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The Memory of Things
On the morning of September 11, 2001, sixteen-year-old Kyle Donohue watches the first Twin Tower come down from the window of Stuyvesant High School. Moments later, terrified and fleeing home to safety across the Brooklyn Bridge, he stumbles across a girl perched in the shadows, covered in ash, and wearing a pair of costume wings. With his mother and sister in California, and unable to reach his father, a New York City detective likely on his way to the disaster, Kyle makes the split-second decision to bring the girl home.
What follows is their story, told in alternating points of view, as Kyle tries to unravel the mystery of the girl so he can return her to her family. But what if the girl has forgotten everything, even her own name? And what if the more Kyle gets to know her, the less he wants her to go home?
What follows is their story, told in alternating points of view, as Kyle tries to unravel the mystery of the girl so he can return her to her family. But what if the girl has forgotten everything, even her own name? And what if the more Kyle gets to know her, the less he wants her to go home?
279 pages, Hardcover
First published September 6, 2016
140 people are currently reading
7,476 people want to read
About the author
Gae Polisner
13Ìýbooks482ÌýfollowersI am a wannabe mermaid and the author of THE MEMORY OF THINGS, SEVEN CLUES TO HOME and several other novels for readers young, old or in between.
Please note that, although I originally tried to assign star-ratings to my book reviews (and, thus, you will see some of my favorite books with stars), I have stopped doing so. A 3-star review, for example, can mean such different things to readers and reviewers, some rarely give more, so 3 means pretty great, to others 3 is barely mediocre. Because of this, it feels arbitrary and capricious to assign them, and I'd rather merely provide (in some cases) my brief thoughts on the book (unless I really can't help myself in giving it 5-stars, which usually means I wish there were lots more to give. . .). But for the most part, I'm only going to add the word recommended.
As for writer-me, if you want to know more about me, you can find me at my website, gaepolisner.com. You may also find me on Instagram or twitter @gaepol or on facebook here: .
I'd love to interact with you here or there. :)
Please note that, although I originally tried to assign star-ratings to my book reviews (and, thus, you will see some of my favorite books with stars), I have stopped doing so. A 3-star review, for example, can mean such different things to readers and reviewers, some rarely give more, so 3 means pretty great, to others 3 is barely mediocre. Because of this, it feels arbitrary and capricious to assign them, and I'd rather merely provide (in some cases) my brief thoughts on the book (unless I really can't help myself in giving it 5-stars, which usually means I wish there were lots more to give. . .). But for the most part, I'm only going to add the word recommended.
As for writer-me, if you want to know more about me, you can find me at my website, gaepolisner.com. You may also find me on Instagram or twitter @gaepol or on facebook here: .
I'd love to interact with you here or there. :)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 724 reviews
December 19, 2017
4.5 Stars
I read "The Memory of Things" in one sitting. I was so intrigued by the story that I honestly couldn't put it down. The writing was fantastic and I really found myself completely invested in the lives of the characters. The Memory of Things is such a fitting title.
The morning of September 11, 2001 starts out like any other school day for sixteen-year-old Kyle Donohue. That all changes when moments later he watches out the window as the first twin tower comes down after being hit by a plane. Leaving the school to get home to safety, Kyle comes across a girl his age on the Brooklyn Bridge. She's wearing costume wings, is crouched down, hiding, and covered in ash. He's about to continue on but something pulls him back. It takes time but as they hear another explosion he convinces her to come with him and they run.
He brings her to his apartment. His father is with the NYPD and Kyle knows he's down there trying his best to help. He's worried about him and also about his mother who is out-of-town with his sister. But his Uncle Matt is there, and he needs Kyle. The girl doesn't seem to remember anything...not even her first name. Kyle wants to help her.
Kyle is scared but tries to be strong in front of the girl and his Uncle. He can't get through to his dad or his mom. It's hard not to panic when his calls won't go through, but he realizes everyone is trying to get ahold of someone they love. I can't even imagine how hearing those busy signals would feel. Not being able to speak with loved ones and wondering if something has happened to them, or if they are fine and the calls just aren't coming through.
This was such a powerful story told in alternating points of view, both Kyle's and the girl. We see the beginning of a friendship that grows through this horribly uncertain time. Kyle finds himself able to tell the girl things he hasn't told anyone else. The girl feels that she can trust Kyle even though she can't remember anything about who she is. Kyle wants to help her regain her memory but worries that when she finds herself he will lose her.
I think the author did a fantastic job of showing what the days following such a horrific time could have been like for some people, especially people living in New York. As the characters walk through the almost empty streets in the days following the attack, seeing a banner that states "WE ARE STILL STANDING". Such an emotional read.
"The buildings are gone, thousands of people are gone, but somehow we're still here. Standing."
I was in the middle of another book when I picked this one up to read a couple of pages. I just wanted to get the feel of the story. However, once I started reading I couldn't stop.
The author's note was a great part of the book. Among other things, she tells how this story came to be. How she knew when the right time was to tell it. She wanted it to be a story about human resilience, where people keep going. Not necessarily a 9/11 story but a coming of age story about healing and love. A story about hope. I feel that she told the story she wanted to tell...in a wonderful and respectful way.
I'm so glad I read this story and I will definitely be looking for more from this author.
Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Gae Polisner for an advanced copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review.
August 25, 2016
Where were you on 9/11? I’m guessing that if you ask anyone, they are hot to share. I sure know that the story comes gushing out of me when I’m asked. The event is etched in my memory forever. I remember how I felt, whom I called, what I feared—and I can recite exactly where I was and where everyone in my family was. I’m betting this is true of most people. I can only remember, I cannot forget.
Tragedy typically brings out the best in people, and often they are more honest with their feelings, probably because they are vulnerable and raw. 9/11 brought people together. We could all commiserate and we felt a bond with everyone. We all have a collective Memory of a Thing that shook our world to its core.
The author has made up a story about an unusual bond that formed on that fateful day. I thought the premise was brilliant. A teenage boy running out of Manhattan to the safety of his home in Brooklyn comes across a weird girl wearing wings, covered in ash. (Take it easy; the wings were part of a costume, not some angel baloney.) He takes her home and frets. She has no Memory of Things.
I think about how everyone processed the enormous event differently, and really, ultimately, alone. Everyone went through their own personal hell. I realize this writer did something really cool here—she put two survivors, who were strangers, together. Usually stories about catastrophes talk about one person or a family, not about strangers who meet while fleeing danger. The boy, Kyle, was practical and responsible and intrigued; the girl, whose name was unknown, was weird, fragile, and an enigma.
This is such an earnest story and a touching one. Kyle is the caretaker of both the girl with the wings and his disabled uncle whose speech is impaired. Kyle struggles to keep the girl safe and to figure out her identity. He lovingly cares for his uncle, who has had a motorcycle accident a few months before. Kyle takes care of things, half the time unsure of the fate of his parents and sister. This kid is so damn likable and relatable, it's crazy.
I really like the title of the book—the book is indeed all about the memory of things. It’s about the collective image-memory of the planes running into the Twin Towers, forever stamped into our minds. It’s about a girl who has lost her memory and struggles to regain it, with the help of Kyle. It’s about a cool memory game that the uncle played before his accident, a game that makes it easy for you to remember things. (Now I really want to play the game to see if it works on me.)
Okay, so I liked the title. I liked the original plot. I liked the well-drawn, likable, and believable characters. And yet this book has other selling points. The story is told in first person, which I love—it always makes me feel like the character is talking directly to me; it feels cozy. I also liked that the writing, though not fancy, is invisible in a good way. It’s doing its job of telling a fine story without the words screaming “Look at me! Look at me!� I loved the tension that builds as Kyle awaits news of his cop dad at the Twin Tower site, and I loved the mystery of Kyle trying to figure out the winged girl’s identity and story. Both the tension and mystery kept me reading when I should have been getting some required shut-eye.
But yes, there are a couple of things I didn’t like (surprise surprise). There is a minor YA love story going on, and I do get tired of teenage kissy-huggy-face, even if it’s done well—it’s a little too mundane and schmaltzy for me. Also, interspersed with Kyle’s story are little poem-like thoughts of wing-girl. This didn’t work for me at all. It seemed like dumb poetry, too simplistic yet just esoteric enough to be annoying. Luckily, these stanzas full of her precious thoughts weren’t that frequent. Also, the ending is a little too perfect, and the message of hope, which I sort of like, also seemed a bit too Hallmarky.
These complaints are minor, though. It’s a really good read and I highly recommend it.
Thanks to NetGalley for the advance copy.
Tragedy typically brings out the best in people, and often they are more honest with their feelings, probably because they are vulnerable and raw. 9/11 brought people together. We could all commiserate and we felt a bond with everyone. We all have a collective Memory of a Thing that shook our world to its core.
The author has made up a story about an unusual bond that formed on that fateful day. I thought the premise was brilliant. A teenage boy running out of Manhattan to the safety of his home in Brooklyn comes across a weird girl wearing wings, covered in ash. (Take it easy; the wings were part of a costume, not some angel baloney.) He takes her home and frets. She has no Memory of Things.
I think about how everyone processed the enormous event differently, and really, ultimately, alone. Everyone went through their own personal hell. I realize this writer did something really cool here—she put two survivors, who were strangers, together. Usually stories about catastrophes talk about one person or a family, not about strangers who meet while fleeing danger. The boy, Kyle, was practical and responsible and intrigued; the girl, whose name was unknown, was weird, fragile, and an enigma.
This is such an earnest story and a touching one. Kyle is the caretaker of both the girl with the wings and his disabled uncle whose speech is impaired. Kyle struggles to keep the girl safe and to figure out her identity. He lovingly cares for his uncle, who has had a motorcycle accident a few months before. Kyle takes care of things, half the time unsure of the fate of his parents and sister. This kid is so damn likable and relatable, it's crazy.
I really like the title of the book—the book is indeed all about the memory of things. It’s about the collective image-memory of the planes running into the Twin Towers, forever stamped into our minds. It’s about a girl who has lost her memory and struggles to regain it, with the help of Kyle. It’s about a cool memory game that the uncle played before his accident, a game that makes it easy for you to remember things. (Now I really want to play the game to see if it works on me.)
Okay, so I liked the title. I liked the original plot. I liked the well-drawn, likable, and believable characters. And yet this book has other selling points. The story is told in first person, which I love—it always makes me feel like the character is talking directly to me; it feels cozy. I also liked that the writing, though not fancy, is invisible in a good way. It’s doing its job of telling a fine story without the words screaming “Look at me! Look at me!� I loved the tension that builds as Kyle awaits news of his cop dad at the Twin Tower site, and I loved the mystery of Kyle trying to figure out the winged girl’s identity and story. Both the tension and mystery kept me reading when I should have been getting some required shut-eye.
But yes, there are a couple of things I didn’t like (surprise surprise). There is a minor YA love story going on, and I do get tired of teenage kissy-huggy-face, even if it’s done well—it’s a little too mundane and schmaltzy for me. Also, interspersed with Kyle’s story are little poem-like thoughts of wing-girl. This didn’t work for me at all. It seemed like dumb poetry, too simplistic yet just esoteric enough to be annoying. Luckily, these stanzas full of her precious thoughts weren’t that frequent. Also, the ending is a little too perfect, and the message of hope, which I sort of like, also seemed a bit too Hallmarky.
These complaints are minor, though. It’s a really good read and I highly recommend it.
Thanks to NetGalley for the advance copy.
August 23, 2016
I usually resist reading books about 9/11 and I can only think of one that I've read before this one, , which is a beautiful story of a little boy coping with the loss of his father on 9/11. But it didn't focus on the actual events of that horrible day. I've shied away maybe because I just felt it was too soon. I was struck by Gae Polisner saying that very same thing in her notes at the end, "I didn't start the story right away. Not for years in fact. In my heart, I knew it was too soon. Too soon for me to try to write it, too soon for others to read it." This was getting rave reviews and several of my Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ friends loved it so I could hardly pass up a chance to read it . It was time and I'm Im glad I did . I'm also glad to know that the author is a New Yorker. I've always felt that if anyone was going to tell the story it had to be someone from New York or Shanksville or Washington, or someone who could tell us what it was like to be in those places on that day.
At first I thought it was a little unrealistic to think that a teenage boy could hold it together and have his wits about him to do all of the right things given that his mother and sister were stranded in California, his father with the NYPD was almost constantly at Ground Zero , and he has to take care of his disabled uncle , while rescuing a teenage girl he finds on the street covered in ash and wearing angel wings. But then I thought about the many people who heroically stepped up and did what needed to be done in the face of the unthinkable that happened on 9/11. Kyle represents those people.
Of course what we read here, especially in the early pages is horrific, but yet this is a beautiful story . It's a coming of age story, it's a sweet teenage romance story, a story of grief and loss, but as the author points out, it's a story of hope . It's a quick read. I read it in two evenings because I just couldn't put it down. Highly recommended.
Thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley
July 26, 2016
On the day of 9/11, Kyle is trying to hurry home to Brooklyn. They let out school so everyone can try to get home. On the way he sees a girl looking over the bridge. He thinks she's going to jump. He grabs her arm and makes her come with him. She's wearing white angel wings.
The story is written in two different views. One from Kyle and the other from the girl which is written in bits and pieces. Fragments of memories she can't quite grasp. She doesn't even know her name. She feels like she's falling apart, but doesn't know why.
Kyle does the best he can for a teenager. He has a girl to take care of that can't remember anything. An uncle that was in a accident and pretty much paralyzed. His dad is in the middle of the chaos trying to find survivors. His mom and sister are stuck in another state. So it's up to Kyle to take care of all three of them all the while worrying about what it is going to happen to his dad.
Kyle finally gets the girl to talking and watching tv. He gets her to eat and she seems to get along great with Kyle's uncle. And slowly, over time, with Kyle's help and the tv, she remembers who she is and it's pretty heartbreaking.
This is a beautifully, sad story about coming of age in a world that has went so wrong. The strengths that each person has to go through and help others. The fear of no seeing family members again. Many, many fears.
I thought this was a heartfelt book and I loved all of the characters. They were beautifully written and I cared for each one of them.
*I would like to thank Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.*
And we will never forget
MY BLOG:
August 3, 2016
September 11, 2001. A day etched into our memories. Each of us that was old enough to understand the events of that tragic day can remember where they were, what they were doing, when they heard the news, or in some cases, saw the events unfolding before their disbelieving eyes.
In Gae Polisner's exquisitely moving novel, The Memory of Things , 16-year-old Kyle is in class at Stuyvesant High School when the first of the Twin Towers collapses. The school is evacuated and students flee for the safety of home. Rushing across the Brooklyn Bridge, Kyle encounters a girl about his own age huddled on the bridge, covered in ash, wearing a pair of costume wings. She can barely speak, and doesn't know her own name, but Kyle makes the decision to bring her home with him.
Kyle's father is a New York City police detective, and he knows his father is down at Ground Zero, but he doesn't know whether he's safe. His mother and younger sister are stranded in Los Angeles, so it's Kyle, his Uncle Matt, who was seriously injured in an accident a few months earlier, and the mysterious girl, who come together amidst the chaos. Kyle wants to help the girl figure out who she is and where she came from, but the more he helps her, the more he realizes he doesn't want her to remember, to leave him, even though his father would make him do the responsible thing and alert the authorities.
"Tuesday, and those planes, they've broken something. Permanently. And in the process, they've changed everything. And everyone."
The book shifts its narration between Kyle, who is trying to process the tragedy while worrying about his family, caring for his uncle, and simultaneously wanting to help the girl and keep her with him as they grow closer, and the girl, who, through flashes of memories, begins to let her story unfold. This is a beautiful story, about the need to keep hope alive in the midst of any tragedy, because it is often hope that buoys you through. As Polisner says in her equally moving and thought-provoking Author's Note, "Ultimately, this is not a 9/11 story, but a coming-of-age story, one about healing and love. This is a story about hope."
This really was a wonderfully told, compelling story. Polisner is a terrific writer, and I'm definitely going to have to read some of her previous books, because I love the way she let this story unfold. The girl's narration is a little off-putting, as it's mostly told in snippets of memories, but it so works in the frame of this story. I felt Polisner really captured the emotions, the feelings of confusion and hopelessness and fear that so many felt in the first few days after 9/11.
I won't deny that this story is moving and emotional, but it never gets maudlin. It's definitely one I won't forget anytime soon.
NetGalley and St. Martin's Press provided me an advance copy of the book in exchange for an unbiased review. Thanks for making this available!
See all of my reviews at .
In Gae Polisner's exquisitely moving novel, The Memory of Things , 16-year-old Kyle is in class at Stuyvesant High School when the first of the Twin Towers collapses. The school is evacuated and students flee for the safety of home. Rushing across the Brooklyn Bridge, Kyle encounters a girl about his own age huddled on the bridge, covered in ash, wearing a pair of costume wings. She can barely speak, and doesn't know her own name, but Kyle makes the decision to bring her home with him.
Kyle's father is a New York City police detective, and he knows his father is down at Ground Zero, but he doesn't know whether he's safe. His mother and younger sister are stranded in Los Angeles, so it's Kyle, his Uncle Matt, who was seriously injured in an accident a few months earlier, and the mysterious girl, who come together amidst the chaos. Kyle wants to help the girl figure out who she is and where she came from, but the more he helps her, the more he realizes he doesn't want her to remember, to leave him, even though his father would make him do the responsible thing and alert the authorities.
"Tuesday, and those planes, they've broken something. Permanently. And in the process, they've changed everything. And everyone."
The book shifts its narration between Kyle, who is trying to process the tragedy while worrying about his family, caring for his uncle, and simultaneously wanting to help the girl and keep her with him as they grow closer, and the girl, who, through flashes of memories, begins to let her story unfold. This is a beautiful story, about the need to keep hope alive in the midst of any tragedy, because it is often hope that buoys you through. As Polisner says in her equally moving and thought-provoking Author's Note, "Ultimately, this is not a 9/11 story, but a coming-of-age story, one about healing and love. This is a story about hope."
This really was a wonderfully told, compelling story. Polisner is a terrific writer, and I'm definitely going to have to read some of her previous books, because I love the way she let this story unfold. The girl's narration is a little off-putting, as it's mostly told in snippets of memories, but it so works in the frame of this story. I felt Polisner really captured the emotions, the feelings of confusion and hopelessness and fear that so many felt in the first few days after 9/11.
I won't deny that this story is moving and emotional, but it never gets maudlin. It's definitely one I won't forget anytime soon.
NetGalley and St. Martin's Press provided me an advance copy of the book in exchange for an unbiased review. Thanks for making this available!
See all of my reviews at .
July 20, 2016
Emotionally strong!!!!!
I knew what to expect going in...."a story of two teenagers finding friendship,
comfort, and first love in the days following 9/11".
What I didn't know, was how incredibly talented Gae Polisner is. This is an elegantly written novel.....layered with imagery, intimacy, and authenticity. I couldn't turn the pages fast enough...or avoid re-visiting 'memories & feelings' from 9/11.
This novel is completely gripping with moments of heart pounding adrenalin fear, and deep sadness. It's also tender and filled with love.
Every reader has had the experience when reading - when the 'smallest' tidbit description or a causal normal dialogue will bring tears to your eyes, 'something' happened - for you -in that moment - and your body feels it.
The dialogue I want to share is simple, yet shifted and moved me....( it won't give the story away)....because without the greater context of the entire novel...it's just a 'cute'.
I will say when I read it, ...I didn't know to laugh - smile - or cry. A flood of memories flashed before my eyes of things I did days after 9/11. It wasn't easy returning to normal routines...but I did keep moving. My husband and I opened our house up every evening for gathering. People came...we sat and talked, shared wine...crackers, cheese, cookies. It was like sitting shiva.
Here's the excerpt:
"The girl walks over and sits on the edge of my bed, pulls her hand out and presents two powered sugar-covered cookies shaped like bow ties".
"Chrusciki", she says, struggling to pronounce the word. "Karina said to bring you some. Flour, eggs, sugar, and brandy," she pauses before adding, "Angel Wings", she called them."
"The girl laughs, and I take one and wolf it down before doing the same with the second". "Oh man, are there more?"
"So good, right?" she says.
There were many moments, while 'adoring' the storytelling... I kept thinking how grateful, how thankful I am that this book has been written. It's a perfect ...I mean perfect, book to introduce 9/11 to young people. It's hard to believe we already have a new generation of age-appropriate readers who were not born on Sept. 11, 2001.
The authors notes at the end had me in tears! An absolutely lovely book.
I love what Gae Polisner says about this story she wrote:
"Ultimately, this is not a 911 story, but a coming-of-age story, one about healing and love".
TERRIFIC!
Thank You St. Martin's Press, Netgalley, and Gae Polisner
I knew what to expect going in...."a story of two teenagers finding friendship,
comfort, and first love in the days following 9/11".
What I didn't know, was how incredibly talented Gae Polisner is. This is an elegantly written novel.....layered with imagery, intimacy, and authenticity. I couldn't turn the pages fast enough...or avoid re-visiting 'memories & feelings' from 9/11.
This novel is completely gripping with moments of heart pounding adrenalin fear, and deep sadness. It's also tender and filled with love.
Every reader has had the experience when reading - when the 'smallest' tidbit description or a causal normal dialogue will bring tears to your eyes, 'something' happened - for you -in that moment - and your body feels it.
The dialogue I want to share is simple, yet shifted and moved me....( it won't give the story away)....because without the greater context of the entire novel...it's just a 'cute'.
I will say when I read it, ...I didn't know to laugh - smile - or cry. A flood of memories flashed before my eyes of things I did days after 9/11. It wasn't easy returning to normal routines...but I did keep moving. My husband and I opened our house up every evening for gathering. People came...we sat and talked, shared wine...crackers, cheese, cookies. It was like sitting shiva.
Here's the excerpt:
"The girl walks over and sits on the edge of my bed, pulls her hand out and presents two powered sugar-covered cookies shaped like bow ties".
"Chrusciki", she says, struggling to pronounce the word. "Karina said to bring you some. Flour, eggs, sugar, and brandy," she pauses before adding, "Angel Wings", she called them."
"The girl laughs, and I take one and wolf it down before doing the same with the second". "Oh man, are there more?"
"So good, right?" she says.
There were many moments, while 'adoring' the storytelling... I kept thinking how grateful, how thankful I am that this book has been written. It's a perfect ...I mean perfect, book to introduce 9/11 to young people. It's hard to believe we already have a new generation of age-appropriate readers who were not born on Sept. 11, 2001.
The authors notes at the end had me in tears! An absolutely lovely book.
I love what Gae Polisner says about this story she wrote:
"Ultimately, this is not a 911 story, but a coming-of-age story, one about healing and love".
TERRIFIC!
Thank You St. Martin's Press, Netgalley, and Gae Polisner
September 9, 2016
3.5 Stars.
Another gripping "young"-adult novel, but this time, with an unforgettable historical New York City background setting.
THE MEMORY OF THINGS pulled me right in as a shocked and frightened crowd scurries across the bridge away from downtown Manhattan with its falling glass, sky of ash and acrid burning smell. Two planes have already hit, one building is down and 15 year old Kyle is worried as he knows his NYPD dad is in the heat of it somewhere.
This coming-of-age story leans heavily into Kyle's feelings about love for the mystery girl he rescued on his way home that awful day, his relationship with his dad and his favorite (disabled) uncle. It also shows how a brave and big-hearted young lad stepped up to the plate when the going got tough.
Hope is the theme from beginning to end in this touching story of loss and devastation, and the realization that our world would never be the same again.
As for the memory game.....hot dam!.....it really does work! As I sit here typing this two days later, I can still recite all the items on the list....and in order! Unbelievable!
(As for me on 9-11, I heard it first on the radio as I was feeding my cats that fateful morning and remember running upstairs screaming at my husband to turn on the TV. I also remember the silence and deserted roads as I drove to work.......and the next day......U.S. flags everywhere.)
September 8, 2016
3.5 I have the hardest time rating YA books. When I was growing up, there was no such thing as this genre and I am never sure if I should rate this as a YA reader would or as an adult. I decided on the later course. Sometimes reading books targeted for this audience are not written as such, but this one definitely is written as a YA book. Still, it is a beautifully crafted story, 911 and the after effects on two young teens. Very much a coming of age story as in a week we can see how much Kyle changes, takes responsibility. It is a touching story about a young girl who doesn't remember much until the very end of the story. Young love in the midst of chaos and uncertainty. People bonding together in the face of devastation and fear. A tenderly told story.
ARC from Netgalley.
ARC from Netgalley.
August 9, 2016
4.5 Stars
“On walls and windows and bins and cars all around the rubble pile, New Yorkers have left messages in the grainy dust. They are expressions of anger, love, despair and patriotism, a form of temporary poetry that will last not nearly as long as the memories.�
- LOS ANGELES TIMES, FROM TIME_WIRE REPORTS, SEPTEMBER 16, 2001
He moves with the crowd, moving away from downtown, where the towers are, were � he’s not sure yet. A quick but steady pace, the crowd moving with that steady, heavy flow with a mass of people, not thinking or looking, just moving. Feet just pointing away, away from it, from the sights, the sounds and smells. Eyes wander wishfully, hoping for a glance into familiar eyes. Just move, his brain cries to him, just move. He wonders momentarily how long it will be before he wakes up, a thought so fleeting, like a blink of an eye. He is almost across the bridge now, he can see Brooklyn from this point, his mind searching for songs to numb the fear, to shove the horror of it all away, to think of anything but what he sees.
Out of the corner of his eye, he barely registers the sight of wings. Keep walking. The massive size of this bird he’s passing, curled up along the side of the bridge. It takes a moment before his mind registers the absurdity of this possibility, a bird that size poised on the edge of this bridge. He tries to call out, but his voice is silenced by the noise of the others walking, he pushes his way back against the tide of the mass to confirm the reality of this strange sight, or was it an illusion? No, he sees it there, with wings spread wide, as though ready to take flight.
She’s covered with soot, white dust, ashes, her hair glistens with fragments of metal. She thinks:
“He walks.
I follow.
He keeps asking things I can’t hear
(can’t think, can’t breathe,
� can’t find you�)
Nod,
Follow,
Walk.
His words disappear.�
It’s impossible to read this without remembering it all, that time, that day. The days that followed. The shock, the terror, the mind-numbing thoughts that ran through our minds. Who? What? But, most of all, why� and then, how do “we� recover?
Back at his parent’s apartment, his Uncle’s alone in his wheelchair. The caretaker that comes daily to help him never made it to Brooklyn that morning. There’s all the things to do for him, and try and help this girl. He can’t make up his mind about the girl, if she thinks she’s a bird or is just suffering from the trauma of it all.
Over the course of three days, most of which is spent inside the apartment, he manages to gain her trust. One small piece at a time. He’s heartbreakingly patient and kind, and very aware of her fragility. The trust that’s been so painstakingly gained he treasures, and the more her trust grows, the more space she begins to occupy in his thoughts. There’s all that, and then in the midst of all that fear and rubble, a tender hearted young boy and a terrified young girl must learn to depend on others, and how to help others in the process. He sees the way she looks his Uncle in the eye when he talks, she doesn’t look away like his friends have. He sees her gentle, somewhat broken self and aches to make her whole.
Gae Polisner has written a lovely, engaging coming-of-age story, a love story which begins in a most unusual and unforgettable setting, the teenage angst is palpable, the story both heartbreaking and charming. While this is classified as “Teens & YA Fiction,� I think this book would be appreciated by all ages. It takes a talented author to find the beauty in the chaos.
Pub Date: 6 September 2016
Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press, NetGalley and to author Gae Polisner for providing me with an advanced copy.
“On walls and windows and bins and cars all around the rubble pile, New Yorkers have left messages in the grainy dust. They are expressions of anger, love, despair and patriotism, a form of temporary poetry that will last not nearly as long as the memories.�
- LOS ANGELES TIMES, FROM TIME_WIRE REPORTS, SEPTEMBER 16, 2001
He moves with the crowd, moving away from downtown, where the towers are, were � he’s not sure yet. A quick but steady pace, the crowd moving with that steady, heavy flow with a mass of people, not thinking or looking, just moving. Feet just pointing away, away from it, from the sights, the sounds and smells. Eyes wander wishfully, hoping for a glance into familiar eyes. Just move, his brain cries to him, just move. He wonders momentarily how long it will be before he wakes up, a thought so fleeting, like a blink of an eye. He is almost across the bridge now, he can see Brooklyn from this point, his mind searching for songs to numb the fear, to shove the horror of it all away, to think of anything but what he sees.
Out of the corner of his eye, he barely registers the sight of wings. Keep walking. The massive size of this bird he’s passing, curled up along the side of the bridge. It takes a moment before his mind registers the absurdity of this possibility, a bird that size poised on the edge of this bridge. He tries to call out, but his voice is silenced by the noise of the others walking, he pushes his way back against the tide of the mass to confirm the reality of this strange sight, or was it an illusion? No, he sees it there, with wings spread wide, as though ready to take flight.
She’s covered with soot, white dust, ashes, her hair glistens with fragments of metal. She thinks:
“He walks.
I follow.
He keeps asking things I can’t hear
(can’t think, can’t breathe,
� can’t find you�)
Nod,
Follow,
Walk.
His words disappear.�
It’s impossible to read this without remembering it all, that time, that day. The days that followed. The shock, the terror, the mind-numbing thoughts that ran through our minds. Who? What? But, most of all, why� and then, how do “we� recover?
Back at his parent’s apartment, his Uncle’s alone in his wheelchair. The caretaker that comes daily to help him never made it to Brooklyn that morning. There’s all the things to do for him, and try and help this girl. He can’t make up his mind about the girl, if she thinks she’s a bird or is just suffering from the trauma of it all.
Over the course of three days, most of which is spent inside the apartment, he manages to gain her trust. One small piece at a time. He’s heartbreakingly patient and kind, and very aware of her fragility. The trust that’s been so painstakingly gained he treasures, and the more her trust grows, the more space she begins to occupy in his thoughts. There’s all that, and then in the midst of all that fear and rubble, a tender hearted young boy and a terrified young girl must learn to depend on others, and how to help others in the process. He sees the way she looks his Uncle in the eye when he talks, she doesn’t look away like his friends have. He sees her gentle, somewhat broken self and aches to make her whole.
Gae Polisner has written a lovely, engaging coming-of-age story, a love story which begins in a most unusual and unforgettable setting, the teenage angst is palpable, the story both heartbreaking and charming. While this is classified as “Teens & YA Fiction,� I think this book would be appreciated by all ages. It takes a talented author to find the beauty in the chaos.
Pub Date: 6 September 2016
Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press, NetGalley and to author Gae Polisner for providing me with an advanced copy.
August 26, 2016
Surprisingly moving tale of two teenagers put together by circumstance in the chaos following the 9/11 attacks in NYC.
Other reviewers and the official marketing blurb do a good job of summarizing the plot, so I won't do that here. Polisner has taken an event that is seared into nearly everyone's individual memory and done two things: set a coming-of-age story against it, and captured the emotional spirit of how most everyone, in the days following the attacks, just wanted to do something -- anything -- to help.
The story is emotional without being treacly. It is YA, and there is a bit of a love story involved, which may dissuade some readers from choosing this book; however, I found the writing to be quite good.
My one quibble is the narrative voice of the teenaged girl in the story. For the majority of the book this voice is written as a fractured poem/stream of consciousness text. This did not work for me at all. The girl is suffering from amnesia and I believe the this text is supposed to show her mental state, but it was confusing and detracted from the book.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for a galley of the book in exchange for an honest review.
Other reviewers and the official marketing blurb do a good job of summarizing the plot, so I won't do that here. Polisner has taken an event that is seared into nearly everyone's individual memory and done two things: set a coming-of-age story against it, and captured the emotional spirit of how most everyone, in the days following the attacks, just wanted to do something -- anything -- to help.
The story is emotional without being treacly. It is YA, and there is a bit of a love story involved, which may dissuade some readers from choosing this book; however, I found the writing to be quite good.
My one quibble is the narrative voice of the teenaged girl in the story. For the majority of the book this voice is written as a fractured poem/stream of consciousness text. This did not work for me at all. The girl is suffering from amnesia and I believe the this text is supposed to show her mental state, but it was confusing and detracted from the book.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for a galley of the book in exchange for an honest review.
August 11, 2016
This story was awesome! It pulled me in immediately, and not only was it difficult to put down, but when I had to, all I wanted was to get back to it. When I finished, I thought, was this a novella? Nope, I just wanted more!
This is not a grim story, but still brought to life the tragedy of 9-11. It captured brilliantly how one moment can change what we value, and radically shift our perceptions. Polisner writes:
"So now I get it. Now I fully understand. Tuesday and those planes, they've broken something. Permanently. And in the process, they've changed everything. And everyone."
The writing here is smart, gripping, and totally engaging. I felt like I was in a bubble of time. A time when the world came together, when even a coming-of-age story fit perfectly within it. The tragedy experienced by so many was not the main focus here, yet it could be felt underlying every page.
I look at our world is now and think, does it really take such a catastrophic event to bring us together again? There is such goodness that lies at the heart of most of us. And as the author states in the epilogue, "This is a story of hope." And this is exactly what I was left with, hope.
Highly recommended!
This is not a grim story, but still brought to life the tragedy of 9-11. It captured brilliantly how one moment can change what we value, and radically shift our perceptions. Polisner writes:
"So now I get it. Now I fully understand. Tuesday and those planes, they've broken something. Permanently. And in the process, they've changed everything. And everyone."
The writing here is smart, gripping, and totally engaging. I felt like I was in a bubble of time. A time when the world came together, when even a coming-of-age story fit perfectly within it. The tragedy experienced by so many was not the main focus here, yet it could be felt underlying every page.
I look at our world is now and think, does it really take such a catastrophic event to bring us together again? There is such goodness that lies at the heart of most of us. And as the author states in the epilogue, "This is a story of hope." And this is exactly what I was left with, hope.
Highly recommended!
March 5, 2017
I am totally captivated by any and all books regarding one of the most horrific days in U.S. history, that of 9/11. It's difficult to understand what it was like to be close to the tragedy that unfolded. Yet Gae Polisner told this story with honesty and tenderness.
This is Kyle Donohue's story. A story about a teenage boy who has to endure for one week amid a swirl of unthinkable tragedy he is forced to deal with on his own. He finds a girl with angel wings frightened and huddling on the Brooklyn Bridge and he brings her home to take care of her. They help each other to survive this tragic day and those that follow. He desperately tries to connect with his father a NYC police officer at Ground Zero, his mother and sister are stranded in L.A. not able to get home and he needs to care for his uncle a paralyzed ex-NYC police officer who lives with Kyle and his family.
In the author's words "this is a story about how we keep going, keep moving forward. How we heal. A story about hope and human resilience. A story where people still laugh, still brush their teeth, still fall in love, a story where people redeem one another by small gestures, a story where people have no choice but to keep going in the face of huge tragedy and unspeakable loss".
Much praise to Ms. Polisner whose writing (although fiction) helped me to envision the sights, hear the sounds and feel the fear.
I highly recommend this novel and wish to thank St. Martins Griffin and Net Galley for an arc.
This is Kyle Donohue's story. A story about a teenage boy who has to endure for one week amid a swirl of unthinkable tragedy he is forced to deal with on his own. He finds a girl with angel wings frightened and huddling on the Brooklyn Bridge and he brings her home to take care of her. They help each other to survive this tragic day and those that follow. He desperately tries to connect with his father a NYC police officer at Ground Zero, his mother and sister are stranded in L.A. not able to get home and he needs to care for his uncle a paralyzed ex-NYC police officer who lives with Kyle and his family.
In the author's words "this is a story about how we keep going, keep moving forward. How we heal. A story about hope and human resilience. A story where people still laugh, still brush their teeth, still fall in love, a story where people redeem one another by small gestures, a story where people have no choice but to keep going in the face of huge tragedy and unspeakable loss".
Much praise to Ms. Polisner whose writing (although fiction) helped me to envision the sights, hear the sounds and feel the fear.
I highly recommend this novel and wish to thank St. Martins Griffin and Net Galley for an arc.
February 23, 2021
3.5 Stars
CW:
Well this was moving, but had so much going on that it felt a bit diluted, if you know what I mean.
I can't give too many details because they would be spoilers, but if you are interested, then look at the CWs. Despite all of these things, I wasn't burdened with grief or sadness which I was a bit grateful for, but I have a feeling it was because I didn't feel overly connected to the characters. Then of course a hint of romance starts to creep in on an already busy story. It ended up feeling too much of everything and not enough of some things. Does that make sense? This isn't so much about 9/11 as it is about the connections forged in it's immediate aftermath, and the feelings of anxiety for people waiting to hear about loved ones. There was some lovely writing throughout and overall I did enjoy it.
CW:
Well this was moving, but had so much going on that it felt a bit diluted, if you know what I mean.
I can't give too many details because they would be spoilers, but if you are interested, then look at the CWs. Despite all of these things, I wasn't burdened with grief or sadness which I was a bit grateful for, but I have a feeling it was because I didn't feel overly connected to the characters. Then of course a hint of romance starts to creep in on an already busy story. It ended up feeling too much of everything and not enough of some things. Does that make sense? This isn't so much about 9/11 as it is about the connections forged in it's immediate aftermath, and the feelings of anxiety for people waiting to hear about loved ones. There was some lovely writing throughout and overall I did enjoy it.
August 16, 2016
3.5 Stars. A coming-of-ageÌýstory about hope and continuing to liveÌýwhen all seems lost.
September 11, 2001:ÌýTwo planes fly into the Twin Towers.ÌýKyle Donohue's NYC high school is evacuated after they witness the South Tower collapsing. While fleeing to his home on the other side ofÌýthe Brooklyn Bridge, he spots an ash-covered girl wearing costume wings. She looks as if she'sÌýpreparing to leap off the bridge, butÌýKyle convinces her to come home with him. She is confused and has no memory of who she is. When Kyle arrives at his apartment with the girl, only his uncle is at home. Uncle MattÌýmoved in afterÌýhe was paralyzed in a motorcycle accident. Kyle has a lot to worry about:Ìýhis mom and sister are scheduled to fly home from California that day, his father is a first responder who is probablyÌýat the scene of the attack, and his uncle's caretaker is unable to get to work. The phoneÌýserviceÌýisÌýcompletely unreliable, further compounding his fears about his family's welfare. Until theÌýfamily can hopefully reunite, everything is on Kyle's shoulders. HeÌýtries to help the girl regain her memories, but part of him doesn't want her to figure it out. He knows he should take her to the precinct or a hospital, but she refuses and he doesn't want to let her go. She is one piece of hope to cling to during a time of uncertainty.
The whole book takes place over four days: 9/11/01 to 9/14/01. The story alternates between Kyle's and the girl's perspectives. Kyle's part of the story is told traditionally, while the girl's voice is via poem. The perspective switches constantly within chapters, but it's an easy transition because the style is so different. The poetry fits perfectly with the girl and her "garbled" thoughts. IÌýdo haveÌýdifficulty with poetry and that was no different here, especially when the girl would allude to snippets of memory from her previous life. However, most of it was easy enough for me to parse! Most of the time is spent at theÌýDonohue apartment, but KyleÌýoccasionally walks aroundÌýand experiencesÌýthe unusualness of the situation: the dust, the smell, the lack of people on the streets, and the military presence. When Kyle ventures out, I feltÌýthe confusion, theÌýuncertainty, and the sense of community. Those that wereÌýexcluded from that sense of community because of heightened suspicions areÌýbrieflyÌýmentioned.ÌýThe author also didÌýa good job giving a global perspective.ÌýWhile such a large-scale act of war on United States soil may have been rare, terrible tragediesÌýhappen every day.ÌýThe situation gives KyleÌýgreater empathy for his best friend who escaped genocide in his home country.
The characters in this book were my favorite part! I was more interested in the way the characters reacted to their current circumstances than I was in the mystery of the girl's identity.ÌýKyle is such a sweet kid. He grows up so much during the tumultuous week and he really steps up to the plate. There are so many aspects of Kyle's life that I was interested inÌýwatching unfold. Kyle and his dad have a difficult time relating to one another. His dad has traditional views on masculinity and doesn't understand Kyle's sensitivity or his creative pursuits. Kyle develops a crush on the girl, but he feels a sense of duty towards her and is very concerned that acting on his feelings would be taking advantage of her. I especially loved Kyle'sÌýrelationship with Uncle Matt. TheyÌýalready had a close relationship, but Kyle has never had to assume caretaking duties before. I loved the wayÌýthey teasedÌýeach other. I also loved how the girl immediately identified withÌýUncle Matt, who also has a hard time verbalizing his thoughts.
While the book takes place during 9/11, itÌýis mostly about dealing with traumaÌýand uncertainty. Kyle clings to any bit of normalcy. Some of the characters stay in denial to avoid dealing with difficult realities. Others expect the worst and are hesitant to accept hopeful news, in order to avoid being disappointed. ItÌýshowsÌýhow our families can keep usÌýgrounded, even when we have trouble relating to them or they can't be there physically. There is a scene at the end, where the girl looks at her reflectionÌýthat was especially touching.ÌýWhat was your original face before your mother and father were born?
It's hard to believe the 9/11 attacksÌýwereÌýfifteen years ago. It has remained at the forefront of public consciousness.ÌýThe Memory of ThingsÌýcaptures theÌýtime and place so well. It's a thoughtful story with a relatable protagonist. Highly recommended for young adult readers.
(Side Note: I just got used to stories set in the 1980s being historical fiction, and now the 2000s have hit that milestone? :-O)
_______________________
I received this book for free from St. Martin's Griffin & NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. This title will be released on September 6, 2016.
Tuesday, and those planes, they’ve broken something. Permanently. And in the process, they’ve changed everything. And everyone.
September 11, 2001:ÌýTwo planes fly into the Twin Towers.ÌýKyle Donohue's NYC high school is evacuated after they witness the South Tower collapsing. While fleeing to his home on the other side ofÌýthe Brooklyn Bridge, he spots an ash-covered girl wearing costume wings. She looks as if she'sÌýpreparing to leap off the bridge, butÌýKyle convinces her to come home with him. She is confused and has no memory of who she is. When Kyle arrives at his apartment with the girl, only his uncle is at home. Uncle MattÌýmoved in afterÌýhe was paralyzed in a motorcycle accident. Kyle has a lot to worry about:Ìýhis mom and sister are scheduled to fly home from California that day, his father is a first responder who is probablyÌýat the scene of the attack, and his uncle's caretaker is unable to get to work. The phoneÌýserviceÌýisÌýcompletely unreliable, further compounding his fears about his family's welfare. Until theÌýfamily can hopefully reunite, everything is on Kyle's shoulders. HeÌýtries to help the girl regain her memories, but part of him doesn't want her to figure it out. He knows he should take her to the precinct or a hospital, but she refuses and he doesn't want to let her go. She is one piece of hope to cling to during a time of uncertainty.
How can a person get up and go to school on a Tuesday morning, their life all normal and fine, and then a few minutes later, someone they love is dead? How can people be here, then, boom, gone? Life should be more permanent than that.
The whole book takes place over four days: 9/11/01 to 9/14/01. The story alternates between Kyle's and the girl's perspectives. Kyle's part of the story is told traditionally, while the girl's voice is via poem. The perspective switches constantly within chapters, but it's an easy transition because the style is so different. The poetry fits perfectly with the girl and her "garbled" thoughts. IÌýdo haveÌýdifficulty with poetry and that was no different here, especially when the girl would allude to snippets of memory from her previous life. However, most of it was easy enough for me to parse! Most of the time is spent at theÌýDonohue apartment, but KyleÌýoccasionally walks aroundÌýand experiencesÌýthe unusualness of the situation: the dust, the smell, the lack of people on the streets, and the military presence. When Kyle ventures out, I feltÌýthe confusion, theÌýuncertainty, and the sense of community. Those that wereÌýexcluded from that sense of community because of heightened suspicions areÌýbrieflyÌýmentioned.ÌýThe author also didÌýa good job giving a global perspective.ÌýWhile such a large-scale act of war on United States soil may have been rare, terrible tragediesÌýhappen every day.ÌýThe situation gives KyleÌýgreater empathy for his best friend who escaped genocide in his home country.
Change comes in two ways. The first is the blindside way that comes without warning. ... But other times, change comes gradually, in that sure, steady way you can sense coming a mile away. Or maybe a day away. Or, maybe, a few short hours. And since you know it’s coming, you’re supposed to prepare. Brace yourself against the stinging blow. But just because you plant your feet wider, doesn’t mean the blow won’t take you down.
The characters in this book were my favorite part! I was more interested in the way the characters reacted to their current circumstances than I was in the mystery of the girl's identity.ÌýKyle is such a sweet kid. He grows up so much during the tumultuous week and he really steps up to the plate. There are so many aspects of Kyle's life that I was interested inÌýwatching unfold. Kyle and his dad have a difficult time relating to one another. His dad has traditional views on masculinity and doesn't understand Kyle's sensitivity or his creative pursuits. Kyle develops a crush on the girl, but he feels a sense of duty towards her and is very concerned that acting on his feelings would be taking advantage of her. I especially loved Kyle'sÌýrelationship with Uncle Matt. TheyÌýalready had a close relationship, but Kyle has never had to assume caretaking duties before. I loved the wayÌýthey teasedÌýeach other. I also loved how the girl immediately identified withÌýUncle Matt, who also has a hard time verbalizing his thoughts.
“Remember how you asked me earlier how it feels, how I feel, to be me right now? ToÌýrememberÌýthings and not remember? ... Well, it feels like that, Kyle, back there. Like I’mÌýadrift, in soaking wet clothes that are too heavy with the weight of things I don’t even know. And then the water doesn’t drown me but carries me, and for a second it lightens everything a little, and I feel momentarily hopeful. But always, there are things, beneath the waves, threatening to pull me under. And the land is right there, close enough to swim to—I can see it—but I’m not sure I want to come back to shore again. It’s like I’m here, solid, but I’m not connected to anything. I’m completely untethered."
While the book takes place during 9/11, itÌýis mostly about dealing with traumaÌýand uncertainty. Kyle clings to any bit of normalcy. Some of the characters stay in denial to avoid dealing with difficult realities. Others expect the worst and are hesitant to accept hopeful news, in order to avoid being disappointed. ItÌýshowsÌýhow our families can keep usÌýgrounded, even when we have trouble relating to them or they can't be there physically. There is a scene at the end, where the girl looks at her reflectionÌýthat was especially touching.ÌýWhat was your original face before your mother and father were born?
“Sometimes never being ready is the best kind of ready to be.�
It's hard to believe the 9/11 attacksÌýwereÌýfifteen years ago. It has remained at the forefront of public consciousness.ÌýThe Memory of ThingsÌýcaptures theÌýtime and place so well. It's a thoughtful story with a relatable protagonist. Highly recommended for young adult readers.
Are you okay? his eyes ask. I know that’s what he wants to know. And I guess I am. What are my choices? What else am I going to be other than okay?
(Side Note: I just got used to stories set in the 1980s being historical fiction, and now the 2000s have hit that milestone? :-O)
_______________________
I received this book for free from St. Martin's Griffin & NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. This title will be released on September 6, 2016.
July 22, 2019
Serious question: can you get PTSD from just ‘reading� about traumatic events?? Because I was really rattled when reading this.
June 7, 2016
I received this via Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ FirstReads in exchange for an honest review.
----
A touching, poignant story.. the subject matter handled with grace and sensitivity and compassion.
There's a lyrical way to the story as it goes along... the dual POVs were handled well and did a wonderful job putting you in the heads of these two people
Miss Polisner does an amazing job capturing the atmosphere, thoughts, and feelings during and after 9/11. It brought me back to my memories of the day.
I was 16 and in school when it happened, I had been taking a nap and was only half awake when I heard my teacher saying something about the towers but it wasn't long after when we got the news. They evacuated our vo-tech since we were close to Shanksville and sent us back home.
I remember being confused and afraid that day, not wanting to believe the news at first, that such a thing could happen here.
That's what inspired me to sign up for giving blood, my way of helping to my teen mind.
I was wary but hopeful upon reading this and glad to see how everything was done... near the last part of the book I was tearing up quite a bit.
The romance is tender and delicate but also beautiful in its own way... it is in the background but it also flows with the story.
This is a book that should beread by everyone and in every library.
----
A touching, poignant story.. the subject matter handled with grace and sensitivity and compassion.
There's a lyrical way to the story as it goes along... the dual POVs were handled well and did a wonderful job putting you in the heads of these two people
Miss Polisner does an amazing job capturing the atmosphere, thoughts, and feelings during and after 9/11. It brought me back to my memories of the day.
I was 16 and in school when it happened, I had been taking a nap and was only half awake when I heard my teacher saying something about the towers but it wasn't long after when we got the news. They evacuated our vo-tech since we were close to Shanksville and sent us back home.
I remember being confused and afraid that day, not wanting to believe the news at first, that such a thing could happen here.
That's what inspired me to sign up for giving blood, my way of helping to my teen mind.
I was wary but hopeful upon reading this and glad to see how everything was done... near the last part of the book I was tearing up quite a bit.
The romance is tender and delicate but also beautiful in its own way... it is in the background but it also flows with the story.
This is a book that should beread by everyone and in every library.
Want to read
September 4, 2016I've lived in New York for a long time, which made me a bit wary of this book's subject matter. Has it really been fifteen years since that day? It feels like an eternity ago; it feels like yesterday.
The only 9/11 book I've really been able to read and enjoy was Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close. I'm not sure any book could top that one for me, but overall, I thought The Memory of Things was a moving and well-crafted story.
The book takes place on the morning of September 11, 2001, and opens as Kyle is fleeing from his downtown school as the first tower falls. He's headed over the Brooklyn Bridge when something catches his eye - a girl wearing costume wings, huddled on the bridge. Concerned for her, he goes back and convinces her to accompany him home.
I'd like to talk about the girl (without spoilers) because she's entwined in the story in ways that I had complicated feelings about. On the positive side, Kyle's rescue of her is the beginning of his stepping up into a new role of caregiver and family rock. At the time of the attacks, Kyle's mom and sibling are in California. His dad, a cop who's part of a Terrorism Task Force, is at work. Kyle's left home alone to deal with the mystery girl and his Uncle Matt, who's confined to a wheelchair after a motorcycle accident.
The girl has some sort of amnesia issue, and her POV is inserted sporadically into the story as poetry. I'm not at all a fan of narrative in verse, but I actually thought that translating the disjointed thoughts of an amnesia victim into poetry made a lot of sense. (I still didn't really love those parts, tbh, but thought it was a creative choice.) So Kyle has two main jobs: take care of his uncle, and help the girl figure out who she is.
Another thing I liked most about the story was that I thought it got a lot of details right. Obviously, everyone's 9/11 memories are different, but the book made me relive some of mine. The flyers. Right after the attack, the families of the missing made flyers with photos and descriptions of their loved ones and taped them up all over the city. For me, those flyers came to represent all the feelings I had about that terrible time. The flyers were so heartbreaking, and even more so when the people of New York collectively began to realize that all those people were forever lost. I will never forget looking at all those faces, so young and alive in their smiling photos. I will also remember the kindness and strength of so many, whether they were volunteers working on "the pile," or people lined up to donate blood that wasn't needed, or neighbors collecting supplies that might have never reached anyone who needed them, or all of us checking in on each other. I think everyone just wanted to feel like they were doing something useful, because there was really nothing we could do.
Kyle seemed to feel this way too, which is I guess the reason for the mystery girl. I must confess that I might have liked the story better without her, with just Kyle trying to hold his family together. But that's hard to say, since she is an integral part of the story.
If you enjoy books with lyrical or poetic elements, this is definitely a book for you. I remain a fan of Gae Polisner and look forward to her next book.
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Thanks to the publisher for providing a free advance copy of this book for me to review.
The only 9/11 book I've really been able to read and enjoy was Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close. I'm not sure any book could top that one for me, but overall, I thought The Memory of Things was a moving and well-crafted story.
The book takes place on the morning of September 11, 2001, and opens as Kyle is fleeing from his downtown school as the first tower falls. He's headed over the Brooklyn Bridge when something catches his eye - a girl wearing costume wings, huddled on the bridge. Concerned for her, he goes back and convinces her to accompany him home.
I'd like to talk about the girl (without spoilers) because she's entwined in the story in ways that I had complicated feelings about. On the positive side, Kyle's rescue of her is the beginning of his stepping up into a new role of caregiver and family rock. At the time of the attacks, Kyle's mom and sibling are in California. His dad, a cop who's part of a Terrorism Task Force, is at work. Kyle's left home alone to deal with the mystery girl and his Uncle Matt, who's confined to a wheelchair after a motorcycle accident.
The girl has some sort of amnesia issue, and her POV is inserted sporadically into the story as poetry. I'm not at all a fan of narrative in verse, but I actually thought that translating the disjointed thoughts of an amnesia victim into poetry made a lot of sense. (I still didn't really love those parts, tbh, but thought it was a creative choice.) So Kyle has two main jobs: take care of his uncle, and help the girl figure out who she is.
Another thing I liked most about the story was that I thought it got a lot of details right. Obviously, everyone's 9/11 memories are different, but the book made me relive some of mine. The flyers. Right after the attack, the families of the missing made flyers with photos and descriptions of their loved ones and taped them up all over the city. For me, those flyers came to represent all the feelings I had about that terrible time. The flyers were so heartbreaking, and even more so when the people of New York collectively began to realize that all those people were forever lost. I will never forget looking at all those faces, so young and alive in their smiling photos. I will also remember the kindness and strength of so many, whether they were volunteers working on "the pile," or people lined up to donate blood that wasn't needed, or neighbors collecting supplies that might have never reached anyone who needed them, or all of us checking in on each other. I think everyone just wanted to feel like they were doing something useful, because there was really nothing we could do.
Kyle seemed to feel this way too, which is I guess the reason for the mystery girl. I must confess that I might have liked the story better without her, with just Kyle trying to hold his family together. But that's hard to say, since she is an integral part of the story.
If you enjoy books with lyrical or poetic elements, this is definitely a book for you. I remain a fan of Gae Polisner and look forward to her next book.
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Thanks to the publisher for providing a free advance copy of this book for me to review.
August 10, 2016
Finished The Memory of Things by Gae Polisner. I received a copy for review.
This book begins during the attack on 9/11. Kyle's dad is a first responder and Kyle knows his dad is at ground zero, trying to help. His mom and little sister are in California, where Kerri is trying to be an actress. His uncle is almost paralyzed after an accident. There's a lot on his plate even before you factor in the girl he met on his way home. (The girl had angel wings on and a case of amnesia. So who is she, where did she cone from and does anyone know where she is?)
I read an early version of this and was so excited to snag a copy at ALA. As you know, I am a huge fan of Gae Polisner and this book didn't let me down. The early version was incredible but this is a masterpiece.
Yes, it's about arguably the worst day in our country's history but it's also about a family, and resiliency and hope. To put it simply, it's absolutely perfect.
Highly recommended.
This book begins during the attack on 9/11. Kyle's dad is a first responder and Kyle knows his dad is at ground zero, trying to help. His mom and little sister are in California, where Kerri is trying to be an actress. His uncle is almost paralyzed after an accident. There's a lot on his plate even before you factor in the girl he met on his way home. (The girl had angel wings on and a case of amnesia. So who is she, where did she cone from and does anyone know where she is?)
I read an early version of this and was so excited to snag a copy at ALA. As you know, I am a huge fan of Gae Polisner and this book didn't let me down. The early version was incredible but this is a masterpiece.
Yes, it's about arguably the worst day in our country's history but it's also about a family, and resiliency and hope. To put it simply, it's absolutely perfect.
Highly recommended.
August 1, 2016
I requested this on a whim, as it don't usually pick up things that are bound to be angsty.
I liked Kyle well enough. He's a typical boy in an atypical situation and I enjoyed being in his head. The interactions with his Uncle Matt were some of my favorite scenes and I was a bit surprised at that. In the brief span of the story, Kyle shows a lot of growth.
The story arc was interesting and I loved the snippets of the girl's POV that we got. I will admit that it was a bit confusing at first, but it was a really effective way to show her mindset.
Overall, it wasn't at all what I expected. It was quite a unique read with a hopeful ending that was reminiscent to how the country was feeling after the horrible attacks happened.
**Huge thanks to St. Martin's Griffin and NetGalley for providing the arc in exchange for an honest review**
I liked Kyle well enough. He's a typical boy in an atypical situation and I enjoyed being in his head. The interactions with his Uncle Matt were some of my favorite scenes and I was a bit surprised at that. In the brief span of the story, Kyle shows a lot of growth.
The story arc was interesting and I loved the snippets of the girl's POV that we got. I will admit that it was a bit confusing at first, but it was a really effective way to show her mindset.
Overall, it wasn't at all what I expected. It was quite a unique read with a hopeful ending that was reminiscent to how the country was feeling after the horrible attacks happened.
**Huge thanks to St. Martin's Griffin and NetGalley for providing the arc in exchange for an honest review**
October 15, 2016
I read this is one sitting I just couldn't put it down it was so good. Thoroughly enjoyed myself reading this young adult post 9 11 story. Anyone recommend more books about Sept 11?
September 4, 2016
For those of us not in NY on 9/11 it's difficult to imagine what it was like to be close to the tragedy that unfolded. While we could only sit and watch the plane fly into the tower and the towers collapsing over and over on our TVs, we had no sense of what is was like to be there, on the streets as ordinary New Yorkers going about their daily business. The author, Gae Polisner stated at the end of this novel that she had to wait many years to write this novel as the events were too raw and horrific and she needed to wait until NY had started to heal and hope.
In this novel, the author has written an excellent account of how Kyle, an ordinary 16 year old coped when forced to flee from his school near Ground Zero. Along the way he finds a teenage girl wearing angel wings and covered in ash, who is lost and disorientated. She doesn't know her name or what has happened so he takes her her home to Brooklyn. Kyle's father is with the NYPD so Kyle knows he is in the thick of things and his mother and sister are stuck in LA after their flight is cancelled. All he can do is wait it out on his own for a week, caring for himself and the girl and for his Uncle Matt who is recovering from a brain and spinal injury after a car accident.
This is a sweet coming of age story as Kyle grows up quickly and realises how much he loves his family. He works with his Uncle Matt on memory games to help him get back his previously prodigious memory affected by his head injury. This is also a sweet teenage romance as Kyle and the girl get to know each other and Kyle tries to help her remember what happened and who she is. It is a story about memory and healing and while it doesn't dwell on the horrific events of 9/11 it does bring home what it was like for the residents of NY on that tragic day.
With thanks to Netgalley and the publisher St Martin's Press for a digital copy of the book to read and review
In this novel, the author has written an excellent account of how Kyle, an ordinary 16 year old coped when forced to flee from his school near Ground Zero. Along the way he finds a teenage girl wearing angel wings and covered in ash, who is lost and disorientated. She doesn't know her name or what has happened so he takes her her home to Brooklyn. Kyle's father is with the NYPD so Kyle knows he is in the thick of things and his mother and sister are stuck in LA after their flight is cancelled. All he can do is wait it out on his own for a week, caring for himself and the girl and for his Uncle Matt who is recovering from a brain and spinal injury after a car accident.
This is a sweet coming of age story as Kyle grows up quickly and realises how much he loves his family. He works with his Uncle Matt on memory games to help him get back his previously prodigious memory affected by his head injury. This is also a sweet teenage romance as Kyle and the girl get to know each other and Kyle tries to help her remember what happened and who she is. It is a story about memory and healing and while it doesn't dwell on the horrific events of 9/11 it does bring home what it was like for the residents of NY on that tragic day.
With thanks to Netgalley and the publisher St Martin's Press for a digital copy of the book to read and review
February 5, 2017
This was an average read for me. I know it's a YA book but personally I felt like it needed a lot more depth and emotion to really shine. That might sound weird seeing how it's a book that kind of revolves around 9/11 and the aftermath of that but I really just wanted more from the story and the two main characters. I feel like I'll forget about this book, it's not really going to stand out from everything else I have read.
What I liked:
-The positivity.
-The sense of unity in New York after the attacks.
What I disliked:
-The dialogue. I didn't think it was done well.
-The girl's AWFUL inner-monologue. It was like cryptic poetry (not the good kind) and I hated it. Perhaps if they alternated chapters it wouldn't have been so bad but it changed too much from Kyle's perspective to hers and it disrupted the pace too and made it super choppy.
Meh things:
-The writing.
-The story.
-The romance.
-The characters.
-My feelings toward this book.
It is a quick read and if you're in the mood for something light and uplifting then maybe this is for you but I wouldn't really recommend it.
*I received a copy from the publishers on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"How can a person get up and go to school on a Tuesday morning, their life all normal and fine, and then a few minutes later, someone they love is dead? How can people be here, then, boom, gone? Life should be more permanent than that."
What I liked:
-The positivity.
-The sense of unity in New York after the attacks.
What I disliked:
-The dialogue. I didn't think it was done well.
-The girl's AWFUL inner-monologue. It was like cryptic poetry (not the good kind) and I hated it. Perhaps if they alternated chapters it wouldn't have been so bad but it changed too much from Kyle's perspective to hers and it disrupted the pace too and made it super choppy.
Meh things:
-The writing.
-The story.
-The romance.
-The characters.
-My feelings toward this book.
It is a quick read and if you're in the mood for something light and uplifting then maybe this is for you but I wouldn't really recommend it.
*I received a copy from the publishers on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"How can a person get up and go to school on a Tuesday morning, their life all normal and fine, and then a few minutes later, someone they love is dead? How can people be here, then, boom, gone? Life should be more permanent than that."
October 10, 2016
So...I was denied the NetGalley ARC for this one. So sad! But...I requested that my library order a copy and they did! So excited to read it once it is released.
I got it anyway....
I got it anyway....
September 21, 2016
Gae Polisner's best book yet. An incredible addition to books about 9/11 as well as a tender and honest story about family, love, and hope.
April 23, 2016
In many ways, this book was hard to read for me: it brought back my own memories of watching nonstop coverage of 9/11 and hearing the jets scramble over my house, flying from the nearby military bases.
But my students don't have those memories. They don't know what it was like that day, and through fiction, this book creates a way to imagine what life was like for a New York City teen on those horrific early days. Told with nuance and compassion, The Memory of Things opens a door to the past that helps build empathy for the real life survivors of that day, and by extension for other acts of terrorism and tragedy. Polisner's artful connection of 9/11 to the Ugandan genocide doesn't feel forced and instead invites the reader, as Kyle, the protagonist does, to step back and see more than just an American perspective. Rather, Kyle and the reader are encouraged to consider the horrors of war and terrorism in a larger, global context.
Perhaps most important to the building of empathy is the finesse Polisner has in showing how easy it is to feel overwhelming emotions and helplessness in the face of mass tragedy but how hard it is to help those closest to us with the daily hardships of personal tragedy and grief. Kyle's uncle Matt, a former NY emergency responder recovering from a motorcycle accident, allows Kyle to understand how the daily routines of caring for others is the core of compassion, more than flowers and candles. This reframing of family relationships gives the story its heart, rather than feeling like a "historical event" book that looks at history over the shoulder of a teenage narrator.
The center of the book is Kyle struggling to help a teen girl, covered in ash and wearing wings while standing on the Brooklyn Bridge, remember who she is. Poliser's literal poetry provides the girl's interior monologue, gradually revealing the guilt and pain that come with the friction all families face in the struggles humans face.
Perhaps what I love most is that Polisner captures how extreme crisis provides moments of deep connections between strangers, connections that often don't continue but are part of coping with that event, a possibility of revealing inner selves in a way that is compressed and heightended but, ultimately, not necessarily enduring beyond that event.
This book could have missed the mark in so many ways--it chooses compassion over mawkishness, small griefs over hyperbole, intimate over sensationalist. I can't imagine anyone else telling this story with such depth. Where many "historical event" books are focused on the disaster, just a tragic event and some aftermath, Polisner slows down that week to show how the horror and grief were processed, how the lenses we use shape our understanding and how we cope, and how the stories we tell ourselves make us who we are.
But my students don't have those memories. They don't know what it was like that day, and through fiction, this book creates a way to imagine what life was like for a New York City teen on those horrific early days. Told with nuance and compassion, The Memory of Things opens a door to the past that helps build empathy for the real life survivors of that day, and by extension for other acts of terrorism and tragedy. Polisner's artful connection of 9/11 to the Ugandan genocide doesn't feel forced and instead invites the reader, as Kyle, the protagonist does, to step back and see more than just an American perspective. Rather, Kyle and the reader are encouraged to consider the horrors of war and terrorism in a larger, global context.
Perhaps most important to the building of empathy is the finesse Polisner has in showing how easy it is to feel overwhelming emotions and helplessness in the face of mass tragedy but how hard it is to help those closest to us with the daily hardships of personal tragedy and grief. Kyle's uncle Matt, a former NY emergency responder recovering from a motorcycle accident, allows Kyle to understand how the daily routines of caring for others is the core of compassion, more than flowers and candles. This reframing of family relationships gives the story its heart, rather than feeling like a "historical event" book that looks at history over the shoulder of a teenage narrator.
The center of the book is Kyle struggling to help a teen girl, covered in ash and wearing wings while standing on the Brooklyn Bridge, remember who she is. Poliser's literal poetry provides the girl's interior monologue, gradually revealing the guilt and pain that come with the friction all families face in the struggles humans face.
Perhaps what I love most is that Polisner captures how extreme crisis provides moments of deep connections between strangers, connections that often don't continue but are part of coping with that event, a possibility of revealing inner selves in a way that is compressed and heightended but, ultimately, not necessarily enduring beyond that event.
This book could have missed the mark in so many ways--it chooses compassion over mawkishness, small griefs over hyperbole, intimate over sensationalist. I can't imagine anyone else telling this story with such depth. Where many "historical event" books are focused on the disaster, just a tragic event and some aftermath, Polisner slows down that week to show how the horror and grief were processed, how the lenses we use shape our understanding and how we cope, and how the stories we tell ourselves make us who we are.
August 1, 2016
I read this one out loud with my oldest daughter - part of my review includes the actual reading experience and her opinion too...so it's important you know a little background - my daughter is 17, and has autism - and perhaps while she struggles with some social skills, she still very much goes through the similar emotions and trials and has similar desires of most other teenagers her age. She finds reading an effortful, not overly enjoyable, but rather necessary, task - but enjoys stories and being read to - so I look for stories/books that are age appropriate, have teenaged characters, especially those who achieve personal growth throughout the story...I look for stories that show a lot of internal dialogue and emotion. I look for something that is not too abstract, that is rooted largely in realism. These things are all for my daughter's benefit - both to enjoy and to learn, and to perhaps feel validated in her own thinking. It also helps me to open up conversations, as well as gives me references to use in future situations. But there's one more factor - I want to enjoy it too.
This book did all of that for me, for my daughter. It had great realistic characters, with plenty of internal dialogue, dealing with tough emotion that even made my voice crack while I was reading it. And it opened up a conversation about a not-so-long ago historical event that changed lives - My daughter was merely two when the twin towers came down, my son a mere one month old - I was able to tell her exactly what we were doing and where we were and how I was feeling when it happened, and for weeks afterward. And I think this book does a beautiful job of revealing just how personal this event was for each and every person.
Just a note on "The Girl's" internal dialogue - The story was mostly told from Kyle's point of view - a 16 year old boy, the son of a detective, but once in a while we hear the girl's thoughts - they were disjointed, full of mystery, seemingly discombobulated. Her point of view threw me at first - written almost in free verse poetry...it was a little offputting at first to be honest....then soon I explained it away as disjointed because of trauma and other situation which I don't want to reveal here....it eventually smooths out a little more into more complete thought and eventually all her thoughts are revealed, explained - so to the reader who perhaps might put the book down based on this change of writing, I encourage you to be open - it all makes sense....and perhaps maybe nobody else will even flinch at this - I'm a little more sensitive to things that my daughter may struggle with understanding - but I think she got it faster than I gave her credit for !
Beautiful book, beautiful characters, beautiful story, and best of all a beautiful reading experience for my daughter and I. A huge thank you to St. Martin's Press, NetGalley and Gae Polisner for the opportunity to read and review this story. A strong 5 stars from this parent, and just as strong 5 stars from my daughter, regardless that she was looking for a slightly different ending, a fairy-tale ending - which gives us lots to discuss too....and the opportunity to predict how perhaps Kyle's story continues after the last page.
This book did all of that for me, for my daughter. It had great realistic characters, with plenty of internal dialogue, dealing with tough emotion that even made my voice crack while I was reading it. And it opened up a conversation about a not-so-long ago historical event that changed lives - My daughter was merely two when the twin towers came down, my son a mere one month old - I was able to tell her exactly what we were doing and where we were and how I was feeling when it happened, and for weeks afterward. And I think this book does a beautiful job of revealing just how personal this event was for each and every person.
Just a note on "The Girl's" internal dialogue - The story was mostly told from Kyle's point of view - a 16 year old boy, the son of a detective, but once in a while we hear the girl's thoughts - they were disjointed, full of mystery, seemingly discombobulated. Her point of view threw me at first - written almost in free verse poetry...it was a little offputting at first to be honest....then soon I explained it away as disjointed because of trauma and other situation which I don't want to reveal here....it eventually smooths out a little more into more complete thought and eventually all her thoughts are revealed, explained - so to the reader who perhaps might put the book down based on this change of writing, I encourage you to be open - it all makes sense....and perhaps maybe nobody else will even flinch at this - I'm a little more sensitive to things that my daughter may struggle with understanding - but I think she got it faster than I gave her credit for !
Beautiful book, beautiful characters, beautiful story, and best of all a beautiful reading experience for my daughter and I. A huge thank you to St. Martin's Press, NetGalley and Gae Polisner for the opportunity to read and review this story. A strong 5 stars from this parent, and just as strong 5 stars from my daughter, regardless that she was looking for a slightly different ending, a fairy-tale ending - which gives us lots to discuss too....and the opportunity to predict how perhaps Kyle's story continues after the last page.
October 26, 2016
Can't wrap my mind around this thing...4.26 on Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ??? I mean...I'd rather read John Green for the rest of the year than finishing this boring story about teen hormonal impulse amidst the debris from 9/11 attack (even my poorly written description sounds better than what the book actually delivers). Just gonna DNF this for now.
Random thoughts:
- Stop describing excessively how you want to kiss the girl. It's been more than half the book already so just do something ok
- Emotional, probably yes. Powerful, gripping, intriguing, or moving, no.
- *YAWN*
- Did not like the scattered thoughts from the girl's POV at all. Maybe that's just me but I find it pretty annoying.
- Nothing happened in the book except of course the twin towers fell down (the images still burn brightly in the back of my mind, and that has nothing to do with this book, thank you very much)
- *YAWN*
- I didn't feel connected with any of the characters.
- *YAWN*
Random thoughts:
- Stop describing excessively how you want to kiss the girl. It's been more than half the book already so just do something ok
- Emotional, probably yes. Powerful, gripping, intriguing, or moving, no.
- *YAWN*
- Did not like the scattered thoughts from the girl's POV at all. Maybe that's just me but I find it pretty annoying.
- Nothing happened in the book except of course the twin towers fell down (the images still burn brightly in the back of my mind, and that has nothing to do with this book, thank you very much)
- *YAWN*
- I didn't feel connected with any of the characters.
- *YAWN*
December 2, 2022
I think I got whiplash from how constant the POVs changed.
[REVIEW]
*Trigger/content warnings in this book for cancer (mentioned), death/loss of a loved one (in the past), mentions of the 9/11 attack (depictions of the planes crashing into the towers, searching for bodies), PTSD, rape (mentioned), suicidal ideation, and toxic masculinity*
I would say that this was just okay, but honestly, I have A LOT of mixed about this. On the one hand, I really enjoyed the themes surrounding family and the way Poliser described the emotional atmosphere after 9/11. On the other hand, I finished this book not being WOWED or moved by anything. Even though I liked the ending, when I reflected on the story overall, I kept thinking about everything that bothered me including the pacing, the insta love, and the CONSTANT switch of POVs.
WHAT I LIKED:
•Polisner did a wonderful job depicting all of the emotions everyone went through on 9/11. I was eleven months old when 9/11 happened, so I have no memories of that day. But I can imagine it must’ve been as nerve-racking as it was for Kyle, Hannah, and the rest of New York City. The fear for the safety family members and friends. Not knowing what would happen next. Waiting for answers. It was all emotionally overwhelming, but in a good way.
•I’ve come to realize this year that I love books centering around family, and The Memory of Things was no exception. Reading about Kyle and his family had me worried for them, and wanting them to finally reunite. When Kyle saw his dad again, I even found myself tearing up. I even did worry that his dad would die for second. Even though I wish Kyle had been a little happier to see his mom and sister, I was glad that he at least got to see them again.
•Like I said in the beginning, this book contained insta love. I’ll rant about that in “My Critiques�. With that said, I AM glad with how Kyle and Hannah handled their relationship at the end. That they understood that what they felt for each other wasn’t going to last forever. That it would be unrealistic to think they’d work out if they tried long distance, especially in high school (not to say long distance relationships NEVER works. It just seemed like it wouldn’t work in Kyle and Hannah’s case). The ending wasn’t a happy one, but it also didn’t leave off hopeless and pessimistic. I think that was the perfect tone to end it on.
MY CRITIQUES:
•The pacing was off for the majority of the book. At first, it was pretty fast-paced, with Kyle witnessing the attack and then rescuing Hannah. But after that, the story just dragged until the end. Don’t get me wrong, I didn’t expect this to be an action-packed book. I just thought we’d read about Kyle and Hannah trying to figure out who she is and her past, all while Kyle tries to reunite with his family. Which IS what we got. But…it focused a lot more on Kyle than Hannah. And then them falling in love with each other. Sometimes we’d go PAGES without reading about Kyle and Hannah trying to help jog Hannah’s memory, and that was annoying.
•Hannah’s POV especially dragged the story. I honestly thought her POV could’ve been taken out and not much would’ve changed. She sometimes just talked about the setting or how she was feeling, but it didn’t add anything new to the story. Like, yes, she did occasionally bring up memories. But I wish we’d seen more of them come to her as her memory returned.
•Alright, let’s rant about the insta-love:
First of all, I did not even expect this to have a romantic subplot. I honestly thought that Kyle and Hannah would just become friends and nothing else. But as soon as Kyle started checking Hannah out, I was like, “You’ve GOT to be kidding me…�
What’s worse is that Kyle and Hannah went through ALL of the typical stages of falling in love—catching feelings, holding hands, kissing, making out, and touching each other—within a couple of days. I did not understand WHAT they liked about each other, other than they found the other physically attractive. While I am glad they decided not to date by the end, I wish they’d just been friends the whole time.
•My least favorite part about this was how constant POVs changed. The switch of POVs was like watching a tennis match. One moment we were in Kyle’s head, the next moment we were in Hannah’s. Or we’d be in Kyle’s head for a while, and suddenly we’d switch to Hannah’s for a sentence or two. And this made many of the switches SO awkward and unnecessary. For example, when it was revealed who Hannah’s father was, it kept going back and forth between Hannah POV of explaining her backstory and then Kyle’s POVs of his reactions to it. I could’ve done without reading Kyle’s POV. We could’ve just had Hannah observe Kyle’s reactions.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
So did I enjoy this? Not exactly. But did I hate it? Not that either. I didn’t hate it enough to want to DNF it. But so many things about this bothered me.
Because of my mixed feelings, I’m not sure if I’d recommend The Memory of Things. I don’t think this’ll be a book for everyone. Perhaps if you enjoy family themes, you might like this. But if you decide to read this, know that there is A LOT of head hopping.
Despite my mixed feelings, though, I will try Gae Polisner’s other books.
[REVIEW]
*Trigger/content warnings in this book for cancer (mentioned), death/loss of a loved one (in the past), mentions of the 9/11 attack (depictions of the planes crashing into the towers, searching for bodies), PTSD, rape (mentioned), suicidal ideation, and toxic masculinity*
I would say that this was just okay, but honestly, I have A LOT of mixed about this. On the one hand, I really enjoyed the themes surrounding family and the way Poliser described the emotional atmosphere after 9/11. On the other hand, I finished this book not being WOWED or moved by anything. Even though I liked the ending, when I reflected on the story overall, I kept thinking about everything that bothered me including the pacing, the insta love, and the CONSTANT switch of POVs.
WHAT I LIKED:
•Polisner did a wonderful job depicting all of the emotions everyone went through on 9/11. I was eleven months old when 9/11 happened, so I have no memories of that day. But I can imagine it must’ve been as nerve-racking as it was for Kyle, Hannah, and the rest of New York City. The fear for the safety family members and friends. Not knowing what would happen next. Waiting for answers. It was all emotionally overwhelming, but in a good way.
•I’ve come to realize this year that I love books centering around family, and The Memory of Things was no exception. Reading about Kyle and his family had me worried for them, and wanting them to finally reunite. When Kyle saw his dad again, I even found myself tearing up. I even did worry that his dad would die for second. Even though I wish Kyle had been a little happier to see his mom and sister, I was glad that he at least got to see them again.
•Like I said in the beginning, this book contained insta love. I’ll rant about that in “My Critiques�. With that said, I AM glad with how Kyle and Hannah handled their relationship at the end. That they understood that what they felt for each other wasn’t going to last forever. That it would be unrealistic to think they’d work out if they tried long distance, especially in high school (not to say long distance relationships NEVER works. It just seemed like it wouldn’t work in Kyle and Hannah’s case). The ending wasn’t a happy one, but it also didn’t leave off hopeless and pessimistic. I think that was the perfect tone to end it on.
MY CRITIQUES:
•The pacing was off for the majority of the book. At first, it was pretty fast-paced, with Kyle witnessing the attack and then rescuing Hannah. But after that, the story just dragged until the end. Don’t get me wrong, I didn’t expect this to be an action-packed book. I just thought we’d read about Kyle and Hannah trying to figure out who she is and her past, all while Kyle tries to reunite with his family. Which IS what we got. But…it focused a lot more on Kyle than Hannah. And then them falling in love with each other. Sometimes we’d go PAGES without reading about Kyle and Hannah trying to help jog Hannah’s memory, and that was annoying.
•Hannah’s POV especially dragged the story. I honestly thought her POV could’ve been taken out and not much would’ve changed. She sometimes just talked about the setting or how she was feeling, but it didn’t add anything new to the story. Like, yes, she did occasionally bring up memories. But I wish we’d seen more of them come to her as her memory returned.
•Alright, let’s rant about the insta-love:
First of all, I did not even expect this to have a romantic subplot. I honestly thought that Kyle and Hannah would just become friends and nothing else. But as soon as Kyle started checking Hannah out, I was like, “You’ve GOT to be kidding me…�
What’s worse is that Kyle and Hannah went through ALL of the typical stages of falling in love—catching feelings, holding hands, kissing, making out, and touching each other—within a couple of days. I did not understand WHAT they liked about each other, other than they found the other physically attractive. While I am glad they decided not to date by the end, I wish they’d just been friends the whole time.
•My least favorite part about this was how constant POVs changed. The switch of POVs was like watching a tennis match. One moment we were in Kyle’s head, the next moment we were in Hannah’s. Or we’d be in Kyle’s head for a while, and suddenly we’d switch to Hannah’s for a sentence or two. And this made many of the switches SO awkward and unnecessary. For example, when it was revealed who Hannah’s father was, it kept going back and forth between Hannah POV of explaining her backstory and then Kyle’s POVs of his reactions to it. I could’ve done without reading Kyle’s POV. We could’ve just had Hannah observe Kyle’s reactions.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
So did I enjoy this? Not exactly. But did I hate it? Not that either. I didn’t hate it enough to want to DNF it. But so many things about this bothered me.
Because of my mixed feelings, I’m not sure if I’d recommend The Memory of Things. I don’t think this’ll be a book for everyone. Perhaps if you enjoy family themes, you might like this. But if you decide to read this, know that there is A LOT of head hopping.
Despite my mixed feelings, though, I will try Gae Polisner’s other books.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 27, 2016
4.5 stars
The Memory of Things is a touching, poignant story about two teenagers who meet in the days following the terrorist attacks on 9/11. Kyle is at school in Manhattan when the first tower is hit. The school sends the kids home, and Kyle heads across the Brooklyn Bridge towards his home. As he is crossing the bridge, he sees a girl cowering in the corner who looks shell-shocked and is covered with soot and grime from the building attacks. In the midst of the chaos and trauma, Kyle decides to bring her home with him and then try and help her find her family. He is on his own because his father is a NYPD detective most likely helping with the disaster and his mom and sister are in California. Polisner tells the story in alternating viewpoints as Kyle attempts to help the mysterious girl who has lost her memory. As the story unfolds, she begins to remember isolated snippets but struggles with the inability to even recall her own name let alone her family. I felt the resulting story was satisfying and realistic.
Polisner’s in-depth descriptions of the immediate aftermath of the attacks are incredible. As I read those sections, I decided she must have lived through the attack personally to be able to depict it as she did. There is a wonderful Author’s Note at the end where Polisner details her personal experience during 9/11 and what drove her to write this novel. Her Author’s Note really added to an already fabulous novel.
The Memory of Things is a fabulous read that is both uplifting and haunting. A huge thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the chance to read this novel in exchange for an honest review.
The Memory of Things is a touching, poignant story about two teenagers who meet in the days following the terrorist attacks on 9/11. Kyle is at school in Manhattan when the first tower is hit. The school sends the kids home, and Kyle heads across the Brooklyn Bridge towards his home. As he is crossing the bridge, he sees a girl cowering in the corner who looks shell-shocked and is covered with soot and grime from the building attacks. In the midst of the chaos and trauma, Kyle decides to bring her home with him and then try and help her find her family. He is on his own because his father is a NYPD detective most likely helping with the disaster and his mom and sister are in California. Polisner tells the story in alternating viewpoints as Kyle attempts to help the mysterious girl who has lost her memory. As the story unfolds, she begins to remember isolated snippets but struggles with the inability to even recall her own name let alone her family. I felt the resulting story was satisfying and realistic.
Polisner’s in-depth descriptions of the immediate aftermath of the attacks are incredible. As I read those sections, I decided she must have lived through the attack personally to be able to depict it as she did. There is a wonderful Author’s Note at the end where Polisner details her personal experience during 9/11 and what drove her to write this novel. Her Author’s Note really added to an already fabulous novel.
The Memory of Things is a fabulous read that is both uplifting and haunting. A huge thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the chance to read this novel in exchange for an honest review.
November 21, 2016
On 9/11, I was home, glued to the TV with an electrician who, instead of installing recessed lights in our living room, stood beside me staring at the screen. It's a day I'll never forget.
So how does one do justice to one of the worst days in American history? Gae Polisner did it! THE MEMORY OF THINGS is a tender, deeply moving story of two teens grappling with the terrorist attack. The story moves seamlessly between a girl in angel wings and Kyle, a boy who finds her huddling on the Brooklyn Bridge, possibly getting ready to jump over the side. He takes care of her, brings her to his home, where his disabled uncle needs tending. Kyle does so beautifully.
Readers will slowly find out who this mystery angel girl is as she begins to recall bits and pieces of her life amidst the tragedy of the collapse of the Twin Towers.
There are many layers to this story, as Gae reveals Kyle's terror to connect with his father, a police officer down at Ground Zero, his uncle Paul, who also is a police officer, his mom and sister, who are supposed to be on a flight from California to NYC, and all his friends and their families, and their reaction to the attack and the losses they face.
The way the story unfolds is sensitive, painful, filled with humanity. It's filled with disbelief, sadness, grief, love, and hope. The "Author's Note" brought tears to my eyes.
THE MEMORY OF THINGS is Kyle's family's story. It's Angel Wings Girl's story. And Gae did an outstanding job of capturing their 9/11 experience to share a universal grief and healing with the world!
Brava, Gae!!! I highly recommend this novel.
Book received in a Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ giveaway. Thank you.
So how does one do justice to one of the worst days in American history? Gae Polisner did it! THE MEMORY OF THINGS is a tender, deeply moving story of two teens grappling with the terrorist attack. The story moves seamlessly between a girl in angel wings and Kyle, a boy who finds her huddling on the Brooklyn Bridge, possibly getting ready to jump over the side. He takes care of her, brings her to his home, where his disabled uncle needs tending. Kyle does so beautifully.
Readers will slowly find out who this mystery angel girl is as she begins to recall bits and pieces of her life amidst the tragedy of the collapse of the Twin Towers.
There are many layers to this story, as Gae reveals Kyle's terror to connect with his father, a police officer down at Ground Zero, his uncle Paul, who also is a police officer, his mom and sister, who are supposed to be on a flight from California to NYC, and all his friends and their families, and their reaction to the attack and the losses they face.
The way the story unfolds is sensitive, painful, filled with humanity. It's filled with disbelief, sadness, grief, love, and hope. The "Author's Note" brought tears to my eyes.
THE MEMORY OF THINGS is Kyle's family's story. It's Angel Wings Girl's story. And Gae did an outstanding job of capturing their 9/11 experience to share a universal grief and healing with the world!
Brava, Gae!!! I highly recommend this novel.
Book received in a Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ giveaway. Thank you.
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