Review - Left Neglected by Lisa Genova

Left Neglected by Lisa Genova

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Blurb From Goodread

Sarah Nickerson, like any other working mom, is busy trying to have it all. One morning while racing to work and distracted by her cell phone, she looks away from the road for one second too long. In that blink of an eye, all the rapidly moving parts of her over-scheduled life come to a screeching halt. After a brain injury steals her awareness of everything on her left side, Sarah must retrain her mind to perceive the world as a whole. In so doing, she also learns how to pay attention to the people and parts of her life that matter most.

In this powerful and poignant New York Times bestseller, Lisa Genova explores what can happen when we are forced to change our perception of everything around us. Left Neglected is an unforgettable story about finding abundance in the most difficult of circumstances, learning to pay attention to the details, and nourishing what truly matters.

My Review

Sarah is a high powered business woman, workaholic and mum of 3. Life is full on, busy busy busy and that is just how she likes it. A horrific car accident puts everything in Sarah's life on hold and she needs to go back to basics to learn things she has taken for granted (as most of us do).

This book was so very different from what I was expecting, I thought it would be very similar to Still Alice but obviously a different subject. I feel this was written so different it could have been a different author. Whilst I still liked the story I found myself struggling to get fully into it whereas with the other book I couldn't put it down.

I found Sarah a hard character to like at times but felt sorry for her and certainly warmed up to her nearer the end. It was hard to read in that her struggle really made you think how much we take for granted and how just one minute can take it all away. The writing was fine and nothing too troubling but there was something about the book I found hard to get on with but I couldn't tell you what.

The story focuses on two issues, Sarah's recovery (and the actual syndrome which is fascinating in itself) and progress and her relationship with her family and mostly her mother. I did enjoy parts of this book but did struggle getting through it (4 days on a book minus work etc. is a long time for me) so therefore I have to give a 3/5 rating.

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