3.45 out of 4 stars.
Made me feel a little loopy!
The aged ole story of someone getting memory loss from hitting their head. It seems to always bring up the question that if you had to live by feelings and in the moment rather than following your brain – how would you act differently?
In Moriarty’s “What Alice Forgot”, Alice wakes up from a concussion thinking she is 29 years old and pregnant with her first born. However, she is actually 39 and has three children. Sadly, she is also going through a brutal separation with the same husband she left off feeling as if they would be together forever. All a lot to take in for both the reader and for Alice!
Although this story line is rather cliche, Moriarty does an excellent job of making you fall in love with the characters. I would go as far to say this entire book relies on her ability to do that. Otherwise the plot is pretty easy to figure out and you will spend more time waiting for her to get to the point than you will just enjoying yourself and learning about this motley crew.
Of course it teaches the lesson that you have to slow down and try to embrace what is going on around you because everything could be gone in an instant. Have you heard that one before? But still always a helpful reminder to hear every single day.
Although this book is on the lighter side you are able to take it a step further when you finish and reflect. It really is super crazy to look at how your life unfolds differently than you thought it would. I was absolutely POSITIVE that by 27 I would be CEO and living in a mansion on the ocean by now (hint: that didn’t happen..yet).
Alice is easy to relate to and even though it seems she went through a stage pre: concussion where she was rotten to the core the reader still feels for her that she deserves a second chance because she saw the light.
I am always drawn to reading about amnesia, alzheimers, and plain old forgetfullness (you may already have been able to tell from the past books I have posted) because it is absolutely crazy to me how powerful the brain is. I could spend all day discussing how some parts of our minds aren’t even utilized while other sections are jam packed that we can’t even remember what we had for breakfast. I wish I had a neuroscientist in my group of friends so they could answer my list of a million questions anytime they plop into my head.
If you would like a book similar but MUCH more serious and in depth then I would recommend “Ask Alice”.
Below is a picture of Sadie going through her photo album to reflect back on the year. Although she is not the sharpest tool in the shed but she definitely always goes off her emotions and feelings rather than what is realistic. I know she loved this book.
