What would you do if no one ever remembered you, and you could leave no record of your existence, but you retained everything? This book starts with the unique idea that everybody forgets a certain person every year. It is a fresh concept, and poor Tommy experiences this grief from the very beginning. When Tommy is a newborn baby, his own parents do not know how he got into their home. To complicate things, anything relating to Tommy, including records of his birth, disappear with the memory of him.

Tommy ends up in a foster home and meets people who will impact his future greatly. When he is a child, he must figure out how to keep a roof over his head. As a teenager, he discovers some small loopholes to what he calls his “reset” that happens on his birthday. Reading how this plays out is fascinating. Readers will sympathize with Tommy and wonder how he could possibly escape this unfair fate. While Tommy grows to care about people, and they care for him back, they will soon forget that he ever existed. It is easy to feel his pain at losing people regularly.

To complicate things, once he is eighteen, how will he support himself? There is no record of his birth and no one to vouch for him. Tommy gets creative. Another issue is that he has loved Carey for years, but of course, like everyone else, she forgot about him. This won’t stop Tommy from racking his brain to trick fate.

When he accidently comes across his father, Tommy must decide if he wants to approach him. He is constantly bothered by difficult decisions, which bring out cleverness in him.

There is a suicide attempt in the novel, so those who would be triggered by this should be aware that this takes place here.

Friendship, family, and loneliness are treated with respect in this book. The writing is a realistic view of how a young man deals with an impossible situation and follows Tommy’s struggle for decades. The paranormal aspect adds a magical touch to the tale, making it stand out among other books.

This is an entertaining story, a page turner. The only improvement could be that it needed to describe why this was happening to Tommy. It ends on a surprising note and is well worth the read. A general audience who appreciates a fun book with depth, an exploration of relationships within the context of unusual circumstances will probably enjoy this book. Five stars.

How to be Remembered is about Tommy Lewellyn, a boy who is forgotten every year on his birthday. While this instantly brings to mind The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, these two books could not be more dissimilar.

After his first birthday, Tommy is placed into a group home for children without families. It is a loving place that accepts Tommy year after year. Then when he is fourteen years old, he falls in love with another resident, one that forgets him after his next birthday. Tommy is determined to make a place for himself in a world that forgets him.

The book is, for the most part, very well written. The characters are vivid, and the settings stick in your mind. Except for the unnecessary, random, and frequent POV changes, I loved the writing style.

Tommy is what you could call a cinnamon roll character. You can’t help but love him, and everyone does love him. Year after year after year. This brings me to my main problem with the novel. It has no conflict. Everything is so easy. I wish my life is as easy as Tommy’s, and I am not forgotten over and over again. Also…in the end of the novel, there is a situation (I won’t spoil it) that makes no sense considering that Tommy’s own parents forgot about him on his first birthday. The very people who contributed to his genetic makeup.

I am also not a fan of writing fantastical elements into books and just expecting readers not to question them or take them at face value. Why was the fact that Tommy forgotten never really more than a passing question? I think exploring this would have been more interesting.

I do think that a lot of people will love How to be Remembered. It is great if you want a light, fun fantasy read. I, however, was left wanting a bit more.

I’ll admit to you that I wasn’t expecting to like this book. I am primarily a reader of books with female leads, so I usually struggle a bit when the lead is male. BUT I WAS SO WRONG! I LOVED THIS BOOK SO MUCH! Seriously, this is unputdownable. My heart was racing at points, I shed some tears, I jumped for joy, I did all the things.

Tommy finds himself forgotten by the entire universe every year, having to rebuild his life. Every. Single. Year. He makes his peace with this, but then he falls in love. He has to find a way to be remembered before he is forced to start over again.

Honestly, I really recommend this book for every sort of reader. If you like mysteries, this will be a good read for you. If you like love stories, this will be a good read for you. If you like psychology, this will be a good read for you. I have no bad things to say, only love for this story.

The story follows Tommy Llewellyn who each year on his birthday he is forgotten by those who are around him. This book was an interesting read, can you imagine reintroducing yourself to the people you know on a yearly basis?
Overall, I think that this is an interesting read a unique story on its own way. However, I think I was a bit disappointed on how this book had ended.
the moment that they found a flaw in the system, then why did they not use that as an opportunity to be reunited with his birth parents?
I know that this is the author's debut novel and for that reason I would be looking forward to reading more of his works in the future.
Thank you, NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!
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Thank you so much to Sourcebooks for a copy!

Unfortunately I have tried for MONTHS to get into this book and I just can't seem to stay interested. The writing was a tad choppy and I just could not stay focused.

However, reading other reviews, it seems I am very much in the minority and wish all the best for this book!

When Tommy went to sleep the night before his first birthday, his doting parents looked forward to celebrating one year. When they woke up, they couldn’t figure out who the baby was or why their house was filled with diapers and toys. Tommy was destined for a life where he wouldn’t be remembered. He was taken to a group home where on every birthday, life was reset. No one knows who he is or how he got there. And so Tommy’s quest as he approaches adulthood is how to be remembered.
The premise of this book was so unique for me. I went in without reading the synopsis and immediately felt so bad for this child. I loved reading his progression through life, how he dealt with it some years better than others, and how as he ages, he starts to figure out a few work arounds. Tommy is a charming character and easy to become entranced with. I liked him more and more as he got older and wiser, and the way this story plays out was so gratifying.
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I loved this story. Of course I was reminded of Addie LaRue, but the only similarity was that the main character was forgotten. The magic system (or lack of) is vastly different. I found myself STRESSED during the last couple of chapters because I could not begin to guess how it was going to end. I desperately needed a happy ending for Tommy. There were a couple loose ends to the plot, but a really nice book overall.

A hard hitting emotional read where Tommy Llewellyn gets forgotten by everyone on the same day every year. I love the way Michael Thompson chose to write Tommy, that he remains determined and still find happiness and love in his otherwise sad life. I like the magical realism and think everything was really well written, you will laugh and cry reading this. Definitely a re=read if you want to go through a rollercoaster of emotions.

How To Be Remembered is a touching and captivating story about perseverance, finding your place in the world, falling in love, and learning how to let go.

Every year, on the fifth of January, all material evidence of Tommy Llewellyn's existence disappears from the world, and every remembrance of him is entirely wiped out.

“’Night, buddy. See you when you’re a one-year-old,’ he whispered, so quietly he could barely hear it himself.”

That’s the last thing Leo Palmer told his son because the following morning, all remnants of Tommy's life vanished, including his toys, birthday cake, and even his image from the family photos, leaving no trace of his existence.

Every year, on the fifth of January, Tommy Llewellyn would wake up with the same thought: “Why don’t they remember me?” only to realize, time and time again, that no one could give him an answer.

“Tommy Llewellyn was completely, irrevocably, eternally in love with Carey Price. Four weeks later she would forget him, as would everybody else, but he would go on loving her.”

Even though Tommy doesn't fully understand the nature of his condition or why he was chosen to be forgotten, he remains certain that he will find a way to reclaim his life and prevent the things that matter to him from slipping away. He’ll find a way to outsmart the Reset.

I enjoyed reading this unique and captivating debut novel and eagerly anticipate Michael Thompson's next work!

Thank you, NetGalley, the publisher Allen & Unwin, and author Michael Thompson for the ARC copy in exchange for an honest review! How To Be Remembered by Michael Thompson is due to be released on June 27, 2023.

Oof what an emotional read. Not one I think would pick up on my own so I am so glad Sourcebooks let me access this early to read! I do feel bad for Tommy, always being forgotten with his birthdays so his need to be remembered and talked about makes sense, it was just very intense. It was overall a great book and will re-read the phsyical.

This is a 3.5 star book for me. I always round half stars down.

This book was at its best when it was more introspective. The story was, overall, fairly quiet — which isn't a bad thing when done well. There are some quotes and passages that will stick with me for a while. I have to commend the author for seamless, masterful use of omniscient POV, but the narration did meander a little. The pacing was slow overall, which I don't always mind, but the story seemed to drag at times.
However, there were some emotional gut punches in the novel, moments when I couldn't help but feel for Tommy. I wish some of them had been followed by more introspection because at times, I felt as though the book lacked it in rather crucial moments. Unfortunately, the ending was a little underwhelming for me, bordering on anticlimactic. I can't discuss why and still keep this review spoiler-free, but in keeping with my earlier comments, I'll just say I wish it had left me with a bigger, more universal takeaway rather than something that just applied to Tommy.
I still enjoyed this book, and I think other people who don't mind quieter, lower stakes stories will also like it. In particular, I recommend this book to fans of more literary speculative fiction.

[Review to be posted on Goodreads one month prior to publication per publisher's request]

I was drawn to this book in part due to the comparison to Matt Haig's works, and having read it I can confirm that if you are a fan of books like The Midnight Library or How To Stop Time, you will definitely enjoy this book. Thompson creates the same atmosphere of magical realism - fantastical situations that still feel incredibly grounded, and really explore the intersection of the mundane and the magical. The ways that Tommy both is affected by his 'Reset' and the ways he finds to work around and with it all feel well-thought out and as realistic as someone forced to live through being erased from existence could be. The exception I found was the book's final twist, which did feel like a very neat and convenient way to solve his problems, but this was very much the exception.

Unfortunately the focus on this more realistic and practical tone did, for me at least, mean the book felt like it lacked tension. Even the more dramatic moments when Tommy lost something important felt like they fell somewhat flat, especially as he usually either moved on within a chapter, found a solution almost immediately, or the problem just went away (see the friendship with Josh he was somehow able to just completely rebuild every time). I would have liked to see some more dramatic consequences to the Reset - there is a moment in the final chapter that did feel like it was finally fulfilling this and I found myself totally drawn in for the first time, but sadly this came a little late. However, if you are interested in slice-of-life narratives and want a feel-good book with a really interesting premise, I would absolutely recommend this book.

How to be Remembered
By Michael Thompson
Pub Date: June 27, 2023
Sourcebooks
Fantasy, magical realism
Thanks to this debut author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
Tommy is destined to never be remembered, can he change this pattern of reset and keep hold of what is important?
I was intrigued by this book, but grew tired of the use of the f word and bad language. It was , other than that, an entertaining read,
4 stars

As much as I thought that Michael Thompson would bring me to tears or deliver a book that would knock me out with the story, I can say that How to Be Remembered and the story it tells is good but is not going to last in my eyes. I hate saying that because I felt that the story idea is great and the characters are good but it feels more like Thompson took Matt Haig, one of my favorite authors, and said I can write that.

How to Be Remembered feels more like a copy of Haig's books than an original story and I hate that because this premise is great but has been explored in other books such as Addie LaRue (on my TBR list). I do like Thompson's characters and how realistic they are because it melds well with the premise but again they feel very Haig and makes me unfairly compare the two.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. Thank you NetGalley.

Man, what an unique storyline. I can honestly say I've never read anything like this, and that is a feat in itself!

The author is truly talented. The world building? Beautiful.
The main character Tommy lives a pretty ... upsetting life. Every year, his family forgets who he is. Almost as if their memories reset on the same day every year.. and this continues until he falls in love. . Once he falls in love he has to figure out how to "trick" the reset in his life. And that comes with a price. He has to make an important decision.

You'll be drawn into this storyline so easily.

I adored this book, more than I thought I would. And i'll definitely recommend it to others!

Get ready to ugly cry. What would you do if you only had a year to make people remember you before they forget entirely? Tommy has to do just that. On his birthday, each year he has to reset. Hanging over him is a one-year timeline. Whoever has crossed his path no longer has him in their memory. How to Be Remembered is a tear-jerker beyond a doubt. How do you hold on tight to everything you know, every moment, knowing your world will be reset and forgotten? My heart was in my throat the entire book. We follow Tommy throughout his boyhood, and he tries consistently to find a loophole to break the pattern and be remembered. One tragedy and one heartbreak after another, and yet you still cannot put this book down. You will be cheering for him and find yourself never giving up hope.
I would not be surprised if How to Be Remembered ended up as the #GMAbookclub or #readswithJenna book.
Simply fabulous.

How to be remembered. How to be remembered when your life is reset year after year. In this gut-wrenching novel, readers are introduced to a boy unlike any other. This boy’s life is erased every single year. His belongings, his friends, his family, his existence. So, how to be remembered? In this novel, a boy that nobody remembers must learn to live his life while everyone around him forgets.

A wonderfully uplifting book filled with magical realism. We all want to be remembered after we're gone, but for Tommy his leaving is on an annual basis. Every year on his birthday Tommy remains wherever he is but wakes up to the knowledge no one at all knows who he is. His parents don't remember him as a baby, nor can the foster group home remember him as a toddle or school age or as a teenager.
When Tommy is still in the children's care home at fourteen years old, he sees Carey, a slightly older teen with whom he becomes infatuated. But when Carey leaves the home when she ages out, Tommy decides to find a way to be remembered. He's determined to find a way to beat the "reset" of his life each year.
A heartbreaking thought that no one remembers or misses you but somehow Tommy finds a way to mostly stay positive in his hunt for solutions. He also keeps the same personality that draws good friends to him each year.
A sweet story that will have you rooting for Tommy all the way through.

Thank you to Sourcebooks for an advanced copy via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

Review in progress and to come.

I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review

I thought this book was incredibly sweet & also rather maddening. I'm a huge fan of magical realism & the concept employed here worked mostly quite well, but it still felt like there were a few plot points that didn't fully add up and/or could have been left out. Reminded me a bit of the movie "About Time".