Beautiful, powerful and importanat. Genova does it again. Well written and such a heart wrenching story.

I had read a previous book by Lisa Genova, Still Alice, and it absolutely moved me. When I saw Every Note Played on NetGalley, I knew I had to request it and feel extremely appreciative that I was given a review copy.

I love how the author gave the viewpoints of both the person experiencing ALS, Richard, and the one who ends up taking care of him, Karina. I found both perspectives moving and really tore my heart in two. It was just so heartbreaking to read how Richard’s body was physically deteriorating, but mentally still strong. You really feel how trapped Richard must have felt in his own body and just how difficult it must have been for him. Then, to learn about Karina’s past and current emotions made me also feel for her and her torn heart.

Since the perspectives are mainly Richard’s and Karina’s, these are the characters we learn the most about. Both internally struggle with not only the ALS progression, but their complicated feelings toward each other. The author gives the reader bits and pieces about their relationship and the reasoning behind their torn marriage. It was a little frustrating not knowing earlier on in the text both sides to the story, but we get to learn eventually what happened between the two of them. Genova does a wonderful job in helping the reader understand the progression of ALS and the difficulties the disease is for the person experiencing it and those around him/her.

One of the things that I found intriguing both in this book and Still Alice is how well-educated and well-researched the book is. In the Acknowledgments section of Every Note Played, the author reveals who she has interviewed, spoken with, and spent time with to understand more about ALS. She spent time with those who have experienced ALS, doctors who work with patients with ALS, and others. I am not only impressed with the amount of thought and research that Genova put forth toward this book, but also the emotions she was able to weave into the story.

Overall, this was a book I thoroughly enjoyed and was itching to pick it up every time I had to put it down. It has also made me excited to read more of her works. I highly recommend Every Note Played to those who would like to learn more about ALS and who enjoy stories that have a sad/reflective tone throughout.

I had a difficult time finishing "Every Note Played." I read this book because I really enjoyed "Still Alice" and was hoping for something similar. While "Every Note Played" is similar in theme I felt that I was unable to connect to the book. Richard is not a likeable character, he is very arrogant and it's hard to feel for him and his diagnosis with ALS. That's not to say that I didn't feel for him, I just wasn't able to fully feel the pain and sadness that one would expect. I also found Karina to be a frustrating character. She often declares that Richard is the cause of all her problems when really it is herself. She uses him as a crutch to not live her life to the fullest and therefore I couldn't connect with her. The story is well written. I would have enjoyed it more if I was able to connect with the characters better and really feel for them.

Some 5-star books aren't easy to review. It's hard to say I enjoyed this book, or that I loved it. Yet I did. Lisa Genova tackles difficult subjects, and difficult characters, and does it beautifully. Anyone with some familiarity with the nature of ALS knows that it must be a horrifying diagnosis to have to accept, much less live with. But that's just what the characters in this book deal must do, and in doing so they come to terms with each other and their failed marriage as well. These aren't perfect characters who had been living a charmed life. They had difficult pasts that contributed to the issues in their marriage and their relationship after their divorce. Genova details the progression of Richard's disease with expertise and compassion, and gradually exposes both characters' pasts, and it isn't always a pretty read. But it all feels very real, and I found it difficult to put down.

I was disappointed with the character development. I had a hard time feeling real empathy for the characters because the disease seemed to take priority over character development. I felt the descriptions of living with ALS was realistic but that wasn't enough to pull me in the same way the author's previous book did.

I couldn’t take it!

No no no!! This read like a detailed, precise instruction manual for caregivers whose patients are dying horrible deaths. I wanted fiction! The fact that the book had characters and a plot couldn’t save it for me—I was too distracted by the endless and often gross descriptions of the ALS demon. I might as well have been reading about a puppy getting tortured to death.

It’s just me, folks. Genova is an excellent writer and educator. I just think she went overboard this time. Everyone else loved this book, so just ignore my review. It’s so hard to admit that I hated it; I wanted to be in the gush club with all my buds. Perhaps a fuller review to follow.

Thanks to NetGalley for the advance copy.

I have ready every Lisa Genova book, so I was excited to received this particular ARC. True to Lisa's writing style, I learned more about ALS (Lou Gherig's disease) in a way that makes you feel like you are living through it yourself. Her books become apart of you and Every Note Played is no different. The difference I found in this one was the cussing. Especially in Still Alice, the one "f" word she used felt called for. But I felt like it was just thrown around in Every Note Played. I'm "old school" and see cussing as showing yourself "uneducated". Lisa Genova is far from uneducated, thus her books do not need cuss words just thrown around on a page. I was very disappointed. If it weren't for this I would be recommending this book to all my friends, but I'm saddened that I can't. I hope she see's this and will take this into consideration for her next book because I can't stop reading!!

With Still Alice Genova showed the world that she could show not just how a degenerative disease disrupts a patient's life, but also how it affects the lives of the patient's family and loved one. While that book tackled Alzheimer's Disease, this one is about ALS, commonly known as Lou Gehrig's disease because of the famous baseball player who was afflicted.

Our male protagonist, Richard, was an accomplished pianist who cannot control his right arm and knows that this is just the beginning of the loss of muscle control. His relationship with Karina, his wife, was already strained and now she must reconcile with this new reality in which she has become her husband's caretaker.

Once again, Genova proves that she is a master at character development. Richard's story is one that will live in this reader's mind for a long time.

Lisa Genova writes about the human condition, as well as the frailties of illness better than any author out there. Such a beautiful, poignant portrayal of a family dealing with ALS. This one will stick with you for years.

After reading Still Alice and watching the film version, I eagerly awaited Genova's new book and was definitely not disappointed. Richard, a renowned pianist, contracts ALS, beginning in his hands. Richard has spent his life reveling in the limelight, ignoring his wife and only child, and so gallantly taking advantage of adoring female fans. He has been an ass. Now he is divorced and alone and sick. Who will care for him as his body deteriorates in a most unpleasant manner?

His ex-wife, Karina, is finally, slowly, becoming an independent woman. I was amazed at the compassion she displayed toward the man who treated her so flippantly. Sadly, I would never be able to do what she did.
I found the book to be compelling, poignant, heart-wrenching. I had to put it aside for awhile before reading the last few chapters. Richard will die; we know that. His body will deteriorate in a most ugly fashion; we know that. His mind will remain healthy, alert; we know that. But actually spending those last moments living in Richard's mind was horrifyingly real.

I left this story hurting for those who hurt from this disease, whether it be patient, caretaker, family, or friend. All are affected. I also left questioning my own capacity to love enough when enough will not suffice.

(Thank you, Net Galley, for the chance to preview and review this most excellent title.)

In the three years since their divorce Karina and Richard have had very little to do with each other. Karina remained in their suburban Boston home with their daughter, Grace and Richard moved into a high-end brownstone in the city. Richard continued touring the country as a world-class concert pianist and Karina made ends meet by giving piano lessons out of her living room. Karina is at a neighborhood function when she hears that Richard has canceled the remainder of his tour due to an illness, ALS. She goes to visit Richard to see for herself and finds the same insulting, demeaning man that she divorced. Another year has gone by before she sees him again. The disease has ravaged his body, rendering his arms completely useless. Before she even knows what she is doing she offers Richard the opportunity to come home and let her care for him for whatever time remains. Will this time be what it takes for the two of them to heal the wounds of the past?

ALS is a horrific disease that has been in the news a lot this last week with the passing of the great Stephen Hawking. Lisa Genova has made a career from writing the fictional tales of people battling the most horrific diseases. Every Note Played is another story of another horrific disease. Neither Karina nor Richard were perfect people, but Richard was very hard to like. Even with his illness, he was not a very nice man. Karina, you could at least understand why she found it so easy to blame Richard for every bad thing in her life. The author takes turns telling the story from Richard's view and then Karina's view. However, the more the disease progressed the less we saw of Karina's side of things. And that is what made Every Note Played so difficult to read. Every muscle that stopped working, every bodily function that started to fail him, every labored breath made it tough to read. The realities of what a person goes through when they battle ALS is tough to read, but it is also to turn away. There is no happy ending in a story about ALS. But, it did end with both Richard and Karina getting the freedom they both desperately wanted.

Bottom Line - When a disease ravages a person it wreaks havoc on the whole family. Every Note Played is a novel that examines what such a disease does to an already fractured family. Trust me when I say that this book is going to require a full box of tissues.

Details:
Every Note Played by Lisa Genova
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Pages: 320
Publisher: Gallery/Scout Press
Publication Date: 3/20/2018
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I love Lisa Genova's works, and have read them all with great enthusiasm. But to be honest, I was not as jazzed about this one as I usually am. The blurb did not draw me in right away, and I let it linger a bit on the shelf. BIG mistake. I never should have doubted her. This amazing novel centers on Richard, a famed concert pianist, who develops ALS and slowly looses control of his body. This man is easy to dislike. He is egotistical and self-involved. You'll want to hate him, but you won't. It also involves Karina, his ex-wife, who has a long list of reasons to wish the worst for him, but who becomes his reluctant caretaker as his disease worsens. And it is about life, and the way we humans fumble through it, mess it up, get it right, fail, and triumph. When you read this (and you must read this!), don't skip the acknowledgements. You'll understand why Lisa Genova is able to tell these stories so beautifully. Not because she is a neuroscientist, but because she connects with people. Thank you Netgalley and publishers for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This one is highly recommended!

Richard is a renowned concert pianist. He plays flawlessly with precision and emotion. That is until he is diagnosed with ALS. First his right arm is paralyzed and then his fingers stop working. And the disease will not stop taking its toll until he takes his last breath. Since Richard is rather arrogant and self-absorbed this disease is also a blow to his ego. Both his physical and his mental health are at risk.

Richard and his ex-wife Katrina, who is also a skilled pianist, have not been on good terms since their divorce. But now as Richard becomes increasingly unable to be by himself Katrina steps in to help with his care.

In addition to Richard and Katrina, Genova introduces us to their daughter, Grace, who must deal with not only her father’s ALS but with her mother’s efforts to cope. And then there is the wonderful character, Bill, who is Richard’s caring and compassionate health aide.

As Genova has done in her previous books, she again creates a fictional tale that reveals the devastation of a cruel and deadly disease. And her medical background gives the fiction a factual basis. By writing these books she brings these very complex diseases to the attention of her readers. Her stories are told primarily from the viewpoint of the patient. Thus the story tells of the courage needed to face a deadly disease head on. However, it is not only about a disease, it is also about repairing broken relationships about forgiving, and about family and finally about second chances.

This book will draw you into the lives of its characters and not let you go until you reach the conclusion feeling emotionally drained. It is an account of ALS, and it is the story of a man who because of ALS must come to terms with how his has lived his life.

Thanks to publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this book.

Heartbreaking novel about a flawed couple and the choices they made that led to their divorce. They find forgiveness and healing in their relationship during Richard's devastating illness.

Emotionally engaging and insightful, Every Note Played is a richly layered story that will nourish longtime readers and fans of Lisa Genova’s previous novels like Inside the O’Brien’s (which addressed the effects of Huntington’s disease) and Still Alice (Alzheimer’s) as well as appealing to new readers .

This time Genova, a neuroscientist, hooks readers with the tale of a renowned concert pianist, Richard Evans, and his battle with ALS, an unforgiving disease that has caused the demise of his career, much in the same way his career coupled with his roving eye lead to the demine of his marriage and a subsequent rancorous divorce.

His unfortunate circumstance has caused his ex-wife, Karina, to reenter his life as his caregiver and chronicles the daily frustrations both face as patient and caregiver. Alternating between the viewpoints of Richard and Karina, the reader witnesses the love of music that initially drew them together followed by a litany of events shared by the couple but perceived very differently by each.

The narrative shows both Richard and Karina to be far from perfect in their thoughts and actions but through this shared agonizing journey each experiences a degree of personal growth.

Genova has a talent for giving readers an in-depth look at the physical and emotional effects of the diseases about which she writes without overwhelming them with a lot of medical jargon and mumbo jumbo.

What happens when a concert pianist loses the use of his right hand? Richard faces this first of many losses with denial and disbelief as ALS begins to invade his body, but as his abilities decline, he must accept help in order to manage basic tasks of daily living. His ex-wife Karina becomes his reluctant caregiver, taking on this task to atone for the decision that drove them apart. Their marriage forced each of them to give up a dream, but I'm the end only one can recover. This is hard reading that occasionally becomes too clinical, but in the end it is the story of a struggling marriage that involves the reader, not the sad struggle with a horrible disease.

I never really knew a lot about ALS before this book. I had only heard of it - connected to Lou Gehrig and Stephen Hawking. Also, there was an episode on "Suits" about it. I only knew it was a disease that could cause paralysis and death.

Through this book, I learned a lot more about this dreadful disease and the ways that it takes over your body and what will eventually happen to you. Although the time frame is different for all who have the disease.

This book tells it all through a story about a very egotistical classical pianist who has enjoyed the fortune and fame of being famous. It has definitely gone to his head. All he can think about is himself, music, his piano and other women. He leaves his family, including his daughter, who he has left right alongside his wife.

An eye opening, very sad story about ALS, divorce and family.

I recall my first tear while reading this book. It was near the beginning of the book, when the pianist discovered his plight. This one phrase "Could that be the last embrace of his life?" really hit me hard.

Excellent read!

Thanks to Gallery, Threshold and Pocket Books and Net Galley for providing me with a free e-galley in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

This book is amazing! Richard is not really a character you like. He is an accomplished pianist which has toured the world. He is arrogant, a terrible father, and definitely not a great husband. When he is diagnosed with ALS, his world changes for the worst.

The author did a BRILLIANT job with Richard. I hated him at first but when his body starts to fail him, he changes in so many ways. Karina is not a saint either. She does help him when he needs her the most. But, she cannot let go of the damage he already caused.

The tragedy of a life unfinished, the tragedy of family and marriage, the tragedy of this disease are just a few areas touched on in this book. This is about past hurts, past regrets, and lost dreams. This is a roller coaster ride of feelings! Don’t miss it!

I received this novel from Netgalley for a honest review.

I still haven’t read Still Alice, but when I saw this book was available I knew I needed to read it, even though I was worried when I saw a few comparisons to Me Before You (since I’m the only person in the world who hated that book). While I can see why people say that, since it does have a similar “theme” I guess, this book was SO MUCH BETTER. Characters that grew and matured as the book progressed, themes of redemption and forgiveness. Just a solid read all around.

This beautiful book has opened my eyes to the many mundane things we all are guilty of taking for granted. While this is a wonderful story, it is also a great tool to bring awareness of ALS to those of us who don't know much about this terrible disease. From diagnosis through the progression, Lisa Genova demonstrates how devastating ALS is to everyone involved. Even though it is heartbreaking, it's an important book for all of us, not only for education and understanding, but also for motivation to become part of the search for a cure and to help those suffering from ALS.