Spoiler Alert: There is never a happy ending for those affected by Alzheimer’s. In Lisa Genova’s Still Alice, a happy ending may not await, yet many a reader cannot stop themselves from being absorbed into the deteriorating mind of Alice as she progresses into a disease more feared than cancer.

At fifty years old, Alice is diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s disease. As her amyloid plaque encrusted brain falls off a precipice of norm, Alice loses grip of treasured memories and familiar faces. A heartbreaking progression ensues which emotionally shatters those closest to Alice. Bravely facing the circumstances, Alice checks off last minute to-do lists as she transforms from a Harvard professor to an infantile shell of a woman hollowed out by forgetfulness.

Lisa Genova incorporates a third person narrative that somewhat detracts from the personal feel of the novel, because the reader loses a connection that could have been created by using a first person narrative. Despite some flaws, the pace in Still Alice is perfect; consequently the chapters beautifully intertwine with the ugly progression of Alzheimer’s, thus a cohesive plot line is created.

A well-developed character is skillfully employed to explain how a mysterious disease like Alzheimer’s works, therefore, educating the reader in a entertaining way. Reading pages that took me to the sands of Chatham’s beaches or to the cobble stoned streets of Cambridge, I found myself connecting not only to the character of Alice, but the setting as I reflected upon my Massachusetts upbringing. The depressing pages of Still Alice took over my weekend, and if you decide to read it I can guarantee it will happen to you.