‘I suppose it’s no use. We can be close by and watching like hawks, and those we love can still slip away.’
One of the hardest things [to some the hardest thing] in life is losing someone. It doesn’t matter if it’s a neighbour, a friend or a family member what matters is that we deeply cared for this person – we might have shared something personal with them or enjoyed their company – and then one day all of that vanishes and we are left alone with only our memories. The Reminders is a book about loss, grief, memories, music and above all love.
Joan is a ten-year-old girl with a super rare condition called HSAM or highly superior autobiographical memory which makes her remember everything she does. She remembers everything from the age of three and up – she can tell what day of the week it was if you as her a question like: ‘What day of the week was January 28th 2012?’ and she’ll give you an answer that it was a Saturday (I had to go to my calendar for this btw) and exactly what she was doing that day. She loves music, song-writing and adores John Lennon and The Beatles and she inherited that love from her father hence the name Joan Lennon. Her dad has a studio where he records things and she often finds herself there listening to her father produce music. Gavin is grief-stricken because of the loss of his boyfriend Sydney and he decides to visit his old friends (Joan’s parents) in order to get his mind off of things. He meets Joan and since Joan has met Sydney (he was her mother’s friend) a couple of times she decides to make a deal with Gavin – him to help her with a song for a contest and her to tell him her memories of Gavin.
I am so grateful to the publisher for sending me this book because it’s something special. From the lovely writing to the story it tells in such a heart-warming way that it makes you want to read on and don’t stop until you’re finished. It also has an excellent cover! Told from two different POVs and with short chapters the book makes you fly through it. I especially liked the way the relationship between Gavin and Sydney was crafted because even with a few sentences you can feel the love between them. What made this book special were the memories of Joan which she shared with Gavin and made him feel closer to Sydney. We can never truly remember something the way it actually is because our memories change over time, they take different shapes, we see the important things but never the full details so the idea that a little girl who has HSAM can offer some peace of mind with her memories is something that I’m sure everyone would appreciate. This is also a story about a girl who is learning the world through music and song-writing and of course her family.
I have to take half a star off because there was a part which felt rushed and I didn’t like the way it was thought-out but that’s it. I enjoyed reading it and despite being 320 pages it’s a quick read.
The Reminders is definitely a must read for people who would like to experience life through the eyes of someone with highly superior autobiographical memory, for those who love music and stories which stay with you long after you finish them.
I would like to thank the publisher (Picador) for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
My rating:
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Dubbed a “Renaissance Man” by the New York Post, Val Emmich is a writer, a singer-songwriter, and an actor. He’s had recurring roles on Vinyl and Ugly Betty, as well as a memorable guest role as Tina Fey’s coffee-boy fling, Jamie, on 30 Rock. Emmich lives in Jersey City, New Jersey, with his wife and their two children. The Reminders is his first novel.
I didn’t know about autobiographical memories. It sounds like a gift that would especially be great for school 🙂 This sounds like a wonderful read with well-crafted characters. Fab review.
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I thought so too but in Joan’s case she has to study like a regular person for school. She only remembers her everyday life and keeps them as memories. It was pretty great! Thanks Diana for visiting and leaving a comment!
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Sounds good. Love books that make you contemplate life, the past and memories 😆
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Hi Stuart! It’s so great! Thanks for stopping by!
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This sounds like a truly wonderful read and such an interesting topic as well! I’m definitely adding it to my wishlist straight away. Great review!
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Oh yay! It was so good and I just loved reading it! Thanks Yvo! Thank you for always stopping by!
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I almost never read autobiographical novels ahha but this one seems lovely and worth giving a try! 😀
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I never read one with a person who has autobiographical memory too! It is so cool to remember things but I imagine also sometimes painful.
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Having an autobiographical memory seems like a gift and a curse. Nobody can argue with you either about anything in the past because you remember everything that was said and done with so much clarity. What an interesting plotline! Great review!
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Hi Inge! I always fall back on it being a curse because if something bad happens you’ll never forget it – to the smallest detail. But it does sound fascinating to have that kind of memory! Thank you!
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This actually sounds like such a cool book. I didn’t know that there was a name for that type of memory, but it sounds like an intense superpower and something that probably shouldn’t be real, haha. The cover of the proof is great. I hope the actual cover is as cool!
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It is really cool! It sounds fascinating to have that kind of memory! I don’t know if I myself would want to have that kind of memory though!
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Fabulous review for what sounds like a pretty unique book. The premise sounds very compelling and powerful! Maybe a bit melancholy?
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Thank you Liz! Well yes and no. I always fall back on dark things because I am that kind of person but this book is seriously wonderful and filled with emotion. It has a great and satisfying ending!
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This is good to know about the book… I feel like it’s one that I would enjoy as well.
An just because you’re that kind of person- high fives, because these kind of people think more deeply, I think and secondly- here’s a rainbow colored cupcake! 😉
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Glad to hear that!
They say that people who are sort of dark are more honest with other people.
Haha!
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Mmm, you know, I think that saying holds rather true 🙂
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I’ve never heard about that condition, or maybe just its name, but this definitely sounds like an intriguing book. With HSAM and themes about grief, I can see great places the author could’ve went to story-wise. Great review.
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Also it’s Val’s debut which is pretty amazing! I love how he made the book diverse with having a LGBTQ+ character in it. It made the story more interesting as well as the condition which is fascinating!
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