The Neurology of Angels

by Krista Tibbs

Every day, a choice must be made between saving one child and treating thousands.

Galen is a neuroscientist and entrepreneur who loses everything to develop a cure for stroke. Eddy is a devoted father who enters politics on a mission to lower the cost of prescription drugs. Elizabeth is a pharmaceutical industry lawyer who is raising a daughter with a rare and fatal genetic illness. Their families become forever entwined as the three parents engage in a tug-of-war over a failing system of good intentions. In the wake, heroes are born.

Genres: Fiction, Book Club, Politics

274 pages, Paperback

First published August 10, 2008

About the author

Krista Tibbs grew up in northern Maine and studied brain and cognitive sciences at MIT. She fortunately stumbled into a career conducting clinical research for diseases with little or no treatment options, interrupted by stints in public service and a lot of swing dancing in Washington, DC. She currently lives and writes in Knoxville, Tennessee.

Reviews

[Sheri]

The Neurology of Angels is an intense read. The plot is very believable and could very well be true to life. Three families are all pulled together for different reasons all relating to the pharmacudical industry.

Galen a neuroscientist, is trying to find a cure for stroke. Eddy enters politics to try and lower prescription drug costs. Elizabeth, an attorney has a daughter with a terminal illness. Their lives all come together in a complelling story that views the healthcare/pharmacudical industry from all angels.

Parental love, divided friendship and legal battles, add to the suspense. Emotions arise ranging from, love, frustration, helplessness, sadness and anger. It really leaves one wondering of the future of health care in the Untied States today.

Krista Tibbs is definatly an Author to follow.

[Melinda]

The plain, stock-photo cover of The Neurology of Angels doesn’t exactly leap out from the bookshelf. But, if you can follow the maxim of “don’t judge a book by its cover,” and give this little novel a try, you’ll be charmed by complex characters and their realistic, heart-breaking challenges.

Throughout The Neurology of Angels, author Krista Tibbs adds color to a social challenge that is often interpreted as black and white. Her well-meaning cast of characters includes lawyers, scientists, politicians, government regulators, patients, and parents. All are struggling to affect positive change in a broken pharmaceutical system. Amid clashing priorities and passionate debate, one character wisely comments, “The whole health care system is broken, and everyone is trying to fix their own little part, but they’re just ending up like bumper cars that can’t get out of the pavilion.”

Guided by personal tragedies, these characters find unintended and tragic consequences result as they push forward their personal agendas with a lot of heart, but fail to grasp the wider consequences of their actions until it is too late. As short-term fixes lead to hard-learned lessons in long-term economics, the characters are forced to rethink their issues. What if the strengthening of FDA safety regulations leads to more deaths than it prevents? How do you justify lowering the cost of existing medications when those profits are needed to fund research for new cures? Are pharmaceutical companies profiting off the sick, or are they simply being rewarded for millions of dollars in investment and risk? Who is even qualified to make these decisions?

As the characters begin to ask these questions, no longer do they see their issues in black and white or as good vs. evil. Only then do their united efforts truly begin to bring positive change to the system.

There are a few cheesy lines and a bit of over-the-top dialogue, inherent in this type of social-commentary story. But, the book works because Tibbs does not push an agenda on the reader. She poses questions and attempts to widen the debate, calling on the population to be creative in seeking answers that work for everyone, not just their narrow sphere. I would recommend this book for anyone interested in an eye-opening read.

[Lisa Vegan]

This novel is not flawless but I really liked it. It’s got all sorts of things I enjoy reading about, including well fleshed out child and young adult characters, and adult characters too, sick children, thought provoking subject matter, in this case, issues pertaining to our health care system.

The author has a scientific background and works in the field so I’m assuming she knows about these issues from an insider’s perspective. While I got very angry with some of the characters and their philosophies, other readers will feel angry with different characters, as it all depends on personal opinion and what we know and think about the health care morass. I really appreciated that the complexity of the problem was acknowledged in this book. The problem being the whole process of getting new drugs approved, clinical trials, who gets access to drugs, and who needs/should make money, etc. etc. The author gave me a signed copy of this book, and she put no pressure on me at all, not even any pressure to actually read it.

The story centers on two fathers, a mother, and each of their only children, who are daughters. Two of the girls have rare potentially fatal neurological illnesses. All the parents have professions related to the health care industry: one is a researcher with his own company who’s trying to develop a drug treatment for a rare neurological condition, one is doing what he can to lower the cost of prescription drugs and going into politics to try to do that, one is an attorney who’s worked on cases involving the pharmaceutical industry. All six of these characters have relationships to one another.

As I stated above, this novel is not perfect. Some of what I consider its flaws (my opinion only, obviously): I found it a tad jarring how quickly time often passed in such a very few pages. Somehow, it seemed slightly unpolished. For instance, it is well written and there are some beautiful passages in it, especially toward the beginning, but in some cases as I read, some of that lovely phrasing was overly noticeable to me and therefore sometimes distracting and cringe inducing; I don’t know why I had that reaction because in other beautifully written books I often can simply appreciate the writing. There was one thing I saw coming from a million miles away because I knew one thing was likely to happen in order for another thing to be able to happen. This latter thing might not be a flaw really; it just was sad (although probably one of the more realistic things that happened in the book) and perhaps it’s just that I wasn’t happy about it. Some of the occurrences seemed somewhat farfetched. I did appreciate the hopeful conclusion, even if getting there required me to somewhat suspend disbelief.

But, there are many wonderful aspects to this book. I found the story fascinating. It reads like a thriller and it’s very suspenseful. The quick back and forth between the following of different characters, as their relationships are described and revealed, really worked for me. The characters were well developed. I particularly liked the three girls/young women, and became very fond of all of them, especially Sera and Lexi, but Abigail too. The kids were wonderfully created and they were interesting people. I loved how the parts of the book are titled Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, mimicking the stages drugs go through to come to market, and it was sort of an asset to have some “handwritten” notes and other text and pictures that deviated from the standard font. Although so much time passes in such few pages, the characters, as they grow and develop, do seem genuine and the changes in them are believable throughout.

This book was my cup of tea. I have especially gravitated to reading medical themed books (fiction and non-fiction) since age 11, have an interest in kids with life threatening illnesses, and personally spend a fortune (a high percentage of my income) on health insurance and medical care, so I often think about the issues brought up in this book.

[M J0]

This book explores the world behind drug development in an engaging story which includes the points of views of a politician, his daughter who has a condition of recurring strokes, a pharmaceutical entrepreneur/scientist, his estranged daughter, a pharmaceutical industry lawyer, her daughter who has a rare genetic disease with no treatment and a devoted FDA employee...I might be missing one.

I read this book very quickly, and was obviously involved enough in the story to want to come to resolution, but the first 50 pages or so are brutal. There is no delicate way to introduce so many points of view, and the constant switches between one third person narrative to another seemed excessive. I understand the reason behind this narrative style was to explore all facets of a society of health care in which everyone believes they are doing good, but all are pulling in conflicting directions. As a student of health care policy I appreciated the nuances involved and the deficit of demonizing by the author in a subject where it would be very easy to do so, but it makes for difficult story-telling.

Once the 100-page barrier is broken, the book reads fast. The main characters are sympathetic ones, occupying all roles with fatefully intertwining stories and almost all with a personal connection to an untreated or uncured disease. This communal vested interest in fixing things, however, is not enough to get them moving in the same direction. The novel works as a compelling parable, but was too choppy to be considered solely on its literary merit. It is a good read for anyone looking to see beyond the simplistic remedies often offered for our ailing health care system.

[Ellen Beck]

http://www.neurologyofangels.com

This is my first review.....

I really liked the twists and turns of this book,from when Galen and Eddy became friends all the way to the end when they became reunited after alot of life events and heartaches. I found it sad and yet heartening the way Elizabeth's daughter lived her life and in the conclusion brought things full circle.It was as if in Sera there was hope that there were indeed angels on earth. Their time may seem brief to us, but when their mission is accomplished they are able to leave us all the better for their presence.

It made me think alot about today's healthcare system, and what the different sides involved go through. Even though they all may start out with good intentions of helping people, sometimes the way things are currently set up it comes down to money and political debates. It made me hopeful that the fresh ideas of younger people may indeed make the impossible possible for future generations to have both affordable healthcare and profits for drug companies.

At times, the medical lingo was above my head, but in truth it doesnt matter alot, because the way the book was written it was mostly one mans musings when he was trying to figure out what might work and what wouldnt.

I would recommend this book to almost anyone because it is thought provoking and at the same time a very good read. I had a hard time putting it down. This book makes you want to laugh in the characters triumphs and cry with them in their darkest moments.

Thank you Krista for giving me the pleasure of spending time with The Neurology of Angels !

[George]

I absolutely loved reading this book. It is an absorbing, poignant and compelling read. I couldn't put it down. Read it all in one day, and that's unusual for me.

'The Neurology of Angels' is a beautifully written, deep and important story, with a very endearing cast of characters. You can't help but to care about them and what happens in their lives.

I highly recommend this book; especially to those with a thoughtful concern for our health care system, and for morals and principles. And to those who just want to read a good story, too.

I'd also encourage you to look into these two websites: www.neurologyofangels.com/author_01.php; and shadesofwhitematter.wordpress.com/, featuring facts and further thoughts from the author.

I will be looking happily forward to reading Krista Tibbs's next novel.

5th best-read of 2009

[Rebecca]

This was a very interesting book. I particularly liked that the author objectively looked at different sides of the health care industry without vilifying any one side. The personalization of the story made it that much more interesting.

The only difficulty I had was jumping from story to story. In the beginning I had to remind myself once a jump was made..."and who is this guy again?" By the end of the book, I had no problems.

I think that people from both the government and pharmaceutical industries as well as anyone urging health care reform needs to read this book to gain perspective. Many well-intentioned propositions have longer-term effects that are not necessarily beneficial.

[Tracie]

The first 50 pages of this book read really slow for me as the scenarios were set up. Once I got into the meat of the book it was difficult to put down. The author has done a great job of looking at a complex situation from multiple sides. As a worker in the healthcare industry I often hear differing viewpoints of "what would work". I appreciated the approach the author took to show that this issue is much more complex than a few simple changes can repair. I recommend this book to anyone who is open-minded enough to take a good look.

[Elizabeth]

As the grandparent of a child with a potentially fatal neurological condition, I was excited to be given the opportunity to provide a GoodReads First Reader review of The Neurology of Angels, in which Krista Tibbs relates the pitfalls of America's health care system through the intertwined stories of Sera Rose, Abigail Parker, Alexandra (Lexi), and, of course, their respective parents.

As the story opens, Galen Douglas, a Harvard-trained neuroscientist is reviewing the outcomes of his latest attempts to create a treatment for transient forebrain ischemia, the neurological condition that triggered the death of his one-time fiancée. It appears that the formula used in Trial 423 is successful in preventing damage to brain cells of mice that have suffered ischemic stroke. The rigors of scaling up a drug from the lab bench to commercial manufacturing take their toll on Galen's marriage; and his wife Linda one day disappears with his daughter, Alexandra.

Galen offers a partnership in the new company, Biolex, to his college roommate, Eddie Parker. Eddie is afraid to give up the security of his job and, even though his sister died from complications of ischemic forebrain stroke, refuses to help Galen set up the new business. The friendship suffers and when Galen's wife and child leave, the men go their separate ways. Several years later, Abigail, Eddy's nine-year-old daughter, suffers an ischemic stroke. While Lexistro, the drug developed by Galen, has become the first-line treatment after stroke, the FDA has not approved its use in children. The doctor advises that a clinical trial to test Lexistro's effectiveness in treating children with ischemia is recruiting participants; but Eddy, for reasons not clearly defined, refuses to allow Abigail to take part in the study. A short while later, Abigail suffers another stroke. Eddy insists that she be injected with Lexistro but again refuses to allow her to participate in the clinical trials. The doctor recommends treatment with Lexistro every two to three months for an indefinite period, but the treatment is an off-label use and the family insurance will not cover the treatments. The family’s savings account is exhausted, and Eddy approaches Galen to ask that Abigail’s treatments be provided through the corporation’s charity fund. Rather than telling Eddy that the family income is too high, Galen secretly pays for the treatments himself, an action that comes to light when Eddy is elected to Congress.

Meanwhile, down in Virginia, Elizabeth Rose has observed her neighbor Linda, a woman she considers to be an intellectual lightweight, reading an article about Galen Douglas in an issue of Money Magazine. Linda is the mother of Lexi, best friend to Elizabeth’s daughter, Sera. Sera suffers from a genetic condition called leukoencephalopathy with vanishing white matter (VWM), a fatal illness. Elizabeth routinely sends mailings about VWM to companies and scientists researching the brain. After reading the article about Galen and Biolex, she contacts Galen who recognizes that Lexistro might be a viable treatment for this genetic condition. He begins the process necessary to gain FDA approval for human trials, but approval is years away.

The story provides an excellent platform for discussing what ails the American health care system. “The whole health care system is broken, and everyone is trying to fix their own little part, but they’re just ending up like bumper cars that can’t get out of the pavilion… With issues so vast and intertwined, it seemed ludicrous… that Congress still operated mainly without the aid of a computer model, as if each member were a processor unto himself and could see every moving part and plan thousands of scenarios to understand the effect of every issue on every other issue in the short term and the long term, well enough to make the most equitable decisions without being swayed by his own special interests. It was no wonder that Congress always seemed at an impasse, and that when decisions were made, they had enormous unintended consequences.”

As Sera said, “The thing about heroes is they care enough to try.” Krista Tibbs, who studied neuroscience at MIT and earned her MBA in Health Sector Management at Duke University, has cared enough to try. “Heroes are just angels in disguise.” Perhaps Krista, too, is an angel.

[Melanie]

This book should be required reading for everyone who thinks they know something about the issues with healthcare in the US, and especially for those who are throwing themselves into the whole healthcare debate (all too often, without really knowing any of the facts as to what is really going on). As a medical student who has been going to school and doing research in both a poverty stricken, urban area and an upper class area, I've had the misfortune of seeing many of the repercussions of the deeply ingrained problems in our healthcare system, affecting both the haves and the have-nots. The Neurology of Angels not only addresses many of these issues, but from different, equally important perspectives. It doesn't attempt to provide a solution for the health care crisis, but rather explores its different aspects and shows that we have what truly might be an irreparably broken system on our hands.

The character development in this novel is really remarkable. I felt connected to all of the main characters, especially Sera, Abigail, and Lexi. Krista does a really fantastic job of creating characters that were all easy to relate to - no small feat, considering the varied cast of characters that appear. The only character that I was disappointed in was Pauline Chen - I never really felt like I got to know her as well as the other characters (which might not have been a bad thing - I didn't really like what I did know of her). But anyway, I was so impressed by Krista's ability to include so many different viewpoints from a seemingly completely unbiased perspective.

This is definitely not a light read. It is not something that can - or should - be read on the beach or right before bed. It's thought-provoking, and at times incredibly depressing. I chose to go to medical school to help people, and this novel confirms what I've been learning throughout the past 3+ years - healthcare in this country is not just about helping people. It's about avoiding getting sued, providing the minimum quality of care to people (because you just don't have the time or the resources to do otherwise), and trying to keep your head above water as you navigate the mess of Medicare, Medicaid, charity care, and private health insurance while struggling with inconceivable amounts of medical school debt and rapidly increasing overhead costs. It's about prescribing drugs that might not be the best option for patients, but are $4 at Walmart and are better than nothing at all. I think that the greatest aspect of this novel is how it highlights many of these issues, yet doesn't point fingers or vilify anyone.

This book is well-written, though I did have a bit of a hard time getting through the first 50 pages or so. There are many story lines, and initially, it's hard to keep everyone and everything straight. But after I passed that mark, I didn't want to put it down. When I wasn't reading it, I was thinking about it or discussing it with family and friends. It really refutes a lot of the misinformation that is out there. Highly recommended.

[Leslie aka StoreyBook Reviews]

I really really really liked this book! It reminded me of the movie with Harry Connick Jr about the creation of Herceptin and what they went through with the trials and FDA and such.

This book dealt with neurological issues (since that is the author's field of study) and how politics and issues can drive a wedge between family and friends that can be repaired if they realize that there is more to the big picture.

I liked how in tune the girls were with life, although sometimes I wondered if they were a little too mature for their age. But I know that it does happen and when you are exposed or faced with a serious illness, sometimes you grow up faster than you want.

I have to say that the storyline about health care in this country was pretty much dead on....you need to have it especially if you have a deadly disease and then the costs of medicines is outrageous...but when you think of everything that went in to it to develop the drug, can you blame them for wanting to make as much as they can to recoup those costs?

This book had a great combination of medical info, politics and personal story to keep me enthralled until the end!

[Sara]

I read this book, which deals with the science versus the politics of bringing new drugs on the marketplace with the certainty that I would hate the political morass the FDA and the rest of the political engine that make potentially life saving drugs to the market. I was hugely dissapointed to find out that the bad guy doesn't exist. The novel accurately points out that the best and the brightest from their respective points of view (scientific and political) are set up to fail because of our complex no-win system and the sad fact is that people die during the process. I hated the fact that there is no correct answer and that the author leaves us with more questions than answers. And yet, I highly recommend the book.

The writing is clean and sparse, which allows the reader to concetrate on the intricacies of the plot and undertand what is at stake for all of the characters. My emotions where whipped to and fro as I understood the intricacies that each character faced. AND I learned more about a process we all need to become more familiar with as we learn medical advocacy for ourselves and our loved ones.

Good Read!

[Sophie]

Well, I didn't win this book through First Reads, but I feel like I should still disclose that I did receive my copy free of charge from the author herself. So thanks Krista!

That said, I hope you'll believe me when I say the most disappointing part of this read was the cover art. As another review noted, it doesn't pop off the bookshelves, and I'm thankful that my copy arrived in the mail.

However, once I got past the cover, I really enjoyed The Neurology of Angels. Tibbs has produced a well written novel that explores the American healthcare system from different angles, while keeping the characters engaging and the intricacies of the plot alive. I think more than anything I appreciated this novel because it is truly thought-provoking - you realize all the different perspectives to consider, and to search for unanticipated consequences of any decision. Then again, this was a pretty quick read and I had a hard time putting it down, so I felt like I got the best of both worlds.

Thanks again for a great read - solid four stars.

[Megan]

While I can't say that I have conducted an exhaustive search, it seems like there are not a lot of books out there right now dealing with the issue of healthcare policy (fiction or non-fiction) that are written in a style and vocabulary accessible enough to be understood by those of us not well-versed in the issue. This book is a great introduction to multiple perspectives in the debate for those of us who might be a little overwhelmed by the multitude of voices clamoring for our attention out there. The characters are all sympathetic in their own way, which I appreciated, since it would have been easy to set up a clear hero/villain scenario. With the number of characters and the short length of the book, not all are as well-developed as they could be, but that's an OK trade-off for making it an easy read that can be passed along and discussed. I strongly reccommend this book to anyone who's feeling overwhelmed in the current maelstrom of information about healthcare funding.

[Eileen]

O.K., so I always thought the pharmaceutical companies were the glutinous bad guys trying to sop up everyone's last dime. Maybe I was a bit too quick to judge. It seems there are no bad guys, just convolutedly tough issues and decisions that have to be made in regards to getting medications "on the shelves" for patients. This timely novel by Krista Tibbs immediately draws the reader in by showing the human side of what goes into research, development and access to drugs in America. I found myself liking and rooting for all the characters, and sometimes wanting to kick one or two of the more stubborn ones in the butt. Jodi Picoult fans would enjoy this read. I REALLY ENJOYED this book and HIGHLY RECOMMEND it.

[Aksana]

I liked the book! It was different from any other books that I've read covering problems with healthcare in the US. The author presented all the sides of the issue really well from perspectives of characters that were faced with real-life dilemmas. I wished that the characters were developed a bit more. I really enjoyed reading the scientific passages though as I am in science myself. Overall, this was a powerful book that I learned something about politics, healthcare, drug development, and relationships.

[Jo]

I don't award 5 stars to many books, but this one got 'em. It means I wish the book was longer, or I wish there was another one. I cried in parts (OK, I'm an emotional sap anyway, but still, LOL).

This is about our mess of a health care system vs. the pharmaceutical industry, specifically one researcher. It puts a very human face on it, and the author makes the issues, and necessary tradeoffs, understandable. This would HAVE TO be boring, right? Amazingly, it isn't. It was a very involving book.

The story sounded interesting enough that I actually BOUGHT this book (gasp). And I'm glad.

[Donna]

While this was a thought-provoking book, the story line seemed contrived as a vehicle for presenting Tibbs' ideas on health care reform and in particular the development, testing, and availability of new pharmaceuticals. Her ideas were interesting, and the reader is drawn into the dilemmas presented by two young characters whose rare, life-threatening diseases might have been better treated under a different system. I felt that the author fell short in turning this into a really engaging fictional work, but the book was certainly interesting.

[Janette]

I have to confess a bias - I really like this author - she is kind, and a great communicator. So my review may be prejudiced...

The story is very interesting, as are the characters. I'm afraid some of the medical and legal details were too complex for me to understand, and I had a visceral distaste for the economical theories advanced by the protagonists, but this was a very good read, and the dilemma of the premise was intriguing.

[Lissa]

Won novel from goodreads giveways
8/10

I thought this was a great novel. All of the characters were easy to follow. The story itself was really interesting. I didn't know much about how pharmaceutical companies work. So I learned a little bit.

I think that Krista Tibbs has a great talent. The novel was easy to read and follow. The novel itself was a fast read.

[Bobby]

Won this in Goodread giveaway and what a treat this turned out to be. Absolutely loved it. Th author looks at both sides of the pharmaceutical issue concerning FDA and cost in as unbiased position possible. Came away taking a side (not saying which) but could make an intelligent decision because of Ms.Tibbs writing. Thank you for such a wonderful read!!

[Christy]

Great book. Loved the characters, great plot. Very thought provoking. Makes you wonder what medicines are out there in real life and not available due to cost to produce......not to mention the FDA and goverment involvement. Very glad I won this book from goodreads.

[Jo]

Tibbs sent me a copy of this book when cleaning out a warehouse, I think it was? I entered to win and technically did not win this book on FirstReads but I still received a free copy and do not feel obligated to dress up my review because of it. This was a slow start for me. I'm not a person who reads fiction to learn about the complex issues of the day – I read to escape. This was kind of that? But also very much not. I think the beginning was more not than the end, which is why it was a slow start. As we got more into the emotion and, well, drama of it all, I was more interested in what came next. But I'm not sure I understand how PHASE was/is supposed to work. Hypothetically, I buy medicine for my niece by offering two hours of music lessons and the drug company buys my music lessons? To whom do I give the lessons? And I guess two hours = two hours = two hours, no matter what service is being offered? And somewhere in there, the company actually gets money back, but it has to be used for additional R&D? But my two offered hours are on top of my day job(s), right? So if I were really trying to do this, that would be two hours of service on top of my three jobs and four side hustles for, what, one dose of the medicine that my niece hypothetically needs? That's a lot of question marks, but like I said, I'm not sure I get it. (I may have missed some of the finer details because get me to the drama.) Though I agree that the current model of health care is broken, I'm too exhausted by its brokenness and the ways it therefore fails me and my entire family to attempt to fix it, or to understand someone else's proposed system for fixing/reinventing it. I now end up feeling pretty dumb and like I've failed Tibbs by not being able to properly parse and evaluate her book and its contents other than to say that the emotions did indeed hit me in the feels. Apologies, Tibbs; I just don't have it today.

[eRin]

One of the thing I love about the First Reads program is that I get to read books that I wouldn't necessarily be drawn to otherwise. I read the descriptions, if it sounds interesting, I enter. The storyline of The Neurology of Angels drew me to the book and, while it seemed interesting, I'm not sure I would have picked it up. The book centers around three families, all dealing with healthcare issues. Galen is obsessively working to track down a cure for the neurological disease that took the life of his former fiance. Eddy, his best friend, becomes equally obsessed with reforming healthcare to make it accessible to all. And then there's Elizabeth, a young widow pregnant with a child that most likely has a deadly neurological disorder. Throughout the book the lives of these families overlap and connect. Galen and Eddy, former college roommates and best friends, have very different ideas about healthcare in the U.S. and what is the best way to go about enacting change. Elizabeth, a corporate attorney specializing in healthcare, is primarily concerned with finding a cure for her daughter, but also keen to find ways to make care available to others. The three main characters, as well as a larger supporting cast, all have the same good intentions--making healthcare available to everyone. However, they all have very different ideas on how to achieve those goals. Like any aspect of politics, each thinks his/her own way is the best and have difficulties seeing opposing viewpoints. This attitude and the accompanying egos prohibits any real change from occurring.

If my summary seems a little vague, it's because it is. This book is very difficult to define. Medical thriller? Nah, not really. I guess it's medical fiction. It's a book with a lot of medical discussion, but more about relationships and how those relationships can be so fragile in the face of who's right and who's wrong and the accompanying finger pointing. The thing is, no one in the book is "wrong." Each of the characters has a good and personal reason for their opinions. And each truly believe that his or her own idea is the only real way to create change. But each program or idea is accompanied by problems. Problems that the individual cannot really see because he can only see the benefits. While I enjoyed reading the book, and thinking about all the issues that are presented, there were a few aspects that bothered me a bit. The medical speak that is somewhat prevalent in the beginning of the book is hard to follow--especially for those without a science background. Until I just forced myself to skim through it, I was finding it quite frustrating (my college biology was NOT enough background, fyi). It made me want to put the book down several times. The book is a good look into how the government plays a role in not only healthcare, but more specifically the pharmaceutical side. That was interesting to read about and I can only assume that it is pretty accurate considering the author's extensive background in the subjects. The characters don't really develop as much as I would have liked, but that wasn't a big deal for me. Overall, I am left with a lot of questions (primarily internal) about how healthcare should be in America. You don't have to be an expert in the subject to see that it needs a lot of work. This book does a good job of presenting some other options, but at the same time demonstrating that there is no easy solution or quick fix.

[Sheree]

Neurology of Angels is a touching story and whilst fiction it feels like it's based in truth. It isn't a light read, the scientific terminology is quite weighty but as a former nurse and mother of children with medical issues I found it an extremely interesting and worthwhile read. The story focuses on drug research, development, testing and approval in the US but many of the issues are relevant to us in Australia and probably worldwide. This book is more than just the science and politics of drug development and approval though, it involves 'real' people battling loss and heartache.

Galen is working on the development of a drug treatment for the neurological disease that killed his former fiancee and best friend's sister. Eddy's daughter Isabel develops the same disease resulting in Eddy's move into politics to lobby for change in legislation to improve accessibility of drugs. Attorney Elizabeth lives each day with hope and fear that a treatment will become available before it's too late for her daughter. Elizabeth's daughter Sera has VWM disease(Vanishing White Matter.) The characters are so realistically written, you can't help but identify and empathise with them and become involved in their daily lives.

In Australia we are fortunate to have a government subsidised system for pharmaceuticals but new, expensive drugs are not PBS listed immediately, this can take years, so while a cost-effective treatment exists, more condition-effective or possibly life-saving medications may only be accessible to those who can afford them.

My apologies for the long winded review but I feel very strongly about the issues highlighted in The Neurology of Angels and appreciated the care taken by Krista in drawing attention to the intrinsic difficulties in creating a win-win system. Finding a balance between pharmaceutical companies seeing a profit to advance their company and conduct further research and new drug development and having drugs available and affordable for all who need them. Establishing the fine line between approving drugs that are safe for use in a timely manner and bureaucracy gone mad. No clear cut answers but what is clear is the need for a fresh look at the big picture, a new system not an overhaul of a tired, old system. Only then will sustainable change without needless loss of life be a possibility.

My thanks to Krista for the opportunity to read and review her book, I really enjoyed it.

[Dannye]

The Neurology Of Angels Is A Network Of Desires And Emotions

“Sick children are angels on loan.” – Elizabeth Rose, mother of Sera

When children’s lives are at stake, the intense determination of their loved ones to find a solution can manifest in ways that hurt as well as heal. The Neurology of Angels is an intricate analysis of the personal challenges and heartaches that emerge from the race to discover a treatment and get it to market on the part of the pharmaceuticals and the FDA and the push by families to have access to these drugs for their loved ones.

The multiple threads connecting all the characters in this novel are like a network of neurons in the brain, and like a neural network, the characters learn through experience. This is not a fairy tale with a “happily ever after” ending. It is a tale of sorrow, regrets, and anger as well as a tale of hope, courage and determination.

Galen Douglas and Eddy Parker were best friends at Harvard University, but the death of Eddy’s sister and Galen’s fiancé from TFI (transient forebrain ischemia) becomes a defining moment for Galen as his life’s work shifts toward finding a preventative treatment for these recurring strokes. His obsession later costs him what he holds most dear.

In contrast, Eddy’s fear of risking leads him down a much different path—one that shuts out his best friend—until Galen’s work becomes his daughter Abigail’s lifeline. Yet, his anger at not being able to protect his own twists everything he does into a vendetta against the one man who can save her.

Elizabeth Rose is a lawyer and single mom whose daughter, Sera, is a victim of a disease called VWM or Vanishing White Matter, and the sparsity of myelin, especially after trauma or infection, effectively scrambles the signals from the brain to the body, making walking and talking difficult. Obviously, Sera’s expected life span is short. Elizabeth successfully cuts herself off from a social life to be with her daughter and to work toward a solution to the health care issue that will serve those in need.

In the end it is the adaptive nature of their children, their ability to respond without being limited by past experiences, that changes the paths of the adults and brings this tale to an end that is as close to “happily ever after” as you can have in the presence of such heart-wrenching circumstances.

Reviewed by Dannye Williamsen, www.BreakthroughBookstore.com.

[Amanda]

I've never done a review before so I'm borrowing these questions/prompts from Dewey (RIP).

Fiction or non-fiction? Fiction

What led you to pick up this book? I entered to win an advance copy via First Reads on the website Good Reads. I didn't win. But the author was gracious and offered me a copy she'd had returned in the mail and was a tad worse for wear. I accepted the offer and shortly, received the book.

Summarize the plot: The book follows the stories of several characters in relation to the personal, business and political sides of drug development.

What did the like the most about this book? I learned things about the different aspects and sides to drug development while following the paths of several engaging characters.

What did you like the least? The science language in some parts threw me a little off track at first. It wasn't presented in an overly complex way, but I personally don't have much experience with science. So it was something I couldn't totally understand. I understood enough to benefit the story the way it was supposed to. I just tried to hard to make my brain work in a way it's not used to doing instead of just getting what I needed from context.

What did you think of the writing style? It flowed smoothly. I felt drawn along by the pacing and word choice. I had intended to take my time reading it. To really soak in it. But I couldn't help myself; when I picked it up to read, I always wanted to know "what's next?" In regards to a particular story, I was worried about her and wanted to know her fate.

Which of your friends are most likely to enjoy this book? I think Chris Crader might since he tends to enjoy learning new things and getting to see things from various perspectives and this book offers both. Andrew Wilson, probably for the same reasons. Other than that, I'm not sure.

[Ryan Mac]

Full disclosure: I received my copy from the author for free--thank you!

I have to agree with many of the other reviewers comments that the cover art doesn't really jump out at you and that the book started slow. Around halfway through the book, the pace picks up a little after the characters start interacting more with each other. It is a little convenient how all of the families are tied together but it made for a good narrative.

The book explores the complex issues behind drug research, health care reform and government intervention and regulation. The characters are all well-meaning individuals but they don't always see the downstream impacts. You have Galen, the creator of a drug that helps manage the impacts of a rare but deadly disease, his college roommate Eddy, eventually a legislator trying to pass laws to make sure everyone has coverage, Elizabeth, a lawyer and mother to a girl with the rare disease, Patricia, an FDA employee who reviews drug applications. Everyone is linked together in this narrative that explores the many options out there for health care reform and asks some good questions and leaves you thinking. It is clear that the author has passion and knowledge on the subject.

[April]

First, I must admit this book review may be slightly biased. I have known the author, Krista Tibbs, since 5th grade. Though we haven’t kept in touch over the years, we each get updates on the other through our families and, when I heard Krista had written a book, I was really excited to read it but also a little worried. I mean, what if I hated the book? What would I have said to Krista at our next high school reunion?

Well, I shouldn’t have worried. Krista wrote a truly engaging story that not only held my interest but made me realize I don’t know all that much about how our healthcare system really works, especially when it comes to researching and approving new drugs.

The story centers around three families, a researcher whose drive for a cure causes him to lose his wife and daughter, a politician whose daughter has an illness that is treated with an expensive drug, and a lawyer/mother of a child with a terminal illness who has no treatment options. Their stories intersect in a way that is believable and touching as well as thought provoking. This book was a page turner from start to finish. I highly recommend it and I know that if Krista decides to write another book, I will be one of the first in line to get a copy.

[Laurie]

The Neurology of Angels is a touching story that profiles three different sets of characters who's lives are intertwined through the complicated process of pharmaceutical research. Krista Tibbs details the often complicated and misunderstood processes behind FDA approval for new treatments for fatal disorders. Tibbs creates vibrant characters who are as flawed as they are heroic as they work to fight systematic bureaucracy and save lives.

The subject of The Neurology of Angels is socially relevant today as we are struggling with the very same issues as the characters. The Neurology of Angels leaves you questioning what you thought you knew about pharmaceutical research and government interference in private industry.