Memory Girl

July 1, 2016
For most teenagers, fitting in is a high priority. But for some, remaining independent is even more important.Jennza and the rest of her born-mates have been raised knowing that when they turn 15 they'll be chosen by one of ShareHaven's families. They'll receive the memories of a family member lost to an accident, bringing that person back to life. Most are eager to take their place in society, hoping to be chosen for a life already proven productive and happy, welcomed back by parents, siblings, spouses, and offspring. But for Jennza, the Celebraze isn't a happy occasion; it's a fearful one. Once chosen, she'll have to give up her memories...and aren't her memories what make her unique? Jennza's always been a bit curious, a bit different, someone who likes to climb fences and explore by the sea. She's even found a new creature she's adopted as her pet, Petal, part sea creature, part lizard, all playful affection. Jennza is sure there's more to the world and to life. Singleton's plot treads familiar genre ground, from world-specific vocabulary, much of it capitalized, to a first-person, present-tense narration that's frequently expository. Racial categories do not seem to exist, and characters' skin color tends to be described only when it's nonwhite. This familiar-feeling novel nevertheless takes a different look at the cost of conformity and the price of independence. (Science fiction. 12-16)

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September 1, 2016

Gr 7 Up-This strange novel is set in a postapocalyptic world on an island with a fenced community called ShareHaven. The residents live forever unless killed by accidental means. They also do not reproduce, but instead, every 25 years, 15 young people are born through scientific methods and raised to be the memory carriers of important members of the society. Jennza is one of those youths; however, she has reservations about the way things are. She struggles with accepting that she must join a Family in the community and become someone else. When she is chosen by a Family she wasn't expecting, she begins to wonder about her world and has trouble with the process of getting someone else's memories. This book contains dystopian themes and weaves ideas about life and religion. While Jennza is a believable, complex character, the constant plot turns will be a bit much for readers. The many complicated ideas about the community and the unraveling threads take too long to unfold and then are hastily and only partially resolved. There is an attempt at introducing love interests for Jennza, but that story line is also convoluted and underdeveloped. VERDICT Even the most passionate dystopian readers will have a hard time seeing this one through to the end.-Nancy Jo Lambert, Reedy High School, Frisco, TX

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