2019 Book Review #41: You're Not You

I just finished a novel by an author I'd never heard of but I was browsing the older book section at our town library before Thanksgiving and thought the cover art of this book was so pretty so I took if off the shelf and the story summary on the jacket intrigued me, especially because Dave and I had just re-watched The Theory of Everything on Netflix. (highly recommend that movie if you haven't seen it).

STORY SUMMARY

Bec (short for Rebecca) is a college student who can't seem to settle down.  She goes to classes in a major she isn't excited about and lives in an apartment in Madison, Wisconsin with her friend Jill.  They do a lot of partying and meeting guys; Bec is actually having an affair with a married English professor.  Bec has a part time job as a waitress in a diner.  It's a job.  It helps pay the bills.  But one day she answers an ad for a caregiver to a woman in her 30's who has ALS (also known as Lou Gehrig's disease).

Kate, although diagnosed with ALS, is a highly cultured, wealthy woman.  Her husband Evan know that she is in the advanced stages of the disease and Evan feels that it's time for them to get a caregiver for the hours that he has to be at work.  Their marriage appears just fine on the surface, but Bec soon learns that there is a lot of strain underneath the facade of good humor and daily life..

Bec very quickly becomes a vital part of Kate's household.  They become close and it begins to change both women's lives, as well as their other relationships.

Bec performs every task for Kate, including some very intimate ones and soon she must translate Kate's speech for family and friends.  Kate has made it very clear to  Bec  that Bec is to NEVER call 911 or the ambulance unless Kate specifically indicates that she does so.  There is a call button for emergency services on Kate's bed but Bec is supposed to wait for the ok from Kate to use it.  Kate herself also has the finger control to use it.

One night, after many months of working and even now living with Kate (Evan moved out the previous month to live with a woman he was having an affair with, and at Kate's insistence), Bec wakes up to the sounds of gasping that she hears over the monitor.  She rushes into Kate's bedroom.  She sees that Kate is having trouble breathing and knows the end is near as this is how most ALS patients' lives end.  She asks Kate to blink once if she wants Bec to call 911 and twice if she doesn't.  Kate blinks twice.  Bec watches and holds her hand while Kate struggles, face turning blue. Death has come to Kate.

Bec cocoons herself at her parents home in her hometown outside of Madison.

It is weeks before she can face life again. She rents a tiny apartment back in Madison, at her parents urging, and decides to work as an apprentice for a well known French restaurant.

MY THOUGHTS

This book was good in that it touched on the perspective of a young college girl getting mixed up with a very serious disease and dealing with all the emotions that come to play in getting close to someone only to have them die.

However, the characters, in my opinion, just aren't lovable.  The book deals with a very serious disease and the plot is no where near as good as the book about the same illness that Lisa Genova wrote.

There are some funny moments in the novel and I do like how Bec's worldview changed when she goes to work for Kate.  But there's an underlying condescending attitude which i just didn't take to.  

I did like that Bec finally figured out what she wanted to do with her life, and that she could have a friendship and even a dating relationship with a boy her own age.

The ending is abrupt and just....ends.  I felt like it just wasn't complete.  It was rather odd. 

I see that there's a movie based on the book.  I'm wondering if the movie is better than this novel. It stars Hilary Swank who is a great actress.....if I ever see it on Netflix I'll have to check it out.

In my opinion, this book is appropriate for ages 17 and older.

On a scale of 1-10, with 10 being the highest, I rate this an 8.