Inside the O'Briens

I loved Lisa Genova’s book Still Alice and since I had a friend who was diagnosed with Huntingtons Disease at 31 I was looking forward to reading Genova’s take on HD. This was obviously well researched and the author was working hard to bring awareness of this disease. The dilemma about whether to find out if you have the gene is real and I think she did a good job of exploring the mixed emotions. I am still surprised that 90% choose not to find out. I didn’t find the book to be as. well written as Still Alice and there was too much emphasis on the medical terms and not enough on how that plays out in day to day life. Still an overall good read.

After reading Still Alice & Left Neglected, I was waiting for this new one. I liked it a lot but not as much as the others. I knew absolutely nothing about Huntington's Disease before reading this book. Once again, Lisa Genova educates the reader on a sensitive topic & we see how everyone in the family is affected. I loved Joe & his big Irish Catholic family (from Boston of course!). They were so real & likable & had flaws. How do you find honor in living while dying with a terrible genetic neurodegenerative disease? The only thing I didn't like was the ending. I don't need a story to wrap everything up in a neat little bow, but this didn't end with any answers-too many unknowns still. Still a great story about a fatal disease (that most people know nothing about) & how it affects the whole family.

Lisa Genova is excellent at this genre of bringing illnesses and their effects to those around to life. I didn't find this one as engaging as her previous novels but it was still a very good read.