Heartbreak, humour and hope.
The Memory Book Summary
They tell me that my memory will never be the same, that I’ll start forgetting things. At first just a little, and then a lot. So I’m writing to remember.
Sammie was always a girl with a plan: graduate at the top of her class and get out of her small town as soon as humanly possible. Nothing will stand in her way – not even a rare genetic disorder the doctors say will slowly start to steal her memories and then her health. What she needs is a new plan.
So the Memory Book is born: Sammie’s notes to her future self, a document of moments great and small. It’s where she’ll record every perfect detail of her first date with longtime crush Stuart, a brilliant young writer who is home for the summer. And where she’ll admit how much she’s missed her childhood best friend, Cooper, and even take some of the blame for the fight that ended their friendship.
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The Memory Book Review
Told through a series of journal entries, The Memory Book follows Sammie as she comes to terms with the diagnosis that she will lose all of her memories as a genetic disorder steals her life.
With a plot like that, you know that this book is going to be heartbreaking, but Lara Avery has managed to add humour and hope into what would otherwise be an extremely upsetting novel.
In addition to following Sammie’s medical journey, you’ll be treated to glimpses of her life as a teenager, which she is muddling through in all of the same ways as any other teenager would. She’s struggling with friendships and relationships in the same ways we all did, just with something huge and terrifying looming over her while she’s at it.
Sammie as a character is incredibly charming, and I loved the dynamic she has with her family. The journal style helps us delve right into Sammie’s thoughts and it took no time at all for me to feel like I knew her, which makes it all the more heartbreaking as you watch her deteriorate throughout the novel.
In addition to the wonderful plot and characters, the writing itself is fantastic, and you’ll discover how great the further you progress through the book. I’ll say nothing more than that so as not to spoil it, but it really is great.
My rating
**** 4/5 stars
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