Review: What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty
by Jenners • 05/21/2011 • 4 Stars, Chick Lit, Contemporary, Fiction, M Authors, W Titles • 59 Comments
What Alice Forgot by Liane MoriartyPublisher: Amy Einhorn Books, June 2011
Pages: 432
Genre: Fiction
Where I Got It: LibraryThing Early Reviewers
My Rating: 4 stars
Story Overview
Alice Love wakes up on the floor of the gym after knocking herself unconscious during a spin class. She’s shocked to find herself in a gym, considering she hates the gym and is pregnant with her first child with her beloved husband Nick. At 29, she is living a happy little life, fixing up her new house with Nick and starting their little family. But it appears that Alice hit her head pretty hard as she discovers that she is actually 39 years old, has three children, and is in the middle of a bitter divorce. Ten years of memories has been wiped clean away, and Alice is shocked by the life she is living and how much things have changed in the past ten years. As she struggles to piece together the last decade, she discovers that the “Old Alice” and the “New Alice” have some work to do to put things back together again.
My Thoughts
This was such a good book!! The first time I read the book description, I was instantly attracted to the premise, and Liane Moriarty did a fantastic job in fleshing it out and making it both humorous and emotional. There is also a strong mystery component to the book that I enjoyed immensely. (Who is this Gina that everyone is talking about? Why are Alice and Nick getting divorced? Why does Alice feel such a sense of fear and pain at a particular intersection?) Moriarty has fun with the premise but doesn’t forget to put an emotional base at the heart of the book to keep things grounded and involving. In addition, there is a very compelling subplot with Alice’s sister Elisabeth’s struggle with infertility that really tugged at my heart-strings, as well as a rather touching series of letters between Alice’s adoptive grandmother and a former romantic partner.
The book certainly makes you think about your own life. What if you woke up with the last 10 years of your life erased from your memory? What has changed in that time? How has your family changed? Your friendships? Your living arrangements? Your personality and appearance? It was interesting to put myself in Alice’s place and try to imagine how this book might have read if it was written about me instead of Alice. I imagine that anyone reading this book would find themselves wondering the same thing, and I think it is an interesting mental exercise. Like Alice, I think many of us would be shocked to find how our appearance, personality and living arrangements have changed dramatically and would struggle to make sense of our present lives.
Final Recommendation
If you’re looking for a fast-paced and stimulating read that offers both humor and pathos, What Alice Forgot would be an excellent choice. I enjoyed it immensely and found myself quite involved in finding out what fates would befall Alice and her family. Plus, the setting of Sydney, Australia would make it a good choice for a reading challenge with an international component! Highly recommended!
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As you know I loved this book as well! It’s just such a great premise for a story. I found myself very invested in the characters’s lives and the way I had hoped for things to turn out for them. As well it really makes you think about what you were like 10 years ago compared to now. How would you handle missing 10 years. This was a book club selection for us and it really was a great novel for discussion. I’m glad you enjoyed it too!
I bet this was a great book to discuss at a book club!! There is so much to think about … and I was surprised to find myself sympathizing with “older” Alice by the end, when she seemed so awful at first.
This sounds very interesting. I think the premise sounds very good. I like that there is a mystery component as well. Thanks for another great review Jenners.
Wow, I can definitely not imagine something like this happening. It is such an interesting premise for me and I will definitely plan to read this one.
It is such a good premise and the author did a great job with it. I thought it could have gotten messed up but she did right by it.
Mmmm this looks delectable. I didn’t realize it wasn’t out yet. Bloggers keep raving about it. I’ll just have to wait. Good stuff.
It is coming pretty soon! Glad to hear others are liking it as much as I did.
I definitely added this one to my list. It intrigues me!
I am reading “Bad Mother” right now- AWESOME.
Oooohhhh….Bad Mother is just chock-full of interesting thoughts, isn’t it? I saved that to reread at one point.
Oops, A Town Like Alice, not A Town Named Alice.
When is this getting released? It’ll be ages before my little library gets it, but it sounds great!
Lots of books about Alice:
Alice in Wonderland
A Town Named Alice (in my online book club)
About Alice
Now, What Alice Forgot
I wonder if there are more? And why Alice?
June 2 is the release date. And I’d love to send you my copy if you would like. Just shoot me your e-mail. : )
Oh that totally sounds like something I would love. And look at you-getting books that haven’t even been released yet! How awesome is that
Getting books before they are released is my dream come true!!! I love it!!
sounds like a good one
The book summary sounded like it was one that I would thoroughly enjoy. Your review cinched the fact. Thanks for adding to my TBR list
It was a really satisfying read.
This sounds like a good read – thought-provoking too. My kind of book…
It was my kind of book too.
I’ve been listening to the music from Next to Normal, and it deals with forgetting, too. This one might be interesting right after that.
I love the idea of pairing music with books. I’ve never done that but it is an interesting concept.
I hadn’t heard of this one before but it does sound interesting. Thanks for sharing as I may have to check it out when it is released
When I saw it on LibraryThing, I was like “I hope I win that one!” The premise was just so promising … and she did a great job with it.
Well, you did get me thinking about what my 29 year old self would think of my 39 year old self and some of it ain’t pretty. I’m glad the concept worked. You have me curious about it.
I feel the same way. I know I wouldn’t believe I would be living the life I am now … not that it is all bad but it is way different than I imagined for myself.
I love stories like this one… kind of like that show “Samantha Who”! Thanks for sharing – I’ll be adding it to my list of book I’d like to read!
I never saw that show but now I’m curious. I’ll have to see if it is still on or at least in reruns.
It does sound good! I wonder whats going on with Alice.
It was so fun to see her try and figure out how her life ended up like it did … and how she was critical of “New Alice.”
Wow…this one sounds really good! It’s definitely going on my wish list.
It was really a satisfying read.
Humour and pathos – sounds like my kind of read, thanks for the recommendation.
It is a great combination I think.
This does sound like an intruiging story, and one that I would really like to read! I imagine if I woke up and had lost 10 years of my life I would be pretty upset and bitter, as these last 10 years have been the best of my life! Fantastic review, as usual, Jenners!
How wonderful that you’ve had such a great 10 years!! That is wonderful.
Ooo, this book does indeed sound interesting! I had a good feeling after reading the overview that this might be an interesting read. Of course, I hope that I remember to pick up this book when June 2nd rolls around. Maybe I should just preorder it for the kindle now, huh?
That is what I always do … I can never rely on my memory!
Ooh! This one sounds really interesting! Thanks for the review – will be adding to my TBR prompto!
It was really interesting. I was afraid she wouldn’t do the idea of the book proud but she did.
This sounds like a real winner! I was in Sydney this weekend for the Sydney Writer’s Festival, and visiting friends. It is a spectacular city.
I so hope to visit Sydney someday. It seems like a wonderful city.
Lucky you! I hope to go to Sydney someday. It seems like a lovely city.
I wonder the chances my local library will have this book…hmmm. You bring up something to think about. Ten years is a good chunk of time. I’m certainly in a very different place now. Physically, emotionally & geographically.
It is a good chunk of time. I imagine everyone would have experienced quite a few changes in life. I hope your library gets it!
are you sure you liked it? it’s hard to trust
an author with the last name MORIARTY.
I’m very sure I liked it … despite the author’s name.
Yet another one to add to my list. Thanks for your review. I did find Garlic and Saphire’s at my mother’s library. Thanks for your very generous offer. Have a wonderful weekend.
Glad you found Garlic and Sapphires!!! I’ll be curious to see what you think. I need to get cracking on my review.
I’ve seen this one in a few mailboxes, but yours is the first review. I’m almost certain I’ll order it before long. It’s got that certain something that appeals.
I’m curious to see other reviews of it. It really was a good read. I would have bought it if I didn’t score a review copy.
p.s. I like the “comment love” option on your blog… how do you get that?
It is from a group called Comment Luv. I would Google their web site and see if they have a version for Blogger. I got mine via WordPress.
it sounds like an interesting book.
It really was … a most satisfying read.
This book does sound great! sometimes when I say my age, I feel sure I must have lost 10 years somewhere – ha!
I know that feeling!
That is my worst nightmare! This book sounds so good to me!
Oh it was so good! I just loved what she did with it. Although I hope it never happens to me, it was interesting to think about what would happen if it did happen to me.