I found this debut novel from Sara Staggs an emotionally intense read, not just because of the convincing authenticity of her portrayal of her main characters, but because her evocative depictions of some of the challenges they faced offered what felt like truly ‘fly on the wall’ insights into what it must be like to live with epilepsy, with an ever-present awareness of the threat of seizures. By switching the narrative between Casey’s and Jonah’s perspectives, she captured the different challenges each of them faced as the frequency, and seriousness, of Casey’s seizures increased, with only a risky surgical procedure, targeting certain areas of her brain, appearing to offer any hope that she might be able to balance her own health and the needs of her family, with being able to continue doing the job she loved and was so good at. Even when people love each other dearly, at times of crisis it’s all too easy for them to stop ‘seeing’ and properly listening to each other and, consequently, fail to communicate their fears and anxieties truthfully. At times both Casey and Jonah unwittingly hurt each other as they failed to take into account, or even recognise, how much of an impact all the uncertainties was having on their partner. The author’s powerfully empathic prose captured a rawness to their emotional pain which, at times, felt almost unbearable to be exposed to as I accompanied them on the emotional rollercoaster they were facing, desperately trying to hold onto hope, whilst fearing what the future might hold. Equally painful was her portrayal of how their two very young children reacted to their separation from their mother when Casey has to spend some weeks in hospital for a series of tests to assess her suitability for the surgery being proposed. She brilliantly captured how Jonah was faced with trying to juggle their needs with his own fears about what was happening for Casey, plus coping with an employer who was totally unsympathetic to his home situation. Before reading Uncontrollable I had only a very general understanding about epilepsy so I truly appreciate the insights Sara’s novel has given me into the challenges faced by all who are affected by it, as well as what I learnt from her descriptions of current treatments and ongoing research. I think that her novel very successfully achieves her aim of examining “… what happens when the life we may be forced to live is not the life we planned to live, and the compromises we make to survive in the face of adversity” because although Casey and Jonah’s story is unique to them, many of the dilemmas they face, the compromises and adjustments they need to make in order to live their best lives, will surely resonate with anyone who has had to make similar adjustments to their dreams and aspirations. Thank you Sara for sending me an ARC of your moving and unforgettable story; it has been a pleasure to read and review it and I hope it will be as successful as I think it deserves to be following its release on 25th May.