Book Review: My Name Is Memory by Ann Brashares

Title: My Name Is Memory

Author: Ann Brashares

Publisher: Riverhead

Publication Date: June 2010

Genre: Adult Fiction

Series or Stand Alone: Series, Book One

Synopsis can be found here.

Review:

Ann Brashares, best known for her Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants Young Adult series, takes on adult fiction in the first book to this stunning new trilogy.

Every lifetime, the love of Daniel’s life is reincarnated into another being, and he must find her. Sometimes, he doesn’t find her until she’s old. Sometimes she’s too young. This time, they are just right. Around the same age and in the same high school, Daniel remembers his past tries over the centuries. But someone from Daniel’s past lurks one step ahead of him, and he is intent on punishing Daniel forever.

I had never read Brashares’s other series, but was intrigued by the premise. A love story spanning hundreds of years? Sign me up! The true romantic in me swooned over the glittery cover and the promise of a well-told story. And after having read The Time Traveler’s Wife years ago, this seemed like something I would enjoy.

I dove into the lyrical language and beautiful tone of this novel. The heartbreaking history of these characters weighs heavily on Daniel, the only one who remembers all his lives. Daniel is a sturdy and true character. Complex and lonely, his soul relives every loss and win, every lifetime. Instead of being bitter, Daniel is a fighter and continues on, hoping for a better chance next time. Lucy, his soulmate’s name in this lifetime, is a strong teenager. She doesn’t flip back and forth or whine. She’s mature and though things seem a little unreal about Daniel, she does realize something special is between them.

Full heavy emotions fill the pages and I found myself really caring about these characters, rooting for Daniel and Lucy to somehow find a way to be together. The entire time I read this book, time did not exist for me. I was so swept up in their story.

And then the end…

I almost screamed and threw the book down! The end?!  But no, thank goodness I went online and began searching the web in outrage over the book’s ending. Only to find it’s book one in the series. Whew! So don’t expect a neat ending because it’s not over.

Brashares, please write faster!! I’m eagerly awaiting book two.

Review: 10, One of the best