Me Again

I read the first 75 pages of Me Again before setting it aside. Although I appreciated Jonathan’s voice and the struggle to recover from a devastating neurological event, I had a hard time buying into the novel. Perhaps because my profession is as a physical therapist, I found the scenes in the rehabilitation hospital mostly unbelievable. Jonathan’s physical therapist is represented as an unprofessional womanizer and nearly all the stroke rehabilitation scenes were inaccurate. Both Jonathan and Rebecca refer to their physical therapists as “trainers” – a phrase which I have never heard in the nearly 24 years I have been working as a PT. Rebecca’s physical therapist would rather watch a football game on television than assist show more Rebecca to walk in the parallel bars (this was especially odd to me given that I have never worked in a rehabilitation gym where there is a television on, much less a football game). So, although this book is getting some great reviews, it was not for me.

On a positive note – Keith Cronin is donating 25% of all proceeds from the book to the American Stroke Association. show less

I was hooked by this book with the opening sentence, which was: “I was born on a Tuesday morning. It was a difficult birth, because I was thirty-four years old.” This was another which I went into reading having not read the blurb telling what the book was about. Not sure if that had an impact on how I felt about the book, but I do know that I loved it! I seriously could NOT put this book down! I loved reading about Jonathan Hooper’s journey back to reality, to discovering that a lot has changed in the years he has been asleep. Not to mention how much Jonathan himself has changed, since he woke up.

Me Again is narrated by Jonathan & reads very much in the format of an autobiography, albeit an autobiography of a fictional character. show more It is really well written, is very funny, the characters are believable and likable. While Me Again is a funny book, it is also a serious look at Strokes, Stroke victims and the resulting struggles for both the victims & the families of the stroke victims.

I highly recommend Me Again, for anyone looking for a delightful, funny, but at the same time serious look at Strokes, this is the book for you! show less

This is the second novel I've read this year featuring someone in their late 20s/early 30s having a traumatic brain injury that changes their personality. It wasn't my intention to double up since it's not a plot device I'm particularly drawn to, but it was interesting for me to do a compare-and-contrast with the other novel (The Art of Forgetting). I preferred this novel over The Art of Forgetting as I found the characters a bit more likable, appealing, and relatable.

I had described The Art of Forgetting as a Hallmark movie; I think this book might be more ABC Family Night. There's a bit of mystery as Jonathan, the hero, learns that he was a very different man before his stroke, and he has to balance healing himself and making peace show more with his past. I found his family to be a bit aggravatingly tight-lipped and emotionally damaged in a way that made me want to put them all in to family therapy.  There's a cute romantic entanglement and some quirky wrangling-a-mistake-into-a-victory twist that was a bit too neat and kind of fun all at once.

The novel has a bit of on an inspirational feel but isn't a 'clean' novel; it's a bit predictable but there's some satisfaction in the story unfolding in a way you can anticipate. I rather liked Jonathan -- he was funny and genuine -- and I liked Rebecca, the romantic interest.

I wasn't minding the vibe or narrative style until the author whipped out 'fag' as an insult to the straight male lead. The character that uttered it is supposed to be an earthy sort of man (he leers at all the women), but good (he clues the hero in to when the love interest needs some help) so it's not as if the author inserted this in as quickie shorthand to make the character unlikable. It felt unnecessary and affected my ability to really get in to the rest of the book. This sounds like a little thing, I suppose, but it was so unnecessary and so callous, it was like having someone slap me in the middle of a conversation for no reason; I spent the rest of the time skimming the book, waiting for the next slap to come.  (There wasn't one, so the single instance of 'fag' felt all the more outrageous.) show less

Predictable but humorous, heartfelt and well-meaning book about 34 year old man who awakes from a 6 year coma. Not sure I'm a big fan of the "disabilities make you a better person" trope (see the movie Regarding Henry, et al) but Cronin is so sincere that you can't really protest. One of the better Amazon freebies I have downloaded in a while.

Interesting concept: After 6 years in a coma after having a stroke Jonathon can't remember much from his past or even the concept of numbers (and he was a CPA). He also has a completely different personality now. He meets Rebecca a married woman also recovering from a stroke who can remember everything but is not the same woman now. Unfortunately her husband prefers the old Rebecca and this causes problems. A lot of the story is fairly predictable but it does have some interesting twists. It also makes the reader think about things often taken for granted and think about how it would be to be able to get a restart with a totally new personality. This is an enjoyable and worthwhile read. It is very well written considering it is Keith show more Cronin's first novel. show less

Keith Cronin's blend of weighty subjects, humor, and true to life emotions makes for a wonderful read.

The characters are well-rounded, and the voice true.

It was a clever premise, and I bought into the plot right away, and went along for the ride.

I'm looking forward to more books from this author.

As a stroke survivor I was able to identify a little with both main characters - a quick read, I finished in less than 24 hours. Not world-changing but an easy-to-read enjoyable story.