Helpful Score: 3
This book took off well. Got a bit slow in the middle, really picked up and then fell flat. I was very upset with the ending but I won't spoil it for others by telling. I thought the idea was interesting but the author didn't carry finish well.
Helpful Score: 2
I really did not enjoy this book. I thought I would, I had heard so many good things about it. For some reason, I just couldn't get hooked into the story. It seemed like I was waiting for the point and it never came. I feel bad about it, because I really wanted to like it, but I was disappointed.
Helpful Score: 2
From my blog "Reader's Enchantment:"
I received My Name Is Memory by Ann Brashares through the LibraryThing Early Reviewers program. It would not have shown up on my to-be-read pile on its own simply because I spend so much time in the YA section, I forget there are other types of books out there. Although it's being sold alongside of mainstream fiction, (I've even seen it for sale in my grocery store,) this book is not your average, generic love story.
This is the story of Daniel and Sophia, and Daniel and Constance, and most recently, Daniel and Lucy. Different names, different times, but the same souls. Obviously, this book requires a belief a reincarnation in order to work. (Duh, right? It has to be said though.) Anyway, in the first life that he remembers, Daniel meets the soul he later knows as Sophia (et al) just as he is burning her house down around her. He is instantly transformed, regrets his actions and will continue to live with regrets for the next 1500 years. He is one of a few souls in the world that are able to remember their previous lives and, while the book tells us there are others like him, we meet only two: Ben, an old soul already by the time Daniel meets him aboard a ship and Joaquim, Daniel's brother and leader of the group that is responsible for burning the first "Sophia." Daniel and Ben recognize each other as ones with "The Memory" but Ben says that Joaquim does not remember in the same way. However, in all future interactions Daniel and Joaquim are at odds with each other, usually over Sophia.
Daniel, in his most recent incarnation, goes to high school with Lucy for their junior and senior years. Lucy feels a connection to him from the beginning, as she often has in the past, but she cannot quite understand their connection. Her friend constantly reminds her that "if he liked you, you would know it," but that doesn't stop Lucy from having an almost constant attraction to, and imaginary relationship with Daniel.
The characters of the story are finely drawn and I love how some characters are reincarnated. For example, Lucy's friend with the sage advice was her mother in their previous lives. In one life, Daniel had one of the best mothers he'd ever had but in order to be reincarnated at about the same time as "Sophia's" natural death, he lets himself die of a drug overdose; in his following life, he is born to a drug-addicted mother.
The story is told in interchanging chapters of Lucy and Daniel, sometimes of their past lives and sometimes in the present. This can sometimes be distracting from a story but it is not so in this book. Let me point out something I love and wish all authors would be so kind to do: each chapter starts with a place and year so that you understand immediately whether you are in the present or the past. Another special bonus with this book is a bookmark with Daniel's story on one side and Sophia's on the other. I find this to be very fitting of the story itself and I'm impressed with the idea.
I've learned since finishing the book that it is the first of a trilogy and that really explains the unsatisfying ending. I truly loved the story up until the last 60 pages or so. I'm aware that "series" books are all the rage right now but, in my opinion, this is a case where the entire story could have been told in another 50-100 pages. Also, there's a part of me that believes in reincarnation so this book easily falls into my world beliefs, but I can see some people having trouble with the premise of the story.
My rating for this book is a solid 3.5 stars.
Okay, I feel the need to add a little more, but it's going to contain spoilers. So, feel free to cut and paste this link and scroll down for the spoiler part. http://readersenchantment.blogspot.com/2010/07/my-name-is-memory-by-ann-brashares.html
I received My Name Is Memory by Ann Brashares through the LibraryThing Early Reviewers program. It would not have shown up on my to-be-read pile on its own simply because I spend so much time in the YA section, I forget there are other types of books out there. Although it's being sold alongside of mainstream fiction, (I've even seen it for sale in my grocery store,) this book is not your average, generic love story.
This is the story of Daniel and Sophia, and Daniel and Constance, and most recently, Daniel and Lucy. Different names, different times, but the same souls. Obviously, this book requires a belief a reincarnation in order to work. (Duh, right? It has to be said though.) Anyway, in the first life that he remembers, Daniel meets the soul he later knows as Sophia (et al) just as he is burning her house down around her. He is instantly transformed, regrets his actions and will continue to live with regrets for the next 1500 years. He is one of a few souls in the world that are able to remember their previous lives and, while the book tells us there are others like him, we meet only two: Ben, an old soul already by the time Daniel meets him aboard a ship and Joaquim, Daniel's brother and leader of the group that is responsible for burning the first "Sophia." Daniel and Ben recognize each other as ones with "The Memory" but Ben says that Joaquim does not remember in the same way. However, in all future interactions Daniel and Joaquim are at odds with each other, usually over Sophia.
Daniel, in his most recent incarnation, goes to high school with Lucy for their junior and senior years. Lucy feels a connection to him from the beginning, as she often has in the past, but she cannot quite understand their connection. Her friend constantly reminds her that "if he liked you, you would know it," but that doesn't stop Lucy from having an almost constant attraction to, and imaginary relationship with Daniel.
The characters of the story are finely drawn and I love how some characters are reincarnated. For example, Lucy's friend with the sage advice was her mother in their previous lives. In one life, Daniel had one of the best mothers he'd ever had but in order to be reincarnated at about the same time as "Sophia's" natural death, he lets himself die of a drug overdose; in his following life, he is born to a drug-addicted mother.
The story is told in interchanging chapters of Lucy and Daniel, sometimes of their past lives and sometimes in the present. This can sometimes be distracting from a story but it is not so in this book. Let me point out something I love and wish all authors would be so kind to do: each chapter starts with a place and year so that you understand immediately whether you are in the present or the past. Another special bonus with this book is a bookmark with Daniel's story on one side and Sophia's on the other. I find this to be very fitting of the story itself and I'm impressed with the idea.
I've learned since finishing the book that it is the first of a trilogy and that really explains the unsatisfying ending. I truly loved the story up until the last 60 pages or so. I'm aware that "series" books are all the rage right now but, in my opinion, this is a case where the entire story could have been told in another 50-100 pages. Also, there's a part of me that believes in reincarnation so this book easily falls into my world beliefs, but I can see some people having trouble with the premise of the story.
My rating for this book is a solid 3.5 stars.
Okay, I feel the need to add a little more, but it's going to contain spoilers. So, feel free to cut and paste this link and scroll down for the spoiler part. http://readersenchantment.blogspot.com/2010/07/my-name-is-memory-by-ann-brashares.html
Helpful Score: 1
This is an unusual love story written by Ann Brashares author of the well known, "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants". In this story, you follow important events from mostly one character's life, Daniel. You find out how he first finds the one who strikes him as someone he wants to know to eventually the one he wants to spend all of eternity loving. Although he finds and loses her throughout the centuries, he keeps looking for her and trying to find a way to love her in whatever body he finds himself. Unfortunately, this leaves Daniel with a very one dimension type of character. This makes sense because he is not spending his time developing himself, but finding another.
You also get glimpses of Lucy in her present life, who is a more rounded character since she has spent this life in developing herself. As things finally make their way together a climatic scene develops that transforms Daniels view of life and the lives he has lived. He must then find a way to keep from being haunted by another who shares the memories of past lives, or they may never be together no matter what life they are living. This person is intent on destroying him and now Lucy in whatever way he can. Unfortunately, I have to say that the ending is not satisfying and I warn you, it will not answer the lingering questions you have left. I do not know if there is a series potential, but I do understand this book has already been optioned for a movie.
I give this book 3 1/2 stars. It is great to get a book that has fully observed how reincarnation is often understood and seen by various cultures. It is well written and I do hope that there is another book in the works for Lucy and Daniel. I'd love to read it.
You also get glimpses of Lucy in her present life, who is a more rounded character since she has spent this life in developing herself. As things finally make their way together a climatic scene develops that transforms Daniels view of life and the lives he has lived. He must then find a way to keep from being haunted by another who shares the memories of past lives, or they may never be together no matter what life they are living. This person is intent on destroying him and now Lucy in whatever way he can. Unfortunately, I have to say that the ending is not satisfying and I warn you, it will not answer the lingering questions you have left. I do not know if there is a series potential, but I do understand this book has already been optioned for a movie.
I give this book 3 1/2 stars. It is great to get a book that has fully observed how reincarnation is often understood and seen by various cultures. It is well written and I do hope that there is another book in the works for Lucy and Daniel. I'd love to read it.
Helpful Score: 1
I absolutely loved this book.... Until the ending. I could not put this book down, but as I said, the ending is very disappointing. I certainly hope this is the first in a series.
I read this book in a matter of days, I did not want to put it down. I thought the story was very interesting I enjoyed how the author had the two individuals stories intertwine. The author definitely had me craving more.
I listened to this book on tape. Great mystery, wonderfully developed characters from childhood into adulthood (and on into past and future lives). Very romantic, keeps you on the edge of your seat to find out how it will all end.
This was an interesting book, for older readers, but again about young Adults growing into mature ones after having made mistakes and life or death choices. Daniel as a Soul keeps coming back into new bodies, but with the same memories. The history was great in it, and she weaves wonderful memories,and a love story, but the end was abrupt and not a closure. Good reading before bed.
The central point that I walked away with was that in constantly living in the past or the future, a person can easily lose and/or destroy the life of the present. A lesson we would all do well to remember. Unfortunately, I did not realize that this was the first book in a series. So, I did not like being left hanging at the end.
I really liked this book but unlike the other reviewers I knew about halfway through that this was the first book in a series (I read the other reviews and learned this). Since I knew this is the 1st in a trilogy, I wasn't disappointed in the ending. Also, what I liked best about this book (hard to describe) is that as a Christian I was worried how the past lives part was going to be framed. There wasn't anything anti-God or anti-eternal life, even though certain souls "come back around." I liked that part about it. Unfortunately, the last chapter of this book makes me wonder if the same will be true in the second as we learn all about Joachim's power. I didn't know I was signing on for a trilogy when I started it but I'm interested enough to continue and recommend it to others.
