erasmios's review against another edition
3.0
Maud's best friend Elizabeth is missing. Healey's first novel is a well-written little mystery about an elderly lady's missing friend. Maud starts to "investigate" her friend's disappearance, but she has one big problem. She's suffering from severe dementia. Aided by the pieces of her memories and small dateless notes in her pocket and purse she tries her best to find Elizabeth. The novel was very captivating. Maud's inner struggles with her dementia are written very convincingly. To others, she seems like a "mad old woman" but the reader knows how her past gets mixed with the present and how her demented logic works. She's not mad, just confused, living in two worlds at once. And Elizabeth's not the only person to go missing; Maud's sister also disappeared 70 years earlier. From the beginning, I was reading Elizabeth Is Missing as a crime novel, and that lead me to be a little underwhelmed by the ending. There were no big surprises. Don't expect Christie-like twists here. It's not that kind of story.
bookish_spoonie's review against another edition
3.0
I enjoyed this book and it did touch my heart....however I guessed what was going to happen half way through and I felt that the narrative dragged at times.
ckkurata529's review against another edition
3.0
Very fascinating read; makes me terrified to get older
het400's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
shouldireadthis's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 but I’m rounding up to 4.
An interesting read, which centres around Maud who’s losing her memory, and is trying to find her friend Elizabeth. The book also focuses on Maud’s memories of being a young girl, and her family. I enjoyed these sections of the book the best. The sections in present-day are a heartbreaking look at old age and all the challenges that accompany it. The ending was rather predictable but I’m not sure if it was intended to be a surprise (there is an underlying mystery in this book but didn’t feel like the sole focus).
Altogether a decently engaging and easy to
read book. It feels a little confusing in places but this really mimics the way Maud feels as her memory deteriorates.
An interesting read, which centres around Maud who’s losing her memory, and is trying to find her friend Elizabeth. The book also focuses on Maud’s memories of being a young girl, and her family. I enjoyed these sections of the book the best. The sections in present-day are a heartbreaking look at old age and all the challenges that accompany it. The ending was rather predictable but I’m not sure if it was intended to be a surprise (there is an underlying mystery in this book but didn’t feel like the sole focus).
Altogether a decently engaging and easy to
read book. It feels a little confusing in places but this really mimics the way Maud feels as her memory deteriorates.
bethreadsandnaps's review against another edition
3.0
My stepdad recently passed away with end-stage dementia. He surprisingly seemed fairly lucid although I think he used common phrases that he said as a crutch when he didn't know what to say. When someone you know goes through the experience, you can see snippets into how their mind makes connections.
Healey creates an interesting story about elderly Maud, who is experiencing dementia, and the co-mingling of the disappearance of her current friend with the disappearance of her sister more than half a century before. The tale co-mingles the stories separated by time as they are felt by the main character. One small thing in the present triggers Maud to something that happened decades ago.
While I appreciate how the author creates a world where you feel the disorientation of the main character Maud, I didn't enjoy the experience as a reader. I get the perspective; I just don't like it.
The mystery from so many years ago feels drawn out and not very compelling through that writing device (of a person with dementia).
Healey creates an interesting story about elderly Maud, who is experiencing dementia, and the co-mingling of the disappearance of her current friend with the disappearance of her sister more than half a century before. The tale co-mingles the stories separated by time as they are felt by the main character. One small thing in the present triggers Maud to something that happened decades ago.
While I appreciate how the author creates a world where you feel the disorientation of the main character Maud, I didn't enjoy the experience as a reader. I get the perspective; I just don't like it.
The mystery from so many years ago feels drawn out and not very compelling through that writing device (of a person with dementia).
ambercristofaro's review against another edition
3.0
Interesting premise and perspective. Part way through I found myself desperate to know what happened to Elizabeth. The realness of the characters was very compelling.
ohnoitsharmony's review against another edition
2.0
i don't know about this one... it was an interesting idea having an old woman be the lens through which the reader tries to figure out the mystery, but ultimately i found this repetitive and frustrating to read - the story just kept going round and round in circles until practically the very end, which you could argue is the whole point but that doesn't make it fun to read. however i will say that the moments between maud and her granddaughter katy were quite sweet, and i enjoyed seeing her relationship with her daughter helen evolve as well - i'm sure a lot of people with aging parents may be able to relate to that aspect of the book. overall though i'm hoping i'll enjoy the tv adaptation more.
daniellemerjano's review against another edition
3.0
I really really don't know how I feel about this book... it's sooo confusing to read because it jumps between timelines and the main character has memory issues so you never know what the heck is happening. I liked the twist at the end and that part did sort of redeem it, but this was a frustrating read.