Unforgettable

August 8, 2011
Baxter Green, a 15-year-old who remembers every detail of his life dating back to an accident at age three, is the anxious, awkward hero of this offbeat modern romance. After his mother’s ex-boyfriend, Dink, is freed from prison for credit card fraud, Baxter (who testified against Dink in court and stole some of his money) flees California with his mother to begin a new life in Wellington, Minn., where his kindergarten soul mate, Halle, now resides. Baxter (who also has synesthesia) recalls every detail of their short-lived romance, but Halle has no memory of him. Just as Baxter seems to be making headway, regaining Halle’s affection, Dink discovers their new address and may be on his way to seek revenge. Ellsworth (In a Heartbeat) has hold of a fascinating premise, and while Baxter’s synesthesia feels like overkill, readers get a sense of the stress Baxter’s perfect memory brings. Readers will appreciate both the story’s literary allusions (Baxter’s class is reading The Great Gatsby) and Baxter’s desire to be “normal” and his determination to recapture the past as he remembers it. Ages 12–up.

Starred review from July 15, 2011

Fifteen-year-old Baxter Green has synesthesia; he hears voices as colors, textures or sounds.

And he never forgets anything. He's never forgotten his homework, never lost a library book, never lost a shoe. He remembers every day of his life as if it just happened, even kindergarten and a little girl named Halle with daffodils in her voice. When he and his mother move to Wellington, Minn., to hide out from his mother's criminal ex-boyfriend, who used Baxter's memory for a credit card scam and went to prison, Baxter hopes to hide his unusual powers, fit in and never again be known as The Memory Boy. But Halle happens to live in Wellington now, too. Baxter doesn't let on that he knows her and remembers everything about her, not wanting Halle to think him a freak with a weird superpower. A lot is going here—an exploration of synesthesia and memory, a crime story, an environmental drama, family relationships and a sweet, earnest love story with a nod to The Great Gatsby. But everything works, and, ultimately, it's all of these things together that lead to Baxter's transformation into a boy who doesn't have to make himself invisible to fit in.

It's a sweet love story, where holding hands with Halle, a kiss and being loved for who you are enough to make Baxter's world anew. (Fiction. 11 & up) 

(COPYRIGHT (2011) KIRKUS REVIEWS/NIELSEN BUSINESS MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)

September 1, 2011

Gr 6-9-Fifteen-year-old Baxter Green doesn't forget anything. He can remember each and every meal he ever ate, the father who died when he was just a toddler, the stolen credit card numbers his mother's ex-boyfriend made him memorize, and the exact threat Dink issued when he went to jail. Now the man is being released, and Baxter and his mother decide to stay out of his way. The teen gets to choose where they will live next, and he picks the current home of his kindergarten crush, Wellington, MN. Halle doesn't remember Baxter, but she likes him. As he tries to be normal, he can't help but wonder if his feelings for her are true or just part of his unique memory. And what will happen when Halle finds out that he kept her in the dark about who he is? The thought of losing her is worse than the paranoia he feels about Dink. Ellsworth's story is a new take on the standard coming-of-age tale. Baxter's character is believable, and the nature of his memory is deftly explained. This readable novel will find fans among those looking for romance and drama.-Heather Miller Cover, Homewood Public Library, AL

Copyright 2011 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.