Fans of All the Bright Places and The Fault in Our Stars will fall head-over-heels for this wonderfully original portrait of love and loss. Samantha McCoy has it all mapped out. First she's going to win the national debating championship, then she's going to move to New York and become a human rights lawyer.
But when Sam discovers that a rare disease is going to take away her memory, the future she'd planned so perfectly is derailed before its started. Realising that her life won't wait to be lived, Sam sets out on a summer of firsts.
The first party.
The first rebellion.
The first friendship.
The last love.
The Memory Book is a wonderful new novel in the hugely popular ‘sicklit’ genre.
Samantha McCoy decides to write her own ‘Memory Book’ after she is diagnosed with an insidious, debilitating disease Niemann-Pick Type C. She hopes that this will help her remember things after her memory goes.
Sam is a not-very popular debating team member and valedictorian with high ambitions. This disease is bound to stop her dreams, but she wants to achieve everything possible and refuses to give in.
Through interactions with her family, an inspirational teacher and eventually two boyfriends, we discover her life dreams and unfortunately her dire health outlook.
There is an amount of swearing, but given the context of Sam’s situation, I found it mostly appropriate.
This book will certainly resonate with fans of John Green. Sam is a feisty character who many readers will love. Her ambitions and will to go on are inspirational. I assure you it will hit you in the heart. HARD!
It will be best suited to a girls aged 15+.
Reviewed by Rob