A review by shelleyrae
The Day Shelley Woodhouse Woke Up by Laura Pearson

emotional hopeful medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.25

To be honest I chose The Day Shelley Woodhouse Woke Up by Laura Pearson to meet the requirements of a challenge to read a book where a character shared my first, middle, or last name, (none of which are exactly common) so I wasn’t sure what to expect from this, but happily I was pleasantly surprised.

The narrative of The Day Shelley Woodhouse Woke Up shifts between ‘Now’ as she physically recovers after waking from a coma in hospital following a traumatic incident, and ‘Then’, as Shelley slowly recalls memories from her past, beginning in her childhood, to understand the present.

“I need to let the memories in bit by bit. Starting with what I’m sure of, what I know.”

Shelley is convinced that a brutal argument with her husband, David, is responsible for her current condition, she remembers his fury with painful clarity - shouting, torn clothes, blood, and a vicious push that sent her tumbling down the stairs. Her memories trace the path to that moment, beginning with the introduction of her mother’s violent boyfriend into her family when she was a child. It’s a tale that exposes how the cycle of domestic violence transfers through generations, and how difficult it can be to break it.

In the Now, as Shelley remains largely bed bound from a brain injury, the present is sometimes confusing for her, but with little energy to spare she glosses over any small inconsistencies. Shelley has two regular visitors, one of whom is her best friend, Dee, who looks a little different but is still also reassuringly the same. The other is Matt, a hospital volunteer who treats her with patience and kindness. Shelley’s difficult journey back to herself is affecting, and I was invested in both her physical and emotional recovery.

As a character driven drama, The Day Shelley Woodhouse Woke Up unfolds at a leisurely but even pace. The ‘twist’ in the plot is unlikely to surprise the average reader but that doesn’t really detract from the story.

Written with compassion and heart, The Day Shelley Woodhouse Woke Up is a poignant and thought provoking novel.