The Hidden Memory of Objects: A YA Paranormal Mystery of a Teen Who Reads Memories to Solve Her Brother's Death

“Unforgettable and impossible to put down—this novel is heart-pounding suspense at its best. A stunning debut.” —Kami Garcia, #1 New York Times bestselling coauthor of Beautiful Creatures and author of The Lovely Reckless

The Hidden Memory of Objects is a highly original and beautifully written debut mystery novel with a speculative element, perfect for readers who loved Gayle Forman’s If I Stay.

Megan Brown’s brother, Tyler, is dead, but the cops are killing him all over again. They say he died of a drug overdose, potentially suicide—something Megan cannot accept. Determined to figure out what happened in the months before Tyler’s death, Megan turns to the things he left behind. After all, she understands the stories objects can tell—at fifteen, she is a gifted collage artist with a flair for creating found-object pieces. However, Megan now realizes that her artistic talent has developed into something more: she can see memories attached to some of Tyler’s belongings—and those memories reveal a brother she never knew.

Enlisting the help of an artifact detective who shares her ability and specializes in murderabilia—objects tainted by violence or the deaths of their owners—Megan finds herself drawn into a world of painful personal and national memories. Along with a trusted classmate and her brother's charming friend, she chases down the troubling truth about Tyler across Washington, DC, while reclaiming her own stifled identity with a vengeance.

But as she uncovers her brother’s secret life, will the truth be more dangerous than the lies?

• YA Paranormal Suspense: Megan’s emerging psychic abilities are her only tool to find out what really happened to her brother, Tyler. But every vision comes with a cost.
• A Supernatural Mystery: From a mysterious wooden box to a connection with Lincoln assassin John Wilkes Booth, Megan follows a trail of historical artifacts through Washington, DC to find the truth.
• Uncovering a Brother’s Secret Life: The brother Megan knew was the school’s golden boy. The memories he left behind reveal a stranger involved in secrets she can’t comprehend.
• Unlikely Allies: She’ll have to trust a mysterious friend of her brother's and an "artifact detective" who shares her strange ability, but everyone seems to be hiding something.

Gr 9 Up—Fifteen-year-old Megan's older brother, Tyler, is dead. Megan knows that what the police are saying, that Tyler died of a possibly self-inflicted drug overdose, cannot possibly be true. Her brother was laid-back and fun-loving; suicide just didn't seem to make sense. Determined to uncover the truth, Megan delves into the objects that Tyler left behind, and the discovered items become part of Megan's ongoing art projects. A talented collage artist, she is constantly collecting found objects as raw materials. However, instead of simply speculating on the meaning of Tyler's belongings, Megan is inexplicably transported to a moment in Tyler's past whenever she touches something that was meaningful to him. With her new ability, Megan is thrust into a world of painful memories, both personal and national. It turns out that Tyler was in possession of various stolen items associated with the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. With the help of her classmate Eric and her brother's charming friend Nathan, Megan chases the truth about her brother's death all over Washington, DC. This debut novel is fast-paced and engaging, and the diverse characters, though slightly underdeveloped, are endearing. The elements of U.S. history add layers to this unique and enjoyable read. VERDICT For general YA collections. This will have particular appeal for fans of speculative fiction and mysteries.—Ariel Birdoff, New York Public Library