Adult Fiction

While I primarily read YA fiction these days I do enjoy some adult fiction every once in a while. This feature will look at some of the adult fiction I am reading and examine its appeal for those who prefer Young Adult literature.

Still Alice by Lisa Genova

Alice Howland, happily married with three grown children and a house on the Cape, is a celebrated Harvard professor at the height of her career when she notices a forgetfulness creeping into her life. As confusion starts to cloud her thinking and her memory begins to fail her, she receives a devastating diagnosis: early onset Alzheimer’s disease. Fiercely independent, Alice struggles to maintain her lifestyle and live in the moment, even as her sense of self is being stripped away. In turns heartbreaking, inspiring and terrifying, Still Alice captures in remarkable detail what’s it’s like to literally lose your mind…

This is a good fit for those who like Real Life YA fiction that has a focus on character. Those who enjoy reading stories with a strong and compelling main character but don’t necessarily need to identify with him or her might really enjoy Still Alice. Genova does an amazing job of bringing the shattering reality of Alzheimer’s to the forefront in a way that is tender and compassionate. Readers will enjoy the emotional evocativeness of the story and the journey of a woman who struggles to find herself in the middle of such a devastating disease.

YA Connection: How it Ends by Laura Wiess