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There are currently 28 member reviews
for Turn of Mind
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Cynthia A. (Grand Rapids, MI)
One of the best books I've ever read!
I dropped everything, canceled everything to read this book, it was that good! The style, format, characters, plot, storyline, all together, make this about the best I have ever read! I will recommend this book to everyone. I can't wait to suggest it to my book club.
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Judy G. (Carmel, IN)
Poignant Read
This truly was a book I couldn't put down, read in two sittings on the eve of the first anniversary of my mother's death from Alzheimer's complications. I had only brief glimpses of what my mother's reality was like as I tracked her decline from a distance. This book filled in the blanks for me--at alternating times tearfully, joyfully and with humour.
The writing is so skillfully done that the story flowed seamlessly from beginning to end. The masterful integration of intrigue with what would have been a powerful book without it is amazing and brilliant.
I believe the BookBrowse readers will place this book at the top of their recommendation list to others. As for me, I'll remember this book not only for the writer's expertise but also for bringing me greater understanding of the last years of my mother's life.
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Lori (Wayland, MA)
Turn of Mind
A great read. I flew through the book, hardly able to put it down. It reminded me of Still Alice, as far as imagining life with dementia and the vulnerability associated with it, but it had the added suspense of a murder investigation, interesting history which gets revealed in lucid moments, and peripheral characters who made you wonder about their motivation.
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Leann A. (Springfield, IL)
Turn of Mind by Alice LaPlante
This book was an emotionally difficult read for me. Alice LaPlante does such a good job of taking you through the inevitable mental decline of Dr. Jennifer White that it's at once fascinating and devastating to watch. If you require a feel-good ending to your fiction, you'll want to pass this one by, because LaPlante unflinchingly depicts the progression of her Dr. White's disease.
I would definitely not classify this as a mystery though. The murder is really incidental.
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Carolyn G. (Catskill, New York)
When visions are enough
Turn of Mind by Alice LaPlante is that unusual combination of psychological character study and murder mystery which does not disappoint on many levels. Foremost in quality is the format of this novel which is written through the eyes of a retired vascular surgeon, Jennifer White, who is suffering from Alzheimer's and is "a person of interest" in the murder of her best friend, Amanda O'Toole.
Amanda has been found dead in her kitchen with four of her fingers surgically removed and Jennifer either cannot or does not remember being involved in her murder. Told in an episodic internal narrative sprinkled with dialogue between Jennifer and her children, her caregiver and a personally involved police detective, this story draws the reader in with its insight into the slow deterioration caused by dementia. The novel is a quick read, which is not to say that it is not arresting or compelling in nature. I came away from reading this book with a greater empathy for the inner world of those suffering from this dreadful disease.
The murder plot was secondary, the police work minimal and the ending a not-unexpected twist. Overall I would recommend this novel to readers whose lives are touched by Alzheimer's as well as to those who are looking for a quick read on a serious medical subject.
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Liz M. (Fair Haven, NJ)
Mind Boggling
I very much enjoyed Turn of Mind. I found the portrayal of dementia to be very true to life. I found Turn of Mind to be quite a good mystery as well as an interesting study in how secrets and envy keep us together while tearing us down. I recommend Turn of Mind
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JD l(ibrarian, NY)
Murder and the Mind
Dr. Jennifer's White's best friend has been murdered and she finds herself a suspect. But there is a further complication - Jennifer is suffering from advanced Alzheimer's dementia and half the time can't remember that Amanda is dead, never mind if she was involved in her murder. Told completely from the point of view of Jennifer's deteriorating mind, you suffer with her as she slips further away from herself and those she loves. Your view of reality is hers - fractured, unsure and changeable as she has good days and bad days.
While the murder and its solution is interesting in itself, it is only one aspect of the novel. It is also a fascinating look into the mind being lost to a horrible disease and a study of relationships - what binds people together and tears them apart.
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