Created by Laura Abbott

Escape from Memory by Margaret Peterson Haddix



Haddix, Margaret Peterson. Escape from Memory. Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing, 2005. 288 pages. pap. $6.99. ISBN 978-1-4169-0338-0.

Annotation: After a teenage girl named Kira is hypnotized, her mother is abducted and a woman claiming to be her Aunt Memory appears. Kira embarks on a journey to save the woman she thinks is her mother but discovers she has other unexplained memories.

Summary: At a party, 15-year-old Kira is hypnotized and reveals a forgotten secret of fleeing a foreign country with her mother and speaking a strange language. Soon after, her mother is kidnapped and a woman posing as her Aunt Memory takes Kira to the unfamiliar country of Crythe on a ruse to rescue her mom. While in Crythe, Kira realizes the importance of memory and how the memories locked inside her mind can either harm her or save her. Once she unlocks her distant memories, she is able to save her mother, best friend, and herself.

Evaluation: This suspense novel has plot twists throughout the book and keeps the reader interested. The general story is a little far-fetched but readers are able to connect with Kira’s likable but naïve character. The aspect of dreams being as important as memories is an intriguing concept to consider. Recommended for ages 12 to 17.

Genre / Subject: Fiction, Suspense, Computers, Memory, Kidnapping, Dreams, Family, Survival

Awards: 2006 New York Public Library Book for the Teenage