First of all, let me just say that the friendship between Hope and Sam is so pure and I wish that they could have had more time together. In fact, Sam was the only thing that kept me reading through most of this. They were genuine and true to the cause from their introduction up until the last page and I love that for them.

Now for my full thoughts.

This book gave me 13 reasons why vibes and not in any way that I cared to read. While I appreciate that, at the time that this book came out it would have been sticking to the trend (if not at the top of the curve), it isn't where my reading tastes are at the current moment. I didn't like the dynamic of the group. They were awful to each other until some life/death or Hope driven event forced them to be nicer. However, the contents are what's been advertised on the can. These teens are troubled and on a trajectory that doesn't offer a positive future. 

It wrapped up neatly, so there isn't anything that leaves you wondering if the scavenger hunt was worth it. 

I would recommend this to anyone who was once a fan of 13RW or is interested in scavenger hunts/found family tropes.

TW: eating disorder, self-harm. CW: loss of sight, survivor's guilt, talk of the foster care system.

I didn’t think I would like this.  After reading several chapters I decided I didn’t like any of the characters. They all seemed so self absorbed and kind of bratty.  It’s a big deal breaker for me - I don’t usually finish a book if this is the case but the more I kept reading, the more I was understanding them. Glad I kept with it.  Definitely a great read and so many lessons we need to be aware of.

WOW this book hit me hard in the feels. It’s exactly what it says it is- a scavenger hunt from a dead friend to her hurting friends. It had everything I could possibly want in a book. It read SO quickly that I thought it was a 200 page book. I just absolutely flew through it and I definitely recommend it for a sobby scavenger hunt about illness (physical and mental).
Unfortunately, the author seems to have kind of disappeared off the face of the planet, so hopefully she’s still writing? I’ll definitely check out her other published work.

I solely only requested this at the time because I saw that the other made Supernatural references in the story. Nonetheless, I really enjoyed it and the references were a bonus!

Long over due as I just located my misplaced notes on the story (sorry). I am betting many YA's found this book  an enjoyable read.  This is one huge scavenger hunt and very intriguing. The characters were fascinating and will hold teens attention. Each have issues to be solved through the scavenger hunt - very insightful stuff here! Teens are going to eat it up.

Hello and happy Wednesday. Judging by my post you probably already know that I’m a stubborn reader and that I don’t easily change my mind about a book, especially if it’s one I didn’t love at first. That being said, every once in a while comes a book that makes me change my mind in a good way, a book like In the Hope of Memories by Olivia Rivers. This book was sent to me via NetGalley for reviewing purposes.

One thing that annoyed me right from the beginning was Erik’s comment on how Hope was “not like other girls.” Of course, then we find out that Hope is this amazing human being who basically doesn’t belong among us mortals (and that she recently died from a heart disease), so I let it slide and was sort of embarrassed for being so judgmental so soon.

The beginning is slow as hell. Like, I get that Erik and Aiden, two of our main characters just met and they have to come to terms with Hope’s death and her last wish, which was to have them go on a scavenger hunt, but I felt like at times they just went on and on about the same stuff and it was exhausting. I am a lover of fast-paced reads, so I suffered a bit through the first chapters.

The novel started growing on me when I discovered the alternating perspectives because you all know I love a story told from different points of view. It also got extra points for diversity, and I don’t mean it in a “I-have-a-black-friend-who-also-happens-to-be-gay” kind of way that is super common in YA novels that try to be inclusive. Here we have Aiden, who belongs somewhere in the autism spectrum and has OCD, and who is black; Erik, who’s going blind; Kali, who I think is originally from the Philippines, and who has being diagnosed and treated for anorexia; and Sam, who doesn’t ascribe to any gender stereotype and is in a wheelchair due to an explosion at his school the previous year or so.

The characters clearly make the story super interesting, but, again, I had issues with the plot itself. At some point, still at the beginning, I felt that it was way too predictable, and kind of like something I’d already read. Now I know it reminded me of Since You’ve Been Gone by Morgan Matson because the main character’s best friend leaves her a to-do list before moving away. Again, even as I kept reading, I still had the feeling it was way too slow.

After Aiden and Erik meet with Kali, the story sort of picks up its pace. I have to warn you, however, that this is by no means a friendly read. You’re not going to get any fluff from it whatsoever. If you’re into that, or if that’s a requirement for the books you read, don’t pick this one up. If you want to suffer, though, this book is totally for you. In my previous post, I talked about a series of trigger warnings related to this novel, so do check it out if you want to read about them in depth. Basically there are eating disorders, suicidal thoughts and attempts, and an actual suicide.

I had a teeny tiny problem with the style in which Sam’s bits were written. Here’s the deal: writing everything in lowercase may have been a quirky, sorta cool touch had I not read Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan. You know, David Levithan’s will grayson only writes in lowercase.

When I read the last half of the book I felt like I was given a different novel entirely from the one I’d started reading. I mean,  Hope is a total fangirl and Erik is a serious book nerd. That fact alone got the book a ton of points. I was also very happy for the correct use of inclusive pronouns when talking about Sam, even when other characters were referring to them.

The ending is super fast-paced and addictive. I just wanted to keep reading and find out how it all came to a closure. And, of course, that ending managed to make me cry, not that it’s hard or anything.

Once again, I would like to thank Olivia Rivers and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book. Now you tell me of a book that has surprised you in a good way.

Happy reading!

Love, Miss Camila

Hello people of the internet!!! On today`s `Monday Memos` we have another book review of a young adult novel you might want to add to your TBR (to be read) pile. Today`s book is ‘In The Hope of Memories` by Olivia Rivers, which was provided for review by Red Sparrow Press. As always this will be a spoiler-free review, but I will add some trigger warnings that you should be aware of before reading this book. If the following topics will trigger you then please proceed with caution: anorexia, bulimia, self-harm, school violence, death, and domestic terrorism. So now let`s get to the review! Ready? Ok, let’s go!!!

 

`In The Hope of Memories` is about a high school senior named Hope who has recently died from a heart complication. Before Hope died she set up a scavenger hunt around New York City for her friends Erik, Kali, Aiden, & Sam, in order for them to meet each other. Each character has their own history with Hope, as well as their own individual issues they are facing. Throughout the book we get to see them face their personal demons, learn about each other, & maybe even start to see themselves the way Hope saw them.

 

I`m going to start by saying this is definitely a 5 smiley face book. It had an intriguing plot, interesting characters, & twists that will definitely keep you interested. Another thing that I really loved about this book was the various ethnic, gender, and sexual diversity that we see throughout this book. I enjoyed the fact that this book had a large amount of diversity, but it was weaved into the novel in an organic way that really added to the characters. Lastly, I absolutely loved how by the end of the book, you feel as if you know Hope even though she is already dead at the start of the book. The author does an incredible job of using the various characters` relationship with Hope, as well as her scavenger hunt to make us completely fall in love with the character. If your looking for a beautifully written, incredibly touching book to read this fall, then ‘In The Hope of Memories’ should top your list!

I enjoyed it,  it it didn’t blow me a way. There was a bit of a disconnect with this story for me. I’d still like to read more by this author, though!

Loved the characters (so diverse) , the scavenger hunt was a great strategy of getting everyone "together" . The title fits with the book cover and what's amongst the pages.  Steady and lovely read

“She gave me the same thing she’s always given me. Hope.”

I’m a little over the scavenger hunt trope in YA books, but I had some hope (pun intended) for this story. The scavenger hunt was a great way to bring together the lives/stories of such different people who were all suffering in their own way. It made sense to give them all a common goal to work towards, while each had to confront their own personal demons to get there. I just wasn’t a huge fan of how it was all executed.

In a sense, I really appreciated that each character had so much conflict going on in their lives. It’s chaotic… but it’s also realistic. That being said, it was a tad bit dramatic (and quite difficult) to read about several characters with chaotic lives. As an empath, this story was emotionally draining. I was feeling so much for each person’s plight, that there was nothing left of me to feel anything for the actual story. Does that make sense? I hope it does.

Regardless, I really love the author’s writing style. In fact, it’s quite similar to how I write my own stories, so I think that played a huge part in how much I enjoyed reading it. It was conversational, fast-paced, and did a good job of portraying the many different perspectives involved.

Like I said earlier, there was a lot going on but it was all very important. I won’t go into detail about each person (because wow, you might as well read the book yourself if you want to dig deeper into the drama) but I will talk about my favourites–namely Aiden and Sam. Aiden is a gem. He is honest, earnest, and so easy to care for. Sam, like Sam says, is just Sam. And I love them for that. You don’t come across non-binary characters often.

This might be an unpopular opinion but Hope was my least favourite character (even though she’s dead and all). I just couldn’t understand the purpose of her character being put on such a high pedestal. In the first couple of pages we learn that she was incredibly talented, incredibly beautiful, incredibly kind, destined for great things… it was like she was this omnipresent golden child that ruled all of their lives–even more so through this scavenger hunt. Apparently there was nothing wrong with her except for the fact that she was burdened with an incurable illness that eventually took her life at a devastatingly young age. It was so extra. Something about that didn’t sit right with me. But like I said, I’m sure it’s an unpopular opinion.

All in all, I know many readers will enjoy this book. The writing is great, the premise has a lot of potential, and the character development is spot on. However, the teen angst was too much. I felt like I was watching every single episode of a teen drama in one sitting. Imagine five seasons worth of drama crammed into one episode. That’s the best way I can describe it. Anyway, I love me some angst, but this was just too many sad stories wrapped up into one. I hope you love it more than I did.

Actual rating: 3.5 stars

I was not able to read and review this book on time and I do not plan on finishing it, I'm really sorry and hope that you get the proper promotion for your book!

Hope is dying of a heart disease. She has lived a short life but before she dies, she sets up a scavenger hunt across New York City. She leaves her friends directions to complete the hunt and they are all brought together. Aiden, her best friend. Kali, her foster sister. Erik, her high school crush and Sam, her online pen pal. Together, they must complete Hopes scavenger hunt. This book was a great read that was very entertaining. I would recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a fun read,

I guess this book just wasn't for. The writing was beautiful and the concept was really intriguing and the story sucked me in , but the characters never really felt real. Instead they remained collections of stereotypes and mental health issues. They never felt like real people but instead remained concepts.

Considering that the whole story revolved around the four protagonists growing together, this was a really big flaw to get over. Hope was an especially tiresome character in that everybody portrays her a saint and the best person ever, but the thing she made her friends do just seemed mean, even bordering on cruel, at times. 

The  best part of the novel were the last couple of chapters because they showed how the characters grew over the course of the book, but the scavenger hunt alone and Hope's meddling don't really seem enough to create such an impact.

Overall, this was an okay read with an interesting premise but flat characters.

I enjoyed the book, but it was very slow and it caused my interest to wane quite a bit. I also feel as though the author threw in a bunch of different disorders (anorexia, OCD, autism) and it became too much. There is nothing wrong with writing about these issues, but there is a point where it seems that the author just wanted to experiment with them.

The ending was merely okay as well. I felt as though the scavenger hunt, while intriguing, was lacking. I wasn't able to go " oh it was that" for the art pieces, but I was unable to picture them.

3/5 stars. It was okay, but nowhere near where I expected it to be.

I am not going to be reviewing this book, but thank you for the approval.

This book had me laughing and crying through out the story but the tears were uncontrollable at the end! Make sure you have tissues around and don't read near other people unless you don't care about them seeing your ugly cry face! Great story and so beautifully written! Thank you x

It took me literal ages to get into this novel, but once I did, there was no stopping me. I loved this book so much more than I thought I would.

C H A R A C T E R S:
Hope. Okay, we obviously don't see from her perspective, but I really love her. I aspire to be Hope, basically; she is the epitome of everything good.
Sam. AAAAAA, MY FAVE. Sam is so wonderful and sarcastic and wonderful. Did I mention that they're wonderful? So much representation in one character (although I can't say if it was good representation or not). Sam was just... so great. Probably my absolute favorite.
Aiden. Oh, Aiden, my boy. He's so sweet and so precious. I hope with all my heart that he'll become a doctor. Also, representation for OCD; as I'm learning about this disorder right now in one of my classes, I think this was pretty good representation.
Erik. Again, representation with his eye condition! I didn't even know this disease existed before this book. The character himself is also so sweet and such a "nerd", if you can call a person who just reads books that.
Lastly, Kali. Oh, she was so witty and sarcastic and I only want the best for her. (I'm now realizing I REALLY want to know how the characters are doing after the story ends.) She's so gorgeous and so wonderful, even if she doesn't realize it.

P L O T:
Everyone knows that I looooove a good plot, and this one was done just right. The pacing was perfect for the storyline, everything was written out to the perfect extent, and the plot was actually consistent. The description matches the story! Yay!
I loved that there was so much going on but it wasn't overwhelming, and that everyone helped the plot move further. Ten outta ten.

W R I T I N G:
Besides for Sam & Hope, the writing was probably my favorite part. I loved all the character's unique ways of telling the story from their perspective and that they were totally distinct. The writing was also beautiful at times, and it wasn't too drawn out or sappy or anything. Absolutely perfect; I can't find a fault within it.

I hope you all know how much I enjoyed this. It took me ages to read (over a month!) but that's because I read, like, 5 pages on one day and then marked it as "Currently Reading". But I read most of it in a span of about 12 hours combined. I enjoyed every second I spent with this book.

I recommend IN THE HOPE OF MEMORIES to everyone!

So here’s the thing: I’m scared of dying. Before I say anything about the book, I had to let it out, mainly because this whole book is like based around a girl who is dead. I mean the constant reminder of death in every single chapter just gave me anxiety. And it’s not that the book is bad or really boring because it isn’t. It’s a really interesting story but it really wasn’t for me.
I mean the story is great and the characters are pretty interesting too. And I’m not even saying that I hated this book. It’s just the thought of dying gives me the creeps and I had to like force myself to keep reading but not because I didn’t wanted to read it but because I wanted to know what happened next and to know how the story would end. And the ending is great, really great. So this book is not a love story. It’s about friendship, trust and finding yourself. The concept of the book is really great, where the characters go on a scavenger hunt (and it like caught my attention because it’s in my bucket list; #136 – to go on a scavenger hunt) set by their friend, Hope, who sets it before she dies. So they have to go to this hunt to figure out what Hope wanted to tell them. And it’s really interesting to see these four strangers, who don’t have anything in common expect they are friends with Hope, to go on a scavenger hunt set by their dead friend.
I would definitely recommend this book but if you’re anything like me and can’t stand to think about dying then I’ll just give you a head’s up before you read this because as I said it before it was a bit scary for me to read it. But let me know how you felt about this book. Maybe it’s just me and I’m just overreacting about it.

I really enjoyed reading In Yhe Hope Of Memories, the characters were lovably quirky with harrowing make you cry problems. Definitely a thought provoking book.