REVIEW: Alice & Oliver by Charles Bock

 3/5 stars

Can a new family survive a cancer diagnosis that threatens to destroy everything? It’s a story worth telling, but I wish the telling had been a bit stronger at times.

This book was not at all what I expected. Previously, when I thought “cancer novel,” my mind sent forth fond memories of reading YA hit The Fault in Our Stars. Alice & Oliver, however, is a grown-up story that shows the harsh realities of the disease when marriage and children are involved. Alice is the wife of Oliver and the mother of Doe, and her family is sent on an emotional roller coaster after her diagnosis of AML (Acute Myeloid Leukemia). While cancer tests Alice’s physical limits, it tests the emotional limits of her supporters – none more so than Oliver.

Much of Charles Bock’s novel should be familiar territory for anyone who has experienced cancer or another health crisis. Most of the book takes place in the 80s, but it makes clear that 30 years ago, the healthcare and insurance industries were just as frustrating as they are now. Furthermore, the author shows the unfairness of who illness chooses (new mothers, individuals at the apex of their careers, etc.) and how the patient isn’t necessarily the only victim of the situation.

Cancer comes through this story like a tornado, attempting to destroy everything in its path. Alice and Oliver’s marriage is tested in ways that are relatable, even for couples who haven’t fought AML. Many moments in the book really pulled at my heartstrings and I wasn’t really sure how it was going to end. Another thought I’ve always had about the so-called “cancer novel” is that the main character’s chances at survival aren’t great. I won’t tell you what happens to Alice, but I appreciated the ending – an epilogue written from the perspective of teenaged Doe. Alice & Oliver took a while to get going and Bock’s writing style was hard to follow at times, but it ended up being a fine story that took an honest look at a body and a marriage ravaged by an incurable disease.

Release Date: April 5, 2016 (Random House)