Alice LaPlante

I read Coming of Age at the End of Days because I thoroughly enjoyed Alice LaPlante's Turn of Mind, a nifty psychological thriller featuring that most unreliable of narrators, a woman suffering from Alzheimer's. What I expected from her latest novel was the same level of complexity in puzzle-solving (albeit not in the context of a murder mystery); what I got was a hot mess.

LaPlante's teenage protagonist is certainly unpredictable: Is she depressed and suicidal (although she prefers the term show more "melancholy")? A religious visionary à la Joan of Arc? An epileptic? Whatever else she is, Anna is an unsympathetic character (as are both of her parents), whose mental health issues feel like an artificial construct imposed by LaPlante to give her the "tangled relationships" her publisher extols. None of the characters' actions are believable, and LaPlante conveniently glosses over the major issues she has created for them by fast-forwarding almost three years to an epilogue, which contains no explanation as to how those issues were resolved.

From my two vastly different reading experiences, I have concluded that LaPlante's strength lies in her mystery plotting, not in emotional family sagas. Fortunately the remaining LaPlante novel, A Circle of Wives, appears to be a mystery as well, so I can still look forward to reading it. My advice is that others do the same, skipping Coming of Age at the End of Days as an anomaly (I hope) in LaPlante's oeuvre.

I received a free copy of Coming of Age at the End of Days through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. show less

Turn of Mind is a stunning fictional debut that I found to be compelling reading. Jennifer White is struggling to remain in the present, as dementia claims who she once was, and is. Once a successful surgeon, she is now in the care of a live in housekeeper and slipping in and out of awareness. When Jennifer's best friend of more than thirty years, Amanda, is murdered, she is the primary suspect, but she remembers nothing of the last time she saw her. As the Alzheimer's progresses, Jennifer show more recalls her past and reveals her complicated relationship with not only the victim, but also her husband and children. Turn of Mind is much more than a simple mystery, it examines the impact of dementia on an intelligent woman and her family.

The first person narrative is incredibly powerful, allowing the reader to witness Jennifer's tragic decline from the sufferers perspective. It particularly resonated for me because my grandfather, who just recently passed away, was also affected by Alzheimer's and it is such a cruel and difficult disease that affects all involved. Jennifer is not really a likable character. She may have been a great surgeon, but she was not a warm person and perhaps even a poor mother and wife. Yet the creeping loss of her intellect and awareness demands pity and her strength in the face of it earns admiration. LaPlante's portrayal of Jennifer's confusion and fear amidst moments of clarity is realistic (in my experience), and is sympathetically handled. The shifts between lucidity and disorientation, memory and present, are skillfully written and I didn't find it difficult to follow. Near the end of the novel, the narrative changes perspective, demonstrating Jennifer's disassociation from her own life as the disease overwhelms her. It is an unusual, even brave, yet wholly appropriate technique that clearly communicates Jennifer's separation from her her own mind.
The reactions of Jennifer's children also held true for me. Fiona mourns the loss of her mother even while she still lives, despite their complicated relationship. Mark illustrates the frustration that is part of dealing with a relative with Alzheimer's, exaggerated by his own failings. I didn't really like either of them, I thought both their motivations suspect for different reasons throughout the novel - especially their financial greed.
Amanda, the victim, was the least sympathetic character of the lot. Bitter and sly, as shown during Jennifer's memory slips, I wasn't very affected by her death. The mystery of her assailant's identity did add suspense to the novel however and I was unsure as to who was responsible nearly the entire way through.
Turn of Mind is a impressive and original novel that uses an engaging storyline to explore the tragedy of dementia. This is a novel that is sure to linger in your mind beyond the turn of the last page. show less

What I love best about fiction is its ability to help me escape the confines of my mind and experience reality through the eyes of wholly different and unique human beings—the more bizarre and unique the characters, the better. When I heard that a multi-starred (i.e., Kirkus, Publisher’s Weekly, Booklist) literary debut novel was available that told a murder mystery from the point of view of a female orthopedic surgeon with Alzheimer’s…well, I just jumped at the chance to read and show more review it! When the book came, I put other reading aside and settled down for what I hoped would be an extraordinary journey.

I was not disappointed. The book was totally engrossing—brilliant from beginning to end.

Alice LaPlante’s Turn of Mind is a masterful and thought-provoking character study. It swept me away on an intriguing psychological and medical mystery journey. What made the trip unexpectedly compelling was how the author effectively managed to weave bits of the thriller and horror genre in with the literary character study. It was very artfully done with little literary artifice that might distract readers and make them aware of the pulley-and-lever mechanics of storytelling stagecraft.

This book takes you inside the mind of a brilliant doctor whose brain is slowly deteriorating from Alzheimer’s. To the doctor’s ultimate horror, she is being accused of the murder of her best friend. Because she cannot remember, every time she is told about it, she relives once again the excruciating pain of knowing for the first time that her best friend is dead. She has no recollection of the murder, but occasionally there are glimmers of disturbing and confusing visions…

The author appears to have done her research well. In my estimation, she demonstrates an outstanding understanding of the Alzheimer’s experience. I say this being a daughter of a mother with severe dementia, who spends a great deal of time visiting my mother and her fellow residents in an assisted care facility.

I heartily recommend this book to lovers of literary character studies and to any reader who wants to experience what it is like to have Alzheimer’s. I do not think this book will appeal to murder mystery buffs. Neither do I think this book will appeal to readers who feel a strong need to like their main characters—even before the onset of Alzheimer’s this doctor was not a very likable or warm individual.

This is an intelligent novel that demands close reading. It is not an easy book to read, nor is the experience always pleasant. Personally, I found the book very thought-provoking and ultimately exceptionally rewarding. show less

Dr. Jennifer White is a brilliant hand surgeon losing her mind to the fog of dementia. Before she slips away however, police detective Luton is determined to get answers about the murder of Jennifer's best friend Amanda. Except that Amanda was more frenemy than friend and answers are hard to come by in Jennifer's world.

I thought the idea of writing the book from the perspective of a person suffering from Alzheimers was brilliant. The author Alice La Plante does a fantastic job of pulling it show more off too. The book is told in three parts. In the first part Dr. White is still living at home, in the second part she is a nursing home, and in the third part she makes a run for it. Other than the three parts, the book is not broken up into traditional chapters. The sentences relate Dr. White's stream of consciousness. Some of her thoughts are lucid, some are confused, and some of are remembrances of the past. When she is finally able to dredge up a memory, you get another piece of the puzzle. The author successfully puts you in the mind of someone whose thoughts are slipping away. It takes the idea of a unreliable narrator to a new level.

None of the characters in this book had any redeeming qualities. Everyone, whether caregiver or family member was despicable. Liar, thief, drug addict, adulterer, they were all in there. I find it hard to believe that every single character could be so immoral. Also the third part of the book was a little draggy until the big reveal at the end. These are minor quibbles though. I admire La Plant for coming up with such an original and entertaining story. Highly recommended. show less