Scan barcode
landscapesofink's review
4.0
4.5 stars
Well jeepers if this book didn't break me apart and not really piece me back together. That ending threw me off. I wish it didn't happen with those two specific people, but I'm glad it did happen. I have no idea how I'd handle all of the shit Jake and Emily went through! And I didn't really vibe with their relationship.. It felt forced and like they were staying because it was easier, but then I hear about how Jake felt about Emily and it felt right. This book was so different to anything I've read before, and while I didn't cry, I did well up. This is what I like out of books! Emotion (just not annoying character emotion)
Well jeepers if this book didn't break me apart and not really piece me back together. That ending threw me off. I wish it didn't happen with those two specific people, but I'm glad it did happen. I have no idea how I'd handle all of the shit Jake and Emily went through! And I didn't really vibe with their relationship.. It felt forced and like they were staying because it was easier, but then I hear about how Jake felt about Emily and it felt right. This book was so different to anything I've read before, and while I didn't cry, I did well up. This is what I like out of books! Emotion (just not annoying character emotion)
serendipitysbooks's review
challenging
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
4.25
Double Helix is a nuanced and multi-faceted look at what it means to be a young person with a family history of Huntington’s disease. Should you get tested? Form a relationship? Begin a gruelling career? Have a family? These are the dilemmas facing Jake, the protagonist in this story. While Huntington’s disease permeates the book, the plot has many interwoven strands - the reality of life as a medical student and junior doctor, difficult family relationships, assisted dying, mental health, relationship ups and downs, secrets, the importance of end-of-life planning, and much more. Not to mention a plot twist or two, some of which add even more nuance to the issues around Huntington’s disease. And all of this with a distinctly Kiwi flavour- lovely to see some te reo sprinkled throughout the story and to be able to clearly picture some settings because I’ve visited or lived there. When she’s not busy writing Eileen Merriman is a doctor so readers can trust that the medical details and the depiction of medical school are spot on. Personally I enjoyed reading about Jake’s affinity with surfing, and Emily’s with art, and the way they used these as a form of self-care, a way to bolster their mental health. Plus it made them more rounded characters. This sounds like a heavy book, and it certainly has its heavy moments. But overall it has an up beat, life-affirming tone. As one of the characters memorably remarks “Fuck fate.” Definitely recommend, especially if you like books that thoughtfully explore ethical issues and make you think “what if?”.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Chronic illness, Death, Medical content, and Terminal illness
Minor: Suicidal thoughts
piperhath's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
informative
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
4.5
Jake and Emily have a secret, one that would ruin everything if anyone ever found out. When they reconnect after three years apart, it's like nothing changed except everything may change. Jake's family has a history of Huntington's disease, a terrible neurological disease that is caused by a series of repeats hidden in DNA. He faces the difficult decision of knowing if he is carrying the genes for the same disease that took his mother's life or if he can go on not knowing.
This book was phenomenal! I loved every second of it and really loved how fast-paced it was! I felt very connected to these characters, especially since they attended the same university as me and the student culture was described perfectly! It was oddly comforting and took me back to a time in my life that made me very happy! This book also really did it for me because I'm a genetics major and have a soft side for genetic counseling which was touched on in this book. There was also just enough "sciency jargon" given to make enough sense to what was going on without it being too overwhelming which I think is really good for readers that have very little background.
This book brought up a lot of questions around euthanasia and the impact of knowing whether you are likely to get a terminal illness such as Huntington's disease. These topics are so important to acknowledge and I'm really glad that these topics are discussed more. While I really wanted this book to ruin me, I'm really glad it didn’t and am really satisfied with how this one wrapped up. There were so many twists and turns and really didn't know where we were going next!
Thank you to Tandem Collective Global and Penguin Books NZ for gifting me a copy of this incredible book and hosting an awesome read-along for myself and my fellow Kiwi's! Also thank you to Eileen for writing an incredible book and taking the time to chat with us about the book! Definitely check this one out!
This book was phenomenal! I loved every second of it and really loved how fast-paced it was! I felt very connected to these characters, especially since they attended the same university as me and the student culture was described perfectly! It was oddly comforting and took me back to a time in my life that made me very happy! This book also really did it for me because I'm a genetics major and have a soft side for genetic counseling which was touched on in this book. There was also just enough "sciency jargon" given to make enough sense to what was going on without it being too overwhelming which I think is really good for readers that have very little background.
This book brought up a lot of questions around euthanasia and the impact of knowing whether you are likely to get a terminal illness such as Huntington's disease. These topics are so important to acknowledge and I'm really glad that these topics are discussed more. While I really wanted this book to ruin me, I'm really glad it didn’t and am really satisfied with how this one wrapped up. There were so many twists and turns and really didn't know where we were going next!
Thank you to Tandem Collective Global and Penguin Books NZ for gifting me a copy of this incredible book and hosting an awesome read-along for myself and my fellow Kiwi's! Also thank you to Eileen for writing an incredible book and taking the time to chat with us about the book! Definitely check this one out!
More...