Common Sense Media Review
By Andrea Beach
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Engaging, bittersweet story of teen facing serious illness.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 14+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
What's the Story?
In THE MEMORY BOOK, Sammie's got the rest of senior year all figured out: Take the debate team to the national competition, ace all her finals so she'll be valedictorian, and then get out of her small town ASAP and start college at New York University. No problem for someone as super-organized and dedicated as Sammie -- until she's diagnosed with Niemann-Picks Type C, a disease that causes Alzheimer-like symptoms in children. No one can predict how fast the disease will progress, so high-achieving, go-getter Sammie refuses to put any of her future plans on hold. But she does decide to keep a "memory book," a sort of a journal to her future self and a way of making sure she'll remember everything, good and bad, that happens as the disease takes hold. As Sammie's plans for the future start to slip away, can she find meaning and happiness in the present?
Is It Any Good?
Author Lara Avery's engaging heroine Sammie turns what could've been a weepy illness story into a journey toward learning to cope when life takes an unexpected turn. The Memory Book takes us inside Sammie's mind as it starts to betray her, but Sammie's relatable voice also takes us along with her emotions as she learns how to be a better person. And even as her mind and body change, her voice remains refreshingly authentic all the way. Teens will sigh along with the blossoming romance between Sammie and her longtime crush, Stuart. Keep a box of tissues handy.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the swearing in The Memory Book. Does it seem realistic to you? Why do you think there's so much in this book?
What are your plans or hopes for the future? How do you think you'd cope if you had to completely change them? Or have you already dealt with something like that? How did you handle it?
Maddie says that Sammie was just using her to get ahead on debate team. Does Sammie become a better friend to Maddie? How?
Book Details
- Author :
- Genre : Romance
- Topics : Family Stories ( Siblings ) , Friendship , School ( High School )
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Poppy
- Publication date : July 5, 2016
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 15 - 18
- Number of pages : 368
- Available on : Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : September 30, 2025
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
Suggest an Update
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate