This was a beautifully written book that I could not put down. I loved the two story timelines, one so full of raw fear while the other has a rollercoaster of emotions, going back and forth between.  The ending tied everything up nicely but I would love to see a sequel.

What a wonderful and well-written debut novel! I was hooked from the beginning, drawn into Simone’s life as she struggles with her personal diagnosis, followed by an unexpected tragedy that has her reexamining everything she thought she knew. Told in a dual timeline, we see Simone in the present, dealing with a terrifying situation and looking death in the face, as she looks back over the past year and her struggles and decisions since being diagnosed with MS.
This was a compelling read, with characters (well, most) that I would love to be friends with, hang out, get coffee. Simone was a realistic character, with the understandable emotions, fears, and behaviors of someone shocked and unsure of what her diagnosis means to her, her future, and her relationships. There is so much to think about. She has a wonderful support system with her family and best friends, even a new boyfriend, but her diagnosis has her questioning everything, even her new relationship. When she faces immediate possibility of death and losing everything, will it put things into perspective for her? 
THE SPEED OF LIGHT by Elissa Grossell Dickey has created a debut novel full of family, friendship, and love with characters you will root for and hope to see again. I would love to see what Dickey comes out with next.
Thank you to the publisher for an advanced reader’s copy of this novel. All opinions are my own and freely given.
#TheSpeedofLight #ElissaGrossellDickey #LakeUnionPublishing

I received an advance copy of, The Speed of light, by Elissa Grossell Dickey.  This was a good book, but I did  not like how it went back and forth through time periods.  It was too confusing.

I really enjoyed this book. Very emotional as well as tense, with alternating timelines. I really liked how the author developed the timelines to tell us Simone’s story, of a debilitating disease, newly diagnosed, and her emotions as she dealt with each new symptom. We then are introduced to the other players in her life, her concerned family, her coworkers and friends and a promising new romantic interest. She weaves the previous year with the current drama playing out in her well told story.
Elissa Grossell Dickey is a  skilled storyteller with great characters, allowing the reader to blend in with the action. I really felt like I was there, as the shooters roamed the offices, searching for intended targets. Very dramatic and powerful. 
My thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing, for the ARC. All comments are my own. I highly recommend it.

I really enjoyed this book and am so impressed that this was the author’s debut novel! There was a lot going on to keep my attention and I liked that the book alternated between the present time/shooting and the events that led up to it starting from a year ago, which also included Simone’s official diagnosis of MS. I liked Simone’s character and was inspired by her commitment to running after her diagnosis. Even when faced with the most terrifying event of her life (the shooting), she never gave up.

Thank you to Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for providing a copy for review.

A riveting story that has two storylines from the perspective of one character.  Simone has recently been diagnosed with MS and she is still trying to figure out how to react to this chronic diagnosis.  In the same story, at the university where she works there is a shooting taking place and she must react in order to check on her co workers and also try to figure out who is doing this.    

What I loved most about this book was that I saw this character go through the acceptance of a disease, MS, and the limitations that eventually her body will make on her.  I know very little about MS and appreciate when fiction can enlighten me in a soft and easy way without all of the science.  I care more about reading about the feelings of diagnosis and how someone comes to grips with the path that their life will now lead.  

The way the author laid out the book kept me turning pages.  We go back in time a year before the shooting and read about Simone as the year unfolds and leads up to the shooting and the events of that day while at the same time the shooting slowly unfolds throughout the book.  For me this was a really satisfying way to keep me reading to the end and gave the book a little mystery as I was trying to find out who the shooter was alongside Simone.  

I was excited to learn when I finished that this was a debut book written by an author who is living with MS and I really hope there are more books to come from her!

I truly enjoyed The Speed of Light. The characters. The pacing. The setting. The timeliness. The emotional journey. All of it. Elissa Grossell Dickey pulls off the dual timelines like an expert and reels the reader right in. The story itself alternates between a tragic workplace event and the year before when Simone, the main character, grapples with a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis. I personally appreciated the complexity in Simone's life--her dedication to family, relationships, friendships, and her quest to figure out what would be best for her health and happiness. Simone felt real to me, fully fleshed out, and I rooted for her and her circle of support the whole time. I'd suggest the book to anyone who understands what chronic illness is about, and I look forward to reading more work from this author!

The Speed of light was a compelling -- and at times terrifying – dual story line of a year in one young woman’s life. The story alternates between a horrific episode of workplace violence and the year before, as Simone, the MC, struggles to come to terms with her MS diagnosis. Simone and her best friend work together, and she grew up nearby and is very close to her family. Her MS journey begins with getting the diagnosis she had both feared and anticipated. That news ricochets into every aspect of her life affecting her self-image, her burgeoning romance, and her closest friendship. It’s an honest and nuanced examination of the insidious nature of chronic disease which is invisible to others but can come to consume the people it inhabits. The novel also a sweet love story, as well as one about the warmth and kindness of family. It was wonderful to see someone with a chronic illness represented in a novel, which is so rare. 

The Speed of Light raises important questions – do we let our illness or disability define us? 

What is the line between being independent, and shutting people out?

Is opening yourself up to love worth the risk?

Ultimately, Simone discovers the answers to these questions and so much more about herself and her own inner reserves of strength in this heartwarming debut novel.

I really enjoyed this debut novel. and its message. The importance of friendship, of individual struggle, of misunderstanding and, ultimately, what it is to be human.
The ending was joyous, moving and uplifting all in one.

Compelling story of a woman diagnosed with MS, wondering about her future, afraid of what her future will be. Then one day, while at work, shots ring out and suddenly she discovers what real fear and real courage is.I
I was totally invested in this story from the first paragraph. Read the book in one setting, it was impossible for me to put it down! Wonderful characters.
5 stars.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher and author for an ARC of this book.The opinions expressed are my own.

No Day But Today. This is one of those books that touches on so much that it can at times appear a bit schizoid... and yet it all works. So very well. It has the pop culture references - including the one I used as the title of this review, but also very heavily Star Wars. It has the romance. It has the life-altering diagnosis and its aftermath. It has the immediacy of a school shooting. It has the dual-timeline nature of someone reflecting on the last year of her life during a particularly traumatic moment. Arguably the singular real flaw here is the predictability of the more dual-timeline nature than the more sporadic nature the description seems to imply. But perhaps that was an editorial decision to play it a bit safer in a debut, as a more sporadic approach can be at least as treacherous when not done well - and it is far easier to do horribly than a straight dual-timeline approach. The specific time tags on the present day timeline serve to give a great sense of immediacy and urgency, though at times the shift to the previous timeline is a bit abrupt and jarring. Still, ultimately an excellent debut novel, one that makes this reader look forward to the author's next work. Very much recommended.

A wonderful story set in South Dakota about a young woman dealing with a life altering disease, a new love affair and a school shooting. Ms. Dickey’s debut novel concerns family, friendship, and inner strength. Unputdownable!

This book swept me off my feet! There are so many elements to love in Elissa Grossell Dickey's bittersweet and atmospheric debut: Simone's sweet romance with Conner, her struggle with MS, and the school shooting that changes her life in a matter of moments. I particularly loved the female friendships throughout this book. Nikki, Claudia,Hayley, and Arielle felt like characters with their own agency and purpose beyond propping up Simone's story. Connor was exactly the sort of sweet hero a reader like me loves to fall for.

This book felt like listening to a storm from the safety of a blanket. The perfect mixture of light and dark. I can't wait to read Grossell Dickey's next book!

Thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union for the ARC!

The Speed of Light was a wonderful, layered story that was equal parts gripping and heartfelt. I was completely riveted, and invested in the events of an unfolding tense tragedy as well as the MC's burgeoning romance while coping with the life altering multiple sclerosis diagnosis. As a chronic illness sufferer, the MC's internal struggle to process her diagnosis, really resonated with me. I found it nuanced and authentic, as well as very moving. The characters were well drawn and interesting and I enjoyed spending time with them. I loved the female relationships in this book and found the different family dynamics interesting and relatable. The love story was sweet and had a warmth to it that made you want to root for this couple. I was completely entertained and swept away. I read the book in a single sitting and enjoyed every word.  Overall, it was a fantastic read!

"We are all living on the edge of a cliff without even knowing it, and one fragile movement can push us over the edge or pull us to safety."

This is a novel for everyone, but most especially for anyone who is in doubt of the next day or perhaps the next year. 
How do you live with a new diagnosis? 
Will you be able put one foot in front of the other each day?
Simone is trying to find her way as she is diagnosed with MS and wonders what the days will hold for her.
How will her life transition? How will her friendships and loves adjust as limitations may happen?
A horrid tragedy occurs.that may be the life lesson Simone and we all need!

This is a wonderful , debut novel and I certainly look forward to more from Elissa Grossell Dickey!