Monday, April 9, 2012

Review: What Alice Forgot

What Alice Forgot
by Lianne Moriarty
Why did you choose this book? I found the title intriguing....what did Alice forget? 
When did you read this book? March 2012
Who should read this book? readers of contemporary women’s fiction
Here is a synopsis of ‘What Alice Forgot' from Goodreads, where it rates 3.91 stars.
Source: ebook borrowed from my local library
Alice Love is twenty-nine years old, madly in love with her husband, and pregnant with their first child. So imagine her surprise when, after a fall, she comes to on the floor of a gym (a gym! she HATES the gym!) and discovers that she's actually thirty-nine, has three children, and is in the midst of an acrimonious divorce. 
A knock on the head has misplaced ten years of her life, and Alice isn't sure she likes who she's become. It turns out, though, that forgetting might be the most memorable thing that has ever happened to Alice.

My Review 
I was immediately drawn to this book by the title, although having read ‘Still Alice’ I think I expected Alice to be an Alzheimers patient. Silly, I know. It was really a lot more like the movie ‘Peggy Sue Got Married’. Alice falls at the gym, and when she wakes up, she has forgotten everything that has happened in the past ten years, including giving birth to three children. She also forgets she is going through a bitter divorce from a husband she can’t believe she is not madly in love with! AND she has forgotten her new boyfriend!
This was a fun read, though at times a bit difficult as it was written for an Australian audience and a few of the terms were unfamiliar to me. Most of it I was able to pick up in context, but there were a few I never did figure out. For example, what article of clothing is a jumper? Obviously it is not like the sleeveless dress we wear over a blouse in the US! But not knowing the meaning did not detract from the story!
One thing that really made the story interesting is how the author added depth to the story by letting us read letters written by the characters. Alice’s sister, Elizabeth, is suffering with fertility issues, and seeing a psychologist to help her deal with this. One of her exercises is to keep a diary, which we get to read. Another character, Franny, a grandmother figure to Alice, lives in a retirement home and corresponds with her friend, Phil. This is an entertaining way to learn more about Alice’s past. I enoyed following along as Alice regained her memories. 
My Rating:  ★★★1/2   3-1/2 Stars

Counted for these challenges:
  • New Author Challenge
  • Ebook Challenge
  • Support Your Local Library Challenge

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