The Reminders

May 22, 2017
Emmich's quirky first novel tracks the developing friendship between 10-year-old Joan and 30-something Gavin as they unite to try to win a songwriting contest. Joan, who lives with her musician dad and teacher mom in urban New Jersey, is one of a few dozen people in the world with a condition called highly superior autobiographical memory, which means that she remembers everything that has ever happened to her and on what day. TV actor Gavin has just lost his partner, Sydney, to a heart attack. He flees California to grieve at the home of his college friends, Joan's parents, who are facing their own issues about finances and career choices. When Gavin learns that Joan has met Syd, they agree that he will help her write a song, and she will recall every meeting she had with Syd in detail. As Gavin listens, he must face a mystery about Syd's last few months. Told in the alternating voices of Joan and Gavin, and illustrated with doodled line drawings from Joan's journal, the breezy novel raises intriguing questions about the nature of memory.

June 1, 2017
Achingly sweet and unexpectedly nuanced, Emmich's clever debut follows the unlikely bond between a grief-stricken actor and a gifted 10-year-old girl in Jersey City.Joan Lennon Sully is a 10-year-old with a startling gift: she can remember, in exacting detail, everything that's ever happened to her. She knows how many times her mother has said "it never fails" in the past six months; she remembers the date and reason for every time she's ever cried (Wednesday, March 25, 2009: the day Pepper was put to sleep; Wednesday, May 15, 2013: the day Mrs. Dresden called time on a test before she was finished). But she knows most people do not have her memory; most people, she understands, forget things, and Joan Lennon does not want to be forgotten. So when she spots an ad in the paper for "The Next Great Songwriter Contest," she sees her answer: a good song is like a permanent reminder, she reasons. If she can win the Next Great Songwriter Contest with a Joan Lennon original, then she'll never be forgotten. She just needs to find the right collaborator--and that's where Gavin Winters comes in. An old friend of Joan's parents, Gavin is a successful actor in Los Angeles overwhelmed with grief after his partner Sydney's sudden death. After he has a very public breakdown (fire was involved), Joan's parents invite Gavin to take refuge with them in New Jersey, where he and Joan strike up an unusual deal: he'll help Joan with her song if, in return, Joan will recount her memories of Sydney, snapshots from his few visits to the family over the past several years. But what starts as a source of comfort for Gavin takes an unsettling turn when Joan unknowingly reveals details that force Gavin to contemplate the possibility that Sydney may have been keeping secrets of his own. Overwhelmingly tender, sometimes verging on saccharine, the novel gets by on its profoundly likable pair of leading characters: what the book lacks in bite, it makes up for in charm. Heartfelt and charming; a book that goes down easy.

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April 15, 2017
After the sudden death of his partner, heartbroken TV star Gavin Winters sets fire to every possession that reminds him of their relationship, while a neighbor secretly captures it all on film. Gavin decides to escape this embarrassing publicity and his own anguish by living with friends and their daughter, Joan. She is a rare child who recalls each detail of her life with photographic memory, and hates to be forgotten. Joan resolves to be remembered forever by writing the perfect song and convinces Gavin to help. They form an unlikely partnership; Joan remembers absolutely everything, and Gavin tries to forget it all. Debut novelist Emmich moves the story forward by alternating perspectives of these strikingly different characters. At times, this is successful, the friendship is believable, and their voices are strong. In other moments, their connection feels forced, and the characters lose focus, especially Joan. Overall, though, the story is charming and relatable, as each strives to overcome feelings of isolation and learns to trust in the support of friends.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)

December 1, 2016

Singer-songwriter/actor Emmich (e.g., the current HBO hit Vinyl) portrays Gavin Winters, who burns up everything he owns after the death of beloved partner Sydney and leaves Los Angeles for the New Jersey home of a friend. Joan, the friend's ten-year-old, has a savant-level photographic memory and agrees to spill forth everything she recalls about Sydney. With a 50,000-copy first printing.

Copyright 2016 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from February 15, 2017

This adorable first novel alternates between two strangers who come together in a quirky way. Ten-year-old Joan lives in New Jersey; she has HSAM (highly superior autobiographical memory), which means she remembers every minute detail of her life. Gavin is a well-known actor in Los Angeles who has just lost the love of his life, Sydney. He is completely bereft and coming unhinged with grief. Joan's parents, Paige and Ollie, were college friends of Gavin, and introduced him to Sydney. They invite him to stay with them, in New Jersey. Joan, who is musical like her dad, and is in the midst of writing "the perfect song" for a local songwriting contest, decides that Gavin is her ideal cowriter. The two strike a deal. Joan tells Gavin her intricately detailed memories of Sydney in exchange for his songwriting help. Their growing friendship takes them on a few wild adventures, and eventually heals them both in heartfelt and unusual ways. Emmich captures the voices of Joan and Gavin, two such different characters, brilliantly. VERDICT Actor and musician Emmich (Vinyl; Ugly Betty; 30 Rock) can confidently add "novelist" to his list of achievements. He has written a quirky, touching, and addictive read. [See Prepub Alert, 11/14/16.]--Beth Gibbs, Davidson, NC

Copyright 2017 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

February 15, 2017

This adorable first novel alternates between two strangers who come together in a quirky way. Ten-year-old Joan lives in New Jersey; she has HSAM (highly superior autobiographical memory), which means she remembers every minute detail of her life. Gavin is a well-known actor in Los Angeles who has just lost the love of his life, Sydney. He is completely bereft and coming unhinged with grief. Joan's parents, Paige and Ollie, were college friends of Gavin, and introduced him to Sydney. They invite him to stay with them, in New Jersey. Joan, who is musical like her dad, and is in the midst of writing "the perfect song" for a local songwriting contest, decides that Gavin is her ideal cowriter. The two strike a deal. Joan tells Gavin her intricately detailed memories of Sydney in exchange for his songwriting help. Their growing friendship takes them on a few wild adventures, and eventually heals them both in heartfelt and unusual ways. Emmich captures the voices of Joan and Gavin, two such different characters, brilliantly. VERDICT Actor and musician Emmich (Vinyl; Ugly Betty; 30 Rock) can confidently add "novelist" to his list of achievements. He has written a quirky, touching, and addictive read. [See Prepub Alert, 11/14/16.]--Beth Gibbs, Davidson, NC

Copyright 2017 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.