The Reminder - Hardcover

Michaels, Rune

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1416941312 ISBN 13: 9781416941316

Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2008

Synopsis

Daisy, otherwise known as Daze, keeps hearing her dead mother's voice. Sometimes it's because of her dad, who likes to watch old home movies when he can't sleep. Sometimes it's because of her brother, who was too young to remember Mom, and needs to be reminded by looking at photographs and watching videos. Sometimes it might just be her mind trying to work out what her therapist would call "issues." But this time, it is none of those things. It's something much more wonderful and much more terrifying, something Daze never thought possible. And it might allow Daze to do what she couldn't years ago: save her mother's life.

Rune Michaels, the visionary author of Genesis Alpha, plunges headfirst into the waters where science, family, and memory meet, and emerges with a powerful and fascinating story about loss and survival that challenges everything we think we know about the people we love.

About this title

About the Author

Rune Michaels studied psychology at the University of Iceland and at the University of Copenhagen. Her books include Genesis Alpha, The Reminder, and Nobel Genes. She lives with her family in Reykjavik, Iceland.

Reviews

Grade 7–9—When Daze discovers an animatronic version of her deceased mother's head in her father's laboratory, she sneaks in twice a week to talk to her but is quickly disappointed by the head's programmed responses. On one of these visits, she learns that her dad has a new girlfriend. When days later her mother's head goes missing, she is convinced that her dad plans to destroy it and embarks on a frantic search to save it. The story reaches a climax when Daze confronts her father and begins to deal with the circumstances of her mother's death. Realistic first-person narration draws readers into this short, fast-paced read. The author's use of technology to spark the characters' emotional revelations provides a unique plot element to this part realistic, part science fiction tale. Secondary characters, such as Daze's little brother, add to the narrative. Daze is a well-realized character, and her story gives readers the opportunity to speculate on the impact of artificial intelligence on future generations.—Kim Ventrella, Ralph Ellison Library, Oklahoma City, OK
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Daze is trying to be a typical teenager, but it’s difficult when her classmates keep asking questions about her mother’s death from cancer. One night, Daze is haunted by the sound of her mom’s voice and ventures downstairs to discover that her dad is playing old home movies on the computer. Things take an alarming turn a few days later when Daze hears her mom’s voice in the storeroom next to her dad’s office and discovers her mother’s head inside. Not the actual head, of course, but a robotic replica that her dad has created with a computer program simulating her mom’s voice and giving “her” the ability to respond to questions and carry on conversations. This is the second chance Daze has been looking for to come to terms with her mother’s death, which readers will discover did not occur as Daze had thought. An intriguing story about loss and survival, with elements of science fiction. Grades 6-9. --Shauna Yusko

Edition details

• Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers
• Publication date: 2008
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1416941312
• ISBN 13: 9781416941316
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 192