the way the main plot and the subplot intertwined, particularly towards the end, although I did find myself more intrigued by the subplot at times. I also really liked the way Healey depicted the mind of a dementia sufferer, intertwining it with Maud's memories of her as a child.
I also enjoyed the sense of intrigue through the book and kept me interested throughout. I was slightly annoyed at the end that it could have been interpreted in different ways, but again alludes to the mysterious nature of the book, but also reiterating the state of mind that a dementia sufferer has and the complexity of memory, although unsure if this was intentional.
I thought the plot was clever and I enjoyed the story as a whole. The way the plot and subplot interlink and the symbolism behind this is what pushes this book into the 4 star boundary for me, although the other elements of the book, such as character development, diversity of characters etc. were perhaps a 3 or 3.5.
I also enjoyed the sense of intrigue through the book and kept me interested throughout. I was slightly annoyed at the end that it could have been interpreted in different ways, but again alludes to the mysterious nature of the book, but also reiterating the state of mind that a dementia sufferer has and the complexity of memory, although unsure if this was intentional.
I thought the plot was clever and I enjoyed the story as a whole. The way the plot and subplot interlink and the symbolism behind this is what pushes this book into the 4 star boundary for me, although the other elements of the book, such as character development, diversity of characters etc. were perhaps a 3 or 3.5.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Dementia and Violence
Moderate: Murder
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