Sammie is that one girl with the PLAN. You know the whole gist by now. Small town doesn't have anything to offer. She wants to go to New York and make something important of herself. Yet here comes the crippling disease that will not only kill her but slowly rob her of her memory. She'll lose all sense of herself until she dies. Sad, I know.
This doesn't mean Sammie won't stop trying to gain back any semblance of normalcy. So she begins writing down her thoughts. Everything she's feeling to the smallest minuscule details. If she can just prove that she'll be the exception to this disease, she won't have throw away the past years of her life.
What I like is not so much Sammie but her friends and family. While Sammie is understandably upset, this diagnosis makes apparent how terrible of a person she was when she was healthy. Solely focused on success, she decided creating relationships with people weren't so important. That means the one person who might care about her is also the one person she pushes away. It's hard to fault Sammie because she thinks she's doing what's right. It also happens to be selfish and dishonest.
So this doesn't even touch the whole mess that is the Stuart and Cooper situation. We know from the beginning that Stuart is the artsy guy who is sensitive and wants the clout of taking care of his sick girlfriend. Cooper is the guy next door who's actually THE ONE. I don't think this dynamic works but whatever. I found the romantic ending a bit contrived and there's not much payoff. It's more heartbreaking to read Sammie's dissent. As she struggles to remember who she is.
I just don't care for the forced romance. I think there could be a lot more time dedicated to learning how to live with a disease. Instead, we get something a little watered. I recommend this for fans of people who are sick and find love in the process.
Melodramatic but that's necessary. The watercolor opacity is pretty cool. That's all.
A YA 'Flowers for Algernon' - very affecting weepie
'The Fault in Our Stars' made us cry for teens with cancer,'Ways to Live Forever' looked at a child's degeneration with leukemia. Now 'The Memory Book' is taking its place as its heroine, Samantha, breaks hearts as she copes with a degenerative memory condition.
Imagine the tragedy - class valedictorian, national finalist in the school debating team, about to take up a place at a prestigious university - and now Samantha McCoy is having to tell her teachers and friends that she has a degenerative disease that will take her memory. Heart-breaking.
She's just so lovely. The way she opens the book, telling her teacher of her condition with bravery btu determination not to let it stand in her way - I wasn't going anywhere until I saw Samantha's story through. A budding writer, Samantha's old crush returns home from New York, a former student who's making waves in the literary world - and they connect... how will her new life affect her new relationship?
Avery gives us the family's perspective on Samantha's condition, and how her lapses in memory affect them all. The writing made me think of the science fiction classic 'Flowers for Algernon', as changes in the protagonist's mental capacity are clearly indicated by his ability to diarise his thoughts, just as Samantha's do. Degeneration is marked, and in this case, her confused state is moving to see.
While a few turns in the plot are clearly coming, the writing is rather moving and I knew what I wanted to happen for Samantha.
It's an ending that comes with a big jolt of emotion, a tug of sadness, and a little beauty.
A very worthy YA read, perfect as a diary format, lovely romance story as part of the heartbreaking plot.
Lara Avery, waarom heb je dit ons aangedaan? Wat een fantastisch boek is dit.
Laat ik beginnen bij het begin. De eerste 40 pagina's ongeveer vond ik moeilijk om in te komen. (Vanaf toen heb ik het boek bijna in een zit uitgelezen). Ik weet niet of dat aan mezelf lag of aan het boek. Ik vond de schrijfstijl erg wennen. Dat komt ook omdat alles direct overkwam en hierdoor heb ik soms wel een traantje weg moeten halen.
Sammie is een van de leukste personages over wie ik heb gelezen. Ze kwam heel realistisch over en ook alsof ze een vriendin van je was. Dit vond ik heel fijn en vind het zo jammer dat het boek nu ook is afgelopen. Ik had sommige gebeurtenissen wel uitgebreider gewilt.
Al boven al vond ik het een super goed boek. Een van mijn nieuwe favorieten. Het is goed uitgewerkt omdat de schrijfster weet waarover ze schrijft.
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*Spoilers!!
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Ben ik de enige die zo kwaad is over dat Sammie Stuart heeft laten zitten? Heb zo medelijden met hem en tegelijkertijd snap ik Sammie ook wel.
