The Memory Keeper

July 15, 2019
Not-quite-13-year-old Lulu uncovers family secrets as she struggles to compensate for--and cover up--her beloved grandmother's mental decline. With parents who are often (understandably) emotionally unavailable, Lulu is grateful for the constant love and support of her paternal grandmother. But Gram is beginning to be forgetful in frightening ways. Lulu hopes that her own extraordinary memory will help her to figure out how to reverse her grandmother's decline. Despite the serious subject matter, Lulu's first-person narration is light and conversational. Each chapter opens with the description of a different part of the human brain, helping to foreshadow the plot's twists and turns. Over the course of several days and with help from friends Max and Olivia, Lulu attempts to figure out why her allegedly French grandmother has a journal written in Russian--and two different passports. Max and Olivia are convinced that espionage is involved. The subsequent investigation is engaging but not always believable, and Lulu's insights occasionally make her seem older than her years. The eventual reveal of Gram's hidden history does not, as Lulu hopes, precipitate a miraculous cure, but it does serve to bring the family closer together. Lulu, her family, and Olivia present white; Max is presumably Latinx (he has a Spanish surname and "speaks Spanish fluently"). There's so much going on readers might find it hard to get to know Camiccia's appealing characters. (Fiction. 9-12)

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October 1, 2019

Gr 4-7-Twelve-year-old Lulu has always been close to her Gram, who moved in with her family to help take care of her and her little brother Clay while her parents were dealing with a loss. While Lucy has Highly Superior Autobiographical Memory (HSAM) and can remember every day of her life in detail, Gram starts forgetting things, from where she parked at the mall to, momentarily, who Lulu is. When Lulu learns that trauma can cause memory loss, she decides to investigate Gram's mysterious past to see if she can find a painful moment that is causing the amnesia, while also concealing Gram's memory loss. Lulu finds Gram's journal, written in Russian, and two different passports. With the help of her friends Olivia and Max, she tries to tie all the clues together. Chapters open with descriptions of different parts of the brain, foreshadowing the plot; readers may figure out the twists and turns before Lulu does. The subject matter is serious at times as Lulu discovers things about her grandma that she wasn't expecting, but there are enough lighthearted moments for balance. VERDICT Realistic fiction readers will be drawn to this poignant story that features a heartwarming relationship between a young girl and her beloved grandmother.-Sarah Polace, Cuyahoga Public Library System, OH

Copyright 2019 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 15, 2019
Grades 4-7 Memories can be complicated. Thirteen-year-old Lulu has highly superior autobiographical memory (HSAM), allowing her to recall everything she has ever experienced; Gram, who is Lulu's kindred spirit, finds herself increasingly forgetful; and Mom and Dad (who have delegated most of their parental responsibilities to Gram) try to repress their memories of Lulu's now-deceased younger sister. Lulu hopes Gram's memory loss is the result of trauma; if she can uncover its source, she's sure Gram can be cured. In Lulu's search for secrets, she uncovers Gram's diary, her Russian passport, and a mysterious acquaintance. Camiccia's debut novel begins each chapter with a short discussion of a brain component and its function, which she links to the current story. Characters (especially family and two of Lulu's friends) are well developed, and the plot unfolds smoothly as Lulu gradually exposes Gram's hidden past, including a trauma that unfortunately does not alter Gram's prognosis. Throughout, Camiccia stresses that the best way to hold onto loved ones is by telling their stories.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)