Neil AbramsonReseñas

Heart grabbing story from the very start. As the book was ending, over the last 100 or so pages, I was unable to put it down.

If you are an animal lover, UNSAID is a great book for you. No, it's not great literature. But it's a great novel about animals and their people. The best word I can think of to describe it is "sweet."

The narrator of the story is a dead veterinarian, Helena. The main character is her devastated husband, David. She also left behind a household full of animals, both inside and outside.

David is a lawyer. A little more than halfway through the book David takes on a case unlike any other he has defended before. Helena's dear friend Jaycee, another veterinarian, may go to jail because she tried to kidnap a chimpanzee, Cindy, that belonged to the government.

Jaycee had been in charge of an attempt to teach Cindy to communicate by sign language. Jaycee raised Cindy for four years, from the time she was an infant. But now the government wants to put her back in the general population, where she may be subjected to experiments and torture. According to the government, this communication experiment with Cindy has failed; according to Jaycee, it hasn't.

According to the author, Neil Abramson, there's a difference between unspoken and unsaid. And that is one of David's defenses.

My only criticism of this book is that Abramson doesn't make clear whether Cindy's communication abilities are ever publicized. It would be nice to think so.

Really, really wanted to like this. It ultimately took me weeks of starting and stopping to finally finish it. The plot sounded good enough but the story just drags on & becomes a little too ridiculous.

From Neil Abramson, the acclaimed author of Unsaid, comes a riveting novel that explores the complex connection between humans and animals.Veterinarian Samantha Lewis and her team are dedicated to providing a sanctuary for unwanted, abused, and abandoned dogs in New York City. But every day it gets harder to operate her no-kill shelter. Sam is already at her breaking point when she learns of an unidentified, dangerous virus spreading through their neighborhood. The medical community can only determine that animals are the carriers. Amid growing panic and a demand for immediate answers, suspicion abruptly falls on dogs as the source. Soon the governor is calling in the National Guard to enforce a quarantine -- no dog may leave the area.Samantha knows from her own painful history that, despite the lack of real evidence against the dogs, a quarantine may only be the beginning. As questions about the source of the virus mount and clash with the pressure for a politically expedient resolution, Sam is forced to make life-altering choices. She finds allies in a motley crew of New Yorkers -- a local priest, a troubled teen, a smart-mouthed former psychologist, and a cop desperate to do the right thing -- all looking for sanctuary from their own personal demons. But the person Sam needs the most to unravel the mystery of the virus and save the dogs is the last one she'd ever want to call on -- because contacting him will mean confronting the traumatic past she has fought so hard to escape.

Just ok. Maybe it just wasn't my cup of tea because there are a lot of good reviews online.

OK, Unsaid is a bit on the corny side. Especially at the end but it's a novel that anyone who loves animals, will love reading.

This review originally appeared on my blog at www.gimmethatbook.com.

Thanks to the author and publisher for providing this review copy.

Imagine a neighborhood in Manhattan in the grips of panic over a virus – one that is killing children and could possibly be spread by dogs. Imagine a shelter vet pushed to her breaking point by lack of money and no lack of politics. Add in a priest who may be losing his faith, an orphaned teen, and a few stray dogs who need homes.

Put yourself in the shoes of the veterinarian, who deeply loves her faltering shelter and all the dogs who call it home. Feel the only emotions that seem to be present in the first half of the book: incredible sadness, defeat, and frustration. Think about the sources of help available to you: none. At least none you can trust.

Welcome to JUST LIFE.

Not a happy, comfortable read, for sure. It is, however, a thought provoking and emotional story about making choices, standing up for what you believe in, letting go of your personal demons, and learning to trust.

Each character is deeply flawed but holds a spark inside them: the priest who throws a rock through his own church window because he is feeling distant from his Savior; the teen who was abused in foster homes and who is determined to save all the dogs at risk, no matter what; the assistant deputy mayor who is practicing good politics by shutting down the shelter. The sun in their world is Sam, the veterinarian who gives everything she has to the stray dogs, her only family.

As the virus swirls around the neighborhood the tension ratchets up, and Sam is forced to make hard choices to save the dogs. Who will back her up?

My attention was held during the entire reading of this book. The veterinary medicine is correct, and the possibility of a bird flu – like virus (but with deadlier complications) was plausible. Each character’s story is revealed bit by bit, and sometimes they are sympathetic, sometimes not.

The character of Beth Cohen provides much needed comic relief during many dark times. She is a disgraced psychologist forced to either submit to a jail sentence or “volunteer” at the shelter. She asks probing questions, making Sam confront her fears and doubts. As I mentioned, she is also sarcastic and self effacing, adding a lighter touch here and there.

Gabriel, the priest, provides one of the most human touches in JUST LIFE. He is suffering from dementia, and his portrayal is poignant and heartbreaking. His backstory is the platonic love he held for his best friend and confidant Channa, who died recently. He wonders if he will be able to remember her, and the emotions she stirred in him. He questions his God, in a crisis of faith that pervades the entire book until the end. The scene with him in chapter 35 made my heart well up, and brought tears to my eyes. Well done, Mr Abramson.

JUST LIFE is a tightly woven story that will not leave you easily. It is not a story with a bright shiny ending, nor is it a depressing tale of failure. It is a tour de force of the human condition and the bond we share with our animal friends; and the lengths we will go to in order to protect them.

This book was amazing. Emotionally engaging and well written with characters worth caring about; this book should be read by anyone who has/had a pet, or who works in the veterinary industry. Very thought provoking.

Well if you are an animal lover this book will rip your heart out. And if you don’t teary eyed you may want to check if you still have a pulse.
Excellent book.

How did I miss reading this until now??? I loved this but I also loved his earlier book, Unsaid. It really was amazing to read this right now because of the pandemic potential of the book's subject -- incredible that Abramson happened to write this before the Covid pandemic was in anyone's mind! The characters were remarkable....I loved Sam and Beth and Andy...along with Kendall and Gabriel, and of course....the dogs!!!! I could happily start at the beginning and read this again.

Very good book

This one is a book group read, not really my style of book. It wasn't bad, I read it quickly.

I felt this book was about loss and grief and the way people and animals deal with this in their lives. I did not pick up on the theme of the healing power of animals until I read other's comments on the book.

I liked the fact that the narrator has passed away. Books like that are interesting, giving an unusual insight.

Other than that, I don't have much more to comment on. And, no, I don't know the difference between unspoken and unsaid except perhaps in regards to animals who can't speak.

Trigger Warning: This book deals with the illness and death of several animals, as well as descriptions of medical testing on animal subjects.

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'Unsaid' joins that small niche of novels narrated by a ghost. Or, at any rate, by a soul seeking her ultimate rest by overseeing the actions of those she has left behind as she continues to question the actions she took while living and wondering how those actions are going to affect her afterlife.

Along the way, she oversees her grieving husband, the often-contrary animals she has left with him, and the desperate actions of a fellow animal researcher attempting to save the life of one of their subjects.

Along the way, Abramson takes a look at inter-species communication, conflicts within the scientific research community, and the responsibility of both veterinarians and owners when pet euthanasia is being considered. And bubbling just under the surface the story of a couple whose time together was cut short, and with their memories, both good and bad, of lives lived and truths told. Or not.

This story is told by a woman named Helena who has died from cancer. She keeps an eye on her grieving husband and his now responsibility to care for all of her animals. He is more than reluctant to care for their 3 dogs, several cats, pig, and two horses, but he does it for Helena. He finally hires help so that he can return to his life as an attorney.

Enter a long ago colleague of Helena's named Jaycee. She has been working with a chimp named Cindy, and has proven that Cindy can communicate on a 4 year old level. Her research partners, though, don't agree because Cindy won't talk to anyone but Jaycee. They want to shut down the program and put Cindy into an animal testing facility that would subject her to harm.

Helena's husband agrees to take Jaycee's case to help save Cindy. He does it for his late wife and help deal with his grief.

I wanted to like this book - I really did. I am an animal lover, and anything with a dog on the cover attracts my attention. But this book just wasn't entertaining. I didn't ever really like any of the characters. Some of the science just didn't seem to be correct. There was a little boy with Autism that seemed to have magical powers (which his mom would call "episodes"). The second half of the book is a long drawn out trail around saving Cindy, and it just droned on and on. It wasn't that interesting, and I struggled to finish it.

I won't be recommending this book. It wasn't TERRIBLE, but it wasn't good either.

A strange virus has emerged in New York City and is affecting both animals and children. Dr. Sam Lewis must race against time to discover the cause of the virus or thousands of innocent lives will die, both human and animal. "Just Life" is a simple title, but is also a powerful theme in this incredible story for animal lovers.

If you are animal lover, read this book. It will renew your love and appreciation for the furry friends in your life. If you are not an animal lover, read this book. It will change your whole perspective towards animals and how they relate to humans. Unlike humans, their thoughts and feelings are left unsaid. Sometimes it's up to the humans to speak for them. This is superb writing; heartbreaking at times, but definitely worth the read.

I worked in the Animal Movement for over 20+years and it is rare to find novels that are emotionaly accurate when it comes to explaining this unique interaction.Neil Abramson’s writing comes as close to being ‘right on’ as one can come. Now I will read Unsaid to honor the many animals passing that I attended. Thank you!

This isn't a bad book, and I wish goodreads had half-stars, cause this should be a 3.5 star book. The dead lady as narrator got annoying, the fact that the housekeeper's boy is autistic seemed like an unnecessary detail with how little it came into play. There are a lot of things that the author introduces and then just leaves sitting there relatively undeveloped. If the characters are all trying to resolve answers to the same question(s), as the narrator asserts near the end, the book needed to draw out these parallels and develop them rather than just stating this notion as fact. Maybe this novel needed to be 100 pages longer so that the various elements could be drawn out and interwoven instead of just introduced and abandoned. The one section that seemed more solidly written was the courtroom scene, making me wonder if this author might secretly wish to be writing John Grisham style stories instead.

Again, this is not a bad book, and if you are interesting in language research with non-human primates, or if you are dealing with loss and death, this may be an excellent book for you, despite its weaknesses otherwise.

I started this novel on the last night of my vacation in Philly. I felt drawn in from the first page and hoped that I would remain "rooted" to this book. Now I'm home and just wrapped up the book. I didn't just cry. I bawled. My face hasn't felt a flood of tears rolling down in so long. There is so much love in this book. The love a grieving man has for his deceased wife. The love a scientist has for a chimpanzee. The love vets have for the animals in their care, both sick and dying. But learning to let go is a huge part of love, something that so few of us want to acknowledge because it leave us feeling empty. The animals teach us so much in the short time they have with us. We learn to live, laugh and love, but at some point, we also have to learn to let go.

If Jodi Picoult had written Carolyn Parkhurst's "The Dogs of Babel," this would be the result. Absolutely loved it.

feel good book, easy to read. story told from voice of dead woman who was a vet looking back at her husband and family, trying to save a chimp from research. Nice menagerie of animals.

This was a wonderful book, one of the best that I have read in years. This was about love and loss, guilt and redemption, and the wonderful connection that we lucky ones have with animals. If you are an animal lover, this is a must read. But be prepared to shed many, many tears of both sadness and happiness. I feel as if I really know all the wonderful characters, the human people as well as the animal people. I read this as an ebook, but plan to get a copy of a "real" book for my library. I still cry when I think of the touching characters. Neil Abramson showed himself to be a fantastic author, and I will read more by him. Thank you Neil for showing me that there are some really good humans that love animals as much as I do!

I did not like this book as much as many others did. Perhaps it is because I am not a real “animal person.” The book is narrated by a young woman, Helena, who has died of breast cancer and is perhaps trying to settle some unfinished business related to her profession. She was a veterinarian and much of the book revolves around animal rights. Her omniscient viewpoint allows her to see everything happening to a number of different people (and animals) that populated her life before she died. She narrates, reflects, reminisces, and sometimes interprets behaviors regarding all of them.
In my opinion, Helena seems too unsettled with her death – it is just not my style or my understanding of death. The pet cemetery in Paris and the garden at the end of the book – not my style either. If the cats were symbolic of something, it went over my head. Perhaps I am too harsh, it could be 2.5 stars. I can certainly see this as a Lifetime movie that would be a tear jerker.

I had never heard of either the book or the author when I picked "Unsaid" up out of the bargain books box at Kroger. What can I say? I'm a sucker for animal stories, and the cover blurbs punched all my buttons.

I couldn't put it down. It kicked me in the gut, made me cry, and left me thinking deep thoughts. A delightful, heartwarming read it was not. It was, however, one heckuva ride for $5.

This was the first book on my list of books to read since I joined goodreads back in late 2012, I finally read it! A tear jerk-er for sure but what an awesome story.


“I have sometimes thought of the final cause of dogs having such short lives and I am quite satisfied it is in compassion to the human race; for if we suffer so much in losing a dog after an acquaintance of ten or twelve years, what would it be if they were to live double that time?” — Walter Scott