I love this author. I think she takes inside of diseases we wouldn’t normally delve into. She makes them real and relatable. Every time I read one of her books I think she will never top this but... of course she does. This book is nothing short of brilliant. Can’t wait for the next one. I can only give 5 stars but it deserves so many more!

Whoa. I couldn't sleep last night, so I picked this up and finished it at 3:30am. As I put my iPad down, I continued to sob as quietly as I could to not wake my husband. Blah. I don't remember the last time I cried when reading a book. This book touched me. BUT, I didn't like how it touched me.

I love, love, love Lisa's writing. Love it. However, even within that, I didn't think this one had enough build up. It felt like it went immediately into doom and gloom. Then, it just got deeper and deeper in Richard's failures -- body, mind and soul. I understand that this was about just that. That's what ALS does. It's beyond miserable. I can't think of any pleasant diseases, though, can you?

So, ultimately, I learned an incredible amount about ALS and respect Lisa's diligence in getting it out into our hands. This is not a joyful story, but a very plausible one. Sometimes those are the most difficult to read.

I always enjoy reading a Lisa Genova novel, Both heartbreaking and informative, this novel takes on the topic of a concert pianist who develops ALS. I always feel so much more informed after reading one of Genova's books. This book made me feel I was living with Richard, Katrina and Grace. I had tears in my eyes during the ending but it w as worth it,. Thank you to the publisher for an advanced reading copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book definitely lived up to previous books by Lisa Genova. While it is the heartbreaking story of a concert pianist gradually losing his ability to play, as well as to perform even basic activities of daily living, it was also the story of a family managing to come back together and forgive the past under very difficult circumstances. I hated to see the story conclude, and wished that there could be a different ending for Richard.

Lisa Genova always manages to teach us so much — about illness, about life, and about relationships. This time, she tackled ALS, which I've know of, of course, but didn't know how quickly and how debilitating it could be.
This story is sad, yes, but this is also a novel of love, courage, second chances, responsibility and family. I liked getting a look into the hardships of caregivers, the fear of failing, and the amazing people who make this their career. It is humbling, scary, and emotionally engages the reader. Genova is an author who does her research and brings to us things that need to be seen, that aren't always. And by doing so, both informatively and personally, she has created another unforgettable story.

Thank you NetGalley and Gallery/Scout Books for an ARC of Every Note Played. Lisa Genova writes with so much respect and compassion, that even a book about living with ALS is beautiful. I learned a lot from reading this book and I would recommend it to everyone.

Richard and Karina are the main characters of this new book. Newly divorced, they are both pianists who met at school and quickly married. At first Richard, the more famous of the two, thinks he just has tendinitis. He is then diagnosed with ALS and instead of telling anyone he goes into denial. By the time he loses both of his arms Karina has discovered and accepts the fact that he must come back and live at their family home. What follows is his quick decline and their changing relationship with each other and their 18 year old daughter. I didn't know much about ALS, I'm not sure many do past the ice bucket challenge, and I learned so much. I highly recommend this poignant story.

Once again, I learned a great deal reading this novel. It was heart-wrenching and beautiful. Lisa Genova is an athor I often recommend. The feedback from patrons is always heartfelt gratitude.

Gripping and tender and real. Gritty and passionate and honest. There are so many words to describe all the emotions this book evokes. Most of all, though, it draws back the curtain on an experience most of us could never imagine. Yes, it's a tough read, but oh so worth it.

Every Note Played is another masterpiece by Lisa Genova. It is the heartbreaking story of Richard, a world reknown pianist, who is diagnosed with ALS at the height of his career. As the disease progresses, Karina, his ex-wife is the only real choice to be a care giver for him. Their relationship is at the forefront in this story...both with each other and with their daughter. Will they be able to reconcile before Richard draws his last breath? A compelling novel, which grips you from the first page to the last.

Beautifully written, this book left me a sobbing mess. I fell in love with each of the main characters, and my heart broke as their story was unveiled. ALS is a horrific disease. This book will be one that will stay with me forever.

The more I read, the more I truly loved this powerful, emotional novel about a man with ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis), a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. I was so absorbed that I read it within a day, reading all through the night as well. I’ve read all of Lisa Genova’s novels and adored them all, but this novel is my new favourite.
Richard and Karina are divorced. He is a serial adulterer whose love for his wife was tainted by secrets. He is a confident, dominant man and some might say he is totally obnoxious. He is also a world renowned virtuoso concert pianist, passionate about classical music. He is driven, workaholic and dedicated to further his own career and fame. His ex-wife, a Polish immigrant called Karina, stayed at home raising their daughter and teaching piano in her own front room. Truth be told, she sacrificed her ambitions so that her husband could receive the accolade he craved, even though her talent shone through brightly.
Living separately now and shunned by his daughter, Richard is struck down by ALS. The use of his arms is taken one at a time as the disease wreaks havoc with his life. He employs carers but gradually and progressively he cannot manage without full time care. Locked in a useless body he re-evaluates his life and is staggered when Karina offers to take him in and be there for him. He moves back home. They both still hurt, their betrayals a ghost from their past, but this story is about learning to forgive, the relief of apology, acceptance and the healing brought by moving on in life and being selfless.
Lisa Genova was inspired to write ‘Every Note Played’ by the people she met and loved who were cruelly struck by this degenerative and fast moving disease. She undertook exhaustive research into ALS, interviewing caregivers, physicians, therapists, ALS sufferers, musical geniuses and more experts in their fields. With a Ph.D. in Neuroscience to help inform her writing, Lisa has written a masterful, incredibly detailed and totally fascinating medical drama. Her wonderfully crafted characters compliment this richly evocative story as does her fluid, lyrical and authoritative storyline.
I would like to thank NetGalley and publisher Allen & Unwin for my copy of this novel, sent to me in return for an honest review. This is a superb stand out novel within this genre with a very well deserved all round 5* review from me.

Lisa Genova never fails to produce well written, well researched, though provoking books. Every Note Played is no exception. Highly recommend.

I have gone hot and cold with Lisa Genova's books in the past. Every Note Played, however, hits a nice sweet spot between the story and the disease that has been missing for me during some of the other books I have read by this author. My heart broke a little bit reading about the classically trained pianist who was struggling with his ALS diagnosis and the slow atrophy that occurs as a part of this awful disease. Anyone who has suffered from this disease and the choices you must make as a result knows about the devastation that it causes. Genova's choice to make the sufferer fully dependent on the use and mastery of his muscles to fulfill his passion and his career was especially poignant.

The loss of a star only comes from the sudden turn that happened between Karina and Richard. The turn in their relationship seemed sudden and extreme and wholly unrealistic. Fortunately, this flaw didn't detract from the remainder of the story and even my stoic heart got emotional in the ending scenes.

Thank you to Ms. Genova, Gallery/Scout Press and Netgalley for allowing me to access this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Our scene opens on a concert pianist who has recently found out that he has ALS. He has a contentious relationship with his ex-wife Karina, also a pianist. I️ am immediately drawn to this story since I️ play piano and losing the use of my hands in this case is almost unfathomable.
This book masterfully put me in the shoes of someone who is swiftly losing the ability to do things for themselves while concurrently explaining how the disease is affecting the body. Lisa Genova is clearly knowledgeable in the field as she is a neuroscientist herself but she makes the topic approachable and personal.
This book is at times touching and alternately very personal for me having helped care for a parent who slowly lost movement and ultimately went on hospice. I highly encourage everyone to read this.

Another beautiful and thought provoking book from Lisa Genova.
It is raw yet profoundly moving; it is a novel about both holding on and letting go.
This novel charts the cruel progress of ALS as Richard's life (as he knows it) is gradually changed and stripped away. His family is fractured and they are holding on to past grievances whilst dealing with the Earthquake that is ALS. The character's imperfections make them relatable and believable and whilst I didn't warm to them immediately, Lisa Genova was able to take me to their world and make me care very deeply.

Thank You Net Galley for the free ARC.
I have read every one of Lisa Genova's books because I like the general premise. All books deal with neurological disorders that are often scary to even think about. My favorites were Still Alice and Inside the O'Briens so far. This book will be right up there with them. The topic this time is ALS. To imagine to go from a fully functioning and even gifted person, as in the case of a concert pianist, to someone who has to worry about swallowing their own spit is unthinkable. As is the burden this places on families and care givers. Very thoughtfully done!

As usual, author Lisa Genova brings a reader through the life and heartache of a terminal illness with expert care. I found the story unique in that she shows life with ALS from the eyes of not only the patient but also through the eyes of people around him.
Richard, a famous concert pianist, recently divorced from Karina, and estranged father to Grace, is diagnosed with ALS, a paralyzing disease. As his career ends, and his ALS progresses, Richard finds himself alone with no one to help him through this terminal disease. Until Karina inadvertently finds herself agreeing to be his caregiver.
A wonderful, sad, honest look at a horrible disease. I loved it.

Every Note Played is another amazing story by the very talented Lisa Genova.This book, like her others, is deeply and extensively researched. ALS is a terrible and debilitating disease. Through her characters, Richard(the concert pianist suffering from ALS), Karina (ex-wife), and Grace(their daughter), the reader understands the emotional toll the family member undertakes with each action expressed or labored over. This is a story about letting go, forgiving oneself and others, and ultimately freedom…of a disease and a life renewed.
The author takes the reader on an emotional roller coaster ride from the very first page and does not let us off that ride until the story concludes. There is a myriad of detailed and visual descriptions that one cannot help but be part of the story…totally and utterly engaged in these characters’ lives.
The author also sheds light on the role of caregivers, the financial burden of this debilitating disease, and the many drugs, equipment, and technology needed to make the patient as comfortable and functional as possible.
With this story, Lisa Genova has most effectively given voice to a disease that robs a person of their sense of self, their dignity, and ultimately their life. This is a book you will remember long after the final page is read.