Saturday, January 10, 2026

The Car Share by Zoe Brisby

 A ninety-year-old woman with Alzheimer's and a depressed young man end up sharing a car ride from France to Brussels that changes both their lives forever.



The plot:  Alex and Max (short for Maxine) could not be more different. Alex is an introvert, quiet, and lacking in self-confidence. Max is loud, stubbornly determined, impulsive and a bit wacky. When she first meets Alex, she thinks he must be a drug addict because he's so thin and pale. But he's just depressed. And floundering. And Max decides to 'save' him and get him to have fun and love life again before she goes to Brussels to die. And when Alex learns of Max's plan to be euthanized before her Alzheimer's gets worse, he decides to do everything he can to convince her to change her mind and keep living. Together, this mismatched pair forms an unexpected bond of love and friendship. 

My thoughts:   I was looking for a light-hearted, quirky kind of book when I stumbled upon this one at my library. And it's so humorous and fun! Talk about bookish serendipity. I love how Max draws Alex out of his shell and helps him deal with his depression and his panic attacks. Their arguments and their banter made me smile. And I loved all the crazy mishaps they get into on their road trip to Brussels. And Alex's concern for Max is very touching. Best of all, it has a happy ending. Which is exactly what I needed.  

My rating:  ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Happy Reading!


13 comments:

  1. I think we could all use some happy endings about now!

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    1. I know I'm in need of happy and light at the moment!

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  2. Sounds like fun! And happy endings are underrated.

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  3. This sounds fun and I love stumbling on the perfect book for the moment. I haven't heard of this one so I'll have to look for it.

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    1. I'd never heard of it either, and she's a French author, so it was fun to branch out that way, too.

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  4. I like a humorous and light read. I'll look for this. Thanks!

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  5. " A ninety-year-old woman with Alzheimer's and a depressed young man end up sharing a car ride from France to Brussels"

    Absolutely love this idea! And bookish serendipity: yes, please!!

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